The Legend

Boss Overview

Encounter Type	Multi-Phase Boss Fight (HP Deck = Boss Health System)
Recommended Players	2-4 Pilots (Experienced - 3+ Missions Completed)
Estimated Duration	60-90 minutes (Prepare for a marathon)
Difficulty	BRUTAL
Unique Mechanics	HP Deck System, Phase Escalation, Taint Corruption, Minion Summons, False Defeat
Victory Reward	Legendary Loot, 500 Credits, Campaign Unlock (Sister Vex as NPC Ally)

Boss Statistics

Attribute	Value	Notes
Weight Class	Super-Heavy (2,000 lbs)	Slow but devastating
Movement	3 hexes per activation	Methodical advance
Armor	4 (Base)	Heavily armored scripture plating
Starting HP Deck	40 AI Behavior cards	Each card = 1 HP. Damage = discard cards.
Cards Drawn Per Turn	3 (plays all immediately)	Unpredictable AI behavior
Taint Resistance	Immune (already fully corrupted)	Taint Level 7 - maximum corruption
Morale	Unbreakable (never flees)	Fights to the death

HP Deck System Explained

Sister Vex uses a 40-card AI Behavior deck instead of traditional HP. When players damage her, they discard cards from this deck. Each card drawn determines her actions that turn. As the deck shrinks, she reshuffles and adds Phase cards...new, deadlier abilities that escalate the fight's difficulty.

How It Works:

1. Damage = Discard: When Sister Vex takes 5 damage, discard 5 cards from her HP deck (not from hand).
2. Boss Turn: After ALL players act, Sister Vex draws 3 cards and plays them all in order.
3. Phase Triggers: When she reshuffles at specific card thresholds (24, 14, 7 cards), shuffle in Phase cards.
4. Escalating Threat: Phase 1 = Basic attacks. Phase 4 = Ultimate abilities, minions, resurrection.
5. Victory: Boss defeated when deck AND hand are empty and cannot reshuffle.

Why This Works: The boss doesn't just lose health...she transforms. Her behavior deck IS her health pool. As she takes damage and cards are removed, powerful new cards are added at phase thresholds. Early phases are manageable. Late phases are desperate survival. Players must race to kill her before Phase 4, but rushing causes mistakes. Taint accumulation punishes aggression. The fight rewards strategy, not brute force.

Phase Progression

Phase	Cards Remaining	New Abilities Added	Threat Level
Phase 1: The Penitent	40-25 cards	Base deck only (7 card types)	Moderate - Learning the pattern
Phase 2: The Flagellant	24-15 cards	+5 difficulty cards (self-harm burst, chains, minion summons)	High - Escalation begins
Phase 3: The Martyr	14-8 cards	+5 brutal cards (execute, mass corruption, permanent buffs)	Extreme - Desperation phase
Phase 4: The Hollow	7-0 cards	+3 ultimate cards (AOE ultimates, mind control, RESURRECTION)	LETHAL - Survive or die

"She is methodical. Patient. Every strike scripture. Every step prayer. Do not mistake her calm for weakness."

"The wounds open. Her Casket bleeds scripture and oil. She smiles through shattered teeth. This is where mercy dies."

"She is beyond pain now. The Confessional shrieks with machine-agony, but she laughs. The final sermon begins."

"There is nothing left. She is the void. She is damnation. She will drag you down with her."

Corrupted Penitent Minion

When "Invoke the Engine" is played, summon this minion. Max 2 on field at once.

Attribute	Value
HP	10-card deck
Movement	4 hexes
Armor	1
Attack	2d6 melee damage
AI Behavior	Draw 1 card per turn, play immediately
Death Effect	All players within 2 hexes gain 1 Taint token (death explosion)

Deck Composition (10 cards):

• 6× "Shambling Advance" (Move toward nearest enemy)
• 4× "Corrupted Strike" (Attack for 2d6, target gains 1 Taint on hit)

Victory & Defeat Conditions

Players Win:

Sister Vex is defeated when her deck AND hand are both empty, and she cannot reshuffle. Even if she uses "Absolution Denied" to resurrect once, she can still be defeated permanently.

