A Bird in the Bush (UPDATED)
Agents for a Reclaimed Kingdom Part 8
UPDATE: We apologize for the confusion regarding Blue Jay's Holo Decoy. There have been two versions of the rule floating around the internet, and Plaid Hat Games takes responsibility for the confusion. Here are the details:
The Holo Decoy card image in the game box states to place the Blue Jay figure and last seen token on the board, as if she just crossed their line of sight. This matches the rulebook that we've had on our site all along and that comes in the box, which states that the Agent should place their figure and the last seen marker any time they cross the Hunters' line of sight during movement.
Rodney's excellent rules video stated that one should place just the last seen token when crossing line of sight during the Agent's movement. There was some confusion even at Plaid Hat Games which rule was technically correct. We worked toward changing the card to match what was thought to be the in-box rules and even sent an e-mail regarding replacing the version in the box for pre-order customers, but that was a mistake; the card below and in the box, which matches the rulebook online and in the box, is the correct version; no changes or replacements are necessary.
As a result of the revisions, some user comments below are out of date.
Welcome to the eighth preview in our series of previews on the Specter Ops hunters and agents. Last week we featured the Hunters of Specter Ops. This week we've already seen agents Cobra, Orangutan, and Spider. Specter Ops: The Shadow of Babel is currently available for pre-order in the PlaidHatGames.com store. Watch a game overview video, check out our fourth Agent preview below, and then pre-order today!
"A blue jay hasn't any more principle than an ex-congressman, and he will steal, deceive and betray four times out of five; and as for the sacredness of an obligation, you cannot scare him in the detail of principle." --Mark Twain
Cobra, Spider and Orangutan all have their unique characteristics. But in a sense, they all look at their mission the same way: Sneak around, evade shots from the Hunters, and stun with the tools at their disposal when necessary. Blue Jay, like any Agent, wants to sneak around, but she is her own bird and does things her own way. Being an expert in technology, she is able to manipulate the Hunters and her objectives in ways no one else can, forcing upon the Hunters more questions than for which they have answers.
Now, this seems like a small rules tweak. Instead of needing to be directly adjacent to an objective in order to capture it, Blue Jay can be two spaces away. How big of a deal is this? Take a look at this image:
In the above image, the blue shows where any agent other than Blue Jay could be when they capture an objective at the beginning of their turn. The red (plus the blue), therefore, is where they could be after they've moved, once it's the Hunters' turn. It looks like a ton of options, although hopefully the Hunters have already made some deductions and can elimnate many possibilities by their own line of sight and logic. Now, Blue Jay's options:
The blue is where Blue Jay might be when she captures the objective. The red+blue is where she could be at the end of her turn. There are over 30 more spaces to account for. Yikes.
And as if her Frequency Hack wasn't enough, this Holo Decoy will really throw the Hunters for a loop.
The Holo Decoy is the reason Blue Jay needs to be played by someone who really understands the rules to Specter Ops. First of all, you want to be out of the Hunter's line of sight, and to play it at the end of a turn in which you did not cross their line of sight. Yet you want to appear as if you did move through their line of sight. No you Decoy them. Pretty cool. The best part is, as long as the Hunters don't know for sure that you've used the Holo Decoy already, they have to consider it as an option every turn. It's the biggest misdirection play any agent has in the game!
There's still more to preview! Next week we'll take a look at other agent equipment cards, as the game's release continues to inch closer. I'm getting excited, how about you all??
