My Competitive Zoraida Build

[orkdork]

Zoraida was my first master (love the aesthetic), but after I started playing other masters, she quickly fell off my radar. There simply wasn't ever a time I could imagine playing Zoraida, other than for nostalgia (ah, the newbie days!). All Zoraida could really do is voodoo tricks with Iggy, which if your opponent could counter, left Zoraida really weak. (Paralyze is done infinitely better by Pandora with Voices).

But then I read McTavish, and I realized that Neverborn could have their own ranged crew, something that none of those other masters really does well, using Zoraida!

 

The core of the crew:

Zoraida, all upgrades optional

McTavish, most likely Hexed Among You

Doppelganger

Iggy

 

 

You now have two very effective ways to attack at ranged: voodoo/iggy and McTavish. Doppelganger and Zoraida let you get more of whichever is working that turn.

If your opponent has both the activation control and condition removal, voodoo tricks won't work well. The good news is that Iggy can at least put down some gator snacks for McTavish, and you can pour your Zoraida/Doppel engine into McTavish instead.

Furthermore, you have very distinct ways of dealing damage: a ton of 2/4/6 flips from McTavish for taking down small stuff, focused McTavish shots for cheating in severe 6 to get around armor, and the Iggy burn pile for a pair of 6 (or more on one) damage ticks at the end of the turn (read up on condition resolution order, because you can do something nuts like burning 10 and have it resolve BEFORE the voodoo damage, based on who is first player, resulting in 10 damage THEN the 6 from voodoo, getting around Hard to Kill).

Henchmen and Enforcers are easy pickings for this crew. A henchman per turn is quite easy. Masters can even be taken down from the McTavish duplication insanity (snack + dopple + zoraida means up to 9 "McTavish" AP if the cards are flowing).

Typically, you'll want to take Hexed Among you and put in Waldgeists. They are always awesome, but especially in a crew that wants to keep the opponent away from the backline. Gupps, Silurids, Lilitu, a Nurse, Johan, etc... are all worth considering as well. If you can do your schemes without the extra runners, I prioritize Lilitu and Johan over the nurse, because Lilitu is amazing with Doppel and obey (potentially 6 Ca7 lures per turn), especially for pulling things into range of the kill squad, and Johan is Johan  The nurse has awesome tricks with Zoraida, of course, but I don't think you'll find you can fit her in.

So now I can take Pandora for cluster missions, Lilith for boards with lots of LOS-blocking terrain, Dreamer for quarters missions, and Zoraida for boards with little LOS-blocking (you don't care about cover)!

Or I just take Pandora for everything cause Voices + Nekima + Doppelganger makes for win...

 

[D_acolyte]

If you take the Hexed Among You on McTavish do you still pay the merc tax on him?

[orkdork]

I think you pay the tax unless you take Tarot Reading, right?

[D_acolyte]

ok then I am getting it confused

[orkdork]

Tarot Reading was errata'd to be 2ss, FYI, so it's generally not worth taking if your only out of faction swampfiend is McTavish.

[feagaur]

I'd say if you're running a Doll dependant list then Tarot Reading is worth it for 2 points. Also the 2 AP action to move scheme markers can be really devastating, especially if someone's trying to do setup on Zoraida.

 

[RSD]

Interesting.  Thank you for the review.   I am just getting into Malifaux, and the more I read, the more I have been very drawn to Zoraida as my first master.  Just love the lore and models.  My other choices are Rasputina, or possibly Pandora, but I'm pretty sure it will be Zoraida.  

 

RSD 

[Ressummon]

I am definitely interested in a Zoraida list like this!! Plus I love the MacTavish model so its an excuse to use him if nothing else... I also really need to add Iggy!!

 

 

[orkdork]

On 6/7/2016 at 1:16 AM, feagaur said:

I'd say if you're running a Doll dependant list then Tarot Reading is worth it for 2 points. Also the 2 AP action to move scheme markers can be really devastating, especially if someone's trying to do setup on Zoraida.

 

Though I wouldn't call the list doll dependent, I do want to try tarot reading more, since it is only really 1ss in this crew.

Often, if I am going for burning, I need the placement effect from resummoning, so healing the doll isn't really going to help. But that could be an artifact of my opponents' crews more than anything else.

[Vorschlag]

Quote

the 2 AP action to move scheme markers can be really devastating, especially if someone's trying to do setup on Zoraida.

Or it can be used to score vp or to deny vp from a multitude of other schemes, I think fickle winds of fate and repulsive are two of her best Scoring/Denying abilities apart from Animal form when entourage is on the cards.

But I suppose that is the point with Zoraida, she has a large bag of tricks for different situations which is what makes her an adaptable master and makes her so competent in a variety of scheme pools.

