Jordon

Yeah I would agree with you. It's certainly a delicate slope and with 12ss models it could be easy for them to go overboard. I just feel like the game has evolved so much since they were conceived and they just don't stand the test of time. With each new wave I feel like they become less and less viable. I don't even mind having them start off weak and gradually get stronger. However the problem is that even at their strongest, they are only on par with other models of a similar cost and sometimes it's still not enough. It's like they start weak and build up to 12ss which seems silly. If they started at about 10ss, mid game got to 12ss and end game were what I would approximate 14ss then I could accept the weakness early game. However it's just not that way and you ask yourself why you'd give yourself that handicap on a 12ss model. I sort of feel like these models could have benefited from a rule that disallowed them to be tampered with by actions or abilities. That would mean they would just be judged on their own merits without having to adjust them due to obey's, conditions or other abilities that may otherwise break them. I also like your suggestion of making them have more of a unique identity because they just seem to be fairly static in terms of their play style (again, not mech). Giving them abilities based on the general faction stereotypes would be interesting. I am shocked Dead Rider has no actual interaction with the dead. Being able to summon mindless zombies or use corpse markers seems like an obvious way to go with him. Hooded should have some WP based attacks and/or terrain interaction. Pale could sort of be the all comer sort of how he is now but with a few more bells and whistles (ignoring armour, removing markers, condition removal, etc)

