Submission: Melee weapon enhancers

www.vekn.net/forum/30-expansion-sets-a-card-ideas/63804-melee-weapon-enhancers#65748

My submission topic.

Name: Silent Approach
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: No cost.
Capacity: Not applicable.
Discipline: Quietus
Clan: none
Maneuver, only usable to go to close range.
As above, and/or this vampire can equip with a melee weapon from your hand (pay costs and fullfill requirements as normal).

The tricky part is that as written, you can only equip with the melee weapon if the opponent maneuvered to long. Perhaps try this:

Only usable before range is determined {on the first round?}
This vampire equips with a melee weapon from your hand (paying cost as normal).
As above, and this vampire gains an optional maneuver {only usable to maneuver to close range}.

The text in brackets is meant as options for the designer.

You guys should be careful when making discipliness and costless cards for melee weapons. Allies can become overpowered easily with these suggestions.

Name: Shadow Blade
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: No cost.
Capacity: Not applicable.
Discipline: Obfuscate
Clan: none
Maneuver, only usable to go to close range.
As above, and/or this vampire choice of melee weapon strikes can't be restricted this combat.

Also:

Name: Invisible Blade
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: No cost.
Capacity: Not applicable.
Discipline: Celerity
Clan: none
Dodge.
This vampire burn 1 blood to gain 2 additional strikes, only usable to strike with melee weapons.

No Quarter
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: No cost.
Capacity: Not applicable.
Discipline: Celerity
Clan: none
Only usable at close range, and if this minion has a melee weapon.
Opposing minion cannot dodge this round.
As above, and opposing minion cannot end combat as a strike.

Oooh back to an Archetype idea:

Fencer
Master
Archetype
If this minion has a melee weapon and range is close for this round, they may make a Strike: Dodge and an additional strike, only usable to strike with a melee weapon. This minion reduces the cost of melee weapons they equip by 1 blood or pool.

or maybe something similar. I was thinking of a Stutter-Step type thing built in, but then we get to the usual problem of moving parts screwing up things. Might be worth building some brawler vampires that don't rely on things like Agg.


Another sideways thought...

Improvised Shield
Combat
Celerity
Only usable by a minion with a retainer or item of non-location equipment.
[cel] Burn an item of non-location equipment on this minion to reduce the damage from a ranged attack to 0.
[CEL] As [cel] but you may also choose a retainer on this minion.

Name: Fatal Blow {Beheading}
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 2 blood.
Capacity: Not applicable.
Discipline: none.
Clan: none
Requires a melee weapon. Only usable when the opposing vampire is going into torpor; not usable by a vampire being burned or going into torpor. Burn the opposing vampire instead of sending that vampire to torpor.

Charles_Bronson wrote:

Name: Fatal Blow {Beheading}
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 2 blood.
Capacity: Not applicable.
Discipline: none.
Clan: none
Requires a melee weapon. Only usable when the opposing vampire is going into torpor; not usable by a vampire being burned or going into torpor. Burn the opposing vampire instead of sending that vampire to torpor.

I like this kind of design !

It makes "having a melee weapon" a kind of discipline which you can use for additional effects.

But still, you have to be carefull because of WWS. (still, this card IS balanced even with WWS)

Ankha wrote:

Lech wrote:

getting them in first place.

You can play Concealed Weapon. It don't get why they should be easier to get than guns. Because they're less powerful than their gun counterpart isn't a valid reason.
The interesting angle would be to make them do things guns can't do.

Having melee weapons allow things done often by potence would be an angle. Disarming and decapitating could be worth playing melee weapons to some degree. The problem thematically is WWS and argent baton having the same properties as a bastard sword or Joulomons Axe. If I can cut off an arm with a Kerrie, why not with Talbots Chainsaw?

Most curent "weapons do more" cards just for melee make them agg(sword of the righteous/baals bloody taloms) or increase thier damage(blood tempering, potence strikes) and of course strike at the true flesh makes them not just do nothing against fortitude. Imbuing them with a property makes more sense thematically than saying a nightstick can take off a limb as easily as a meat cleaver. And its too much "clunk" to add lethal and bashing to the game.

Maybe support for unique melee weapons in a manner similar to angel of berlin would help getting the weapons and not requiring obfuscate to play good ones (without alastor, mots, or gift from bellona).

Pascek\Elihu inspire people to create decks based upon them. Maybe Broadsword and Rapier need to exists, with low costs, built in specials, and damage bonuses for "older" vampires.

I had drafted up a series of weapons that could be "concealed" out for a pool cost. Seems worthwhile here too.

Broadsword
Equipment, melee weapon
Cost 1 pool
Melee weapon. Strike strength +1 damage.
If the vampire with this equipment is of capacity 6 or greater, this weapon inflicts an additional damage each strike, and allies and younger vampires cannot strike to dodge or play grapple cards while in combat with the campire with this weapon.
Before range is determined in a combat involving a vampire you control with capacity 6 or greater, you may burn a pool to equip that vampire with this weapon (pay cost as normal).

Rapier
Equipment
Cost 1 pool
Melee weapon. Strike strength +1 damage, with an optional manuever only useable to go to close range.
If the vampire with this weapon is capacity 6 or more, this weapon inflicts ine additional damage each strike, and you may prevent one damage each combat from an opposing younger minions hand or melee weapon strike.
During a combat involving a vampire of capacity 6 or more you control, you may burn a pool to equip that vampire with this weapon before range is determined(pay cost as normal)

You get the idea.

Skill is needed with melee weapons. Any ally can light up a neonate with a 44, but you have to know what youre doing to take down even a neonate with a sword. Of course, both of these are just a bastard sword for minions other than vampires "old enough" to know how to use them. "Stick them with the pointy end" is basic enough, but using it to full effectiveness, or skills like not getting grabbed by the lapels and or using a sword to deflect a small weak blow are done by professionals.

Similarly,

If you want melee to matter, we can have a dark ages storyline variant. Everyone will contest ivory bow and debate banshee ironwail over crimson snetinal. Or not play combat......

Edit: heres one of the weapons Id made awbile ago. Dont think I ever posted it

If we really want brass knuckless 2.0 what about:

0 cost
Melee weapon.
Strike: Strenght +1 damage. Only usable once each round. All and card on your hand have " equip this minion with brass knuckless 2.0 from your hand before range is chosen. (pay cost as normal)".

BenPeal wrote:

The tricky part is that as written, you can only equip with the melee weapon if the opponent maneuvered to long. Perhaps try this:

Only usable before range is determined {on the first round?}
This vampire equips with a melee weapon from your hand (paying cost as normal).
As above, and this vampire gains an optional maneuver {only usable to maneuver to close range}.

The text in brackets is meant as options for the designer.

Interesting, but I leaved the "and/or" because I wanted the maneuver to close even if you do not have the weapon to equip. So the card would have three uses:

1 - maneuver to close
2 - equip weapon
3- Equip with maneuver to close.

Would be annoying play the card in option 1, and not being able to use it because the opposing minion did not maneuver to long.