Halo TCG - Halo - The Covenant (9/22: Not your everyday pack of Jackals)

[Thranduil]

•Grunt Elder [Covenant]
Minion • Grunt
Strength: 5
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
While you can spot 4 Grunts, each Grunt is fierce.
This minion is strength +1 for each other Grunt you can spot (limit +4).
"‘Wake up! He's here!'"

He is not too good without the limit. In fact, at the moment he seems a bit underpowered. Perhaps, if you're worried about removing the limit, reduce his strength to 4 as well.

•Yayap, Amateur Assassin [Covenant]
Minion • Grunt
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Site: 4
SpecOps. Damage +1. Fierce. Ambush . To play, spot a unique [Covenant] minion.
While skirmishing a Spartan II, Yayap is strength +1.
At the start of each maneuver phase, you may exert Yayap and another [Covenant] minion to take a [Covenant] event into hand from your draw deck.
"‘As you know, simple plans are often best, which is why there is a good chance this one will work.'"

His second line is so useless it's not worth having on a card - he's a minion, not a companion. As a minion, that bonus needs to be at least +2 and he probably should have strength 8 or 9 (especially with his spotting requirement). Also, why is his site number 4 when the other grunts are site 3? There might be a good flavour reason for this (I have no idea) in which case ignore my last comment.

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

All look ok except Yayap seems a bit too excessive. The way i see his character being potrayed is some sort of escape artist as he only rescued zuka to save his own life and then he even betrays Zuka to stay out of trouble... I wouldve thought he would have some ability to cancel a skirmish he was about to lose etc... or something similar.

[sickofpalantirs]

the second ability should be plus 2, and yes I agree with lemon and think his last ability should have something about cancelling skirmishes. and he should be lurker.

[menace64]

Before I get to my review, let me nitpick: Ambush should come between SpecOps and Damage.

Now, I think there's a serious problem with Grunts... they stink. Fierce doesn't matter if you can't even win the first skirmish, let alone stand a chance in a second round. Granted, you've only shown a few cards from this group of minions, but I hope you've got some kind of powerful strength pump or two lying around in that head of yours.

[Thranduil]

Before I get to my review, let me nitpick: Ambush should come between SpecOps and Damage.

Now, I think there's a serious problem with Grunts... they stink. Fierce doesn't matter if you can't even win the first skirmish, let alone stand a chance in a second round. Granted, you've only shown a few cards from this group of minions, but I hope you've got some kind of powerful strength pump or two lying around in that head of yours.

I was hoping they were going to turn into a swarm - a fierce swarm has interesting potential.

Thranduil

[Elf_Lvr]

Grunt Clansman [Covenant]
Minion • Grunt
Strength: 5
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Response: If a Grunt is killed, you may exert this minion twice to play a Grunt; that Grunt is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘It'll take more than that, tin man!'"

Maybe some twilight reduction on the played minion?

•Grunt Elder [Covenant]
Minion • Grunt
Strength: 5
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
While you can spot 4 Grunts, each Grunt is fierce.
This minion is strength +1 for each other Grunt you can spot (limit +4).
"‘Wake up! He's here!'"

Remove the limit. Tentacles didn't seem to need limits - neither does this guy. Especially being unique.

•Black Ops Grunt [Covenant]
Minion • Grunt
Strength: 7
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
SpecOps. Fierce.
Each Grunt bearing a ranged weapon is strength +1.
"‘We are the champions!'"

I'm hoping these guys have pretty good hand weapons, to make this guy worth using. I mean, he'd have to pump up strength quite a bit to make it more worthwhile to pack weapons than minions in a culture that has lots of swarm love.

•Yayap, Amateur Assassin [Covenant]
Minion • Grunt
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Site: 4
SpecOps. Damage +1. Fierce. Ambush . To play, spot a unique [Covenant] minion.
While skirmishing a Spartan II, Yayap is strength +1.
At the start of each maneuver phase, you may exert Yayap and another [Covenant] minion to take a [Covenant] event into hand from your draw deck.
"‘As you know, simple plans are often best, which is why there is a good chance this one will work.'"

I echo what others have said. Maybe drop the damage for some hunter?

[menace64]

Before I get to my review, let me nitpick: Ambush should come between SpecOps and Damage.

