Nical

https://www.wyrd-games.net/sonnia-criid

Simply, some covers and armor buffs may not be enough to save our minions from Sonnia and Samael. For example, they have Visions of Flame, so their attacks can ignore cover against burning model.

I agree Sh 4 is not good. So I usually use copied shot low Df / High Wound models first and give some to Changeling. And Collodi + Lazarus combo itself is good. Collodi has useful 1AP actions and Lazarus can copy them by Assimilate.

I like to take Collodi(Fated) with Changelings, Trappers, Lazarus and / or Emissary. 1. Activate Collodi and Get Focused+1 and spread it to Changelings and Trappers. 2. Use My Will many time to Changelings to Get Focused / Move / Attack 3. Activate Changelings and Copy Trapper's Clockwork Rifle and / or Get Focused. 4. If Focused used for Clockwork Rifle, its RNG increased to 28" and It's Sh Become 4++ or 5++.... 5. So you can shoot very long range shots now as your opponents did. 6. If your opponent's models come close, ready to copy Lazarus' Grenade Launcher.

In my thought.... Teddy If you can summon Teddy, Dreamer need to focus not also to summon it but also to keep it in that turn. Empty Night and Otherworldly are useful. Teddy can heal more wounds and move to take cover before your opponent reacts. And if you have enough SS, I recommend to put a Teddy or other heavy hitter in your crew list. Card Don't forget 'summoning is great but don't need to abuse it'. Keep your good cards for most important jobs. But we have some tricks... First, Take On Wings of Darkness and Full Cache. If you really want more, Primordial Magic may be good. But it will be sacrificed when you summon daydream. And Otherworldly is useful upgrade to refill your hand. Survival Always think to use Safe In My Bed. Any nightmare is not more important than dreamer, so just use it to keep dreamer safe. If a nightmare is killed by it, you just summon next cheap nightmare. So I think real problems are attacks ignoring Safe In My Bed. Watch out blast marker and Outcast's some attacks ignoring Burial.

If you think you can't solve problems by our own models, take some mercenaries.

Conditions and Abilities with same name can stack, if they both have a value. For Example, Armor+X conditions / Abilities can stack. But BB doesn't has a value, so BB conditions / Abilities can't stack. And if a model has an ability and the ability doesn't have value, the model don't gain a condition that shares a name with the ability.

Collodi Construct Crew has many things can be used against any ressers. Arcane Effigy = Condition Removal Carrion Effigy + Fated and / or Widow Weaver + Handbag (Summon Teddy) = Corpse Marker Removal Stitched = Gamble Your Life ignores s in Damage Filps, so it is very useful against ressers. But Student of Steel - Terrifying (Construct) and other terrifying(All) models may be annoying opponents.

Oops, I miss it. I agree your point.

I think She looks like good toolbox master. So my thought about her is.... Stat & Ability Low Df, High WD and Impossible to wound - They are usually Ressers' things, so she will be as tough as Ressers. Flight - I think Free Flignt is always right. The Thirsty Roots - 2 damage Aura is good, but it can work in some situations. Rejoice in Rebirth - Very good healing ability, But it doesn't work with her action like A New Harvest. Attack Actions Wicked Silence - Good WP attack for utilities, but its damage is low. Blood Command - Her Bread and Butter. it can use to healing / AP transfer and Its damage can be increased. Tactical Actions A New Harvest - Another Bread and Butter. It makes her other abilities / Actions and some scheme runs work. The Queen has risen - Movement Trick. But I think its efficiency is low, So I think it must use for "important" model. Upgrade I don't talk about them, because I don't know their costs.

All boxes are great, but I find something fun. In reality, "Yokai" includes "Oni". But in Malifaux, "Oni" includes "Yokai".

Changelings are Rare 3 Models.

Collodi Box may be hard for a beginner, but Collodi himself is not.

Collodi + Lazarus + cheap minions list is useful against Rat engine and other Killjoy bomb list. Lazarus can deal at least 11 wounds by Auto Fire (Sh 6) with Pull the String (Ca7, non-trigger) by Assimilate in only one Activation and Killjoy has Df 4 / Wp 5 / 12 wounds. This means if Killjoy can't kill Lazarus, Lazarus may destroy Killjoy in his next activation. So if you use cheap minions to keep Lazarus from Killjoy, Killjoy bomb itself can be countered. But Levi / Viks with Rat Engine are always strong opponents, because their lists always have "Threat B (by themselves)" and sometimes have more threats. So you must use Collodi's Pull the String to control these threats. For Example, while Lazarus and other minions fight against other threats, Collodi can hold or Control Killjoy by giving Slow + A New Thread Conditions.

Lazarus + Retribution's Eye is very useful.

I have played 3 minion-focused masters - Dreamer, Collodi and Lucius. And I think Lucius is lesser competitive than others and he needs to fix to make him compete with others. So you may think my ideas make him OP because my balance standards are others and they are solid masters. For example, Collodi and Dreamer can use their AP Transfer actions for minions to their "theme models". But Lucius can't. And Collodi and Dreamer have initial range attacks and some trigger / abilities to protect themselves. But Lucius doesn't have any initial Range attack and I think he is not tougher than them. Finally, Collodi can summon some low cost puppets and control opponents, and Dreamer can summon nightmares and control opponents too. so I think Lucius needs to do more things like them or get more advantages in his own jobs. Additionally, I will keep playing Lucius whether he gets some buffs or not.

