A third figure for Sgt. Drake has been confirmed for release in the Age of Annihilation era, giving him and Raelin the unique privilege of having three figures in Heroscape. You can only control one Unique figure with the same name, thus, you can only have one version of Sgt. Drake in your army at a time.
Though he is incredibly agile and strong in hand-to-hand combat, Sergeant Alexander was injured and weaponless after being whisked away to Valhalla by Jandar. Healed by the Kyrie Kelda, he was then given two powerful weapons by Jandar: The Katana of Thorian, and Bleakwoode's Grapple Gun. He learned to use them quickly, for Jandar's forces were already under attack.
The Katana, an enchanted sword that channels the powers of the great warrior Thorian, obscures Alexander's Image from afar, making him almost impossible to strike. With his magical sword, his laser-guided Grapple Gun and his steely will to conquer evil. Sgt. Alexander has become one of Jandar's best soldiers.[1]
Thorian Speed: Opponents' figures must be adjacent to Sgt. Drake Alexander to attack him with a normal attack.
Grapple Gun 25: Instead of Sgt. Drake Alexander's normal move, he may move only one space. This space may be up to 25 levels higher. When using the Grapple Gun, all engagement rules still apply.
What kind of attacks does Thorian Speed protect from? Can Sgt. Drake Alexander be hit by any ranged attacks? Sgt. Drake Alexander can be hit by any ranged Special Attacks only. He cannot be hit by normal attacks unless they are from an engaged opponent. (Hasbro FAQ)[2]
Downward Movement for Grapple Gun Can Sgt. Drake Alexander travel down up to 25 levels with his Grapple Gun without taking falling damage? No, The wording for Grapple Gun states: “This space may be up to 25 levels HIGHER.” If Sgt. Drake Alexander travels down, he would take falling damage like any other figure. His Grapple Gun only helps him to travel up, not down. (Hasbro FAQ)[2]
Upward Movement with Grapple over Battlement - less than 25 Can Sgt. Drake Alexander Grapple onto a Fortress Wall Walk that is 10 levels high, but has a battlement on it? This battlement would cause him to go up 12, but down 2 to get to the level 10 Fortress Wall Walk. Yes, his total upward movement was less than his Grapple Gun’s 25 level limit. (Hasbro FAQ)[2]
Upward Movement with Grapple over Battlement - more than 25 Can Sgt. Drake Alexander Grapple onto a Fortress Wall Walk that is exactly 25 levels higher, has a battlement on it? This battlement would cause him to go up 27 levels, but down 2 to get to the level 25 Fortress Wall Walk. No, because his total upward movement was more than his Grapple Gun’s 25 level limit. (Hasbro FAQ)[2]
Grappling Over A Ruin Can Sgt. Drake Alexander Grapple over a ruin and onto the hex on the other side? Yes he can, as long as the addition height of the ruin (6 levels) does not exceed his Grapple Gun’s total height limit of 25 levels. Note, if he does Grapple over the ruin, he will take falling damage on the other side (fall of 6 levels). (Hasbro FAQ)[2]
Sgt. Drake Alexander (Swarm of the Marro)[]
Drake Alexander is often commandeered as one of Jandar’s most skilled and deadliest warriors. Sgt. Alexander was once a soldier in World War II. On Valhalla, his command of Jandar’s Northern Army and his fearless heroics in battle have become legendary.
Now, Drake Alexander has a new mission. He leads a special squad of heroes through the Volcarren Wasteland and into the deadly uncharted swamp. With a new grappling-gun attached to his arm, a gift from Zetacron, Drake Alexander moves through all levels of the Ticalla Jungle like a shadow. The jungle holds a dangerous mystery, and if anyone can bring back information on what that danger might be, it’s the Sergeant and his team of heroes.[3]
Thorian Speed: Opponents' figures must be adjacent to Sgt. Drake Alexander to attack him with a normal attack.
Grapple Arm: Instead of his normal move, Sgt. Drake Alexander may use his Grapple Arm. Grapple Arm has a move of 4. When counting spaces for Grapple Arm, ignore elevations. Drake may grapple over water without stopping, over figures wtihout becoming engaged, and over obstacles such as ruins. Drake may not grapple more than 45 levels up or down in a single Grapple Arm move. If Drake is engaged when he starts his Grapple Arm move, he will take any leaving engagement attacks.
