Cedar

I've played a few games as Ivan and his crew, and my god, they are amazing on so many levels. Here are my thoughts about them. Starting with the Man himself - front of English Ivan card shows a wall of text. His DF and WP are average for a master - 5 DF and 6 WP are nothing special to write about. At first glance, it appears that he is quite slow, with only 4 MV and lack of Unimpended or Rush - but this is not true when we learn about his Actions. 11 WD is around average for a Master, same goes for Size of 2. Looking at his Abilities, from top-down - first, we have Black Mirror. Great defensive tech, in my opinion, it’s better than Nihilism. You can pass any number of burning/poison/injured to Mr Mordrake, same goes for first Slow, Adversary, Stunned, Fast, Staggered. In return, Mordrake can move his Focused, Distracted and Shielded to Ivan. This ability itself means that Ivan has an upper hand when facing certain masters who rely on those conditions. Dark Deception is his main tool of staying alive - reduce all those focused shots that deal severe damage to 0 by removing one of your markers. Just be careful - irreducible damage is still a no-no, and watch out for the models with Blow It to Hell. Note: it works only against enemy Attack Actions - so Abilities (like demise(explosive) or Lethe Caress), tactical actions(like “Make Me Proud Boys” or Rider actions), hazardous terrain and condition damage is unaffected. Sustaining Shadows - One of the few ways Ivan supports his summons (and totem). From my experience, the model that heals the most is Mordrake. It’s a nice ability, but as both Ivan attacks, as well as one of his tactical actions, has a range of 10, which means usually there won’t be many shady friends to heal. Penumbral Converter - personally it’s Ability that I overlooked the most - too bad as it’s amazing. You can place a Scheme in an area where Ivan wants to go, and at the end of his activation - just swap it for another Shadow Marker. Or, on the other hand - to block enemy Scheme - at end of activation turn his scheme 6” away for the friendly marker. You can also turn shadow markers into your own Schemes, scoring points in the process. Ungentlemanly Affairs is an Ability whole Department shares - Using Concealment, Distracted and Focused as means you flip 4 cards on an attack with ivan - which works both as a way of increasing chances of flipping a good card as well as Black Joker magnet - that’s one of the reasons I’m trying to keep BJ in my hand till the last turn if I can. It’s an Ability that makes certain crews that rely on Distracted to cry, as well as giving you the advantage in shootouts through the Concealing terrain. From my experience, he is semi-protected from lures and bring it - concealment means that those attacks suffer a to hit, and, which I find quite funny - most concealing terrain in-game are forests, which is both concealing and severe, so each lure moves him only 2” and 3” in case of bring it. Looking at the back of his card we have Runic Siphon - 10” attack (without a projectile) that deals low (for a master) damage of 2/3/4. The attack has a stat of 6 and is resisted with WP, so you should hit most of the models - except Riders or certain masters. However, due to the sheer number of cards Ivan flips in his attack, it’s possible that an opposing player won’t have a good card to cheat the duel. Runic Siphon also has a unique way of gaining suit to a duel - you can trade one (AND ONLY ONE) for the . That leaves you attacking usually with only 3 cards instead of 4. But why do you need crows for? Well, first of all - Shadow Pin trigger that changes Ivan damage track to 3/4/5 and handles out Staggered. It works only if the opponent has a Concealment or is within 3” of friendly Shadow Marker. Note that enemy model does not have to be in concealing terrain