Wraith Legend Spotlight
Kings Canyon—an island on planet Solace, once used by the now defunct Interstellar Manufacturing Company (IMC) as the location for the Thunderdome gladiatorial combat arena, and currently transformed for the purpose of hosting the Apex Games—an evolved version of the bloodsport. But a handful of IMC laboratories still remain beneath the surface of the planet, among which is the Singh Lab—the development and testing site for Project Wraith, devoted to experimenting with Phase Shift technology.
Only a single test subject managed to flee from the facility…
Subject 61137—that’s what they used to call her in the laboratories as part of Project Wraith. After being tested on by the Archaeological Research Division (ARES) and escaping, she had a chance to learn just how powerful the technology was—the ability to enter the Void by opening dimensional portals was a great help to her. And she could use it to find more information, in different facilities.
“My name is Wraith—and we have a job to do.”
Wraith can easily move through not only space but also time, which makes her a strong and exceptionally nimble fighter. Following the voice in her head, she is able to create her own outcomes. With each victory she gets closer to uncovering the truth about her past—which fuels her determination to eliminate all who stand in her way.
As you carefully analyze the scene playing out on the board, you begin to assess the chances of your Wraith avoiding detection. They have managed to take her by surprise, forcing her to seek cover behind a loot crate near a corner of the room. They are advancing on her, and it is obvious that she is their target. All she has to do is be patient and wait for the right moment to slip away.
One of the most important parts of designing Wraith was to give her mobility and agility, but also retain her identity as an Offensive character who can aid her allies not only through sheer speed, but also by providing intelligence in the heat of battle. Her Ultimate ability—Dimensional Rift, allows her to transport herself and her teammates across great distances with the use of a portal, leaving the choice of how far it reaches entirely up to her, so that she can adjust it to her next course of action. This grants her incredible flanking possibilities, but that is not the only way to use the Dimensional Rift—Wraith can also use it as a way out of harsh situations, and, if the enemies follow through, it can aid in turning the tide of a battle. To make the Rifts more noticeable, we designed separate miniatures representing the portals.
As a Squadmate tips you off as to their next move, you interpret it as Wraith hearing a spectral voice in her mind: “They’re right behind you. Now.” That’s all she needs to hear. You position the portal on the board and gleefully send your character through, forcing your opponents to watch her move past her assailants and phase out of the room, leaving them behind and without a clue as to where she went.
“I know all the roads. They all lead to the same place.”
Wraith can also quickly reposition herself whenever she is being shot at, using her Tactical Ability—Into the Void, which not only makes it harder for her enemies to hit her, but also allows her to withdraw from a fight by dropping out of sight altogether.
“Try not to blink, you may miss me.”
This ability can also be used as a powerful flanking aid, providing Wraith with a bonus to movement speed, allowing her to maneuver into a superior shooting position or gain high ground, making it the perfect ability for a plethora of situations.
You watch the opposing Squad struggle to get a lock on your character. They can never predict her next move. She can disappear and reappear in places they cannot possibly expect, instinctively moving out of their line of fire, as if guided by some uncanny insight, or sending her enemies volleys of bullets before they have a chance to react.
Wraith will stop at nothing to exact revenge for what’s been done to her and reveal the truth behind all that happened to her before her escape. The Voice reaching out to her was coming from someplace else, from another time.
It was coming from the Void.
Voices from the Void, Wraith’s passive ability, is represented by a Feat Card—this allowed us to represent her capability to use the voice she hears in her head not only to keep herself and her teammates alert to potential danger, but also to change the outcome of a fight by seeing how her next attack is about to play out and altering it, or preventing the enemy from reacting to it, aiding her Squad in defeating the enemy much more easily.
“Sorry, you were never gonna win. I knew every punch you were ever gonna throw.”
Another advantage over her opponents comes from a Feat Card that allows her to change the location they land in as they move through her portals. A different one will also help Wraith in exacting swift revenge against enemies that had previously dealt her damage, by granting her easier hits against them. And, to once again highlight her flanking abilities, she has Cards that allow her to move over short distances, either to close in on her enemies and deal damage to them as a result, or to teleport to spaces beyond her Line of Sight.
“I play the hand I’m dealt.”
Her Cards make her very fast, unpredictable and full of surprises, able to get out of hard situations without breaking a sweat, and to find herself wherever she needs to be, whenever she needs to be.
As the first round of your next game begins, you become instantly drawn into the action, and you soon find yourself following each move of your Wraith with a description of the events as you would imagine them to unfold in her mind. You lead her through empty corridors and rooms heavy with silence—a foreshadowing of the storm to come. The ring was about to start closing again.
“They know you are here,” the spectral voice would certainly say.
You watch the way she moves: slowly, silently, and safely. It is much easier to sneak around in the buildings, rather than risk exposing yourself out in the open. You notice a lonely target—they are probably trying to find her, but haven’t noticed her yet. Wraith slides across the floor behind some crates and the next moment she leaps at them from behind, killing them swiftly and stealthily with her kunai—her favorite weapon. She picks up the spoils—an R-301 Carbine—and presses on down a corridor, halting at a T-junction.
“A Squad to your right. Hide,” says a player from your team, but you know very well that that’s exactly what Wraith would be hearing in her head now.
You place your miniature behind the cover of a nearby wall. As you see it, Wraith takes one of her frag grenades and begins working out the perfect trajectory.
“A little to the left… Perfect.”
Fully trusting the voice, she throws the grenade and hears it landing directly at the feet of the enemy team. As it goes off, it leaves no survivors. You let out a deep sigh. Your Squad was supposed to be here and help you out, but they decided to split even before they landed, in order to cover more terrain. Wraith wouldn’t even be sure if they were still alive by now. Then again, she was ready to deal with the situation on her own. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last.
“Shooter! Move!” would be the words used to propel Wraith into a reaction to an attack by the opposing team. The warning is immediately followed by a barrage of bullets, forcing you to send Wraith into the Void, allowing her to dash for the exit from the building unscathed.
“They’ve laid traps.”
Of course they did, you think to yourself. But it’s still the least dangerous way out, and maybe Wraith could draw whoever was following her to bump into whoever planted the traps. Once she bursts out of the building, she quickly scouts the terrain in search of further danger. None to be seen. Yet.
You lead her through an unexpected cloud of smoke planted by another Legend. She braves it and leaps behind the nearest supply bin once she’s on the other side. It’s empty, of course, but it might provide you with some respite for the time being.
The silence lasts only a moment. You watch the enemy following your Wraith into the same cloud of smoke. She is ready for him. You use the element of surprise to your advantage, sending her to quickly take him down, finish him and collect his gear. You then open a portal to trap whoever tries to follow her, as the other players see her move further inside the ring.
“Another day, another road. Follow my path to win.”
