The Firespitter Revisited!
A long, long, long time ago I sat down at my computer and wrote a little article for a miniature game I'd recently enjoyed.
Having played many, many miniature and wargames I found it surprising how I never got round to writing anything on a game before. However Moonstone had completely enraptured me so I set about writing something and publishing it to my various social groups at the time. I didn't really predict that several years later I'd be helping to design the rules for said game and publishing official articles on this very site, but here we are and it’s great!
Given that its been a smidge over 5 years since I wrote the first article, I thought it might be fun to revisit it with everything that's new and changed. So, without further ado:
He’s the Trouble Starter, Punkin’ Instigator…
“Squeeze that bellow Fergus, I gots a good feeling about this!”
The FIRESPITTER! Despite so many years, he still holds the position of one of the highest ranged damage dealers in the game, and then some. However, he also retains all of the original issues from five years ago too: a small and linear threat range, bad melee, and low energy. What has changed though is all the goblins around him.
Originally, I looked at Boom Boom McBoom to remedy the range issue and Shabaroon / Seasick Stu to sort out the issues of his mobility and energy. Whilst these are still great characters to solve these issues there are now a few more characters who can also help the Firespitter with his fire spitting duties.
Portly Pete
“Move!”
Portly Pete is one of the characters I've been lucky enough to help write and test the rules for, and as a friend to the Firespitter he's one of the best. With 'Stand to Attention' he solves two of Firespitter’s issues. With +1 energy and a 2" push means that the Firespitter can now take two shots instead of one AND can get closer to the enemy to start firing sooner. Later in the game this push can instead be used to get the Firespitter out of engagement allowing him to continue firing despite the enemies’ best attempt to engage him and stop him.
Tax Collector
Another character in Portly Pete's box is the Tax Collector. Quite happily, she resolves the other issue which Portly Pete doesn't with 'Stand to Attention'. With 'Rebate' she can lure in enemy characters, allowing the Firespitter to fire even earlier on unsuspecting characters! Previously this was a job Boom Boom McBoom took - able to lure in enemy characters as just described. Unlike Boom Boom McBoom, the Tax Collector can also lure friendly characters. This makes her excellent alongside the Firespitter allowing her to lure enemies into their doom or lure the Firespitter away from melee and his own potential doom!
Goblin King
“Respect my authority! Or I’ll bonk you with my stick!”
Since my article five years ago, His Royal Highness the Goblin King has graced the goblins with his presence. The main ability here is 'Rule the Roost', allowing the Goblin King to wound a fellow goblin a little and grant it 2 energy. 2 energy happens to be perfect for the Firespitter, granting enough energy for one more shot. But that isn't it for the King. 'Rule the Roost' also allows a goblin to activate again. This makes the Firespitter even more deadly to play against. Beforehand, you could wait for the Firespitter to activate before moving out of cover knowing he can't shoot. With the King though, the Firespitter can activate again, taking opportunistic shots at characters who move out of cover.
Mortician
Another new-trick-from-the-same-trick, is cheating death! While building your troupe around a single model like the Firespitter can lead to great damage output, it can also leave you a little helpless if that model dies. Here enters the Mortician, a character who can literally bring the Firespitter back from the dead if your opponent manages to take him out. Otherwise, the Mortician can hand out a few heals for the Firespitter and occasionally drain an enemy’s energy, useful against characters that could cause the Firespitter an issue.
Gwendoline
“I see fire in your future…”
How about non-goblin options? Look no further than Gwendoline!
Aside from handing out energy, she's everything the Firespitter could ever want in one package.
Lure an enemy towards him? 'Ethereal Allure'.
Heal him and move him out the way? 'Rejuvenate'.
Furthermore, a lucky draw with 'Scry' could be game changing. If she managed to pull a blue 3, then the Firespitter has a guaranteed 6 damage whenever he likes, even against the highest evade model in the best cover.
What Next?
Gwendoline is just one non-goblin character and there are plenty more new characters that can help out the Firespitter. Much like 5 years ago, this isn't it for the Firespitter - more characters are on the horizon and naturally more who may be able to assist the Firespitter further! So here’s to 2025 and much more goblin-y goodness!