to have concealment, you just need to draw LoS through Concealing terrain. It means that Ivan can shoot through a Shadow marker, gain a positive that is changed for a Crow and hit enemy model for 3/4/5. Also - remember that when drawing LoS through Concealing terrain Ivan stands in, if any single sightline drawn between Ivan and the target passes through 1” or less, you may ignore the Concealment but you dont have to. Also, the target will still have Concealment. in such a situation. This trigger alone makes Ivan capable of dealing a ridiculous amount of damage, with only Cooper and McCabe being masters that are able to reliably hit for more reliably. His second trigger - Intercision - allows you to summon an Umbra minion with a cost equal to the enemy Wp stat increased by 2. Note that Injured condition lowers enemy WP stat, so be careful when trying to summon something from such a model. The breakpoints for summons are (for now) 3, 5 and 6. From 3 WP models, you can summon Nocturnes, from 5 WP - Daevas and when attacking models with Wp of 6 or more - Broken Spectres. I’ll get into those models in appropriate sections but for now, just remember that threat of Specter appearing in the middle of enemy Crew is something the second player will have to think about, even during creating their crew. Daevas are much more common and in many cases, they are preferred summons over Spectres. I find summoning Nocturnes not really that good - it’s usually just an option if you don’t have the possibility to summon something better. The upgrade Ivan attaches is nuts - the only downside is Stunned(so beware when facing Woes), while the upside is two ways of creating even more Shadow Markers. Personally, I think this is the strongest upgrade any summoner attaches to their summoned models. Black Soulstone is Shockwave attack that requires 6 to work (and - surprisingly- is a Projectile). Mv 13 duel in 1” from the marker is pretty average for the attack. Friendly Umbra models (including Ivan) may ignore effects of this attack. Why did I mention Ivan? Well, because this attack drops Shadow marker instead of regular Shockwave, so you can throw it within 2” of Ivan for additional protection. This allows him to hit enemies within 4” from him while creating some protection. Two triggers he has on this attack are Surge - occasional card draw is good - and Swift Action, so you can use the action again - which means there is an option enemy would have to pass the Mv duel twice. For me, it’s more a utility tool than an offensive one, but sometimes you can kill or wound 2-3 models with a single action. Encroaching Shadows is a tactical action that allows Ivan to move Shadow Markers or Umbra models - including himself. 6” push is nice, especially that you ignore models during it. It’s super useful for moving Umbra (who all, except for Nocturnes, have Mv of 4) or for escaping from combat (even maybe forcing enemies to pass a TN 13 Mv duel or gain distracted); The trigger is nice when used on Spectres, but I wouldn’t rely much on it. Shade Step is powerful bonus Action, that allows Ivan to place anywhere within 6”, as long as it’s a Concealing Terrain. The trigger, Trail of Dusk, allows dropping another Shadow marker in base contact immediately, so before placing - so at worst it gives Ivan a 1” place and Shadow Marker. It’s the most common way for Ivan to move, both into and out of action. This, combined with Encroaching Shadows, means that it’s almost impossible to keep him in combat. Also Staggered doesn’t work that good, as both his methods of moving are unrelated to his Mv stat. Mr Mordrake is Ivan’s totem - and personally, he is one of the best totems in-game. Df of 6 is shared across all Umbra (except Ivan). Low Wp is another thing Umbra models have in common, and Mordrake is not an exception - although WP 4 seems average for a totem. 