Episode 17: Akash'Bhuta

The randomiser says:

Spite

VS

Golem Unity (PlatinumWarlock)

Bunker (dpt)

Dark Visionary (phantaskippy)

Legacy (cmschex)

Absolute Zero (Envisioner)

IN

The Final Wasteland

Now on the one hand, the randomiser is God and Fate and the Almighty Arbiter of all, but on the other hand we only just got done with Spite. Therefore, unless everyone really wants to fight Spite again, I'm taking this as free reign to do something different. I don't know what that thing is yet - worst comes to the worst, I'll just randomise again - but in the mean time feel free to sign up fo an unknown doom :D

The last two games were pretty easy victories.  For a real challenge, since you've rolled the Final Wasteland, why don't we fight Akash'Bhuta, who is known to be exceptionally dangerous there?

I'll take Absolute Zero if that's cool.  (Pun not intended.)

Opening hand:  Focused Apertures, Glacial Structure, Cold Snap, Hoarfire.  (Great, no modules.  Guess we know what my first turn will look like.)

Note that if the villain chosen is Plague Rat, the Ennead, or Gloomweaver, or if we switch environments to the Tomb of Anubis, I will have to drop out, as I don't have those decks to reference.  I no longer necessarily need to reference decks, as I'm getting more comfortable with reading the format of these pbp games, but I still feel I should abstain from any game in which I might absolutely need to to look up a card and be unable to do so.

I'll run vanilla Legacy

Opening hand - Superhuman Durability, Inspiring Presence, Take Down, Back Fist Strike

I will take Bunker into the unknown. (I'm open to switching if someone else has their heart set on Bunker.) Akash'Bhuta is a good suggestion, but I will boldly face whatever enemies threaten peace and security.

Opening hand: Recharge Mode, Ammo Drop, Maintenance Unit, Maintenance Unit. Yeesh, two Mainenance Units.

Chalk me up for Golem Unity.

Opening Hand:  Construction Pylon, Raptor Bot, Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave

I'm game for a "mystery" villain, since Spite was just up.  Randomizer be damned, I'm all about the new!

Agreed.  I am a big believer in using randomness as a starting point, but it's perfectly fine to call as many rerolls as necessary until obtaining a satisfactory result, IMO.  The only time you need to "let the dice fall where they may" is when resolving a conflict between two people, who have an equal right to get their own way (whether two people ever have an unequal right is something I frequently change my mind on, although I generally default to saying they never do).

Seriously how many times has Dark Visionary come up now, where's the regular Visionary?

Edit:  I looked and the answer is this is the third time.

I will sign on to play Dark Visionary, but man, where's the regular one in the randomizer.  I just got the Sidekick app, and it seems that certain promo cards come up more than their fair share.  Small Sample Size I guess.

I'm also up for anyone but Spite.  Akash hasn't been played in a while so that would be cool.

Villains we haven't faced at all:

Ambuscade

The Dreamer

Iron Legacy

Miss Information

Not that we need to do someone new, but those are the ones we haven't faced.  Ambuscade would need house-ruled (one of my versions may rear its head in the campaign, but it is pretty nasty)

The Dreamer would be cool--my home group got pasted by her 3 times on Friday night...

Advanced Dreamer in Final Wasteland is asking for a beating, lets do it

Yeah, my last game against the Dreamer was a big dissapointment, so I'm definitely up for a good fight.

I would prefer Akash to Dreamer IF we remain in the final wasteland, as I've already fought Little Vanessa there, and try to avoid repeating a villain-environment pairing (after all, there are 216 of them and this will only be about my fifty-seventh game).  If we do a houseruled Ambuscade, I'm out...I definitely agree he needs fixing, but no single version of how he should be changed satisfies me, so until they come out with a Cosmotron/BomberBlade style official replacement, I won't use homebrew versions (except possibly my own, if I ever get it to the point where it satisfies me).

Gah! Looks like I missed this one. Guess that's what I get for leaving the house.

Just start another.

I may. On the other hand, I'm playing in 3 pbf games right now, so maybe I should just chill out for a bit.

Seconded.  We've got the Episode series and the Shattered Storyline, but it'd be fun to have a third series of games running.  I've debated starting one myself, but am still getting used to the format.  Maybe come up with a minor gimmick to distinguish your games from Meerkat's (it needn't be as sophisticated as the Storyline…just some theme games or maybe a small houserule, like being able to draw and discard one extra card during your draw step in addition to all other effects).

I make this Dark Visionary's fourth outing, which is still only as many as Price of Freedom Wraith. Though that said we've seen vanilla Wraith more than Vanillisionary...

Round One

Akash'Bhuta - Chaos-Bound Creator

Akash'Bhuta - 200

In Play: 

Trash:

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card: Allies of the Earth enters play.

End of Turn: 

-------------------------------------------------------

Akash'Bhuta - 200

In Play: Allies of the Earth

Trash: 

Effects: Whenever an environment target enters play, play the top card of the villain deck.

Whenever a villain target enters play, discard the top card of the environment deck.

When the environment trash is shuffled into the environment deck, flip Akash'Bhuta.

Reduce danage dealt to villain targets by 1.

Whenever an environment target enters play, Akash'Bhuta regains HP equal to the HP of that target.

Hero HP: Unity - 25, Bunker - 28, Visionary - 25, Legacy - 32, AZ - 29

Golem Unity

HP: 25

Hand:  Construction Pylon, Raptor Bot, Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave

In Play: 

Trash:  

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card: n/a

Use a Power:  n/a

Draw a Card:  (double draw from forfeiting Play/Power) Construction Pylon; Supply Crate

End of Turn:

-------------------------------------------------------

HP: 25

Hand:  Construction Pylon (x2); Raptor Bot, Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate

In Play:

Trash: 

Effects: 

The Indestructible Bunker

HP: 28

Hand: Recharge Mode, Ammo Drop, Maintenance Unit, Maintenance Unit

In play:

Trash:

[hr]
Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Ammo Drop.

Use a power: Initialize. Draw Decomissioned Hardware.

Draw a card: Upgrade Made.

End of hero turn:

[hr]

HP: 28

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit, Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware, Upgrade Mode

In play: Ammo Drop

Trash:

Dark Visionary

HP:  25

In Play:

Hand:  Mental Divergence, Mind Spike, Prophetic Vision, Suggestion

Trash:

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Mental Divergence

Use a Power:  Mental Divergence to destroy Allies of the Earth.

Draw a Card:  Precognition

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  25

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Mind Spike, Precognition, Prophetic Vision, Suggestion

Trash:

Summary:

Allies of the Earth is destroyed, Bunker may draw a card.

America's Finest Legacy

HP:  32

In Play:

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Take Down, Back-Fist Strike, Inspiring Presence

Trash:

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Take Down

Use a Power:  Galvanize - All hero targets gain +1 damage

Draw a Card:  Bolster Allies

End of Turn: Akash'bhuta deals 2 energy damage to Legacy

-------------------------

HP:  30

In Play:  Take Down

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strike, Inspiring Presence, Bolster Allies

Trash:

Additional Effects: Villain Cards cannot be played, all Hero targets gain +1 damage

Bunker draws Heavy Plating.

Never knew he was an artist.

Cold Snap + Focused Apertures + Galvanize is a pretty nice combination, but of course there are other choices.

Scibblenels of the Multiverse?

Agreed, especially at the start of the game, since we’re essentially getting two free turns to get set up. That’ll really make any Primeval Eruption much easier to deal with.

I've always had a strong aversion to any turn in which I play a card without using a power or vice versa; I always perceive it as a wasted opportunity to draw an extra card.  With our opponent at 200 HP and probably playing two cards every round (there are only three environment cards which aren't targets), I don't want to set up for just 2 damage on my second turn and 3 on the third while wasting all my powers.

Absolute Zero

HP:  29

Hand:  Focused Apertures, Cold Snap, Hoarfire, Glacial Structure

In Play:

Trash:

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Glacial Structure

Use a Power:  Glacial Structure; draw Focused Apertures, Frost-Bound Drain, Null-Point Calibration Unit (there we go)

Draw a Card:  Onboard Module Installation (huzzah!)

