CougDyver

THE SKY IS FALLING! But seriously, I like this system of annual/biannual tweaks. Ensures there isn't a huge need to always check for updates, but leaves room for the potential of another rat-engine fix. Also, huge support for the guardian love. That is one of my favorite models, and now i'll have more reason to get him on the table.

Clearly there should be two regions... Region 1 being events I might be able to attend, and Region 2 being events that are too far away for me to attend...

Got in three tournament games this weekend with Sandeep. Loss 4-3 vs Pandora, and 7-4 and 6-4 wins vs McCabe. First game was collect the bounty, ran him with mage gunline, Joss, blessed, and Kudra. Probably not the best situation since the summoning gave a few cheap points for the bounty, and the mages aren't too difficult to kill for being enforcers. Still, had a chance but forgot about Pandora's ability to re-position when she wins a duel, meaning my charge with Kudra was pretty useless. Interference vs McCabe was a little easier, between summoning to either tie up his models or to create new models, was able to control 2 (if not 3) table quarters most of the time. Ran with Mech Rider, Firestarter, Kudra, and the mages. Final game was stake a claim vs mccabe. He had quite the force of hounds and guild pathfinders, and i stuck with the mages and kudra, with a blessed and the firestarter. Between the blessed with leap, firestarter with reckless, summoned wind gamin, and sandeep's psuedo-leap, I was able to be wherever i needed on the board to either place claim markers or prevent him from placing. Then the mages went to town on his models to score hunting party, and a final turn dash by the firestarter (sacrifice buried wind gamin for 5", reckless for an extra AP, and discarding imbued energies for fast for a total of 4 AP) allowed me to score undercover entourage. The more I play him, the harder time I have not taking the mages. Kudra I keep taking in hopes she does something awesome, but haven't been able to set her up properly yet. Firestarter with the mages giving him regen +1 I seem to get more utility out of.

Yep, can't beacon spells on his upgrades, only his card.

Overall score. So even though Arcanist have won 3 weeks, if Guild was a close second each time and wins big this week, they could still steal him.

Temporary Shielding for Arcanists... I loved running the mages gunline before, and now their cheaper and more durable... Yup! Add in an M&SU henchman with warding runes and it becomes a solid core to build around.

Just to add to #5. Rules are available as a download if you're more inclined to wade into it, but I've also had great success with the starter set. It doesn't bring into play every little complexity of the game, but in terms of an introduction to the game it's a great place to start (note, it's not full crews, only 8 models total, 4 for guild and 4 for neverborn, and no actual masters).

Which is awesome! Love the look on my opponents face when I say I'm running 15+ upgrades... Makes me so happy.

I understood it as the OP was looking for models that would play well against Neverborn and Ressers, and was looking for an arcanist master to do so, hence the decision between Ramos and Raspy. Plus, I think Collodi is more of a one way street rather than a complement, he doesn't lend anything to colette, just gets to take some of her toys.

I do really enjoy Rasputina for frozen heart when horror is involved, but I've always found Ramos to be a better all around choice, plus Joss and Howard in his box are pretty solid models in most arcanist crews. Rasputina plays quite well "in theme" with frozen heart, and for ramos "in theme" applies to basically any construct, so he does well in theme. Short answer. Both. I think if you just want to buy a box, and have models that fit nicely in a colette crew as well, Ramos is the better choice. But if you're willing to buy accessory models as well (December acolyte, snow storm, silent one, etc...) then Raspy is just as good of a choice.

I've had decent success with Rasputina, setting it up so Sub-Zero prevents all the crazy whirlwind combos.

Only played a few games with him, but I start with 0 gamin. First turn I try and get a gamin out turn 1 to be either a scheme runner (wind usually) or summon point (metal gamin), and then set up for a turn 2 Banasuva summon. I've found I prefer to summon Banasuva with the upgrade that prevents move/push, making him a focal area denial piece. Then I use is (0) to get armor, and if he survives to the next turn usually am using the (o) from sandeep that allows a place. Dropping him in range of even 2 enemy models is pretty nasty, and usually I can pull it off between the gamin/sandeeps mobility and the 6" pull that sandeep has. So far my crew has been Sandeep - Visions/Commands, Unaligned Sage, variable (seize the day/Arcane Res/etc) Kudra - Free of Mortal Shackles/Warding Runes Mages X3 For a core of 27-28 stones, with about 20 to fill out based on scheme/strategy.