I love the idea behind the Riders and each faction having access to one (sorry thunders and gremlins) (but not really sorry as Yasunori is basically a super rider). The models themselves are exceptional and make great centrepiece models in just about any crew. The problem is that I never actually see them with the exception of Mech. I'd like to explore why that is and to ask the community when/if you ever take your Rider? Before we dive into each Rider specifically. I feel like we need to talk about how each rider works and where I think the first major flaw with these Riders are exposed. They are very unique in how they work but it's this complexity that makes them very risky hires and the reason you rarely ever see them. They all operate on the mechanic of scale. Starting on turn 2 they gain an additional suit to all of their actions. This suit directly ties into their ability to use certain actions, their defence, as well as offence. So what this means is that your 12ss model takes at least 3 turns before it starts acting like a 12ss model. I feel like turn 3 is when these models become useful as their pseudo armour +2 makes them resistant and their (0) actions become reliable. Beyond turn 3 they do continue to get better but I feel like they begin to plateau a bit. Many of their abilities have caps or restrictions that keep them from really going beyond a 12ss model and even their "ultimate" (0) actions are only usable on turn 5 with if you have the appropriate suit. It's also worth noting that their defensive ability can be considered a superior version of armour, it should be remembered that unlike armour, it can only be used in opposed duels unlike armour that works all the time. I think the second question that needs to be asked is what role each rider provides and whether they are competent doing that role. It's actually interesting because I feel like the success of Mech rider is in part due to the fact that it has no competition for what it does. The other riders I feel all have a similar role to other models in their respective factions and is the start of the problem with Riders in general. Each Rider is among the most expensive models in the game with only a handful of models more expensive. Roles: Mech Rider: So Mech is the exception to the Rider curse in that it's actually an exceptional model that see's a lot of play. Why is that? Well in part because it's not competing with Howard Langston as the meanest model around. Mech brings something exclusively unique with a focus on accomplishing schemes and summoning models. This is clearly a winning formula and even though 12ss is a hefty price tag. Your usually brining this model for a purpose and if it's doing it's job, it will net you VP which ultimately is what it's all about. With it's ability to almost guarantee VP in certain schemes, it's not difficult to see the value this model brings. Pale Rider: Pale is interesting among the Riders as I feel like it's probably the most versatile of the bunch. He's fast, can do schemes, can heal and has respectable damage from range or up close in the later turns. So while I feel like this model is fairly adaptable, I feel like it's also it's downfall. Like other Riders, the 12ss cost is no easy pill to swallow and in Guild specifically, it IS the most expensive model barring mercenaries. So why bring this model? Well it's mostly for a speedy beater as I don't really think it's (0) is a huge drawing card at 12ss. It's speed does make it fairly unique but in terms of damage output, well it's not quite up to snuff. It does a little bit of everything decent enough but if your looking for a model to fill a purpose then you probably have better options available. Hooded Rider: This guy is a lot more strait forward than Pale and Mech. It's a strait up killer and late game is easily the most Killy of the Riders. With a 6" push, 3" reach and a trigger that can be used multiple times, you can see how this model could be a terror on turn 4+ once it maxes out its damage potential. It does have some other tricks that make it interesting but your really taking this model to kill things. Being able to remove markers is nice but really depends on poor tactics from the opponent and can be countered with proper activation planning and marker positioning. It also competes with it's damage trigger so it's really got to be worth it. It's other ability to taxi models around is cool but again requires some planning on your part. Dead Rider: This is the simplest rider as it really doesn't do much outside of attacking models. Early on it's the hardest hitting but since there is no scaling damage, it will get surpassed by hooded late game. On the other hand, it's built in min damage 3 means that you are using it's triggers for secondary effects rather than increased damage. The horror duel is alright but doesn't really get serious until late game. It's other trigger to push models is good for dragging models away from support or strategies but it sort works against this model as pushing a model in base contact removes the defence benefit of the 3" reach. Basically your just taking this model for a fast beater and the horror duels/pushes are mostly secondary. So it seems like aside from a few tricks, Pale, Dead and Hooded are mostly there as hired muscle. Mech operates on it's own level with a focus on VP. So the second thing to examine is how they compete at their roles in their own factions. Competition: Mech Rider: None. It has no competition near it's cost and in fact there is nothing in any capacity in Arcanists that do what Mech does on any level. It's truly unique in what it brings. Pale Rider: Peacekeeper 11ss: This is really the main competition appropriate to the cost of Pale. It has a great ranged attack and starts off with min damage 4 up to a max of min damage 5 with a cheated/flipped suit that it can use each attack and access to flurry. Pale only gets to min damage 4 on turn 3 and it caps out on +2 damage which can only be declared once