[HegemonyKrcket]

My Current list to test is as follows:

Zoraida
--Hex Bag
--On Wings of Darkness

Barbaros
--Fears Given Form

Johan

Mysterious Effigy

Nurse

Mysterious Emissary
--Conflux of Fate

Illuminated

I've only gotten in one game with it and it worked well but I'm looking at replacing the Effigy with a Tot or Gupps.  I'm also thinking of trying out a Young instead of the Illuminated, but it's survivability was pretty awesome. 

[Phinn]

@HegemonyKrcket, would you kindly share you thoughts about Mysterious Effigy in Zoraida's crew? I love the model but I do not understand it's purpouse.

[HegemonyKrcket]

12 hours ago, Phinn said:

@HegemonyKrcket, would you kindly share you thoughts about Mysterious Effigy in Zoraida's crew? I love the model but I do not understand it's purpouse.

It's more survivable than a Tot or a Gupp, and combined with Uppers from the Nurse it can run schemes very easily.  So I mostly used it drop markers on the table, grab heads, or do whatever else.  But it could just as easily be replaced by a Tot or a Gupp.  It's cheat aura can randomly come into play, but I don't really use it.  And if I can drop the (0) buff on Zoraida I will, but again, not really something to focus on.

[feagaur]

I've  been trying out the following list. Works really well in some strats, schemes. But falls down in strats like Reconnoiter.

 

Zoraida + Tarot Reading

Nurse

Doppleganger

Lilitu

Lelu

then either Barbaros for his pushes or Hannah to copy the lure

then fill out with a couple of Tots.

 

Zoraida goes first and obeys Liitu to giver her and Lelu positive flips to all duels. Then either moves them forward or pulls out the Doll to Hem something.

Lelu then goes and does his 0 action to push and give him and Lilitu pounce. Then the nurse gives them +2 damage on Melee and you use the doppleganger to lure things into the pounce bubble. If you lure things close in you can get a minimum damage of 7 off as free attacks. Or lure things once within 4" for Lilitu's pounce then lure again for both their pounces. (that is if they're stood close together).

 

I managed to take out Graves and Izamu in a single turn doing this.

[lusciousmccabe]

I like that nurse trick. Makes Vampiric Bite a lot more useful and is handy with Lilitu's massive engagement.

[HegemonyKrcket]

On 6/10/2016 at 6:33 AM, feagaur said:

I've  been trying out the following list. Works really well in some strats, schemes. But falls down in strats like Reconnoiter.

 

Zoraida + Tarot Reading

Nurse

Doppleganger

Lilitu

Lelu

then either Barbaros for his pushes or Hannah to copy the lure

then fill out with a couple of Tots.

 

Zoraida goes first and obeys Liitu to giver her and Lelu positive flips to all duels. Then either moves them forward or pulls out the Doll to Hem something.

Lelu then goes and does his 0 action to push and give him and Lilitu pounce. Then the nurse gives them +2 damage on Melee and you use the doppleganger to lure things into the pounce bubble. If you lure things close in you can get a minimum damage of 7 off as free attacks. Or lure things once within 4" for Lilitu's pounce then lure again for both their pounces. (that is if they're stood close together).

 

I managed to take out Graves and Izamu in a single turn doing this.

That's a lot of work and a 21 stone commitment just to make a kill box.

[Wifstrand]

Is there any point in running Zoraida's crew as-is out of her box, with a few extras? I'm new and I bought the Zoraida box, a blister of 2 Waldgeists, a blister of 2 Stitched Together, a Voodoo Doll, and a blister of 4 Wicked Dolls (all first edition metals) and I'm considering replacing it with the plastic box because I love the look of Bad Juju and the Silurids.

 

However, I never see these models together anywhere. If I do choose to get the Swamp Hag box, what should I add to it to keep with the Swampfiend theme? Sorry for hijacking, I'm new

[Vorschlag]

Yes Zoraida can be highly effective with a swampfiend only list especially if you pick up McTavish and possibly gators and boars.

The other models you've picked up fall into another build I run which has also proved highly effective/competitive which is a doll factory list  Stitched, wicked dolls, pick up a widow weaver and a teddy.
Stitched are marvelous for punishing your voodoo doll and have no risk of loosing gamble your life, weaver speeds up the whole crew and can use the voodoo dolls scrap to create wicked dolls or save up for teddy (encase he died, you didnt start with him or you have another teddy).

I would still pick some condition dropping models for doll abuse, nurse, iggy etc.

Doll abuse and obey are the initial building blocks I suggest for learning Zoraida but her major strengths come out when you start using abilities like fickle winds of fate, repulsive and animal form to either score vp or deny it.

