Now that we have the bot queen, Unity, I looks like there is room for sidekicks. Should they be separate decks that play with the hero decks, or just cards in the deck like Unity’s bots. If it’s that latter then some of the original heroes could have sidekicks added as cards at a later date.
Or are sidekicks too golden age cheesey for the more silver age sentinels?
Cards in a deck would be more ideal, I think. Some sidekicks (mostly Robin) are/became their own entities, but the majority of them weren’t and didn’t really exist independently of their actual hero.
Although I do think that might be a little too golden age-y.
I’m willing to bet a Sidekick mechanic will come up at some point… (No, I have no inside knowledge - just guessing. 
)
Well, we do know that the expansion after Time and Space is going to be drastically different in terms of play mechanics, so that’s entirely possible.
I did ask about sidekicks when I talked to Christopher at Kantcon, and his response is he doesn’t plan on adding any new cards to existing decks, though Unity is somewhat of a sidekick to the Freedom Five. So I think if sidekicks are included for existing heroes than most likely they will feature their own deck (or even a promo card for the deck considering Young Legacy could also be considered a sidekick) or there will be a new hero that has a sidekick in there somewhere.
But this does not mean that a new hero will come out with similar mechanics to the Chairman/Operative. Have two heroes cards. Think Hawk and Dove (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawk_and_Dove) or Cloak & Dagger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloak_and_Dagger_(comics). Just give them fewer health points. It’s a possibility?
It could be possible, but that would seem to be kind of over powered since they would always have access to two different powers, thus giving them more flexibility.
I could see a Sidekick giving passive effects like… “You do +1 damage, you take +1 damage. Power: Flip this card” On the other side “You do -1 damage, you take -1 damage. Power: Flip this card”. The first one being, you’re out with your sidekick in the thick of it. He’s helping you out, but you have to take some blows for him, and the other side the two of you have retreated. I admit the specifics might need to be altered (the second side would just give non-damage dealing characters free DR) but I think have passive effects that offer both a positive and a negative is a plausible thing.
I can imagine a number of possible mechanics that could be fun and balanced for a two character hero or a hero with a passive sidekick. Really, what I would want to know would be more along the lines of who than how… like, which archetype of a hero/sidekick team would they employ?
Also, I love that Unity is a sidekick to the Freedom Five (through her work with Dr. Stinson?). I have a feeling that Unity is going to be my favorite hero.
I doubt any of you have forgotten, but I thought I’d mention young Thiago, the Potential Sidekick from Spite’s deck. He’s the most welcome card in that deck, unless he gets killed right away. His bonus cards and damage when he dies are both very solid sidekick mechanics.
I am saying this purely in terms of mechanics… but I think I would like to see a new hero who has a sidekick similar to Ra and his Staff.
Example:
Dudeman has a sidekick card in his deck named “Dudeboy”.
He has cards like “Medical attention: Search for dudeboy and gain 1 hp, if dudeboy is in play gain 4 hp”. “Team up attack: Search for Dudeboy and do 2 damage to a target, if dudeboy is in play deal 4 damage to a target”. “Helping hand: if dudeboy is in your trash, put him in your hand. If he is in play put 2 other cards from your trash into your hand”.
And the sidekick could be an ongoing with an effect like “deal 1 damage or heal 1 damage to a target of your choosing”
I’d play Dudeman and his sidekick Dudeboy.
Personally I would prefer playing as Awesome Guy and Awesome Lad.
Though on the topic of Dudeman and Dudeboy, having any card that will get Dudeboy into play also do something else if he is already in play may make things a little too powerful. Especially the one where you retrieve him from the trash. Depending on how many different types of cards that will bring Dudeboy into play though I could atleast see one or two doing it. Or even one-shots that can played much like The Chairman that would of a seperate sentence that will do an effect and if the Dudeboy is in play will do an additional attack.
I keep wanting to type stuff about Unity but can’t do it yet… But I will say how her golems work could easily be altered to make a hero that features a sidekick fairly easily.
I think this is a missed opportunity. The ability to tweak decks is common to many card games. I had alway assumed as heroes changed, which happens often in comics, that we would be able to get card packs to change how there decks played.
I can certainly see their fear of the playtesting quagmire that would result from players being able to tweak there deck, but that could be ameliorated by having specific card substitutions for each pack.
For example, when wraith gets her sidekick Casper the ghost wonder his 6 cards would replace 6 specific cards in her deck.
Or, when you want to play the angry red legacy (and who doesn’t), you can replace the 12 cards of his pack with 12 specific cards from legacy’s deck (likely all the support other heroes cards).
Just using promo cards to represent change, like they are currently doing is interesting but the art is not reflected in the cards, and there are not cards specifically designed to interact with the powers. Just my thoughts.
On the angry Legacy topic. I did happen to ask Christopher about that aswell. Which the response made it seem like he will be making an appearance fairly soon. Though I am leaning more towards a villian with him instead of hero. Or maybe he’ll just appear on a card again?
I actually would prefer not having ‘booster packs’ and the like. Promo Hero cards can really change the entire feel and play of a deck, and thus give a lot of diversity to already existing decks. Part of the charm of Sentinels, in my opinion, is that it feels like a CCG (so many different types of decks/play styles you can use in a single game) without having to keep up with boosters or constant deck maintenance. I like that you only have to buy expansions, and even that doesn’t usually change what already exists.
Perhaps in the chrono ranger deck. It would make sense if he deals with time.
So I’ve been thinking about the sidekick issue a lot lately. An interesting and graceful solution would be to have sidekicks as an optional deck that’s played along side your heroes that is passive but also a target.