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  29

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Cold Snap, Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain, Null-Point Calibration Unit, Onboard Module Installation

In Play:

Trash:  Glacial Structure

That's not quite accurate, since Legacy played Takedown earlier in the round.  This round, Akash-Bhuta is being denied those plays, giving us some time to prepare.

A-B tends to be a pretty long game, so investing in the Cold Snap auto-damage is probably pretty worthwhile all things considered.  But, it's your play–carry on as you will.

Yeah I know, I just didn't specify that exception.

A-B tends to be a pretty long game, so investing in the Cold Snap auto-damage is probably pretty worthwhile all things considered.  But, it's your play–carry on as you will.

I will invest in it, just not just yet.  To me, "play a card that'll be useful later, then use a power to incremental effect" is a good turn, while "play a card that does nothing right now, skip power phase and draw only one card" is better avoided.  If I had a Module I'd be up for Thermodynamicking for 1, but I don't want to do nothing on my power phase unless I'm also not playing and drawing the extra card.  (Too bad you can't skip your power phase for two turns in a row to draw an extra card on the second one.  That'd make a neat houserule.)

Cold Snap before a module.

Play Cold Snap, no power, draw a card. Next turn, at the start all non-heroes take 1 cold damage, play Isothermic Transducer, power to deal self 1 fire damage to deal out 1 cold to a target, draw. End result is; AZ has dealt 1 point to self, all non-hero targets have taken 1 damage and something has taken 1 cold damage.

Cold Snap after a module.

Play Isothermic Transducer, use power to deal self 1 fire damage to deal something 1 cold damage, draw a card. Next turn, play Cold Snap, deal self 1 fire to deal 1 cold, draw. End result is; AZ has dealt 1 point to self and either 1 target has taken 2 cold damage or 2 targets have taken 1 cold damage.

Edit: Actually ignore me. I just remembered whenever I try to give a suggestion about a hero, I get told my suggestion is non-optimal and ineffecient.

It's an interesting analysis, but in this particular instance, Glacial Structures is a pretty attractive alternative to Cold Snap. Anyway, perhaps we can just let Envisioner play his own hero…

(I am curious what the draw was, though.)

Please note that I wasn't actually saying anything about his turn. Just that playing a card and not using a power isn't a wasted move, in some cases it is better than playing a card to enable a power use.

Weighing the cost/benifit of short-term gains vs long-term gains with Absolute Zero is one of the many things contributing to his 3 complexity.

Edit: Actually ignore me. I just remembered whenever I try to give a suggestion about a hero, I get told my suggestion is non-optimal and ineffecient.

The real question is what the player wants to set up.  Witht he hand he had he could have dropped cold snap and then Focused Aperatures and be dealing 2 cold damage to all non-hero targets each round.

The value of that option was actually lowered by Take Down.

AZ would have been no closer to an aperature based build on turn three, which appears to be where AZ is heading.  With a Visionary on the team an aperature based build is a pretty good thing.  Again all up to the player, it is clear he's not going for a cold snap/Focused Aperatures passive damage build, and he still can add that in as he gets going.  It will be interesting to watch how this works out, we don't always get to see choices like this.

*shrug*  My line of thinking is that Akash-Bhuta is usually a long game under ordinary circumstances.  Even if the short-term benefit of Cold Snap is minimal (likely only 1 damage to A-B and perhaps an environment target next round), the opportunity of a "free" starting turn makes the idea of building towards a build that'll dole out the harshness later on, once A-B gets out numerous targets, more attractive.

To me, that's worth more than the 3 extra cards right now.  That doesn't necessarily mean I'm right or I'm playing optimally, but it's a situational tendency.  And, besides, the Glacial Structure paid off with a Module and an Onboard Module Installation, so the gamble worked!

At any rate, it's moot point now.  Carry on, fellow Heroes!

The Final Wasteland

In Play: 

Trash: 

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start:

Play: New Jersey Devil enters play.

End: New Jersey Devil deals Unity and Visionary 4 fire damage each.

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: New Jersey Devil - 4

Trash: 

Effects:

Round Two

Akash'Bhuta - Chaos-Bound Creator

Akash'Bhuta - 200

In Play: 

Trash: Allies of the Earth

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card: *grumble*

End of Turn: 

-------------------------------------------------------

Akash'Bhuta - 200

In Play: 

Trash: Allies of the Earth

Effects: Whenever an environment target enters play, play the top card of the villain deck.

Whenever a villain target enters play, discard the top card of the environment deck.

When the environment trash is shuffled into the environment deck, flip Akash'Bhuta.

Reduce damage dealt to villain targets by 1.

Hero HP: Unity - 21, Bunker - 28, Visionary - 21, Legacy - 30, AZ - 29

Golem Unity

HP: 21

Hand:  Construction Pylon (x2), Raptor Bot, Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate

In Play: 

Trash:  

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card: Supply Crate--I draw Construction Pylon (AGAIN?!  Where are all of my bots?!)

Use a Power:  n/a

Draw a Card:  Supply Crate

End of Turn:

-------------------------------------------------------

HP: 21

Hand:  Construction Pylon (x3); Raptor Bot, Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate

In Play:  Supply Crate

Trash: 

Effects: 

The Indestructible Bunker

HP: 28

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit (x2), Decommissioned Hardware, Upgrade Mode, Heavy Plating

In play: Ammo Drop

Trash:

[hr]
Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Heavy Plating

Use a power: Initialize. Draw Flak Cannon.

Draw a card: Decommissioned Hardware

End of hero turn:

[hr]

HP: 28

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit (x2), Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Flak Cannon

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating

Trash:

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1.

Dark Visionary

HP:  21

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Mind Spike, Precognition, Prophetic Vision, Suggestion

Trash:

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Mind Spike 4 psychic Damage to New Jersey Devil [destroyed]

Use a Power:  Turmoil on Akash'Bhutah

Draw a Card:  Psychic Maelstrom

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  21

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Precognition, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion

Trash:

Summary:

New Jersey Devil Destroyed, Turmoil on Akash.

Hooray for Dark Visionary doing all the damage and destroying all the cards so far!  

Hooray!

America's Finest Legacy

HP:  30

In Play:  Take Down

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strike, Inspiring Presence, Bolster Allies

Trash:

-------------------------

Start of Turn: Take Down is destroyed

Play a Card:  Bolster Allies - everyone draw a card.  Legacy draws Back Fist Strike

Use a Power:  Galvanize - All hero targets gain +1 damage

Draw a Card:  Flying Smash

End of Turn: 

-------------------------

HP:  30

In Play:  

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Inspiring Presence, Flying Smash

Trash: Take Down, Bolster Allies

Additional Effects:  all Hero targets gain +1 damage

Bunker draws Gatling Gun.

Dark Visionary draws Suggestion.

(I am in the middle of a very short and brutal solo game as we speak - I hit a rules question about how Diplomatic Envoy interacts with Stealth Bot, which I know has already been answered and I was looking for the answer when I saw it was my turn; such a distraction was naturally exactly what I need in the midst of all this combat math.  But at least I have my deck handy to find out what I drew.  Turns out to be a second NPCU.)

"Hey Legs, anybody ever tell you that the Boo-Rah Go America routine can get a little old?  I mean, I get that you're trying to help, but I've heard it all before and it's really starting to get painful."

Absolute Zero

HP:  29

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Cold Snap, Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain, Null-Point Calibration Unit (2), Onboard Module Installation

In Play:

Trash:  Glacial Structure

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Onboard Module Installation.  Draw Isothermic Transducer (oh joy).  Search Isothermic Transducer out of deck and play it.

Use a Power:  Thermodynamics.  AZ deals 2 fire damage to himself ("Gee, thanks Legs.") and 2 net cold damage to Akash'bhuta ("No, really, I mean it.  At this rate she'll be dead in a mere six years or so, and I'll actually live to see about the first month.")

Draw a Card:  Thermal Shockwave ("Well, that should definitely improve my mood.  Twelve thousand kelvins of hot scalding death, all thanks to my good old buddy Legs not knowing how to keep his motivational speeches to himself.  I'm sure my painful and ignominious demise will totally make all the difference against that mountain we're trying to kill.")

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  27

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Cold Snap, Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain, Null-Point Calibration Unit, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation

Effects:  Whenever AZ is dealt fire damage, he deals that much cold damage to any target.  Akash'Bhuta at 198.  (To be clear, I'm not actually complaining about Legacy's bonus, I'm just figuring I should roleplay the interactions between AZ and him appropriately.)

Turmoil reveals Disrupt the Field and Primeval Eruption.

"Soldier, you are way over the line. Have you noticed that mountain there is about to blow its top?" [hr]

On the other hand, ouch! Disrupt the Field is very likely to give us two other villain cards, while Primeval Eruption only gives us one, but along with a whole lot of hurt.

G-Unity drew a Platform Bot, thanks to Bolster Allies. 

Finally, I can get set up next round!

Disrupt the Field on top.

Primeval Eruption on bottom.

Neither is a great option, but both would be worse.

Envisioner:  I love the cranky Ryan Frost internal dialogue, brilliant.

The Final Wasteland

In Play: 

Trash: New Jersey Devil

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start:

Play: Rat Beast enters play, triggers a card play for Akash:

Disrupt The Field; Rat Beast is destroyed, play the top card of the villain deck:

> Arboreal Phalanges enters play, Horrid Skunk Ape is discarded.

Play the top card of the environment deck: Amphibious Chupacabra enters play, triggers a card play for Akash:

> Mountainous Carapace enters play, New Jersey Devil is discarded.

End: Amphibious Chupacabra deals the Mountainous Carapace 4 melee, 0 toxic damage [7].

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: Amphibious Chupacabra - 6

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape

Effects:

Round Three

Akash'Bhuta - Chaos-Bound Creator

Akash'Bhuta - 198

In Play: Arboreal Phalanges - 12

Mountainous Carapace - 7

Trash: Allies of the Earth, Disrupt The Field

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card: Entomb

End of Turn: Arboreal Phalanges deal Legacy 4 melee damage [26].

-------------------------------------------------------

Akash'Bhuta - 198

In Play: Arboreal Phalanges - 12

Mountainous Carapace - 7

Trash: Allies of the Earth, Disrupt The Field

Effects: ST: Akash'Bhuta deals all non-villain targets 5 psychic damage. If all active heroes take damage this way, destroy Entomb.

ET: Arboreal Phalanges deal the non-villain target with the highest HP 4 melee damage.

Whenever an environment target enters play, play the top card of the villain deck.

Whenever a villain target enters play, discard the top card of the environment deck.

When the environment trash is shuffled into the environment deck, flip Akash'Bhuta.

Reduce damage dealt to villain targets by 1.

Reduce damage dealt to Akash'Bhuta by 1.

Hero HP: Unity - 21, Bunker - 28, Visionary - 21, Legacy - 26, AZ - 27

Carapace should be at 7, right?

(As mentioned earlier, I drew Platform Bot for my Bolster Allies draw.  It'd be great if we we could leave the Mountainous Carapace at 1, so the Chupacabra hits that, rather than my bots.  Alternatively, we could just kill the Chupacabra, which solves the situation entirely.  Someone please get the Entomb, as that will kill all my bots and make for a very sad Unity.)

"Initiate phase I prototyping.  Assault configuration 9-7-Gamma-4.  Initialize."

Golem Unity

HP: 21

Hand:  Construction Pylon (x2), Raptor Bot, Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Platform Bot

In Play: 

Trash:  

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn:  Supply Crate is destroyed--I draw 2 cards: Hasty Augmentation and Brainstorm 

Play a Card: Construction Pylon

Use a Power:  Construction Pylon:  I destroy the Pylon to bring out Platform Bot [3] and Raptor Bot [2]

Draw a Card:  Platform Bot

End of Turn:  Platform Bot deals 3 energy damage to Mountainous Carapace [4]; Raptor Bot deals 3 melee damage to Mountainous Carapace [1]

-------------------------------------------------------

HP: 21

Hand:  Construction Pylon (x2); Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Hasty Augmentation; Brainstorm; Platform Bot

In Play:  Platform Bot [3]; Raptor Bot [2]

Trash: Supply Crate, Construction Pylon

Effects:   Platform Bot takes -1 damage from all sources.

Sweet, that worked out well.

Unless folks have an issue, I'll probably drop Inspiring Presence this turn before palying my multitude of damaging one-shots.  That way everyone except Lagacy will be +1 even with the DR.

Can we get the Phalanges down to 1 or 2 instead? That way we can kill the Carapace and not have the damage reduction. Edit: OK, maybe not this round.

The Indestructible Bunker

Whirr. Whirr. Whirr. Chk-chk. Chk-chk. Thunk.

HP: 28

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit (x2), Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Flak Cannon, Gatling Gun

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating

Trash:

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1.

[hr]
Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Gatling Gun

Use a power: Initialize. Draw Turret Mode.

Draw a card: Adhesive Foam Grenade

End of hero turn: Discard Maintenance Unit for Gatling Gun.

[hr]

HP: 28

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Flak Cannon, Turret Mode, Adhesive Foam Grenade

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun

Trash: Maintenance Unit

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1. ST: Deal 2 projectile damage. ET: Discard a card or destroy Gatling Gun.

Dark Visionary

HP:  21

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Precognition, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion(2)

Trash:  Mind Spike

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Precognition:  reveal top three of Villain deck, one on top, two on bottom

Use a Power:  Mental Divergence Entomb

Draw a Card:  Wrest the Mind

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  21

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion(2), Wrest the Mind

Trash:  Mind Spike

Summary:

Precognition on Akash, Destroy Entomb, Bunker may draw a card.

America's Finest Legacy

HP:  26

In Play:  

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Inspiring Presence, Flying Smash

Trash: Take Down, Bolster Allies

-------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card:  Inspiring Presence - all heroes gain 1 HP and gain +1 damage

Use a Power:  Galvanize - All hero targets gain +1 damage

Draw a Card:  Thokk!

End of Turn: 

-------------------------

HP:  26

In Play:  Inspiring Presence

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Thokk, Flying Smash

Trash: Take Down, Bolster Allies

Additional Effects:  all Hero targets gain +2 damage 

Akash has Arboreal Phalanges, Living Rockslide, Rejuvenating Entropy.

Final Wasteland has Rat Beast and Abominable Snowman.

I'm assuming Snowman on top (can kill it)?

We will go with Rejuvinating Entropy on top  .  Joking haha.  Tyler, Ryan, stop looking at me like that, it was a joke.  AAAAUUGGH!

But Seriously:

I'll put Arboreal Phalanges on top, bury Rockslide and Entropy.

Abominable Snowman on top, Rat Beast on bottom.

I had forgotten that we were playing on advanced with DR, so Zero's blast on Akash last turn only got through for 2; she should have one more hit point.

"All is not forgiven, spandex, but it's a start at least.  And you're the soldier, tin face; I'm just a janitor, here to clean up one hell of a mess."

Absolute Zero

HP:  28

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Cold Snap, Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain, Null-Point Calibration Unit, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Cold Snap

Use a Power:  Thermodynamics.  AZ deals 3 fire damage to himself ("You're such a good friend, Legs; I'm totally blushing in here.") and 4 net cold damage to Arboreal Phalanges {8}.

Draw a Card:  Frost-Bound Drain ("I keep saying the same things over and over, but nobody ever listens....")

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  25

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain (2), Null-Point Calibration Unit, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation

Effects:  Whenever AZ is dealt fire damage, he deals that much cold damage to any target.  Akash'Bhuta at 198.

Aak! Visionary, is there anyway you could take out Entomb with your Mental Divergence instead? We wouldn't want to make Unity sad...

Yes, please!  That'll kill all my bots… 

Since AZ's health is plummeting until he can get around to playing his NPCU, I thought about requesting Entomb removal, but I decided it wasn't necessarily the best use of DV's power phase.  Without Turmoiling one of the enemy decks, we're leaving ourselves wide open for some horrific chain which could hurt us far more than just 5 damage apiece (and then Entomb goes away).  Granted, AB is getting multiple plays, so DV can't completely lock her down, but it would still help to be able to banish one card out of two.  I can see going either way on this one.

EDIT - It looks like everyone but Meerkat is currently online.  Le sigh....

Visionary used Precognition to scry the villain deck, so that one's already under control.

If the Entomb goes off, not only do we all take damage (guaranteed), but I also lose all my bots, putting me effectively back to square one.  I'll be outputting a minimum of 8 damage with them next turn (enough to take out a Limb or put one in striking range), so I'd much prefer to keep them alive...  I think it's worth the gamble on the Environment Deck.

Oh man, I had planned on that, but I forgot and used Turmoil and the cards were revealed.  I don't think it is fair to go back on that now.

I'm sorry.  That is my bad.

I think one fair thing to do might be to reshuffle the environment deck.

That would solve the problem with equity, GM permitting.

We'll have to get a verdict from Meerkat, I wouldn't allow it, but if he will I'll destroy Entomb instead.

It's a simple fix, if permitted:  shuffle the Environment Deck so we don't know what's coming and destroy Entomb.

However, I can see the alternate side of things as well, as we did go through the rest of the round with the knowledge gained from Turmoil...though it would be nullified with a shuffle.  

If it were a real-life game, I might be inclined to not rewind it, but as a forum game?  Destroying Entomb was mentioned several times throughout this round and it was definitely on the radar.  The decision the hands of our mighty GM and I'll run with whatever he (she?  I think he) decides.

I for one made no plans on the basis of such knowledge.  It's the Final Wasteland (duh-duh-duh-duh), I pretty much take it as read that it's going to spit out critters that will chew on one or two targets, probably weak ones.  Exactly which card shows up doesn't concern me all that much.

If it were a real-life game, I might be inclined to not rewind it, but as a forum game?

Yeah, in an RL game we'd be talking in real time about what to do, not posting sequentially.  They don't really compare.

My point exactly–the communications delay prevented us from saying "Dude, Visionary's the only one with ongoing destruction right now–can you take that out this turn?"

Hence why I'd allow such a retcon in a forum game–but, then again, I'm not our GM.

Reading this, I was so tempted to try and convince the forum I was female… I don't know what that says about me, but oh well. And yes, I will allow an environment reshuffle. MARVEL AT MY BENEVOLENCE.

The Final Wasteland

In Play: Amphibious Chupacabra - 6

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start:

Play: Mongolian Death Worm enters play, triggers a card play for Akash:

Arboreal Phalanges enter play, discarding Ancient Library.

In Play: Amphibious Chupacabra - 6, Mongolian Death Worm - 8

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape, Ancient Library

Effects:

Round Four

Akash'Bhuta - Chaos-Bound Creator

Akash'Bhuta - 188

In Play: Arboreal Phalanges - 8

Arboreal Phalanges - 12

Trash: Allies of the Earth, Disrupt The Field, Entomb, Mountainous Carapace.

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card: Ensnaring Brambles enter play (Horrid Skunk Ape is discarded).

End of Turn: Arboreal Phalanges deal Bunker 3 melee damage [25].

Arboreal Phalanges deal Legacy 4 melee damage [23].

Ensnaring Brambles ensnare Raptor Bot.

-------------------------------------------------------

Akash'Bhuta - 188

In Play: Arboreal Phalanges - 8

Arboreal Phalanges - 12

Ensnaring Brambles - 9

Trash: Allies of the Earth, Disrupt The Field, Entomb, Mountainous Carapace

Effects: ET: Arboreal Phalanges deal the non-villain target with the highest HP 4 melee damage. [x2]

ET: Select the hero target with the lowest HP; they cannot deal damage until the start of the next villain turn.

Whenever an environment target enters play, play the top card of the villain deck.

Whenever a villain target enters play, discard the top card of the environment deck.

When the environment trash is shuffled into the environment deck, flip Akash'Bhuta.

Reduce damage dealt to villain targets by 1.

Raptor Bot cannot deal damage.

Hero HP: Unity - 22, [PB - 3, RB - 2], Bunker - 25, Visionary - 22, Legacy - 23, AZ - 25

"Dear Lieutenant Vance.  I respectfully submit that we allow the giant worm to chew on you and the mountain a little, for the sake of the cause.  Signed, your highly flammable comrade-in-arms who is still not a soldier."

(Meerkat--thanks for that.  It's definitely appreciated on my end!)

"I have an idea..."

Golem Unity

HP: 22

Hand:  Construction Pylon (x2), Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Hasty Augmentation; Brainstorm; Platform Bot

In Play:  Platform Bot [3]; Raptor Bot [2]

Trash:  Construction Pylon; Supply Crate

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn:  

Play a Card: Brainstorm:  I draw Modular Workbench and Raptor Bot, then deal the Brambles [7], Phalanges #1 [6], and Phalanges #2 [10] net 2 Lightning damage each.  

Use a Power:  No thanks.  Next round, perhaps.

Draw a Card:  Raptor Bot

End of Turn:  Platform Bot deals net 4 energy damage to Brambles [3]; Raptor Bot flails against the Brambles ineffectively.

-------------------------------------------------------

HP: 22

Hand:  Construction Pylon (x2); Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Hasty Augmentation; Platform Bot; Modular Workbench; Raptor Bot (x2)

In Play:  Platform Bot [3]; Raptor Bot [2]

Trash: Supply Crate, Construction Pylon; Brainstorm

Effects:   Platform Bot takes -1 damage from all sources.

PW, dont forget your healing from Inspiring Presence

Oh great Meerkat with hair so Blue we marvel at thy Benevolence, thy lack of being a convincing female and thy blue hair.

Bunker gets to draw a card for that destruction.

Thanks for the reminder!  Just edited to reflect that…

Draw Gatling Gun for the destruction of Mountainous Carapace. EDIT: Also, draw Recharge Mode for the destruction of Entomb.

Lt. Vance barely glances at Ryan. “Yes, some of us know where our duty lies.”

Ka-boom. Whirr. Thunk. Click. Ka-BOOM.

The Indestructible Bunker

HP: 25

Hand: Recharge Mode (x2), Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Flak Cannon, Turret Mode, Adhesive Foam Grenade, Gatling Gun

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun

Trash: Maintenance Unit

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1. ST: Deal 2 projectile damage. ET: Discard a card or destroy Gatling Gun.

[hr]
Start of hero turn: Deal net 3 projectile damage to Ensnaring Brambles (DEAD). Akash-Bhuta deals herself net 8 energy damage (180). Draw Ammo Drop.

Play a card: Flak Cannon.

Use a power: Flak Cannon. Deal net 4 projectile damage to Arboreal Phalanges #1 (2HP).

Draw a card: Auxiliary Power Source

End of hero turn: Discard Gatling Gun for the Gatling Gun in play.

[hr]

HP: 25

Hand: Recharge Mode (x2), Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Turret Mode, Adhesive Foam Grenade, Ammo Drop, Auxiliary Power Source

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun, Flak Cannon

Trash: Maintenance Unit, Gatling Gun

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1. ST: Deal 2 projectile damage. ET: Discard a card or destroy Gatling Gun.

It would be good to leave one of the Phalanges at 2 or less HP, so the Chupacabra will munch on it rather than Unity's Raptor Bot. The Mongolian Death Worm will get shuffled back into the deck if we don't do anything to it, which I think is fine. I'm happy to take the damage.

Bunker also draws a card for the destruction of entomb.

"Death Worm, hmm. . . sounds like fun."

Dark Visionary

HP:  22

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion(2), Wrest the Mind

Trash:  Mind Spike, Precognition

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Wrest the Mind on Mongolian Death Worm.

Use a Power:  Turmoil Villain Deck

Draw a Card:  Mind Spike

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  22

In Play:  Mental Divergence, Wrest the Mind (deathworm)

Hand:  Mind Spike, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion(2)

Trash:  Mind Spike, Precognition

Summary:

Turmoil Villain deck, and I'll be using wresting the damage that isn't to Akash, probably to kill stuff or damage akash more.

Since Phalanges #1 is already at 2 hp, can we target OTHER stuff for the remainder of the round, then?  Phalanges #2 has 10 hp to go, and there's always the Death Worm as well.

