Fixxer

Som'ers just wasnt particularly good in any of the matchups except maybe the third. He was second on my list in that pool. But I was paired up with Ressers and knew I would most likely see Von Schtook. Ophelia handles a transmortis crew way better than Som'ers on the map  and in general honestly. 

Som'ers, IMO, is great but his crew can be finicky and has some hard counters, that if your opponent is keen on, can really disrupt his effectiveness overall.  I dont tend to take him into 10T or Ressers because of Lantern and all the other amazing tech those factions have. 

10T and Ressers arent as bad with Ulix because he can spread out so much that it taxes the range of those abilities. Those factions generally take more elite crews so the piglets running wild and the speed of Sooey can be more difficlut to deal with. 

IMO Wong is really the only Bayou master that is lacking in terms of playability. His card is just trash and his crew is completely outmatched SS for SS. 

 

 

She lives in the Bayou though, her dual status is thematically sound and shouldnt be touched. This is ridiculous.  But have fun!! 
 

Bad Juju is a phenomenal model in a Zoraida crew IMO and experience.

Ambush doesnt require a card if you are in severe terrain and with Planted roots (3 abilities in one) he is unaffected by Severe terrain so can push through without issue. Multiple models that can be hired into a Zoraida crew start the game with severe terrain markers that can be deployed under JUJU for early ambush and some ground covered.

With the burnout trigger on an obey I typically focus and get fast on turn one.  Regen clears the damage.  Nobody will come into range of an ambush charge, let alone an ambush walk, charge, on a stat 6 2" reach model with 3/4/6 focus and fast. If you get someone in that Bad Juju can murder them or hold them down because 2" reach is fantastic in this game. 

Focused attention and Quicksand are insanely good triggers and with stones you can ensure you get them in the right circumstances and pressure your opponent or punish them for bunching up. 

When you live the dream with Juju it starts at the beginning of turn 2 or 3 when you have juju within 12 of zoraida and able to get in or be in combat. At that point you are looking for Hexing the enemy with either trigger depending on what Juju's status is. Two Hexes with possible coordinated attacks and one obey into Juju means an enemy model is in big trouble and thats without Juju even activating. That gives your opponent one activation to finish Juju off before he just goes again with his own activation, in addition they cant just lure him away or place him away, he has planted roots. Dude is a monster and even with Df3 he can be a real PIA for his threat range and action sink to take him down. 

I think he's good as a body guard for Z in games with Assassinate or catch and release in the pool. He is good for holding the lodestone in corrupted leylines. Being 9ss he can punch up 10ss models with vendetta pretty easily, especially with an obey master. 

Montressor is good dont get me wrong. His damage track pales in comparison. He is slow, he doesnt have models giving him extra actions. Doesnt ignore severe terrain, can be moved by enemy models.  He's a pure tarpit with ping damage which works in his KW which is oppressive for sure.  

5 minutes ago, HomelessOne said:

What do you tend to do with Marcus when you’ve gone fairly heavy on OOK, non-Chimera/Beast models like the hypothetical vs Jack list? 

Jack Daw has a lot of aura mechanics that can be severely debilitating if you go into him. The plan with the sniper style crew is to force certain elements of the crew to stay where I want them to. Lady Ligea's Betrayal aura vs terrifying models is very strong. Monty's suffocation and hanging ropes aura, Jacks -1 wp aura. All of these things add up when you want to charge in and actually be effective in CC. The Snipers and doppel are there to keep the jack player honest and possibly pick off support pieces or even put a few hits on Jack himself now that his terrifying is only 12 rather than 13. Killing his totem is a big deal for actually getting momentum late game if you wanna go in on Jack and try and take him out. 

If you snipe Guilty it puts a lot of pressure on Jack to go get them to get the guilty back. The extra card is nice for Daw though. But taking a model off the board is way worth it if you can. Sniping Hanged is always a good place to start, try to pull some stones out, or whatever. 

The two ruthless models in the crew are well tuned to dealing with Jack's crew also. Carver has onslaught and can really put a number on Jack if he can get in CC. With Jacks bubbling, breath of fire is a threat to fear. Couple Carver with Hoody and thats 2 ruthless models with range/speed to push a bit more board control and threaten Jack himself. 

