We can be heroes

In the previous episode, we dipped our toes (very cautiously) into the broad, mysterious waters of general rules, learning how to recruit a Company of Heroes ready to outsmart, outfight, and occasionally out-luck their opponents through cunning, courage, brute force, and a truly irresponsible amount of good fortune.

This time, however, we turn our attention to the true stars of the show, the Heroes themselves!

And since the release of the Iron Crow Warriors kit is looming ominously on the horizon, it’s the perfect moment to introduce one of the most important tools in the game:

The Hero Card.

Every character in the game comes with a Hero Card, which contains everything you need to deploy them on the battlefield without guesswork or interpretive dance. Each Hero Card is divided into several sections: the Hero’s Name (its function should be self-explanatory), Characteristics, Keywords, Passive and Active Abilities, Base Equipment, and finally Optional Equipment.

Let’s proceed in a calm, orderly fashion.

CHARACTERISTICS

Each Hero is defined by a set of Characteristics that represent their physical and mental prowess, or lack thereof:

Movement (MO), Agility (AG), Courage (CO), Attacks (A), Defense (D), Health Points (HP).

These values tell you how fast they move, how hard they hit, how well they survive being hit, and whether they’ll stand firm or reconsider their life choices under pressure.

KEYWORDS

Keywords appear just below the Characteristics table and define how a character is recruited, as well as how they interact with special rules and Abilities.

Normally, a Hero has at least five Keywords:

• Kin – their race

• Alliance – the Great Alliance they belong to

• Role – their Recruitment category

• Class – the Hero’s Class

• Recruitment – how many recruitment slots they occupy (heroes are powerful, but not free)

Simple labels, with far-reaching consequences.

ABILITIES

There are two types of Abilities: Passive and Active.

• Passive Abilities are always in effect and represent innate traits or hard-earned expertise.

• Active Abilities require an Action to be used and tend to involve bold decisions and occasional regret.

We’ll explore Abilities in much greater detail in a dedicated episode, but for now, here’s what you need to know:

• A Hero can never have more than two Active Abilities

• Only one Active Ability can be used per Active Phase

• Each Active Ability requires at least one full Round of Cooldown before it can be used again

As you may notice, during recruitment, the Iron Crow Warrior can choose two Active Abilities from a list of four, which (combined with Optional Equipment) allows you to fine-tune the Hero to perfectly match your strategy, playstyle, or personal grudge.

EQUIPMENT

Next up: the Hero’s base equipment.

In this case, the Iron Crow Warrior comes armed with a Dwarven Blade, wears a sturdy Chainmail, and carries a reliable Dwarven Shield (because living longer is generally considered a good idea).

Weapons and armor deserve their own deep dive, and they will get one in a future post.

Sharp things demand respect.

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT

Many characters also have access to Optional Equipment and/or Familiars.

For the Iron Crow Warrior, this means you can replace the Dwarven Blade and Dwarven Shield with one of two weapon options:

• Great Axe – excellent for dealing with heavily armored enemies, less excellent if you enjoy precision

• Paired Blades – for those who believe that the best defense is dealing an alarming amount of damage

Additionally, the Iron Crow Warrior may recruit a Hunting Bulldog:

Familiars have their own Cards, broadly following the same structure as Hero Cards. We’ll explore them properly in a future episode, but here’s the essential information:

• A Familiar activates during the same Active Phase as its Master

• It uses the Master’s Action slots (2) to perform Active Actions

• If the Master is removed from the game, the Familiar immediately follows (loyal to the end)

• Familiars have one Movement Action per Active Phase

This design ensures that Familiars, usually one per Company, do not slow down the game flow, while still expanding tactical options and adding a strong (and often unpredictable) narrative flavor. I, for one, cannot wait to update the Flonzi!

"Can I make a full unit of Iron Crow Warriors?" Hell, yes!

And with that, I believe I’ve given you quite a respectable amount of information to digest for today.

You may have noticed how remarkably cool the new Iron Crow Warriors look. They’ll be available in early access on my Patreon in just a few days. I’ll write a much more detailed post about them soon, but if you’d like to support this new journey, now’s a great time to join and become part of the Company.

Bona!*

*typical Ligurian greeting