America's Finest Legacy

HP:  26

In Play:  Inspiring Presence

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Thokk, Flying Smash

Trash: Take Down, Bolster Allies

-------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card:  Thokk - 3 damage to Phalanges #2 (7) and draw Surge of Strength

Use a Power:  Galvanize - All hero targets gain +1 damage

Draw a Card:  Fortitude

End of Turn: 

-------------------------

HP:  23

In Play:  Inspiring Presence

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Flying Smash, Fortitude, Surge of Strength

Trash: Take Down, Bolster Allies, Thokk

Additional Effects:  all Hero targets gain +2 damage 

Given that I can't stop Cold Snap from taking out that Phalanges you wanted to feed to the Chupacabra, I feel honor-bound to kill the chupacabra ("tonight, we're gonna kill the chupacabra tonight"), even though I would have rather just played Focused Apertures this turn.  After how much damage I've taken, I'm pretty definitely doing NPCU next turn and Apertures the turn after.

"Raptor bot eh?  Welp, that would be useful.  So it looks like I'm not done feeling the heat of battle.  Arrgh...."

Absolute Zero

HP:  25

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain (2), Null-Point Calibration Unit, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation

-------------------------

Start of Turn:  Cold Snap deals 2 net damage to Phalanges #1 [DEAD, sorry Unity] and #2 [5] and to Akash'bhuta [178], plus 3 net damage to the Chupacabra [3] and the Death Worm [6].  Phalanges death makes Abby hit herself for 11 net damage [167]

Play a Card:  Frost-Bound Drain.  AZ deals 5 cold damage to the Chupacabra [DEAD], deals 5 fire damage to himself, and deals 6 net cold damage to Akash'Bhuta [161].

Use a Power:  Thermodynamics.  AZ deals 3 fire damage to himself and 4 net cold damage to Akash'bhuta [157].

Draw a Card:  Coolant Blast ("Gee, where were YOU this round when I could have used you?  Sure would like to have about 4 of these cards in play, rather than stuck in my hand....")

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  17

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain, Null-Point Calibration Unit, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave, Coolant Blast

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation, Frost-Bound Drain

Effects:  Whenever AZ is dealt fire damage, he deals that much cold damage to any target.  Assuming he lives long enough.

Turmoil reveals Mountainous Carapace and Living Rockslide. I'm going to go ahead and assume you pick the Carapace; if you don't just say so.

The Final Wasteland

In Play: Mongolian Death Worm - 5

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape x2, Ancient Library, Amphibious Chupacabra

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start: Death Worm munches Akash for net 2 melee and 2 toxic damage [153], tries to munch Bunker, Visionary redirects net 2 melee damage to the Phalanges [3] and brain-melts the Worm [DEAD].

Play: Rat Beast enters play, triggers a card play for Akash:

Mountainous Carapace enters play, discarding Unforgiving Wasteland.

End: Rat Beast deals Bunker net 3 melee damage [22].

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: Rat Beast - 7

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape x2, Ancient Library, Amphibious Chupacabra, Mongolian Death Worm

Effects:

Round Five

Akash'Bhuta - Chaos-Bound Creator

Akash'Bhuta - 153

In Play: Arboreal Phalanges - 3

Mounainous Carapace - 11

Trash: Allies of the Earth, Disrupt The Field, Entomb, Mountainous Carapace, Ensnaring Brambles, Arboreal Phalanges

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card: Ensnaring Brambles enter play (Amphibious Chupacabra is discarded).

End of Turn: Arboreal Phalanges deal Legacy 4 melee damage [19].

Ensnaring Brambles ensnare Raptor Bot.

-------------------------------------------------------

Akash'Bhuta - 153

In Play: Arboreal Phalanges - 3

Mountainous Carapace - 11

Ensnaring Brambles - 9

Trash: Allies of the Earth, Disrupt The Field, Entomb, Mountainous Carapace, Ensnaring Brambles, Arboreal Phalanges

Effects: ET: Arboreal Phalanges deal the non-villain target with the highest HP 4 melee damage.

ET: Select the hero target with the lowest HP; they cannot deal damage until the start of the next villain turn.

Whenever an environment target enters play, play the top card of the villain deck.

Whenever a villain target enters play, discard the top card of the environment deck.

When the environment trash is shuffled into the environment deck, flip Akash'Bhuta.

Reduce damage dealt to villain targets by 1.

Reduce damage dealt to Akash'Bhuta by 1.

Raptor Bot cannot deal damage.

Hero HP: Unity - 22, [PB - 3, RB - 2], Bunker - 22, Visionary - 19, Legacy - 19, AZ - 17

Akash should be at 164, or 160 if the Death Worm damage was Wrested to it, as is likely.  Unless I missed another 3 or 7 damage.  (And I saved Raptor Bot for nothing…stupid Brambles.)

I encourage everyone to beat the Carapace down to where Cold Snap can kill it, so that the subsequent damage to Akash won't be reduced.

Bunker draws Turret Mode when the Phalanges are destroyed. Unfortunately the Wrested damage is not quite enough to kill the remaining Phalanges, but I'd still suggest that as the target of redirection; the Cold Snap would then kill it. I forgot about the Cold Snap earlier, sorry!

Envisioner: You missed 11 damage somewhere, actually, I just forgot to add on the Death Worm damage. You destroyed the Arboreal Phalanges and that caused Akash to hit herself.

I'm at +2 damage, and the Death Worm is at 5hp, so it will hit Akash twice then kill the Arboreal Phalanges, Akash hits herself, then the worm dies.

No damage to me or Legacy, hooray for AZ!

Draw a card Bunker.

Card draws: Turret Mode and Grenade Launcher for the two Phalanges.

Are you forgetting about the -1 damage to villain targets? Why does the Death Worm kill Phalanges #2? (Phalanges #1 was already killed by the Cold Snap.) Agreed that the Death Worm dies after the first redirection.

The first two instances of damage are to Akash naturally, the third instance I redirect to Phalanges #2 for 2 damage, destroying it (here akash hurts herself) then deal the worm five damage and it dies.

I can see how my original wording is confusing.

Except Phalanges #2 was at 5HP after Absolute Zero's turn.

WTH, I swear when I posted it said phalanges had 1hp.  Bizaro santa claus.

I'm pretty sure the sequence would be:

1.  Worm locks in targets (AB and Bunker).

2.  Worm deals melee damage to target 1 (AB)

3.  Worm deals toxic damage to target 1 (AB)

4.  Worm deals melee damage, aiming for Bunker, which is Wrested to kill Phalanges.

5.  Visionary deals 3 5 damage to Worm.

6.  Visionary deals 3 damage to herself.

7.  Worm deals toxic damage, aiming for Bunker, which is Wrested.

8.  Visionary deals 3 damage to Worm and kills it.

If wanting to avoid Visionary taking any damage, you have to wrest the Worm's damage to itself and thus can't hit the Phalanges.

Bunker did not draw the Grenade Launcher since the Phalanges did not die, and won't until at least his turn.  (So he wouldn't be able to play the Grenade Launcher in his play phase, as he'd have to use either his card play or his power to kill the Phalanges.  That's assuming he leaves the Launcher on top of his deck instead of shuffling after putting it back, which is what I would do if I drew a card I shouldn't have.)

But I'm dealing five damage, it is boosted by legacy, and apparently I don't get to kill the Phalanges.

Yeah I caught that and put strikethroughs in my post, before adding the stuff about Bunker's card draw.  The joys of cross-posting…  (We really ought to be able to delete our posts.)

If so, then that's new.  I remember being told it required an administrator's or at least a mod's intervention, and testing it myself and being told I didn't have permission.

EDIT - Verified that clicking the "Delete" tab above a post still results in "Access denied: you are not authorized to access this page".  You may not be an Admin or Mod, Ronway, but you're something I'm not, and that something appears to make all the difference in this respect.

Golem designation Raptor Gamma-1 ineffective. Instituting Attack Plan 43: Three Stooges Protocol. Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk…

Golem Unity

HP: 22

Hand: Construction Pylon (x2), Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Hasty Augmentation; Brainstorm; Platform Bot

In Play: Platform Bot [3]; Raptor Bot [2]

Trash: Construction Pylon; Supply Crate

Start of Turn:

Play a Card: Construction Pylon

Use a Power: Construction Pylon: I destroy the pylon to bring out Raptor Moe and Raptor Curly.