per turn, however it can be use from range. Peacekeeper also has armour +2, terrifying and hard to wound versus the riders "chasing death" which again takes until turn 3 before reducing an attack by two (unless you flip/cheat a ram on turn 2) When you do the comparison its easy to see the difference. Pale Rider starts the game woefully weak and vulnerable compared to the peacekeeper. Even fully powered, the Pale doesn't even come close to the damage output of the Peacekeeper. I also rate armour +2 higher than "chasing death" as it works passively. The terrifying and H2W push it over the top. So what does Pale bring that the Peacekeeper doesn't? Well speed mostly. Pale is much faster with the Wk6, 4" push with unimpeded and Cg10. However the peacekeeper does have drag to help close the distance so I'm not sure it's a massive win for the Rider here. The Rider also has the ability to drop a scheme marker as a (0) which is something Peacekeeper cannot do. However the Peacekeeper can also remove markers for his (0) so in terms of power, both bring something to the table. In the ranged department, the Rider has a better damage track, but the peacekeeper does give out slow and can drag so I feel like it's still probably the better weapon. In terms of why your brining the Pale Rider. I feel like you will almost always have a better option in the peacekeeper 90% of the time who for a stone cheaper, hits way harder and is much more durable. Hooded Rider: Nekima 13ss Teddy 11ss Mature Nephilim 11ss So I'm not as familiar with Neverborn so I'll do my best to compare here. Basically I'm looking at Nekima and the Mature Nephilim as the most direct competition as I feel they have the most in common with Hooded Rider. In terms of damage output both the Mature and Nekima start at min damage 4. Hooded reaches that damage on turn 3 and exceeds them on turn 4, capping at min damage 5. However both Nekima and the Mature both have means of generating extra AP in the form of melee expert and flurry which tips the scale in favour of those models in terms of damage output. In terms of speed, both models have Wk6 and flight which is better than unimpeded. However with access to Cg10 and a 6" push, I feel like hooded is still the faster model. Durability is pretty close on all three models but I'd rank Nekima first with her ability to heal, regen +1, 3" reach, and SS prevention. Hooded is next with Df5, 3" reach and "chasing reclamation" over the mature's armour +1, Df4 and terrifying. They're all pretty close though. So I think the comparison is more favourable for Hooded than it is for Pale but I still feel like your taking this model for it's damage output and on that criteria alone, I think your much better off going with either Nekima or the Mature. Hooded's other abilities don't feel like they're effective enough to really give it an edge over these other models and since it's going to be used as a beater, I feel like it's "chasing reclamation" has too many counters, making Hooded an unnecessary gamble. Dead Rider: Archie 13ss Izamu 10ss Rogue Necro 10ss Valedictorian 10ss Again my familiarity with Ressers is not the strongest for here is what I feel are the strongest comparisons. Valedictorian would probably be the closest model in terms of speed, resilience and damage & triggers. In terms of damage output (the reason your hiring Dead) I feel like it's close. Valedictorian has a lower damage track with access to flurry and a 3" reach. Dead has higher damage but it's not until turn 3 where it can reliably attack three times (or 2 if you have the card). However the Valedictorian does have a pretty awesome trigger and since it's a henchmen, it can get it somewhat reliably. So all things considered I think it's closer to a tie. Both can reposition models via triggers (however Dead's is built in). In terms of speed the Valedictorian has Wk6 and flight which is better than the Dead, however Dead does have Cg10. Both are pretty likely to see combat turn 2 but Dead does have the slight advantage in speed. Durability goes to the valedictorian with terrifying, armour +1, H2W and soul stone prevention. Both have Df5 and 3" reach. So I think these models are very close in terms of what they bring. The big difference however is that the valedictorian is 2ss cheaper which gives it the edge. Also since both are very close in terms of offence, it then goes to defence in which the valedictorian is hands down the superior. If that wasn't enough then there is also the fact that the Valedictorian has a bit more utility with it's (0) which can be a huge deal. So for why I would want to hire the Dead Rider, I have to wonder why I wouldn't just take the valedictorian who is cheaper, more durable and has more utility. Conclusion: So I feel like aside from mech, all of the Riders are simply outclassed in their own factions. The main culprits being The "Chasing" mechanic is simply not as a good as armour and has way too many counters and is the Riders main form of defence. Blasts, burning, poison, pulses and any other passive forms of damage just obliterate these models They start the game as 7-8ss models and only reach 12ss around turn 3-4 but never exceeding beyond a 12ss benchmark. There are limiting once per turn triggers and capping effects that keep these models from ever reaching beyond what other models are capable of in their respective faction. They compete directly with other models from their own faction which combines with the "scaling" mechanic makes them just inferior and/or risky choices Other models simply start off as good as they become making their worth questionable They're the most expensive models in the game. Not something you want to take a risk on. So, do people actually run these Riders regularly? Do you think your faction has better options? Do you think I'm totally wrong, and that the your Rider is amazing? Again, I'm not talking about Mech because she's clearly awesome. Would you like to see Pale, Dead and Hooded errata'd back to relevancy?

