Ramos activations and tactics

[RustAndTheCity]

Hello fellow arcanists,

I've Played a few games with Ramos lately. I feel like I haven't been getting the full potential from his activations. 

Some background, I am still a Malifaux noob. I've used Ramos for 4 games so far. My crew is based on Howard, Joss, Johan, Electrical Creation, and the Brass Arachnid with various upgrades.

The issue I have been finding is that I don't have enough good things for Ramos to do each turn.

Turn 1-magnetize to electrical creation, summon spiders. Then walk twice?

Later turns-magnetize if I need to move, summon spiders, then electrical fire things.

 

I'd love to hear how a typical Ramos activation goes for you. What are the best uses of his AP? 

Thanks!

[Pete Zero]

Iv only played against Ramos but I'd use joss to kill the creation to drop 2 scrap on turn 1

[4554551//]

I'd swap the creation for a mechanical toolkit and have joss charge it for 2 scrap for 3 stones. 

As per activations. 

I would be looking into arching screen more. My typical ramos turn is a walk (if I must, try to position him turn 1 and keep him central), then summoning, arching screening and occasionally healing. 

It seems like you may be using inefficient upgrades. A starting point I recommend is

Ramos, combat mechanic, field generator and under pressure. 

Joss, powered by flame, bleeding edge tech. 

He then becomes a back row model who's job is to keep those upgrades alive. Spiders now heal and have a respectable damage spread with the extra burning. You can then charge him in against key models at opportune moments. 

Howard I tend to give imbued energies and kill a critical model turn 2.

Remember, take a nice big cache and burn stones for 3 spiders per activation. Or 2 if you don't have a tomb in hand. Summon near joss for the heal on activate. 

Cheap yet game changing models to consider 

Mobile toolkit:to be cut in half by joss

Essence of power:changed to it once for a test and never went back (unless I'm taking the rider, Howard, and joss, then I consider it) 

[Breng77]

It really depends on upgrades and play style.  My Ramos activations are often similar to yours, but I don't take any of his specific upgrades and run him with none of his starter box models except summoned spiders.

[4554551//]

Can't be that close if you don't take the heal or arching screen. 

Though I am intrigued, how do you run him? 

[Astrella]

I'd swap the creation for a mechanical toolkit and have joss charge it for 2 scrap for 3 stones. 

As per activations. 

I would be looking into arching screen more. My typical ramos turn is a walk (if I must, try to position him turn 1 and keep him central), then summoning, arching screening and occasionally healing. 

It seems like you may be using inefficient upgrades. A starting point I recommend is

Ramos, combat mechanic, field generator and under pressure. 

Joss, powered by flame, bleeding edge tech. 

He then becomes a back row model who's job is to keep those upgrades alive. Spiders now heal and have a respectable damage spread with the extra burning. You can then charge him in against key models at opportune moments. 

Howard I tend to give imbued energies and kill a critical model turn 2.

Remember, take a nice big cache and burn stones for 3 spiders per activation. Or 2 if you don't have a tomb in hand. Summon near joss for the heal on activate. 

Cheap yet game changing models to consider 

Mobile toolkit:to be cut in half by joss

Essence of power:changed to it once for a test and never went back (unless I'm taking the rider, Howard, and joss, then I consider it) 

Wait, do you mean the Essence of Power is good then? How do you use it?

[RustAndTheCity]

So far, my Ramos upgrades have been arcane reservoir, seize the day, and under pressure.

I definitely see the utility of the mobile toolkit as Joss generated scrap. I'll add it when it is released in plastic. I don't want to buy the metal model and the arsenal deck just toto save a soulstone.

Do you guys use Ramos for shooting or combat at all? Or purely as a support and summoning model with the right upgrades?

[Breng77]

Can't be that close if you don't take the heal or arching screen. 

Though I am intrigued, how do you run him? 

I was referring to the original poster with my activation.

 

i usually run

ramos-arcane reservoir, bleeding edge tech, and either seize the day or under pressure

cassandra-practiced production

anna Lovelace-sometimes with warding runes or imbued energies

electrical creation

 

then build out with malifaux Raptors, mech rider, arcane effigy etc.

 

i play fairly aggressively and use spiders to engage models and shoot into the engagement with Ramos and Anna, while Cassandra covers any schemes.

[4554551//]

I use him purely as support. Exceptions to every rule and all, but it's super rare he shoots. 

For essence of power. I park it next to ramos and amplify away. Everything he does is cast, so being able to summon and screen on a lower card is totally worth it. Plus the extra bonus of positive flip if you burn a stone sometimes saves you a card you were planning on cheating for next turn. 

Use it to block charge lanes if possible, but don't fret about it

[enderwiggin]

Summon (mostly) for the first threeish turns, then dive in and shoot/summon as needed. With the Rider summoning as well, there's not a lack of scheme runners/holders later game so it's more about keeping the activation control at that point and removing/keeping engaged any outlying enemy scorers.

[4554551//]

To clarify I changed to the essence and never went back to the arachnid unless I'm running 3 powerful constructs for beats. And in that case I'd typically run a more killy master like Raspy. 

