Omenbringer

The hedgerows are very easy and most importantly cheap. I got this from one of the old Citadel How to Make Terrain books. Go to your local DIY store (though a grocery store will work as well). Buy a big bag of scotch brite heavy scouring pads like these: You might get more for your buck at the DIY stores, particularly if you buy generic. The ones I used were not scotch brite but I have enough material to build a full on 3' by 3' hedge maze table if I so desire. Cut them double the height you want. Fold in half and use hot glue to stick the halves together (you can try other glues but in my experience, Hot Glue works the best with the least amount of mess). Once the glue has set run an Exacto knife across the top edge to get it to separate and flatten out (you are not trying to completely cut through, only score). After this grab some clippers and snip some irregularities in the edges to add interest. Spray black and then dry brush various green shades until you are happy with the result. To give them some strength when you attach them to the base material (in my case the board itself), use some toothpicks or bamboo skewers fixed into the base material and then push them through the middle of the hedges. If you want to make them "flower" you can dot some white, yellow, purple, or red paint irregularly to produce the effect. Hope that helps. Also if interested I can take some pictures with the 2 player starter crews to show some scale.

Here are some pictures of a demo table I just completed. It is 18" by 18" and has a felt bottom to prevent it from moving around. All told it took about 5 hours and cost me around $50.00 (US) to make. If anyone is interested I can put together a "parts" list I attempted to make it look as if the Neverborn group was raiding White Oak Asylum to free a captured brethren and the Guild group is responding. With this in mind, the two holes in the wall were supposed to look as if they were made with some type of explosive (aside from providing two additional options for ingress or egress). It is intended to be more ""themey" than strictly playable, though it will allow me to demonstrate Hard and Soft cover during games as well as severe terrain. A 30mm base fits between everything but the hedge and stone sign just to the left of the stairs leading in. White Oak is a homage to former First Lady Florence Harding Let me know what you think.

This is my largest complaint with the Moon Shinobis. They don't have a method of generating their own modifiers (not damage) without the Brewmaster. Without this extra benefit, you are really paying a premium for severe damage potential of 4 compared to many other available models both in faction and out. Again compare the Moon Shinobis against the Fermented River Monks targeting a model with multiple instances of Swill on it. The Fermented River Monks are going to come out ahead every time...the Brewmaster can provide Posion+2 as a 0 action (during those early turns when it is less important to have Drinking Contest up) making the Fermented River Monks match the Moon Shinobi's Df while also increasing their damage profile at all categories by 2 with their inbuilt trigger (which means their weak damage matches the Moon Shinobi's severe and also that damage flips don't really matter anymore baring the possibility of that Black Joker showing up which is really a concern no matter which way or you affect the damage flip) for 1 attack, and they don't take damage from or lose the Poison Condition like the Moon Shinobi do. If the Moon Shinobi could generate their own modifiers thru either a 0 action or accumulated Poison Condition then they could potentially edge out the Fermented River Monks but as is they really are the less optimal choice. As always your experiences may differ and if nothing else the discussion may at least incite the Wyrdos to at least take another look at them for possible rebalancing.

I assume you are talking about Hangover and not Binge. While this is definitely an option those modifiers are generally better served on an opponents model (where it benefits the entire crew) than your Moon Shinobi (which are the only beneficiaries). Additionally, Wesley isn't nearly as good at throwing out Swill as the Brewmaster, can only provide 2 modifiers per activation, and is a fairly squishy high priority target. The Moon Shinobi need a method of generating their own modifiers independent of the Brewmaster. @Runeman I don't agree that Moon Shinobi are that complicated really, they just pale in comparison to other options available. Particularly those that don't require a ton of additional support to make work. This is why the Fermented River Monks are often the superior option. Even when you add in the potential support from the Brew Master, the Fermented River Monks come out ahead. Sure the Brew Master and Wesley could throw out potentially 5 modifiers on a pair of Moon Shinobi but have they really improved that much? Defense wise they might be more difficult to hit (because they get to draw up to 4 cards and can cheat) and offensively they might hit more often (again because they can potentially draw up to 4 cards and cheat) but your opponents models can still cheat and the damage profile is exactly the same. The Fermented River Monks in the same situation (though with Brewmaster and Wesley throwing modifiers on two key enemy models instead) can have more effect, particularly if they have built up some Poison on themselves. The Monks are more difficult to hit (because affected opponents models won't be able to cheat and have to take the lowest card unless they can somehow generate enough modifiers to offset it. This is before you consider that Poison 2 gives them Df 6) and will do more damage at the valuable weak and moderate levels than the Moon Shinobi (before you even consider the in-built Drunken Strength trigger damage addition). We don't even need to discuss the Monks ability to generate their own reactivate, which can be huge in a lot of situations. As I have said in other threads, I really want to like the Moon Shinobi, absolutely love the models, but as is they just aren't a good option in a lot of circumstances.

