[Submission] Raise the Corpse to Service

OK, so the trouble is now that I read Mortis, I'm getting ideas of VTES-ing them every time I play. Another one to just put out there....

Raise the Corpse to Service v1*
/
1
1 life
Untap this vampire if the employ action is successful.
The vampire with this retainer gains an extra blood when hunting, and gains a blood when leaving torpor. Remove this retainer from the game if the vampire is burned.

Flavour text
"To devise is the work of the master, to execute the act of the servant" - Leonardo daVinci.

Art notes
A rather green and manky corpse standing in a full butlers outfit with a goblet of blood.

World of Darkness reference
Mortis . Note it cannot attack or do complex things.

How does this card address a compelling game need?
Lack of Hunting Grounds for Samedi/Harbingers. Lack of decent retainers for the two Cappodocian bloodlines compared to the Giovanni.

*Experience is teaching me easier to number the ideas as soon as possible

chrisn101 wrote:

Raise the Corpse to Service v1*
/
1
1 life
Untap this vampire if the employ action is successful.
The vampire with this retainer gains an extra blood when hunting, and gains a blood when leaving torpor. Remove this retainer from the game if the vampire is burned.

The quick version is that these sorts of cards aren't that great. Harvest Rites is very similar for the Sabbat and hasn't lit up the TWDA. They can sometimes work in decks focused on vampires with a particular trick to them - it's not totally out of the realm of possibility to see Hesha with Aaron's Feeding Razor - but it's not super awesome. Yes, this could be used multiple times per turn, I guess (unlike HR) - but neither of these clans have Una.

The torpor blood thing isn't brilliant because largely you don't want to be in torpor - and while the Harbingers might legitimately use Daring the Dawn sparingly as 'stealth', the Samedi have a buttload of Obfuscate.

I'd much prefer to see it require a discipline - just plain than/THAN would be fine - so that the inferior can be useful and the superior can be better. Say:

...what? Random ideas:
Burn a blood once per combat for a maneuver? Burn the corpse for +2 intercept against a action? Something else entirely? Burn the corpse to move cards requiring Necromancy or Thanatosis from your ash heap to your hand, top of your library, something?



Technical points:
- "Gains a blood when leaving torpor". Do you intend that to work on leave torpor actions and rescue actions? Also, would it be better to reduce the cost of the action - so a vampire can leave torpor with only one blood?
- Does the retainer have a type (zombie, ghoul etc.)? It doesn't absolutely have to have one, but if there's one that you think is appropriate...

Hmm, point taken. It is essentially a very dumb zombie. Shift in focus for better hunt support for basic, with advanced version a 'zombie shield' (I would reason not alert, clever or fast enough to use weapons or any other tactical advantage beyond being a decoy or shield) - note this does not stop strikes like Entombment or Theft of Vitae, but could help deal with Carrion Crows etc when you only have Anti-opposing minion strikes Fortitude cards in hand. V2 basic also more Harbingers-friendly.

Raise the corpse to service v2
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Zombie
1

A vampire can only have one Raise the corpse to service.
Untap this vampire if the employ action is successful. 1 life. This vampire can either gain +1 stealth when hunting or an additional blood if successful.
as above, but 3 life and any damage successfully inflicted on the employing vampire during combat may instead be inflicted on this retainer instead. If this retainer is burned, shuffle back into your library.

Having thought about it some more (as RTCTS is a simple 'fetch' lackey), alternative 'superior' could be:

As above, and this vampire gains +1 stealth when equipping or employing and untaps if successful.

Hmm... Decoy Corpse could be an interesting S:CE Thanatosis card.

Okay... Having three disciplines on ANYTHING and it is not an Anarch card better make the card ROCK HARD... Even just THN it should be pretty good.


Raise the Corpse to Service v3
Retainer
1 blood
Zombie. 2 life.
[nec] This vampire gains +1 blood when hunting.
[thn] This vampire may hunt by burning retainers and minions from another Methuselah's ash heap.
[THN] Burn this retainer to cancel a block attempt by a minion without or

Hmm, more conventional, Juggernaut1981, and the hunt-by-burning is a good idea. However I still like the 'shield' aspect. Feel like we're getting somewhere though.

My reasoning for requiring both Necromancy and Thanatosis is that as both (evolved/devolved -?) from Mortis, need both for Mortis-inspired cards.

How about...?

Raise the Corpse to Service v4
Retainer and
1 blood
Zombie. 2 life.

This vampire gains +1 blood when hunting.
As above, and this vampire may gain the starting life or capacity in blood by burning an ally, retainer or minion from any Methuselah's ash heap (+1 stealth if controlled by you).
As above, and you may burn this retainer to prevent all damage to this vampire in a round of combat.