Id advise to stay away from spending turn 1 faffing in your deployment zone. GG2 requires crews to make decent ground.
My fave list atm for symbols and laylines:
Size: 50 - Pool: 0
Dr. McMourning, Insanitary
Zombie Chihuahua
Hires:
Rogue Necromancy
Grave spirit touch
Gravedigger
Killer Instinct
Nurse
Corpse Curator
Toshiro, The Daimyo
Kentauroi.
Turn 1.
I deploy the kentauroi on a flank 8" from Mcmourning, base to base with the gravedigger's corpse marker.
If I don't need Kentauroi to scheme, then I'll use it to transport Mcmourning up the board.
The rest of the crew is reasonably close together with the rogue as a spearhead and the curator close to the rogue.
Activations
1st activation - Gravedigger drops a corpse. Interact × 2 to draw a card, gain a soul stone and the corpse marker moves close to Mcmourning (and Toshiro)
2nd activation- corpse curator drops a sludge/scrap marker. If you've already got a 12/13 card Id move the curator up and focus (staying within 4" of the Rogue Nec). If not you could interact twice to try and fluke the card.
3rd activation - Toshiro summon an ashigaru and move up. Toshiros leadership ability is outstanding in this crew.
Optional 4th activation - move the Chihuaua up, around ahead of mcmourning, to allow Mcmourning to charge and move up the board. If Rogue Necromancy is going to see some action turn 1, hold the Chihuahua back.
4th/5th activation - Mcmourning
1. Desperate plot on the Kentauroi with a mask, then desperate plot on Rogue nec.
Kentauroi has extra legs, move the corpse marker next to Mcmourning, he now has 2 x markers within 2"
Rogue Nec gets metallic arms from scrap marker/Corpse curator.
2. Charge the Rogue nec or Chihuaua to get a corpse marker
3. Summon a flesh construct
The plastic surgery target depends on the game situation.
Next activations:
The nurse strips slow off of the ashigaru or flesh construct. If I can chuck the flesh construct into the enemy crew then I'll prioritise it.
I usually use the flesh constructs as AP sinks for my opponent. But if they have the rogue necs attack and Toshiro is near they get 5 x stat 6++ attacks, if Toshiro uses them to attack as well with Daimyos gift. Get that black joker out of the way!