I was thrilled, when researching for these blogs, to discover that the sci-fi characters originally developed by Angel Barracks (now essentially defunct but still running the excellent Wargames Website) are still available from CP Models.
Images (c) CP Models
These are some of my favourites from the list:
Heroes are one of those features of Horizon Wars: Midnight Dark that you could choose to ignore completely. But I suspect most players will want to include them eventually. In most elements, they are just an upgrade to the element that adds some extra bells and whistles. Tactically useful bells and whistles, but they don't necessarily merit a special mini (although you're welcome to add one!).
Heroes really come into their own when they are pilots.
Tactical air elements (gunships) can be upgraded with heroes and, if they get shot down, the hero has a chance to eject and join the battle as a light infantry element. So it certainly helps to have a few markers to illustrate your ejected pilots if you can.
But mech pilots are another order of interesting, because not only do they have the chance to eject from a destroyed mech, but they can even eject from their own mech at will and run around "naked" if matters call for it. And whilst occasions when leaving the safety of their mechsuit might be few and far between, sometimes it will makes sense. Generally, mechs can't enter buildings, but if doing so is necessary to claim and objective, they can eject their pilot, who can run in, grab the objective and, hopefully, run out again.
Usually, unpiloted mechs are just inert and vulnerable. But with the right upgrades, mech pilots can share their orders with their mechs, allowing both pilot and mech to fight independently. And - my favourite upgrade - pilots can even steal other pilots' mechs. So with the right circumstances, a pilot could jump out of a heavily-damaged mech and steal a better enemy mech to keep on fighting.
Heroes don't have a conventional statline but, instead, can modify other stats by taking from one column and adding to another. In the example below, the hero deducts one from Firepower and adds it to their mech's Mobility. I have also given them the Heroic Rage upgrade as well as the Cuckoo upgrade. This means that their mech counts as P5 in CQB and, if the pilot ejects, they will themselves count as P3, making them more likely to survive in an encounter with another mech and maximising their odds of successfully using the Cuckoo upgrade.
Cost | P | M | F | A | D | Special | |
Medium Mech | 32 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | Rapid(3) |
Hero | 4 | +1 | -1 | Heroic Rage, Cuckoo |