Post by webtroll on Oct 10, 2008 14:36:14 GMT -5
Connor MacLeod, The Highlander Profile
By: Zombie Joe (webtroll)
6
5 
5 
5 
5 
5 
Persona Power
You may discard one to ignore the effects of any card played by your opponent that would force you to discard cards from your hand. You may increase or decrease the size of a Hard Exertion made by your opponent by one for every Ally you have in play (to a maximum of three).
History
Connor MacLeod was born in 1518 in Glenfinnan, Scotland near the shores of Loch Shiel. During a battle between the Clan MacLeod and the Clan Fraser in 1536, he faced an evil Immortal referred to as The Kurgan, and was dealt what should have been a fatal blow. When Connor did not die, the townspeople (including his family) believed his recovery was the work of witchcraft, and threatened to burn him at the stake. Connor's kinsman, and clan chieftain, Angus MacLeod, instead demanded that he only be banished. Connor wandered around the land until he met Heather MacDonald, the daughter of a blacksmith. The two fell in love, and married in 1539. In 1541, he met an Immortal named Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, who became Connor's mentor and taught him the ways of Immortals, and of "The Game."
Ramírez taught Connor the overriding rule of the Immortals: There can be only one. Connor, Ramírez, and others like them were destined to fight each other until only one was left. By beheading another Immortal, the winner would gain the fallen Immortal's strength, and the last alive would have the power of every Immortal that ever existed, a mysterious power beyond comprehension known as "The Prize." One night, the Kurgan, while Connor was absent, found his home, killed Ramírez, and raped Heather. Decades passed, and Heather finally died of old age. It was at this point that Connor left Scotland to explore the world. Connor MacLeod led many different lives under a variety of aliases, constantly keeping his immortality a secret. In 1985, MacLeod found himself living in New York in the guise of Russell Nash, an antiques dealer. In the continuity of the original movie, this was the time of the Gathering, when the few Immortals that remained were to fight until the last. While fighting in the Gathering, Connor had to deal with being a suspect of several beheadings, while falling in love with NYPD forensics expert Brenda Wyatt. In the end, it came down to MacLeod against his ancient enemy, the Kurgan. After the Kurgan kidnapped Brenda, MacLeod faced and defeated him, thus winning "The Prize" – mortality, and the ability to father children. He then returned to Scotland with Brenda.
Overview
Connor MacLeod is the reason this whole thing started. He was the Highlander that was the main character of the original movie. To play him is to play one of the most noteworthy immortals in the game. He is Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod.
Also it means you will be playing a balanced immortal with a number of tricks up his sleeve that relate to the character in the movies. Tricks that make him a dangerous opponent.
Persona Specific Cards
Combination: You may play an additional attack this turn for each Ally you have in play.
Evade (Escape): You lose one attack this turn.
Improvised Weapon: You may play this attack even if you are Disarmed.
Trip: Remove all Standing Defenses your opponent has in play. Dodges will not avoid multiple attacks you play this turn.
Counter (Duck): Your next attack this turn may be played hidden.
Heather MacLeod: You may make a Soft Exertion for . If successful, retrieve one card from your Discard and shuffle it into your Endurance. If Heather MacLeod leaves play, lose one Ability.
It's a Kind of Magic: Play during your Defense Phase. Name an Attribute. Make a Soft Exertion. Prevent one damage for each of that Attribute found.
Slash: You may include this card in your deck in place of a Basic Attack. You do not need to include this card in your deck to satisfy your Basic Attack requirements.
A Master's Focus: Play during your May Do/Must Do Phase. Choose a Location, Object, Plot, or Situation in play; or any Non-Persona card in your opponent's Pre-Game. For the remainder of your turn, you may ignore the effects of that card.
I Am Connor MacLeod: Search your Endurance for any three Connor MacLeod or Clan MacLeod immortal specific cards and place them in your hand. Remove this card from the game after use.
