Sydeon

From IKwiki

Focus 5			CMD 7
SPD	STR	MAT	RAT	DEF	ARM
6	5	6	6	15	13
Siren
M		Special		POW	P+S
		H. Melody		5	10
Spirit Chains
R		RNG	ROF	AOE	POW
		6	1	-	5
Sydeon's Damage					14
Point Cost					70
Field Allowance					C
Victory Points					5
Base Size: Medium

Description

Sydeon, Wraith of the Machine (Mercenary Warcaster)

A basic outline: A Cygnaran Journeyman, close to completing his warcaster training, captured by Cryxian cults, experimented upon, but escaped. Deals with Cryx since they possess the only technology to keep him 'alive', being half-wraith. Has ties with the highborn covenant (Géralt) as a contact to Cryx, as well as being a part of the four star syndicate (who isn't?).

Special Rules

SYDEON

• Mercenary- Sydeon will work for Cygnar and Cryx. Sydeon will also work for the Highborn Covenant and the Four Star Syndicate.
• Undead- Sydeon is not a living model and never flees.
• Ghostly- Sydeon may move through any terrain and obstacles without penalty. Sydeon may move through obstructions if it has enough movement to move completely past the obstruction. Sydeon cannot be targeted by free strikes.
• Borrowed Goods- Through several contacts in Cygnar and Cryx, Sydeon is able to acquire almost any warjack. Sydeon can pick a single non-unique warjack from Cygnar or Cryx to include in his battlegroup.
• Soul Cages- Gain a soul token for each living model destroyed within 2". During his controller's next Control Phase, replace each soul token with a focus point. When under the effects of Warjack Sync, the synched Warjack gains Soul Cages.
• Melodies- All warjacks within Sydeon's CMD, including a warjack being under control through the Warjack Sync ability, can use one of the following abilities per round:

-Shattering Symphony, (*) Attack: Place a spray template onto target model in melee range, make an attack roll at -2 MAT at every small-based model under the template. Models hit are thrown d6 inches and suffer a damage roll equal to the warjacks current STR.

-Whispering Ballad: Target warjack gains +1 MAT and +1 SPD for one round.

-Screeching Interference: Target warjack ignores free strikes for one turn.

• Warjack Sync- Sydeon can enter a warjack, that is not destroyed, in his melee range. Against an enemy warjack Sydeon must hit the target warjack with a melee attack to enter it, this attack does no damage. The controlled Warjack uses the MAT, RAT, DEF of Sydeon, but keeps the STR, ARM and SPD. The warjack can use Sydeon's focus, and it ignores the effects of a single disabled system and cortex. Sydeon can cast spells, allocate and spend focus as usual from the Warjack he is synched with, but unspent focus does not add to the warjack´s armor, as well as not being able to regenerate his powerfield. Sydeon may start the game controlling a warjack in his battlegroup and must specify which. Sydeon can, at any point during his activation, leave the warjack - upon which his activation immediately ends. An enemy warcaster may attempt a command check to force Sydeon from a warjack under its control within its command range. If successful, Sydeon is placed in base to base with the warjack as determined by Sydeon's controller. Focus, continuous effects and upkeep spells part of Sydeon are transfered and a warjack cannot activate the turn Sydeon leaves the warjack. Disruption effects on a warjack under warjack sync do not affect Sydeon's focus. However, he cannot spend focus on the warjack he is synched with. If a synched warjack is disabled, Sydeon can't cast spells and can't allocate focus. If a synched warjack is destroyed then Sydeon is placed on the center of the wreck marker and suffers 2d6 points of damage.

Siren

• Haunting Melody (* Attack)- Target living model hit by this attack may be moved up to its SPD in inches, determined by Sydeon's controlling player. The target model may not be targeted by free strikes during this movement.

Spirit Chains

• Spectral Chains (* Attack)- Target living model hit by this attack may move its SPD in inches, determined by Sydeon's controlling player. Stationary models have to forfeit their activation for one round.
• Thrown- Add STR to POW of roll.

Feat

• Shared Torment
  

Knowing his very self is irretrievably damned, Sydeon draws upon the forces which seek to end his tenebrous hold on reality to blanket the entire battlefield in a cloak of ethereal energies. Opposing forces that survive such a display are always broken men, murmuring frightened tales of the specters of men and machine. These tales speak of such specters flitting through the trees, materializing only to slaughter men like scared children.

