Tara Tactics (long article)

[SpiralngCadavr]

So, the preface.
 
Tara isn't a world killer and likely won't be getting the job done on her own, but is highly versatile and, most importantly (for me, at least), has a cool theme.
 
She's pretty well-rounded and has no exceptional characteristics apart from her high volume of actions. Her main strength is having a lot of tricks, and interestingly it isn't crushing if you lose her, since she's more often assisting than doing the heavy lifting herself. Her crew tends towards a very high action count, which makes it able to switch between a focus on objectives and straight fighting, though I think her style still ultimately favors objectives.

I've found that she's most rewarding to play right near the front lines, closer than you usually want your support piece, as her strongest abilities and tricks require her and her allies to be very near enemies. Combined with pretty average stats and the fact that she's regularly going to be emptying your hand, this places her in the category of a finesse/tricks master.
 
On to my supah-long Tactics article, because it's way too long to reformat that again here, especially since I plan to continue updating this with experience.
 

Link!

 
(if you've got questions, criticism, etc. here or my blog are both fine)

[Vargas79]

The link doesn't seem to be working. Looking forward to reading it though - your Tara related posts have been an excellent read.

[Math Mathonwy]

It did work for me.

[Math Mathonwy]

How did you calculate the likelihood of getting a sixth turn if aiming for one? I get 43%, not 60%.

[Rathnard]

I've barely started reading it, but this is fantastic! I've kept a copy of the link and intend to give it a good read through later.

[Mason]

I disagree with some of your points (namely the importance of Symbiote and having to have it to run bury shenanigans), but all in all, it's a pretty nice little article. 

[SpiralngCadavr]

Vargas, maybe it's work blocked? Thanks, either way, and I hope you enjoy.

 

Math- I calculated it based on, uh, bad math. I think I was thinking of the wrong game or something- figured out where I got the number, and I believe you're right.

 

Rathnard, thanks! I've enjoyed reading your articles, too, and they definitely have a certain practical brevity that mine, * ahem*... may lack.

 

Mindshred, thanks. Curious, though- I understand that some people don't like to run her for bury (i.e. just ignoring those focuses and mostly have her generating fast and occasionally making people randomly disappear with her sword), but what do you do effectively with bury shenanigans if you don't have a way of unburying models? The only things I could think of are using it purely for keep away/a little damage while they can't touch you, or trying to kill guys to end Glimpse, but that seems unreliable...

[Hateful Darkblack]

Read through it this morning. This is fantastic! It really makes her tricks and the choices and balances you need to make very clear!

[DeleteAccount]

Kudos for the detailed and honest article, at the moment I mostly agree with everything and has given me some ideas/desire to put the girl back on the table.

[SpiralngCadavr]

Hateful, thanks! Glad it was a good read, and yeah, I find she in particular has some interesting challenges when balancing her crew.

 

Razhem, thanks, and glad to hear you're putting her back into play. (Also, her avatar can really use some work, hopefully more playtesting will see it eventually become something interesting.)

[Drix]

Cool article,  I'll have to read more in depth later.

 

That said, what are your thoughts on her (admittedly unfinished) avatar?

[Fireuser]

In the article you mention there being a way to activate three models in a row.  I believe you may be mistaken.  Could you please explain how to go about doing this?

[Grim]

In the article you mention there being a way to activate three models in a row.  I believe you may be mistaken.  Could you please explain how to go about doing this?

 

I believe it may involve a Reactivated model and your opponent having nothing to activate after you do your most recent chain activation. Chain activation -> opponent has nothing to activate -> model with reactivate. I may be wrong but this is how I see it happening

[SpiralngCadavr]

Fireuser- that was blatantly wrong, and I've taken it out. I seriously have no idea how I so thoroughly misread that card (then I'm sure I continued to because I'd got it in my head that was how it worked).

 

Drix, I'm hoping to have a temp section on the beta avatar in the nearish future, but, the short version that's mostly just the opinion bit- I like the current iteration a lot more than any of the bury-dependent ones since it's pretty flexible. The void guy patch is pretty nice, and autopsies are a decent addition to outcasts.

 

I expect Heart of the Void to change, since I think it's too good with someone who likes to dump poor cards already, but would be happy and doubt it would be game-breaking if they left it as-is.

 

So far, I've found obliteration's pull mostly just encourages me to try new combinations with models that hand out conditions (as it's reasonably but not exceptionally strong), though it's definitely worth it for that boost, especially in the context of Heart, since it's more likely she'll be able to get the kill before a model can react.

[Fenrisian]

I have a thought...

 

I understand activating Tara first on your first turn and dumping your cards.  However, why would you not wait until she reactivates, dump what's left in your hand rather than dumping early other than to buff the Void Wretchs and Nothing Beast Df?  The Fast will carry over to the next turn and you get to keep at least a handful of your control hand for your turn that way. 

 

I was actually looking at running just Tara with some various Rezzer hitters (Punk Zombies, Dead Doxies, Belles, etc) and just mulch things with a barrage of attacks.  You can use the belles to drag things across the field to you for your one enemy model, then drown it in Pounces, and extra attacks. 

[Drool_bucket]

You're not specifically dumping your cards...  you are clearing out the chaff.  Plus, if you wait to discard your "Obliteration" models are sitting ducks.

