Last Stand of the Thunders

[Cadaverousbirth]

Last Stand. Arguably the hardest new scheme in GG2017. How best to tackle it with Thunders? Can you take it without immediately telegraphing it? I doubt it. 

My first thought is Kang and Izamu and something else, likely Sensei Yu kept in back with Shenlong. Any other suggestions? 

[Ludvig]

Yamaziko running schemes on a flank, Hungering Darkness with the immortality upgrade + model or choice?

If hunting party is in the pool it isn't that uncommon to see 3-4 models eligible for scoring it. Aren't Samurai enforcers too?

[Tris]

Why just 3 of them - the opponent has to concentrate on just one model to deny you all the points.

I would try to get 4-5 in the list (although that may be telegraphed again^^), what are the cheapest enforcers/henchman in Thunders?

[Cadaverousbirth]

The cheapest Henchmen we can get are Yamaziko and Queeg with McCabe. Huggy is a great pick,  I think he would really help this scheme. Cheapest Enforcer is Mr. Tannen followed by Chiaki and the rest are 8+ including Samurai.

This might buff up fluffy Lynch crews with Tannen and Graves, and including a Samurai in there for ace hunting fits pretty well. 22 stones between the three of them, not including Huggy or upgrades, isn't a bad investment when they can still do other stuff and Huggy can always come back so losing one doesn't mean you auto-lose 1-2 VPs. I like it. Tannen is the most vulnerable but his discard-to-cheat aura can really strain a hand and help keep him around.

Yamaziko makes me sweat. Losing her is extremely likely as you announce Last Stand on turn 1 and your opponent will salivate at Df4 and moves to deny all the points and a scheme runner.

 

[Somnicide]

I've been tempted to call this with Asami and then focus on summons and making sure you have only a single Flicker on each one at the end of the turn - that lets you maintain model count but still have fewer when it counts and with a heavenly design they can also be pseudo scheme runners. It also helps offset some of the cost of the enforcers - I'd include Yamaziko and Chiaki along with a samurai and Bettari who has the option to be useful while avoiding LOS.

i haven't given it a ton of thought but I might do something like this:

50 SS Ten Thunders Crew

Asami Tanaka + 7 Pool

 - A Heavenly Design (2)

 - The Peaceful Waters (0)

 - Grasping Strands (1)

Ohaguro Bettari (8)

 - A Taste For Flesh (1)

 - Recalled Training (1)

Yamaziko (7)

 - Equality (1)

 - Smoke Grenades (1)

Samurai (8)

 - Favor Of Earth (0)

Chiaki The Niece (6)

 - Pull Of The Grave (1)

Terracotta Warrior (5)

Monk Of Low River (4)

 

 (exported from CrewFaux)

[Ludvig]

I wouldn't aim for it with less than four eligible models. 

Yamaziko isn't reallyfrontline material. Let's say she goes on an extreme flank with a TT-bro hanging out within her brace yari damage aura but inside of her position and with extra range on his ml attack so that nothing with a short charge range can get at her without going throigh him. They do alits orequivalent.

Or she could chill behind another model eligible for the scheme and help out with her aura in a strat like extraction. Bonus if the model has a large enough base to block LoS to her.

Ancestor heavy Yan Lo with his summon upgrade might also be a tough nut to crack?

[scarlett fever]

I played against someone who used resser Yan Lo to good effect, would be equivalent in a thunders build. Yan Lo's crews already tanky but with the ability to re summon ancestors I realised I wasn't going to deny his last stand with the crew I had. 

[Nikodemus]

I've never taken this scheme, just can't ever figure out how to score my other 7 points while Last Standing. That aside:

Earth Samurai is pretty sturdy for 8ss. Alternatively look at Hard to Kill models. Lots of heals to go around in Shenlong+Yu crew. Big Jake is 6ss and scheme gold. Very fragile, but good as your 4th/5th just to secure scoring. Peasants in Shenlong crew help you get a few more activations while working with an elite crew.

Depends on strat & schemes yadda ya.. Big Jake, Yu w/upgrade, Samurai, Shenlong w/upgrade and Peasant puts you at effective six activations and three eligible Last Standers with 21ss to spare. Add in expensive tanky henchforcer w/upgrade for durability and we've got 10ss to spend on models/cache. I think there's core of a functional crew there. Can't say I'd take Last Stand, but if I did I'd look at something along those lines.

Yan Lo sounds good too.

[Ludvig]

Seems like it would mesh very well with hunting party and frame for murder. Should be fairly doable with entourage or breakthrough too, probably a few of the marker schemes really. It isn't the easiest scheme though.

Stratwise it should be manageable with turf war/extraction, reckoning/headhunter or squatters rights or collect the bounty without affecting your strat too much.

[InvokeChaos]

Late to the party... work and real life has been hectic.

I have really been looking at this with either Shenlong, Yan Lo or Lynch.

SHENLONG

He and Sensei Yu have TREMENDOUS healing capabilities. This would be one of those time that I would take kamaitachi over peasants for the heal on upgrade swap. Chiaki, Emissary, Low River Monks, Izamu for your heavy hitter. Something along this lines:

Shenlong - 4ss cache
 -Wandering River Style

Kamaitachi
Sensei Yu
 -Promising Disciple
Shadow Emissary
-Conflux of Dawn
Izamu the Armor
Chiaki the Niece
-Pull of the Grave
Monk of Low river

It's still seven models, which I feel is kind of heavy for Last Stand... but you can kill off the Kamaitachi or Monk of Low River if need be to drop it down.

This is a disruption based list that can still put out some damage if need be. Everything heals here. Literally. Shadow Emissary when he's not drawing you cards is going to give you Armor for going defensive. Yu and Shen can push and slow. Chiaki will be handing out slow when she's not healing/scheme running.

YAN LO

Easy answer here, reliquary with a built in 0 action heal. Here's what an example:

Yan Lo - 5ss cache
-Fortify the Spirit
-Reliquary

Kamaitachi
Izamu the Armor
Shadow Emissary
-Ancestral Conflux
Yin the Penangalan
-Smoke Grenades
Chiaki the Niece
-Pull of the Grave
Goryo

Same kind of situation here, though relying more on Yan Lo's ability to resummons over straight healing potential.  Goryo is for the chi, and because it's a solid minion threat that will probably die, but can also help fuel early chi to get the necessary Yan upgrades.

This flies in the face of my normal recommendation to not take tons of ancestors... but this is a special situation. Soul Porter could potentially be a better choice here, I just like extra card draw.

LYNCH

Well Lynch is a gimme here because you effectively get an immortal henchman for 5-6 stones (2ss for the upgrade, and I run lynch at 4-5ss cache).

One of my old core lynch lists was really elite heavy to abuse Huggy's efficiency. And it still works pretty good here... with a minor adjustement or two:

Jakob Lynch - 5ss cache
-The Rising Sun
-Wanna See a Trick

Hungering Darkness
-Recalled Training
Yasunori
-Equality
Shadow Emissary
-Conflux of Hunger
Mr. Graves
-Hidden Agenda
Obsidian Oni
Obsidian Oni

Obsidian Oni are awesome with Lynch. And there's plenty of added mobility here with models that already have great ranges and are fairly stalwart in their own right. Swapping an obsidian oni to a terracotta warrior may not be a bad idea, because you can always tank a hit, and not save the terracotta to reduce model count (plus give Lynch an extra cache).