Essence is awesome. 

[Rurouni Benshin]

The few times I've played as Ramos, this list has worked very well for me.

Ramos (Cache: 7)
- Arcane Reservoir
- Under Pressure
Brass Arachnid
Joss
- Bleeding Edge Tech
Mechanical Rider
Mobile Toolkit

The list basically works off summoning off of the scrap markers that are initially generated by from Joss attacking the Mobile Toolkit.  I take a full cache and Arcane Reservoir on Ramos because I highly value the extra card draw on him, since he really needs that 11 to summon maximum Spiders each turn.  IMO, Combat Mechanic is a bit wasted, unless he's healing himself.  Thankfully I've never had to do that yet, since every game I've played I've managed to keep my oppositions' crew preoccupied with Spiders and Spider Swarms.  Joss has always been the one to carry "Bleeding Edge Tech" since he's more likely to be closer in combat with the Spiders than Ramos is.  By Turn 3, I usually have 2 Swarms and at least 2 more spiders running around, accomplishing schemes and strategies already.  Mechanical Rider summons his own Spiders each turn, or Metal Gamin if I'm facing Constructs.  The Brass Arachnid has been a great totem for me each time as well, usually giving "Reactivate" to whoever it suits the best at the moment.  Early game, it's usually Howard or Joss, but later on the Mech Rider has been Reactivated a couple of times. 

[Ludvig]

The few times I've played as Ramos, this list has worked very well for me.

Ramos (Cache: 7)
- Arcane Reservoir
- Under Pressure
Brass Arachnid
Joss
- Bleeding Edge Tech
Mechanical Rider
Mobile Toolkit

The list basically works off summoning off of the scrap markers that are initially generated by from Joss attacking the Mobile Toolkit.  I take a full cache and Arcane Reservoir on Ramos because I highly value the extra card draw on him, since he really needs that 11 to summon maximum Spiders each turn.  IMO, Combat Mechanic is a bit wasted, unless he's healing himself.  Thankfully I've never had to do that yet, since every game I've played I've managed to keep my oppositions' crew preoccupied with Spiders and Spider Swarms.  Joss has always been the one to carry "Bleeding Edge Tech" since he's more likely to be closer in combat with the Spiders than Ramos is.  By Turn 3, I usually have 2 Swarms and at least 2 more spiders running around, accomplishing schemes and strategies already.  Mechanical Rider summons his own Spiders each turn, or Metal Gamin if I'm facing Constructs.  The Brass Arachnid has been a great totem for me each time as well, usually giving "Reactivate" to whoever it suits the best at the moment.  Early game, it's usually Howard or Joss, but later on the Mech Rider has been Reactivated a couple of times. 

That's not 50 stones? Or are you adding stuff you didn't mention?

[Fog]

Did somebody say Ramos?

I agree with running the elecrical creation as your scrap marker.  I like being able to have the option of magnetism to help reposition Ramos first turn if I want.  I usually still kill it with Joss, but that option has made a difference in several games, mostly against skilled players.

My typical first turn with Ramos is walk, summon, arcing screen.  Future turns tend to be Summon, screen, shoot.  Sometimes I'll summon, shoot, shoot.  I've had games where Ramos has scooted around the backfield taking out scheme runners before.  Yeah, he's probably at his most efficient when he's directly behind his crew and handing out buffs but that's not always what wins you the game. Locking yourself into the viewpoint of "Ramos does this and that's all" is going to lead towards some losses that should have been wins.

Totem Time: If you're bringing Hank or Joss (or maybe the rider) the Brass Arachnid is the way to go.  Turn two reactivating Hank wins games all by himself. Reactivated Joss removes a model from play.  If you pull it off on both, your opponent is going to have a bad time.  Essence of power is what you bring if you don't have a crazy beater to reactivate.  Even one extra activation out of hank is worth  the soulstones for the arachnid though.

Don't worry about Ramos being too close to the fight.  He's a tough bastard and won't die without extreme amounts of effort.  Last time I played him was in close deployment against gremlins.  He took Francois to the face, healed some, took Ophelia to the face.  He was down to 3 wounds, then healed back up to 9 by the end of turn 2.  If something out there ignores armor, though, be careful.  Don't forget how good his defensive trigger is.

Strategies:  Everyone says don't bring Ramos to Reckoning.  They're wrong.  Ramos is the king of reckoning.  Feed your opponent spiders.  They kill spiders for Reckoning.  You kill enforcers or henchmen instead.  Your opponent runs out of worthwhile models while you only lose spiders, IF the spiders die.  Def 6, WP 6, Armor 1 with positive twists can live a long time.  Any attack directed at a spider is an attack that doesn't go towards a model you care about.

Oh, look at the time.  I've got to run to work.  I could honestly just keep talking about Ramos all day, so I guess this is a good thing.

[Rurouni Benshin]

Oops... Forgot Langston.  That should round it off to a full 50ss.  Funny, since I know I mentioned him later in my explanation, but just forgot to list him with the crew.

Thanks!