Summoning

Genma can have up to 3 Summons

One of my favourite aspects of the Anima Tactics game is Summoning. For those not too familiar with the game, some creatures can be Summoned temporarily to the battlefield.

The advantage of doing so is their (Summons) relative cost is less than it may otherwise be, with the trade-offs being they are time-bound for how long they will appear, and that they have to be Summoned - both of which can be mitigated (more later).

Summoning
A Summoner has a Summoner Level (usually 1-3), which limits the number of Summons it can call on during the game.

The Container Advantage Card increases Summoner Level by one.

Each Summon has a cost, in Action Points (AP) that the Summoner spends as an Action to bring them into play.

Valis Ul Del Vilfain can Summon for free if she is contact with an enemy.

Belith reduces the cost of one her Summons by one.

Covel reduces the cost of his Summons by one to a minimum of one. 

When a Summon arrives, it is placed within the Summoner's Control Zone (CZ's are usually 8 inches) has its normal recovery value in AP (usually 2-3 AP).

Covel's CZ is 12 inches for Summoning.

Summons arrive with Bind Points (usually 1-2).

The Familiar Advantage Card allows one Summon to appear with an additional Bind Point.

Stability
At the start of each Upkeep Phase (so at the start of the Turn following the Turn when the creature is Summoned), the Summon loses 1 Bind Point.

Genma can add Bind Points to friendly Summons and remove then from enemy Summons.

If a Summon has no more Bind Points and is in the Summoner's CZ, the Summoner can make a Stability Roll to see if it stays, otherwise it is removed.

The Seal of Bones Advantage Card adds +1 to Stability Rolls.

Summon Death
A Summon that is 'killed' causes a Shock check (but not Summons lost to Stability Rolls).

Covel as Optional Leader is effectively immune to Shock checks.

Al-Djinn

A little more Anima Tactics painting in the past few days, I started this and another Al-Djinn at the same time, getting the basics on each done to cut down on painting time (although this one was finished first as they don't have identical paint schemes).

"You called, my master?" Al-Djinn are described as spirits whom dared to defy the gods, imprisoned and isolated as punishment for their foolishness. Constrained by the bonds imposed by their imprisonment, they can still use their great powers to alter the destiny of the world.

In game terms they are one of the trickier Summons to use I suspect. That is largely due to their Action that allows them to copy the abilities of another unit. They had a rules adjustment with the 2013 Saga III & IV Update, reducing the maximum Level of a unit they can copy, as well as a Level cost increase for the Al-Djinn themselves, which reinforces that they were probably overdue for rules re-balancing.

The other tactic to use with an Al-Djinn is to create Ash Slaves: Level 20 or 25 Agents (their Level is dependent on whether your take the lesser of greater Al-Djinn option). Each Al-Djinn can create and maintain up to 3 concurrent Ash Slaves. This can allow the Al-Djinn player to exploit the opportunity for extra units to block Charge lanes, protect other units with Intercepts, add a little extra Attack capacity, or protect objectives.

I want to get more out of Summons in games, which means there are a few units I want to get painted before too long (Covel, Belith and Saint Hazael come to mind as Summoners, and I need to get to work on my Alius, Holy Soldiers too; I have started work on Arias Vayu).

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 160 (added: nothing - but still waiting on 2 minis)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 56 (54 different models)
Painted Units Percentage: 35.0% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 151 units (including 2 LE minis; added September as he still is due for imminent release)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 35.7%
Year to Date Target: 15 of 18 units (3 per month target; 83%)

Wissenschaft Party (update I)

Since my Wissenschaft units have grown in number since my first Wissenschaft Party post, it was high time to do another!

With the 9 units here, that comes to 400-420 Levels, plus whatever Summon is chosen for Valis Ul Del Vilfain. Not really enough to field 500 Levels yet (allowing 2 Leaders; Valis is an Optional Leader for +5 Levels), so I think if I was going 'big' it would be for a 400 Level game, which would allow 2 Organization Advantages to be taken.

A 400 level list I would choose would likely be:
Organization Advantages: The Process; Lost Loggia
XII (60 Levels) - Piercing Weapons (5 Levels); Primal (5 Levels)
Lorenzo (45 Levels) - Orb of Power (5 Levels); Nephiros (5 Levels)
Rayne (45 Levels) - Clock of Cronos (5 Levels); Elemental Weapon (5 Levels)
Alessa Raincross (40 levels) - Supernatural Weapon (10 Levels); Gnose (5 Levels)
Kira (40 Levels) - Gnose (5 Levels)
Valis Ul Del Vilfain (55 Levels) - Familiar (10 Levels); Supernatural Devourer (5 Levels)
+ Summon Hamadria (Greater) (25 levels)
+Summon Wrath of Nature (Greater) (50 Levels)
Wissenschaft Agent (40 Levels) - Elemental Weapon (5 Levels); Piercing Weapons (5 Levels)
Team Assault Group (5 Levels)

There is a little bit of compromise there (taking the Agent), but the list includes Team Assault Group, which means that for a small outlay 3 units gain bonus abilities.

