Watcher’s Noble Phantasm varies depending on the active stratagem.
Chapter Six, Strengths and Weaknesses
The Art of War
Rank B, Anti-Unit, maximum 1 target.
Sun Zi takes in both her general and their adversary, assessing their various strengths and weaknesses. She calculates the ideal way to take down the enemy. For just a moment, Sun Zi manifests semi-physically and swiftly drubs the enemy with a sheathed sword, to indicate where to strike and in what order, and her Master, with blinding speed, replicates those blows with a proper blade.
“A true master strategist can win a fight without drawing her blade. Watch and learn.”
Chapter Twelve, Fire and Weaponry
The Art of War
Rank A, Anti-Army, maximum 100 targets.
Sun Zi summons countless training dummies in a semi-circular formation around the enemy, then commands them to unleash a joint volley of flaming arrows via spring-loaded crossbows. The enemy is harried, but the Noble Phantasm’s true power is in how it enflames the battlefield. Sun Zi, who knows where the fire is, suddenly has a tremendous advantage over her enemies, who are disoriented from the fire and smoke. The enemies incur a defensive debuff while Sun Zi and her “general” receive a boost in power with the space so long as the fire persists.
“Fire should be used judiciously. Any fool can use fire to destroy. A master uses it to create. And ideally, what it should be used to create is opportunities.”
Chapter Four, Tactical Positioning
The Art of War
Rank C, Anti-Unit, maximum 5 targets.
A field of spinning training dummies and swinging sandbags are conjured around the enemies, battering them about relentlessly but harmlessly. Sun Zi waits for the perfect moment, then commands her Master to strike, charging through the entire obstacle course and skewering all foes within using a single artfully-timed thrust.
“Spatial positioning is critical in any engagement. Look for opportunities to strike without neglecting the possibility of the enemy seeing such opportunities in your own formation.”
Chapter Seven, Maneuvering Forces
The Art of War
Rank A, Anti-Army, maximum 100 targets.
Sun Zi conjures a herd of oxen with training dummies astride them, then commands the herd to stampede toward the enemy. As they approach, Sun Zi outfits her general’s wooden mount to resemble a tank, with gunpowder and bamboo apparati simulating mortar cannons and rocket propulsion. The false cavalry serves as a diversionary feint as the chariot of war closes the distance with improbable speed. A substantial army can be expertly trampled, as even their best efforts to avoid the oxen could leave them wide open the charging vehicle’s more targeted assault.
Unfortunately, the modification are unstable and are rendered inoperable at the assault’s conclusion.
“An army’s travel time is valuable information, and that means it’s open for misinformation. If your enemy is given to understand how long it will take you to reach them,
prove them wrong.”
Chapter Five, Allocation of Power
The Art of War
Rank EX, Anti-Master
Sun Zi projects her own strategic genius into her Master, granting them a heightened awareness of themselves. This state could be called a sort of “temporary enlightenment”, allowing the Master to maximize their own independent abilities as a mage, rather than granting new abilities. For example, a mage that specializes in fire spells will be able to cast them with astonishing efficiency, as well as an innate understanding of how to most creatively use said spells. The power of this Noble Phantasm is difficult to quantify, as the scope of its effect varies dramatically depending on the Master.
“Your body is like a battlefield. Your magical circuits are roads, your magical energy are your troops. See the pathways, understand the playing field, and you and your army will be undefeated.”
Chapter Thirteen, Usage of Espionage
The Art of War
Rank A+, Anti-Secret, Up to 20
Sun Zi manifests some number of training dummies, dressed in black. She can camouflage these into their environment. One places in a forest may look to a casual observer like a branch, while one in an urban environment might look like a lamppost, an innocuous pedestrian, or some other such thing beneath notice. These “scouts” are able to observe their surroundings with a supernatural degree of perception, and are set up to telepathically “report” to Sun Zi with anything of note. Sun Zi is able to process this information and pick out the most critical pieces.
This Noble Phantasm’s only weakness is that, if a scout dummy is in danger of being discovered, it (unlike a living spy) is unable to adapt its disguise without the aid of Watcher or her master, and can easily be destroyed if left unattended.
“There is no one better to ask about your enemy’s movements and weaknesses than your enemy.”
Chapter Two, Waging War
The Art of War
Rank D, Anti-Army, maximum 10 targets.
A number of training dummies filled with explosive powder crop up around the enemy, and Sun Zi’s master is compelled to attack the dummies, detonating them in a specific order dictated by Sun Zi to maximize damage to the enemy. This Noble Phantasm, without extensive preparation, can cause massive harm to the Master in question, potentially killing them. It is not advised to ever issue the command to use this without the explicit recommendation from the woman herself.
“Such direct tactics should be avoided at all costs, but if the situation arises such that direct confrontation is the only option, one must be prepared to do so with all their being. Now,
show me your war face!”