Continuing from yesterday’s pledge management tutorial where we addressed a commonly asked question, we turn to easily the most asked question from our PMs and e-mail—the Super Dungeon: Ninja Pack.

We get a LOTS of questions about the crossover cards that allow you to use your ninja in our other chibi board game Super Dungeon Explore. Not surprising, considering the popularity of Super Dungeon Explore. Lets take look at the contents of the Ninja Pack and see how you can bring ninja’s to your games of Super Dungeon Explore. Onwards to knowledge!

The Models

Choosing either the Ninja Master Pledge or the Elemental Master Pledge gives you enough models to easily play four spawning points of ninja, three Heroes, and 2-4 mini-bosses. Plus, you get to play a new game, Ninja All-Stars!

Elemental Affinity

The first, and arguably most important card is the Elemental Affinity card. Every ninja in the Ninja Pack has the ability Elemental Affinity. For each model with Elemental Affinity choose one element from the Elemental Affinity card at the beginning of the game. That model gains the chosen element’s abilities. If the model is a spawning point, all models spawned from that spawning point gain the chosen element’s abilities. Paired spawning points must choose the same element.

As you can see from a quick glance at the card, there are some excellent abilities to choose from! Elemental Affinity allows you to customize the abilities of your ninja based on which clan or shrine models you want to use.

For instance, if you want to use your Clan Ijin or Void Shrine models, choose the element Void as your affinity, and you’ll immediately have a horde of predatory ninjas. Lets go over the six Elements.

Spirit grants all ninja the ability Feint, which forces your target to reroll their highest result when rolling for defense. Clan Kitsune can make even the master doubt their actions.

Void grants the ninja the ability Predator, which allows the ninja to make a free basic Melee Attack against any adjacent model that tries to move out of an adjacent square. Never, ever, run from an Ijin.

Earth grants the ninja the ability Immune: Status Effects. Whoa! These guys shake off everything, just a good Yamazaru ninja should.

Air grants two abilities Sidestep and Surefoot. Sidestep lets the ninja move one space whenever they win a defense roll. Surefoot allows them to ignore difficult terrain. Perfect for representing the nimble forest dwellers Clan Tanchyo.

Water grants the ability Slow, which allows the ninja to inflict the status effect Slow on enemies they wound. Slow and sure as the tide, Clan Ika are masters of determining the pace of battle.

Fire grants the ability Fire, (surprise!) which allows the ninja to inflict the status effect Fire on enemies they wound. Clan Tora are master smiths and alchemists with the fiery disposition of a tiger.

Elemental Shrine

The Elemental Shrine is a paired spawning point with with several unique abilities. TheElemental Affinity chosen for the shrine applies to all of the ninja spawned from the shrine. Using the different colored shrine ninja or clan ninja to identify the element chosen keeps it nice and easy to identify ninja on the dungeon map.

Hidden allows ninja to spawn anywhere in the same tile as the spawning point, not only within 2 squares! This is excellent when facing an area effect Hero party or just getting your ninja closer to the action.

Stealth reduces the range of all attacks against the shrine by three squares, to a minimum of one. We’re going to see a lot of Stealth on these cards!

Kaiken

Kaiken are the base level ninja. These minion ninja come in with relatively normal attributes for a minion. A STR of 3 blue and ARM of 1 star are solid, and Stealth grants them an extra measure of protection.

It’s important to note that in addition to their Melee Attack they also have a Missile Attack with a range of three squares. A solid DEX of 3 blue makes this attack nice and deadly, and it effectively extends their threat radius to nine squares.

Back Strike adds some punch to the Kaiken’s STR when it picks on Hero’s that did not activate in the previous turn.

Yajiri

Yajiri are ranged ninja and pepper there foes with arrows with a Missile Attack range of 6 squares, using their DEX of 3 blue. Their ARM is, well, nonexistent, but thanks to Stealth and their natural inclination to stay at range, they can be surprisingly tough to destroy.

Wind of Blades allows the yajiri to make a second basic Missile Attack offensive action if they do not move at all during their activation. Neat!

Kunoichi

Kunoichi are fast. Really fast. With eight movement points and their offensive action Wind in the Forest giving them Pounce for five more squares of movement Kunoichi can cross a dungeon tile in a single activation.

While their STR is average, their DEX of 2 red can be used for defense rolls making them extremely tough. Kunoichi excel at isolating weaker Heroes and making them pay.

Madoushi

While they pack a solid punch with a range 6 Magic Attack and WILL of 2 red, Madoushi really excel at support.

Their Poisoned Weapons support action aura gives every ninja within 3 squares the abilityPoison, which when layered with Elemental Affinity bonuses can become crippling to an ill prepared party.

Wind Walk is pure utility, allowing the Madoushi to pick up and move all the affected ninja 3 squares. This ability is incredible to watch in action as the madoushi repositions a large group of ninja ruining Hero’s plans.

