Improve assassins

[Sombre]

Let the assassin (attacker) have the first turn, rather than the victim (defender).

Discuss.

[Tifone]

Sounds more realistic on 1vs1 attempts, but you can expect the eventual bodyguards of the target to be always alert about the surroundings of their protected one. A doubtful matter. I would probably like the way you suggest better, though, as even if the guards are alerted the assassin would be readier than them and make the first move (getting closer to the target, firing an arrow or a spell) anyway when discovered after all.

[Epaminondas]

I agree with the idea.

[Gandalf Parker]

Is it always that way? Positioning the assassin doesnt change that?

[capnq]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

Is it always that way? Positioning the assassin doesnt change that?

Like any other combat, currently defender always moves first.

I recently had an assassination where the Ermoran target cast Raise Dead on the first round, then my Abysian Demonbred flew across the battlefield and landed between the Death mage and the newly raised Soulless...

..and then turned and attacked the Soulless behind him rather than the target mage in front of him.

[Aapeli]

Originally Posted by capnq

..and then turned and attacked the Soulless behind him rather than the target mage in front of him.

I would be quite happy if asassins could target commanders. Its just logical that they target their real target, the one they have came to kill and not any inimportant militia that happens to stand next to him. Im also for the idea of giving the first turn to the asassin.

[lch]

Variation of the idea: Make a special destealth check, with a very heavy handicap for the assassin, but destealth power only counting the commander and his bodyguards (and his patrol ability, flying bodyguards etc.) and the winner gets the first round.

[Gandalf Parker]

That sounds realistic.

[HoneyBadger]

I'll go along with Sombre's suggestion. It's a good, reasonable idea.

I'd even go so far as to suggest that some assassins have an "assassinate" ability that gave them additional turns (and/or reduced the amount of bodyguards that the target got). Maybe "regular" assassins could have "assassinate 0", and they could go up to "assassinate 5", allowing you to fully script the best-of-the-best for their first 5 turns. This would be a mechanical expression of the relative ability of units to get close to their targets when they're at their weakest, and to "set up" their kills at the best possible time. Obviously, assassins like the Mictlan 'Lord of the Night' should be better at *setting up* the hits, (apart from just eliminating their targets with raw firepower), than some Ermor thug you hired for 20 gold.

That would make actual assassination attempts more realistic, I think, and the best assassins a lot more deadly.

I'd like to see a slight modification, though: If the target is wearing a Ring of Warning, the target always gets the first turn. The above 'assassinate' ability would still reduce the amount of bodyguards progressively, from 10.

As it is, it's usually not quite worth an extra slot on most units, except in special situations. Nice to have, but something you can do without, in favor of something better. If assassins are going to be better-and I agree that they should be-then there should also be a good counter for that.

[chrispedersen]

I like Ich's idea.. Give all assassins glamor in an assassination attempt.. and let them go first - glamour to sort of represent the idea of destealthing, striking from surprise.