4 Mv and Sz 2 are the same as Ivan has. Black Mirror - Mordrake will work as a sponge for negative conditions Ivan receives, as well as his focus battery - each time Mordrake makes a Concentrate Action (or gains focus/distracted/shielded in another way), he can give those conditions to Ivan. It means he basically works as 4th Action for a Master, and of ways to give Ivan to swap for . Born of Shadow is shared among Umbra models - the area within 1” is Concealing terrain. It means that Mordrake has protection against shooting actions, as well as providing Concealing terrain for ungentlemanly affaris and Shade Step. It allows Ivan to leap closer to the action on turn one, even without any Shadow Markers in play. Remember that if the enemy model is close enough to Mordrake, he can ignore the Concealment. Ungentlemanly Affairs - Same as for Ivan - a way of turning into and being able to counter distracted based crews. Demise(Silhouette) is really powerful Ability, working in similar fashion Leveticus demise works. When Mordrake is killed, he can place into base contact with Ivan. If he does, he heals 2, ends all conditions on itself, gains Shielded +1 (which can be transferred to Ivan thanks to Black Mirror), then Ivan suffers 2 irreducible damage. The important part is “if he does” - any effect that prevents placement (gravity well, Lodestone token or simple lack of space) means that Mordrake dies. Also, beware of any anti-demise (Lantern of Souls, Execute, Archivist, Cooper) and anti-healing (Mark of Vengeance, Withering Away) tech. This ability is amazing if you have Hidden Martyrs in the pool - just note Mordrake as one of the models and he should be fine by the end of the game, ready to engage some models. Reach Through is one of two attacks Mordrake has. It’s 1” melee attack with stat 5 that attacks enemy MV. This means it works around almost every defensive trigger in-game, 2/3/4 damage track is low (though we have to remember this is a free model) and Heal 1 is nice - it allows Mordrake to be alive for few moments longer. The triggers it has are amazing - Lingering Shadow drops Shadow marker in base contact with the target and Claimed by Shadows can remove even an enemy master for the entire game. It’s not very reliable(as you need the marker in contact with the target in first place), but just threat of it usually works. Note that Ivan can push the Shadow Marker 6” away from enemy models, so getting out will be much harder. Drag Under is 6” attack that targets enemy Wp. Due to Mordrake initial combination of Ungentlemanly affairs and Born of Shadow, it will always be 5 stat. ranged Staggered with a trigger to give Distracted to other enemy models is usually not worth an action, but it’s always an option if you need it. Shade Step is similar to the one Ivan Has, though it needs 5 instead of 4 to work. Trail of Dusk is the same trigger Ivan has, and due to this - another source of markers for him. Reconstitute is the built-in trigger that grants the ability to heal by removing the Shadow marker in base contact with him. Sometimes it can be worth to heal, but usually, I just let Mordrake die, so he can reborn close to Ivan. Overall, both Master and Totem are strong pair, protecting each other from enemy conditions. Their toolkit is versatile, suited for “dirty” fighting - using concealment for your advantage, impairing enemy movement, or summoning models in the middle of the enemy crew. Ivan damage output can be a surprise for many players, as Summoners don’t typically work as damage dealers, leaving this job to models they create. Due to Dark deception and Black Mirror Assassinate is hard against Ivan, unless your opponent brings irreducible damage to the crew, or has ways of dealing damage through Abilities and Tactical Actions. I’ll cover more models in another post soon