Draw a Card: Cryo Bot

End of Turn: Platform Bot deals net 4 energy damage to Brambles [5]; Raptor Bot Larry flails against the Brambles ineffectively, Raptor Bot Moe deals net 6 melee damage to Mountainous Carapace [5]; Raptor Bot Curly deals net 6 damage to Mountainous Carapace [dead]–Akash-Bhuta deals herself net 10 damage [143]

HP: 22

Hand: Construction Pylon ; Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Hasty Augmentation; Platform Bot; Modular Workbench; Cryo Bot

In Play: Platform Bot [3]; Raptor Bot Larry [2]; Raptor Bot Moe [2]; Raptor Bot Curly [2]

Trash: Supply Crate, Construction Pylon (x2); Brainstorm

Effects: Platform Bot takes -1 damage from all sources.

I returned the card I drew accidentally and reshuffled. As a result, I draw Turret Mode from the destruction of Phalanges #1 and Auxiliary Power Source from the destruction of Mountainous Carapace.

Outstanding damage there, Absolute Zero. Pity you can’t hit anything smaller than the broad side of a mountain. Can someone with better aim take care of these annoying tentacles?

The Indestructible Bunker

HP: 22

Hand: Recharge Mode (x2), Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Turret Mode (x2), Adhesive Foam Grenade, Ammo Drop, Auxiliary Power Source (x2)

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun, Flak Cannon

Trash: Maintenance Unit, Gatling Gun

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1. ST: Deal 2 projectile damage. ET: Discard a card or destroy Gatling Gun.

[hr]
Start of hero turn: Deal net 3 projectile damage to Brambles (2HP, waiting to be destroyed by Cold Snap)

Play a card: Adhesive Foam Grenade

Use a power: Flak Gun. Deal net 5 projectile damage to Rat Beast (2HP, also waiting for Cold Snap).

Draw a card: Auxiliary Power Source

End of hero turn: Discard Recharge Mode for Gatling Gun

[hr]

HP: 22

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Turret Mode (x2), Ammo Drop, Auxiliary Power Source (x3)

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun, Flak Cannon

Trash: Maintenance Unit, Gatling Gun, Adhesive Foam Grenade, Recharge Mode

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1. ST: Deal 2 projectile damage. ET: Discard a card or destroy Gatling Gun. Environment cards cannot be played until the start of my next turn.

Visionary stretches out her arms, floating a foot off the ground.  Her face tense as she reaches out to the mind of both god and man.

"be ready Legacy, your opportunity will come soon. . ."

Dark Visionary

HP:  19

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Mind Spike, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion(2)

Trash:  Mind Spike, Precognition, Wrest the Mind

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Suggestion, put Allies of the Earth on top of Akash's Deck, Entomb on the bottom.

Use a Power:  Mental Divergence: put Take Down on top of Legacy's deck

Draw a Card:  Decoy Projection

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  19

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Decoy Projection, Mind Spike, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion

Trash:  Mind Spike, Precognition, Suggestion, Wrest the Mind

Summary:

Put Allies of the Earth on top of Akash's deck, Entomb on the bottom.

Legs can put take down on top of his deck.

I'll take it (see what I did there?)

America's Finest Legacy

HP:  19

In Play:  Inspiring Presence

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Flying Smash, Fortitude, Surge of Strength

Trash: Take Down, Bolster Allies, Thokk

-------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card:  Fortitude

Use a Power:  Galvanize - All hero targets gain +1 damage

Draw a Card:  Take Down

End of Turn: 

-------------------------

HP:  19

In Play:  Inspiring Presence, Fortitude

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Flying Smash, Fortitude, Surge of Strength, Take Down

Trash: Take Down, Bolster Allies, Thokk

Additional Effects:  all Hero targets gain +2 damage, reduce damage dealt to Legacy by 1

Unity already killed the Carapace. Did you mean something else? There's Akash'Bhuta herself, a set of Phalanges at 3HP, and a Rat Beast and a Brambles that will be frozen shortly.

Bah, thought there was one at 5hp still, changed my turn around so it works now.

Great! This is a good turn for a Suggestion, because for once we'll only be getting one villain card.

I have a feeling that this turn and next are really going to make a nice turning point for us--we'll only get 1 villain/0 environment plays this round, and 0 villain/1 environment plays next round.  My bots are going to have a feast!

"Ah good, things are starting to go my way...the way where everything stops moving."

Absolute Zero

HP:  17

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain, Null-Point Calibration Unit, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave, Coolant Blast

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation, Frost-Bound Drain

-------------------------

Start of Turn:  Cold Snap deals 2 net damage to Brambles [DEAD], to Phalanges [1], and to Akash'bhuta [141], plus 3 net damage to the Rat Beast [DEAD].  Brambles death makes Abby hit herself for 8 net damage [133].

Play a Card:  NPCU.

Use a Power:  Thermodynamics.  AZ deals 3 fire damage to himself [14] and 4 to Phalanges [DEAD].  Abby hits herself for 11 net damage [122].

Draw a Card:  Impale (well, hello darling....)

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  14

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave, Coolant Blast, Impale

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap, Null-Point Calibration Unit

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation, Frost-Bound Drain

Effects:  Cold damage to AZ becomes the same amount of healing instead.  Whenever AZ is dealt fire damage, he deals that much cold damage to any target.

AZ, you also do 2 net damage to the surviving Phalanxes, down to 1HP.

Agreed on the turning point! The only villain card coming out for the next two turns is a relatively harmless Ongoing.

Ah, I couldn't find them but I thought they were indeed still in play (this is why I vastly prefer to keep the table set up when I play; doing it without that is proving highly difficult for me).  I'll change my turn…I don't really need the healing with the way we've locked the game down, and in particular I have no intention of healing myself to the highest HP total while a Phalanges still exists.

Bunker draws Flak Cannon and Upgrade Mode from the two dead limbs.

Thanks for taking out that limb! Just a note, you wouldn't have been highest HP even with the healing.

Hm, coulda sworn all the heroes were down to 19 or less.  Oh well, plenty of time to heal when there aren't any targets that need killing...Cold Snap and Impale will be quite sufficient for picking away at Abby when there aren't any Limbs around.

The Final Wasteland

In Play:

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape x2, Ancient Library, Amphibious Chupacabra x2, Mongolian Death Worm, Rat Beast

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start: 

Play: 

End: 

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play:

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape x2, Ancient Library, Amphibious Chupacabra x2, Mongolian Death Worm, Rat Beast

Round Six

Akash'Bhuta - Chaos-Bound Creator

Akash'Bhuta - 122

In Play: 

Trash: Disrupt The Field, Mountainous Carapace x2, Ensnaring Brambles x2, Arboreal Phalanges x2

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card: Allies of the Earth enters play.

End of Turn: 

-------------------------------------------------------

Akash'Bhuta - 122

In Play: Allies of the Earth

Trash: Disrupt The Field, Mountainous Carapace x2, Ensnaring Brambles x2, Arboreal Phalanges x2

Effects: Whenever an environment target enters play, play the top card of the villain deck.

Whenever a villain target enters play, discard the top card of the environment deck.

When the environment trash is shuffled into the environment deck, flip Akash'Bhuta.

Reduce damage dealt to villain targets by 1.

Whenever an environment target enters play, Akash'Bhuta regains HP equal to the health of that target.

Hero HP: Unity - 22, [PB - 3, RBL - 2, RBM - 2, RBC - 2], Bunker - 22, Visionary - 19, Legacy - 19, AZ - 14

Unity cocks an ear, listening to Vance and Frost arguing yet again.  As her final Construction Pylon splits open, one of the emerging bots looks achingly familiar...complete with a derby, a cane, and a goofy mustache...

Golem Unity

HP: 22

Hand: Construction Pylon, Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Hasty Augmentation; Platform Bot; Modular Workbench; Cryo Bot

In Play: Platform Bot Abbott [3]; Raptor Bot Larry [2]; Raptor Bot Moe [2]; Raptor Bot Curly [2]

Trash: Construction Pylon (x2); Supply Crate; Brainstorm

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card: Construction Pylon

Use a Power: Construction Pylon: I destroy the pylon to bring out Platform Bot Costello [3] and Cryo Bot Chaplin [7]

Draw a Card: Bee Bot

End of Turn:

Platform Bot Abbott deals net 4 energy damage to A-B [118]. 

