Across the Obelisk: Nenukil, the Engineer Review (Clint)
Love this game, but this character is fairly underwhelming. If it gets adjusted, I will re-evaluate my review. TLDR: appreciate the scout love, but this character needs more fine tuning and feels half cooked. Notes below are based on Madness 16. Character doesn't need to be OP, but needs better definition.
Pros:
-Gun cards and gun mechanics added. This is good for the game and creates more design space. I like it.
-I'm happy scouts are getting some love, they needed attention.
-Lots of potential. Let's add some more tool bag items and level up mechanics. Focus the defensive abilities on counter punching even more. Thorns was a good start, but more explosives, land mines, etc. More small weapons like lower tier, single person smoke bombs, etc? Focus the gun damage types on Fire + Blunt only. Mechanics can be added to give evasion or armor based on speed at end of turn at like 10 or 15:1. Counter attack mechanics when blocking? Like Steel Forge but an attack? Rare equipment which ignores block (sniper rifle)? More synergy with Thorns (hitting a party member with thorns applies Mark)?
Cons:
-This character and the gun mechanics feel like they're still in development. Damage types are spread too thinly between Fire + all other physical types punishes perk selection too hard. Means you have to choose between early and late game development. Suggest Blunt only so Scouts have a place in Crack/Frost builds.
-Lower than average damage. Gun cards don't stack Crack and only stack Burn a bit in the later cards. And that would be fine if this character stacked say defensive mechanics like stealth or evasion, but he doesn't. So shooting a single attack each round feels not great with no self-applied ways of stacking damage enhancements.
Edit, previous review still holds, however I'm changing it to positive since though the offensive gun mechanics don't feel quite right, the defensive set up with Thorns and fire damage feels very good. I still think gun mechanics are a fun new design space for the game that will hopefully feel better in the future.