Morgue

Naysayers. Horror lists are completely viable, but require you to really have a firm understanding of positioning, and are very reliant on a single model; The Hanged. Because of Seamus' insane engagement range and the Rotten Belle's insane Lure Range, and the incredibly reliable protection of the Crooligan (As well as Creepy) you won't really have a hard time getting your bubble to your opponent, safely and reliably, regardless of what theoryfauxers say. I suggest trying out a horror list on your own before you get talked out of it. Keep in mind though, a well-oiled Horror crew is incredibly unfun to play against. You can create an enviroment where any easily-targeted models are easily recreated, where any failed movement action leads to Paralyzed, and where nearly all of Seamus' heavy hitters are both hugely offensive, and nearly untouchable. The basic mechanics of a Horror List are 1.) the Hanged's Inevitable Terror (I think that's what its callled) that removes any immunity to Horror Duels, even the immunity granted by succeeding in a Horror Duel, 2.) Seamus as your engager with his Spectacular Infamy upgrade. This makes his Terrifying effectively Terror 14. Leap him near / on top of the enemy's sniper type models. With them locked up, 3.) Rotten Belles lure in the runners. If you've got Sybelle, Bleeder Lash + Not to Banged Up makes your crew a flytrap. The models are pulled in at a greater walk than they can leave with, and once you get them into your horror bubble, they're totally screwed. 4.) Crooligans for The Mist primarily, and Creepy secondarily. The Mist gives your crew a greater chance to resist the snipers that can undo you crew until Seamus can wipe them up. 5.) Bring at least 1 heavy hitter with Terrifying, my personal favorite is the Dead Rider, but the Rogue Necromancy or Killjoy work well. In smaller games, (35 or less) the hitter isn't as important. The reason I prefer the Dead Rider is because of his Drag Along. You can engage a target, inflict decent damage, and then pull them into your bubble. Your absolute minimum point investment is around 15, 9 for a Hanged, 4 for a Crooligan, 2 for Seamus' spec infamy. It can be tricky to learn at first, but once you understand the basic themes of a Horror list, they are devastating. Don't let the circular logic of this forum dissuade you from playing how you want.

The necessity of Crooligans is based around the core models in your crew. Crooligans are not our best objective models, they are nowhere near as fast as Necropunks. Crooligans are hybrid support / objective models. They do well in both roles; 1.) The Mist. The Mist is by far one of the more powerful spells on a low cost minion, primarily because it is reliable AND in a faction with a running theme of durability. Giving out AoE Soft Cover to a gunline is spectacular. Giving soft cover to other support or melee minions while facing a gunline is spectacular. 2.) Creepy. Most (possibly all) Masters that have access to Crooligans have at least ONE Wp trick. (Terrifying, Rigor Mortis, Pipes, Lure, etc) and, Resurrectionists have probably the highest number of Terrifying models, meaning that any time you can gain access to Creepy, you're never at a loss for the points spent. Always On The Move and From the shadows only serve to bring them up a few notches in the Objective Grabber category, but doesn't do enough to make them rival Necropunks, and it shouldn't. You will never, ever be at a loss of points when you hire a Crooligan.

Phillip fills in a decent niche for the Resurrectionists that's probably our least represented; scheme manipulation. Outside of a couple models in-faction, we don't have many ways to mitigate enemy scheme placement, and so Philip does a good bit to help with that by either destroying them, or removing their ability to place Scheme markers. The problem I've developed with Philip post beta wave 2, is that to be anywhere near successful, you pretty much need to also hire a Crooligan and a Dead Doxy. Obviously Molly and Nicodem can just summon those models into the game, but Seamus, Tara, McMourning, and Yan Lo have to spend an additional 10 SS to really fully utilize Philip. (The Crooligan for Creepy / The Mist to bolster his in-faction abysmal defenses, the Doxy to greatly increase his mobility, and by extension, utility) I've had quite a few games where I opted out of Phil and Nurse + Crooligan + Dead Doxy and it was just miserably difficult to put him in place and get anything out of him before he was focused down in a single activation by any striker-type model. Still though, he's quite powerful if he's got the right models around him, and his ability to destroy 2 Scheme Markers for a 4c and a 4 of anything isn't something to just laugh at. Sacking a friendly Scheme marker for a card isn't too bad, and synergizes well with bag Seamus.

I completely agree with hiring 4 Rats to start instead of a single Rat King. It allows you to draw out activations turn 1-2 to see where your opponent is going, and it gives you added mobility because the Rat Catchers can pull Rats around but not Rat Kings. Once turn 3-4 rolls around, you can form them up into a King and have gained equal to more ground from the Rats than the Rat King. I'm not big on the Obedient Wretch or Killjoy with Hamelin, more in favor of Sue / Convict Gunslingers, but that's really just preference. In Tournaments I don't think you could ever really end up without Tools on the table. A heal on Hamelin, + Face the Inevitable is really just too powerful in games where you have 0 idea what's going to be across the table. And anything that gives Hamelin more interference is A-OK.

Frankly I'm unable to fathom how exactly A.Nicodem made it thru closed beta. I mean I get he's built around the puppetmaster-type gameplay, but he clearly and desperately needs more interaction with flight and arcane shields. Thematically and mechanically he is not currently feasible in his current unreleased incarnation.

My group and I got together tonight to start busting out some games and it's 6pm pst so we're wondering when the new beta is going to launch

And he'll have a best friend that's a werewolf.

I sort of hope it's intended. It's not like it doesnt make sense for a raging bear to hurt you when it squeezes you.

Wow, not at all what I expected... I really like her. Also hoping she's huge. Kinda hoping for the next new master to be a man though.

That only works when you take it out of context For reference (1) Self Harm (Ca: 6:masks / Rst: Wp / Rg: :ranged10): Select a 1 AP action on the target. Apply the damage results of the chosen action to the target, no other effects or triggers from the chosen action are applied. The accuracy modifier is determined by the result of this duel. It specifically states that no other effects or triggers from the chosen action are applied. Pandora can slap Seamus 3 times with Self Loathing.

That only works when you take it out of context For reference (1) Self Harm (Ca: 6:masks / Rst: Wp / Rg: :ranged10): Select a 1 AP action on the target. Apply the damage results of the chosen action to the target, no other effects or triggers from the chosen action are applied. The accuracy modifier is determined by the result of this duel. It specifically states that no other effects or triggers from the chosen action are applied. Pandora can slap Seamus 3 times with Self Loathing.

Okay, thank you.

I'm away from my resources and can't remember.

She's in a great spot. She gives good engagement to crews with lower mobility. Her damage is great and she's an amazing anti-master model because of her Sever Spine. Well worth the 8 SS. Try using her with Convict Gunslingers that can deliver her from range into one or two enemy models. Sticking her with Unnerving Aura is a great way to displace enemy crews, and with her high Df, it means they're expending resources to remove her or suffer a ton of damage.

If normally you can't, and it doesn't say you can, it doesn't happen.