All Friendly Models in Sydeon’s CTRL, including himself, become incorporeal for one round. While incorporeal, models ignore movement penalties from rough terrain and obstacles. It can move through obstructions and other models if it has enough movement to move completely past the obstruction or the models base. A model may move through an incorporeal model without effect if it has enough movement to move completely past the incorporeal model's base. An incorporeal model does not count as an intervening model. An incorporeal model can not engage models or be engaged. An incorporeal model only suffers damage and effects from magic attacks, animi, spells, feats and is not affected by continuous effects. An incorporeal model cannot b charged, slammed, or pushed. Slammed and thrown models move through incorporeal models without effect. An incorporeal model cannot charge. When an incorporeal makes an attack, it loses the incorporeal ability for the remainder of the feat and thereafter.

Spells

Spell	Cost	Range	POW	AOE	UP	OFF
Playing Field	3	CTRL	-	3"	Y	-
Place two 3" AOE templates completely within Sydeon's control area. Sydeon must have LOS to place a template. During its activation, one warjack in Sydeon's battlegroup ending its movement completely within the AOE may be transferred from one template to the other, ignoring free strikes. If an enemy warjack enters one AOE, the controller will determine whether it will be moved to the other AOE. After a warjack is transferred, this spell expires. Upkeep must be paid for each consecutive round it stays into play.
Phantom Image	2	6"	-	-	Y	-
Target model gains a spectral shadow. When targeted by an attack the controlling player rolls a d6. On a roll of 1-3 the phantom is hit and the attack misses, deviation and other effects take place normally. On a roll of 4-6 the target model is hit normally. The spell expires when an attack missed due to Phantom Image.
Grim Chorus	2	8"	-	-	-	Y
During it's controller's next Maintenance Phase, target warrior model/unit activates and runs into a random direction, stopping when coming into contact with another model or obstruction. Their activation then ends.
Ether Banishment	3	8"	-	-	-	Y
Non-warcaster/warlock model is removed from the playing field for one round. Place a marker where the model was removed. When the spell expires, return the model to play on the marker. If the marker is occupied, place the model as close to the marker as possible as determined by its controlling player. Ether Banishment cannot be cast on the same target two rounds in a row.
One Mind	2	6"	-	-	Y	-
Target warjack may spend up to four focus, and Sydeon may use the target warjack to channel spells. The warjack must remain in Sydeon's control area to recieve these benefits.

Concept Notes

Basically and idea to create a cool ´Jack caster, including ethereal and mind control abilities. He might even be weaker than Nemo, but his abilities allow him to stay alive and control the battlefield. Credits go to: Sander K. (me) for concept and main ideas, Irdion, Lordbubonicus and Khobai for wording, ideas and rule changes/clarifications.

Playtesting Notes

1. One Mind although a great idea, does not have enough potential. Two offensive spells and being close to jacks anyhow means the arc node only got used once, the focus ability didn't get used. Will buff. 2. Ether Banishing the Thunderhead twice in the game (not one round after another) shows its great potential. I am thinking about bumping it to 4 FOC, but I'll playtest it some more before I decide if it is too good for 3 FOC. 3. Sydeon stayed in the Ironclad for most of the game, until the Ironclad got banged up by Lightning Coil attacks and then being shot by Voltaic Snare, which prompted me to let him to leave it. Next turn he possessed the Centurion, but got expelled because of a good CMD roll. That was his death as the Thunderhead just came back from being banished (and the Centurion couldn't activate, because Sydeon left it) and pounded on him with 5 FOC. I waited too long to pop his feat and see its effect. 4. The special bonuses worked out great! Subtle, but very useful and/or powerful when needed. 5. Grim Chorus did not come into play and seems too underpowered, since he has better spells and the situation didn´t warrant it. I need a more straightforward or different spell all together. 6. Playing Field seems great, but might need a buff and rewording since a ten inch control area is not big to do much in, except for defensive maneuvers. I will try it, before I decide, though. 7. He was pretty much dead unless in a warjack, but had tons of abilities and stuff to keep him and his battlegroup alive, in that case I am very pleased. 8. Phantom Image is fine I just rolled badly to have an effect. 9. Jacks got buffs from him, but I think he needs one more spell (instead of Grim Chorus or One Mind) to help them out. 10. He is hard to deal with as an opponent, but on the other hand, it is easy to get him out of his shell by all sorts of things.

See also