Cloak of Shadows

[thejeff]

Yeah, I've never bought the allowing a SC stealth will break the game argument.

If an SC is capable of taking armies, why waste his time assassinating (most likely, since the target is random) cheap mages and commanders.

Though, I'd prefer the cloak not give anything other than stealth. That would mean, with a cloak and the black heart, you've got 2 less slots to give your assassin defenses with.
Giving ethereal and cold resistance makes it a decent item even without the stealth.

[Gandalf Parker]

Giving stealth comes up often. If any item is put in the game that gives stealth then I promise I will abuse the crap out of it. The stacking to keep in mind is an item giving stealth when added to the Black Heart giving assassin abilities. Gift of Reason? Tartarian Gate?

[Ewierl]

One more-reasonable thing I would like to see is some way to increase stealth on commanders that already have it. Via items or experience levels, let them get a little stealthier!

[thejeff]

But so what?

How will you abuse it?

(Especially an artifact, so you can only get one.)

So you've got a Tartarian Assassin. What will you do with him that'll "abuse the crap out of it"? With 2 slots filled, he's going to be more vulnerable than an equivalent non-Assassin SC.
You can only assassinate once a turn, more likely every other turn to avoid getting caught by patrolling armies designed to stop him. (And if your Assassin can take out the patrolling armies, why are you assassinating and not just conquering.)
And since targets are picked randomly, most of the time you'll be killing low-level mages and cheap commander chaff.

It'd be a useful tool, but I don't see how it'd be game-breaking.
Maybe if you could spam Tartarian Assassins.

[Tuidjy]

I would much rather have level 6 item that increases stealth
that an artifact that turns an unit stealthy. SC Assassins
remind me of my ex-girlfriend. :-)

[thejeff]

A stealth increasing item would be good.

I'd also like experience to increase stealth for those that have it: My starting scout has been hiding in enemy territory for 3 years so he's now better at fighting, but no less likely to be caught? Silly.

[Jazzepi]

I think it could be an interesting item -6 MR is probably too much of a drawback. The default counter to an SC is to hit it with something that checks MR.

And if it's an artifact there would be only one in exsistance anyways.

Jazzepi

[BigDisAwesome]

Thinking on it some more, a stealthy SC is mighty powerful. Drop a pair of Winged Shoes on there, and he becomes a raiding powerhouse.

[Kristoffer O]

Drawbacks are not used to balance items, it is used to drawback unique items, and therefore make them fun. Thus most items should have drawbacks. We don't like unfun items after all

[Endoperez]

An assassin, no matter how powerful, can't kill more than one commander/turn. IMHO a stealthy, flying SC would be insane, for the same reason as BigDisAwesome. Heliophagii are evil, especially if you've scouted/spied/Eyes of the God'ed out where the enemy is bloodhunting/making sages/researching/has rich provinces/has lots of magic sites. Only castles protect against stealthy SCs, and you can't castle all your provinces...