Hoffman competitive

[DeadManTalking]

Alright forum, I'm looking at starting Hoffman as a possible answer to dealing with Misaki. Not that I havent had success with other crews, but I keep looking at Improved Harness and thinking this could be a real hard counter. I think it could also be good against some other things as well, plus I like the idea of cyborgs and stompybotz. What do you guys think Hoffman will excel at in GG18 and what are some list ideas?

[trikk]

For a tournament I`d have my core at:

 

Hoffman 4 (or 5, don`t remember Arcanist Asset cost)
- Harness
- Field Mechanic
- Arcanist Assets

Mechanical Attendant 2

Joss 11
- A Debt to the Guild

Mobile Toolkit 3

Watcher 4

Howard Langston 13
- Numb to the World
 

Thats ~37SS. You can remove Numb and add 2 Hunters/Guardians or add a second Watcher if necessary.

 

 

[4thstringer]

I really like the riot breakers,  especially in supply wagons. 

[icebreaker]

I don't know how competitive it is but I prefer similar to @trikk version but based on Guild beatsticks.

Hoffman 5
- Harness
- Field Mechanic
- Arcanist Assets

Mechanical Attendant 2

Emissary 10

Peacekeeper 12
- Numb to the World

Mobile Toolkit 3

Watcher 4

Steam Arachnid 4

Thats 40SS , On rest you can add second Arachnid,  Guardian, Warden, riot breakers

 

 

[trikk]

I homestly think Joss+Howard are better than Emissary+PK. They have a nice synergy with mods (Howard has Nimble, so he gets Armor, Joss has Armor +2 so he gets nimble). They are way better to Puppet because they are not so trigger reliant. Joss autoignores Armor and HtK and Df triggers and he can get multiple reactivates because Hoffman offers a lot of healing. He also creates extra scrap.

[icebreaker]

51 minutes ago, trikk said:

Joss+Howard

It's sound interesting. What I like in Em+PK: you can give to PK  to the damage flip, then bury him with puppet, and then taxi PK to 12-18"(that is 16"-22" danger rage for PK's flurry) and when PK would be unbury he will hit with   to attack from Em aura and  from mobile toolkit. It look like a bit harder alpha strike

[trikk]

2 minutes ago, icebreaker said:

It's sound interesting. What I like in Em+PK: you can give to PK  to the damage flip, then bury him with puppet, and then taxi PK to 12-18"(that is 16"-22" danger rage for PK's flurry) and when PK would be unbury he will hit with   to attack from Em aura and  from mobile toolkit. It look like a bit harder alpha strike

I don`t like EM+PK in an Alpha Strike because you usually are low on activations, you go out from the Hoffman Armor Aura and if you fail you lose.

[icebreaker]

hmm, for example Hoffman 5 + Mechanical Attendant 2 + Emissary 10 + Peacekeeper 12 + Mobile Toolkit 3 + Watcher 4 + Steam Arachnid 4 +  Guardian 7 + hound 3 = 50. It's 9 activations and Emissary would have ++ def stance.

[trikk]

5 minutes ago, icebreaker said:

hmm, for example Hoffman 5 + Mechanical Attendant 2 + Emissary 10 + Peacekeeper 12 + Mobile Toolkit 3 + Watcher 4 + Steam Arachnid 4 +  Guardian 7 + hound 3 = 50. It's 9 activations and Emissary would have ++ def stance.

You lose the Peacekeeper and you lose the game.You`re left with almost 0 damage.

[icebreaker]

16 minutes ago, trikk said:

You lose the Peacekeeper and you lose the game.You`re left with almost 0 damage.

No, If you lose the Peacekeeper and Emissary you will lose the game. While you have Em and Mobile toolkit you have + attack and + to damage so you can find a damage in Hoffman MI atack and EM SH atack

[trikk]

Just now, icebreaker said:

No, If you lose the Peacekeeper and Emissary you will lose the game. While you have Em and Mobile toolkit you have + attack and + to damage so you can find a damage in Hoffman MI atack and EM SH atack

If you lose the PK after Alpha the Emissary is far away from the Toolkit to get the buff for me. I prefer to do a dual-threat option over an Alpha

[icebreaker]

Why  the Emissary is far away from the Toolkit? The Emissary moves up to 18" on first,  you buff PK at first turn and move 10" forward in LOS block, and on second you can move 10" more and then buff. So Its 21" buff range

[trikk]

3 minutes ago, icebreaker said:

Why  the Emissary is far away from the Toolkit? The Emissary moves up to 18" on first,  you buff PK at first turn and move 10" forward in LOS block, and on second you can move 10" more and then buff. So Its 21" buff range

Theoretically yes. Unless they also killed the exposed Emissary. Like I said, you`re version is not awful but I prefer mine.