Been down for a few days, they'll put it back up when they open it up for GenCon sales.

Excelsior!

Ironsides has an upgrade that also means she doesn't have to worry about the red joker for damage flips, IIRC. So while uncommon, it's not that it's unique.

As an arcanist representative in said campaign, I claim corruption. One more example of the tyranny of the Guild trying to keep the working man down.

Condition removal = additional AP spent to get rid of slow. Totem to increase conditions = additional AP to make it last another turn...(sounds like brass arachnid spending AP to give something reactivate...) And charging as a 1AP doesn't have to apply to summoned models, so again, if this were just an obey it could do the same thing, trading 1AP on a master to get a 1AP on the model (granted, a 1AP charge). So yeah, spending a 13 and a mask gives you a Jorogumo charging, which is pretty nasty. But with a suited 13, or a 13 and a SS, most masters can do some beastly things with 1AP. I get into mechanics too, probably moreso than I should. But I tend to err on the side of Theoryfaux being exactly that, theory. Once I lose to it a handful of times, then I'll start being worried. Also... Totally pumped for this master. Her+nightmare mccabe have made me finally commit to buying into Ten Thunders.

Super pumped to see what Sandeep can do on the table. Student of all can also be triggered by any Mage with any of his Ca actions as long as you get resonance, so hopefully some fun combos there too.

But if they're summoned without resources, the model only lasts a single turn, and a turn that it's slow at that... So basically she's spending an AP to summon a model that has 1AP... So using it without resources makes it more like an awesome Obey, since you can put the model in the position you want. But it's not like she can flood the table with models without having corpse/scrap to do so. Also, condition removal becomes really big, you're right... Summoning a Jorogumo and spending two corpse/scrap to make it last 3 turns, that can get wiped off with a single condition removal. Guarantee that's going to happen to me, and it's going to suck haha.

Curious as to what qualities of summoning you regard as OP?

Except for the overlap relating to OTH... So to fix it, would it be that if you fail with a (0), you still take the OTH action and can't take another (0)? Or was #5 set up maybe to prevent having to take OTH 3 times if you use 2AP then a (0), failing on all 3 of them?

But aren't you then ignoring FAQ #2? To me it seems the wording between the two is somewhat contradictory, because #2 is saying each attack off a charge can become an On The House action, even though you spent your 2AP to charge, unless you think that FAQ #2 was only written with respect to models that charge with AP remaining. I think the intent of #5 is just to say you can't continually try and take (0) actions, and perhaps needs a little rewording so it doesn't conflict with the charge ruling. As I read it now, if you take your (0) first and fail, it actually costs you your (0) and 1AP, whereas if you do your (0) with no AP remaining, it costs you only the (0) and you don't have to take the OTH action because you have no AP left. Or maybe I'm totally wrong, that's just how I interpret it.

Izamu is pretty disgusting in henchman hardcore. I personally enjoy Kang, and did quite well with a list of Kang, Izamu (+Smoke Grenades), Rail Worker, and a Wastrel. Basically Kang and Izamu held their own (Izamu protected from ranged attacks by smoke grenades), Wastrel was either ranged damage or some healing from it's (2) action, and rail worker was pretty much there for extra damage. I thought it would also be fun to run something ridiculous like Toshiro, Izamu, Yin, and a clockwork trap, simply because I think the core group of those 3 ancestors can be pretty beefy in low SS games.

And come on folks... the board is only 3'x3', so clearly not "unlimited" range. Sorry couldn't resist. But in seriousness, while it does need a waif/anchor combo, it can potentially be useful to have him use an AP for not killing things like dropping a scheme here or there, especially because the waif can't and in numerous hypothetical situations why it might be better for Levy to do so than the anchor (engagement, board setup, activations etc). I agree as mentioned above Levy's AP are primarily best used for damage, and this will lower his damage output, but to suggest anything less than Levy still having a pretty great toolbox seems to be an overreaction to what is (in my opinion) well explained and relatively minor change. I'm just waiting for Icemyn to dominate some other tournament with Levy or whatever crazy combo, so we can get to the real solution, cuddle Icemyn.

How about widow weaver in a Mei (or Ramos) crew. Get some scrap on the board easy with Joss or Mechanized Porkchop for some Teddy Summoning.