At 300 levels I would choose something like:
Organization Advantage: Lost Loggia
XII (60 Levels) - Piercing Weapons (5 Levels); Primal (5 Levels)
Lorenzo (45 Levels) - Orb of Power (5 Levels); Nephiros (5 Levels)
Rayne (45 Levels) - Clock of Cronos (5 Levels); Elemental Weapon (5 Levels)
Valis Ul Del Vilfain (55 Levels) - Familiar (10 Levels); Supernatural Devourer (5 Levels)
+Summon Wrath of Nature (Greater) (50 Levels)
Celia (45 Levels) - Clock of Cronos (5 Levels); Piercing Weapons (5 Levels)
Team Assault Group (5 Levels)

Some Recent Gaming

Well, after a while I managed to get some Anima Tactics gaming in over the past two days, reminding me that I really do love this game a lot!

Day 1: Two Games
A couple of games were to introduce fellow blogger Simon to the game; we won one, lost one each. There was a little rules-rustiness on my part while teaching Simon, but things were hopefully fairly smooth and the essentials were there, about positioning and managing AP to make best use of Actions to attack your enemy.

My Black Sun had their first outing too (used by Simon while I fielded Church to give Alis Testarossa a run out), and they were brutal. Immediately I have a healthy respect for even a couple of the rank and file Type-005's (with Assault upgrade) buffed by a Type-009 (upgraded to Type-010: Commander) with Elite Squadron Advantage Card. Raziel Archetypum is a bit of a brute.

Day 2: Two Games
Black Sun vs. Wissenschaft (300 levels) followed by Church vs. Wissenschaft (also 300 levels). I won the first with Black Sun and lost the second with Church (Rob played Wissenschaft both times).

Moments of the day were the Type-009 using Implosion to devastating effect against Team Assault Group (taking out XII and injuring Lorenzo). In the next game Alessa Raincross laying down deadly fire with her Dark Sniper Action provided iconic moments, as did Kira doing hit and run with Impure Shot and Valkyrie, while Rayne managed to unleash Never Ending Illusions to whittle Azriel into submission.

I now have a healthy respect for Stealth units able to attack at far range after Alessa Raincross ruthlessly took care of Lostaroth Marchosias just as he was powering through his Slaughter Token build-up.

After the games against Rob, I feel Black Sun need a unit to make choosing a 300 level party less reliant on taking both Arkham and Kingsley Warlock, and for my Church, they need some harder hitting options too. I also want to start getting a few more units painted for all Organizations that are 25 Life Points and above (where available!) as they add a different aspect to the game. Units that fit the bill would be Macbeth (Empire), Maria (Church), Konosuke or Morrigan (Samael) and my first Gear for Wissenschaft.


Thanks to Simon and to Rob for the games, and to Rob for the pictures. Hopefully I will get more gaming in this year, not just for Anima Tactics, but for a variety of games.

Some Upcoming Anima Tactics Minis

The Bearer

A little break from posting newly painted units after Alis Testarossa (but fear not, the painting queue is rightfully full!).

Anima Studios and Cipher Studios/Ninja Division have posted a number of preview images of Anima Tactics minis in the past couple of days.

Click on images to enlarge.


The Bearer
A special very limited backer reward mini from the Gate of Memories and Gate of Memories: Extended Campaign Kickstarter projects.

I really cannot wait for this one, especially after seeing the sculpt. I can only hope that the other planned KS minis that are linked with the campaign  are half as good.
Current KS fulfillment ETA is November 2014.


October
First seen a while ago (and I had a preview here).
A Dark, Empire unit.
The mini is reportedly due in July 2014.

Nimrod
Also seen recently in work in progress form (click for link), when the name he was being worked on under was apparently Shadowhunter (since changed).
A Dark, Church, Prowler, apparently able to Attack and Charge against Hidden units; I really, really could have done with him against Alessa Raincross equipped with Nue (Advantage Card) in a recent game! He will certainly move up the painting queue to counter situations of Stealth sniping from Alessa and others.
The mini is reportedly due in August 2014.

Legion
This one has been known about for some time, even if the mini has only just been shown. It had been suggested that Legion would be released in 2013, but now it looks like a release date is forthcoming.
I am mindful this is clearly a CAD render and not a cast mini, so I have some reservations. I will get it, but how much I like Legion is really going to depend on 3 things: How many parts he gets cut into? Will the textures like scales etc. be rendered and cast well-enough? Will Cipher Studios relent from previous practice and release a big model in resin as the best medium for it?
Rules-wise, the cards for Legion were spoiled last year, and if there are no changes he is a real  beast at 100 Levels (currently the highest in the game); 50 Life Points; 5 Armor; Attack 7 and Damage 8. The main caution for me is the wording on some of his abilities - it is unknown if that has been rectified or not.
Legion is a Dark (again!), Warrior/Leader, Samael unit
The mini is reportedly due in September 2014.

Anaximenes
I don't know anything about this one, but I am guessing maybe a Wanderer of some kind. A fun looking mini to me!
The mini is also reportedly due in September 2014.


If the release dates hold true, I can see me assembling an order for later in the year from the USA (since distribution is still limited at best in the UK).