Marcus would focus on giving upgrades to the Jackalope every turn to get its WP up and make him a road block. He might give Paul Crockett Natural Camo for a bit of ranged DF, especially from the Hanged. Then he is using wings (most likely) to go into the edges of his bubble to try and pick models off. OR Marcus can focus solely on Scheming if the pool welcomes that. Mv7 flight on a master can definitely get you some schemes scored. 

I took a similar crew vs Youko last night because her crew is good VS melee style crews. Qi and Gong have a ton of disguised, so I went with this crew and was able to sneak a 5-4 victory. The first in a while with Marcus actually.  It was the list above minus Carver and Hoody, replaced them with Adze, Vogel, and Sabertooth. Took Sabotage and Catch and Release in a public enemies match. 

1 hour ago, Adran said:

Staggered says the model can not be moved by the effects of other friendly models. The Effect from Marcus was not a move. The effect was permission for the model to take an action.

 

I understand that you think I'm playing with words to try and make the rules work the way I say they do. I actually think I'm following what is written in the rules. I also believe that it was the intent, based on the large similarity between the wording over the past 3 editions, if they had wanted to change this intent, then they could have between editions. I do accept that at first glance it isn't obvious. But there is a difference between "move target upto its Wk" and "Target takes a walk action", and one of the places that difference shows is when the target is staggered.  

Thank you @Adran for taking the time.  very clear and proper explanation.  I've seen it brought up in the past and never so eloquently described. Seeding actions and "intent" is definitely where my brain has a problem accepting that when you catalyze a move with the effect of another friendly that its not subject to the stipulation on staggered. 

Accomplice is a good nod, but could be argued that activating 2 models in a row is an effect on the front of a models card and a benefit in game. If staggered intent is to stop friendlies from moving each other in addition to -2 move, why all the work around actions/abilities that seed other actions?  Why not just write the staggered rule with more clarity for total blanket application of its intent?  I get that the language is logical and precise but we do have idiots like me playing the game too. 

I just think that the Stagger rule could be a bit clearer with effect.

8 minutes ago, Adran said:

I could show you the M2 FAQ that answered it they way I am telling you now based on the same wording,, but its up to you if you want to count that. It more commonly gets discussed with Obey in the rules forums, but the principle is the same.

The effect of the Marcus action with the trigger is to allow the model to take an action. It is not to move the model. The action that moves the model is the action taken by the Initiate. Its why you can't make the same initiate charge twice in Marcus' activation, because it is that Initiate that is taking the charge action.

It does mean that if Call of the wild said "Target takes a walk action", it would happen even if it was staggered, where as because it says "target may move upto its wk", it won't happen. (Of course if it said that, you couldn't use it to leave engagement, where as with its actual wording you can).

 

 

But even being able to charge, which is a move, is generated by a friendly effect, the Call of the Wild action.  The effect of that action is to let another model move. Piss poor wording and very unclear. If we have to have a discussion about it and some TO's rule it one way or another and you have to reference and M2E faq (not the same game or intention) then we have a problem. 

with that, I tend to not sit across the table from people and play "work around" with language. We call these people rules lawyers but their more like rules politicians. When it comes to the English language... Marcus action is effecting the Initiate or any other commanded beast to Move.

The effect of the action Marcus took makes another model move. That is as clearly as I can read it.

The Initiate did not allow him/herself the opportunity to take the charge action, its not his/her activation. The effect of Call of the Wild is the only reason the model would move during Marcus activation.  Really needs to be worded better or there needs to be clarification on what an "effect" is if its not going to follow standard protocol in the English language.  

I wouldnt play it this way until Wyrd clarified what they mean by effect. And if its the way you guys describe they need to write the stagger rule to clarify this. The rule is too concise/vague and matters a lot. 

34 minutes ago, Adran said:

The Trigger says "The target may take a charge action". As such, it is moved by its own charge action, not another friendly model, so Staggered won't stop it.

 

Staggered will make the charge shorter, but blade rush and stampede are 2 separate damage sources if you're close enough.. Chuck in an onslaught on the trigger, and you're looking at 4 damage to Daw as well as 2 cards discarded from the 1 AP. (When Call of the wilded to charge, you can't declare triggers, but its still 2 damage before you make any flips, with a decent chance of 1 more and a card discard.) Regen 2 on Jack is tough.

 

 

I understand how BR and Stampeded work, thank you.
If you can pass all the terrifying 13's.  Right, cause you're at -1wp.   Again, easier said than done. Great in theory. 

