Hive Mind Medusan Lord
From MWiki
Hive Mind Medusan Lord (Hive Mind, HMML) is a Medusan Lord that can challenge many players at once, in different locations, and that gains strength every time another Hive Mind Medusan Lord is defeated. At its core, the HMML is a Warlord that is no longer legal in the current environment and that has an Epic Class card and a Reflection item attached/equipped to them at the beginning of play. Players who defeat a Hive Mind Medusan Lord receive its Epic Class card and Reflection item to keep as their own. There is only one of each Epic Class card in print, and only three of each Reflection in print.
The first challenges against the Hive Mind Medusan Lord were accepted at Origins 2008.
The Hive Mind Medusan Lord was conceived of by the Warlord Advisory Council in the last flagging days of Warlord CCG under AEG. The idea needed to require only one or two new pieces of art with as few new cards being designed and printed as possible, yet allow multiple runners all at the same time. The concept of the Hive Mind Medusan Lord was agreed upon by the Council. The specifics of the promotion, such as the actual cards, were developed by Tommy Pistole.
Contents |
[edit] List of Hive Minds
- Will Dupree, not Rich Carter, was piloting the Soul of the Storm when it was defeated.
[edit] Rules of the Challenge
Challenges
The challenger To challenge one of the Hive Mind Medusan Lords, you must present the runner with an unsigned Dragon lord. The runner will sign the Dragon lord and then take your challenge. You must challenge with a deck legal to the current format and a deck check will be made if you win, before you receive your prizes.
The Hive Mind
Each Hive Mind Medusan Lord is a reflection of a specific Warlord from times past. Along with the Runners specific Warlord, each runner will start with an Epic Class card specific to that Warlord in play and a “Reflection” item equipped to their Hive Mind Medusan Lord (Regardless of card text).
**Neither the Epic Class card nor the “Reflection” Item card go into the runners deck nor count towards the deck count.
Defeat If you fail to defeat the Hive Mind Medusan Lord, we hope you will try again! It takes many challenges to bring down a great evil, and eventually one skilled and lucky Warlord will triumph!
Victory If the you are one of the mighty few to defeat a Hive Mind Medusan Lord, you will receive a copy of the Epic class card and the “Reflection” item that the runner started the game with. There is only 1 copy of each Epic Class card in print, and only 3 of each “Reflection”.
Special rules When one of the Hive Mind Medusan Lords is defeated, others grow more powerful. For each Hive Mind Medusan Lord that is defeated, Hive Mind Medusan Lords who share the defeated Hive Mind Medusan Lords “Reflection” start with an additional charge on their Epic Class card.
For Example:
- If the Shadow Singer is defeated, the other two Hive Mind Medusan Lords with “Reflection of Fortune” will start with 2 charges. The last Hive mind Medusan Lord with “Reflection of Fortune”, will start with 3 charges. After players have revealed their starting army, for each charge on the Hive Mind Medusan Lords Epic Class card, the runner may do one of the following:
- Search their collection for an item of level 6 or lower that may be legally equipped, and equip it to their Hive Mind Medusan Lord. This item must be legal to the current format.
- Search their collection for a level 5 or lower non-warlord character of the same faction as their Hive Mind Medusan Lord and put it into play within 1 rank of their Hive Mind Lord. This character must be legal to the current format.
** Your collection is defined as a card you own that is not in your deck.
The Epic Class cards cannot be targeted by any means. They modify the players Warlord, and any bonuses (but not abilities) from the Epic Class card are assumed to be “Printed” on the Warlord.
For example:
- Charges cannot, by any means, be added to or taken away from the Epic Class card. Adding charges to the Warlord does not increase the bonuses from the Epic Class card.
- “Epic Mantle” treats the level bonuses from the Epic Class card as printed, so will not give any bonuses for them.
- If the Warlord is targeted by “Forget”, they will still be able to use abilities printed on their Epic Class card.
The “Reflection” items that the Hive Mind Medusan Lords begin the game with cannot be targeted by opposing player's card effects.
[edit] Story of the Challenge
The Hive Mind
In the middle of a vast, desolate wasteland, a scintillating tower of energy spiraled into the heavens. A figure stood before it, cloaked from head to foot in tattered robes, his hands hovered a breath away from the column of energy, slight motions sending the energy spiraling as visions danced before his eyes, too fast to follow. Slowly did it decelerate, where once an infinite jumble of visions clouded the eyes, now only a handful fought to the surface of tower. Visions of things things that had never been, and should never be. Destinies so foreign to the fabric of reality that the very idea of sent a shudder rippling through the tower of energy.
