Mercenaries crossbow vs halberdier

[Alby87]

Hi everyone. Recentely, playing trough the frozen horror, I will start the group quests. Reading the mercenaries, I noticed that the crossbow and halberdier have the exact same statistics. The difference is in the weapons: the crossbow also has a broadsword. So both can:
- Attack on the adjacent squares (crossbow with the broadsword, halberdier with halberd) 3 Dice
- Attack on the immediate diagonal squares (crossbow with the crossbow, halberdier with halberd) 3 Dice

I know some people don't allow crossbow to be shot on the immediate diagonal with the crossbow, but I've always played like this, so let's assume this.

Plus, the crossbow can also attack on the range (it's their job!). So... thinking, how to equilibrate? I've searched, both in new prints and old prints of the expansions. In the Mage of the Mirror, the elven archer has a dagger (1 Die) when adjacent. Nice, so solution 1: give the dagger to the crossbow. This means that cards and questbook is to be "fixed".
Another solution is from the Dark Company or the Wizards of Morcar: the Crossbow is always giving 2 dice of attack. Nah, this still mean the cards and book is wrong, and why heroes' crossbow is mightier than hired med crossbow?

Solution 2: Change the price of the Halberied from 75 to 50. Easiest one, but still dealing with wrong cards and book.
Then, a solution went in my mind: and if the halberd was a special weapon? No armory card exists for it, creating it would mean the "error" in the card/book would be a "check the armory for rules".

So... thinking what a cool effect worth the cost equal to the crossbow but not overriding the swordsman mercenary. And I tought: what if the halberd can also hit a monster behind another miniature? Like, you can hit the eight squares surronding you, but also four more squares, range 2. 3 Dice for a clear shot, 2 Dice if a miniature is between the halberdier and the target. And the nice thing, because this would be an equipment card, it could be also used by heroes if they want (except the Wizard). Same price as a Crossbow (+100 than a Broadsword).

What do you think?

Thinking also to make this weapon simply just a two attacks 3 dice, but this would overshadow the Orc's Bane.

[Jalapenotrellis]

We buffed the halberdier defense dice by 1, movement up to 7, and hp to 3. Otherwise there is no point in taking him. He, in our game, becomes an HP tank sort of like a bruiser while the swordsman is an AC tank. We kept the crossbowman as is.

[MonsterMotor]

And I tought: what if the halberd can also hit a monster behind another miniature? Like, you can hit the eight squares surronding you, but also four more squares, range 2. 3 Dice for a clear shot, 2 Dice if a miniature is between the halberdier and the target.

What do you think?

Yes, this works and it makes the halberdier a good supporter with a unique possibility to attack. I have included such a change also in my set of HQ rules, albeit in combination with other modifications.

I hope you are aware of the issues you will have with playing the group quests of the Frozen Horror as they are.

[Kurgan]

I won't use the term "orthogonally adjacent" because apparently its use is debated in the board game world.

But I find defying Avalon Hill's intention for the Crossbow helps differentiate the two mercenaries. In other words, they say that the crossbow can't hit the north, south, east, and west squares touching your figure's square, but it can hit all other squares (so long as there's no solid object between them). There's nothing explicitly in the official Remake/NA rules that says furniture blocks LOS (other than closed doors) even though it blocks movement, but I think 99.999% of the community assumes they were intended to (and only debates whether "low furniture" ought to). The Companion App isn't the definitive debate/ender, but there I've seen that furniture generally doesn't seem to block LOS when casting spells (whether it's a tomb, table, torture rack, or even a bookcase between you and your target). Even if you don't toggle on "intangible furniture" characters freely move through treasure chests (the only pieces of furniture that can be "moved" in certain quests).

So long story short I adopt the Japanese game system's way of using the Crossbow. The "surrounding" eight squares around the figure can't be hit by the Crossbow, but the squares out from it, so long as you can draw a straight line from your figure to theirs without crossing another figure or other solid object. This allows the Longsword and Halberd to be the "opposite" as they will hit the 8 surrounding squares, but not those out from it.

You could certainly rationalize that the Halberd/Crossbow issue with the "official" rules by saying there are only so many figures available to be hired as mercenaries in the quests where they were made available, so your preference would always be the crossbowman, with the Halberdiers being your 2nd draft choice.

However I would rule on the combat abilities of the mercenaries hired by the heroes I would tend to impose upon the monster versions as well (though they roll black shields for defense and giving them the ability to open doors might make things a bit too difficult considering the quests in which they appear!).

That said, lots of attempts to modify the mercs in various ways...

[wallydubbs]

I just discard the Broadsword adjacent attack of the Crossbowman. For me the Crossbowman can only attack from afar, not adjacent.
Changing weapons, for me, costs an action and any hero who has a crossbow can't use it adjacently.

[Jalapenotrellis]

I just discard the Broadsword adjacent attack of the Crossbowman. For me the Crossbowman can only attack from afar, not adjacent.
Changing weapons, for me, costs an action and any hero who has a crossbow can't use it adjacently.

I'd feel frustrated with a nerf to something clearly written on the card when there rarely are rules or guidance in some areas. A creative solution that adds as a DM rather than take stuff away tends to be better accepted by players.

Just allow one free action weapon change at the start of the turn. If they use the weapon to attack with, they are stuck in that set up for the Zargon turn.

[Kurgan]

If the Crossbowman used his bow last, the Ice Gremlin can steal his sword, or vice versa.

I go with the last armor/weapon you equipped on your last turn continues until your next one, agreed. So no using one configuration and then swapping at the end of your turn to be ready for the next one.

The one exception is I'd allow someone who just picked up something immediately put it on (but if they are trying to cheat by dropping stuff and picking it back up again mid-turn, sorry, I'll enforce the above).

[Cheretep]

All these different solutions different people have make for interesting read. Our group has made these changes:
crossbows can't attack diagonally adjacent monsters (ruling we made even before we got mercenaries)
diagonally adjacent monsters attacked by Halberdier/Glaive mercenaries roll 1 less defence die.

Our reasoning was that a polearm should be more dangerous than longsword if the enemy is too far to strike back. Never thought of adding to defence instead of offence! In our group Scout is the most popular mercenary (checks & disarms traps and easily keeps up with the team) followed by Crossbowman/Arbalist. Maybe if the Halberdier got a single 1BP healing potion included it would be hired more often?

[Alby87]

Made the Halberdier card, hope you like it!
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