Babies

## Overview

*The days are long but the years are short. Babies start small but grow bigger and bigger before your very eyes. Before long, they are hardly the little ones you remember. Babies age rapidly and develop new skills to help them claim bases for themselves, because babies don't share. They just grow up so fast!*

Babies start smaller than normal minions but grow over time. Their minion modifiers give them unique skills that can be used every turn and the more skills they have, the more powerful they become.

### Details

#### General

* **Name:** Babies
* **Author:** Bandit
* **Complexity:** 2/5
* **Version:** 1.0
* **Last Updated:** 07/23/23

#### Mechanics

* Power Counters
* Minion Modifiers
* Start of Turn Manipulation

#### Special Details

The video for this faction was used to announce the impending arrival of our daughter.

## Cards

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Qtod1toHyfrk7jK9CGRxjIY6VCqSnz-r?usp=sharing

### Breakdown

The Babies have 10 minions of below average power for a total power of 10 printed power. However, they have abilities that grow their power quickly and card draw to fuel their growth. Several of their abilities occur every turn, not just the current player's turn. Babies use granted Talents where Ongoing abilities supply Talents directly to the minion, allowing them to be reused when the modifier moves.

* 8 play-on-minion actions: Growth Spurt (2x), Eating Solid Foods (2x), Learning to Crawl, Learning to Read, Crying, Socialization
* 0 play-on-base actions.
* 2 standard actions, 2 of which directly affect one or more minions (in **bold**): **Happy Birthday**, **Tummy Time**
* 6 actions that directly increase a minion's power: Growth Spurt (2x), Eating Solid Foods (2x), Happy Birthday, Tummy Time

### Minions (10)

* **1x Boss Baby (5):** Ongoing: At the start of each turn, draw a card. Talent: Move a minion modifier between your minions.
* **2x Toddler (4):** Ongoing: At the start of your turn, draw a random card from your discard pile, OR place a +1 power counter on this minion.
* **3x Infant (3):** Ongoing: At the start of your turn, play a minion modifier on this minion, OR use one of this minion's Talents
* **4x Newborn (2):** Ongoing: At the start of each turn, place a +1 power counter on this minion.

### Actions (10)

* **2x Eating Solid Foods:** Minion Modifier. Ongoing: This minion has the ability: "Talent: Discard up to three cards from your hand to place an equal number of +1 power counters on this minion."
* **2x Growth Spurt:** Minion Modifier. Ongoing: At the start of your turn, this minion gains +1 until the end of the turn for each +1 power counter on it.
* **1x Crying:** Minion Modifier. Ongoing: This minion has the ability: "Talent: Move another player's minion here with less power than this minion."
* **1x Happy Birthday:** Place a +1 power counter on each of your minions with a +1 power counter. Resolve any number of Ongoing abilities on your minions that are triggered at the start of your turn.
* **1x Learning to Crawl:** Minion Modifier. Play on one of your minions. Ongoing: This minion has the ability: "Talent: Move this minion."
* **1x Learning to Read:** Minion Modifier. Ongoing: This minion has the ability: "Talent: Draw a card."
* **1x Socialization:** Minion Modifier. Ongoing: This minion has the ability: "Talent: Play a minion here of power 2 or less."
* **1x Tummy Time:** Until the end of the turn, each of your minions of printed power 2 or less has its printed power increased to 3 if it has a minion modifier.

### Bases

* **(16) Ball Pit (2 1 0):** After you play a minion here, choose another minion here. That minion gets -2 power until the start of your next turn.

* **(19) The Nursery (3 2 1):** At the start of your turn, place a +1 power counter on each of your minions here.

## Clarifications

* **Boss Baby:** Moving a minion modifier that grants a Talent (Learning to Read) allows that Talent to be used again.
* **Infant**: Using this minion's Talent as part of its Ongoing does not count towards the normal Talent quota.
* **Crying:** This talent moves a weaker minion off of the Crying minion's base.
* **Happy Birthday:** This does not reset the turn to the Start of the Turn. It just functions like an Argonaut for Start of Turn abilities on your cards.

## Strategy

### General

Babies want to grow over time, accumulating power counters and drawing cards in the process. They want to position themselves carefully to avoid giving away their power to their rival and have the right cards in hand at the right time. Happy Birthday is their big play as it lets them grow larger and potentially use their Talents multiple time. They definitely want to spread out as they won't win every base but want to maintain presence for Boss Baby.

### Partner Suggestions

Babies grow every turn and excel in multiplayer allowing for Come At Me strategies. Besides the obvious power counter and minion modifier strategies, Babies want low footprint minions to play with Socialization, stalling capabilities, and specials in case their power backfires.

#### Published

* Thieves
* Shapeshifters
* Killer Plants

## Author Notes

The Babies were inspired by the Skeletons in Erudia. Their design started with newborn to convey the theme of starting low but growing quickly. Despite my preference for 2P, they were very much designed for multiplayer.

## Reviews

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