Summoning Dreamer Problems

[KrazyIvan]

I've given Dreamer a go several times now, but I'm having trouble when I give him all his summoning tech. The main issue I am having is figuring out what to include as hires versus what I should wait to summon. My games with summoning Dreamer typically go like so: I hire in a couple Daydreams, Doppelganger, Widow Weaver and maybe Tannen, Coppy, and an Illuminated or Stitched...then turn one happens and everything goes to hell...

Merris uses her Jug Rocket plus a pig riding Trixie to march Francois and Burt into range and get into position to shoot me to pieces...then proceed to do so.

Perdita and fam...well...just murder me after a turn of advancing.

Etc, etc, etc...

I guess what I am saying is that while I can summon the hell out of stuff, it's all paper thin for a round or two and I am finding it difficult to insulate myself from ranged attacks. Everything I summon in is getting killed the turn after I summon it in. My Waking is perpetually sitting at 2+, so the healing being generated by Dreamer isn't enough to keep them upright. Should I be hiring my tanky stuff, and simply summoning my utility pieces?

[Pikciwok]

(note: I'm not a good Dreamer player)

I hire Candy with summoning Dreamer.

My Dreamer usually has Dreams of Pain, Otherworldly and Aether Connection.
Candy has Depression (pun!) and A Thousand Faces.

Turn one I stone for cards.
After initial 3 summons I chain activate (Accomplice on Otherworldly) Candy, use (0) action on depression to discard a  to gain that suit to all casting actions, then make 3 Goody Basket actions (Candy's a Casting Expert) to heal summons.

[HydroMog]

have you tried not to go "full tilt" with summoning. usually only summon 2 nightmares first turn, then zero action to lower your waking, and summon a daydream if you burned one to summoning. this way when your summons activate they heal more than if you summoned all you could right off the bat. 

plus what you summon can make a difference. summoning the twins can pretty much heal them to full if done right. also summoning stitched can be fun if summoned near a group of enemy models.

[Thana.]

The problem I see is that almost everything you're hiring has no threat and no resilience. What's to deter your opponent from just rushing your lines and killing all your stuff?  Dreamer, tannen and weaver are all squishy support pieces. Coppelius isn't even threatening once he gets 3 eye counters but before that he's paper. Try running stuff like Nekima, doppel (with a summoned lilitu gives a great mix of hitting and lures) waldgeists, illuminated/depleted etc. Those models buy you the time for your support (lilitu), schemers (madness) or damage (stitched/chompy) to come online. 

[Ludvig]

Throw in a few stitched to keep people honest? They make for good summons too.

Since you can summon cheap activations as well as big beaters I'd say you can start either way. IF people don't feel threatened by you you should probably have more beaters to start. I've faced dreamer with a Teddy pushed up by daydreams turn 1 to project some force.

[Fixxer]

I second Thana, I dont see anything to make your opponent fear rushing you. A teddy with a few daydreams to push into a "gobble you up" position is key to keeping Dreamer form getting rushed. Copellius should be swapped for teddy as I find him with Widow Weaver is a fine combo.  (1) Playtime was made for teddy and has gotten me a ton of cards, ups his respect factor from opponents as its not just damage he is going to do.  Nekima , mature nephilim, or even Graves would give you a little more punch. Certainly lacking a tough model and a model that puts out damage. 

My Typical Summoning Dreamer list looks like.

Dreamer, DoP, On Wings of Darkness, Otherwordly.

2 Daydreams

Widow Weaver (upgrades)

Teddy (upgrade)

Doppel

Waldgeist

I typically summon 2 models on the first turn to keep my waking at a point where I can still heal 2 on activating models. Then it depends on the schemes and strats AND the cards I have in my hand as to what I summon. Litilu, Lelu, Stitched, and Insidious are my mains and require an 11 max. With a 7 stone pool and daydreams to sack for a mask, high cards are all you need. Take what you can get as an activation is an activation and they are all significant models after the turn they are summoned, your opponent will have to deal with them. Stitched together are the best thing you can summon in terms of damage output and tricks, theyre solid. They heal, gamble, (lose) reactivate, heal again. Just keep them in that 6" aura.

Dont forget that dreamer also has a shooting attack that is 12" range that triggers auto paralyze on models with WP 4 or less. You need a crow though. If people want to alpha strike you with WP 5 tough guys, a single Daydream or web marker in range can give dreamer a really nice activation in shutting down a model. This is an underutilized action on his card that can save you in those alpha strike moments. 

Looks like you are playing Perdita and Ophelia who both shoot insanely well. Are you playing with a good amount of terrain and not letting your opponent get away with shooting you in the open. Calculate those negative flips. 

[catbat07]

I definitely agree with more beaters. Remember that the dreamer requires no scheme runners to start out with, so lists with two beaters can be hired with little reprimand.