Bloodweaver UA Wishlist / Ideas

[kaneblaise]

So I just picked up a unit of Bloodweavers, and that got me thinking about a UA for them. I know there has been a lot of desire expressed on the forums for a UA for them, and I was just curious about what abilities people would want on one.

My personal wishes:

First up, I want it to be a character. No, not because characters are usually more powerful, but because "Kyrie Scarmaker, Priestess of the Devourer Wurm" sounds totally bad-***. (She's the quoted on their stat card).

As for abilities:

Most likely too powerful / Never going to see it on the Bloodweavers:

Anatomical Precision (auto point of damage on a hit) combined with Blood Burst would make them crazy good at taking out infantry swarms.

Blood Shadow (unit becomes incorporeal after their activation for a round) would give them some staying power / allow them to hold points against low-magical weapon armies.

Poltergeist (pushes enemies that miss 3" away) could provide similar benefits as Blood Shadow.

Black Arts (free upkeep for a caster with this model in its control area) would be interesting.

Duelist (+2 def) would certainly be handy.

Probably more likely:

Blood Thirst (+2 charge distance) would improve their already above-average speed stat and ensure they get the alpha strike, but it would also make them even more dependent on living enemies.

Shadowplay (on a hit one model in the unit can be placed near another model in the unit) can help them get to where you want them more the best Blood Bursting. Say goodbye to those solos or UAs that you thought were safe!

Parry (no free strikes)

Backstab (bonus damage die on back strikes) would be a bit fluffy, but ultimately would probably not come up much.


Well, there's my list of thoughts. Anything interesting I may have missed?

[PG_LEJKaya]

You missed the obvious suggestion of Entropic Force.
Were I to get to choose it would be Granted: Shadow play, entropic force and Tactics: Blood thirst

[kaneblaise]

You missed the obvious suggestion of Entropic Force.
Were I to get to choose it would be Granted: Shadow play, entropic force and Tactics: Blood thirst

I specifically didn't put Entropic Force on there because I thought that was so far too good to not even wish it, but yeah, it would certainly be nice. I think even just Take Down would be pretty fantastic, thinking about it, or is there an ability along the lines of "models hit by this weapon can't be healed for one round"?

[Ergonus]

Shadow play and back stab would be pretty awesome giving you easy access to setting up the backstabbing *shrugs* could be nifty

[PG_LEJKaya]

is there an ability along the lines of "models hit by this weapon can't be healed for one round"?

Grevious Wounds.

[PG_LEJKaya]

Backstab is a generally terrible ability, useful only with casters with TK.

[PG_Jack Tesla]

Backstab is a generally terrible ability, useful only with casters with TK.

Like Kreuger.

[Mattho2k3]

They are female Tharn so they should have prey. I'm thinking Tactics: prey, Granted: grievous wounds.

[Ruan]

Or the ability to arc node spells from the back - Magnus with Renegades. Never forget you can get the backstrike bonus if the arc node is in your opponent's back arc during your caster's activation. Doesn't matter if the arc node didn't start in the back arc. You get the backstab bonus for spells as well, don't forget.

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In other news... Bloodweaver UA idea.

Granted: Sprint would be too much to hope for. Make for a great hit and run unit though.

Fun idea... The ability to 'feed' corpse tokens to Ravagers/White Mane/Lord of the Feast in her command area from kills Bloodweavers in formation make. Say, can hold up to 3-5, then make a *Action: Offering to give the corpse tokens to something.

[niceas]

@Ruan: what about an ability that grants corpse tokens to another model within x", similar to how some of the soul collectors work?

Prey would be pretty broken - prey + gang equals stupidity, especially with pKruegar. If they had Tactics: Prey and Granted: Blessed I would be pretty happy

[WeekendDruid]

Fun idea... The ability to 'feed' corpse tokens to Ravagers/White Mane/Lord of the Feast in her command area from kills Bloodweavers in formation make. Say, can hold up to 3-5, then make a *Action: Offering to give the corpse tokens to something.

I just love this idea or the alternative given by niceas.

[Teleologica]

Granted: Fourth attack type of Erosion
Tactics: Sprint
Minifeat: Spell Ward

If she's a character, then she may get something else. Maybe +2 attack rolls to tharn models which can see her?

[WeekendDruid]

To be fair given that Nualla is a character for the bloodtrackers I'd like a UA for the bloodweavers that wasn't because of the character restrictions.

[PG_Crump]

They UA should just do what the blood witch hag does. Job's done!

[kaneblaise]

Grevious Wounds.

Ahh, that's probably what I was thinking of. Grevious Wounds is rather good, but perhaps not too good? *shrug* I think entropic field (allowing everything to ignore tough) is a bit much, but just allowing them to ignore tough and self sac... That would be nice.

[Nierak]

Sprint... or backstab and I would be a happy camper.

[akroma1979]

Weapon master. i.e. 5d6 + 9 vs living stuff on the charge.

or

*action: "Rush: this unit get +2 movement while running or charging this turn"

[Ragged]

For the Wyrm: Living enemy models killed grant a heart token. Tokens can be spent on Rituals of the Devourer Wyrm. UA may only have 3 tokens at a time.
Rituals of the Devourer Wyrm: Once per turn, during this units activation, the UA may spend a token to use one of the following rituals:

Unyielding Flesh - Models in unit gain Tough and +1 Def for one round.
Blood Lust - Models in unit can re-roll missed attacks for one round.
Ravenous Venom - Models in unit gain to their attacks for one round.