Raptor Bot Larry deals net 8 melee damage to A-B [110].

Raptor Bot Moe deals net 8 melee damage to A-B [102]. 

Raptor Bot Curly deals net 8 melee damage to A-B [94].

Platform Bot Costello deals net 4 energy damage to A-B [90].

Cryo Bot Chaplin bumbles around in a hapless, somewhat-endearing manner.

-------------------------------------------------------

HP: 22

Hand: Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Hasty Augmentation; Modular Workbench; Bee Bot

In Play: Platform Bot Abbott [3]; Raptor Bot Larry [2]; Raptor Bot Moe [2]; Raptor Bot Curly [2]; Platform Bot Costello [3]; Cryo Bot Chaplin [7]

Trash: Supply Crate, Construction Pylon (x3); Brainstorm

Effects: Platform Bots takes -1 damage from all sources, When Cryo Bot is damaged, he damages all non-Hero targets.

The Indestructible Bunker

HP: 22

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode (x2), Turret Mode (x2), Ammo Drop, Auxiliary Power Source (x3), Flak Cannon

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun, Flak Cannon

Trash: Maintenance Unit, Gatling Gun, Adhesive Foam Grenade, Recharge Mode

[hr]
Start of hero turn: Deal net 3 projectile damage to A-B (87). Adhesive Foam Grenade expires.

Play a card: Turret Mode

Use a power: Flak Cannon. Deal net 5 projectile damage to A-B (82).

Draw a card: None.

End of hero turn: Discard Upgrade Mode for Gatling Gun.

[hr]

HP: 22

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Turret Mode, Ammo Drop, Auxiliary Power Source (x3), Flak Cannon

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun, Flak Cannon, Turret Mode

Trash: Maintenance Unit, Gatling Gun, Adhesive Foam Grenade, Recharge Mode, Upgrade Mode

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1. ST: Deal 2 projectile damage. ET: Discard a card or destroy Gatling Gun. Turret mode: +1 damage, etc.

Dark Visionary

HP:  19

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Decoy Projection, Mind Spike, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion

Trash:  Mind Spike, Precognition, Suggestion, Wrest the Mind

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Mind Spike, deal 4 damage to Akash [78]

Use a Power:  Mental Divergence: Destroy Allies of the Earth

Draw a Card:  Twist the Ether

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  19

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Decoy Projection, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion, Twist the Ether

Trash:  Mind Spike(2), Precognition, Suggestion, Wrest the Mind

Summary:

Destroy Allies of Earth, Bunker Draw a card.

America's Finest Legacy

HP:  19

In Play:  Inspiring Presence, Fortitude

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Flying Smash, Fortitude, Surge of Strength, Take Down

Trash: Take Down, Bolster Allies, Thokk

-------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card:  Take Down

Use a Power:  Galvanize - All hero targets gain +1 damage

Draw a Card:  Lead from the Front

End of Turn: Akash'bhuta deals Legacy 1 energy damage (18)

-------------------------

HP:  18

In Play:  Inspiring Presence, Fortitude, Take Down

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Flying Smash, Fortitude, Surge of Strength, Lead from the Front

Trash:  Bolster Allies, Thokk

Additional Effects:  all Hero targets gain +2 damage, reduce damage dealt to Legacy by 1, Akash'bhuta cannot play cards

This would have been up an hour ago, except a call that I had to take came in while I was working on it, and I'm only now getting back and finishing the thing, along with having to reformat it from the file I emergency-saved it to during the call, rather than risk losing it to a browser crash.  Sorry for the delay.

"I'll have you know I would never be caught dead wearing a hat like that, young lady."

Absolute Zero

HP:  14

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Hoarfire, Frost-Bound Drain, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave, Coolant Blast, Impale

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap, Null-Point Calibration Unit

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation, Frost-Bound Drain

-------------------------

Start of Turn:  Cold Snap deals 2 net damage to Akash'bhuta [76].  How boring.

Play a Card:  Hoarfire.  Zero deals 4 cold damage to Akash'bhuta [75].  Zero deals 4 fire damage to that ridiculously costumed ersatz mechanical effigy of himself, which retaliates by dealing 2 net damage to Akash'bhuta [73].  Zero deals 3 cold damage to himself which instead heals him, then deals 3 fire damage to himself which Transduces into 4 net cold damage to Akash'bhuta [69, dude!], with no net effect on his HP.

Use a Power:  Thermodynamics.  AZ deals 3 cold damage to himself which instead heals him [17].

Draw a Card:  Modular Realignment.

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  17

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Frost-Bound Drain, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave, Coolant Blast, Impale, Modular Realignment.

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap, Null-Point Calibration Unit

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation, Frost-Bound Drain, Hoarfire

Effects:  Cold damage to AZ becomes the same amount of healing instead.  Whenever AZ is dealt fire damage, he deals that much cold damage to any target.

Shouldn’t that be 4 net cold damage to Akash’bhuta?

Bunker draws Adhesive Foam Grenade. I’ll be dropping out of Turret Mode to use it. If Visionary and Legacy do the same thing as last time around, we have a further 2 rounds without an effective villain card play; I think we’ve got this firmly in the bag.

This was a product of me switching back and forth between two plans in order to deal the same amount of damage to Abby while healing as much as possible.  Whether or not to do so at the expense of Unity's mock-up of me was hotly (well, coldly) debated.  In view of the new math, I'm going with "yes", and thus keeping 2 extra HP rather than dealing 2 extra damage.

EDIT:  I see what you did there.

The Final Wasteland

In Play:

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape x2, Ancient Library, Amphibious Chupacabra x2, Mongolian Death Worm, Rat Beast

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start: 

Play: Abominable Snowman enters play.

End: 

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: Abominable Snowman - 9 (is immune to cold damage)

Trash: New Jersey Devil x2, Rat Beast, Horrid Skunk Ape x2, Ancient Library, Amphibious Chupacabra x2, Mongolian Death Worm, Rat Beast

Round Seven

Akash'Bhuta - Chaos-Bound Creator

Akash'Bhuta - 69

In Play: 

Trash: Disrupt The Field, Mountainous Carapace x2, Ensnaring Brambles x2, Arboreal Phalanges x2, Allies of the Earth

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: 

Play a Card: 

End of Turn: 

-------------------------------------------------------

Akash'Bhuta - 69

In Play: 

Trash: Disrupt The Field, Mountainous Carapace x2, Ensnaring Brambles x2, Arboreal Phalanges x2, Allies of the Earth

Effects: Whenever an environment target enters play, play the top card of the villain deck.

Whenever a villain target enters play, discard the top card of the environment deck.

When the environment trash is shuffled into the environment deck, flip Akash'Bhuta.

Reduce damage dealt to villain targets by 1.

Hero HP: Unity - 22, [PBA - 3, RBL - 2, RBM - 2, RBC - 2, PBC - 3, CBC - 3], Bunker - 22, Visionary - 19, Legacy - 19, AZ - 17

Pressing a button on her arm, The Three Stooges theme begins blaring across the battlefield as Unity's army of bots swarm over Akash-Bhuta's massive form...

Golem Unity

HP: 22

Hand:  Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Supply Crate; Hasty Augmentation;  Modular Workbench; Bee Bot

In Play: Platform Bot Abbott [3]; Raptor Bot Larry [2]; Raptor Bot Moe [2]; Raptor Bot Curly [2]; Platform Bot Costello [3]; Cryo Bot Chaplain [7]

Trash: Construction Pylon (x3); Supply Crate; Brainstorm

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card: Supply Crate--I draw Swift Bot

Use a Power: Golem Spawn:  I take net 6 damage [16] to put Swift Bot into play.

Draw a Card: (2 cards, thanks to Swift Bot), Robot Reclamation and Brainstorm

End of Turn:

Platform Bot Abbott deals net 4 energy damage to A-B [65]. 

Raptor Bot Larry deals net 9 melee damage to A-B [56].

Raptor Bot Moe deals net 9 melee damage to A-B [47]. 

