Colette plus one?

[Phatt Manta]

Hi,

I have no Arcanist models and I am planning on buying Colette's box and one other master's box. Which master's box goes best with Colette's?

Also which Arcanist models are best for condition removal?

Thank in advance.

[spooky_squirrel]

Condition removal: Arcane Effigy. Johan's good too, but he's a merc (Outcast, Mercenary, M&SU), and really shines when surrounded by M&SU models.

 

Depending on how deep you plan on diving into Arcanists in the long run, you might go with Ramos (relatively shallow dive, another box of steam arachnids and a large steam arachnid box will give you everything you need to figure him out and start with one of the most efficient summoners in the game). He's got that M&SU thing going on that Johan absolutely loves.
If you don't mind going deeper, Sandeep is tricky to learn but can play into anything. You'll end up wanting to think about acquiring Gamin and Oxfordian Mages (hence the deeper dive). He has other ways to go as well, but he can play in theme without losing a beat.
Last recommendation I'll toss up for now is Marcus, because he doesn't need anything else in the Arcanists to get work done, if you have beasts from another faction he brings them along for the ride. Another theme player that doesn't lose his edge for playing to theme.

[Mxbedlam]

Also Marcus and Colette pretty much cover all your bases for schemes and strats. Between the two of them, they can get it done.

[Trixter]

In addition to what @spooky_squirrel advised, I recommend as a "gunline" alternative:

Rasputina box + arcane effigy + Silent Ones + Arcane Emissary. Raspy loves mobility, Colette loves good minions =)
In the future, you can dive deeper with Snow Storm and/or Blessed and/or December Acolytes.

[dancater]

OK, so

Basically you could choose any of the Arcanist master's to run beside Colette, she runs a very solid crew and pairs reasonably with all the other Arcanists.  So I'll give points on each:

• Ramos is a first tier economical summoner and excels in strat/schemes which overwhelm opponents, his crew is also durable which somewhat mitigates Colette as her crew (and the lady herself) can be fragile.  In particular Johan and Howard in the Ramos box are well regarded and superb editions to Colette crew.  The problem is Ramos is a summoner so you'll need to buy more summons and in all honesty probably a few extra constructs.
• Marcus is a great master with flexibility in his own self and huge crew selection option to truly be able to field almost any scheme/strat/opponent pool.  Great master, self contained, huge variety.  But this is also his problem, Marcus is damn near a faction to himself with the Beasts he can take and once you start buying into the master of the wilds you can end up with a large beast collection from across multiple factions.  Marcus can also run a interesting niche poison theme with some Performer models (Colette crew).
• Rasputina is one of the most powerfully themed models in the game IMO.  Her crew bonuses really synergize well and for what she does she is very powerful but she does have hard counters and bad match ups mainly around speed, which is a Colette strength.  The Silent Ones and December Acolytes, while not in Raspy's actual crew box are superb models and exceptional with both Rasputina and Colette.
• Mei Feng is a dual faction master, fast, durable, fun to play, many options.  She plays well in a range of pools.  No real synergy with Colette in models available generally but does contrast nicely with the Colette crew.  As dual faction she can invite exploration into other factions (Ten Thunders).
• Ironsides is a master in some ways the diametric opposite of Colette, where Colette is board control scheme markers and tricky, Ironsides is board control brawling and blunt.  She has limited synergy with Colette but her crew plays in a nicely contrasting way to Colette.  She also runs superbly with Johan which is a merc model mentioned above who covers condition removal, many Arcanists like Johan but with Ironsides he shines.
• Kaeris is a very fast scheme master with some burning synergy and as a flyer really solid on terrain heavy boards.  In many ways Kaeris plays the same scheme/strat combos well as Colette does, but differently, more movement and less pure tricks.  Interesting and thematically funky crew, not IMO a great mirror to Colette.
• Sandeep is the new book 4 master, Academic key word which Colette does not have.  Amazingly flexible summoner crew, probably one of the most limited pure summoners but the range of other things Sandeep brings to the game more than make up for that.  Sandeep runs well in every scheme/strat once you get a handle of him, a great jack of all trades master and crew so he'll be a fine compliment master to Colette and he can make good use of some of her Performers.  Solid master, but worth noting that likely some of his success and hype is associated with being newer and he'll get tougher reviews as opponents work counters out.