[Omenowl]

Character UAs should be for completely different units that do not have each other for theme forces. Ekrueger and Kromac or Grayle and Pkaya being prime examples of nearly identical theme forces with a required UA. At least bloodtrackers are not so bad as they are FA 1. Bloodweavers on the other hand are FA 2.

I would like to see Advance move or advance deploy.
Tactics: ranked attacks or tactician tharn. That would let your bloodtrackers throw through your bloodweavers or your tharn ravagers/wolf riders to charge right through them.
Grievous wounds seems very bloodweaverish.
Camouflage and terror both seem appropriate as well.

[santospr]

I like the shadowplay + backstab idea. That sounds really great, but may be too powerful against living models, potential 5d6 against charging people in back arc. Otherwise, like the league unit has shadowplay, but of course with gang still functional.

[PG_fildrigar]

I really want some Trash. But, I don't think we'll get anything with an additional die added to the Bloodweavers. ( 'cause five dice would be insane. )

[PG_cheddercaveman]

To mix it up since we're looking at the Satyxis if they got something similar to feedback on their attack but against warbeasts (each time they hit/damage it deals 1 to a warlock). Grevious Wounds, Incorporeal or something that gave them reach as a mini fear would be cool. Entropic Force on something mobile would be cool, but not so sure I see it with Gallows Grove just coming out and having it. I'm curious how Shadow Play will fit them with the league too. Blood Thirst does seem thematic though. Want to talk crazy? Give them Tough. No I don't expect that one

[Cronix]

Granted: entropic Force, tactics: dualist, mini feat: team effort or perfect strike

[PG_Jack Tesla]

Granted: trash, backstab, brutal charge, weaponmaster, poison, and an extra die on damage rolls.

[vagabondaeon]

Grievous Wounds and Shadow Play would make for a nice UA.

[Orbis Orboros]

Granted: Fourth attack type of erosion

This is what I want more than anything else. Their lackluster-ness against non-living models is the main reason I don't take them.

I'd also like more bodies. Maybe the priestess attachment could come with two acolytes?

Wishful thinking, but perhaps the UA leader could have:
Tactics: Erosion attack type
Granted: Incorporeal
Mini-Feat: Spell Ward

[VaulSC]

For me, I always thought that blessed weapons would have made their role a lot clearer and straightforwardly interesting for my army selections.

The faction already has Blessed of course, in the form of the Pureblood's wraithbane animus. It can go on one model at a time, so theoretically you can give that to your one bloodweaver that plans to use dispel on the iron flesh winter guard or whatever. But you see a lot of overlap like that in factions, and done like this it means you can really treat bloodweavers as a standalone solution to powerful upkeeps, without having to introduce something like purification into the faction (my God, if circle got a caster with that spell). It also wouldn't necessarily lead you to the conclusion that you didn't need a Pureblood after all, if you've got Bloodweavers with a UA that grants blessed weapons. He's still useful. But as it is, I can't really get my head around why i'm meant to take a unit that is designed to remove nasty upkeeps that stop your other combat units from hitting the enemy (in the case of things like iron flesh), if that unit can't hit the target either.

It would also be rather interesting if the UA swapped blood spiller out for corrosion - funny, but I wouldn't make that move if I was a developer, at the end of the day.

[edit, heh, the previous posted mentioned corrosion at the same time I hit submit on my post - how's that?]

[Ramrod]

Ability-Blessing of Blood: Sacrifice a model in this unit to make target model/unit living for the rest of the turn. Put it on Wolds for some Kaya/Kromac shenanigans, or a jack/undead unit to prime it for the kill. Also would like Granted: Righteous Vengeance, as they use the blood from their fallen as fuel.

[Snowmelter]

..., I can't really get my head around why i'm meant to take a unit that is designed to remove nasty upkeeps that stop your other combat units from hitting the enemy (in the case of things like iron flesh), if that unit can't hit the target either.

Because you take the unit to get ride of upkeeps of your own units/models, which you hit in the back very easily.

[VaulSC]

That's not usally too much of a worry if you use Bestial, or Druids for example though?

[PG_LEJKaya]

While we're discussing it...

How about a tharn lady solo with Desparate pace and No Sleeping on the Job [Tharn]?

[kaneblaise]

After reading everyone's ideas, I think my personal pick would be:

Granted: Blessed Weapons
Tactics: Blood Thirst
Mini Feat: Grievous Wounds

Wouldn't make them too terrible typically, really just a little boost, but for one turn they'd threaten warlocks and be another help against tough.

[vagabondaeon]

While we're discussing it...

How about a tharn lady solo with Desparate pace and No Sleeping on the Job [Tharn]?

As long as it's Desperate Pace [Tharn], I'll take it.

[Snowmelter]

That's not usally too much of a worry if you use Bestial, or Druids for example though?

Not all of us always play Kromac, the druid leader can be killed and once in a while our beasts have to leave the countermagic bubble (which grows ever smaler during battle).

In my experience the dispell option is worth playing the ladies. The other tools are jsut icing on the cake.

An UA would be great. But it should be cheap. 2 points for one model or two models and one without weapon would be bad. For a only min size unit (6 women) 2 points are a lot and would change the toolbox character of the unit fundamentaly.

[Kyuss]

Perhaps....

Tactics: Sprint
mini-feat: Blood Shadow
Granted: Blessed

Big boosts to the Offensive, but also lots of Defense. Worth making them a 7pt unit for an extra lady.