Ponman

Ponman advances one step at a time.

Narration, Chapter 1

Ponman (JP: ポンマン) (plural Ponmen) is a Darkner enemy in Card Kingdom that appears at the Great Board. They are based on pawns from chess. They resemble the Dark Ponman hazards that appear in Forest and Card Castle.

Profile

Appearance

Ponmen appear similar to white pawns from the game of chess. Their lower body is split in half, giving them legs. The black dot on their head is not only an eyespot, but also a nucleus.

Personality

Ponmen do not speak. According to Mr. Society, Ponmen are simple beings with no will of their own, as they only attack on the order of King. However, if they are spared multiple times, they agree to stop the battle, indicating that this may not be completely true. After King is defeated, Ponmen join Castle Town. They are listed as liking sleeping and disliking "moving backwards" in their recruit information, as a reference to the fact that pawns cannot move backwards in chess.

Etymology

"Ponman" is a homophone of "pawn man", as Ponmen resemble the pawn chess piece, and "man" is an alternate term for a chess piece. "Man" or "men" can also be used as military slang for soldiers, as Ponmen are subordinates of King.

Main story

Chapter 1

As the party travels through the Great Board, Ponmen appear as inanimate statues of pawns. Some of them jump down from pillars and chase the party as they pass by them, though this does not occur after Susie rejoins the party. Ponmen are automatically recruited at the end of the Chapter.

Chapter 4

Lancer has expanded his room in Ralsei's castle to include an enrichment enclosure for various recruits. A Ponman is receiving such enrichment by tamping the soil.

In battle

Appears with

• Another Ponman
• Two Ponmen

Attacks

Ponman shoots 1-3 diamond projectiles from its eye-spots, which track the SOUL.

Available ACTs

Prevents Susie's auto attacks from hitting enemies. Disappears as a selectible ACT once Susie joins the party for real.

Makes the targeted Ponman spareable.

Ralsei sings, making the targeted Ponman spareable and inflicts TIRED on all enemies. Additionally puts Susie to sleep.

Strategy

A Ponman can be spared 10 times to make it spareable, and reducing one to 46 HP (a third of its maximum HP) or less makes it TIRED.

A spareable Ponman stops attacking and its idle animation freezes.

Damaging a Ponman with an attack wakes it up if it was put to sleep by the Goodnight or Lullaby ACTs (and removes the "asleep" status which makes it spareable), but it remains spareable after it is spared 10 times.

Flavor text

• Its nucleus doubles as an eyespot. [Check]
• Ponman drew near! [Encounter with another Ponman or with other Ponmen]
• Ponman advances one step at a time. [Neutral]
• Ponman listens politely, despite having no ears. [Neutral]
• Ponman seems hypnotized by your idle animation. [Neutral]
• Ponman gazes enigmatically. [Neutral]
• Smells like a pawn shop. [Neutral]
• You whispered goodnight to Ponman. It fell asleep... [Goodnight]
• [Lullaby, Susie on the team]
  • Ralsei sang a soft and entrancing lullaby!
  • PONMAN fell asleep! SUSIE fell asleep! The enemies became TIRED!
• [Lullaby, Susie is not on the team]
  • Ralsei sang a soft and entrancing lullaby!
  • PONMAN fell asleep! The enemies became TIRED!
• The enemies became SLEEPY from Ralsei's lullaby! [Unused]
• You and Ralsei warned Ponman about Susie. The enemy went on guard... [Warning]
  • You and Ralsei warned the enemies about Susie. Everyone went on guard. [Everyone]
• Ponman can't keep its eye open. [Tired]
• Ponman looks dilated. [Low HP]
• Ponman is sleeping soundly. [Spare conditions met; unused]