Getting Into Neverborn

[retnab]

Hey all, so let's say hypothetically an Arcanist player was considering faction hopping over to Neverborn.  How would you recommend going about it?  I already have a lot of what an Arcanist player would consider the must-have Mercs (Johan, Malifaux Child, Sue, Crossroads 7) and of course the Arcane Effigy.  I'm primarily interested in the tricksy Masters like Lilith and Zoraida, but also basically everyone else but Lucius and Pandora.

I have a feeling Lilith is going to be more my angle than anything else, since I really really love TOS' Cult plays and most people I talk to say something along the lines of "oh, sounds like they're the Neverborn-y ones" with all the movement tricks, high damage but meh defenses, and stuff like that.  Any suggestions on things I should try to see if that feels about right to me?

[Angelshard]

Welcome to the family☺ we have black pudding.

I think Colloddi would be an easy buy, he already likes a lot of the models you use in arcanist, but use them differently than what you'd usually do. He brings a lot of shenanigans and triksy stuff too.

For lillith I'd recommend waldgeists and Serena bowman. 

Additionally; mysterious emissary, nekima, doppelganger, changelings, Mr graves and Grootslang are all solid models that opens a lot of doors and gives options.

 

[INXVI]

Lilith is amazing, I started with Lynch and grabbed a bundle early on, Lilith went has quickly become my go to master and has stole the top spot from Lynch as my favourite 😂

Angelshard has given some good examples so far, I definitely second the Waldgeist, they are solid minions who provide cover, whats not to love? Also, maybe grab the Hooded Rider, turn 3, he is Min damage 4 and virtually has Armor +2, many games he's managed to rush for a marker, or drop a model, far away for Shed Blood, he is great. 

I used to use Doppelganger + Graves, double push combo a lot, it's really good and I enjoy the movement style shenanigans we have as a faction.

On that note, Lilitu is also a great addition, an 18' lure at CA 7, means you're at the advantage, and luring a model closer to your beaters, or into the Null Zone for Ours, away from a marker, or if you simply wish to get some extra movement from slow models, like Waldgeist.

The Primordial Magic is well valued in Neverborn, ability to pass out Insignificant and that nice +1 card draw (followed by a discard) but the Cherub is equally as amazing, Sh 5, 1/3/4 with a built in Slow and trigger to push the model 5' in any direction is insane, especially for a 3 stone model, and that's before considering the interact bubble.

Nekima is an awesome beater, insane damage, high ML, flight, melee expert, she does attract a lot of fire at times, but she is pretty good at tanking hits.

The Tooth is also a model I've come to value a lot, she isn't essential, but I like the built in scheme marker placement, and Armor +1, HtW she can take hits and the push on her melee attack is another thing I love about Neverborn.

The Emmissary works for a lot of master too, built in condition removal for Ply and Public executions, whilst a trigger to remove all scheme, corpse and scrap markers is great, especially when the opponent has Set Up, Search The Ruins etc.

The Effigy is also good, solid stats for a 4ss model, she gives out 'Rapid Acceleration' to give a 3' push after resolving and enemy attack action, whilst helps reduce the chance of getting Flurried or charged.

There's a lot more models she works with and new combinations we've probably not tried out, hope you enjoy playing Neverborn mate 😊

 

 

 

[retnab]

Thanks! I'm glad Lilith sounds like a good first pick. What about Zoraida? Any suggestions on what's good for her?

[Fixxer]

I think that Zoraida operates with the help of some really good henchmen McTavish and/or Nekima. Bring some Will o the Wisps also and anything else to taste really... I like that the WotW can summon dolls and do a condition lure, essentially. This gives Zoraida her AP to obey or etheircally punish stuff that has conditions.

Her box comes with Silurids, so that's perfect. They work really well in symbols or ply if used properly. I think Leap is the best (0) in the game, so do a lot of players though. Bad Juju is only 7ss now which is a serious bargain, for that cost he is good to doll punish or hold a position. He is also a great target for Obey if the situation arises. I'll obey a living enemy to end a walk or attack Juju only to fail the horror duel for them and paralyze them OR obey Juju to just attack as his dirty claws are pretty scary at 2/5/7. Her box is very useful, you will use everything in it at some point. 

Bring 6-7ss cache with her to ensure you can use the triggers on powerful control. Bewitching an enemy into a free obey to charge could cost you 2 ss and 2 high cards, but could change the tide of the encounter if done at the right point. She is a very fun and very strong master right now, IMO. 

 

 

[necroon]

8 hours ago, retnab said:

Thanks! I'm glad Lilith sounds like a good first pick. What about Zoraida? Any suggestions on what's good for her?

Zorida is a fine pick and brings some fun things to the table. 

@Fixxer already gave some solid advice so I will just add to it based on my personal findings:

• 2 Wisps is my magic number. A smart opponent will take the first one out by the end of turn 2. Keep in mind their scheme aura on failed WP duels as it can provide markers for Malifaux Provides for your beaters as well as Zorida's Winds of Change (which the wisps can take). It is more card intensive but more AP efficient for Zorida to Obey a wisp to make a doll if it comes down to it.
• Iggy is a great pick. He brings Incite which can help mess with condition removal models by forcing them to activate early (If you are playing with emphasis on the VooDoo Doll this is very helpful) as well as lay down some healthy burning onto the Doll itself (Burning is a great condition to work with Hem as a target set on fire will take it's own burning damage and then whatever burning damage the doll takes).
• A strong model that likes to charge can be very helpful if you have Powerful Control (and you really should). Look to Hooded Rider and/or Nekima. I also tend to like Graves with her, if the points allow for it.
• I have had fun with The Thorn with Zorida. Attacking the VooDoo doll to generate card draw while damaging my opponent's hemmed model has been helpful and own her own she is a very solid 7 stone minion, as well.