Pistol Fire Special Attack: Range 5 Attack 3 Drake may not use Pistol Fire Special Attack to attack a figure who follows Jandar.
What kind of attacks does Thorian Speed protect from? Can Sgt. Drake Alexander be hit by any ranged attacks? Sgt. Drake Alexander can be hit by any ranged Special Attacks only. He cannot be hit by normal attacks unless they are from an engaged (adjacent) opponent. (Hasbro FAQ)[4]
Sgt. Drake Alexander (Age of Annihilation)[]
Drake Alexander has always been a man of principle. On Earth, he fought to defend the rights and liberties of his fellow humans from the encroaching Reich. During a fateful battle, moments before his certain death, the ValkyrieJandar intervened. Drake’s noble heart now beats in the strange and distant land of Valhalla.
Jandar promised Drake that if he fought against the vile Utgar, he would one day be returned to his homeland. As have so many before him, Drake agreed; and though time and countless battles have since passed, Drake is no closer to seeing Jandar’s promise fulfilled. Through it all, one of his closest friends remains the KyrieRaelin. She may appear now to have joined the enemy, but Drake knows better, and he remains at the ready to aid her however he can.[5]
Stats[]
Life: 6
Move: 5
Range: 1
Attack: 6
Defense: 3
Points: 135
Abilities[]
Thorian Speed Opponents' figures must be adjacent to Sgt. Drake Alexander to attack him with a normal attack.
Grapple Grab 8 After moving and before attacking with Drake, you may choose one enemy Small or Medium figure within 4 clear sight spaces whose level is no more than 6 levels above or below Drake's level. Roll the 20-sided die. If you roll an 8 or higher, place the chosen figrue on any empty same-level space adjacent to Drake. If the chosen figure is engaged when it is moved by Grapple Grab, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks.
Flying When counting spaces for Drake's movement, ignore elevations. Drake may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. When Drake starts to fly, if he is engaged he will take any leaving engagement attacks.
Sgt. Drake Alexander (Age of Annihilation) has not received any official rulings or clarifications.
History[]
"Sgt. Alexander. You've come just in time."
Rise of the Valkyrie[]
Two weeks after his arrival in France of 1945, Sgt. Drake was crawling in a trench in World War II when a falling mortar caught him by surprise. Moments before his death, he was summoned by Jandar to Valhalla.[6] Jandar informed him that he was assembling a team from across time and space to prevent their war from being torn apart by the conflict for the Wellsprings. Drake worried that he was dead, but agreed to Jandar's request for aid, declaring that taking down bad guys is something he can help with.[7]
Kelda then helped him recover from his war injuries, and he was given Bleakwoode's Grapple Gun and the Katana of Thorian.
A short time later, he beheaded a Deathwalker 9000 using his Katana of Thorian, and was rescued by Raelin before Agent Carr was able to cause a stone pillar to collapse on him. He would later use a laser cannon to tackle another Deathwalker 9000, and was joined by several others from Jandar's army.[8]
At some point near this time, he was appointed to the lead of Jandar's Northern Army, and his fearless heroics in battle became legendary.[9] At some point he would visit the Knights of Weston, whose camp filled him with a certain awe and reverence, and inspect the new banner prepared by Sir Gilbert.[10]
"Jandar is noble. Utgar on the other hand is evil. Utgar seeks power and wealth, like so many generals from Earth. At what point, do we, intelligent beings, actually learn from history?" - Sgt. Drake Alexander
At one point, Sgt. Drake was on a mission to Jutanguard with Finn, Thorgrim, the Airborne Elite, and a young viking warrior named Haldor. Hal was envious of his blade, although Sgt. Drake tried to explain to him that it's the warrior and not the weapon that matters. Drake stated that he sees Jandar as a friend, and fights his battle in Valhalla because he feels it's the right thing to do. A clumsy Hal drops his Katana of Thorian when the group is ambushed by Utgar's forces, and Drake is kidnapped by Mimring.[11]
"My name's Drake Alexander. Sergeant, U.S. Army. I was born a soldier. Just like my great-grandfather, and my grandfather, and my dad... we've always been on the front lines defending our country. I signed up to put a stop to the Nazis. You can't let monsters like that walk the earth. I never did get to see how long the Thousand-Year Reich lasted... I'd been in France two weeks before Jandar the Valkyrie drafted me into the war for Valhalla." - Sgt. Drake Alexander, Heroscape Comic #2
In the process of rescuing Drake, Hal is shot by Deathwalker 9000 in Heroscape Comic #2.