Lion-Head Hilt: You may only include this card in your deck if you are using the Katana Weapon of Choice. If you do not play a Special Card during your turn, you may make a Hard Exertion to make an Upper Basic Attack you play a Head Shot.
Master's Block: Your first attack this turn cannot be blocked. You may attack to areas you just blocked this turn.
Rachel Ellenstein: If your opponent removed one of your Locations, Objects, Plots, or Situations from play during their last turn, you may reveal the same card from your hand at the beginning of your Defense Phase. If you do, immediately put that card into play. This does not count as playing your Special Card for the turn. If Rachel Ellenstein leaves play, you lose one Ability.
Ramirez: You may not play this card if your opponent is Ramirez. At the beginning of your turn, you may place one card from your hand under this card. Discard this card to place all cards underneath it on top of your Endurance.
Clan Priest (Quickening): You may only play this card if your opponent played a Special Card that did damage to you during their last turn. You take no damage from that card. Gain Ability equal to the damage you would have received from that card. Remove this card from the game after use.
Remembrance (Quickening): You may retrieve one Situation Ally from your Discard or Endurance and put it in your hand.
Different Vintage (Core): If you are Duncan MacLeod, you may increase or decrease the size of a Hard Exertion your opponent makes by one for each Ally you have in play (to a maximum of three). If you are Connor MacLeod, you may increase or decrease the size of a Hard Exertion you make by one for each Ally you have in play.
Duncan MacLeod (Core): You may not play this card if your opponent is Duncan MacLeod. You may discard one to play a Basic Block againnst an attack that cannot be blocked.
Honor Bound (Core): You may only play this card if your opponent did not play an attack last turn. Retrieve up to three Basic Attacks or Basic Blocks from your Discard and place them into your hand. You may not attack this turn.
The Highlander (Core): At the beginning of your turn, you may draw two cards.
Brenda Wyatt (precon): If you are forced to discard cards from your Endurance, you may place them under this card. You may discard this card from play to place all cards under it at the bottom of your Endurance.
Scottish Fortitude (precon): Play before making a 0-card Hard Exertion. If this is your first Exertion this turn, you may make an additional Hard Exertion this turn. Otherwise, you may make this Exertion as an additional Hard Exertion.
Spirit of the Stag (precon): Play before making an Attribute Check to add one to the result. If this card is found in an Attribute Check, add one to the result.
Katana (precon): You must be Connor MacLeod to use this Weapon of Choice. You may attack to areas you just blocked.
Weapon of Choice
Katana (precon): You must be Connor MacLeod to use this Weapon of Choice. You may attack to areas you just blocked.
If you have access to it, the preconstructed deck Katana is the best option. All the advantages of the regular katana, but it does not reduce the damage on single grid non-special attacks. If you do not have access to the precon one, I would still suggest the katana as the advantages of it in most Connor decks makes it worth your while.
As for cards to include, this one I would consider a staple:
Lunge: Play in conjunction with a Basic Attack. Your opponent cannot play a dodge from their hand against that attack.
Locations
Dead End Alley never hurts Connor, so is never really a bad choice. Dueling Grounds helps him out if you are going aggresive and trying to get in as many attacks as possible in your turn. Irish Pub is good if you are running with Heather MacLeod in your deck, as it betters your chances of cycling cards back into your deck - plus, pub. And, of course, there is always my reliable favorite of the TSC Headquarters.
How to Win
The Connor Headhunter is a staple in the meta these days. For my part though, I like using a skeleton of the headhunter with some more tech in it to throw the opponent a curveball. My current Connor is a modification of an exertion deck one of our locals started with Duncan. It is not pretty.
How to beat
Removing allies is always a solid thing to do against Connor. All of the MacLeods seem to live and die by their connections to the normal world.
Additionally, any tech that makes Connor need to discard attacks, or pay additional costs to making attacks will slow his tempo down.