So there you go, a short review of the Arcanists crews you could take to compliment Colette.  Honestly I'd go with the theme and look you enjoy the best as Colette is strong enough to compete in most scheme/strat pools and you can afford to take any of the crews above and just experiment as you will.  Having said that here are my suggestions:

• Budget - Ramos, despite being a summoner and needs extra models (notably at least one additional mech spider swarm box) the contents of his crew box are really so good for Colette that you'll want to get them anyway.  Also once you have got the extra Rami constructs he runs fairly well without much need for schtick outside the norm selections.
• Variety - Marcus because he is perhaps, in certain crew builds, the most raw and aggressive Arcanist master.  Huge range of options and he can really get in, get bloody and slug it out with opponents which is a superb contrast to Colette who is arch-typical finesse.
• Coverage - Sandeep because between Colette and Sandeep you'd have arguably the two strongest and most flexible crew selections available certainly to Arcanists and potentially in any faction.  Between Colette and Sandeep you have two exceptionally strong crews which can each cover almost every scheme/strat/opponent combination well.  However as befits two such powerful masters they each have a sharp learning curve.
• Simplicity - Rasputina, she has a particular talent and she does it very well.  Her crew is tough, in particular the Frozen Heart immunity to horror negative effects is exceptionally forgiving.  Also the Rasputina crew offers two synergistic crutch models the Dec Acolyte is perhaps the most flexible and adaptable mid-cost minion in the game and the Silent One is Arcanists in-faction healing option so, yeah useful.  Also Ice Dancers are vital scheme runners for Raspy and also Showgirls so some potential Colette interaction.

Finally for Colette you'll 100% want the Arcane Effigy for condition removal (this model is honestly so useful every Arcanist crew should consider it), Angelica is a superb and vital addition, which links to the Malifaux Raptors which will one day get Cuddled and cause the Arcanist forums to implode into a black hole and finally the Coryphee Duet because its thematic, deadly and plain fun.  I'd seriously consider the Mechanical Rider who is simply excellent, Howard and Joss (Ramos box), Dec Acolyte box, Silent Ones are also first class.  Union Miners have some interesting cross synergy.

Good luck

[Phatt Manta]

Thanks for the advice.

Hard choice, the Arcanist masters look to all be very different and look to give huge variety. I went with Ramos in the end and since the effigy was sold out grabbed Johan. Angelica and Coryphee pad out the showgirl box and I grabbed an extra box of arachnids. Now to put them together and try to fit them into working teams.

[dancater]

Ahh Putting Malifaux models together is perhaps the reason for the famous Malifaux statement that "Bad things happen".

Before embarking on any construction I strongly suggest checking out GMort Chaotica

http://gmortschaotica.blogspot.com.au/

This space has short and invaluable articles on most of the Malifaux 2E plastic kits currently available with advice of pitfalls and tricks to help, it has been a difference making resource for my Malifaux model building and I recommend it, nay say henceforth it should be mandatory viewing before the box of shinies is even opened.  Honestly this will turn the process from tense and stressful into relatively painless, really worth checking out.

As for every other resource, podcast and online thread on tactics and construction and all Malifaux goodness, well I have a few I love, a few I like but I'll let you explore on your own.  Good luck and have fun, I strongly advise the first few games you play with Colette, play to explore, experiment with her core crew, the schemes and how far you can extend her and her girls (plus Carlos) before they get smacked down.  Don't play to lose but accept you likely will, but learn.  Her crew at its best its subtle and damn near unbeatable, but you need to understand the nuance and unfortunately the best teacher is a good smack down with prejudice, then getting up off the dance floor and reviewing when to twirl and when to high kick an opponents head from their shoulders.

Less bad things happen with good glue, sharp cutters, advice and above all patience and care.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Dancater is so right. My first  model after the M&SU box was the electric creation. Gmort and the online building instruction preserved my sanity. The flashbacks still haut ne everynow and then, thouh.

[Phatt Manta]

Thanks Dancater. That link is awesome. Saved my sanity.