I really enjoy playing Mei Feng and I don't feel like she's bad at all. She's got a great offence and supreme mobility with a situational game winning ability with vent steam. However due to her role as a primary beater, she has some tough competition with Marcus and now Ironsides. I find the rest our our masters do a pretty decent job not stepping on each others toes and bringing something unique to the table. Vent steam is an incredible ability and can win games, however it's not a guarantee that it will even be applicable depending on your opponent. Otherwise she's all about chaining AP which now Ironsides can also do pretty effectively. Marcus also has means to generate a bunch of additional AP and also have high mobility. So in terms of what she brings specifically, I feel like we have other options. Mei got a pretty nice boost this wave however it pales in comparison to what wave 5 did for Ironsides. The competition for a "beater" is now tougher than ever for Mei with Ironsides and Marcus both being exceptional melee masters with strong secondary styles. You just have to ask yourself why your bringing Mei in a given game and then ask if it wouldn't work better with Marcus or Ironsides. It might not always be yes, but aside from fun, I feel like other masters just do it slightly better.

#1 Mouse The Issues: He's too expensive, peon/insignificant and just strait up doesn't work. Also he doesn't really seem like he interacts much with Ironsides/M&SU and doesn't feel like a totem. His rope lash is a good ability but his lack of a means any models he pulls completely shuts him down and models can just walk away anyway. Also his heal is just too difficult to pull off Some Suggestions: Make him Minion/significant. Give his rope a Change Arrest him so that it effects attack actions and/instead of Wk/Cg actions Loose the suit requirement on the good stuff. Give him some other ability that interacts with M&SU models or Ironsides specifically #2 Ice Golem The Issues: Df2 is awful and armour +2 doesn't do enough. He is simply outclassed by other beaters appropriate to his cost. His Decembers sigh trigger is really lame Some Suggestions: Lower his cost Up his Df to 4 Give him some kind of support ability for Frozen Heart models. Change damage track to 3/4/6 or 3/4/5 #3 December Acolytes The Issues: Outshines most other 7ss options. Some Suggestions: Make him 8ss Loose the built in on his harpoon Change damage track to 2/3/5 #4 Essence of Power The Issues: It's too situational for a generic totem. It's abilities are too difficult to use as it cannot use it's abilities and walk. Some Suggestions: Make Amplify a (1) and perhaps give it a TN Change Empower so that it gives a on the next flip (meaning it can be used on prevention flips) Allow it to attach a non-limited master upgrade and allow the master to use that upgrade as it it were attached to itself while within range of the essence. #5 Electrical Creation The Issues: It's an awful hire. 4ss is way too much for a model who can only activate twice. It's ability costs too much. I get that this is primarily a summon for Ramos but I would like to see it be a useful hire for other masters and it would give some competition to the Raptors who have a monopoly on the 3ss slot. Some Suggestions: Make it 3ss Give it 4 Wds Give it an actual attack action that doesn't just kill it. It doesn't have to be good Change it's Burst to a (0)

I think your pretty close with comparing Raspy's upgrades to Colettes however I feel like the big difference is that Raspy's doesn't distract from her main purpose and offers some diversity while also addressing some of his biggest weaknesses. Raspy Achilles heal was getting engaged and while I still think that it's still her biggest weakness, I no longer feel entirely helpless. Before her melee upgrade she basically relied on others to get her out as disengaging with Df4 was all but impossible. Now at least if some fast chaff model is tossed at her, she can actually deal with it. It also helps that she essentially gets a free swing with it too which means she might not even necessarily need to burn any AP at all. Her summon is in a similar boat. It gives her some activation control which is something she was lacking but it's more of a secondary thing. Summoning is probably the most powerful mechanic in this game and even just a few summons over the course of a game can have a big impact. It doesn't make her a summoner but it gives her some flexibility when blasting things just isn't enough.

Overall I think they did a great job with the other upgrades. I have no complaints about any other master in Arcanists. Each master got something good or at the very least, something interesting. I feel like the mark of a successful upgrade has to hit one of these three criteria. Fun/Interesting: It's probably not the most competitive thing but it's still useful. Usually you'll see these on the stronger masters giving them a new way to play without changing the core mechanics of a model. I like to think Venomancy for Marcus. It's probably not the best way to play him but it finally makes poison legit in our faction and looks like an absolute blast to play. It's a new lease on life for models such as poison gamin and the scorpius. Expanding on an existing style: So this would take an aspect of a master and make it more of the primary focus. Whether it's making a master better at what they do or just changing up how a master can play. Mei Feng comes to mind as her new upgrade doubles down on combo's giving her more ways to chain between different actions. It's really unique as well as being quite good. Now you actually have a reason to use an attack other than her tiger claws. Giving something totally new: So this is just a compete shift in how a master plays. Turning a beater into a support model or vice versa. Sandeep springs to mind with his new limited upgrade which shifts him from more of a generalist to more of a damage play style with his ability to bring out Banasuva more consistently. Now Colette's other upgrade at least attempts to change her from support to beater which is why I think it's the better of the two. However I don't think it does quite enough to entice someone to actually play her that way over any of our other combat oriented masters. It requires a constant stream of resources of which she cannot produce on her own and the result can be great, but more often mediocre. Unfortunately this upgrade ticks none of those boxes for me. It gives nothing new, nothing fun and nothing to enhance any aspect of her existing play style.

