Getting the Band Back Together (talking about Crossroads Seven as a crew)

[WalterL]

Alright, so, if y'all are anything like me when you see a new set of models you wonder whether they could be a whole crew (see, Horsemen).  Because Wyrd is awesome, the rules explicitly support this for the Crossroads Seven.  The full set of X7 along with Wrath's 0 cost upgrade can be played by any faction.  So, everyone has a new choice, which is great.  This post is for talking about that crew, the full band working together.

Crew Composition and its effects on Schemes/Strategies:

So, first off, every X7 model is an 8 point enforcer (other than Wrath, who is a Leader).  This means that the crew contains no minions for Make Them Suffer, and any model is the "Most Expensive Model" for Murder Protege.  Further, the only Henchman/Master is Wrath, consequently Entourage has to target him (which is rough, since the fact that he's just an 8 point dude outside of this crew means that he doesn't have the defensive nonsense that a lot of Masters have), and the enemy won't have a super tough time getting Assassinate off (once again because he's an 8 pointer with Swift, rather than a full blooded Master)

Next up, its hard to ignore the fact that nobody in the band is the kind of expendable that summoned 4 pointers are.  Everyone is 8 points, and there is no summoning.  Further, the Band has a lot of auras, so it likes to hang out together.  No one is supremely more mobile than anyone else.  All of this kind of works together to suggest that the X7 should be chosen when the schemes and strats require them to hang around together in a big clump, and not so much when the mission requires everyone to split up and move fast.

If I had to pick a perfect draw for them it'd be the strat that requires 2 models in the center alongside Protect Territory and Bodyguard.  Headhunting is also pretty easy for the band (everyone standing around together means there's always someone to go fetch head tokens), Basically the Band wants to walk a couple of times and rock out.



Let's talk about each band member in turn:

Greed is kind of the prototypical X7 model.  She's manipulative, she's got an aura that punishes the enemy for ending within 3".  She has a CA action that harms the enemy a lot which she can only do once per turn, and she has a defensive trigger.

Sloth is very strange as far as the X7 go.  He has extra HP, he isn't manipulative, his aura punishes activating near him, not ending activation near him.  His defensive trigger is the best of the lot.

Envy is atypical of the X7.  He is manipulative, but has no 1 per turn cast action, instead having a 0 that gives out focused and a sweet gatling gun.  He doesn't have an aura himself, but can give it to an enemy by shooting them and hitting a trigger.  He also has armor 1, which is great.

Wrath is the X7's melee fighter, and he's medium at it.  He's terrifying rather than manipulative and doesn't have a cast, instead having 2 claws and a pair of 0 actions.  His punches regenerate him and he has the usual aura.  His extra Master AP and his King of the Crossroads ability give the band incredibly mobility when they need it.

Pride is a typical X7 member through and through, he and greed are very similar.

Gluttony can do his cast action twice per round, and has 2 extra hp, but isn't manipulative.  He has the usual aura.

Lust has a huge aura compared to the rest, and can do her cast action twice.  She has a surprisingly high damage on her melee attack.

 

So we've got this large crew of fragile enforcers with weak attacks.  How does it all work?  Before I played them I thought Wyrd had lost their minds, and that this crew would be dreadful, but its actually really interesting how it all works out.  Essentially the crews is all about destroying the enemy models on their own activations, and obliterating the enemy's hand which leaves them unable to work through the manipulative.

Typical Turn for the X7:

Pride, Greed and Lust are all manipulative, so we want them to go later.
Envy is also manipulative, but he's very long range and gives out focused, so I like to use him early on.
Wrath is our pusher, and terrifying never stops working, so he can go early.
Gluttony doesn't particularly care, but getting his condition out early on schemers is the only way for him to be more than just a body.
Sloth punishes activating not ending activation, so you want him to go early.  He's something of a missile.  Throw him among the enemy and cost them most of a turn.

Something like: Sloth -> Envy -> Wrath -> Glutton -> Rest?

Basically once you've got 2 or 3 of the 7 in a place it becomes a nightmare for the foe to put anyone there.  If they have 2 dudes in a set of 3 performers they are sacking 6  (which is, you know, their whole hand) or taking 12 damage, and that isn't even considering that they may want to USE some of these cards.  In a real game its not surprising to have 4-5 engaged with 1-3 X7 each, which is just misery for the enemy.

Things the X7 hate:
Armor (even 1 cuts in half their aura punishment)
Ranged attacks (models which stay far away avoid the aura fun)
Blasts (X7 naturally hang out near one another to overlap their auras)


Very interesting crew. I bet they are going to show up in a lot of tourney games, since they work for every faction.  My games with them used Arcanist X7 for the 2 imbued energies.

[BloodBought]

Like seeing the review.  Planning to get these guys myself in the future.  Just a minor note though, I believe that when running the X7 as a crew, they have to be declared as Neverborn since that's Wrath's 'home faction'.  Could someone else clarify if this is in fact the case?

