Math Mathonwy

Zipp! He used to suck but now he's alright. ... Wong and Zoraida are in my mind the winners. Wong got Swines and since he isn't big on synergy he can use all the other cool stuff very easily (like Skeeter + Exlposives + Pere). Even Banjonistas look like they would be very nice with him since he likes positioning quite a bit. And Zoraida indeed got the Wisps which are huge.

Looks good to me!

That's a really, really small fixed list. First of all, I don't think that Mah needs any help to get in the face real quick - she is really mobile. I would take someone to do Schemes. Either a (duo of) Bayou Gremlin(s) or Merris. Then someone to wreck face with Mah. Francois (add Stilts) or Burt (add Dirty Cheater) are good choices. Rooster Rider is also possible here. For support, Slop Hauler, Trixie, and Old Cranky are all great choices. And finally, for general usefulness, Lightning Bugs are pretty ace. Lil Lass is also worth a consideration if you didn't take Old Cranky. So those would be the building blocks I'd utilize. Something like this, perhaps: Mah Tucket -- 6 pool +Know The Terrain - 1ss +Dirty Cheater - 1ss Bayou Gremlin - 3ss Francois LaCroix - 7ss +Stilts - 1ss Lightning Bug - 5ss Rooster Rider - 6ss

Do you really think that those are better than what Arcanists, Outcasts, TT and Neverborn get as generics? I strongly disagree, for what it's worth. And now the disparity is even bigger (we are at the bottom of the pile with Guild (and kinda the Ressers but they are a special case) while the other four factions soar high above.

Sammy LaCroix is an excellent addition that both Wong and Ophelia love. I'd certainly get her first. After that, you have a lot of choice. Bayou Gremlins, McTavish, Burt Jebsen, Merris LaCroix, Gracie, Old Cranky, Piglets, Hog Whisperer, Creative Taxidermy - all add something. I'd get Sammy, play a few games with both Wong and Ophelia and then add whatever you feel you're lacking. If it's killers, add Burt, Gracie, or Burt, if it's Schemes, add Merris or Bayou Gremlin, if it's buffs add Old Cranky, and if it's interference and general tricks, add Piglets or Hog Whisperer.

I don't focus on Poison with Guild McM but Sebastian makes it very potent. Chihuahua is insane when used with Seb - that's sort-of-kind-of 6 damage to everything within 2" of the doggy which goes through basically all defensive measures except SS prevention. It's very reliable since it doesn't need any duels or cards and doggy is pretty fast. Often my Sebastian just walks around absent-mindedly projecting his Auras of doom.

Ah, read that wrong, then. In one way it makes more sense but still doesn't make much sense (why would they take those?).

There really are really small horses out there. But I think that that is kinda beside the point. I was hoping that Reva would look imposing and scary and impressive. Like a Master! But with the tiny horse she looks rather silly. Which is a great shame as she was one of my favourite renders of the entire wave. Now, I'm sure that we'll see MLP joke paintjobs and such and some people are going to love that but I was never a big fan of that scene. And while we're in the topic of Wave 4 Resser aesthetics - Shieldbearers using "broken swords and shields discarded by the Guildsmen" is weird-weird-weird. Those are anime weaponry where you have a door and call it a sword or a shield depending on whether it's made of metal or wood. Really don't understand their look at all.

Good stuff, peeps! I like the varied skin tones and crazy freehands! Also, those Taxidermists are bonkers! Sweet! I should really take photos of my Gremlins but here's a couple. The idea is red jeans and pants and overalls and such with the rest of the clothing mostly khaki. Kin get something black and Tri-Chi wear orange. I like a very down-to-earth green for the skin and all in all seem to be aiming for a less flamboyant look than most here, it seems.

I'm not certain that is all that true, though. Big tournaments need lots of terrain which is difficult to transport and since it's a showcase event, the terrain must look great. I think that seeing Justin's (or Aaron's nowadays) playtest table, that would be closer to that. But otherwise I agree with your post wholeheartedly - well put!

Just to clarify, I think that problems only happen if they stay until next Activation and are Impassable. And if you can put four of them down on your first Activation.