@Runeman The Moon Shinobi definitely need some changes. I would start by lowering their points cost to 5SS so they better compete with the Ten Thunders Fermented River Monks (yes I know the upgrade to hire them in Gremlins is 2 SS so a pair of monks costs the same as a pair of Moon Shinobi but I still consider the Fermented River Monks the superior option). Following that, I would give the Moon Shinobi either an immunity to Poison Damage and remove That's the Stuff (replacing it with their 0 action Where'd you get that into a once per activation ability) or change That's the Stuff to provide modifiers instead of a push. The latter is probably a better solution as it makes them more viable outside of the Brew Master's crew without making them over the top. This would put the Brew Master in a more competitive spot within the faction as his crew would then fit more in line with the denial/debuff, tarpit, slow attrition concept they seem to be intended for.

I tend to agree with you @edoperischetti the Moon Shinobi really need something outside of the Brew Master' actions to provide the all-important modifiers for them to pull their weight over other options.

Can we have Napolenny riding a war pig like the famous Napoleon painting below: Or perhaps his log can be done up like a hobby horse and mimic the same pose. And yes Napolenny should be modeled with a hand tied blanket cape or perhaps set of bloomers.

It should restore paints that aren't completely dry, though if you let them sit in the mixture long enough it might even restore those. My mix is: 1 part Liquitex Gloss Medium 1 part Liquitex Matte Medium 2 parts Liquitex Flow Improver 1 part Distilled Water MIx this up in a separate "squirt" bottle like this: This may shift your paints final finish toward Satin vice matte or eggshell. If you find it is more semi-gloss or gloss then you are using too much Gloss medium. What this is doing is adding more of the binding agents to the paint (gloss and Matte mediums) and also "loosening" the paint particles to restore fluidity (Flow Improver and Distilled Water). I would not recommend omitting any of the components as each is doing something a bit different to the paint. For your "gloppy" paints be sure to add a plastic agitator or two to the pots (if you aren't already doing this). I recommend purchasing a bag of plastic beads (usually found in the kid's arts and crafts area when you pick up your additives. With those in the pot and a few drops of the above mixture you then shake the hell out of the paints. It may take a bit of effort at first and you may need to add a bit more of the mixture as you go. Biggest advice is not to be in a rush, you can always add more but removing too much is really not feasible. An electric back massager like this: can make this step more effective and less tiring on your wrists. Put your paints in one of those thin plastic tackle boxes. Place that on a pillow and then run the massager over the tackle boxes lid. If they are really gloppy or you just really want everything well mixed, you can use a large rubber band or strap to fix the massager to the tackle box and let it run for a while. This is the type of box I am talking about: You can usually find them in the same arts and crafts stores you get the rest of the stuff in. One last suggestion is every few weeks or so (when painting regularly) add a few drops of the mixture to your paints. If you typically go long periods between paint sessions you might try adding some Liquitex Slow-Dri to the above mixture. If you go this route I would recommend trying 1/2 part to the above mixture. If you are comfortable with wet blending you might go as high as 1 part. I don't generally do this myself so you may need to experiment a bit to get the right ratios. Instead, what I do is just add a bit of the mixture into the paint pots and let it sit on top (no agitation). This has worked well for me. Hopefully, some of this will help you out (or others that may have the same issues). I use Liquitex because it is easier to find, available in larger quantities, and generally cheaper than the hobby specific stuff.

