Tara Tactics (long article)

[SpiralngCadavr]

Thanks, re: the pin

 

On bombs, Killjoy is really gross- I've actually stopped using him for a while since he was simply too good at wrecking stuff after lunging up field and it was getting a bit NPE-ish for my opponents.

 

I haven't had experience with the Desolation engine in a Tara build but assume it'd be similarly potent. Hannah's great with Tara, and would be a pretty strong beater, with the only real flaw being a weak damage of 2 (IIRC), which isn't that great for putting on the pressure. For some reason, I'm always running Bishop when fielding him with Tara... IDK, never end up burying him, though I'm not sure why, maube 'cause he's faster than most beaters so I'm hucking something else as a higher priority. Definitely worth slinging him up field if going against a range-heavy list.

 

On the Nothing Beast, he's fairly swingy for me, where sometimes I never get the right circumstances for that moderate damage and he just flails around a lot getting in the way, but other than that, I consider him the epitome of the taxi/bomb, since he basically relies on it since, even with that upgrade, he's really fragile for his cost.

[daniello_s]

Bit of necromancy here

How would you see taking Karina in Tara as an Outcast?

Since Karina can't use soulstones to get a proper suit when summoning, would she be considered a good option when handled in the Outcast crew?

I'm trying to wrap my head around Tara new cause I'll put my hand on her crew at the end of the month and I wouldn't mind to use as much models from the box as possible. Just this girl is giving me a headache

[SpiralngCadavr]

No one else who needs high crows can't use soulstones, and you don't need a ton of soulstones to begin with, so I mostly save crows for her unless my hand sucks and soulstone elsewhere meaning karina tends to be closer to a 7ss purchase for me (larger cache).

 

I think she's really not any worse as outcast, with her biggest advantage as resser being she's producing summons from nothing, meaning that she adds to your corpse pool over the course of the game, which is more what she helps than what helps her.

 

I play her just about any game that doesn't punish you for having vulnerable minions, and sometimes get carried away and take her anyway.

 

 

...Oh, and I've been slowly updating the original article as I refine my data/playstyle (try to keep the last few updates highlighted), I just haven't made any big changes (I think), so haven't bumped the thread...

[Kirby]

The giant post has a section discussing Karina's summons.  Over the course of the game you should (on average) pull a 9 to your hand at least twice, and likely a 12 or better on one of those.  I've only bothered with Guild Autopsies and Punk Zombies, but I also don't really have the University of Transmortis set and I don't feel the need to summon Crooligans when I have Night Wretches running about.

[SpiralngCadavr]

Re: summons, yeah, the transmortis set is something I woudln't buy unless I was playing ressers, leveticus and liked them, or was very competitive, and there are a lot of problems with how croolingans interact with the summon so I'd be very hesitant to take one unless I absolutely needed that WP penalty (meaning I've never summoned one), and it's pretty unusual to get drowned... they're okay but it would hardly be crippling to summon down to an autopsy if you don't have a drowned.

[daniello_s]

So Punk Zombies is generally way to go? With 12 crows needed it would be still quite a challenge

[Pyrflamme]

I just wanted to say that I'm getting Tara in on Monday and your article has been quite invaluable in terms of understanding the tricks she can do!

[decker_cky]

So Punk Zombies is generally way to go? With 12 crows needed it would be still quite a challenge

 

Hannah helps a lot if you have her, and stoning for cards is sometimes a good idea, which will cycle more cards through. 

[Kirby]

I don't use Tara's stones for too much, so I'm generally happy burning one to cycle cards.  I don't have Hannah yet, but looking forward to trying her out with the Tara crew.

[daniello_s]

That's gonna be stupid question but... If I run Tara as an Outcast and take Karina with the proper upgrade, can I summon all those undead models even when they belong to Ressers?

[Adran]

That's gonna be stupid question but... If I run Tara as an Outcast and take Karina with the proper upgrade, can I summon all those undead models even when they belong to Ressers?

Yes.

[SpiralngCadavr]

Thanks, Pyre!

 

Daniello, yeah, faction basically only affects crew selection- there's a ton of stuff that becomes much more open once the game starts and there isn't the Warmachine-style most things require "friendly faction" vs. just "friendly." And Decker has it, stoning for cards and using hannah both dramatically increase your chances of getting something useful.

[daniello_s]

Cool. Still I'm trying to piece together her crew based on her box with addition on Killjoy and Scion of the Void and it looks like I'll have to invest also in at least 2 Punk Zombies and 2 Guild Autopsies

[SpiralngCadavr]

Eugh... killjoy and tara is how to lose friends... seriously, I tried that one out a couple times when we were all learning 2e and had someone just about explode when I dropped fast killjoy in their face at the bottom of turn 1 for around 20ss of damage and then a giant black blood zombie in their face, with another activation almost immediately following.

 

I'm still on the fence about the scion. I never had a game later in the beta that really felt like I was getting a lot of its potential taken care of. I really want to like it 'cause it's Tara's henchman and one of the more unusual models in the game, but I feel like people were focused too heavily on its weird interactions when testing it. It's never been bad, but it's often utilized a tiny portion of its options. That said, if I get good at pulling off Forgotten to Time, I'll be a happy camper.

 

On the summons, yeah, that's what I would (and I think do?) recommend.

[daniello_s]

Forgotten to Time - what's that?