I agree Lucius's problems are from his inefficiency. His actions / abilities use up his minions or need more card values, but they are not "more" effective than others. so if I fix him..... Issue command / Commanding Presence Ludvig said about their problem and lowering their TN / Horror Test, but I have other solution. I think if Lucius can take mimic / guardsmen, he may order them, too. So I fix at least one of them Include "any mimic / guardsmen" Attack Actions Lucius's Attack actions are not great. Hidden Sniper is good but it needs 2ss and it has TN, and using Sword Cane usually means "Something is wrong". So I think Lucius needs initial Range Attack or more useful melee attack. Guild Intelligence I think it will be better as giving "this models can Interact while engaged" condition.

1. If you don't have any Neverborn models, Pandora is cheapest. Collodi Box - $50(31SS +@) / Pandora Box - $45(36ss +@) / Illuminated Lynch Box - $40(23ss + @) But as Lusciousmccabe said, some models in her starter have problems. And Puppets in Collodi Box are very squishy like them. So if you want more competitive and cheap crew, Lynch will be better. And Illuminated is one of our greatest minions, so you may need to buy Lynch box for them even you don't want to play Lynch. 2. Collodi. He is very good minion supporting master and Neverborn minions / puppets are very versatile and useful. Pandora and Lynch are Strong masters too, but I think they are not as versatile as Collodi.

Because my meta is small and I have "One faction for One Game" rule, I focus on Neverborn. And my standard of tier is not "How can he/she beat opponents" but "How can he/she adapt to situations" Tier 1 - Dreamer, Collodi, Lilith I think Dreamer is always one of Tier 1 master in M2E and he get good non-nightmare minions now. But he needs to watch out some threats can ignore his triggers. Collodi get good minions like Bunraku and Changeling. Changeling is a very useful toolbox minion and Bunraku is a good mid-cost minion and good substitute for marionettes in some situations. Lilith get new nephilims by starter box, so she can use more tactical resources. Tier 2 - Pandora, Lynch, Zoraida Pandora is Pandora. Her Wp Attacks and denials are Brutal, but I don't think new models give more tactical choice to her like Collodi, because she is self-centered master. Lynch is good master, but he is up to brilliance theme and I think new neverborn models don't have good synergy with brilliance except emissary. Zoraida have good denials and obey, so she is useful control master. But I think problems about her squishness and opponent's condition removal are not solved yet. Tier 3 - Lucius I sometimes think Lucius may not become "Tier 1" as Neverborn, because Neverborn have another minion-focused rivals. Dreamer and Collodi. And they can do more things(Summoning / Denial) than Lucius. So I like to take some austringers and doppleganger for poor lucius.

I sometimes convert models to follow my thoughts about fluff. For Example, I like to use Illuminated with Lucius, but I don't think Lucius exposes his "relation" between him and other non-minics neverborns publicly. So I converted Convict Gunslingers to Illuminated to represent "arrested Illuminated working for their commutations".

There is a gaming club in daegu, but there is no miniature store outside seoul....

I like to use Bad juju with eternal fiend as leader. Because he become one of biggest counters of Assassinate in this format.

Lilith + Pandora I think Lilith + Pandora combination is not bad. but I don't recommend it, neither. As -loki- said, Terrot Tots are good models for non-scheme runner boxes and Barbaros is very good henchman for pandora. So if you want to build Pandora crew, Lilith box may be useful. And Candy is good henchman for Lilith. But they need other models to reinforce their crew. I recommend some models like Doppleganger, Waldgeist, Illuminated and Lilitu for both. Lynch + Others Synergy of Lynch Starter is great. Because it usually count as Illuminated (3) Box to other masters, And Illuminated is one of our greatest minions. So I think if you don't have it, you will buy it someday. (or build your own Illuminated models.)

Take "Model B" - As moxypoo said, Curse can shut down an high-cost model. So Two models may be better than Stronger one against Jack Daw. Keep Jack Daw away from your "important" models. - Jack daw give "curses" by only his own attacks. So he may come to use it... Don't activate "Cursed" Model before Jack Daw - If you do, Jack daw will reattach curse and give it to your non-activated model. Kill Opponents first. - Though Jack Daw looks like Ressers, but he can't summon. So if your crew is more killy, Attrition may be not bad.

None. Because there is no "units" in malifaux as I know ... In earnest, Pandora is very self-centered master. She is focused to deny and kill opponents, so She can work well with any models can force Wp duels. For Example, Bishop is very good with her, because he can make opponents use Wp to resist his attacks. And don't forget VP. Even eliminated player can win by VP in this game. But Pandora herself is not good for getting VP, so you may need some scheme runners for VP. I recommend Terror Tot / Insidious Madness / Gupps. Finally, I recommend some "common" models Illuminated - One of our greatest minions. his dealing is just awesome. Doppleganger - Additional Actions by Mimic and Cheating for Initiative are Great. Waldgeists - Tanky minion, but its dealing is not bad. Depleted - Tar pit. good but he/she can't interact. Beckoner - One of our solution against Shooty Opponents. Terror tot / Gupps / Silurids - Scheme runners. Simply, Sorrows and Insidious Madness are some SS models, but Sorrows are less versatile and more fragile than Insidious Madness. So people prefer Insidious Madness to Sorrows.