Now, I think there's a serious problem with Grunts... they stink. Fierce doesn't matter if you can't even win the first skirmish, let alone stand a chance in a second round. Granted, you've only shown a few cards from this group of minions, but I hope you've got some kind of powerful strength pump or two lying around in that head of yours.

I was hoping they were going to turn into a swarm - a fierce swarm has interesting potential.

Thranduil

A fierce swarm still stands no chance as long as they'll never win a skirmish. What's the point of a fierce swarm of overcosted, weak guys? The fierce keyword singles them out. It's a red flag telling the FP player to kill as quick as possible. This group of minions (unless we haven't seen something yet) need serious directional work; something like tons of cards to cancel skirmishes or prevent wounds, then a bunch of fierce skirmish triggers that turn them into demons.

[MR. Lurtzy]

Yayap is insane, and not in a good way. He was a cowardly grunt not the cream of the crop. I suggest something like Bill ferny's text and dropping his strength.

[lem0nhead]

Mr Lurtzy is on the same wavelength as me, that is more or less exactly what i meant in my post about Yayap.

Before I get to my review, let me nitpick: Ambush should come between SpecOps and Damage.

Now, I think there's a serious problem with Grunts... they stink. Fierce doesn't matter if you can't even win the first skirmish, let alone stand a chance in a second round. Granted, you've only shown a few cards from this group of minions, but I hope you've got some kind of powerful strength pump or two lying around in that head of yours.

I was hoping they were going to turn into a swarm - a fierce swarm has interesting potential.

Thranduil

As much as menace has a point from a gameplay perspective, Thran is spot on as regards the flavour of the grunts. They arent particuarly good alone but in great numbers.... But like i said menace has a point, its gonna require a lot to make them useful otherwise theyre aint getting to the fierce phase, as each 1 gets picked off by archery or the first few skirmishes the rest get weaker (as they would in the books/games) and the freeps survives quite well.

[DáinIronfoot]

<Joe Pesci> Okay okay okay.... </Joe Pesci>

...okay. I went back and basically rewrote Yayap, stats and all. I also dropped the limit on Grunt Elder's strength boost to turn him into a potential monster.

Between Yayap's new assignment ability (plus his remaining event-snatching ability) and the below cards, hopefully Grunts can be a bit more viable....

Run Away! [Covenant]
Event • Skirmish
Cancel a skirmish involving a Grunt. That Grunt is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘I'm outta here!'"

No Shoot! No Shoot! [Covenant]
Event • Response
If a Grunt is about to take a wound, prevent that wound.
"‘No, not me!'"

Leader Dead! [Covenant]
Condition • Support Area
Response: If a [Covenant] minion is killed (except a Grunt or Jackal), return a Grunt to your hand.
"‘It got Elite...run!'"

[Thranduil]

Run Away! [Covenant]
Event • Skirmish
Cancel a skirmish involving a Grunt. That Grunt is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘I'm outta here!'"

Fair enough.

No Shoot! No Shoot! [Covenant]
Event • Response
If a Grunt is about to take a wound, prevent it.
"‘No, not me!'"

Should probably be free. I'd prefer a condition that prevented wounds rather than an ABP approach.

Leader Dead! [Covenant]
Condition • Support Area
Response: If a [Covenant] minion is killed (except a Grunt or Jackal), return a Grunt to your hand.
"‘It got Elite...run!'"

I understand exempting grunts because of the title, but does it make this card unviable in a Grunt deck?

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

How is the Yayap rewrite? Does he work better now, do you think?

to all in this little "debate", by the way. I appreciate the feedback. I am a Dwarf of the people, so I'll do what I can to make these little guys better!

[sickofpalantirs]

yayaps better...I think you need to show us the needlers, plasma pistols, and plasma grenades before we evaluate these guys much more. the current batch looks fine.

[MR. Lurtzy]

The cards are great, including the new yayap.

[lem0nhead]

Yayap is better now. Happier

Run Away! [Covenant]
Event • Skirmish
Cancel a skirmish involving a Grunt. That Grunt is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘I'm outta here!'"

Fine.

No Shoot! No Shoot! [Covenant]
Event • Response
If a Grunt is about to take a wound, prevent that wound.
"‘No, not me!'"

Fine.

Leader Dead! [Covenant]
Condition • Support Area
Response: If a [Covenant] minion is killed (except a Grunt or Jackal), return a Grunt to your hand.
"‘It got Elite...run!'"

Is the default meaning of return to hand, from play? Or is this ambiguous wording...