brainstorm: martyr ability giving damage bonus on death.

[zharmad]

I'd like this thread to be an open discussion, not really to include in mainline 'cause don't think any units would fit the bill (however, placing this on EoM Celestial Zealots might be interesting...)
I've searched the forums briefly for a similar idea, so... this is what I had on my mind:
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Unit ability: martyr
Description: If this unit dies in battle, all friendly (or units of the same player only) units adjacent to it gains a 20% damage bonus for the round. This buff does not stack.

Optional restriction #1: This ability applies to units of the same level or lower (so you can't sacrifice a level 0/1 unit to buff a level 3).
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Notes:
- The mechanics act like slow, so the buff will last for one complete turn - it ends at the begining of the next turn of the player who triggers the ability.
- This is also like a one-turn leadership bonus. The obvious uses are clear and straight forward.
- This is also a situational ability, which provide an additional risk/reward for the player. Knowing how to manage the HP of the martyr unit is essential to higher level play. To put simply, there is a certain advantage to leaving this unit near death, but only when his death will not be wasted. Very martyr-like.
- The unit that killled it can level (!). That would, in most cases, be a noob-ish mistake to make.
- This is a unit you don't want spammed. I imagine one would put the ability on a moderately priced unit with slightly weaker-than-average attacks. On the other hand it could belong on a more powerful and expensive unit to justify the 20% boost and remove the spamming potential.

Thoughts?

[Velensk]

Speaking as EoM maintainer

This is an interesting ability, and though it fits the theme of the zelot, it does not fit the unit's stats/role.

[zharmad]

I can see your point, since zealots are useful ranged units in their own right (for when you shouldn't use wizards). Though I must admit I don't use zealots much myself.

The kind of strategies one might consider for this ability wouldn't fit into current units in most factions of EE/EOM. You're supposed to keep most of them alive so they will be useful. I could see it being on a new/existing devling unit, but that faction is fairly powerful already.

I wonder whether people working on a new era/faction would like the idea of an altruistic beserker-type creature.

[Edward V Riley]

I can see that a 'martyr' dying would buff the stats of nearby units, but it would also have to have a penalty factor using common sense. All units affected would hit only with melee attacks, their ranged or magical abilities negated for that round. Therefore, when using the martyr's death, you'd try to make sure you have the better melee units around it when it happens.