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Bob Greenwade wrote on Wed, Sep 20, 2023 02:27 PM UTC:

65. Retriever. No, this isn't the dog breed from Labrador; it's supposed to be short for "Fugitive Retriever." (Clearly the piece design isn't the only problem here; I need a better name for someone who hunts down fugitives, but "Hunter" and "Marshall" were already taken by well-known pieces, and "Brute Squad" just doesn't quite work.)

I'd just finished a set of leapers when I noticed that one had a good opening for a Bishop, and the other for a Rook. The Bishop-based one, the Inquisitor, came out fine (I might share that one next week). The Rook one, not so much, though I like the concept: it also moves as an Alfil or Zebra, in a sort of broad diagonal jump. (RAZ)

This (and the Inquisitor) could be a decent powerhouse in a large-board game, I think.

The big thing is, as you can see, I'm rather at a loss for even a decent concept for a look. I thought about doing something that looked like the medieval counterpart of a paddy-wagon (think of all those period and fantasy movies where someone's being transported in a cage on wheels), but somehow this is what developed. It has distinctiveness in its favor, but nothing about it says (at least, to my eye), "This represents someone who hunts down fugitives."

As with the last two pieces, suggestions are very welcome. (In this case, it also includes name suggestions!)


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