Chunin

The Chunin is a straight up combat beast, when paired with any of the Elemental Affinities. Three action points combined with a STR of 2 blue and 1 red is excellent for a spawning point monster. A Hero level ARM of 3 blue and 3 Hearts keeps the chunin swinging.

Precision Strike inflicts Knockdown on every enemy within 2 squares. We like to imagine it like a classic movie scene where the ninja is surrounded, and then in a flurry of strikes perfectly disables every attacker, and they lie groaning in agony on the ground!

The Elemental Master support action allows the Chunin to pick any element and its corresponding ability that fits the Chunin’s needs. This support action takes a bit of forethought, since the new affinity will only be used to its fullest during the Chunin’s next activation, but is incredible when used wisely.

Heroes!

The Ninja All-Stars range is full of Hero and Ronin models, that all make exceptional Super Dungeon Explore Heroes. We didn’t want to flood Super Dungeon Explore with a sea of Heroes. Instead we made three Heroes whose diverse skill sets and focus on particular attributes, when combined with Elemental Affinity, easily represent any ninja model you want to use in your games.

Hidden Shrine Infiltrator

The Hidden Shrine Infiltrator is a unique ranged attack specialist that focuses on supporting the party. But the Infiltrator is not all support and a DEX of 2 red and a Missile Attack range of 6 squares, lets the Infiltrator strike from a distance with authority. Air affinity is a great pairing that allows the Infiltrator to take safety in difficult terrain and reposition should attacks come its way.

The Infiltrator is also the source of the Hidden Shrine Heroes’ Stealth thanks to Squid, helping to keep the party alive and force monsters to draw near.

Crane is a Lance area effect that also provides board control. Hitting eight squares in a line and pulling them three.

Using Squid and Crane techniques effectively can force monsters to bunch, setting them up perfectly for other Hero’s area effect offensive actions.

Benevolence is a unique potion in that it helps everyone it affects, friendly and enemy, so careful use is key. However, it really shines in large parties of 4 or 5 Heroes who are engaged in bitter battle again Water or Fire Shrine Ninja, or against an Oni.

Hidden Shrine Mystic

The Hidden Shrine Mystic is the ninja magic user. An ARM of 3 blue and WILL of 2 blue and 1 red are good starting Hero attributes.

Monkey is a great area effect offensive action, that uses the Mystic’s WILL. Knockdown is icing on the cake, made all the sweeter when paired with Water or Fire Affinity for double status effect dealing devastation!

Fox is a board control ability that requires opposed WILL rolls to execute. If the Mystic wins it may move the target 3 squares in any direction. Fox’s low cost of only one action point is very important, making it an easy ability to use for minor positioning while still attacking.

Wisdom brings emergency healing to the ninja trio, Healing one wound and removing all status effects thanks to Remedy.

Hidden Shrine Master

The Hidden Shrine Master is the melee specialist. Seven movement points allow the Master to close quickly with their foe and use their beefy 2 red STR. ARM of 3 blue is low for a model meant to get stuck in, but choosing Earth as their affinity can make them shed status effects and increase durability.

Tiger Strike increases the Master’s mobility further, thanks to Pounce, while adding a nice bonus to STR. It is also a useful ability to escape if the Master is being mobbed by monsters. Speaking of monster mobs.

Ogre is ideal for getting models out of the way, or into harmful terrain. Pair Ogre with the Void Affinity for insanity – using its Push move to trigger Predator’s free Melee Attacks. Mwhahahaha!

Valor is an exceptional potion thanks to its action point granting superpower.

Oni

Of course no spawning point is complete without a mini-boss. Let’s look at the Oni!

The Oni is a beast of a mini-boss and brutal even before an Elemental Affinity is selected. A STR of 3 red with a Melee Attack range of 2 squares lets the Oni hit hard. While an ARM of 2 red and 6 Hearts keeps it standing against even the fiercest attack.

The Oni has a wide variety of unique actions that provide it with a versatility rarely seen in a mini-boss.

Disaster is a bit of a wild card, using all of the Oni’s action points but hitting every Hero within 3 squares. Naturally, this ability is more efficient against a large party, but even against a part of three it can be worthwhile thanks to its unique status effect dealing potential. To choose effects randomly we just put the tokens in a pile, close our eyes and pick one! Like the Mystic’s Monkey technique, Water or Fire Affinity turns this into a two status effect dealing ability. Ouch.

If the Oni begins to get beat up Devour provides a brutal green die to the Oni’s STR and has the chance to heal.

Borrowing a pages from the Infiltrator’s Fox technique deceive allows the Oni to reposition Heroe’s and provide board control assistance.

So Much Ninja!

While we only showed Classic Mode monster cards in this preview, the Ninja Pack does include cards for Arcade Mode.

As you can see, the Super Dungeon: Ninja Pack is much more than its simple title. Within its cards is perhaps one of the trickiest, most versatile, and deadly group of Heroes and monsters in Crystalia. Fitting for a unique band of stealthy assassins whose hidden shrines dot the Wandering Monk Mountains!