Here is my pitch: Think of an environment deck that’s on your side, that has hit points of its own. It will have its own turn (I’m thinking between the hero turn and the environment turn) and it passively plays the top card of its deck which will be mostly helpful. One shots that go off immediately like villain one shots “The Old One-Two: Awesome lad deals 3 damage to one target” “Getaway Car: Destroy an environment card”. Regular ongoing cards. Ongoing cards that act like one shots in hero player hands to give the players some control over what the sidekick does “Stake Out: Destroy this card to destroy an ongoing card”. And even ongoing cards that are harmful like environment cards because sidekicks get themselves into trouble “Held Hostage: Players may not draw cards, Destroy this card when the villain takes 7 or more damage in one round”.
In addition to having a deck it will also have a “Face Card” as I like to call them, presumably with very low hit points (15-20) and possibly some passive effect for flavor “increase all hero hit points by 5”. But, and here’s the kicker, when the sidekick dies not only do all of his ongoing cards and passive effects go away but there will be a very negative incapacitated effect “increase damage dealt to heroes by 2” giving the heroes major incentive to keep it alive. Make the sidekick a helping hand as well as a pain in the ass, just like a sidekick.
I’ve also thought about the nemesis system being adapted for different sidekicks/hero combinations. The sidekick face card will have an icon that matches a hero and when they are both in play and neither incapacitated the hero will get a bonus to increase damage by 1 and the sidekick will reduce its damage taken by 1.
Why not simply a sidekick promo character card? Place both main character and sidekick character cards on the table side by side then start the game.
Bunker’s sidekick could be Ammo Truck, HP 5, Power: Draw 2 cards, Incapacitated: Increase Fire damage dealt to Bunker by 1. Reduce melee and projectile damage dealt to Bunker by 1. (Imagine the Ammo Truck exploded and overturned, but act as a place to take cover now.)
Promo sidekick character card may have a nemeses too.
I like both the idea of a sidekick character card and, I think, this particular design of a Bunker sidekick.
I think the idea of sidekicks with a low amount of health (5 to 10 hp) is supported by the game rules… simply put they would usually be targeted by things that target the hero with the lowest health.
Once I get my friends playing again (we stopped until I get my 2nd edition) I might try homebrewing something like this and seeing how it works. Villains could also do this with stuff like team ups versions of villains or artifacts. For example you could have a “Team Up” version of Omnitron who has his own health and an effect at the start of the villains turn. It would not be as bad as 2 villains with 2 decks, but it would allow for some extra situations.
I’m torn on this one. My tendency is to say that sidekicks are something to be avoided. In general, sidekicks were a thing of 40 years ago. Now adays sidekicks are out, a forgotten relic and painful reminder of when superheroes were posterboys for cheesy dialogue and campy visual effects. I don’t think we want to bring that into SotM in a meaningful way.
I’m in the camp of sidekicks just having their own hero decks, and playing them like normal heroes. This probably assigns a little more power to sidekicks than history does, but it keeps thing simple, and still fun. There’s room for particular cards in a deck - like Potential Sidekick from Spite’s deck, or some hero that might have a really important sidekick concept built into their deck. As a whole, though, I don’t think we need more things to add to the existing heroes.
Wait… You mean sentinels is a serious superhero game? I guess nobody sent me the press release. Especially since there are some campy cards already. Hippo man anyone? (at least the new edition will change the creepy aspect of that card).
Sentinels definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously and that’s part of its charm. I think there is room for sidekicks. Not all of them have to look like 50’s Robin. Dr. strange always had a rotating group of assistants who were not kids.
“THOKK!”
Your argument is invalid.
I think everything that needs to be said about sidekicks is said on Spite’s “Potential Sidekick” card. Sidekicks are well meaning normals that put on a makeshift suit, inspiring those around them to do good and rise to the challenge, who eventually get dead. Hard. Plus, this is a cooperative game for multiple players to team up with each other to fight a villain or villains together. Adding delicate but somewhat useful Sidekicks seems to remove the focus from the players and their heroes. I know Unity has her bots, but from a thematic standpoint they’re high tech machinery, not kids in spandex. I love sidekicks and the way they’re used in various superhero settings, but this setting doesn’t seem to be one for sidekicks. Yet. It may happen in the future, but for now I’m cool with seeing more heroes and locales rather than building up established characters’ supporting casts.
Nicely put, Reckless. Agree 100%.
As for Thokk and Company, I suppose that’s a fair point. I dunno, SotM is kinda a mix between serious and not-as-much. I am likeing the balancing act between serious and camp as it stands, and I suppose what I was trying to say, is I’m worried that Sidekicks would tilt that balance more towards camp than I would like.
I dunno… I get the feeling that young Thiago represented the Jason Todd of the Sentinels’ universe, the one that Batman The Wraith couldn’t save, the failure that haunts them (until they come back).
Instead of sidekicks think Generation X or Young Justice, the young, up-and-coming heroes who are excellent at what they do but who still need the experience before they can deal with the Earth shattering events that the Sentinels deal with… but I guess that’s more an expansion with young heroes in it rather than a new set of cards and mechanics.
Imagine a hero deck that was actually comprised of a team of young superheroes working together.
I’d still love to see Haka and mini-Haka.
That would be awesome. And the character card’s power would be something like Titans! Go! where they all gang-rush one target.
First thought, reading a couple of the just previous posts… What about a deck in which the current heros all get hit with a youth ray, so it is a deck comprised of young versions of the current heros (perhaps from a parallel time) battling together, with some awesome game combos (normal synergy between hero decks), but in the same deck. Could be cool.
I think that role is already filled by her dead boyfriend, honestly. Sans the “back from the dead” thing.