Submission: Rat Fink Networker

ReverendRevolver wrote:

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@jblacey: so it's either too good for cost or unplayable because it takes Nos?

It is technically under-costed at 3 pool. Let's look at another Garou to compare.

Example:

Renegade Garou
Ally

5 Pool
Werewolf with 3 life. 2 strength, 0 bleed.
Renegade Garou gets an additional strike each round and an optional maneuver each combat. He may enter combat with a minion controlled by another Methuselah as a +1 stealth action. If Renegade Garou has 2 or fewer life during your untap phase, he gains 1 life from the blood bank.

3 life 2 strength 0 bleed = 2 pool cost
additional strike = 0.5 pool cost
maneuver = 0.5 pool cost
enter combat as +1 stealth action = 1.5 pool cost
Gain a life if less than 2 = 0.5 pool cost
= 5 pool cost

However, Gangrel have synergy with werewolves (+1 bleed) and a way to reduce costs. Nosferatu do not.

When I look at the decks that would run the Networker, there is no obvious choice. You would be bleeding yourself down to play this ally. Nosferatu aren't known for their bleed reduction/bounce so this card is dangerous. So ultimately you probably can't afford to use his ability as an action each turn since you will likely need him to go forward or play defensively.

They function as a toolboxy nos option, like other nifty things the clans gotten over the years. I didn't go unique because I feel like that would kind of be a nos version of hi-top...

Thematically, I like this card. Here is an example of an alteration that might make this card a little better.

Rat Fink Networker


4
Unique Werewolf ally with 4 life, 1 strength, 1 bleed. +1 Hand Size. Networker may play cards that require Obfuscate or Potence at the basic level. If Networker has 3 or fewer life during your unlock phase, he gains a life.

1 strength, 1 bleed, 4 life = +2 pool cost
+1 hand size = +0.5 pool cost
Play = +0.5 pool cost
Play = +0.5 pool cost
regain a life if 3 or under = +0.5 pool cost
= 4 pool cost

This reduces the hand size buff from +2 to +1 and instead of +1 stealth on indirect actions. Gives him the ability to play Obfuscate and Potence cards and effectively makes him the ally equivalent of a 4 capacity vampire. Since these are in-clan disciplines for Nosferatu it would help considerably with synergy.

Just a thought.

jblacey wrote:

Rat Fink Networker


4
Unique Werewolf ally with 4 life, 1 strength, 1 bleed. +1 Hand Size. Networker may play cards that require Obfuscate or Potence at the basic level. If Networker has 3 or fewer life during your unlock phase, he gains a life.

If you're going for a unique ally, I'd suggest giving it an actual name. It's not required, just nice. Sally Brown, Rat Fink Networker etc. (I'd arbitrarily pick a female name, because most of the decent named allies are men.)

If you're saying that she's a Garou rather than Ratkin, I'd probably replace Obfuscate with Animalism - it's feels more Garou-y. But there's nothing stopping her being a Ratkin. "Sally Brown (Ratkin)", like "Ohoyo Hopoksia (Bastet)". (Still of the werewolf type, which is generically all of the WoD changing breeds, pretty much.)

I'd also think about the possibility of it being a !Nos ally, as I think their clan cards are a bit worse, on average. I'd probably be fine with it being for both clans (i.e. either clan can play it).

jamesatzephyr wrote:

If you're going for a unique ally, I'd suggest giving it an actual name. It's not required, just nice. Sally Brown, Rat Fink Networker etc. (I'd arbitrarily pick a female name, because most of the decent named allies are men.)

Not my card, but I agree. The original poster wanted the card to be non-unique, but once you reach a certain power level unique starts becoming a requirement, thus I added it.

If you're saying that she's a Garou rather than Ratkin, I'd probably replace Obfuscate with Animalism - it's feels more Garou-y.

Obfuscate was chosen because the original special ability was +1 stealth for indirect actions. This isn't my card, so just consider my example a suggestion.

I deliberately avoided unique, since unique werewolves are in 2 camps: Ossian, Remnant, Hi-Top team of good if you can run em, or the Samuel Haight, walks with might, and the Cardinals only guy, where they're junk, except for arguably WWM as Abomination fodder.

Angle was nos utility on a parallel with renegades and tunnel runners, but not bleeders or fighters. What do Nos like? Tools. Old friends, Warsaw station, and deep song were great in KoT. A werewolf that chump bleeds, blocks, or draws was the angle.
The original with 4 cost and the action and stealth gutted is probably best.

It is in fact a garou, not a ratkin. Bone Gnawers is a tribe. Is it a tribe that wouldn't need to exist if the garou hadn't went all genecidal with the war of rage? Probably. But they be wolves.

Rat Fink Networker


4
Werewolf ally with 3 life, 1 strength, 1 bleed. Lock Networker: increase your hand size by 2 until the end of this turn. If Networker has 2 or fewer life during your untap phase, he gains a life.

Input?

I'll have to say that I much prefer the original over all the other suggestions.

There's no real reason to make it unique though. As was said, it being only (even if added to as well) is more of a hinderence. 3 pool for just utility and some off-chance blocking is fair if not much.

I'm really enjoying the +1 stealth for undirected. That makes it more valuable in those rare cases where you'd like to, say, recruit some allies (Mylan, Carlton) and equip some weird stuff. That synergy makes it really interesting to be fair.

Would need to check which are the undirected non-discipline non-blood action cards that we need to worry about. I don't think there are many.

Can allies employ retainers? This with that set of butlers for extra bleed and intercept would be hilarious.

As for this latest update, the original is better - with the update and taking the +2 stealth action away you're only taking away room for interaction. Not a fan. The original is better. Also, no incentive to play this at 4 pool whatsoever, I'd argue. 3 is plenty enough.

Also, when comparing to Renegade Garou, that piece of furry ears and wee fags is even slightly over costed for the current meta. You can Target Vitals it out of existance, and that's reason enough to be really careful with >3pool allies.

I'd be super fine with the original suggestion, even if added to the !Nossies as well. I doubt people would play it much, but as a design it's tons of fun. And sometimes that's enough to print or suggest a card.