I can suggest a custom mix of additives that will assist in keeping your paints from drying out if you are interested. MIne are going on 6 years old and with the exception of the dry brush and texture paints, are as fluid as the day I bought them.

So something like this:

That isn't that difficult to convert from the existing line. I did something similar with the old metal models (Skeeter and Mindless Zombie). Perhaps this would be a great time to recycle that old Twisted model Dwead Piwate Rupprecht.

Alt Lenny in a Tuxedo and Top Hat.

I would disagree LameO. The Faction as a whole doesn't struggle for mobility aids, as you mentioned Iron Skeeters can perform that function as can the Piglets. Where we do suffer is in accurate long range shooting. This is where the Pigapult can and does fill a gap in the faction (yes, yes some of the LaCroix's could be considered to also do this but none are as capable as a Pigpult controlled by Som'er). Currently however its cost is prohibitive when employed in this role, so players are touting its Launch'n action as the superior benefit. I disagree as the downside is significant in comparison to the Iron Skeeters or Pig Ladders and Truffle Shuffle. In regards to the original question, it really depends on the composition of the GG 2018 Strats and Schemes. If they are mobility heavily then it will have a place (though again I think the Iron Skeeters or Piglets are superior options in this regard). If they are killy" then it will have a place. If they are somewhere in between then it may not.

The Pigapult has always been expensive the rise in cost to Stuffed Piglets doesn't really affect it.

A suit switch for the trigger could work with the Lightning Bugs. That way Som'er would have to use Do It Like Dis! twice (once from a Skeeter) to ensure both the summon and the healing trigger. Increases the cost by 2 SS (Skeeter hire) and requires another control card for Do It Like Dis! I do agree that Som'er shouldn't be messed with at all. He is one of our top-three competitive choices but he is far from OP'd or even a NPE.

