Wave 37 looks set to bring us 2 new models and I'm keen to hear what everyone thinks they will be like on the table top. From the fluff I am speculating that they will be on the cheaper side in regards to points. Harus fluff indicates that he might be able to provide cover similar to Riku. If this turns out to be the case then this could be huge for the Temple. Being able to shut down multiple areas of the board with templates will provide a huge amount of board control. The fluff does mention that his ability can provide melee protection so it could be an aura type effect. Ume's fluff states that she has can inflict serious damage but can backfire and cause her injury. I have been racking my brains trying to work out what form this attack might take but am coming up blank.
Does anyone else care to speculate?
I could guess.. ;)
I found Haru to be really useful as you suggest. I have used his melee defence to be a cheaper point -holder too.
Ume really can do as it says, the ice fist is an amazing technique but not often taught as if properly defends against, the ice shatters and can be fatal to the welder, it does do good damage but I use her learning ability to get very reliable abilities off for a low rice model.
In fact their ability to learn is one of the more open-ended part of these characters and I see combos and synergies with almost every other monk.
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
I saw the fluff mention their willingness to learn from other monks and thought that idea might be manifested into a rule. I will be interested to see how they work out in battle and how they interact with the other monks . I find that being able to leverage synergies is a big part of this game (although not as overwhelmingly important as it is in a game like malefaux).
I agree, in Malefaux its more like dependancies. The synergies are so built in that they force you to play certain combos (If you take X, then you will take Y and Z...)
Bushido has subtler combos and synergies that add to slightly more than the sum of their parts.
Master Enos and the Earth Kami for example. It gives him Armour (2), he can take Toughness (1) from it.
He causes it a wound, it immediately heals that wound.
They synergise but both are valid without the other.
Similarly Ume and Kuma are one to watch.
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
The stat cards have been released for Haru and Umi and I must say that I am pretty impressed. They both look very useful although I must say that I am most impressed with Umi. I think that in the right circumstances she is like a mini Po. My only issue with these two models is that they will outclass Kintaru and Kaito leading to them not seeing much play in the future although to be fair both of them were a little underpowered compared to some of the 5 point models available in some other factions. Additionally I would be hard pressed to include Hotaru or Kira in a list for 6 points knowing that I can take one of these for 5.
What are your thoughts on these shiny new toys? I for one can't wait to get my little paws on them.
They both die extremely quickly so far. If Ume fails a FMF once, she's not likely to try it again or is simply killed by the counterattack.
The Jumo Ring - a Bushido Blog
If you are playing for a more combat, bloke-murdering list then the boy is very good for the front line where you want cheaper models who tie up and then big hitters can finish off enemies. Temple don't usually do this though but now have better options for it.
Both models are currently looking better then they are as people adjust to no free kami in RW. Instead of dropping the kami, players look to take a considerably cheaper option for a monk and both initiates are good for 3-5 rice less than a kami you had in the list. I swapped Haru in for Riku and he's doing OK at ranged defending and having parry.
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
Where are the states cards released? I'm not seeing them on the site or am I missing something obvious?
On the store.
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
https://gctstudios.com/catalog/ume
https://gctstudios.com/catalog/haru
The Jumo Ring - a Bushido Blog
Am I the only one that find Ume way too good for 5 rice ?
3dice, 2ki and a devastating ki feat that is cheap. She's a must have for any Temple warband.
Play testers said once you get her on the table, no defences and low wounds means she is very easy to remove. In fact feedback got the pair of them 5 wounds instead of 4 they originally had. This was certainly my experience, she's never lived past turn 3 though she did some great slams before being killed.
If she could hold more than 4 ki it would be more of an issue. Lack of rice farmer in theme also contributed to me allowing such a good ability for so cheap.
Overall, we're confidant they are balanced, thou as I say you may see a lot of them due to the recent errata to remove free kami. They are really useful if you had a good list before the change.
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
It's a 5 rice model with unblockable strike for 2ki, I don't think she'll ever get to stack a lot of ki because you'll want to use her ki feat to kill people any time you activate her.
And that's just her solo, because with a monk she'll most likely get Combo Attack (1) and maybe even Sweep Defence (1).
She also has acces to Faith, assuming you aren't playing a full monk list or to a lot of channel to make sure she's always ready to strike.
She's one of the best striker in the game because she's cheap and you just have to keep her a little at the back to threated any model your opponent would bring to engage your models in front of her.
I'm convinced she isn't really durable if you can get a model with cleave or unblockable strike to her (asuming she's exhausted) but these model cost way more than her. You said she never lived past turn 3, I'm sure your opponent felt some relief when she died. Still how many model did she kill and what were their cost ? I'm quite sure she would still be in any Temple warband had she costed 7 rice.
Anyway now she's here, we'll have to face her and find a way to prevent her from killing too many people! Thanks for the input from the play testers, hope they are right :)
I face the Temple all the time and the kids? I'm not worried.
They're not the Shisa.
I did look at the faith issue but if you play out of theme right now you lose a lot so I'm not too worried.
Also I don't think she's killed anything yet but then I liked using her for unlockable slams. We did look at her with powerful attack and that was a worry, but we made changes that should fix that. Without powerful attack, even with unlockable, she struggles to kill without considerable set up and support.
The glass cannon is one of the harder model types to balance, too weak in defence and its never used because its damage is never done; too strong in attack is an obvious issue. Most of the play testers were happy with this model in the end and actually Haru is the more frequently seen of the two once opponents know what Ume does. That she is a bit of a gotcha model (Maybe too good if you don't know her one trick) is a worry for me but not a balance problem.
Keep trying her on the table.
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
Are the sprogs available to buy yet? They’re still showing as preorders.
I am not sure but I recall seeing that they will be available on the 15th of this month.
After a few games against the Kids, I still think they need a few changes, they are a bit too strong for 5rice model.
From what I've seen they should cost 1 more rice or have 1 less wound.
And their unique effect need some changes too, mostly to make it easier to track in game for both player. It should allow them to copy one special attack from a monk in your warband during deployement instead of at any given time. Because it's hard to know if they are within 3 of a monk and it can lead to game mistakes.
That's only my point of view and what I've gathered from my opponent.
Interesting. They started with one less wound and playtesting found they died far too easily.
I don't understand the second point, you can measre if they are 3" apart to see if they can use a special attack or defence.
Thanks for the feedback!
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
I'd say that Kira is more a 5 rice model and the new kids, 6. Of course they die easily but they cost as much as an Ashigaru.
In the game you can't check range for ki feat or move before paying them or declaring your action. So we played it that way : if you want to use a special attack, you pay 1 dice and then you check if the monk is within range. If not, you wasted a dice.
OK, I guess that could be clearer but no you can only choose attacks you have available so you can check which monks are within 3" and choose one from all specials you now have access to.
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
Both players can check at any time or only the player controling one of the kids while in melee ?
You can only measure when an effect requires you to so when you get to Step 4 of a melee exchange you check to see what special attacks or defences are available, at this time check the 3".
Then declare one of the specials you have based on the position of other monks.
Grand Master of Bushido (Smog Con '14)
Thank you