Clown
Alert
Resource
Type
Power to Juggle
Goofs Off During Encounters
As an actor, after arrival, use this power to snatch one to three pods from any bystander(s) and shroud them in your nexus. You may discharge pods from your nexus as if they were in your cache.
As an actor, after contact, use this power to subtract 1 from your fleet’s might for each pod in your nexus. If your fleet loses the encounter, scrap all pods in your nexus.
Legacy: After contact, each leader subtracts 1 might from their fleet for each pod in their cache.
Known throughout the Cosmos for their quirky antics, the Clowns hide their true faces behind a goofy smile. According to those who have seen behind the mask, it is purported to be yet another goofy smile.
Actor: Arrival
Actor: Contact
Mandatory
Wild Flare
As a leader, after arrival, you may discharge this flare to snatch a pod from your opponent. Then your opponent drafts a pod. Then you scrap a pod in your cache.
Leader: Contact
Super Flare
When using your power to subtract might from your fleet, you may discharge this flare to subtract 1 might for every two pods in your nexus instead.
Actor: Contact
Modifications
- Clown does not exist in the base game, as it is my own original alien.
- Clown’s legacy makes everyone lose combat points for pods in their cache, punishing aliens that like to stockpile a large number of pods. Original Cosmic has no legacies.
Tips
- As the Clown, try to balance the pods you take with the combat potential you lose. Ideally, you’ll be able to take support pods like artifact and distress pods that let you play more than one per invasion. Playing several during an invasion allows you to increase your combat bonus at the last second.
- If you have pods you want to protect, it can be dangerous to sit out of an encounter when Clown is around. Note how many pods Clown is already juggling to determine how safe it is.
- Clown’s negative combat bonus applies as an actor as well. Be mindful about inviting Clown when it is juggling more than 4 pods.
- Take note when Clown gets commissioned. If neither side invites it, you don’t have to worry about it stealing your pods.
Development Notes
- I designed Clown’s power to be one of the most effective pod stealing powers in the game, at the trade-off of each pod stolen hurting its utility in combat. The most direct point of comparison is Outlaw, an alien that can potentially steal as many pods as Clown, but only as a leader.
- Since Clown’s powers activate as an actor, not a leader, every invasion is potentially a chance for Clown to steal your pods. However, if Clown is already juggling a few pods, it lowers the risk that the pods will be stolen from you. If Clown goes crazy with the juggling, it can quickly end up losing all of its cards, resulting in the cards simply being lost to everyone.
- The trick behind this power is that the ability for Clown to steal is overwhelming enough that other aliens need to be able to do something about it. Clown punishes aliens that don’t get commissioned by taking pods from the “audience.” So powerhouse aliens like Virus and Warpish with nothing to offer their teammates are bigger targets for Clown. Meanwhile, Parasite doesn’t have to worry about Clown’s balloony arms ever taking its pods.