I feel like the biggest let down for me is that is just doesn't feel like Colette. I don't particularly like to use Colette's "All Together Now" ability very often. Not because it's terrible, but it's usually more work than simply prompting two priority targets. However despite it's function, I feel like its incredibly thematic and something very unique to Colette. I can buy into the whole "showgirl" idea behind it. This upgrade feels very generic and almost tacked on just because she needed a new upgrade. It doesn't change her playstyle or enhance other aspects of what she does. More importantly it doesn't give me any competition for prompt. It's bland, it doesn't make sense, and doesn't offer anything new. It's just a let down on all fronts

Coryphee are honestly the only models where this makes any noticeable difference since they are the only actual combat model that can be affected. It's one of those upgrades that just seems restricted to the point of irrelevancy. Minion + Showgirl is just 4 models and 3/4 of them are often hired for other reasons outside of combat. Ice dancer's strength is her speed and the ability to drop markers as a (0). Keeping them within range of Colette counteracts their main strength. If you want to use them as a beater than pay 1 more SS to get a Coryphee Performer's are great models and focus is not the worst thing on them but again your hiring them for their ability to destroy markers, disrupt enemy models and interact while engaged. That is their strength and why most people hire them. Focus doesn't really change them into beaters and is not really worth a master upgrade slot trying to make them so. Orian are.... just don't do it. Ten Thunders already has an upgrade that gives focus AND fast and yet you still don't see them. They are not good at combat, not good as disruption and average at running schemes thanks to disguised. Focus has barely any impact and you'll be better off taking a performer/coryphee depending on what your looking for. Lastly it's the coryphee. Here is the one model where this upgrade actually makes an impact. These gals can hit quite hard with focus and is the reason your taking them. They also are usually within range of Colette thanks to being good prompt targets. Now you can only get 2 so it's still not a great investment for such a small section of your crew but I do think this is where this upgrade works. Just don't form the duet or you'll loose the benefit. The (0) can make an impact if it just so happens to work out but it's really not worth actively trying to setup unless your facing a witchling thrall or dawn serpant. Typically most 4-5ss models are off scoring VP and not worth having your master chase around. Even if they are in range, 9 times out of 10 your better off using your sabre to simply attack it rather than mess with it. Lastly it's just very expensive with it needing specific timing, spacing, a scheme maker and suit. It's not even certain whether you'll even encounter a minion (or one worth using this on) so this ability is a complete gamble and an unfavorable one at that. All in all your likely going to get more value from seize the day or arcane reservoir so I don't see this upgrade doing anything special for Colette.

I feel like all of the riders except Mech are underwhelming in their own factions. The problem is that they start off so weak and only get worthwhile late game. Other models don't have that problem and remain at a constant power level. They probably start at a 7 - 8ss level and it's not until 3 - 4 until they are doing they work of a 12ss model. Many of their triggers seem to have heavy restrictions placed on them such as "once per turn" which really stunts them from exceeding anything beyond 11 - 12ss. Again Mech is really the only exception and I feel is worthy of its 12ss price tag. The Riders also have a lot of counters and it just gets worst as more models are released. Any models that either ignore reductions or have any sort of passive damage will chew right through these models as all they have is their Df trigger going for them. Luckily I do find Levi to be the perfect compliment to run with them as he comes with his own activation control to help offset having 4 high costed models. Also he is a master who doesn't need help from his crew and operates just fine with little to no support. Lastly if you play him aggressive (which you should) then the opponent is usually too busy reacting to Levi more than the riders which is exactly what you want to happen. This is not an easy list to run and it really rewards experience. Knowing what the opposing crew does is absolutely the most important thing if you want to achieve reliable success. Take out the models that will cause the biggest threat and use your speed to dictate where YOU want the fights to happen.