 

While I am not a proponent of using massed Wretches or the NB, once you get rid of those cards that often get discarded start of next turn during Draw, they become much more effective models.

 

And as for Fast, it's never a bad thing.  Never.  Extra AP whenever it comes is a *huge* bonus in this game.

[PeregrineFalcon]

I have a thought...

 

I understand activating Tara first on your first turn and dumping your cards.  However, why would you not wait until she reactivates, dump what's left in your hand rather than dumping early other than to buff the Void Wretchs and Nothing Beast Df?  The Fast will carry over to the next turn and you get to keep at least a handful of your control hand for your turn that way. 

 

I was actually looking at running just Tara with some various Rezzer hitters (Punk Zombies, Dead Doxies, Belles, etc) and just mulch things with a barrage of attacks.  You can use the belles to drag things across the field to you for your one enemy model, then drown it in Pounces, and extra attacks. 

Tara is VERY effective as a rezzer. I won't go into details here as there are many Tara threads in the Resser forums. Bete Noir of course is a great inclusion as well as the typical objective grabbers like Necropunks and Crooligans come to mind. Punk Zombies are nice too, but work best when 'dropped' on models. With a rezzer Tara crew I suggest a Death Marshall as well.

[Fetid Strumpet]

Dead Rider as well, as with the correct crew she can Buff 'n Bury him and then fling him out once he can defend himself better.

[SpiralngCadavr]

Droolbucket has it. You want to, as effectively as possible, use around half your hand very early if you take void thingies. And yes, it's generally better to pulse fast in your second activation unless you didn't last turn and have cards it won't hurt to use (possibly because you were saving something really good like the red joker),

[DeleteAccount]

Played her today with a thematic crew of 2 death marshals, nothing beast and 3 wretches (along with a grave spirit and a doxie) and was very pleasently surprised by how the marshals behaved. They didn't shot anybody all game, but were a huge annoyance and one buried and kept out of the game the Valedictorian for 2 turns, the fast from tara really gives them a leg up and if I hadn't been so bury happy would have made them pretty competent ranged support or brawlers thanks to the extra AP. Didn't get any benefit from the dead of winter debuff though.

[luckyjoemc]

In my experience dumping cards  for any of the  void  beasts  is pointless, as with good  positioning and terrain use they tend to be  insanely hard to target. I Don't  like the aggressive use of Fast  mainly  because of the 10 or so times I have seen it played or  tried to use  it  myself, its a once a turn trick if the  opponent does  not know its coming, or a largely situational trick if he does ( Jamming LoS for belles/Tara  with heavy hitters, Closing on Tara etc.) In my experience it  tends to backfire  more than it works.But also because it  leads to you wanting to clump your  models, the  more  models you have clumped  the less models you have to capture objectives. However Tara is a master of getting models where they need to be , when they need to be there, So i tend to use her as an APC.

 

Nothing beast is a lot like the wretches, making use  of  his ability to ignore terrain makes a  super assassin Especially late turn , but even early in the turn he  can harass enemy models easily with his 3 or 4 ap by moving once , launching 2 attacks into forward  units, and then either  defensing up with his 0, or moving back behind cover or taking a defensive stance. If he gets stuck but out reaches  his opponent ( 3" melee range so if the opponents melee range is under 3" you can just walk out or so I read I may be  wrong though.) he can just walk away

 

There is also some synergy with Rusty Alice (with upgrade) and her steam punk abominations. Give  her  a Death marshal buddy and let the two of them roam the back field together  ( move Alice once  or twice use  0 to make Steam punk abomination or scrap, next turn ,turn scrap into abom and  pack it  in a box  ready for delivery into the lines if needed or just send it off to cause havoc somewhere.Not super  powerful but a nice  back up.) Plus Rusty Alice can be  a powerhouse  if supported properly.

 

I think Death marshals are highly under valued  in Tara crews mainly  because they ignore severe  terrain penalties, have a  native  bury, and are tough With decent melee or shooting. And if they die in the right spot you still get   scheme  marker.

 

Just some thoughts for you to consider.

[SpiralngCadavr]

So, it's been a while since I've had the time to do any serious gaming, so haven't had a chance to add to my tactics piece: I'll need to devote some more time to get my somewhat old list up to date, which comes at a perfect time, since the 2nd wave cards are coming out, and I hate using stripped down ones without pictures.
 
...which brings me to the reason I'm updating this thread.
 
I spent quite some time working on these cards, and think they look pretty damn good. Like I said on my blog, I'm not going to post the backs unless I get the official go-ahead from Wyrd, since this is fan art, and I don't want to step on anyone's toes. Also, feel free to print them, etc, but please give credit/links.
 

[Lupercal]

This is awesome, the pictures of the old undead death marshalls look great on m2e cards. Green and yellow ram symbols made me laugh. Thanks for this.

[SpiralngCadavr]

Hehe, thanks, thought it was pretty fun (since technically they don't switch faction, but I wanted them to be consistent).

 

Also, I forgot to post the originals I worked from:

[SpiralngCadavr]

So, with the new upgrades, this article got a serious overhaul (spoiler alert: Karina doesn't suck any more)