Wulfen

I hear ya, please don't think I'm aiming anything at you, it's just more of a general frustration.

Oh I don't fault them, sorry if you got that impression. Players, especially the more competitive, will make the best lists they can that give them the best chance to win, I have no problem with that. All I was saying is that right now, most Neverborn lists will more than likely dictate the pace and style of the game, forcing us Guild players to react instead of act.

A Stitched will eliminate this possibility. Trust me, the FILTH player also knows that Nekima needs to die, and will find ways to prevent it. I can see this, but it also depends on your strategy. Some Guild crews aren't fast enough to complete certain strategies if they're forced into hiding for a couple of rounds. Right on the head here, but I think the current tournament format raises questions, since they are Shared strategies. I think it bears looking at; running Individual strategies as an option may nullify some of the pain that Neverborn currently causes. Please don't take my answers the wrong way, I applaud what you're trying to do. But right now I have a hard time seeing answers; this list isn't 'unbeatable', but the fact that it takes so much to even potentially offset means you're always going to be playing a chasing game, an uphill climb. The FILTH player (and not just this list, but most Neverborn lists do the same) will almost always be able to dictate the terms of play, as it stands right now.

Sorry I don't have more information, I was there but wasn't able to watch as much as I would have liked. Not very helpful, sorry.

I think the proper course of action is for every other faction player to start playing Neverborn. That'll show 'em! On a serious note, we're called uncompetitive because we are uncompetitive. I've had good success locally, but also the local Neverborn players realize how vastly superior their stuff is and have not played as cut-throat as they could have. We have a few answers for the Dreamer, but the Alps are still there, as are the other Nightmares. Pandora removes all of our WP resistance, makes us go last and tears us apart with wound-dealing WP tests. Zoraida can kill models without even seeing them, from across the table. Not to mention the new Collodi, who can summon better than Ressers. They're faster than us, hit harder (with a few exceptions), cast better, have better synergy, and generally can run circles around a Guild crew. I don't even want to get started on Outcasts. I'll admit to being a bit despondent. Every time we get Malifaux going again locally we shortly realize why we quit playing in the first place. This doesn't just go for Guild. I can't imagine being a Resser player, outside of Kirai, or an Arcanist player. Many of our locals have switched from those factions to Neverborn, for good reason. Are the new minions/Avatars enough to even the field? I don't know. Ugh, sorry.

If I'm not mistaken, there were very few Guild players, as they had the lowest turnout of any faction at the tournament.

That's really not very funny.

I'm sorry, but that's not been borne out in the big tourneys, where results are posted and we see who wins. Even at Adepticon, Neverborn and Outcasts came out on top. At a Master's tournament, folks play to win. It's not a fluff league, or a casual affair, it's a play-to-win mentality. I'm not saying sportsmanship goes out the window, but a tourney of that magnitude is going to draw competitive players. Locally, we've had at least two guys who played other factions, switch to Neverborn. I just can't believe some people (not saying you, personally) want to gloss over actual posted results for two years running, and basically tell everyone else they need to 'learn to play'. What will it take? Another two years of results, or a year where they have 80% Neverborn/Outcast? When is enough enough? I'll step off my soapbox now, but to say that Neverborn is just fine is doing this game and its players a disservice.

You're spot on, here. For two years running Neverborn has dominated GenCon, along with Outcasts. I see no reason for that trend to stop, unless they take a serious look at the faction balance and particular models, which we have all discussed already on various threads and discussions. I don't know if this means cuddle or bringing other factions to the same level, but something has to change if they want factions well-represented. 33% of the GenCon Master's being Neverborn, on top of top-8 finishes, is as sure a sign as any that there are issues. Some will, but I don't know how you can ignore numbers like that.

This drives me nuts. So it's ok for your chosen master/faction to dictate the game your way, but all of us who don't play Neverborn are forced to 'adapt or change our tactics'? This is not an acceptable solution. Look, I love the idea of this game, bought it the day it came out, but serious revisions need to be made if they want this to succeed as a tournament-worthy game. I want this game to succeed as much as anybody, but there's a reason our local area stopped having tournaments.

It was a draw, yes, but probably should have been a win if the OP had remembered his schemes and placement rules. Not to take any credit away from the Gremlin player, of course.

The final 8 surprises me not at all.

And don't forget Suppression Fire, which can help in getting Nino's headshot off to much greater effect if played right.

You've been marked, good sir.

Nice report! This further confirms my suspicions that Hoffman is more able then most masters to deal with the Dreamer's crew. Immune to Influence on the whole crew is a big deal.

Have faith in the Vikki's..

Easy there. I could argue the same thing since you're a Neverborn player, and have quite obviously helped Neverborn be the super-powered faction that it is. My point being, there is absolutely no reason to insult Guild/Ortega players as being 'scum' who all want a clean table to blaze away from, just like you don't want Neverborn to rule the table, right? Simply not the case. To the OP: Trust me, I play Guild, and I have the same issues with Pandora , Lilith and the Dreamer that any other crew has. Perdita has tools to avoid some of what Pandora does, but the rest of her crew does not, and if you're out-activating them, it becomes a matter of time before WP flips start going through, and those Sorrows start pinging the Ortegas. I think the difference is that the Ortegas are much more straight-forward to play, and Pandora takes a bit of playing to get to that level. We have a Pandora player locally, and it's just a beast to play against, no matter the crew, because he knows her and her crew inside-and-out. It'll come man, Pandora is a really tough master to deal with. Stick with it if you like her and her playstyle.

Usually my Sonnia crew consists of Stalkers (maybe one Marshal added or in the place of a Stalker), Sam, Nino/Executioner, and possibly the Convict Gunslinger. You have to realize what Sam is - a glass cannon. If he gets tied up, or you put him in a spot to get charged or engaged, he generally will not last long. He has a pretty low DEF, with no triggers, so you have to be careful to use him in the right spots; if he only gets one activation to do his thing, that can make or break the game right there. He does have Scout and Hunter, which can make him a difficult target if positioned properly. That said, I run him in every Sonnia list.

Here's what I have for 35SS. If I feel I need the SS, I drop the Student of Conflict. Viks Student of Conflict 3 Von Schill 9 3xRonin 15 Convict Gunslinger 5 This gives you a starting pool of 3, which can go to 5 if you don't take one scheme. If you drop the totem, that jumps to 6 or a full 8.

I don't have so many frustrations with crews I play, but more crews I play against. As an example, my sole Ress crew is Nicodem. Play him against Hamelin, and have a good time? No way. Also, pretty much every Neverborn master, because they have so many strong models with excellent synergy, and not as many weaknesses as maybe they should have.

Agreed. I don't want a 'Hardcore'. Let the other game have that. And OT, grats to the winners and participants. My Guild will see some of you at GenCon, I'm sure.

Also wanted to clarify how faction selection would work at these official events. I wasn't able to partake in the tournaments last year, but intend to this year.

Hadn't seen anything posted, so thought I'd ask. I realize it's a bit early, but some of the St. Louis crew will be there, and we were wondering what events Wyrd would be doing, as far as tournaments? Any ideas yet?

That's true, but they should be able to be stacked. We all just use 30mm bases of some sort, with/without graphics.

How 'bout a different Master?