Raptor Bot Curly deals net 9 melee damage to A-B [38].

Platform Bot Costello deals net 4 energy damage to A-B [34].

Cryo Bot Chaplin continues to bumble around.

Swift Bot stands there, staring at the slaptstick.

-------------------------------------------------------

HP: 16

Hand: Scrap Metal, Powered Shock Wave; Hasty Augmentation; Modular Workbench; Bee Bot, Robot Reclamation, Brainstorm

In Play: Platform Bot Abbott [3]; Raptor Bot Larry [2]; Raptor Bot Moe [2]; Raptor Bot Curly [2]; Platform Bot Costello [3]; Cryo Bot Chaplin [7], Supply Crate, Swift Bot [6]

Trash: Supply Crate, Construction Pylon (x3); Brainstorm

Effects: Platform Bots takes -1 damage from all sources, When Cryo Bot is damaged, he damages all non-Hero targets.

The Indestructible Bunker

HP: 22

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Turret Mode, Ammo Drop, Auxiliary Power Source (x3), Flak Cannon, Adhesive Foam Grenade

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun, Flak Cannon, Turret Mode

Trash: Maintenance Unit, Gatling Gun, Adhesive Foam Grenade, Recharge Mode, Upgrade Mode

[hr]
Start of hero turn: Gatling Gun: Deal net 4 projectile damage to A-B (30). Destroy Turret Mode.

Play a card: Adhesive Foam Grenade

Use a power: Flak Gun: Deal net 4 projectile damage to A-B (25).

Draw a card: Grenade Launcher (Now I get it)

End of hero turn: Discard Auxiliary Power Source for Gatling Gun

[hr]

HP: 22

Hand: Recharge Mode, Maintenance Unit, Decommissioned Hardware (x2), Upgrade Mode, Turret Mode, Ammo Drop, Auxiliary Power Source (x2), Flak Cannon, Grenade Launcher

In play: Ammo Drop, Heavy Plating, Gatling Gun, Flak Cannon

Trash: Maintenance Unit, Gatling Gun, Adhesive Foam Grenade, Recharge Mode, Upgrade Mode, Turret Mode, Adhesive Foam Grenade, Auxiliary Power Source

Additional effects: Damage to Bunker is reduced by 1. ST: Deal 2 projectile damage. ET: Discard a card or destroy Gatling Gun. Turret mode: +1 damage, etc. Environment cards cannot be played until the start of my turn.

Dark Visionary

HP:  19

In Play:  Mental Divergence

Hand:  Decoy Projection, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom, Suggestion, Twist the Ether

Trash:  Mind Spike(2), Precognition, Suggestion, Wrest the Mind

-------------------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Twist the Ether on Absolute Zero

Use a Power:  pass

Draw a Card:  Psychic Maelstrom

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  19

In Play:  Mental Divergence, Twist the Ether on AZ

Hand:  Decoy Projection, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom(2), Suggestion

Trash:  Mind Spike(2), Precognition, Suggestion, Wrest the Mind

Summary:

AZ is allowed to determine the use of Twist the Ether as he sees fit.

I've been sitting here twitching with impatience for my turn, but Legacy's player is still not online, and I guess if we wait until tomorrow to finish we can count this game toward the Vengeance environment challenge.  So I'll see you guys in the morning, when it's very likely I'll be ending the game (a mere 25 net damage, for a fully loaded AZ with Thermal Shockwave in hand and a +3 to damage? pshaw!).

America's Finest Legacy

HP:  18

In Play:  Inspiring Presence, Fortitude, Take Down

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strikex2, Flying Smash, Fortitude, Surge of Strength, Lead from the Front

Trash:  Bolster Allies, Thokk

-------------------------

Start of Turn: Take Down is Destroyed

Play a Card:  Back Fist Strike - 4 damage to AB (21)

Use a Power:  Galvanize - All hero targets gain +1 damage

Draw a Card:  Fortitude

End of Turn: 

-------------------------

HP:  18

In Play:  Inspiring Presence, Fortitude, 

Hand:  Superhuman Durability, Back-Fist Strike, Flying Smash, Fortitude, Surge of Strength, Lead from the Front, Fortitude

Trash:  Bolster Allies, Thokk, Take Down, Back Fist Strike

Additional Effects:  all Hero targets gain +2 damage, reduce damage dealt to Legacy by 1, 

"Well it certainly has been fun roasting myself alive, but I'd say it's about time to show this wanna-be volcano what a REAL eruption looks like.  No disrespect to one of my very few elders intended, of course."

Absolute Zero

HP:  17

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Frost-Bound Drain, Isothermic Transducer, Thermal Shockwave, Coolant Blast, Impale, Modular Realignment.

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap, Null-Point Calibration Unit (also affected by Visionary's Twist the Ether, which is used exclusively to increase his damage in this turn, only once changing its type).

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation, Frost-Bound Drain, Hoarfire.

-------------------------

Start of Turn:  Cold Snap deals 3 net cold damage to Akash'bhuta [18] and 4 infernal damage to Abominable Snowman [5].  3 cold damage has been dealt.

Play a Card:  Thermal Shockwave.

Use a Power:  Thermal Shockwave.  AZ deals 4 cold damage to himself which instead heals him [21].  AZ deals 3 net cold damage to Akash'bhuta [15]; 6 cold damage has been dealt.  AZ deals 4 cold damage to Raptor Bot Curly ("I always preferred Shemp"); 10 cold damage has been dealt.  AZ deals 13 fire damage to himself [8] which Transduces into 16 damage to Akash'bhuta, which she reduces by just 1 [DEAD].

Draw a Card:  Game is over.

End of Turn:

-------------------------

HP:  8

Hand:  Focused Apertures (2), Frost-Bound Drain, Isothermic Transducer, Coolant Blast, Impale, Modular Realignment.

In Play:  Isothermic Transducer, Cold Snap, Null-Point Calibration Unit, Thermal Shockwave

Trash:  Glacial Structure, Onboard Module Installation, Frost-Bound Drain, Hoarfire

Effects:  Cold damage to AZ becomes the same amount of healing instead.  Whenever AZ is dealt fire damage, he deals that much cold damage to any target.

********************

Welp, that was awesome.  As usual, I shall report the game, both on the statistics thread and on this weekend's challenge.  Thanks for accepting my input on the choice of foe and venue y'all...if you want to fight the Dreamer next I'd be happy to get in on that as well, as long as it's not in the Wasteland, the Block, or Insula Primalis (and I could consider The Block).

Good game.

There was some discussion about whether this counts as doing 2 or 4 cold damage. I forget what the upshot was, but if this would only count as 2 cold damage, what would you do?

He would just have to hit one of us.

It was a good game! It was easier than I was expecting. I guess we were lucky not to get any of the destruction cards.

You can go to negative HP, so the damage is 4

A better question is whether Thermal Shockwave counts the outgoing cold damage or only the net damage which is successfully dealt.  Damage reduced by Akash's shields, damage to Abominable Snowman or Cryo Bot who are immune (if the damage isn't Twisted to not be Cold anymore), even damage to AZ himself which the NPCU replaces with healing...all of this might have counted, and if so I'd have had to do my calculations more carefully, possibly not selecting extra targets for the Shockwave, possibly plummeting lower in HP as I went boom.  But I'm fairly certain that 16-1 is the minimum damage I was able to deal with the final blast, and that I could have arranged to avoid killing myself in the process.  I might also have had a Shockwave hit go on Cryo Bot and be Wrested down to 2 non-cold damage so as not to kill him, adding an extra 2 cold damage to Abby that way; that would have been amusing but probably suboptimal.  One way or another, I felt fairly confident I could pull it off, and it appears I was right.  An epic ending to a game I was very happy to be involved in.

Burn, baby, burn :D

Another?

Definitely!  If you get it posted in the next half-hour or so, I won't have left for the day yet.

I'm game as well--if we hurry, this one might even count for the Weekend challenge.

That would have been more likely if it wasn't Citizen Dawn on Advanced with H = 5.  However, if we can round up a few players who can all be online at the same time, perhaps I can host a live-play game or two?  Unlike with the Episode series, I won't insist on having five players or using Advanced mode (the latter will depend on the villain).