With that, I dont believe you can use call of the wild to charge while staggered. The effect of Marcus action is to make a model move. I would really need to see an faq on your reasoning around that. Seems suspect to me and like you're going around rules. Doesnt feel right. 

Staggered should read, all move effects suffer -2 and this model cannot be placed, would really clear up this obey/command to charge crap that is IMO taking advantage and ticky tack. 

Goodness @santaclaws01, really helpful conjecture. Thank you. 
 

he used a guilty to on your heels next to a building in b2b right in front to block any hope of pulling that off. Should I have invited you to the game so you could’ve seen it beat for beat? He also took regen 2 upgrade on Daw brought stones and other models... Boy, you make it sound so easy. 
 

How can he charge through Call of the Wild while staggered though? 

Thats not how I read... explain. 

2 minutes ago, santaclaws01 said:

Stagger doesn't stop that combo.

-2 Movement tends to have an impact, no primal roaring into position, or call of the wild either.  My opponent wasnt going to let that happen, I have a good one of those typically.  

11 minutes ago, santaclaws01 said:

Did you try the plink to death with stampede+blade rush from Order Initiates?

I did. Stagger is a bitch.  

Like its everywhere. Even if I can play around it with a model during an activation it was always backwards. My opponent played it perfect. Like If I activate Cojo or the Initiate and move out of Monty's aura to get rid of staggered I cannot then accomplice into Myranda or Marcus to then Call of the wild them back into Daw with any tempo. He just activates the next model, moves up and staggers them again. 

Pretty ridiculous amount of card draw given too with all the upgrades going around. 

It was Public Enemies, Corner. Assassinate, Take Prisoner, Leave your mark, Runic Binding, and Hidden Martyrs. 

I brought this crew... AND chose the wrong schemes.   Took Assassinate and Leave your Mark. You should stay as far away from Daws bubble as you can. 

In hindsight I see this crew doing much better. Marcus just schemes or adds his weight to a fight to finish something off... Give paul and jacko some good upgrades and make them as annoying as possible.

@Gaston I do definitely think Myranda is worth her cost, its just a matter of how she's used on the table. She kind of wants to be everywhere and with only 2 actions it can be a lot to ask. Her healing is bonkers and Its nice to get a bit of card cycle early when next to Marcus.  She can dip from combat by mutating into something else... She's pretty sturdy with the Huntress aura and 6s for everything. A solid 9ss henchman, IMO.

@Ogid  I'm still learning when and how to play Marcus into GG1. Its definitely a lot more difficult and with the nerfs to his no triggers on his call of the wild action the crew has lost a lot of its killing prowess.  The schemes and strats are definitely a bit less workable for his crew too. Bombs and  Corner/Corrupted Idols was pretty good for his crew.

With that said, they're still extremely maneuverable and decently killy, lacking any staying power. So I dont see going into the teeth of enemy crews anymore or trying to mosh pit in the middle with most of my force. I feel like you need a pool where scoring can be done around the board and you make the enemy try to chase you or stop you breaking through or sabotaging a piece of terrain in the backfield. Gotta find ways to pull the enemy crew apart. I think utilizing lures within the NB faction with Adze and Doppelganger might not be bad. Those models are pretty solid on their own anyways. Couple those models with some of the combat tricks above. The problem is, this takes set up though and your opponent isnt going to let that happen easily. 

I do feel like Marcus has a lot of weaknesses and cannot compete with the other masters in either faction for sure.I just like him and want to make him work despite  the perception and some rough games lately. It takes time and experience to figure this stuff out. But he's definitely low tier if it takes this much work.  

 I had a Jack Daw game tonight on Vassal that was a BRUTAL 1-4 Public Enemies stomping. In hindsight I should've played and hired differently. Marcus loses pretty much all of his advantages VS a Daw crew and should really go completely out of KW or Versatile in hiring. Because giving upgrades to your models draws their crew cards whenever they damage your models, staggered completely shuts down Marcus Mv tricks, bonus action, etc and the Df tech/abilities of the Daw crew are too taxing for Chimera to kill... Marcus just becomes a solo fighter 3ap scheme runner at the point Daw is declared. Seems like a rough deal for the Chimera crew and for anyone walking into that match up without any heads up. Yikes. 

 I'm still pretty focused on playing Marcus and Lucius at the moment. I really enjoy playing these masters despite their perceived power level. Fun is big for me... but, I do also like unlocking potential in KW's that appear lackluster on the surface. 

