Tuco? How bad is he?

[esqulax]

Tuco is one of the few models in the Neverborn arsenal that I don't own yet, and I was wondering if there was any reason to? I actually like the model a lot. 

I was thinking of making a shooty list together with Lynch's new upgrade that allows you to cheat second and figured he might have a fit there, but I am not sure. Could someone who has actually tried him give me some feedback on him?

[Philosfr]

I don't know if I would say he's outright "bad", and more like he usually doesn't offer enough to any crew to pick him over the alternatives. His big schticks are From the Shadows and a gun with blast markers. In a faction very heavy on melee, he's a little out of place. His debuffs can be very strong, but they are no means certain.

Though I'm curious if he'll see more play with Liliths new Black Blood focused upgrade, or possibly Sirenia, though I haven't tried out either of those yet to actually say.

[Natsugawa]

I'm kinda in the same boat here. I really like the model, but I have no idea in which crew it would fit somewhat ok. I was thinking of maybe giving him a a try in a thematic All-Nephilim crew for an upcoming shifting loyalties campaign in our local group.

[feagaur]

I like him, but he is pretty situational. 

I've had good use out of him charging a voodoo doll at a Hemmed target and then Tuco shooting the doll to get blats off. The hemmed target then takes damage from Hem and from the blast.

He's pretty useful when you're looking to stop charges and pick off annoying opponents minis. Or just want to get some pushes in.

[Sharp_GT]

he is by no means bad, in fact using him correctly he can actually be quite good. BUT there are other models that overshadow him. The trapper has better range and armor, angel eyes can shoot into engagements, etc.

He really shines where you can take advantage of his de-buff, but the best use I've gotten out of him is usually distracting a fair amount of the opposing team early in the game while I run the rest of my team up and steal board control

[Philosfr]

Yeah, the debuff is really his best option, but it's not very reliable. Some games it will be decisive, other games he'll feel like a flop. It's like playing Gremlins relying on luck rather than a reliable ability

[Pyrflamme]

I'm actually taking him into a campaign in which I'm doing a rather thematic Lilith crew using her new terrain marker upgrade in conjunction with the Mysterious Emissary to mine the battlefield. I'm hoping that the blasts will serve as a nice supplement to Nekima's single target and the general combo of mines + Lilith movement. Disillusion trigger to set up Nekima, Df trigger helps Lilith with Transfixing Gaze to get stuff away from him.

[Azkral]

I have never tried Tuco, but I am curious with what will be using his blasts to hit engaged models with black blood to give damage to enemy models.

 

For example, you have a nephilim beater engaged with an enemy, you shoot, and if you hit your enemy, you put a blast marker in your nephilim beater to spray black blood to the enemy. If you hit your friendly beater, you can also give the enemy the black blood and the blast marker. 

[Philosfr]

Black Blood is only 1 damage in most cases. Hitting your own model will likely do more than this, so it's a net loss. Yeah, it's a nice consolation prize if you inadvertently hit your own, but I certainly wouldn't make it part of my tactics.

[Sybaris]

Along with the rest of the hybrids, Tuco doesn't stand out of the lot. He's not bad, but given the options we have at that SS range, he doesn't have that much to design a tactic for him, nor does the bell ring clearly with the current masters we have. There's almost always another model we kind of "need" at that point for whatever we aim to achieve, and so Tuco takes the bench once again.

 

[Vorschlag]

I've considered running him alongside Rougarou and autumn Knights but the only masters I consider that option with are Lucius and Titania (I presently assume he is one of Nekima's creations).

 

The problem is that means he competes with queeg or a knight in a Lucius crew.

Where he competes with Knights or even a rougarou in a Titania list.

You can see how this might be irksome.

The other consideration I've had if I threw fluff to the wind for sh*ts and giggles, would be a neverborn shooting crew with Tuco, angel eyes, McTavish, a doppelganger and two path finders with Lucius.....but it feels like to much of a mixed bag and would be nearly as repulsive as hiring mercenaries into neverborn, though it might catch people off guard for amusement sake.

[Nukemouse]

@Vorschlag It may sound a little crazy, but would it be worth swapping out mctavish for two more path finders? With four pathfinders you could summon/reposition a lot of traps. Its kind of funny to imagine surrounding an enemy model with traps or blocking all their charge lanes.

[Vorschlag]

I'm increasing to three at the moment it is a big investment into a suit you can't stone for but two have been rather impressive for me.

I've failed to benefit from queeg due to the suit requirement making him ironically better with Knights etc.

Having enough traps and then using Tuco or the claws push on -df flips would be entertaining though.

 

 

But the idea of Tuco and the claw handing out - df flips (should you have the suits)... is interesting in and of itself.

Should the stars align it makes most neverborn "hitters" a bigger issue for your opponents.

Where queeg is available this allows for the possibility of putting on 3 models on the rare and unlikely occasion where you have high cards in the suits required.

This also brings us back to Rougarou or anything else with pounce in which case other option become more reliable.

[Sybaris]

On ‎06‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 3:28 AM, Vorschlag said:

 (I presently assume he is one of Nekima's creations).

It's actually the case according to the fluff (Twisted Fates p.220). Tuco was captured and brought into Nekima's fortress and he was slowly turned into a Nephilim by her through torture and blood magic. He is the first hybrid that we could read of as far as i know...quite interesting how things developped.

[goth]

Haven't read this thread yet but I love him... with a wild boar and mctavish and swampfiends, with a wisp and a sorrow and coppelius, with three gators.  I have gotten more trickily tactical blasts off with him than with Laz.

[never born again]

I've used Tuco a lot. Mostly because he's a running gag in my local group. He's never been a game changer but, as most folks have already said, he's can be a situational focal point. I've typically used him as a distraction play. He doesn't really fit in any crew really well. He's a solo kinda dude. I like to run him up the board or attempt to flank with him and take some shots a few squishies. Let Tuco take the focus while I maneuver more important models where they need to go. He's too strong to ignore most times so my opponents have had to spend some important resources to neutralize him. He's never an auto include and I've never felt he really has a place, but he does have some tools the Neverborn are typically short on.