Players Lose:

• Total Party Kill: All players defeated (decks empty)
• Corruption Victory: Any player reaches 10+ Taint and becomes permanently Corrupted (fails save)
• Retreat: Players flee the battlefield (campaign consequence: Sister Vex hunts them)

Legendary Loot & Rewards

Guaranteed Loot:

• "The Confessional's Scripture" (Rare Relic) - Once per mission, when you would take lethal damage, survive at 1 card remaining. Gain 3 Taint.
• 500 Credits
• 2d6 Scrap

Legendary Loot Table (Roll 1d20):

Roll	Item	Effect
1-5	"Martyr's Burden" (Heavy Armor)	+2 Armor, but take +1 damage from all sources
6-10	"Faithkeeper's Edge" (Sword)	3d6 damage, gain 1 Taint per hit
11-15	"Chains of Absolution" (Relic)	Target enemy cannot move for 1 turn (once per mission)
16-19	"Tainted Soulstone" (Consumable ×3)	Remove all Taint, but take 3d6 damage
20	"Sister Vex's Casket Fragment" (Unique Relic)	Start each mission with "Shield of Faith" card in hand

Campaign Unlock:

Sister Vex can now be recruited as an NPC ally (costs 200 Credits per mission, has 50% chance to betray you if you act "unholy"). Extremely powerful but unpredictable. Her Taint Level 7 status means she radiates corruption...standing near her for extended periods risks player Taint accumulation.

Difficulty Variants

Easy Mode (First-Time Players):

• Set Sister Vex's starting deck to 30 cards for this variant (override the usual 40)
• Remove Phase 4 cards entirely
• Minions have 6 HP instead of 10
• No "Absolution Denied" resurrection

Hard Mode (Experienced Players):

• Start Sister Vex with 50 cards
• Add +1 card to each Phase expansion
• Sister Vex draws 4 cards per turn instead of 3
• Minions have 15 HP

Nightmare Mode (Veterans Only):

• Start Sister Vex with 60 cards
• Phase 2 triggers at 40 cards, Phase 3 at 25, Phase 4 at 12
• Sister Vex draws 5 cards per turn
• All damage from Sister Vex ignores 1 armor
• Corrupted Penitents have 20 HP and attack twice per turn
• "Absolution Denied" can trigger twice per battle

Setup Instructions

Boss Starting Position:

Place Sister Vex in the center of the battlefield (hex map center).

Boss Deck Construction:

Shuffle the following 40 cards to create Sister Vex's starting HP deck:

• 10× "Zealous Strike" (Basic Attack)
• 6× "Advance and Condemn" (Move + Attack)
• 4× "Defensive Scripture" (Defense)
• 5× "Martyrdom Protocol" (Regeneration)
• 5× "Taint Pulse" (AOE Corruption)
• 5× "Righteous Advance" (Move toward nearest enemy)
• 5× "Shield of Faith" (Block + Counter)

Player Setup:

• 2-4 Casket pilots (recommended 3 for balanced difficulty)
• Use your campaign decks; for one-off playtests, 30-card example builds are acceptable
• Place players 6-8 hexes from boss (surrounding positions)
• Each player starts with 0 Taint tokens (track on paper)

Boss Turn Sequence:

1. After ALL players have taken their turns, Sister Vex activates
2. Draw 3 cards from HP deck
3. Play all 3 cards in order drawn (resolve effects)
4. Discard cards to separate discard pile
5. If deck is empty, reshuffle immediately and add Phase cards based on current threshold

Quick Reference

Phase	Cards Remaining	New Cards Added
Phase 1	40-25	Base deck only
Phase 2	24-15	+5 difficulty cards
Phase 3	14-8	+5 brutal cards
Phase 4	7-0	+3 ultimate cards

Boss Turn: Draw 3, Play All, Discard

Win Condition: Boss deck + hand empty, cannot reshuffle

Taint Threshold: 10+ = Corruption (player loss)