So far with GG1 I am a big fan of putting IR on Cojo. Here's the deal. Call of the Wild is NOT a once per activation. Cojo can charge multiple times in an activation. With Formidable horns he is getting a + to damage. He has  a built in push on the opponent and can now, with IR, push when anyone cheats within 6". This also adds blade rush for pip damage. Typically on turn 2 I'll give Cojo wings for the extra MV and BFJ so he can hop back to Myranda for heals and +df flips or out of engagement to charge again. He can basically charge every time he attacks and get that nasty charge through ability over and over again.

I just had a game where I was able to use Call of the wild twice in a row with Marcus (I had to move first to get in range) and then accomplice into Cojo for his activation. A ridiculous flurry of attacks that have a lot going for them in terms of a great 2/4/6 track and pip damage from BR. Cojo with a little luck and set up can smash any model into the ground. 

I also run the Order Initiate with IR for reasons stated above. THe Stampede + Blade rush  + mobile warrior is a nasty combo in a crew that has 2 models able to command charges.  I typically put armored plates on him so he can be one shotted by a RJ from a beater. This at least gives him a bit more staying power for a 6ss model. 

That basically fills out my core right now for his crew. Marcus, Jackalope, Myranda, Cojo +IR and Order Initiate +IR. The rest becomes flex and I tend to only take 2-3 stones anymore.  I think there are a lot of hiring options based on the pool. I take Adze pretty often, I like FV, Sabertooth.

The next thing I am looking into is a crew focused on the Scorpius. This would include Vasilisa for additional heals on constructs and will most likely include Hinamatsu also. We'll see how that goes, I really enjoy the poison build but would like to see a bit more sturdiness. I think the armor 2 on 3 models (give scorpius armor T1) AND healing will be helpful. 

Focus on the things you like. You will be happier for it. Good luck. 

1 minute ago, Clement said:

 

 

Remember Guilty have the rule Guilty as Charged where friendly Tormented models can treat them as enemies for actions, abilities, and triggers.  That should get you the ability to use the trigger.  Still takes two tomes though.

Thats what I get for only reading the first card. I think Jack Daw is also one of the few masters I havent played against in M3E.  Cool interaction dude and appreciate your grace in addressing my ignorance. LOL. 

Drop it has Italics that say ENEMY ONLY. You cannot use this trigger on a friendly model. 

This was definitely my idea for Reckoning in Bayou as well. I think hiring 8 bayou gremlins and even stuffed piglets into an Ophelia or Somers crew can be pretty nasty with their insig totems.  
 

Bayou's backwards approach, I love it. 

6 hours ago, Math Mathonwy said:

Bayou Gremlin. He's the basic Gremlin and Versatile but does anyone outside of Big Hat ever hire one? I'm not at all sure what should be done as they are so cheap and have good synergy with Big Hat but I really wish that they could be adjusted somehow to make them at least an occasional consideration.

I am amused at the idea of hiring up to 8 Bayou gremlins OOK into Reckoning and Turf War. Heck, I almost think they'd be good into any crew that doesnt have access to a lot of blasts, pulses, and shockwaves. LIke focus melee crews or the like. 

Being insignificant it causes serious resource drain on your opponent to have to deal with them. They get no reckoning points for killing them, but not the other way around. Same is true for affecting turf war markers. Sure, you're giving up a bunch of pass tokens, but I'd argue that bogging and slowing the game down the way 8 insignificant models can is a viable approach into certain declared masters. Ophelia and a strong core of ranged damage dealers, Brewie and some armored beaters, Zipp in any fashion for total denial... Just my opinion. I think Bayou Gremlins are awesome for 2ss a pop. 

I agree with @Scoffer that Mah should be left alone, same with roosters... 

I also agree that Bayou Smugglers are lacking for a 6ss model. I mean... Yikes. I dont see anything on that card thats really worthwhile in a game. Love the models though so kind of a shame. 

Mctavish is great with Zoraida but is seriously lacking as a versatile Henchman. He needs something in regards to Df tech. I Know Wyrd just hates slapping HtK on stuff, but that would make him much more viable at 9ss. 

I think the faction is pretty rock solid overall without many NPE or totally lacking options. Surprisingly short list of models here, thats awesome. 