Languid, taloned hands pushed gently into the surface of the tower, plucking out destinies as a mortal would pluck grapes from a vine. The visions swam before him as he worked; A dark titan raved in a world devoid of life; The storm washed clean the world, devouring it's essence; An immortal queen watched her undead minions conquer all before them; A new king rose to see the kingdoms burn; The earth itself awoke, devouring all life upon it; A secret cabal whispered words of unmaking; The heavens descended, vanquishing evil in all its forms, leaving a shattered land behind; A song of desolation cast the world into darkness; One rose to be master of all, but last of his kind; A great terror arose to ravage and enslave the world; A emperor took the throne, and even the gods feared his might; Warrior and spirit merged in an unholy pact and the world bled.
With each careful plucking of fate, the figure turned to bind the threads of fate to a small crystal set behind him. Twelve in all. With each binding the crystals glowed softly, the fate sealed within playing across its surface. As the last crystal was filled, the figure turned back to the spire of energy and spun it once more, until it stopped, a destiny of power floating above the others, its reality pushing all others beneath. With a twisted grin he gestured harshly, and the crystals begin to spiral around him.
He gestured once more and the crystals fell into spire, bright flashes of light glistened, like the splashing of stones into water, each crystal plunged into the surface of the energy. As the last of the crystals was cast into a new reality, the tower of energy flared and reality shuddered. A hollow, evil laughter drifted across the wasteland as the Nexus of Secrets darkened.... and died.
[edit] Design Notes
Originally posted on Cardmaster.de forum on June 20, 2008 by Tommy Pistole:
- Last year, AEG announced the creation of the Warlord Advisory Council, to help brainstorm idea's on how to keep Warlord going. Obviously things didn't work out with that, but one of the promises made was the Hive Mind Medusan Lord. A Medusan (or group) that the participants of the Advisory council would run, as a thanks from Z.
- I was tasked with organizing and creating the Hive Mind Medusan Lord (HMML from now on >.>) challenge. We went through a lot of ideas of course although I fleshed it out and put rules to it. (So if you don't like it, blame me nyo ^_^)
- So the one of the criteria for the HMML was that all the challenges have a connection. As you can guess, there was a lot of ideas for this. From multi-player games, to games on the phone (seriously @_@), to the HMML being tougher for each one in the same room. What was finally decided upon was, that when one of the HMML fall, the others grow stronger. Well, that sounds cool. It's a tad more complicated, but not much. You will see when the full rules are revealed on the blog. (soon!)
- I am a personal fan of the destiny cards. I thought they were a great idea, and I have frequently pushed for their use more often. In the case of the HMML, I renamed them to Epic Class cards, but the mechanic is same. As the story above tells you, each runner is a Warlord from the past (ie, not epic legal), which is then modified by his Epic Class card.
- While I'm talking about what I like and dislike...I despise negative clauses. Such as can't be moved, stunned, killed, beaten, etc. None of the Hive Mind have all that. They are not on cruise control like some Medusan Lords. While of course, stomping your average warlord will be no problem for them, I expect the runners to earn some of their victories at least!
- So there it is, although its taken awhile, the HMML are finally arriving. I hope you enjoy challenging them (and running them) as much as I enjoyed making them ^_^
[edit] Design Story
Originally posted on Cardmaster.de forum on June 20, 2008 by Tommy Pistole:
- Some seer's say that the future holds infinite possibilities, that every choice that is made creates a different realm of possibility, a reflection of that world just slightly different. Thus, there is an infinite number of worlds of possibility. Others claim it is only those destined for greatness that truly change fate, the choices of the masses mean as little to the future as they do to the present. Some claim the ability to manipulate, to cheat fate, is to be able to perceive these infinite possibilities. Perhaps that is the true domain of the gods...
- At the end of time, a creature... perhaps a god, lives amongst the desolation that his destiny has wrought. With the power of the Nexus of Secrets, he has explored the furthest realms of possibility. Where reflections of what is twist upon themselves, corrupting fate and creating worlds of madness that should never have been.
- He has stolen these dark reflections of reality from the furthest corners of the Nexus, beings that should not have existed, and unleashed them upon the Accordlands. Twisted Warlords from the past, empowered by their dark destiny will soon descent upon the land.
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