Starter box games

[CheshireMonkey]

At this level of play how do gremlins hold up? I've played two games now with Som'er and the enemy crews were full of damage reduction abilities that allowed their models to get around without any fear from the bayous. The warpig did okay.

Does Som'er even want to move or should he just summon more bayous? I feel like the crew really needs a slop hauler, Lenny, and a pigapult to really get going.

Thanks for any thoughts.

[rgarbonzo]

Somer wants Bayou Gremlins and he wants a lot of them. Also you want at least 2 Skeeters to use Pull My Finger. Lenny is a good addition to the crew because he gives out a :rams and can control the triggers of the bayou gremlins. Slop Haulers are a good investment to heal since Somer is the only one in the box that can take that ability.

[CheshireMonkey]

Well I'm stuck at starter box games for the next week in my current league. Is it worth dropping the pig in 2E for more bayous and upgrades? Or maybe jump over to Ophelia this week?

[Dracomax]

Playing with what comes in the box...I'd say that you want to use the gremlins as disposable scheme marker targets. In general, from what I've seen, they aren't going to kill much, and wasting AP trying to do so will only make you sad. They can kill, don't get me wrong, but it takes a lot of models firing to take down almost anything with a decent set of defense skills. And in the meantime, anything that can hit you will kill off your gremlins like shooting fish in a barrel.

However, if you use them to get points, then it becomes a game of "can they kill off the gremlins before the gremlins have enough scheme markers/strategies that they can't remove enough to win." Bayou Gremlins have a very strong early game, are height one so have an easier time staying in cover, are relatively quick, and once per game get an extra AP. However, they are going to lose a lot from attrition.

Be very careful how you place the war pigs, but if you can make them work, they are very effective at dealing damage. unfortunately, until you start figuring out how to play to their unique needs, most of the time, they will be doing that damage to you.

The mosquito is incredibly situational, and against some crews, they are just a waste of SS. They can be incredibly annoying, and put out a lot of damage to an area, make decent tarpits, and generally can leave any time they want to. They have wonderful defense, and flight, but once a model gets through the Df, they die in 1 or 2 hits. However, each mosquito is 2/3 of a bayou gremlin in cost. for a stone more, you get a significant model that adds to your model swarm--which is what Somer wants in a crew.

Early pickups for Somer's crew should probably be more bayous, Lenny, and a slop hauler or hog whisperer. If you are going to bring pigs, the Hog whisperer will be a big deal, at least until Ulix comes out. Otherwise, the slop hauler is a good pick, but he will be a target, and probably isn't all that useful unless you are trying to make the Somer summon engine work.

[rgarbonzo]

I expect Somers box to change a bit in 2E since he is a very model intensive master. I would expect to see the Warpig dropped for Lenny and 2 Skeeters. If you are adamant about going with Somer then just drop the Warpig and get more Bayous. If it were me, I would switch to Ophelia as her current starter box is really strong and she can shuffle around her upgrades as needed.

[CheshireMonkey]

I never thought about playing just for marker dropping. My friend used to play Colette like that. I should return the favor.

[Dracomax]

Yeah, I've seen the most success from Somer when he plays with a lot of small models doing way too much to stop. It becomes a race of attrition, and if you can make his summon engine work, it's a very difficult race. Of course, AOE attacks are the bane of swarms; if you go that way, spread out for moonshine's sake.

The key thing to remeber when playing gremlins, and this goes for every gremlin master, is that you will die faster than they will. You have to make your time count; either by killing the enemy(opphelia's crew) denying them points and debuffing them(Brewmaster) or just outactivating them(Somer)

[Dumb Luck]

Som'er shouldn't just sit around and summon. He's good at it, sure but he's really good at shooting. And at running away from enemy charges.

[mephiston]

Somer, Lenny and 3AP make a very good gun!

[Derkus]

Som'er shouldn't just sit around and summon. He's good at it, sure but he's really good at shooting. And at running away from enemy charges.

I have been starting to toy with Somer as a badass instead of as a summoner. I like it. While he is not a specialized combat expert he is pretty darned good all around. I am discovering the he can beat down other masters (not all obviously, but a fair amount) and most models have a healthy fear of him. This is a hugely overlooked aspect of him. Df6 and a great trigger make him survivable, Dirty cheater lets him stay healthy, Bayou two card lets him keep cheating (and healing with Dirty Cheater). Anyway, it is all pretty amazing and I'll probably be giving my opponents a break from the summon engine for a bit.

[Argivian]

Like the last edition, Gremlins have diversity to deal with a lot of threats (especially with the rest of the crew in wave 2) if you take the right models. Look at what strategy and supporting schemes you are running. Dropping the war pig for more Bayou may be beneficial for Reconnoiter, however in Turf War and Reckoning you will need to kill stuff and a heavy hitter like the war pig is needed. What is the terrain look like at the beginning of the match? Can you set up a deadly firing range and will your opponent be stupid enough to walk through it? I would encourage you to stick with the war pig and Som’er as heavy hitters for most games (at starter box level) and learn how to maneuver them with the Pig Feed upgrade. It is easy to fall back into a straight gunline crew and the gremlins offer so much more.

After that impassioned speech, Ophelia’s box set offers more model diversity. I would recommend her Kin if you are playing with starter box sets for a while. Francois is a model most underestimate only once.

[Dumb Luck]

I have been starting to toy with Somer as a badass instead of as a summoner. I like it. While he is not a specialized combat expert he is pretty darned good all around. I am discovering the he can beat down other masters (not all obviously, but a fair amount) and most models have a healthy fear of him. This is a hugely overlooked aspect of him. Df6 and a great trigger make him survivable, Dirty cheater lets him stay healthy, Bayou two card lets him keep cheating (and healing with Dirty Cheater). Anyway, it is all pretty amazing and I'll probably be giving my opponents a break from the summon engine for a bit.

Don't get me wrong. I'd still base his upgrade around Quality Mash and Family Tree. But they aren't the be all and end all of Som'er. He is now a much more diverse Master.