Saw the following posted on BGG and wanted to see if anyone (Benoit?) had any further insights on her usefulness over Leonidas for example.
As a primary Troops booster, you can best compare her with Leonidas.
They are both 6/7, 1 movement and 6 vitality, 3RP, 4 Activations and 2 AoW.
Bolster and Charisma don't stack; you can only boost a stat once. Hence they overlap a lot. But that is also true for Leonidas' Born Leader.
The 2 passive talents always work though, the individual powers only when they are activated.
She has climb where Leonidas has Phalanx. Making Leonidas stronger. Also, Leonidas special skill makes all Troop units in and adjacent to his area Guard him, making him far more survivable.
Not sure where Penthesilea needs Climb for as hardly any Troops have it. Perhaps, as Ben said, to give her range 1?
Leonidas starts off range 1, Penthesilea with range 0.
- Leonidas basically has Leader and Bolster with a range of 1 (so including adjacent areas). So he can search for a Troop card, activate and boost +1/+1 for the rest of the turn.
- Penthesilea doesn't have an adjacent Leader skill but she boosts for and additional +1 movement as well. Although she can't run with them as she only has 1 speed.
If you want to use it on an adjacent Troops though, you will have to have an Activation card in your hand, where Leonidas can search for one for free, which is far more card efficient.
In comparison, Penthesilea has less consequent and coherent skills.
She has a lot of boosts for adjacent Troops but can't draw a card for them. She gives speed but can't run with them. She Climb but hardly any troops can Climb with her to make use of all the passive boosts.
I find her a bit of a subpar hero.
Her only added value is +1 movement, for the rest all her abilities are inferior to Leonidas'. I'd pick her sister over her any time :-)