On the defense side, be ready for that unblockable head shot that covers multiple grids. That is the staple of the headhunting Connor. Anything that allows the blocking of unblockables, or that allows you to manuever around the Lunge that is most likely coming with it.
Overall
Connor is the main reason I became interested in any of this. Being able to play him out the taking heads and taking names makes for a fun night. Plus, who doesn't like saying, "I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod" in that accent?
Deck
This is the last of three decks I have vowed to play until someone takes its head. Although this is the most untested of the three, so I may tweak it some more down the road. 60 cards is pretty heavy for me. Time will tell.
Pregame Cards
Connor MacLeod Person
Katana (precon)
Duncan Ally Quickening
Mark Wells
The Gathering (remove situation)
RIP
Defenses
Evade Back Away (x6)
Counter Duck (x6)
Master's Block (x2)
UL Block - M1 (x1)
UC Block - M1 (x1)
UR Block - S2 (x1)
LL Block - S2 (x1)
LC Block - S1 (x1)
LR Block - S2 (x1)
Attacks
Connor Slash (x4)
UL Attack - S2 (x4)
UC Attack - M1 (x1)
UR Attack - S2 (x4)
LL Attack - M1 (x1)
LR Attack - M1 (x1)
Other Cards
Heather MacLeod (x2)
Lion Head Hilt (x2)
The Highlander (x2)
Two Handed Stance - Power Blows (x2)
Katana Lunge (x4)
David Blake (x2)
Louise Marcus (x2)
Darius (x2)
Tessa Noel in a Sailors Hat - rawr (x2)
Leo Adkins (x2)
Avery Hoskins (x2)
Alertness Block (x1)
Alertness Dodge (x1)
Summary
The idea is to get out the allies that you can to take advantage of them with Connor's ability and Duncan's Quickening. Avery Hoskins is the key as he forces exertions from you opponent. The Two Handed Stance is there just in case. From there you do Lunge Power Blows and make them Head Shots with the hilt.
Gem Counts
2 15 15 6 15 12
By: Zombie Joe (webtroll)
6
5 5 5 5 5 Persona Power
You may discard one
to ignore the effects of any card played by your opponent that would force you to discard cards from your hand. You may increase or decrease the size of a Hard Exertion made by your opponent by one for every Ally you have in play (to a maximum of three).History
Connor MacLeod was born in 1518 in Glenfinnan, Scotland near the shores of Loch Shiel. During a battle between the Clan MacLeod and the Clan Fraser in 1536, he faced an evil Immortal referred to as The Kurgan, and was dealt what should have been a fatal blow. When Connor did not die, the townspeople (including his family) believed his recovery was the work of witchcraft, and threatened to burn him at the stake. Connor's kinsman, and clan chieftain, Angus MacLeod, instead demanded that he only be banished. Connor wandered around the land until he met Heather MacDonald, the daughter of a blacksmith. The two fell in love, and married in 1539. In 1541, he met an Immortal named Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, who became Connor's mentor and taught him the ways of Immortals, and of "The Game."
Ramírez taught Connor the overriding rule of the Immortals: There can be only one. Connor, Ramírez, and others like them were destined to fight each other until only one was left. By beheading another Immortal, the winner would gain the fallen Immortal's strength, and the last alive would have the power of every Immortal that ever existed, a mysterious power beyond comprehension known as "The Prize." One night, the Kurgan, while Connor was absent, found his home, killed Ramírez, and raped Heather. Decades passed, and Heather finally died of old age. It was at this point that Connor left Scotland to explore the world. Connor MacLeod led many different lives under a variety of aliases, constantly keeping his immortality a secret. In 1985, MacLeod found himself living in New York in the guise of Russell Nash, an antiques dealer. In the continuity of the original movie, this was the time of the Gathering, when the few Immortals that remained were to fight until the last. While fighting in the Gathering, Connor had to deal with being a suspect of several beheadings, while falling in love with NYPD forensics expert Brenda Wyatt. In the end, it came down to MacLeod against his ancient enemy, the Kurgan. After the Kurgan kidnapped Brenda, MacLeod faced and defeated him, thus winning "The Prize" – mortality, and the ability to father children. He then returned to Scotland with Brenda.