[WWHSD]

If an Arcanist player is starting into Neverborn and bringing in a bunch of Neverborn Beasts that are used with Marcus, which master is going to be the easiest point of entry?

It seems like it would probably be either Zoraida or Titania followed by Lilith, am I close?

 

Neverborn Beasts are:

Spawn Mother

Corrupted Hound

Gupps

Silurid

Grootslang

Waldegeist

Rougarou

[necroon]

1 hour ago, WWHSD said:

If an Arcanist player is starting into Neverborn and bringing in a bunch of Neverborn Beasts that are used with Marcus, which master is going to be the easiest point of entry?

It seems like it would probably be either Zoraida or Titania followed by Lilith, am I close?

I'd personally rank it Lilith->Titania->Zorida. 

Also real special mention to Lucius with Rogorau and Vogel - just a super fun if not rather static crew to run. 

[Flinroz]

3 hours ago, necroon said:

It is more card intensive but more AP efficient for Zorida to Obey a wisp to make a doll if it comes down to it.

FYI the Wisp's Ever Changing Form action can only be taken during the Wisp's activation. So Zoraida can't obey them to do it.

[necroon]

9 minutes ago, Flinroz said:

FYI the Wisp's Ever Changing Form action can only be taken during the Wisp's activation. So Zoraida can't obey them to do it.

My apologies - I have edited my post for accuracy. 

[Domin]

My personal opinion about Zoraida is that she's no need in big beaters - as well as in two wisps - if you don't run the whole-swampfiend crew with Spawn Mother.

The must-have models for her are:

1. Emissary. Despite his usefulness with any master, with Zora he's awesome. Just one punch to a doll - and hemmed model can be obeyed by Zora from any point on the table - with positive modifier, negating the most common ways to counter her (Yes, Sue, it's about you).

2. Nurse from Ressurs. Even with raised cost she's preety nice, as a source of nasty conditions and emergency healing for Zora.

[retnab]

So based on all of the above, how would this sound for a first buy:  Lilith crew, Zoraida crew, Nekima, Waldgeists

[(Keenan)]

On 4/12/2018 at 9:31 PM, Angelshard said:

Welcome to the family☺ we have black blood pudding.

 

 

Fixed

[retnab]

I'm flip-flopping on what I want to get first lol... what's a good start for Lynch?  Are there any crew boxes he especially works well with?

[Haagrum]

4 hours ago, retnab said:

I'm flip-flopping on what I want to get first lol... what's a good start for Lynch?  Are there any crew boxes he especially works well with?

Lynch plus some Beckoners,  Stitched Together and Mr Graves is a pretty solid start. Beckoners give mobility plus ranged Brilliance, Graves is... well, awesome, and Stitched Together are slow but very useful for a cheating git like Lynch.

You could also take a box of the Depleted, as cheap tarpits that mesh well with the Brilliance mechanic.

[Domin]

5 hours ago, retnab said:

I'm flip-flopping on what I want to get first lol... what's a good start for Lynch?  Are there any crew boxes he especially works well with?

Doppleganger - the most usefull model of the whole faction, IMHO - and Bloodwretch.

With Huggy they can make an awesome card-farming engine, busting your hand up to 14 cards.

2nd line - Emissary. He can provide additional mobility from conflux and summon changellings to multiply you crew's attacks.

 

P.S. all three, while being awesome with Lynch, are quite usefull with nearly any other masters.

 

[daniello_s]

52 minutes ago, Haagrum said:

Lynch plus some Beckoners,  Stitched Together and Mr Graves is a pretty solid start. Beckoners give mobility plus ranged Brilliance, Graves is... well, awesome, and Stitched Together are slow but very useful for a cheating git like Lynch.

You could also take a box of the Depleted, as cheap tarpits that mesh well with the Brilliance mechanic.

Stitched are too slow with Lynch. You would need to invest in Graves or Widow weaver to speed them up. Lynch has very good box himself. Add Beckoner, Doppelganger and something more and you are good to go.

[Haagrum]

13 hours ago, daniello_s said:

Stitched are too slow with Lynch. You would need to invest in Graves or Widow weaver to speed them up. Lynch has very good box himself. Add Beckoner, Doppelganger and something more and you are good to go.

I agree that Stitched are slow, but the Beckoners make up for it since they can push off a built-in trigger on their Lure. It sacrifices very little from the Beckoner's movement to do this.

[Treehouse]

Lynch box, Doppelgänger, Mr. Graves, Beckoners (or Lilitu, who is better with Lilith/Dreamer) and Mysterious Effigy (for the Def. push on Lynch). If you'll eventually get Lilith, you'll get Terror Tots who work nicely with Lynch.

On Waldgeists, I bought them but never really played them. I tend to just pick Illuminated. But that's down to taste.