Most certainly they don't necessarily auto-win games - the board requires correct terrain for it to happen. And auto-win is maybe a bit hyperbolic of me, admittedly. But it can confer an advantage where, if players are about evenly matched skill-wise, it is close to impossible to crawl back. That's actually a great idea - making them (2)Actions would solve everything and put them in their proper place power-wise. I see nothing strange there. First of all, I didn't post any concerns about the new Masters - different folks might have different concerns which I consider perfectly normal. And second, I'm worried of the ability as opposed to the overall power level of Sonnia and Rasputina. I would argue that your analogy is a bit heavy and that Wendigo is a fantastically powerful totem so weakening it a bit wouldn't be too much. That said, that is the part I'm least passionate about and in fact would prefer if a different solution was offered. It goes away at the end of the turn and isn't Impassable. I think that it isn't a problem and is representative of the design paradigm that seems to have come into effect after the first book. Note that due to how they are placed, I would argue that they are less potent than Sonnia's and Rasputina's even if they did stay for a similar duration. If they did stay, however, I would argue for weakening them as well. What I have seen it looks like you favour pretty open tables so I can see it not being a problem.

OK, I had a chance to look at the book. My musings! Zipp looks fun and different. Doesn't seem OP but certainly has his place. That's some massive drawback on Grab a Rope, though! Earl Burns looks good as well. First Mate - well, compared to a Silurid he certainly gets a lot for those two SS. But he is very specialized and a bit weird. The "obvious" combo of Croak for Slow and Push and Pounce and Paralyze and Swallow looks very impractical but probably worth an Achievement in a League But really, he seems loaded with a lot of somewhat random-seeming abilities that look like they're building towards something but really aren't. Still, compared to a Silurid... Has to be experienced on the table to properly assess. Loading him up with the Scheme Marker removal thingies and then going against Titania must be a weird experience. "Look, I have Armor +6!" Iron Skeeter looks like it's positively oozing with possibilities. Ferrying Pere (while loading him up to explode even more!) or Trixie or some such is the most obvious but they are just ridiculously versatile. As they should be since they are competing in the Rooster Rider price point. Amusingly enough they are slower than Roosters, though. Akaname seem pointless as Gremlins. It looks like they wanted to make more TT models but couldn't fit them so made one a "Gremlin". They seem fun enough for TT in general. I'm not sure I'd use them in Gremlins even if going Brewie, though. Love how they look, however. And there's some clever design there. Sad! Banjonista have the unfortunate condition of costing 5SS so competing with Slop Haulers and Lightning Bugs. Still, they look fun and might very well have their place. And interesting set of stuff though I wish they had Bayou Two-card. Swine-Cursed. As I said before, not quite convinced of these outside of Wong but will test them. I do like the design. And their heal goes well with Hog Whisperer Reactivate. I wish that Zipp's Limited Upgrades had been a bit more different. They could've offered distinctive playstyles. Still, I guess that the choice between them isn't obvious so that's at least nice. Treasure Map looks pretty useless. Drop the Pianos is very scary - with Fast from Sparks that's like an Austriger on steroids. I share Omenbringer's concern about Poorly Handled Explosives and Pere. 8 damage on death! That's pretty damn crazy. Sure, you can SS or Armor it away twice but OTOH it ignores all Triggers and Incorporeal and HtW and goes through HtK in a fashion. Crazy! And the Upgrade is really good aside from the nuclear Pere as well! Spotlight is resisted with Wk which is fun. Still, the least scary of the Sky Pirate Upgrades (I don't even count Treasure Map) but still nice. I could see First Mate using this one, actually. Leap, remove cover, have a iSkeeter go to town with Pianos. (Actually, now that I think about it, I guess that Menacing Croak can also remove cover pretty well most of the time). Barrel Up - Whiskey Golem still isn't all that super but I can see myself using him with that. One Pig with Ooo Glowy is going to be a scary, scary thing. Spark giving it Fast would be sweet. Rare 3 is a bit silly, though Pork Whisper'n makes Hog Whisperers a little less useful but I suppose I'll live. The 8" Push can be used to set up scary things. Do Over is better than using SS for cards so I guess it has its place. The re-randomization seems a bit niche, though. Not sure I like the design here, tbh.

Mah's Do It Right! and Hog Whisperer's Reactivate were the main ones that popped in my head that I wanted to try.

I'm not sure I'd use them in non-Wong crews. They aren't bad but their problem is that they are beaters and cost the same as Burt and Francois who IMO outshine them pretty handsomely. With Ooo Glowy they becomes a lot better and worth taking but without it they aren't all that IMO. I dunno, they seem to be very difficult to balance properly due to Ooo Glowy giving them such a big boost - were they better they'd be crazy with Wong. I do like their dual nature giving lots of options for buffs in the Gremlin faction. And I certainly might be overlooking something - I'll certainly get them once they are released and test them outside of Wong as well.