Overview
Connor MacLeod is the reason this whole thing started. He was the Highlander that was the main character of the original movie. To play him is to play one of the most noteworthy immortals in the game. He is Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod.
Also it means you will be playing a balanced immortal with a number of tricks up his sleeve that relate to the character in the movies. Tricks that make him a dangerous opponent.
Persona Specific Cards
Combination:
You may play an additional attack this turn for each Ally you have in play.Evade (Escape):
You lose one attack this turn.Improvised Weapon:
You may play this attack even if you are Disarmed.Trip:
Remove all Standing Defenses your opponent has in play. Dodges will not avoid multiple attacks you play this turn.Counter (Duck):
Your next attack this turn may be played hidden.Heather MacLeod:
You may make a Soft Exertion for . If successful, retrieve one card from your Discard and shuffle it into your Endurance. If Heather MacLeod leaves play, lose one Ability.It's a Kind of Magic:
Play during your Defense Phase. Name an Attribute. Make a Soft Exertion. Prevent one damage for each of that Attribute found.Slash:
You may include this card in your deck in place of a Basic Attack. You do not need to include this card in your deck to satisfy your Basic Attack requirements.A Master's Focus:
Play during your May Do/Must Do Phase. Choose a Location, Object, Plot, or Situation in play; or any Non-Persona card in your opponent's Pre-Game. For the remainder of your turn, you may ignore the effects of that card.I Am Connor MacLeod:
Search your Endurance for any three Connor MacLeod or Clan MacLeod immortal specific cards and place them in your hand. Remove this card from the game after use.Lion-Head Hilt:
You may only include this card in your deck if you are using the Katana Weapon of Choice. If you do not play a Special Card during your turn, you may make a Hard Exertion to make an Upper Basic Attack you play a Head Shot.Master's Block:
Your first attack this turn cannot be blocked. You may attack to areas you just blocked this turn.Rachel Ellenstein:
If your opponent removed one of your Locations, Objects, Plots, or Situations from play during their last turn, you may reveal the same card from your hand at the beginning of your Defense Phase. If you do, immediately put that card into play. This does not count as playing your Special Card for the turn. If Rachel Ellenstein leaves play, you lose one Ability.Ramirez:
You may not play this card if your opponent is Ramirez. At the beginning of your turn, you may place one card from your hand under this card. Discard this card to place all cards underneath it on top of your Endurance.Clan Priest (Quickening):
You may only play this card if your opponent played a Special Card that did damage to you during their last turn. You take no damage from that card. Gain Ability equal to the damage you would have received from that card. Remove this card from the game after use.Remembrance (Quickening):
You may retrieve one Situation Ally from your Discard or Endurance and put it in your hand.Different Vintage (Core):
If you are Duncan MacLeod, you may increase or decrease the size of a Hard Exertion your opponent makes by one for each Ally you have in play (to a maximum of three). If you are Connor MacLeod, you may increase or decrease the size of a Hard Exertion you make by one for each Ally you have in play.Duncan MacLeod (Core):
You may not play this card if your opponent is Duncan MacLeod. You may discard one to play a Basic Block againnst an attack that cannot be blocked.Honor Bound (Core):
You may only play this card if your opponent did not play an attack last turn. Retrieve up to three Basic Attacks or Basic Blocks from your Discard and place them into your hand. You may not attack this turn.The Highlander (Core):
At the beginning of your turn, you may draw two cards.Brenda Wyatt (precon):
If you are forced to discard cards from your Endurance, you may place them under this card. You may discard this card from play to place all cards under it at the bottom of your Endurance.Scottish Fortitude (precon):
Play before making a 0-card Hard Exertion. If this is your first Exertion this turn, you may make an additional Hard Exertion this turn. Otherwise, you may make this Exertion as an additional Hard Exertion.Spirit of the Stag (precon): Play before making an Attribute Check to add one to the result. If this card is found in an Attribute Check, add one to the result.