He can't be engaged unless enemy is in base contact with him. It's good protection against melee models, but for me he isn't especially tough or hitting hard - he is quite good as flanking solo though.

Being serious, I'd try him with Hunters for chasing down scheme runners, or with few Riflemen to deal with armored opponents.

Paint him nicely and put on shelf, waiting for better times.

You can make other funny things with Ngaatoro as well - obey a model with cost 8 or less with Focused and injured trigger and make him Concentrate/Walk. Cryptologist can - with his trigger - end Injured to make the model take an action. Ngaatoro Voice of the Society lowers TN's of Ride with me as well.

I'm thinking you could use Mr. Ngaatoro or Mikhail as OOK beater - sure, they don't benefit from relics, but you can use ride with me on them to move closer to enemy lines

It actually matters - as it doesn't work if you want to charge a model which is more than 8" from him. After the FAQ you could use fly with me for the ~5.5" movement and then charge and generate additional duel.

I can see him work in the crew. Haven't tried him in Lucas yet, though he does wonders in Cooper crew, where he blocks charges, handles shielded and has potent combination of I've got your back and Accomplice, so you can move Cooper out of combat and then shoot at some poor lad who made worst decision in his life. I'm thinking you could do something similar with Sidir in Wastrels.

I really enjoy playing Anya, though sha has like half of keyword out there. I ALWAYS take Austera OOK for her - she and Winston make ridiculus card draw, plus she can drop hazardous scheme markers. I play her on flanks, chasing down some scheme runners and completing schemes on my own. I like how she can just bring good models to do the job instead of sticking to keyword (though she pays for it with lack of Syndicate synergies). Hostile Work Environment is nuts against crews that really like to target their own models with things like heals, lures, I've got your back or obey. The only thing I wish for now is FAQ/errata on Sovereign Sound of Thunder, so it could be activated after moving, not that is has to be activated on his first move each activation 😕

Maxine has better card draw (though she cycles her hand, instead of drawing cards, though she has few ways of draws - Beebe, Kia, Maxine herself). I rarerly had less than 4 cards by end of the turn with her. Jedza can draw cards with Lost Knowledge and cycle them with Austera. Ivan draws cards with Gibson and Operatives. Nexus can draw a lot of cards. McCabe draw is really conditional (starting activation within 1" of Corpse or Scrap), and he needs those Scrap Markers for handling out relics. mobility - I agree, he is really mobile. Shooting - not quite, he can't compete with with Frontier or Apex. Net gun is good, but outside of it, the only good shooting models are Sidir (who has no defensive tech except stones AND he has 4 Mv) and Rough Riders (who are equally amazing in Frontier). I agree, that's something to look out for. By himself he is solid, just his keyword is lacking and ES doesn't offer as many good OOK options for him as TT does - you have Vernon, Archivist and Porter basically. Maxine handles fast easier than him - she can give fast to 4 different models in her activation, without needing to have scrap markers first place. Also, she can give a fast to model who ended it's activation, so it'll start next one with 3 actions. I try to take Flush on one minion each game, as you can refill your hand after cheating initiative flip. Bribery as defensive tech is okay, although Trained Ninja offers much more to minions than Flush/Agenda/Treasure Map. Botanists would be good for him IF they had better damage track than 1/2/3. Oh well, you cant expect everything from 7 DF, 6 WP, 6 MV unimpeded, 6 stones minion...

I think it's because it doesn't fit her - exorcism is found on some sort of people trained to deal with otherworldly stuff (like Guild Exorcists position, or Charm Warders), not for some angry lady with a hammer.

I think McCabe is bit lacking in the faction right now - if you want mobile schemers, you can play Ivan or Anya, if you prefer supporting and giving fast to models, you can do this with Maxine. The only thing McCabe offers is armor ignoring, with saber and Sidir (and Desper, though it's unreliable attack with stat of only 5). Too bad there are no min. 3 damage minions in entire faction, unlike in TT. PS. Due to my playstyle I rate Wastrel as worst keyword in faction.

Yep, it's really good - if he discards with Tools For The Job he can heal Ivan for 4 and draw 2 cards without any TN.

I think that giving Raspy expert marksman (ignore Friendly Fire on actions) would help with Winter's Strike issues. She should have projectile on the attack, as she has 21" threat range (or 17" after the changes), so tying her in melee should be viable strategy against her (same as for other ranged masters in game - like Sonnia, Cooper or Wong). The cost of discarding cards to declare triggers is too steep a price IMO. I think Ice Path or Onwards! would help him with the movement issues. Or, if you are in fear of repositioning effects, Laugh Off could help him too. It's only golem that doesn't have any Action or Ability to make him faster. I like idea of giving them Tundra Hunter. I don't like the idea of giving second model in keyword Leap. Instead of Manipulative, I'd give them Agile or Nimble. I think HtW/HtK would fit this model. I'd give them 5 MV and stat 7 or 8 on their Encase in Ice. Maybe instead of freeze the corpse give them action to target scheme/ice pillar within 2" and replace it with other marker? I don't like this. Against certain crews you could generate absurd amount of stones and cards by killing the models with Raspy for example.

Yep, it's very easy to score 2nd point of Hidden martyrs with him. The demise ability isn't OP by itself, just the way it interacts with this scheme. Also, if Mordrake can't be place next to ivan due to reasons (ex. Carrying lodestone, enemy gravity well, lack of space to place him) then his demise wouldn't work

Clearly it means that Guild needs a nerf.