First of all, I know that errata and weakening models isn't popular. But hear me out. I think that the Wall effects of Sonnia and Rasputina are too powerful. All the new walls (like Zipp's clouds and Carrion Emissary's Shards) are very different in that they go away at the end of the turn as opposed to at the start of the model's next Activation. This is super important because it allows the opponent a window of opportunity to mess up with the placement of the walls (since they can't go over models). Furthermore, it forces activation order decisions on the waller as they need to activate early in order to gain maximum benefit. Now, the walls become especially obnoxious when Malifaux Child and Wendigo can double up on them. This isn't doubly as effective but rather way more since it usually means that you can block several approaches. The mere presence of these abilities has to be considered whenever you're building a table. Even if neither player ends up using Sonnia or Rasputina (which is rather unlikely since there's over fourty other choices) the battlefield must be built in such a way that blocking two 100mm passages indefinitely won't screw up the game. This is more important now that the official terrain recommendation was increased in the starter set. And a game screwed up by walls is absolutely horrible. Smart use of the walls can win a game on its own, basically. So yeah, I suggest an errata to Sonnia's and Rasputina's walls that makes them disappear at the end of the round. They would still be powerful but wouldn't be as obnoxious. I would also like it if Companion was removed from Wendigo to keep you from being able to set up the double walls in a chain activation. But I am open to other suggestions as well.

I think that they are nonessential in the same way that Roosters are nonessential for Zoraida. You can play Zoraida without a Nurse but it will certainly be a great asset to have one. So I suppose that we agree on everything except the definition of the word "nonessential"

Zoraida doesn't absolutely need anything. She can do just fine with whatever's at hand. She loves Roosters and Pigs but works fine with other stuff as well. Stuff specific to her would be Nurses and Waldgeists - they both give options to Gremlins that they don't normally have and are really good models. Some also like Iggy with her but I feel that the Merc tax makes him a bit of a so-so model. Certainly not bad but not essential. But the main problem with Zoraida is that her box is useless for Gremlins. Silurids, though great, aren't needed in Gremlins and Bad Juju without his signature Upgrade is really bad. Ulix needs Piglets (four or more) and War Pigs (one, preferably two). Other than that, all Pig models work nicely with him but aren't absolutely necessary.

Aye, Trixie is kinda the only one I would consider taking it since she has Reckless and is something of a support model but even there her Lure and Gun are pretty crazy.

I often see people taking this but I've never really seen its worth. My thinking is that you should be able to use your Master/Henchman AP for something more productive than a 1/2/3 heal (exception is Fingers but he has that action built-in and he can do his job by standing somewhere being Chatty). I mean, sure, healing a HtK model back from the threshold can be very valuable but how often do you really end up doing that? So yeah, what are others thinking? Is Quality Mash worth the 2SS and in what builds?

Is it possible to have models that are below the curve? If it is, how likely is it that zero models in a given Faction are below the curve? I think that it is a bit simplistic to assume that just because the rules are as they are that they are perfectly balanced.

Have people who think that Angel Eyes is OK tried replacing her with McTavish? Because unless you absolutely need a Nephilim, then McTavish is just insanely better.

There's a lot of Masters who work really well in theme. Marcus, Ramos, Ironsides, and Rasputina, with Mei Feng, Kaeris, and Sandeep (probably) working quite well as well. So only Colette excluded and she works nicely in theme as well but Langston and Acolytes are probably a bit better. On the Resser side McMourning, Kirai, Nico, Molly, Yan Lo, and Seamus work well in their themes with Tara not really having much of a theme on the Resser side and Reva being a bit of a question mark currently. And so on.

I finally listened to the podcast. And, to be honest, I found it quite bad. It's riddled with weirdness and inaccuracies. I mean, take for example the idea that Skeeters can't ferry anything scary because it's limited to Ht 1. Raphael, Burt, Trixie, Pere Ravage(!!) - all are superscary in their own right. Getting to far away places and getting Fast is crazy. Raph with two Focused shots is really frigging scary. I'm sure everyone knows how scary Burt is. Trixie can either blow the enemies away or haul in all the big things that were left behind. And Pere Ravage can charge into melee and then blow up twice. It was a bizarre listen for sure.

Ice Golem bad? No! Ice Golem smash! ... Sorry, I've been trying to resist but seeing this topic title in the active threads again and again finally eroded my resolve