Worm
Alert
Destroy
Combat
Type
Power to Tunnel
Throws Parties After Victory
Setup: Jump your ships between any of your bases. You may not abandon any of your bases.
As a leader, after contact, you may use this power to choose another planet where the defender has a base and the invader does not. That planet becomes the new target planet. The defender’s committed ships change to those on the new target planet.
Legacy: After arrival, the defender may jump its ships between its bases. They may not abandon their bases to do so.
Not every alien is dedicated to climbing to the top of the food chain. Some are content to wait at the bottom and let everything else decompose. When the battle is over, the Worms always win.
Leader: Contact
Optional
Wild Flare
At the start of your orientation, you may discharge this flare to re-establish a base on any of your home planets.
Invader: Orientation
Super Flare
As a sponsor, after contact, you may discharge this flare to use your power.
Sponsor: Contact
Modifications
- Worm’s legacy allows the defender to reinforce the base of the target planet, as well as mostly abandon it to mitigate loss. The legacy can be used to invoke mind games, either creating a false sense of security or bluffing. Aliens like Virus and Macron that gain more value from ships can become a menace on defense. Similar to Amoeba’s power, any alien can get decimated by this legacy if they stack up most of their ships and lose, but doing so gives them a huge combat advantage. Aliens also have to be wary about base destroyers like Assassin and Brute if they plan on stacking up a bunch of ships at once, since they can’t easily be repositioned until the next turn as defender. Original Cosmic has no legacies.
Tips
- Worm has complete control over the target planet, as well as which base the defender will be defending. It can leverage its power both offensively and defensively.
- Worm’s setup clause allows it to stack up all but 3-4 of its ships on a single planet without putting them at risk. Since Worm’s power activates after drivers are discharged, it cannot be blindsided by a sudden 40 pod to destroy all of its ships. It can use the stacked planet as a pure combat tool on defense while mitigating risk in other cases. The biggest risk is Worm losing its authority, which can be mitigated by its combat bonus.
- Will can be difficult to sponsor as an invader, since it can betray its sponsors and change the target planet to one they already occupy. Worm is better off establishing a sense of trust with its potential sponsors, especially in the early-game.
- As with Will, an invading Worm can use its power to attack the defender’s foreign base, going after their dominion instead of their authority.
Development Notes
- Worm’s power is most similar to another from Mirage of the Dominion Galaxy. They both activate with the same timing and manipulate the target planet in different ways. While Mirage only affects the might of the leaders’ ships, Worm actually changes which ships are at stake for the defender.
- Due to its timing, Worm’s power is capable of saving its own encounters while destroying its enemy’s. It can change its mind about which planet to target after seeing the opponent’s driver, and the opponent will be unable to change it. It can reduce compensation by targeting a weaker planet or increase damage by targeting a stronger planet if the difference is high enough. The power is highly flexible, making it fitting for a spineless worm.
- Even though Wormhole is another alien in the same galaxy, I like the play on words with Worm’s power being focused on creating tunnels or “digging holes” in space.