7 minutes ago, Kharnage said:

I've played into the dreamer a few times. I've even won games into the dreamer. I've won a tournament game where I was able to kill him turn 1 before he activated. The God Empress Nekima is one of his less favorable matchups, since we have the speed and plink damage to make Dreamer sweat early. That being said, it still doesn't feel great when a 6 stone model spends two severes, top decks one actual duel in which he has inherent advantage, and bags himself a full health mature. Summonable 6 stone models 1 rounding 10 stone models with no small amount of consistency, I find to be problematic. 

How else do you deal with Matures when they have combat finesse? YOu admittedly bring 2 that ignore black jokers... Dreamers gotta have something to combat that mess. Plus you have the perfect counter to Dreamer in that crew with a Mv 6 flying master with BB and 2" reach... 

And thats another corner case anecdotal situation. He won one GYL by using Fiendish gamble and got lucky on the other, plus got lucky to get two severe damages. Its not gonna go down like that consistently as you make it seem. 

Guess what? I've lost multiple stitched in a single activation too. I've also lost a 10ss model to a 6ss model before, it happens. Nephilim dont have damage reduction in their crew and eat whatever damage they take for a reason. But, they get to fly, have BB, and regenerate... see, its all about balancing these things and learning how to attack weaknesses while protecting your own. 

Stitched are great 6ss models, have weakness, but are ultimately well designed models for the nightmare keyword as a whole. 

40 minutes ago, Mycellanious said:

But can you name any other beater that can GUARUNTEE an attack? I know plenty of beaters that can make multiple attacks, but I've also seen them whiff plenty of attacks. I've had Niel Henry miss 4 attacks against Abuela and Mei Feng miss 8 against a Watcher. That literally cannot happen to this 6ss minion.

 They can black joker or not flip the TN required to cast GYL... So, it literally can happen.

Cool anecdotal situations. Perhaps you didnt manage your control hand well enough in those combats, missing happens. A lot of why a stitched can do what it does is because the Dreamer player set it up. Kind of like how you save high cards to hit or use SS to get the triggers you want. This is a skill based game.  

1 hour ago, Sharp_GT said:

I'm seeing a lot of theory-faux going on. I'm curious how many commentors are actually playing dreamer and specifically putting stitched on the table?

 Me too. 

 

2 hours ago, Math Mathonwy said:

Why is that proof?

Malifaux has a long tradition of models that aren't problematic as hires but are extremely problematic as summons. Heck, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the very first nerf in M1e after release fixed just such a case! A more recent example (that some of you youngsters might remember instead of just us old farts) was Nicodem at the tail end of M2e where the problem was caused by Summoned Kentauroi and Hangeds neither of which was any problem as hires.

Further, I would argue that not being hired OOK is not  at all valid as proof of non-OPness due to the emphasis on synergies that has been an integral part of M3's design ethos, in general. Once the erratas start hitting, I would be absolutely amazed if they only hit models commonly hired OOK.

Because its my opinion dude, thats what we do here. I thought.  

If you are comparing summoning stitched togethers in 3E which is once per turn, and buried needing a WP fail before they come into play VS Nicodem's summoning in the end of 2E then I dont know what to tell you. The power level between the two are so far apart, Its ridiculous.    There are many universal rules that have changed since 1E and 2E, like summoning once per turn etc... Also, the KW system is great and does provide us data on whats being taken at +1ss which can be a clear indication of power level and models that excel outside of the design ethos. I see those as more likely candidates for Erratas, not carefully designed models that fill a clear and defined role in a KW. 
   

I just dont see Stitched needing a change or a nerf to appease players that arent on the level yet... Its that simple, hence my participation in this thread. Without stitched together Dreamer's bubble becomes WAY more vulnerable  which makes him an easier master to win VS if you're aggressive early and hire the correct models. With certain Df/Wp triggers that exist in the game, there would be counter picks that could go right in there and mess his entire game up. Stitched are model that discourage that sort of approach when used properly. 

They have a great tactical attack that can do a lot of controlled damage if set up properly. That set up is information out in the open for my opponent. If they see me pull a 13 and go after my stitched without knowing that thing is coming out, thats on them. If they see me use the high card, or NOT pull any high cards,  or whatever, they can react or attack accordingly. Thats my whole attitude on stitched is that its a telegraphed assault that takes multiple layers of set up which gives ample time to react. If you're just running willy nilly into stitched and getting killed because of it, then thats a YOU problem. A lot of models like that in this game.

