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The rogue's effectiveness is reliant on a strong range game.  To give all heroes a new ability and then give the rogue a melee attack would water down his effectiveness.

These are my suggestions, according to my knowledge of how units are currently used and what abilities would best complement their character.

GUARDIANS

Psi
*Barrier strike
1 card- gets rid of imprison or barrier if a 10 or greater is rolled

Paladin
*Shield from manipulation
1 card- protects a friendly unit from stun spells for one turn

Rogue
*High arching arrow
Rolls 2 dice for an attack, has a range of 8, and can be shot over walls.

Berserk
*Competitiveness
Passive- rolls 1 extra dice on attack, if adjacent to a friendly melee guardian (samurai, mino, warrior or paladin)

Samurai
*Increased agility
Passive= Samurai can move 1 extra space compared to other units

Warrior
*Axe throw
2 cards- 1 dice if hits does 2 damage, range of 2-4 can not be used on an adjacent enemy.

Soul Reaver
*Get over here
Scorpion fans know what I'm talking about  > 1 card- range of 4, pulls unit to an open space adjacent to the Soul Reaver

Bard
*Cheer
Passive- grants adjacent units +1 dice.

...as for the minotaur I don't have it, so I don't know what kind of additional ability would keep the unit equally or more balanced.


And as for hero mages, valor is to be taken into consideration and the smallest changes can create significant imbalances, so I'll have to consider it more.  I would suggest that summoner gets a better ability than the other 3 though.  I think all us veterans would like to see the summoner as more than just a unit to use when facing an inexperienced opponent or the amateur npc.

My initial thoughts on what kinds of abilities, although admittedly not completely thought out...

Sorc-- 20 valor
*Draw Destruction
Cost 2 cards- sorc draws a destruction spell

Summoner-- 10 valor
*Necromancy
Passive-- when one of the two summoner's guardians die a warrior skeleton is ressurected in their place with 4hp, 3 dice and 10 armor.  (this makes a revive a great card for the summoner since despite the 1 hp, once the guardian dies again another warrior skeleton is brought alive-- which is appropriate considering a summoner's nature and tendency towards necromancy)

The other option for Summoner is to reduce summon spells by 1 mana

Wizard in the hands of a veteran is arguably the best unit, in the majority of matches-- since cards decide the game and he can do combos the easiest between the -1 cost of manipulation spells, card exchange and +2 mana.  I think he should recieve the weakest of bonuses.  And for the FM perhaps something that won't make his 1v1 skills any better, since they are already pretty dominate.  So only in the case of the FM and Wizard do I think you should consider an ability that doesn't complement the character.  If the Wizard has any more ability to manipulate the field than he already has, he will be far overpowered.  Equally, if the FM has any more of an ability to not die (he's already unstunnable, has 14 armor, can get +2 armor from augument/ageis, and +2 armor from dragon fury).. then it will take away from the variety of 1v1s since the FM will become even more of a requirement than it already is.

I emailed to get a code a couple days ago, and didn't get a response.

..sigh.. although mino sucks, I've been trying to get it forever. xD  Just so my random hero games offer more variation.

Advanced tip:

I'd like to add something that many people don't seem to catch on to for a while, even though it's easy and can help them straight from the start..
 
--Wizard eventually gets -1 mana off manipulation cards and +1 card for using a manipulation card.  So when you're in a pinch, and you got a "sleep" card, use it on some random hero even if it won't help-- because it's basically a free transmute.  And a card change at the right moment can often be life or death.  Other than that, in any given fight, run away as long as you can and gather card combos.

--Sorc + 15 valor don't feel the need to charge in to battle.  Unless your opponent is a Wiz with 15 valor, feel free to sit back and discard 3 cards and hope for destruction spells next turn.  A sorc with 3 mana worth of destruction cards + fireball + lightning bolt can easily destroy a full health unit by itself, or even 2 or 3 units.  Run away from FMs and Summoners.  Charge Wizards, don't wait for valor.

--FM, charge all other hero mages, as low valor fights are where you shine.

Not sure, Dirp??? That's been it's name since I made it.

And that's fine with me Fronta.  I always forget to steal other people's maps.  But always intend to ^_^

UPDATE:  FrontaLobotomy and I did this map just the other day and BEAT it, using exactly the same retreat method (only we both got gateway! how lucky! cause we were looking bad and honestly thought we couldn't win).  My wiz ended up dying killing the last enemy hero mage, and then it was just 2 real close guardians left, and all we had left was FrontaLobotomy's summoner and no serious cards.  He was already backed in the corner, so he used skelies to block units until he could kill them.  Really close calls in that game.  Ultimately, I love this map.  If I can manage to make any more fun ones, or if I have a great bot battle with The Stoat or FrontaLobotomy (I usually like their maps) I'll remember to post another battle report and with smaller sized screenshot (since the ones on here it seems you have to scroll right to see the rest of the pic).  I'll also try to work on my penmanship-- it's really hard to paint brush a letter with a touchpad (laptop), and typing the letters option is too neat for me. ^_^

I'm sure I missed a lot of detail of the fight, but I hope the 4 screenshots give a basic, and hopefully entertaining, layout of how we tackled the fight against Super Sorc and her destructive minions.