 

[Ludvig]

Her card drawing condition is truly horryfying if applied to the right model. Shuts you down good, especially when she then obeys it out of position to net herself cards and forces you to walk again to get to the position you need to be in. She can be very effective in strategies that require positioning.

On a related note, does she have access to any wicked models for obey-disengage rudeness?

[orkdork]

The Zoraida crewbox + trees is only slightly sub-optimal, so if you like it, buy it! It was my first crew, and I still love it

If you ever want it to be a "tournament capable" list, just swap Lilith and Primordial Magic for Zoraida and you're good to go! Not all-comers, but it doesn't have to be.

The only reason I call my above list "competitive" is that it actually does the "blow them up at ranged" game-plan better than any other Neverborn list I've tried thus far, so it has a "place" in my lineup. It's not that Zoraida with melee stuff can't win a tournament game, it's just that every such list would do somewhat better with another master (in my experience).

[feagaur]

Going back to your original post which was about ranged damage in Neverborn. Have you thought of taking Tuco or one of the two models from the started set? It sounds like The Scion might go quite well with Zoraida.

[HegemonyKrcket]

On 6/8/2016 at 10:57 PM, HegemonyKrcket said:

My Current list to test is as follows:

Zoraida
--Hex Bag
--On Wings of Darkness

Barbaros
--Fears Given Form

Johan

Mysterious Effigy

Nurse

Mysterious Emissary
--Conflux of Fate

Illuminated

I've only gotten in one game with it and it worked well but I'm looking at replacing the Effigy with a Tot or Gupps.  I'm also thinking of trying out a Young instead of the Illuminated, but it's survivability was pretty awesome. 

So... I played an aggressive and competitive Tournament with this list and it just didn't last.  After some pressing it crumbled pretty quickly.

Since Zoraida is very dependent on her crew, but she can also multiply their effectiveness, I'm trying to figure out a crew combination that is both really good and can only be ran with her (due to Swampfiends or Enthrall).  In the meantime I'm trying out a Swampfiend list that looks effective in most Strat/Schemes.

Zoraida (Neverborn)
-Hex Bag
-On Wings of Darkness
-Tarot Reading

Bad Juju
-Eternal Fiend
-Fears Given Form

Doppelganger

Gupps

McTavish

Wildboar
Wildboar

My basic plan is to start with Juju buried and the Wildboars up field (due to From the Shadows) and then charge them into the opponent and cause as much havoc as possible.  That forces the opponent to either let the boars run wild or kill one and unbury Juju near them.  Meanwhile, Gupps and Doppelganger are running schemes while Zoraida and McTavish support whoever they need to however they can.

[Vorschlag]

I would drop the doppleganger, while she's a lovely model with some nice abilities personally I find she doesnt make back her stones in either vp or kills.
This could be because she tends to paint a bullseye on her own head in my local meta or it could be that I'm just using her incorrectly.

I personally find Waldgiest very hard to exclude when using McTavish with Zoraida and if I wasn't including a nurse I'd be inclined to include a gator to paralyze atleast one model per turn from doll abuse.

of course sacrificial gupps for juju and boars to rage over could also be particularly useful.

 

[MetaphoricDragn]

17 hours ago, HegemonyKrcket said:

So... I played an aggressive and competitive Tournament with this list and it just didn't last.  After some pressing it crumbled pretty quickly.

Since Zoraida is very dependent on her crew, but she can also multiply their effectiveness, I'm trying to figure out a crew combination that is both really good and can only be ran with her (due to Swampfiends or Enthrall).  In the meantime I'm trying out a Swampfiend list that looks effective in most Strat/Schemes.

Zoraida (Neverborn)
-Hex Bag
-On Wings of Darkness
-Tarot Reading

Bad Juju
-Eternal Fiend
-Fears Given Form

Doppelganger

Gupps

McTavish

Wildboar
Wildboar

My basic plan is to start with Juju buried and the Wildboars up field (due to From the Shadows) and then charge them into the opponent and cause as much havoc as possible.  That forces the opponent to either let the boars run wild or kill one and unbury Juju near them.  Meanwhile, Gupps and Doppelganger are running schemes while Zoraida and McTavish support whoever they need to however they can.

Always wanted to try that set up with juju and boars, just never had the chance to invest in it yet.  I would love to see some battle reports.

[HegemonyKrcket]

8 hours ago, MetaphoricDragn said:

Always wanted to try that set up with juju and boars, just never had the chance to invest in it yet.  I would love to see some battle reports.

I'm hopefully going to be borrowing the models from a friend for a tournament next weekend to try them out.  I'll let you know how it goes.