[Durza]

Like seeing the review.  Planning to get these guys myself in the future.  Just a minor note though, I believe that when running the X7 as a crew, they have to be declared as Neverborn since that's Wrath's 'home faction'.  Could someone else clarify if this is in fact the case?

Wrath has a rule that lets him lead the 7 as any faction.

[Justin]

Like seeing the review.  Planning to get these guys myself in the future.  Just a minor note though, I believe that when running the X7 as a crew, they have to be declared as Neverborn since that's Wrath's 'home faction'.  Could someone else clarify if this is in fact the case?

Wrath has a rule that lets him lead the 7 as any faction.

Yup.

Generally a Master will be more competitive. But we thought fielding a whole band could be fun for those who would enjoy it.

[BloodBought]

Well now, that definitely gives them quite the surprise factor in some factions.  I could see them being icky surprises in some games where you're anticipating one faction and end up facing a different one.

 

Out of curiosity, how do they work in games larger than 50 SS?  Can they still take other models from their declared faction then?

[santaclaws01]

Yes. The only restrictions on Wrath leading as any faction is that it must be 50ss+, and the crew has to contain at least 7 X7 models, other than that you can use whatever you want from the declared faction. Even in a 50ss game you can hire a 2ss model provided the faction you declared has one, or you can just take 2 general upgrades from the faction.
 

Slightly OT, if I ever did a >50ss game, I would go Jack Daw, and bring along all the X7 for fun, because they're all tormented.

 

[Stany]

Hi guys waiting for my band to come and looking forward to running them as a full crew so upgrades a plenty!! Nice to be able look across all factions for them I guess the only down side is just 2ss to play with but have people got ideas for upgrades to take and on what band members to put them on? As they all get the chance of something. I'm looking at 50ss games as that's the norm for most people cheers

 

Just found (the creeping terror) in Jack Daw's upgrades 1ss Tormented,rare 1 THE CRAWLING CHAOS While in Los of this model, all friendly Tormented models increase the range of all pulse's and aura's which they generate by 1" 

 

Edited August 30, 2015 by Stany

[santaclaws01]

Hi guys waiting for my band to come and looking forward to running them as a full crew so upgrades a plenty!! Nice to be able look across all factions for them I guess the only down side is just 2ss to play with but have people got ideas for upgrades to take and on what band members to put them on? As they all get the chance of something. I'm looking at 50ss games as that's the norm for most people cheers

 

Just found (the creeping terror) in Jack Daw's upgrades 1ss Tormented,rare 1 THE CRAWLING CHAOS While in Los of this model, all friendly Tormented models increase the range of all pulse's and aura's which they generate by 1" 

 

You glorious bastard. I didn't even think about Jack Daw's general upgrade for Tormented. I was only looking at the general upgrades. This and I Pay Better would work pretty well. Especially with Envy who can use Loyal, For Now to get focused at the start of his turn, take a focus shot, use his (0) to get another focused, and take a second focus shot. Definitely going to have to try this at some point.

[Stany]

The more I look at the upgrades the more I realise what you can do with this crew Survivalist on Wrath giving him a + to healing flips and Hard to kill really makes him a lot less fragile to get him up and in there faces!!! And ten thunders Wrath with On the Wings of Wind. Or two guys with recalled training or a recalled training and smoke grenades ( could forget the upgrades and take a clockwork trap )  help hold them and make them burn more cards trying to get away if you can place it in a cleaver posion for Ten Thunders or Guild. Resurrectionist's Unnerving Aura could be nasty Or decaying aura with its 4 inch aura stopping enemy models from using SS to prevent damage and they may not be healed, at a push Wrath with Maniacal Laugh can summon Mindless Zombies (every band needs a fan base to be seccessful) I have visions of them wearing old ripped Malifaux Seven tshirts!!!

Not looked at the others yet I'm sure there is going to be something cool in the Gremlins upgrades!!

Edited August 31, 2015 by Stany

[Furio]

 at a push Wrath with Maniacal Laugh can summon Mindless Zombies (every band needs a fan base to be seccessful) I have visions of them wearing old ripped Malifaux Seven tshirts!!!

I hadn't thought of this, could be a lot of fun to use in later turns when there's a lot of corpse markers on the board.

[cursingbulldog]

Used Recharge Soulstone on Wrath last night and it worked pretty well. He can kill well enough to keep getting free stones which you can use to prevent or for greeds healing flips.

Also figured out that Gluttony's once per turn is much better than I thought. You use that first to put the condition down, then use the other lust's, greed's, or prides ranged attacks and place a marker for that extra ping of damage and the push. Great way to suck a model into the middle of the band and into multiple auras. Lets just say Pandora wasn't a fan.

My favorite upgrade on lust has been the resser aura upgrade that deals damage if an enemy model starts and ends inside of 3 inches. Turns her into a damned if you do damned if you don't situation as they really need to move closer but don't want to get in to close. 

I also think you activate pride early in the turn. He helps draw out cards your opponents hand better then the other members of the crew and if you can get him up close to where lust and greed will be shooting into it makes it that much harder for your opponent with his 0 action aura disrupting their cheating.