I created a 2v6 map and called it "The Retreat" cause I figured we may at sometime retreat back to a stronghold position... When I first played this map, I was shocked at out fitting the name turned out to be.



At first, I kinda got the impression we wouldn't have to run back...  We were holding up pretty well!



But then my reaver died, and so did my partners psi.  So we took a tactical retreat back to the strong hold!



But then super sorc came along.. and as all the hero mages approached we could NOT kill that super sorc with her incredible valor, and an FM remained, as we made attempts at super sorc.. But lo and behold.. Super sorc makes her move (kills my Wiz), as we retreat to the top right of the map!



But wait... wtf is this?  My partner gets a gateway.. Retreats to where the opponents began!  And leaves my warrior to die a slow death.  Seriously, they trapped him with 2 iron golems and took 2 turns to kill him while my partner recovered cards.

Unfortunately, what would've been a great victory was ended by a rogue (or was it a psi?) and some summons that were way behind the rest of the group due to movement retardation.

Still.  Perhaps one of the most tactical games I've experienced AND with computers!  Who would've thunk it.  Although, I'd say the most tactical game I've ever played was with The Stoat as my teammate for the tourney!  Our coordination was excellent.  Alas, the ever enticing roll factor just wasn't going our way that game.  And that's a great thing about this game--  Your tactics can be flawless, and that will increase your probability of winning.. but even still, your fate is always in the dice. 

Good luck!  I have no doubt you'll meet the contest deadline.  Hopefully you'll win technical excellence in this competition again!  $25,000 should buy you some relax time, and may be free your schedule up to work on marketing aspects of the game.

This would be a big break for the game to win.  But if not, it still expands the platform of the game which is good.

Just wondering what you're up to Ross!  How are things going?  Are you working on anything particular feature?

Keep us up-to-date, man!  We all want to know what's coming up for Hero Mages in the future and any ETAs too obviously.

Keep us posted!

Results of the first match...

Ross and Mark are the winners!


We need 2 more teams now... :/

So we have

Stoat and I

Vs

Mark and Ross

for the first round

Rules:
-Chosen heroes
-Map: Tenocytl
-Standard 2v2 (no assassination)


Register your teams here (state your name + partner)



I'll be our first entrant-

ZaWolf + Stoat  

I think if fountain takes 3 damage... the fountain should take 2 damage and the summon takes 1 damage.  Otherwise it's too powerful.

I figured the fountain would be great for summoner cause it would keep iron golem, or fire ele alive.  Which can do quite the damage. 

But to make it so fountain absorbs all of the shot with none spilling over to summon.. seems like it makes him too strong.

Still like the suggestion, just with spill damage instead.

The summoner allowed to summon as many skeletons as it wants in one turn-- and through out the game?

Now you're looking at a massively overpowered summoner.

I mean.  7 cards = 7 skeletons.. then every turn +3 more skeletons?

With that many skeletons you could block all tiles near summoner, and even block a whole section from LoS

It would look like this...

                  |-------
-----------|Sk|
Su Sk Sk Sk|
Sk Sk Sk Sk|
---------------


And summoner would just move skelies out three spaces, then summon 3 more.  Each turn, until they conquer the map.

I think Diesbudt's idea was much more reasonable and interesting too.

3a -- not sure if that's enough.  Maybe if imprison worked on FM?

4b -- wouldn't be able to select the distance the lightning bolt goes.. you would hit two of your units diagonally right just to hit one of their units diagonally left.  OR you would have to select the distance in all four directions-- takes up a lot of your precious time for such a basic spell.

5a -- But then teleporting becomes a rare occassion and essentially ends up staying in your hand forever.  I agree it would make it more strategic.  But it also weakens teleport (a 2 mana card) and limits its strategic use from being a common combo to being a rare occasion.

6a -- Imprison is > sleep.  Sleep is 1 mana.  Imprison should also equal 2 mana??  ehh... no.  It does all sleep does (but can't be blessed or attacked away), plus it allows you to block paths / LOS.


I agree with the rest.


P.S.  Computer uses shield as soon as it gets it-- regardless of if it needs it.  Shields hero and then hides hero where it couldn't possibly be attacked...  kind of stupid, since shield is for the times you have to expose yourself.

I can't believe you're still trying to say flash is a weak ability...