So what generally is everything doing in this list? I take it the NB is there to bring the pain and Karina is there to summon. Is the scion mostly there as your scheme runner? What do you have the wretches and marshals doing? Also do you ever find it worth putting fast on models to increase the TN of glimpse?

I feel like it's a bit of a gamble and it warrents a bit of a tailored list to make the most out of but I do think you'll see it on certain schemes. If I only summon a couple of gamin then it might not be worth the slot. However even if I can summon the golem just once, then it's probably a good investment. It wont be an always include but it will be a high consideration for certain schemes/strats which I feel is the perfect balancing spot for an upgrade. It's just good enough to offer occasional diversity which is just where I like my upgrades to be.

Is it worth making an enemy model fast for the dead of winter debuff? TN15 is not exactly easy to pass and once buried, void wreches can actually make decent threats thanks to the new upgrade changing their void maw. Not to mention that they get against fast models making them fairly accurate. It's definitely risky but I feel like it's more of a reward now that it was previously. The Talos can also take some attacks but honestly I feel like needing a 10 for 2 damage on an 8ss model is not really worth it unless you have absolutely nothing else to be doing.

The only other way I've gotten any use from the Golem is through blade and claw and running it with the blessed who can zip across the board and tag out for the golem. The only downside is that it cannot be used turn 1 which I guess I understand why but I just wish the golem could be the exception lol. Oh and using kill switch to make him into a mini nuke. The only challenge is actually getting him to combat before exploding.

I feel like Death Marshals can do it somewhat reliably. Especially since you need to pass a wp vs wp duel in order to get out and even if you win, the marshal has 2AP to get you back in the box. Obviously killing the Marshal is not overly difficult so theres that but it's still a lot more reliable than glimpse. Lady J also has a new ability that is incredibly reliable. It just so happens that she rather cleave models in half rather than bury them I get that it can be powerful but by having so many hoops to jump through it makes it too difficult to use as a primary mechanic. Perhaps it just wasn't meant as such but it doesn't seem that way given the consistent boosts in offensive bury abilities each wave.

Even just a strait up decrease in cost would be worth looking into. The summon is a set TN so you could make the golem 4ss and it wouldn't have any bearing on Raspy's summon. I do agree though that in it's current state he'd need to drop 2-3 stones for me to even consider

Sandeep can make any model better. So while I do think if your willing to invest so much into making the golem viable you can succeed in covering some of his weaknesses. However why not just take Joss and invest in him? You'll end up getting better results with a better model. Besides Incorporeal doesn't exactly fix the problem. The problem is Df2 and just getting pinged to death by anything that even looks at you. Even most 4ss models can make a significant dent in this model when focused upon. The only thing I've seen to actually greatly boost the golem was a metal gamin. Unfortunately with the way protection of metal works you'll never get it to work for long. It has to be one of the most frustrating abilities and I've almost never gotten it to work outside of Raspy who simply sits there in one spot for the entire game.

It just feels so gimmicky to me. For 1 more stone I can hire a performer who can pull models way easier (no projectile, higher stat and can actually lock down models) and with some great triggers. It's not as far as Mouse's drag but the range is longer. Yeah you wont get that 1 damage but for everything else you are getting (significant, DMM, precious, manipulative, an actual melee attack, anti scheme ability), I see no reason to ever take Mouse. I agree. I just hope that there is also a reason to actually hire this model at some point and that it's not just relegated to a summon model only.