This again sounds like people who have never actually piloted the Som'er summon factory and have only seen the perfect storm of its use. It isn't as simple as it looks even if your opponent patiently sits back and allows it to function at full capacity. The activation order alone screws most people. As far as the Slop Haulers healing, well let's just say Som'er manages to summon a full compliment of 3 Bayou Gremlins in a single activation (that cost 9 SS for the 3 Bayou Gremlin's that are the targets, plus 2 SS for the Family Tree Upgrade, and another 5 SS for the Slop Haler, total of 16 SS, and the Bayou's can't activate until after both Som'er and the Slop Hauler have gone)... To make this work it will cost at least 1 card plus a 6+ card and Som'er's 0 Action to guaranty the required suit for Get Your Bro (Via Do It Like Dis!) ,3 cards with a value of 8+ to succeed with the summons, and then 4 cards of 6+ value to heal the injured to max wounds. You have also done nothing else with your master (His entire activation was spent summoning and guarantying the suit), tied down the Slop Hauler (who can only do something else if he chooses to go Reckless a the cost of 1 Wound but has to remain close to Som'er to provide healing again next turn) and can really do nothing else with 2-3 of the Bayou Gremlin's because if they move outside of 4 inches from Som'er they can't be used for summoning next turn. ...that leaves 2 Bayou Gremlin's still at 2 Wds. The rest of the 4 Bayou Gremlin's will have between 2 and 4 wounds (Let's assume average flips which returns them to full wounds). Which Bayou's does the player choose to leave in the Back Field? Does the player risk moving the wounded ones from the back field or use the healthy ones (for the moment anyway)? Likely the player is going to choose to leave the wounded ones (who are also probably Slow due to summoning, why use Slow ones when you will want to run the healthy non-slow ones drunk and reckless so they are OP'd). So what happens now? Som'er has 2 injured Bayou Gremlin's near him that he hopes will heal before his next activation so he can summon off of them. He also likely has 3-4 "healthy" Bayou Gremlin's (that 4th one will be slowed due to summoning) primed to dash up field Drunk and Reckless. End result 4 Bayou Gremlin's upfield at half wounds or less (because of Drunk and Reckless usage otherwise the Bayou Gremlin's are crap right?), 2-3 in the backfield (near Som'er for next turns summoning, 2 of whom are likely to be at 2 Wounds). Let's say your opponent doesn't or can't take advantage of the situation to kill your Bayou Gremlin's upfield. Next turn you run the summon engine again. Net result is not going to be the same. The Slop hauler now has to go before Som'er in order to heal those 2 injured Bayou Gremlin's in the back field that he will use to summon the next wave. If Som'er decides to summon a full compliment then he will have 6 Bayou Gremlin's in the back field that are all going to be at half wounds with no way to heal them until the next time the Slop Hauler can activate next turn. That also means that they can't go Drunk and Reckless because they won't have the wounds to live thru it. We also still have the problem of healing those Bayou Gremlin's we ran upfield last turn who are likely injured from running Drunk and Reckless. We could use those Lightning Bugs at a cost of 5 SS (So now the total is 21 SS to make this work because you are going to either two of them or a Slop hauler and a Lightning Bug to have any kind of board coverage) but of course to really maximize the healing we really want to use that neat little trigger on their Magic Blasty Stick. Let's assume they are in the 8 inch bubble for Som'er's Do It Like Dis! (to provide the ) They still need to succeed with an attack to make it work. Do we target one of our Bayou Gremlins or an enemy model that happens to be within 3" of all the models that need healing? Targeting one of your Bayou Gremlins will result in it dying on any success (any damage flip bar the Black Joker from the Magic Blasty Stick kills a Bayou that went Drunk and Reckless before it can be healed from the trigger). Targeting an enemy model risks failure (so no healing) and requires favorable positioning of the enemy model to be sure to heal everyone that needs it. Again let's hope your opponent is obligingly positioning his models to aid the summon factory but not hamper it. While a lot of this is theoretical "in a vacuum" example, it demonstrates the fragility of the Summon Factory even when everything goes right and how it just isn't sustainable long term without a lot of effort and costs (and even then there are diminishing returns). It also requires your opponent to be unable to dissect the support required to make it function. Protecting that key Slop Hauler is very difficult, particularly given the access to models that can engage it first turn From the Shadows. After that, you have to worry about protecting those squishy Bayou Gremlins that are required for Som'er to summon. This is not that easy once they have sustained the damage from summoning. Again From the Shadows deployment can easily dissect the required models though Lure can wreak havoc as well due to the tight positioning constraints. Lightning Bugs can somewhat replace the Slop Hauler's but they aren't that much more durable or easy to protect (and of course their healing isn't free either even with a "healthy" friendly target to trigger off of). Now don't get me wrong, I do agree that the Lightning Bug's triggered healing could probably go from 2 to 1, but it doesn't come with out risks (using it could result in healing your opponents models as well). Now a lot of this can catch a player off guard the first few times they see it, especially if the perfect storm of sequence, position, and card draws occur; however, once they have seen it, it doesn't tend to work anywhere near as well. That Slop Hauler (or Lightning Bugs) and injured Bayou's don't tend to last very long. My players have become fairly adept at removing the healers early, forcing me to transition to one of Som'er's other play styles mid game (this is why I really favor building a crew that can do this with minimal effort). Not trying to sound condescending (though it's the internet so who knows how it will sound) but the Summon Factory is not a viable play style for more than a turn or two (and if it isn't running at "full power" then it is much less of an issue and even easier to deal with). Having run it for years now, it just really isn't a consistent path to victory, particularly when you consider that a third to almost half of your hiring points are spent just trying to give yourself the best chance of making it work (and hoping that those damn From the Shadows models don't show up to ruin your day). Like I said, I can think of a lot of other summoners who are a significant;y larger problem than Som'er.

They do appear to be gaining more text with each new wave. The mind abhors empty space.

Thanks for the save again Math. Should have grabbed the book. Wasn't Lazarus the only other model that had something similar?

Well considering that the Ten Thunders (nor Gremlins for that matter) where a faction (Misaki and the Gremlins were under the auspices of the Outcast faction) you are correct. However, Burt was a Mercenary in 1st edition and is fairly similar to his current M2e incarnation.