I have similar thoughtsregarding the GU upgrades. LLC is must-have on master/other heavy beater, as it protects from both movement tricks and damage. I think that moving Laugh Off to No Prisoners (instead of On The Prowl) and giving Survivalist would help to balance them a lot (although it should be noted that with Survivalist many models increase their healing potential rapidly.

I would pick them - probably one over Creeper. They may not hit as hard, but are harder to hit, more mobile and have injuring shockwave.

I can't speak much about most GU models, as I'm not playing the faction at all. However, I have few games as ES Basse and in my opinion there are four things that would require change in some way or another: Paul Crockett should have Favorable Terrain on his card - it's weird that he is only human model in keyword that doesn't have it, but what's more important - one of two models in keyword that are affected by severe terrain. It's not a big deal for Clockwork Traps, as they can be summoned and have from the shadows, but lack of this ability hampers Paul drastically. Reichart needs something. Usually, when you take a 10SS model, it offers either superb utility (like many Emissaries) or have at least 3 actions (like having flurry or attack as bonus action). Reichart has none of those things (though you can argue that he generates more attacks with Hold Down trigger). Maybe changing sweeping strikes for Field Kit or giving him a bonus action similar to Onward! would fix him - simple duel to make an attack. Stoic nod is bad in current form, and it's almost never a good idea to spend Basse or Reichart AP for it. I think if Stoic Nod had heal 1/2/3 and give shielded +1 to healed model it would become viable option. Sandworm?! trigger is in weird spot currently. Caught in quicksand is utility attack that handles reposition and injured, and Chesterfield Shotgun is prime damage dealing action. Sandworm?! is in the middle between those two attacks. I've seen people saying it's fine attack, and as we want to impose as little changes as possible, I suggest making it a built-in trigger - its Once per activation restriction should keep it from being abused.

I'm always thinking about running Botanist with Treasure map, so he can eat different types of markers - like, for example, dust Clouds. sorry, I forgot to mention that

Actually most of people i'm talking with regarding this or Ivan's penumbral converter says that it should be worded like "friendly scheme marker or friendly shadow marker". It would be nice to have some clarification.

Technically torakage can use Ninja vanish on Ivan shadow markers (it doesn't specify friendly shadow markers), though most of the DUA/Umbra keyword carries about concealing terrain trait, not necessarily Shadow Markers.

As always - depends on Strategy, Schemes and map :P If you are talking about gaining benefits from shadow markers then I'd say Ivan crew gets more of them than Last Blossom. Also, in few cases Shadow Markers are actually a disadvantage for last blossom as not every model ignores them.

Right, I forgot. Another model that might be helpful is Artemis (Nimble and unimpeded for 7 SS), Austera (Better Austringer who can cycle cards), Grave Goo (Suddenly dust clouds become Hazardous), the Damned (another beast for Crockett) or Botanist (You can feed him quite easily, especially if you have Jessie as well). On the other hand, Guild certainly has has better way of dealing with summons, so that's something to keep in mind.

Hidden Agenda deals surprisingly large amount of damage. Flush with cash on Pathfinder means you gain soulstones when traps die. Model 9 provides similar thing to Sand Worm with its X marks the spot, so Basse can ignore friendly fire. Hopeful prospects aren't that bad when shooting at models engaged by the Worm, and they can sometimes change to Pathfinder/Austringer/Rough Rider. Mr Ngaatoro can provide 2 focuses when Obeying something else other than Reichart or Basse. Bellhop porter can trow junk and create dust clouds. You can always throw Jesse on the mix to turn clouds to scraps/soulstones. Vernon and Welles are great addition when facing someone like Zoraida, and of course Emissary is super great model. As for OOK - Tidecaller can toss models around, Winston sets up the deck, and Eva/Operatives gain positives when shooting through dust clouds. Also, Eva may Lock Away the cloud, denying quite large amount of terrain.