One of my favorite fantasy figures is Reaper Miniatures' "Iconic Alchemist" (link below), plus alchemy in fantasy settings fascinates me. I would like to find a way to incorporate it into my SBH games.
Alchemists aren't magic-users. They're more like early scientists, experimenting with various chemicals and compounds. My idea is alchemists could be a type of ranged combat unit, but instead of the shooter rule, they use the grenades rules from Flying Lead. This represents the fact they carry around with them an assortment of homemade grenades created in their laboratories. Using FL, I created these templates:
Alchemist
Points: 38 Quality: 3+ Combat: 2
Special rules: Flash bang grenade, fragmentation grenade
Elite Alchemist
Points: 44 Quality: 3+ Combat: 2
Special rules: Flash bang grenade, fragmentation grenade, chucker
The player has to announce ahead of time which type of grenade his character is using.
I've played a couple games with an alchemist on one side. They're useful for attacking groups of enemies, but once the combat gets up close and personal, their grenades really can't be used -- the damage covers such a wide area it would harm friendly units. That said, I think they do add a fun element to the game.
Any other ideas about how to represent alchemists on the table? Are they already covered in an existing supplement?
(FYI" Crossposted this from the SBH Yahoo forum.)
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