Again this draws me back to the idea that our rules should attempt to minimize judgment calls on the field due to defined effects.
Swarmed will require rules for what is considered engagement (+1 to barrier to entry), when you have to define additional rules just to support a single effect, especially one that can be handled in so many other ways, you are creating additional opportunities for missed calls.
Missed calls lead to loss of player engagement.
Here's my scenario:
I pick up shield of the defender!
It has swarm:4 immune to weapon attacks
I get my team to "backpack" me against the BBG. He is swinging massive, and has some neat spell effects.
When I engage him my teammates keep my defenses up, but also keep attacking
Me from behind. I am engaged.
EVAN THEN CALLS ME OUT FOR CHEESE, and it is intoned that I am skirting the "spirit" of the concept. This causes additional stress for everyone involved.
The point is, Swarmed only works as a tool if you allow it to be lazy, and used without judgment. If we are going to have to create additional dialogue around a specific ability for the sake of just in case these specific scenarios happen we are going in knowing that we are not crafting
an optimal gaming experience.
@EC-JP, I can't say thank you enough to the owners, and ARC members that have put a ton of time into making this set. I don't mean to use your example as my anti-gun commercial, but as it is currently, I find it highly replaceable without need for additional conditional rules.
I.e. I pick up shield of the defender!
it has a note on it explaining it's effect:
as long as my feet are planted on a three count I can activate shield of the defender, as long as my shield is able to be properly wielded and my feet are planted I can auto riposte, and auto reflect for up to 300 seconds, if either of those conditions end, or the timer completes, my body is destroyed as if reaching the full 5 minutes of a death count.
To me that seems far more epic than Swarm 4: auto reflect/riposte (C)
I understand, and can appreciate the intent behind the allure of simplification, but as long as it requires additional specific rule handling, or circumstantial subjective calls, it is my opinion that it is a poorly designed tool.
You need to hang a frame. You have a hammer and nails, you have the knowledge and ability to use said tools. It seems like everyone is advocating that you go buy a nail gun because it is more convenient (even if it backfires every now and then)
-Tony