They also dont target WP at all, which is the MAIN thing a Nightmare crew needs. ANother thing Dreamers crew requires is the ability to bring back high cards that get pulled out of the deck. LD doesnt always give you a perfect set of 3 cards to choose from. I've pulled RJ, 13,12 before and it doesnt feel good. W/O fiendish gamble, is that just a loss? Do we Dreamer players even use LD anymore if thats the case? Gotta think about these things too. 

IF they absolutely need to change stitched because of community "outrage", then I'd suggest -1 Movement. Make them even slower and tougher to get into position and solidify their role as bodyguards/discouragement for going right into Dreamers bubble but minimizes their ability to go GET something. 

I play with one in Neverborn and add Inhuman Reflexes to him for Blade rush and Mobile Warrior... Butterfly jump is nice too... . This ups his damage pretty drastically. He is a late game beater that hangs around Marcus early and moves other beasts into position. Then, when something comes into Marcus, he can command the Initiate and then Accomplice into him for quite a bit of damage. 4 of which is singular pip damage from 2 stampedes and 2 blade rushes. At stat 6 he should be hitting too. If done right a ram should be available to heal that stampede damage.

Not a bad model for 9ss, just gotta keep it safe early, which isnt difficult. Just dont over extend early.  The card draw and ability to command beasts on turn one is big for me. I like to seed early points with a Cerebus on a flank and the initiate helps me to do that early with a call of the wild. 

I think they're fine models for 7ss. I wouldnt hire multiple though... 

 I only respectfully disagree because I feel like the only people that feel the NPE from Stitched are newer players or sore losers. Stitched arent hired OOK from what I understand and I dont tend to see 3 hired to start a game every time.. This is proof that they're not OP nor do they need a change. 

IME, they were very good initially in my meta but over time veteran players figured it out and mitigated their effectiveness on the table by doing a few things... 

1. Kill them with Henchman beaters that can take them out in a single activation. (this happens a lot) - If they're pulling 13s for Df they cant use them for GYL. Plus the information is available to you, how many and what cards they've pulled...  (this is just like Shenlong/monks with Chi- gotta figure it out)

2. Stay outside of 11" if you can. Shoot them. That way you'll only get hit with a single GYL unless they want to spend a daydream or two or get Dreamers Bad Dreams off in addition to move them more. (Nightmares have little access to Fast). This is a resource drain and forces the stitched to telegraph who they're targeting (giving an opponent time to react) or take on a different role, which they dont have. They are killers, and thats it. 

3. Use damage reduction to mitigate GYL. This tactical doesnt bypass any damage reduction whatsoever it only gets by Df/Wp triggers. Use your armored guys, use SS, use models that can reduce that 3/4/5 to a 2/3/4 and its all of a sudden not so bad. 

4. Put pressure on Dreamer and Daydreams and dont assume that the Nightmare crew has useful cards in their hand. They dont have card draw and tend to be relying on the top of their deck to win duels which is the only way they do damage. The use of protected is nice and all, but its still a card gone and a possible dead model. I am consistently strapped for a control hand when playing Dreamer and find that aggressive players always do better vs him. This is because by being aggressive early you can take down those LD models which will mitigate the Fiendish Gamble later in the game or even discourage summoning Stitched. 

The answers are presently available and just take thought and execution to pull off, like most things in this game. 

Yeah, this model is missing HtW, stealth, or disguised. Abilities the other Half-Bloods have spread around that make them SOMEWHAT useful models. If they had any one of those 3 abilities added, they'd be considerable at 5ss.

31 minutes ago, Angelshard said:

@Fixxer So now you've spent a quick action and an ap for a walk, what are you gonna do with your last ap? look through discard to decide wether it's worth it to try an obey in the hope of it removing a low card from your deck? A model that can't use all of its ap in an efficent manner is a badly designed model. If frightening reminder hadn't been a quick action and limited by 'away from' I'd agree that it would be a good totem. As it is you have an okay quick action and no good way to spend your ap outside of general actions. 

Focus, thats what I do with my models when I dont have a solid use for their last action. This happens on turn one from time to time when you're not trying to over extend. That focus could come in handy defensively or during an obey/attack later in the game perhaps.  

You wont have uses for all of your actions on every model all the time, doesnt make them poorly designed models.

Its an insignificant totem, I mean play without if you guys want to. Im just trying to help by providing some perspective.  I play Neverborn anyway, I dont even know what I'm doing in here...