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

[Frodo58]

Hey Dain, nice to see our old Halo cards back into action!

Hey, you're back! Good to see you again, my friend! How'd you find TLHH?

Hey Dain, nice to see our old Halo cards back into action!

Hey, you're back! Good to see you again, my friend! How'd you find TLHH?

Remember when you sent an email out to a bunch of people from LOTR TCG Dream Card Community Forums, well I just checked that message and now I'm here

[Thranduil]

I mainly added that to prevent minions that CAN'T take wounds during the sniping phase from becoming sniping-negators, but I would think it would also form a protective blanket from players saying that their now-dead minion with 2 vitality just absorbed 5 sniping wounds when he died. Nuh-uh. He can't take any more wounds once killed, so the remaining 3 have to go elsewhere.

Makes sense, since archery wounds are taken one at a time, right?

Fair enough. I am now placated!

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

There will be more Grunts, Hunters, and Elites once we get to the next set. For now, though, there's one more [Covenant] race we have yet to cover. Should be pretty brief, since there aren't many until the following set, but they're certainly important. So here they are. As always, enjoy!

Jackal Stalker [Covenant]
Minion • Jackal
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Fierce.
Response: If a [Covenant] minion is about to take a wound, remove or exert this minion twice to prevent that.

Reposted from the first page of this thread...I wanted to show him in contrast to the guy below.

Anyway, Jackals, as mentioned before, are wiry, speedy, annoying little critters that shouldn't be TOO tough (carrying only Plasma Pistols and with very light armor), but are instead darned near impossible to kill from a distance thanks to the shields they carry. In higher levels of difficulty in the Halo games, I have observed them using these shields not only to protect themselves, but to shield some of their more vulnerable comrades as well.

Thus, in Halo TCG, Jackals typically have average (at best) stats, but various methods to deflect wounds. Because their battles tend to last a while, they are also usually fierce. They're sort of a cross between Grunts and Elites: a moderate group can beat you down, and they're cheap enough that you can put together a decent Jackal swarm a bit down the sitepath.

As a side note, Jackals will also dabble in hunter a bit more than other [Covenant] races. I rationalize this by their stalking, hunting nature, both in the games and in their "Haloverse" background as a race.

•Jackal Veteran [Covenant]
Minion • Jackal
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Fierce. Hunter 2.
Each time Jackal Veteran prevents a wound, you may exert it to add or a threat.
Response: If a [Covenant] minion is about to take a wound, remove or exert Jackal Veteran to prevent that.

With the potential threat-adding, this guy obviously works pretty well with Elites, and it can't hurt to toss him in with them (or any other group of [Covenant] minions) to absorb wounds, as he's especially adept at that.

Jackal Shield [Covenant]
Possession • Shield
Bearer must be a Jackal.
The opponent's sniping total is -1.
If bearer is about to take a wound in a skirmish, you may discard this possession to prevent that.
"Jackals...carry a strong energy shield to compensate for their physical weakness."

An awesome possession for any Jackal to have. Since Jackals rely on exerting to trigger their wound-prevention abilities, it's pretty common to find them wounded themselves (or oftentimes exhausted) by the time their own skirmish rolls around. The shield not only makes it easier for them to reach their own skirmish by deflecting some sniping fire, but then becomes an easy way to prevent that final wound that will finish them off and let them live to fight another day...or at least until their fierce skirmish.

[sickofpalantirs]

maybe to prevent that and add a threat on the shield. others are good.

[Thranduil]

•Jackal Veteran [Covenant]
Minion • Jackal
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Fierce. Hunter 1.
Each time Jackal Veteran prevents a wound, you may exert it to add or a threat.
Response: If a [Covenant] minion is about to take a wound, remove or exert Jackal Veteran to prevent that.

He seems alright. Maybe another point of strength wouldn't hurt.

Jackal Shield [Covenant]
Possession • Shield
Bearer must be a Jackal.
The company sniping total is -1.
If bearer is about to take a wound in a skirmish, you may discard this possession to prevent that.
"Jackals...carry a strong energy shield to compensate for their physical weakness."

This should definitely cost - I would never pay for a Shadow possession that didn't do an awful lot for me, and these abilities seem useful at best. The second ability should also be a response.

Thranduil

[MR. Lurtzy]

They look fine, although very weak.

[lem0nhead]

•Jackal Veteran [Covenant]
Minion • Jackal
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Fierce. Hunter 2.
Each time Jackal Veteran prevents a wound, you may exert it to add or a threat.
Response: If a [Covenant] minion is about to take a wound, remove or exert Jackal Veteran to prevent that.

The adding one is ok but seems really pointless and unecessary. Good flavour though.


Jackal Shield [Covenant]
Possession • Shield
Bearer must be a Jackal.
The opponent's sniping total is -1.
If bearer is about to take a wound in a skirmish, you may discard this possession to prevent that.
"Jackals...carry a strong energy shield to compensate for their physical weakness."

Nice.