Siren
Alert
Invasion
Control
Type
Power to Allure
Entices Invaders
When not a leader, before launch, you may use this power to choose one of your established home planets to be the target planet this invasion.
As the defender, after winning an encounter, establish a base on any planet in the invader’s system. Your backwards receive this reward as well, instead of backer boons.
Legacy: When a defending fleet wins an encounter, each alien in the fleet establishes a base in the invader’s system instead of receiving backer bonuses.
Known the Cosmos over for their attractive visage, voice, and scent, the Sirens have aliens beating down their door for a mere glance at their beauty. Even those who discover that its top half is just a strangely attractive growth find it difficult to resist their mellifluous call.
Not Invader: Launch
Optional
Wild Flare
At any time, you may discharge this flare to target one other alien. For the rest of the invasion, any time that alien drafts pod(s), you receive the first one and the rest are their drafted pods.
Any: Any
Super Flare
As the defender, after arrival, you may discharge this flare to transfer one enemy sponsor’s ships to your fleet. That alien receives no rewards if your fleet wins.
Defender: Arrival
Modifications
- Changed from the power to “Lure” to the power to “Allure.” Looking to evoke more of an image of seduction than fishing.
- Original Wild Siren names a specific pod when pod(s) are drafted and receives any if drafted. Since it still targets a single alien, the sheer number of different pods makes it too difficult to get much value out of. Even the information aspect of it is minimal, and everyone gets it since everyone hears what pod you name.
- Original Super Siren lets Siren offer its sponsors bases as well, to entice them to join as well. I added this effect to the base power, to make Siren less of a defensive Locust by default. Players generally don’t want to give someone a base in exchange for lucre, so it becomes difficult to sponsor Siren as a defender normally. Wanted to make the power more naturally alluring, as it means both sides of the encounter equally offer dominion.
- Siren’s legacy makes it so every defender gets a base for winning instead of losing, removing regular backer bonuses from the game. This makes it more difficult to draft pods without powers or other aspects that let one do so. Aliens with strong defensive powers such as Macron and Citadel can get some mileage out of this one. Original Cosmic has no legacies.
Tips
- Siren can act as a leader every encounter if it so chooses, though doing so is highly risky. Three losses after using its power means Siren cannot use its power further without taking back one of its planets.
- Since Siren’s invading and defending encounters are equally valuable, its campaign is less significant. It can throw its campaign to gain compensation, try for negotiation, or dump an unwanted P pod. Its time as defender both protects its authority and lets it gain dominion, making it much more significant by comparison.
- Be careful about helping Siren too much. Since it can get so many encounters, it can push its dominion advantage toward a victory.
Development Notes
- As far as invasion-gaining aliens go, Siren has the potential to gain the highest amount. Every turn as invader or defender is a chance to gain dominion, and every turn as bystander is a chance to act as defender. In the same vein as Machine, Siren can potentially end the match in 5 invasions, though it is not limited by its cache to the same degree. Since most of its chances will be as defender, it can freely resupply its cache after running out. However, as a trade-off, Siren will be risking its authority during these defensive encounter. It doesn’t have Machine’s freedom to throw encounters for compensation and will need to pick its battles more carefully.
- It is important that Siren’s base-gaining power cannot be zapped. For one, this aspect of the power doesn’t have much to do with “alluring” the invader to their system. It’s more the idea of taking ownership of their property after tempting them and “devouring” them. In addition, it feels cheap to miss out on a base because someone zaps you after you win an encounter for it. It feels more appropriate for something like Spiff, where you lost the encounter but found a way to sneak by.