You say, "I never argued saying the FM's abilities were better" -- I never said you did.  I said-- you said the abilities were balanced.  And you prove this in your post:

"0 valor ability:   FM > Sorc > Wiz > sum
5 valor ability: Sorc > FM > Sum > wiz
10 valor ability: Sum > wiz > sorc > FM
15 valor ability: Wiz > Sorc > FM > sum"

FM has 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th place abilities.  Meaning statistically overall, ability wise, he is average.  If he is average in terms of abilities, and ALSO has higher stats..  That means he's better.  Average abilities + Higher stats = above average unit.  I think that's pretty easy to understand.

I'm not saying FM should not have relentless, or should not have flash, or should have equal stats... I'm simply saying, something needs to be altered about him to make him equal out.  Something that would make him have Below Average Abilities + Higher Stats (like a fighter) and not Average Abilities + Higher Stats.

Perhaps, making relentless immunity to sleep.  Or immunity to just freeze.  Rather than all stuns.  Or perhaps making it so he loses a random card as payment to prevent the stun.  This would make using sleep actually have a use on FM (drain him of cards).  Or maybe make flash cost 2 cards.  Or make flash 2 spaces, so it's specifically for closing the gap and not so great for getting out of a trap as well.  I'm not sure how exactly to debuff him.  But I do think he needs a slight debuffing.  Nothing super major like completely dropping his relentless ability (because then he becomes the weakest hero instead of the strongest, rather than a balanced hero).


On a side note:  I think a card that makes the opponent lose 2 random cards would be a cool card.  Or a card that allows you to see an opponent's hand.


My conclusion: No matter what you say, no matter what evidence you show, hard headed people don't change their mind (and that includes me). 

Diesbudt-- you admitted FM "is the easiest unit to succeed with in a 1v1 situation".

This is the point.  If he's the easiest unit to succeed with in a 1v1 situation then he's over powered in all situations!  Most every game comes down to a 1v1 situation in the end (of course some come down to 2v1 or 3v1.. but not the majority).  Plus, you pretend like high valor puts FM out of the game.. FM is actually very good with high valor, considering he has dragon fury-- which makes hitting him super hard without a dispell (and practically impossible with aegis armor + his augment superior ability)

That means, in almost all games, FM is the easiest to succeed with.


Let's compare FM to Sorc.

Relentless > destructive aura  (by far!)
Flash > lightning bolt
Augment Superior < fireball 
Dragon's Fury = Nature's Wrath (practically equal I'd say)

Even if you argue their abilities are equal..  Which you spent your whole post doing..

FM has still has + 2 more str! and +1 more def!

Also, there is no hiding from a Fire Mage.  He can get to you, from any where on the map.  However, to get to a well placed Fire Mage, you need to spend 2 mana for teleport and then you can't do anything if he's full health, cause your hero doesn't have that extra 2 str (plus he has 1 more def to block you).  You only have one mana, and an attack that most times won't hit for any damage (2 rolls with sorc/sum/wiz, each with a 14/20 or 70% chance to miss or 49% chance to miss all and only a 9% chance to hit for 2 damage).  FM just moves, sprints, flashes and he can get to practically anywhere on the board.  And all he needs is 2 cards, which is nothing considering you'll most always have junk cards.  Which leaves him 3 mana to destroy you, or near destroy you then stun you.  Same can't be said for different heroes going against FM.  Not to mention if he's in your face, even w/o dragon's fury, he has 4 rolls (12/20 chance to miss most mages each roll or 40% chance each roll to hit with only a 13% chance to miss all rolls oppose to 49% with other mages.. and 75.5% chance to hit for 2 or greater oppose to 9% with other mages)--- if you followed the math you can see even w/o dragon's fury FM is WAY better attacking.  Just remember, all other mages: tele + 1 mana and 9% chance to hit for 2  --- FM: flash (2 cards) + 3 mana and 75.5% chance to hit for 2 OR greater!

FM against other mages has more strategic ability (he can stun they can't-- plus he can get further around the map) + he has the benefit of dealing killer blows on attacks and taking less damage.

The course of options are-- take away his +2 str +1 def... or take away his flash ability or relentless ability.  I think either of those 3 options would make him a fair unit.

Until then, the only reason I play different mages is just for the fun of it.  If I were serious about winning, I would probably pick FM + bard + warrior (or maybe rogue) every time.

Conclusion:

Diesdbudt-- by arguing the abilities are equal (FM best 0 valor, sorc 5, sum 10, wiz 15 and the rest average) you prove the point FM is superior since FM clearly has way better stats. +2 str and +1 (or +2 if summoner or wiz) def than other mages.  You understand that right?  Abilities maybe equal, but if they're equal that means stats are the deciding factor of whose better.

Also you said flash is the weakest of 10 valor abilities.. 2 cards is nothing (even if you want to argue it as high cost).   And you forget how well flash compliments his super strength compare to other mages (+super duper strength with dragon fury ability).

FM is overall best mage.  I'm pretty sure it's a fact more than an opinion.