So it seems like no matter how many band aids are applied. Glimpse still seems to be the main problem in getting an offensive bury to work effectively. Not being able to control when an enemy model fails a simple duel or where that model ends up unburying seems to be the biggest point of frustration in using this as anything other than a secondary effect. I do like the idea of thinking of it as more of a horror duel to deplete someone's hand but I do wish it could be used as more of a central mechanic. So what exactly does the Talos bring to Tara then? It's a pretty solid beater but Outcasts have enough of those on hand. Is there some other purpose I'm not seeing?

Good point. I've never really had that come up as most models simply kick his teeth in as soon as he drags them in. He honestly feels like a broken model with all his anti synergy. The Ice Golem at least works, just not well. Ice Golem is a definitely #2 worst in my mind though

It's a bit fiddly getting this to work consistently. First you need the gamin to be within 2" of one or more enemy models but not actually engaged. Once it's engaged then your having to randomize which may or may not be the intended target. Then you need to either be within 6" of the dead gamin or have another model within range to mirror through in order to re summon it. In all honestly it's much easier to use a silent one who has a lower Df, can turn into a statue, not count as engaged, and reduce the damage to 1. Alternatively the Ice Golem is another potential better option because of it's awful Df (you basically start on strait flips almost) and the +2 armor helps tank the hit somewhat.

My issue with toss is that by spending AP doing that your spending even longer to get into the action. Having my 10ss model not see melee until turn 3 or 4 (and in all likelihood, half killed or more) doesn't feel like a good investment. We can get access cheaper pushes without having to sideline our heavy hitters. Besides we have acolytes who can start the game basically where you need them to be anyway.

So right off the bat. I realize this is probably not the most efficient way to play competitive Tara and I get that. However it seems like every wave she gets a little bit more options when it comes to her bury mechanic. I'm basically just curious what the best list/tactics would be in order to make bury as good as it can be. Between the recent errata and the new upgrades with the Talos. Can we actually make an offensive bury list work now? How can we make this work? What models do we bring, and how valid is this method of play?

Wendigo would need a 10 to summon a gamin, at which point I feel like Raspy can make better use of the card. Especially if its an 11+ because then she can summon the golem instead. For me the wendigo's AP will almost always be better spend casting Ice Pillars. It's easy and I can sometimes get a free card from it. Plus pillars are always awesome

Well #1 worst model for me is hands down Mouse. It's just all around awful on all fronts (except model wise). He's too expensive, insignificant peon, a heal that barely ever works and his lash pulls models to him from which totally shuts him down. Lastly, he barely does anything for Ironsides that she can't get from another model that's better. Gunsmiths are not great but at least they work. If they were 6ss I wouldn't have any problems with them. Yeah the essence is not great and just can't compete with the masters that it would be half decent with. Back to my point. I like the golem and what it does - it's just not good at it. It's way too slow and Df2 is just the worst and armor +2 is not enough of a compensation as anything that targets it will hit it - mostly with strait flips. Heck the Rail Golem is every bit as killy, much more mobile and has armour +2 and TWICE the Df of the Ice Golem and we still barely ever see that model.

So it's no secret that the Ice Golem has been consistently among the worst model in our faction basically since M2E launched. It's been that way and has only gotten worst as other models have come out to fill a similar yet better role than this model. Within our own faction we have the rail golem, joss and the emissary who in my opinion are just outright better. Other factions have Izamu, obsidian statue, cyclops and list goes on and on. It also doesn't help that with each wave comes more and more armor ignoring options which makes this model laughably easy to kill. It's currently not even remotely worth a hire and even as a summon, Df2 and 6Wds is still a death warrant for this model but at least you can potentially get it in a decent spot before it dies. Basically I was curious how people feel about this model now that it can be summoned? It's not easy to pull off with it requiring a high tome similar to Ramos' three spider summon. I only see it happening maybe once or twice a game at most. Certainly it helps in giving some use to the Golem, but does it actually excuse how bad it actually is? Can we expect a buff for this model in the future without having it be OP due to the summon? In my opinion it's still ranked as the top 3 worst models in arcanists and even as a summon I'm still hopeful for an errata to help bring this guy back in line.