How Medusas should have been in my opinion

[Red...]

I have to say, I was very disappointed by the Medusas we got given in our new book. They have lots of utility to them (as many folks have demonstrated on here) but it was more that I was really hoping for a meatier, more rank and file monstrous infantry to fill our armies. Giving it some retrospective thought, I think the below was more of what I was hoping for. Any thoughts?

Medusa
M6 / WS3 / BS2 / S4 / T4 / W3 / A3 / I3 / Ld8

Cost: 65 points

Description: The sight of a Medusa fills even the hardiest of warriors with fear. Their heads writhe with venomous snakes, their lips are flecked with dried blood, and their eyes shimmer with a deadly mystery that none have ever lived to describe. Captured by Dark Elf slave parties in the flea infested swamps of southern Naggaroth, Medusas are often recruited into the armies of ambitious Druchii leaders, who can only pray to Khaine that the horror they bring to the battlefield can compensate for the risks they bring to the very host that fields them.

Special rules:
- Poison
- Stony Stare: The Medusa gains Heroic Killing Blow. Whenever a Medusa makes a successful heroic killing blow against a model with a shield, that model must immediately take an initiative test. If the test is passed, the model has successfully used their shield to avoid looking at the Medusa's eyes. If it fails, then it is removed as a casualty as normal. Rolls of a 1 always pass and rolls of a 6 always fail. If the test is passed with the roll of a 1, the Medusa sees its own reflection in the shield: remove it as a casualty instead. Enemy units who suffer one or more casualties from a stony stare attack suffer -2 to their leadership for the remainder of the turn.
- Scaly Skin (5+)
- Regeneration (5+)
- Fear
- Hatred (High Elves)
- Murderess Prowess

Equipment:
- Additional Hand Weapon (+5 points)
- Great Weapon (+10 points)

[Calisson]

- Your medusa is the Greek one, not a Druchii one. Well thought, though.
- The model's "M7" surprised me. I would expect a snake's body not to be as fast as a human, more likely M3. Your M6 seems rather fast.
- High BS and the specific shooting rule suited me well to reflect (no pun intended) her gaze.
- 65 pts? What you describe seems to be worth much more than 4 SoS or 2 COK.
- Poison, obviously!
- Heroic KB which can be reversed: like! However, it is so risky for the hydra that she will avoid shields at all costs.
- Hatred & MP: no, this is the racial traits of DE, and contrary to GW's medusa who are former DE, your medusa is a distinct species.
- Equipment: the GW should not be optional, it is there. The AHW is not there.

[Red...]

Thanks Calisson, the feedback is appreciated

In response to your points:

- Yes, I think the Greek one fits better in many ways (and must have been the inspiration for the GW ultimately).
- I like the idea of a snake slithering very quickly across the ground. Perhaps M5 with some kind of swiftstride (to emphasize that the model is not impeded by the same constraints faced by bipeds and quadrupeds)
- I think the gaze thing works better in close combat. Fluffwise, it suggests the need for the victim to be stared at close up and to meet the Medusa's gaze. Gamewise, I disliked the mechanics of the gaze as shooting thing.
- I was least certain of the points cost. The model has a lot going for it - but T4 and 3 wounds with a 5+/5+ save is actually quite low in durability and S4 is fairly limited in potential. Heroic killing blow is definitely very powerful, but mostly useless against non-elite troops and characters, with limited potential against high I forces (which most elite troops and characters have). It's also very circumstantial and the shield catch is quite big. I was thinking that a generic ogre has similar stats and costs around 40 IIRC (could be wrong, been a while since I saw an ogre statline). Add on 25 points (35 for the great weapon) and it might be the right kind of ball park. But as I say, I'm unsure about it.
- I concur on the poison front - very fluffy
- Yes, the medusa may try to avoid troops with shields and an opponent may try to rush her with shield bearing troops. It'd make for a fun addition to game strategy.
- Fair enough on the hatred and murderess prowess front.
- I like the idea of players being able to choose between an extra attack (with increased chance of poison and heroic killing blow) and getting that nice S6, but having to forgo the extra attack chance and striking last. It adds an element of choice.

[CitizenKhaine]

I like this unit as MI. they would be a perfect fit. Movement 5 would be good, some snakes are very quick and huge ones should be quicker so they could be as fast as 6.
I like the idea of heroic KB and reflecting shield attack but worry it might bog down play trying to remember the exceptions, plus I can see a bunch of cheap spearmen killing us.
Agree the MP and hatred should go, poison a must
A unit of those would look stunning on the table too, we need someone with GW influence to make it happen

[Calisson]

For the M, strider (rather than swifstride) is the solution.
In open ground, how many snakes are faster than a running man? (or elf??)
Now, in a forest / rivers / marshlands / obstacles, the snake might well get through faster.

[Saintofm]

In most medium I have seen (Anacandoa movie, RWBY web series, Beast Wars) this might be playing fast and loose with the laws of nature (granted this is a world where it makes perfect sense that if a hydra the size of a moving trick charges you dosn't cause impact hits.

Snakes can move fast, especially when they strike when they can lung, grab, and ensnare their next meal in seconds (even big bruzers like pythons and anacondas). And there are some pretty fast snakes such as sidewinders, King Kobras, and black mombas (they don't nessiily have the mass as said constrictors but they do well on their own,).

THe real question is what happened to the other half of her Victoria Secret battle bra and why does she have what apears to be hips?