Meet the Witch
“All shall love me and despair! …Actually, why not just despair?”
In this week’s Meet the Fighters article, we meet the charming Witch.
Background
Off the battlefield, Witches often take up the role of herbalists, healers and spiritual guides. Most people’s first encounter with a Witch is in a domestic or pastoral setting – the kind old lady or quiet, strong-willed young person who prescribes potions, cures sheep, or reads fortunes. Most people also severely underestimate the combat ability Witches can demonstrate when practicing the exact same skillset.
On the battlefield, few foes are more terrifying than a experienced Witch. Such a fighter can dominate any encounter, turning their enemies against each other, forcing bad luck upon them, and finishing them off with deadly poison.
Witches are feared and respected among the hosts of adventurers who venture into the Tempest. To have one on your side is a great boon. To go up against one is a curse.
Appearance
Witches present themselves in all manner of ways, from the hideous hag to the enrapturing mage-queen. Some Witches have even been known to change appearance regularly.
They often bear symbols associated with luck (such as horseshoes), hypnosis (such as spirals) and natural cycles (such as).
Despite all the feminine stereotypes, a Witch can be any gender.
Rules
The Witch has a normal core profile for a 2-Slot fighter, with Toughness 6 and Movement 5. Along with Armour 1, Deflect 2 and Dodge 4, they can survive combat well enough.
Their melee attack, Poison Tip has ordinary attributes but a special rule:
If this attack deals any damage, the target fighter is poisoned. A poisoned fighter takes one point of damage at the end of every action phase. They are no longer poisoned if they are healed.
The Witch is incentivised to go around hitting as many different enemies as possible, spreading poison around the opposing warband. 1 extra damage per round may not seem like much, but it adds up and eventually needs to be dealt with. If nothing else, Poison Tip gives the other player something extra to worry about if they want to get close to the Witch.
They have a spell, Hex, that can be cast at the end of their activation:
Choose a visible fighter. Until the end of the action phase, the target number for attacks made by that fighter cannot exceed 5, and they must re-roll all hits they score.
Costing only 1 Club, this is a great way to protect the Witch and their allies from counterattacks.
The Witch’s most powerful ability is Charm, requiring an action to use and appropriately costed at 1 Heart, 1 Spade and 1 Club (you might want to bring an Acolyte or two for this one):
Choose a visible enemy fighter. Secretly note down your choice. The next time that fighter is activated, interrupt and reveal that they were charmed. You control the charmed fighter for the duration of their activation. The charmed fighter may cast spells during that activation, but you must use your magic cards to do so.
Oh, you wanted to charge my fighter with your Warrior? That’s too bad. He’s going to charge your fighter, instead. :smiling_imp:
Tip: Charm persists across rounds.
Conclusion
The Witch is best summed up as a “control” fighter, whose abilities allow you to keep your opponent on the back foot and, most importantly, play horrible mind games.
Only one fighter type left to cover for next week’s article: the Enchanter!
Oh, and Happy New Year! :heart: