Cadaver_Junkie

Just take an Akaname or two against ressurectionists- I don’t really have any more difficulty against McMourning than other masters when I can move poison around so easily.

True! And isn't it just nice that Fingers gives out exactly 3 poison when he punches?

I don't really plan around Brewmaster being the heavy hitting support model in my crew. There are so many other models you can include in a Tri-Chi based list that bounce synergy off each other, Brewmaster is effectively a bonus. A very powerful bonus if he's working right. At least, this is how I plan my lists. So if I lose Brewmaster, I'm not really worried. I'll get another from Wesley half the time anyway. And maybe summon a second Wesley while I'm at it! Fingers will score and ruin schemes A Performer can assist Fingers in scheme ruination Whiskey golem and Swine-Cursed will do damage when/as required Moon Shinobi will lend valuable melee and scheme support in any of the above Akaname and Tanuki will lend buffing support to the team And they all buff each other. Well, maybe not the Swine-Cursed, but those guys are fantastic anyway. And two Swine-Cursed smacking into a twice swilled target? Ouch. True. Which means there have been games where Brewmaster has activated second last or even actually last in my crew, just because there weren't any great targets to choose immediately and after losing initiative. If I can't rely on Swill, he's still a pretty good Obey master - and all that poison everywhere makes it fairly reliable with his new upgrade. Just have an Akaname spit poison on two of your heavy hitters (or your opponent's) then obey them for attacks. Extra triggered charges in the case of obeyed Swine-Cursed or Rooster Riders can be fun - managed some total carnage once with two Swine-Cursed via Obey, even though Brewmaster pretty much activated last. I actually hid Brewie much of that game. Or simply move models away or towards scoring schemes! In conjunction with Fingers and a Performer, you can completely frustrate your opponents ability to score on many schemes and strats. Sometimes this is a lot more powerful than even Swill or his aura. Even summoning a Wesley as your last crew's activation has won me a game, 'cos the newly summoned Wesley is a scoring model. I also keep Sparks around if my spidey sense indicates an opponent may bring lots of condition removal. Brewmaster isn't the most classically powerful Gremlin master, but I think he can face most enemy crews and have a reasonable chance of success. He's like, pure blue deck to those MTG players our there.

I think the Gremlin Criers could really shine in GG18, there's so many things they can shut down (or score! Think about Take Prisoner - if the crier is engaged with the prisoner, it doesn't matter how many other enemy models are nearby. I'm running my crier with a piano dropping Iron Skeeter for his ride).

I've just started painting up my Zipp crew, but I'm messing around with: First Mate + Treasure Map + Where the captain can't see (for card draw and discard with silly amounts of free bonuses) AND Gremlin Crier - draw a card whenever a card is discarded. Hilarity ensues if you have multiple criers (although they are expensive).

True. My point remains though - the zero action for Brewmaster can be a trap, for the Brewmaster player! I never rely on it. Sometimes I've had it go off maybe once in a game at most, but I've still won the game because I don't care about it.

On the plus side of all this, excellent opportunity for a Miss Print alternate model! Amina Naidu maybe? Or The Printing Press?

I've learned from this! I'm mostly a Brewmaster player, and I always take two Akaname against ressers. Means I can control where the poison is, taking it from my models or the enemy, and vomiting it onto other targets. Very effective. McMourning is much less trouble now. Once you've learned to use Brewmaster properly, you never ever rely on the drinking bubble. Some games I barely use it at all! If it works, it's a bonus. There's a reason it's only a zero AP action. It's all about Swill. Swill swill swill swill swill. So good there's pretty much no point in taking upgrades that compete with swill for Brewmaster's AP. Then it doesn't matter if he goes first or not, and it doesn't matter if he's at range. In fact, he'd prefer to be at range. I don't think he's low tier at all, I just think many people don't understand him. He's not the strongest, just don't underestimate him. This is mostly true. Although, you shouldn't be sending in unsupported Moon Shinobis unless they need to die for VP. Moon Shinobis with swill though can be a great way to tie up many enemy models and waste AP. Once had a double swilled Moon Shinobi hold up 4 enemy models a full 2 turns. And now they are only 5SS

I love Brewmaster! I've taken him to about 4 tournaments now so far, and smashing with him. Last tournament, using only Brewmaster, I won 4 games to 1 loss and came second - so I don't believe him to be all that second rate. Especially Swill, my god. More important than the Obey, most games. And now, with a cheaper Running Tab, Moon Shinobi and Whiskey Golem you can fit a whole extra model in your crew with the difference. Assuming you run him thematically. Some of those wins were brutal too, which brings me to an important aspect; There may be a hidden advantage to Brewmaster as people don't expect to face him at a tournament, and often don't have a lot of experience with or against him so are more likely to make mistakes. Like not cheating everything you have to stop the first instance of 'Swill' in a turn, or actually allowing an important model to be stuck in the bubble. Mostly though, I find him to be a lot of fun. I'm sure Zoraida can be too, but there it is. I don't think you'd be painted into a corner at all!

Twice in the last week I’ve picked up an Aionus box and put it back down at the LGS. May become three times, without the put down...

Truthfully? RULE OF COOL Also, I've only been playing a little while and I know Brewmaster. Don't know Zoraida all that well, yet. And really, I didn't rule out other masters - I just said I'd look at this through the eyes of Brewmaster! ...so now that's said, what do you think? It's a silly list, would probably never take, but as an idea?

I'm looking at this guy through the eyes of Brewmaster! Basic list to flesh out; 50 SS Gremlins Crew The Brewmaster + 6 Pool -A Friendly Ear Apprentice Wesley (3) Big Brain Brin (7) Swine-Cursed (7) Swine-Cursed (7) Rooster Rider (6) Rooster Rider (6) Rooster Rider (6) Akaname (4) Big Brain Brin can reactivate a Rooster per turn. The Akaname can give models poison, so it's much easier for Brewmaster to Order them around. 3SS remaining to spend, so maybe replace a Swine-Cursed with Fingers for ample access to scheme markers (and healing). If I'm reading this correctly, on a perfect (unlikely) play you can have 14 rooster charges per turn. Although they'll be burning themselves out pretty quickly.

Nice, cheers.

They can heal themselves, plus I'll probably be running Fingers etc. Also, not too fussed if they die, so long as they get their task done, whatever that may be. Is there an FAQ or something I can refer to? Apologies if this is really basic stuff, and cheers for the assist...

Hi all! Question about the Gremlin Crier (which I think is an AMAZING model, both in hobby and play terms. Especially the one with the bell, my favourite). I've just grabbed a box of three, plan to run at least one in my new Zipp crew, with Iron Skeeters dropping them on objectives. So; The Over Excited Ability - can you draw multiple cards with multiple Gremlin Criers, for every single card discarded? From the front of the card: Over Exited "When a friendly model within 3" (Aura) of one or more models with this Ability discards one or more cards as the result of a friendly Ability or Action, this model may suffer 1 damage to draw a card. If this model's controller has six or more cards in hand after resolving this Ability, this model suffers 1 additional damage." The thing is, a Gremlin Crier Over Exited Ability is potentially triggered if a friendly discard is made within the 3" Aura of ANY Gremlin Crier on the field. "One or more models with this Ability", not "This model". That could be a massive amount of card draw over the game, especially if you heal these guys as you go, inbuilt zero action or otherwise. Makes sense in a way, Gremlin Criers calling out the news to each other... Thoughts? I've only been playing Malifaux a little while, so maybe I've missed something. EDIT: I mean, have someone discard to go defensive, and draw two or three cards in return! Nice. I like having all the 13's and Jokers in my hand. EDIT EDIT: If this topic has already been covered, my apologies

Hah! Might make it difficult eh?

Not taking the new upgrade for Brewie? A Barkeep Never Sleeps Just played a tournament with Brewie, and this thing is brutal. I didn't think it would be so good, but I had to give it a chance. I ran it AS WELL as a Wesley in the list. Wesley just died? Summon a new one. Brewie just died? Summon a new one. 3 Poison damage everywhere? Well, this bit isn't actually that easy to pull off, but worked well in one game that's for sure. This card makes Brewmaster competitive. Only 4 games, but this card helped win 3 of those. It's the psychological factor. Faced by all the respawns, your opponent often just doesn't bother and tries something else. Plus, in games when you need to control something, it can help to have a suicidal Wesley charge off somewhere, die, and respawn where you need him - next to Brewie - with a free AP!

God clearly I need more sleep. I'm outta here!

Bandersnatch!

Don't forget the Bandersnatch! Personally, the idea of hiding these in a Teddy and forcing enemy models to fail Terror tests against the Teddy is hillarious.

I tend to aim Brewmaster at enemy models, and Wesley at the Moon Shinobi, so it's a real mix. He'll never really fail a hangover targeting a Moon Shinobi as they just relent, and I like certainty in this game. Well, you don't have to use the Moon Shinobi. Variety is the spice of the game. But as I said - Brewmaster targets enemies, Wesley targets friendly Moon Shinobi. Affected models attacking either Monks or Shinobi often can't cheat due to as you say, however Shinobi don't need any poison to be DF6, and are better when there's a lot of enemy models to contend with, with all the they have from Wesley. Potential monk reactivation can be weighed against all the free pushes available to the gremlins, so that can go either way. So maybe... I'd personally support the idea that Monks are possibly better versus less enemy models, and Shinobi are better versus the swarm. Each are better in different ways against different masters, which is always the issue in this game. Each to their own though! And I'm definitely still working on building more game experience here. Just... pretty much every time I've used Moon Shinobi, they shine bright on the table. Fermented Monks, less so. The Moon Shinobi are just so mobile!

Rooster rider, sure, although it depends on what you're looking for. As for Drunken Monks, I don't really see it. Moon Shinobi are incredibly fast (17" first turn? :D) The Moon Shinobi have better stats, as it takes a bit of a buildup of poison for the Monk to get to the same DF. The Monk can look like it has better damage with the poison addition, but then it loses DF again. In contrast, the number of times you can have a double positive flip for Moon Shinobi for damage is ridiculous, so they are a lot more consistent. Monks can have reactivate, but it needs a lot of work, and then you're losing your DF6 again. Which the Shinobi always have. Where'd You Get That is also fantastic, if you're throwing poison all over the shop with Akaname and Oiran etc, pushes are great! Moon Shinobi already have great Df and reasonable Wp. They attack Df or Wp, and it's rare for me that they miss both of their attacks. Drunken Gremlin Kung Fu is too great, especially when you cheat in a card to have exactly the same score as your target - triple flips for damage anyone? Models can't use defensive stance against them, or hard to wound, or anything similar. I'm sounding like a Moon Shinobi fan boy, but I think they're fantastic and underrated on the 'net. So do my opponents. I use Wesley more than any other to apply Binge to the Moon Shinobi. With Brewmaster, that's a lot of sources for the !

Yeah that's probably all fairly true. I mean, the crew was my first when I (recently!) got into Malifaux, and for ages I was trying so hard to make the poison thing work. It was like an epiphany when I figured out spamming Binge was the best bet - but it's a departure from what it seems the model/tri chi are trying to do, and clear that it might not be as intended originally. For Moon Shinobi, I've had nothing but awesome results from these guys. I find there's an element of skills overlap in Tri Chi (I try a thematic crew), and most models are rarely great on their own - but can stand out when supported.

One thing - if you're trying to plan around using the Brewmaster's aura, you're probably not using him to his fullest. The aura is ok, but not his best thing. The most powerful thing in his deck of tricks is Swill. You'll notice his casts and ML are all 7's. Makes it pretty easy to pull off targeted strikes. Hit something (anything!) with three Swill based attacks (Hangover or Swig o 'Shine with crow trigger) and it becomes an easy target to the end of the turn. Swill is a stackable neg flip to ALL flips and duals. That's everything. Duals, healing flips, everything. A triple negative flip on an enemy master is brutal - I've used it to kill McMourning on turn 2 at a recent tournament. Engage the targeted model, and it's not doing anything at all that turn. It won't disengage, it can't cheat, it's probably going to lose every dual you throw at it. Swill is also fantastic on Moon Shinobi - it means a stackable positive flip for those guys. Hit a target with triple neg flip, then have Wesley juice up your Moon Shinobi with Swill, and send them in for the kill. I once used a juiced up Moon Shinobi to tie up 4 enemy models over two turns. Extra great if that Moon Shinobi is also Framed for Murder. (If you pair Moon Shinobi with Akaname, they can move crazy fast. Two Akaname, one poisons the other and moves forward, the other poisons two Moon Shinobi. Both Moon Shinobi get their "where'd you get that", move twice, and then Stumble Around Drunk. That's 17" if you do it right)

I really feel like there's also references here to the Elves of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels (which in turn are references to old Faerie tales).