He awoke strapped to a table in a cave base surrounded by Grimnak, Ne-Gok-Sa, Deathwalker 9000, Zettian Guards and Marro Warriors. Ne-Gok-Sa used his telepathic powers to subdue Sgt. Drake for a time while they prepared to use a cranial drill on him; however, he was able to break free enough to spit on Ne-Gok-Sa's face, distracting him until help could arrive. Haldor, Raelin, Thorgrim, Finn and the Airborne Elite came to his rescue; however, as Hal freed him from the table, the viking boy was shot by Deathwalker 9000. Hal returned the Katana of Thorian with his dying breath, and after driving Utgar's forces back, Sgt. Drake mourned his death.[12]
Drake and Shotgun face off with a newly villainous Raelin.
Later, Sgt. Drake would face a defeat by Taelord and Mimring, during which Raelin was captured and taken to an Utgar fortress. When he went in with Finn, Thorgrim, Shotgun, the Tarn Viking Warriors and the Airborne Elite to rescue them, he initially faced off against a mysterious rider in armor atop Mimring. However, he was surprised to find that it was Raelin herself - claiming to have joined Utgar's forces of her own volition. Unbeknownst to Drake, she had been mind-shackled by Kee-Mo-Shi.[13]
He would try again to rescue her, dueling in a large tower while Shotgun (also mind-shackled by Kee-Mo-Shi in the comic but not in the animated short) worked his way up from below. Clashing katana with trident, Raelin almost forced him out the window and into a long fall, but in the nick of time he remembered a conversation he had with Jandar:
"In the pitch of battle, trust your instincts. Friend or foe, when someone's heart is revealed, you will know what to do." - Jandar, The Will of Kee-Mo-Shi Animated Short
Drake took this to mean, look at that person's chest, and discover that they are wearing a Mind Shackle amulet. He managed to cut the amulets from both Raelin and a mind-shackled Shotgun as he fell, and Raelin caught them both, lowering them to the ground. As Kee-Mo-Shi attempted to make her getaway, Drake reflected that the psychic link from the amulets to Kee-Mo-Shi must go both ways, and shattered the amulet(s), killing her.[14]
Drake would be present on a scouting mission with Syvarris and the Nakita Agents when Syvarris' need to show off got them tailed by Ne-Gok-Sa and the Marro Warriors. Drake reflected on his earlier encounter, having already been mind-shackled by Ne-Gok-Sa once. The group took a shortcut through the Cave of Shadows, outrunning the Marro and making for the safety of Concan's Castle on the other side - but they emerged to find the castle besieged by Utgar's forces.[15]
While camped at the Ruins of Stechevan, he met with the historian Thormun, who had volunteered as a scout for Jandar's cause. Thormun seems to have taken a liking to him, as he would later preserve many of Sgt. Drake's own journal entries.[16]
Not long after, Stechevan would be attacked by Utgar's forces. While Finn, Thorgrim, and Sir Dupuis lured the majority of Utgar's forces away from their own camp and into an ambush, and the newly allied forces from Ullar including Saylind, Jotun and a viper army clashed with Utgar's army, Drake and 'Shotgun' Sullivan led a stealthy mission into Utgar's camp to try and assassinate the Valkyrie General. Their position was given away by guarding Wolves of Badru, and instead they found Cyprien Esenwein, who took pleasure in wounding Drake's right arm and rendering the man unconscious.[17]
Drake awoke to find that Raelin had saved him from death; he was given a new grappling-gun arm brace designed for him by Zetacron, which he would later use when assisting Ullar's blockade to take Su-Bak-Na out of the sky. He was introduced to Major Q10, and would be present for a meeting with Atlaga where the members of their expedition to extinguish the marro threat in Ticalla were decided.[17]
On a scouting mission with Raelin and Major Q10, he became engaged in a battle with Krug and some Marro Stingers. After defeating Krug, he was confronted by Raelin for his reckless behavior, and the group exchanged some words about their respective pasts.