We will just have to disagree on that one Mason. I think it makes more sense to encapsulate everything the action does and then (with a clear distinctive space between lines) explain the condition.

Oh and thank you for the confirmation.

I have wondered Mason, why not put the condition description at the end instead of the action text? Wouldn't that make it clearer?

Are you sure about that? Good to hear if so. It isn't worded very well at all and I can see this one being asked about quite a bit either way. Format wise they should put the description of gained conditions after all the other stuff. As is it just muddies things.

So the Slop Hauler and/ or Lightning Bugs are free to hire in your community? That is a cost. Also as Math and Dogmantra state above, positioning is a major issue and Do It Like This has an opportunity cost as well. It isn't free in either action cost or card cost and the suit isn't always beneficial for the crew to have, particularly with those models that have to declare a trigger. Sure the Skeeters can spread it around as well but they aren't free to hire either. Also as Dogmantra states, activation order is almost everything in a Gremlin crew and very unforgiving if done out of sequence. Forcing Som'er and the Slop Hauler to go early is an opportunity cost. I do agree with Math that the Lightning Bugs healing needs to be readdressed (while I don't think they should have it, the faction is designed around easy access to healing and the Slop Haulers just don't last). Again, Gremlin's can look amazing when piloted well and everything falls into place (positioning, card draws, etc.) but against an opponent who knows how to peel the onion, they tend towards failure more than success. This is one reason Slop Haulers don't appear as often in lists now that the Lightning Bugs are out. They are just too difficult to protect despite being a huge linchpin within the faction. Compared to other Summoners, Som'er is really lackluster.

I haven't really looked at the upcoming books stuff (So will reserve judgment until I see the final copy) but based on the "new" Bajonistas I am not really that optimistic. Sure they can aid our "Gremlin" models with some free movement and provide a card draw upon the death of a "non-pig" model within 6" (Which is interesting in and of itself) but they aren't particularly durable, encourage clustering the supported models, and one of their primary offensive action is a major danger for Gremlin crews. I am talking primarily about Pluck the Strings and its Paranoid condition. On the surface, it looks decent until you really analyze the condition. For the cost of 1 card or 2 damage, your opponent can force your models within 3 inches of it to have to take a fairly high WP duel to avoid gaining Paranoid themselves. This means your crew has to either avoid that model until the condition expires or stand the chance of suffering more than they did in return. With the clustering that is typical of Gremlin crews, this could potentially prove catastrophic (I would never risk using this action against a crew that has any access to out of activation movement tricks). Funny how you never hear about either of those models (though there are quite a few others that could be up there) when people complain about our factional imbalances. I think instead of Burt and McTavish losing the mercenary characteristic perhaps the cost of hiring out of faction needs to go up (No hiring affinity should be 2 SS additional per Out of Faction model, a hiring affinity tied to an ability (i.e. Marcus or Zoraida or Leveticus) should still be 1 SS). A lot of models that people seem to complain about are those taken out of their factions or intended crews. Large hiring pools and special hiring circumstances are incredibly difficult to balance, especially as model counts go up. It is just impossible to test everything and release a glut of new models every year. I have already seen a thread speculating on what the next book will bring. Probably unpopular but, I hope the next book is third edition. The game is in a place where some major revisions to models (beyond the ability of errata's) needs to occur. There are also some core rules that simply don't function well, if at all. With the release of the Otherside (not my cup of tea but I hope it does well) perhaps Wyrd can finally slow their pace with Malifaux. Releasing a book and accompanying models (at least a few for each faction) every year is difficult to do, particularly in a game this complex. One suggestion that I would offer is when third edition comes to fruition that they seriously consider returning the "Character" to the game. I am not asking for broken combos or any thing like that. I am simply asking that things that are sold together or themed together, function best in their intended crews and much less so out of them. Seamus and the Rotten Belles are a great example of this. Returning the "character" to the game would see the much-maligned Lure action limited outside of Seamus crews by linking one of those provided suits to Seamus instead of always being available regardless of Master.