 

About the Scion - when I get Tara I'll buy it definitely as it fits nicely in Tara's theme. If it works nicely - we'll see

 

I\m also thinking about dropping Karina and Scion altogether and take 2 Death Marshals and Malifaux Child. Child can add extra Fast condition on one of my models which can be handy

 

BTW - does Pull the Void can be casted on the buried model?

[decker_cky]

We should wait until the final version to discuss the Scion. It just makes it confusing for people a few months from now reading through the thread. It could end up looking fairly different to how it did.

 

Re: Killjoy - Definitely potent, but I'm not sure how much he's a model that's going to 'cost you friends'. I also don't think he's an always take model. What he does add is the ability of Tara crews to flourish in kill type strats and schemes. Short of Killyjoy, what could you take that has even an outside shot at assassinate? (Karina's rock doesn't count)

[Kirby]

Is this the method for a Turn 1 Fast Killjoy drop?  

1. Killjoy starts on the board
2. 1AP to Fast/Bury Killjoy
3. 2AP to walk forward 8" to somewhere safe
4. Reactivate at end of your turn
5. 2AP to walk another 8" ending in such a way that Killjoy will have someone to charge and hopefully Tara will remain safe from retaliation
6. 1AP to unbury Killjoy in base-to-base with Tara
7. Fast Killjoy charges target and proceeds to eat things

[SpiralngCadavr]

Forgotten to Time is a condition that applies damage when burying that the Scion has, but, agreed, Decker, that it's probably safer to wait 'til it's official.

 

I know some people like the malifaux child, but I just don't really feel like it's that strong with her spells. Rather, I think the grave Spirit's better of not going the summoning route (obviously assuming you're planning that beforehand since it's out of faction here), and karina's obviously better when casting. Taking a damage and a high-ish TN for fast is pretty restrictive when you can already pulse fast much more effectively.

 

 

Decker, Pull the void can't be cast on buried models- Karina's Energies of the Void basically does that, though.

 

On Killjoy, mostly for new players. Everyone has access to the beater, so yeah, hardly the nastiest trick around. On alternatives, nothing can concentrate power like Killjoy's weak damage, but I'm finding it easier and easier to hit severe damage in tara's lists, meaning I find anyone with a decent accuracy and good severe damage enough, considering that you an plink against most things anyway. Hannah, the Nothing Beast, and Rogue Necromancies probably account for most of my heavy kills. However, yeah, against the toughest masters, Tara doesn't have many options.

 

Lol, re: Karina.

 

 

 

edit: Kirbfucius, not quite- since I'll already be pulsing fast in my second activation, pull isn't necessary, and if I'm not that close to my opponent, I probably won't overextend that far.

[Kirby]

Ah, so start with Killjoy buried, walk - unbury - fast pulse, Killjoy activates and charges something?

[SpiralngCadavr]

Yeah. And add a DM or Hannah and any heavy can do the same maneuver.

[daniello_s]

Question - does Tara suffer a lot when not bringing Karina with her summoning trick?

As dedicated Outcast player I feel strong distaste for Ressers and wouldn't mind focus on burying element using Death Marshals rather than relying on filthy necromancy art

[jonahmaul]

I played against Tara for the first time the other day and my opponent didn't take Karina.  Didn't seem to have any negative effect.

[Adran]

Question - does Tara suffer a lot when not bringing Karina with her summoning trick?

As dedicated Outcast player I feel strong distaste for Ressers and wouldn't mind focus on burying element using Death Marshals rather than relying on filthy necromancy art

No. Tara can do plenty of things herself. she doesn't need to have Karina about. But there are times when the ability to bring in fresh modeles is useful.

If you do take Karina and her summon upgrade, then Obliteration Symbiote (Taras unburying upgrade, and I hope I got the right one) is essential unless you only want to summon 1 thing.

[SpiralngCadavr]

Question - does Tara suffer a lot when not bringing Karina with her summoning trick?

Nope. Lots of people learned on her before it was even an option. I think Karina's fantastic and consider her an auto-include unless fragile/summoned models are a liability regarding objectives, but she's hardly necessary to play Tara.

 

Adran, I consider Obliteration Symbiote essential unless you want tara to be a boring AP generator (As would probably be stated if I didn't, Tara's henchman, assuming it doesn't radically change post-beta which will allow another option, will also allow unburying, but I highly prefer Tara doing it herself.)

[Linus Mcmold]

Hey! This tactica seems pretty darn useful. I finished reading it yesterday and I've found out two big things with your help:

- to enemies Willpower is kind of a big deal. So burying and attacks that attack willpower (Ctulhu, Bishop and Datsue Ba can wreak havoc). Also helping those attacks is some free focus(I pay better and/or fast).

- Hannah using a Death Marshall coffin is just brilliant!

The thing I didn't understand is how Void Wretches are a fast scheme runner? They have incorporeal so they can go to interesting places and use terrain much better, but I can't see how they're better than crooligan (probably for the combat and healing abilities).

Is it safe to Tara Bomb the Hannah closer to the enemy?

I haven't tried out Tara yet and I'll play her as a Resser first since I'm currently painting Molly and they can both use some of the same minis, but I intend to use her mainly as an Outcast because of the western theme and how I intend to convert the Freikorps Trapper and Librarian (and Hannah a bit).
After the summer I'll be entering the Outcast faction with Tara, Leve and Viks and they'll get similar styles and I intend to interchange their minis.