"You wanna know what I care about? Men. Brothers, who I left in a mudhole half a world away from their homes. That's who I care about. And if we win this war, I get to go back and try to save them." - Sgt. Drake
The group made their way towards Concan's Castle, and while Raelin and Major Q10 provided a distraction for the Marro Drones outside, Sgt. Drake grappled his way inside and confronted Mimring, who had come into possession of the Glyph of Astrid and guarded the castle as well as the Wellspring within it. After bringing a portion of the castle down on the dragon, Mimring was defeated and Concan's Castle was freed from Utgar occupation.[18]
The group had a difficult journey through the Volcarren lava fields, in between dodging flaming debris from the volcanoes and dying of thirst. However, they at long last made it down through the land bridge into Ticalla.[19]
While Major Q10 and Shiori went to scout ahead, Sgt. Drake, Raelin and Sonlen came across a murky portion of swamp in The Narrows where several Marro Stingers, Marro Drudge and Marrden Nagrubs lay in the water among the corpses of travelers they had killed. They were initially caught by surprise but managed to survive the attack and keep moving to meet up with Major Q10, who informed them that Shiori had been captured by the Marro.[20][21]
They had a battle to free Shiori at Montiqua Ledge, continuing to cut through the increasingly dense Marro forces. After that, they decided to stay off any cleared paths, and remained inconspicuous until they finally arrived at Xualtiaca, home to one of the greater Marro Hives in Ticalla. There they fought with the marro hivelordTor-Kul-Na and his minions, and the group sustained many injuries in the battle. Sgt. Drake likely had several ribs broken by a swipe from Tor-Kul-Na, Raelin was gunned by Marro Drudge out of the sky, and Major Q10 had the internal wiring for one of his arms severed by Tor-Kul-Na's spear. During the battle, Drake thought of home, and why he fought in Valhalla:
"Thoughts of home, of Earth, thoughts of Mom and Pop sitting on the old porch swing wondering if their boys will ever come back from the war, thoughts of my brother, still fighting in the Pacific theater, and thoughts my three sisters, trying their best to help take care of the farm while their brothers are half a world away… and more." - Sgt. Drake Alexander
Eventually, Tor-Kul-Na's steed would be stabbed through the chest by Drake, and Sonlen used his destructive magic to destroy the Marro Hive.[20] In the aftermath, the wounded group found that they were being approached by Kyrie of the Moon Tribe, who had been circling them from high above for some time. With translation provided magically by Sonlen, they were able to understand that the kyrie wished to take them to meet their leader, Aquilla.Raelin told Drake of an old kyrie verse regarding Thorian, a hero from the Moon Tribe whose Katana Drake had been given:[19]
On the Wings of Thorian,
Across the fires Volcarren,
Flies a blade that hides,
From wicked eyes,
The champion
Of the Great Moon Tribe
Your sword Drake, it was forged here in the south and brought to us in the north, at a time of great need, by the kyrie champion of old—Thorian, of whom there are many more songs that can be sung. These Kyrie that descend upon us now, they must be remnants of Thorian’s people.” - Raelin
The group was welcomed to the city of the moon tribe, where they were given the chance to rest and clad in white and golden robes. When they had recovered they were given audience with Aquilla, who said she had foreseen Thorian's return to the city and asked the group to continue to help her in ridding Ticalla of its Marro threat.[22]
Years later, in the Age of Annihilation, Sgt. Drake was no closer to seeing Jandar's promises fulfilled, and dismayed to lose his old friend Raelin to the will of Kee-Mo-Shi once again.[23]
Additional Info[]
He is one of designer Craig Van Ness's favorite figures, since he is named after Ness's son Drake, and designer Rob Daviau's son Alex.[24] He is born of both Craig's love of WW2 miniature wargames.
Sgt. Drake is exactly 6 feet tall, and the scale of classic era Heroscape minis was based around his height.[25]
"At one point, we talked about sending Drake back home to earth to make way for a new group of heroes," designer Craig Van Ness once said. As of the Age of Annihilation, Sgt. Drake is still trapped in Valhalla.[26]