Katana (precon): You must be Connor MacLeod to use this Weapon of Choice. You may attack to areas you just blocked.
Weapon of Choice
Katana (precon): You must be Connor MacLeod to use this Weapon of Choice. You may attack to areas you just blocked.
If you have access to it, the preconstructed deck Katana is the best option. All the advantages of the regular katana, but it does not reduce the damage on single grid non-special attacks. If you do not have access to the precon one, I would still suggest the katana as the advantages of it in most Connor decks makes it worth your while.
As for cards to include, this one I would consider a staple:
Lunge:
Play in conjunction with a Basic Attack. Your opponent cannot play a dodge from their hand against that attack.Locations
Dead End Alley never hurts Connor, so is never really a bad choice. Dueling Grounds helps him out if you are going aggresive and trying to get in as many attacks as possible in your turn. Irish Pub is good if you are running with Heather MacLeod in your deck, as it betters your chances of cycling cards back into your deck - plus, pub. And, of course, there is always my reliable favorite of the TSC Headquarters.
How to Win
The Connor Headhunter is a staple in the meta these days. For my part though, I like using a skeleton of the headhunter with some more tech in it to throw the opponent a curveball. My current Connor is a modification of an exertion deck one of our locals started with Duncan. It is not pretty.
How to beat
Removing allies is always a solid thing to do against Connor. All of the MacLeods seem to live and die by their connections to the normal world.
Additionally, any tech that makes Connor need to discard attacks, or pay additional costs to making attacks will slow his tempo down.
On the defense side, be ready for that unblockable head shot that covers multiple grids. That is the staple of the headhunting Connor. Anything that allows the blocking of unblockables, or that allows you to manuever around the Lunge that is most likely coming with it.
Overall
Connor is the main reason I became interested in any of this. Being able to play him out the taking heads and taking names makes for a fun night. Plus, who doesn't like saying, "I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod" in that accent?
Deck
This is the last of three decks I have vowed to play until someone takes its head. Although this is the most untested of the three, so I may tweak it some more down the road. 60 cards is pretty heavy for me. Time will tell.
Pregame Cards
Connor MacLeod Person
Katana (precon)
Duncan Ally Quickening
Mark Wells
The Gathering (remove situation)
RIP
Defenses
Evade Back Away (x6)
Counter Duck (x6)
Master's Block (x2)
UL Block - M1 (x1)
UC Block - M1 (x1)
UR Block - S2 (x1)
LL Block - S2 (x1)
LC Block - S1 (x1)
LR Block - S2 (x1)
Attacks
Connor Slash (x4)
UL Attack - S2 (x4)
UC Attack - M1 (x1)
UR Attack - S2 (x4)
LL Attack - M1 (x1)
LR Attack - M1 (x1)
Other Cards
Heather MacLeod (x2)
Lion Head Hilt (x2)
The Highlander (x2)
Two Handed Stance - Power Blows (x2)
Katana Lunge (x4)
David Blake (x2)
Louise Marcus (x2)
Darius (x2)
Tessa Noel in a Sailors Hat - rawr (x2)
Leo Adkins (x2)
Avery Hoskins (x2)
Alertness Block (x1)
Alertness Dodge (x1)
Summary
The idea is to get out the allies that you can to take advantage of them with Connor's ability and Duncan's Quickening. Avery Hoskins is the key as he forces exertions from you opponent. The Two Handed Stance is there just in case. From there you do Lunge Power Blows and make them Head Shots with the hilt.
Gem Counts
2
15 15 6 15 12 