[DeadManTalking]

I tried this list last night.

50 SS Guild Crew
Hoffman + 6 Pool
 - Field Mechanic (2)
 - Improved Harness (1)
 - Arcanist Assets (1)
Joss (10)
 - A Debt To The Guild (1)
Howard Langston (12)
Guardian (7)
Riotbreaker (6)
Brutal Effigy (4)
Mobile Toolkit (3)

 (exported from CrewFaux)

It was a supply wagon scenario with no killing schemes which was pretty interesting because I thought the list might not do so great with no points on killing but it had a lot of staying power. My opponent was running Shen Long and had no anti-armor tech so everything I there at him could survive plenty of hits. The Riotbreaker was fantastic, turn 1 and 2 it just walked across the board to engage Yasanori, Shen, Shadow Emissary and something else and then just stood there adjusting its position and doing Disperse Disperse while scoring me all my points for Hold up their forces.

[4thstringer]

Does anyone like the cyborg Hoffman play for competitive play? 

[DeadManTalking]

I haven't had a chance to fully test it, but I did run a list that you can get Ryle and Franc charging in, Ryle already has a big damage profile buffed by Debt and Franc gets the free ram upgrade plus with Debt is doing min 6 dmg.

[displaced]

How about a list with OSA in the arcanist assets slot? I ask because...I dont have the M&SU box...

[trikk]

On 24.12.2017 at 3:50 PM, ConfuciuSay said:

I haven't had a chance to fully test it, but I did run a list that you can get Ryle and Franc charging in, Ryle already has a big damage profile buffed by Debt and Franc gets the free ram upgrade plus with Debt is doing min 6 dmg.

I don't think the 2SS upgrade is worth it if you just bring frank for the extra 1 dmg.

[4thstringer]

Even with the ram upgrade you need stones to get that 6 too.  You can get there with too many guild hench.

[DeadManTalking]

Yea Franc just makes Ryle a pain in the ass to remove when hes power looped to a Guardian. Im not saying it's the end all be all competitive net list. Just that it was entertaining to hit that hard.

[4thstringer]

Frank's a good piece even if you aren't pl'ing in.

[icebreaker]

When the Broke Promises book have been got to my hands, I was really excited of Cyborg Up. But when I've tried to play I've found It difficult to make a crew as competitive as with Harness on constructs exclusively. I see couple problems:

1) takes Pneumatic Upgrades and Field Mechanic isn't effective enough. It's very expansive and requires too many actions apply all ups, power loop.

2) as I found out at times when the Guild even didn't have a Emissary - Hoffman spend too many cards from a hand, so  to attack is necessary as air.

 

To fix first I decided to limite ups poll to next: Pneumatic Upgrades only and Harness and may be Arcanist Assets/OSA. 

To fix second exists couple ways:

• Arcanist Assets - you can take Mobile Toolkit that is extremely useful in general and can give  to MI action. But I think it better to use it to give  to damage to models like Thrall, Dr. Grimwell, Papa Loco, Abuela Ortega, Hoffman.
• Emissary's 0 cost up. It gives  attack action for models with power loop. It's very strong ability because affect ANY attack action(sh, ca),  with it you can use strong shooting crews based on models like Sidir, Papa Loco(especially if give him  damage from Mobile Toolkit), Hopkins, Rider. But it require to spend master's AP to loop.
•  Promises Up on Sidir/Queeg gives  to MI and WP duels with and an up. So it works from the box with henchmen/enforces with ups or minions with cyborg up.

So now I'm thinking how to combine this options the best. The most interesting I think Emissary + Papa + Mobile Toolkit and Queeg with Promises + Cisco to buff him + Minions(Thrall/Mounted Guard) + Mobile Toolkit.