Envy
Alert
Resource
Type
Power to Covet
Takes Scrapped Pods
As an actor, during payoff, you may use this power to claim the enemy leader’s driver as a reward.
Legacy: After each encounter, leaders may claim their opponent’s driver before it is scrapped.
Born with eyes that tint the Cosmos green, the acquisitive Envy have come to understand that the grass is always greener in foreign lands. Unsatisfied with their lot in life, the Envy will not rest until they possess everything.
Actor: Payoff
Optional
Wild Flare
You may discharge this flare to scrap an N pod from your cache to claim an artifact or flare as it is played, negating its effect.
Any: Any
Super Flare
When using your power, you may discharge this flare to claim either or both drivers. You may not reclaim your own driver.
Any: Payoff
Modifications
- The most significant change to this alien was the transition from the name “Filch” to “Envy.” It struck me as odd that a alien themed around stealing would take something that has already been discarded. It comes across more like dumpster diving, which doesn’t match the theme of theft. I changed it to Envy to reflect the simple desire to have what someone else has. Envy has to see someone else use something in order to want it, which is appropriate for the theme.
- I buffed the timing of Envy’s power to be more useful and threatening. Envy’s original power struggles from an issue of relevance, as it can only steal as a leader. This means that Envy can only take a pod that originally opposes it, which often means that it will either lose to it first or not care enough to steal it. If it does get a good pod from its power, that benefit will not be seen until its next turn as a leader. Depending on how many times it acts as a leader, it might end up stealing 3-4 pods total over the whole quarrel. I modified the power so that it can also use the power as an ally, which allows it to gain pods as opposed to always breaking even, while also providing it a passive sponsorship bonus since Envy’s presence will discourage the opponent from playing their strongest encounter pods.
- I added the option to take both scrapped encounter pods to the super flare, allowing Super Envy to profit in a big way from a 40 vs. M situation, in addition to discouraging players from playing strong encounter pods every encounter.
- Envy’s legacy allows leaders to retrieve each others’ encounter pods after any encounter, keeping the pod in play as long as someone wants it. This allows any losing encounter to become a potential future win, while also making it much easier to avoid needing a resupply. Original Cosmic has no legacies.
Tips
- Envy’s presence discourages aliens from playing high-might attack pods, as those pods will go to Envy after victory. Naturally, this passive bonus will not apply when Envy is opposing an offense that only needs one VP, but it also becomes especially potent when Envy only needs one VP.
- Envy’s power can obtain any pod that is scrapped during the cleanup phase by an enemy leader. Keep an eye out for what pods leaders discharge before the alliance phase, as those are up for grabs as well.
- Inviting Envy to your side can discourage players from using strong attack pods, as those pods will likely be coveted by Envy after the conflict. Similarly, it can discourage kickers, reinforcements, and intimidate pods.
- Though Envy’s power can grant it some powerful pods, anything it gains will be known by all other aliens since the pods were scrapped first. Be wary of compensation hunters looking for a free lunch.
Development Notes
- Envy’s power has been carefully designed to not clash with other powers that get pods during the cleanup phase. Clone creates a duplicate of its original pod, so the one Envy takes is distinct from the one Clone keeps. Fido takes a pod from the exhaust, and Envy snatches pods before they are scrapped. Vulture takes artifacts immediately as they are played, and Envy only claims drivers. Mouth also gobbles discharged pods in exhausts, meaning Envy would snatch the pod before Mouth gets a chance to gobble it. However, Mouth would still gobble Envy’s pod and any other discharged distress pods, artifacts, kickers, etc.
- Envy has an interesting reaction with Gambler, as Envy can covet Gambler’s bluffed pod after it has been scrapped, making it one of the few powers that can determine if Gambler was bluffing without calling the bluff.