Grave Spirit "TriBlock" Tactic

[Whut]

I was thinking of a tactic in which you take a Grave Spirit and 2 other models (right now I'm thinking Belles because of Chain Activating). You form a triangle of models with the belles in front and the Grave Spirit behind the two of them but in base contact, out of LoS but providing Armor +2 for the both of them, making them EXTREMELY hard to get rid of. To move, the Grave Spirit (thanks to being incorporeal) can move through the two Belles (then use their (0) action or whatever) one Belle Chain Activates, moves up (again through the Spirit thanks to incorporeal), and takes a (1) action (Lure and pounce?) and then the other one can either charge into the newly lured model, or also move (again completing the formation) and Lure another model for 2 pounces. This formation can slowly inch its way to the middle of the board, where it can hold a position while pulling and holding up/killing models. As long as the Grave Spirit stays out of sight, the Belles are H2W and Armor +2, basically reducing all damage to about a maximum of 2, barring lucky flips.

 

Then again, this is all just an idea, and a very expensive one at that. This tactic costs 13 SS. I was thinking of a similar idea using Guild Autopsies for 11 SS since they can set up a position and just keep shooting, but they can't chain activate so this formation can be broken. Also if a tough enemy just double-walks into combat with the Autopsies, they aren't exactly the most capable melee combatants. On the other hand, the Grave Spirit can force your opponent to discard a card, so potentially with a few Belles elsewhere in the list, you can get the Guild Autopsies that tasty Reactivate once or twice if you're lucky.

 

I would suggest this to be done with Nicodem, since the high cost of this "block" can be offset by some extra summoning, since Nico can AoE heal the block by targeting the Spirit and AoE off of it, and since Nico can throw out some positive modifiers on flips for that block by staying close by, potentially making Necrotic King a more useful ability.

 

If the Autopsies version is used, this could be useful as a poison spreader for McMourning. Plus by keeping Sebastian nearby, the issues Autopsies face in combat is alleviated by the massive amounts of poison (and Unnerving Aura) the enemy model will be unable to get away from.

 

What do you think? I don't really expect this to be revolutionary, I actually kind of want people to criticize this. Maybe I'll think of how to make this better.

 

Also it would be really embarrassing if this is already done often and I'm ranting for nothing lol xD

[Fetid Strumpet]

Interesting thoughts. Let me put my opinion on them, keep in mind this is from a competitive stand point, and was influenced by my meta, so while it never worked well for me it might for you.

 

I played with this tactic, and while interesting, your set up isn't really all that effective in my opinion. Especially now that once you are in b2b contact and get lured you don't activate pounce attacks unless the model ACTUALLY moves, so I generally do not like having my belles be in tight groups anymore. Additionally I would never spend the total AP you suggest to move the block up in this manner. A belle only gets 10 AP all game, if she lives to turn 5, and this tactic of slow movement spends too many on a defensive posture, and not engaging the enemy. When I use a variant of the tactic I don't care if for an activation or two the guarded models are out of position. I'd move them up into position as fast as possible, and then have the GS jump up field to get into contact with them.

 

Now I think the overall concept has merit. If I might offer a suggestion on a variant I recently thought of for a game that is coming up between me and a friend.

 

 

Master is Molly, with Forgotten path upgrade. Hire Izamu and Jaakuna Ubume, both with Unnerving Aura. If the Strat is Squatter's rights or Turf War, park them in the center of the area you wish to control in b2b with each other, and then put the Grave Spirit in b2b with both from behind. Use Jaakuna Ubume and a belle or two to lure an enemy into the death area of your enforcer's engagement range. They will have to deal with the fact of Jaakuna's hazardous aura, and the fact that if they activate and end their activation in that death zone they will take 4 dmg at the end of their activation. If they attack Jaakuna they have to get past Manipulative 13, incorporeal, and armor 2. If they attack Izamu they have to get past armor 4, and the fact that he can heal himself. 

 

Both Jaakuna and Izamu are beyond difficult to get away from, given Jaakuna's ml 7, and Izamu's ML 8 & + attack modifier for disengaging strikes. Add in the fact that if Molly is nearby and these models do get attacked they will most likely deal dmg via black blood. 

 

The prime tactic is to lure in or in some other way get the enemy's scheme runners to enter the death area. While big hitters are good targets you want to kill anything that is quick enough to project influence outside the area of your own control, thus allowing your own runner(s) to act with more impunity.

 

It has some weaknesses. 1 it requires you to be very static, so your models cannot go off and control the board as much as you would perhaps need to on some occasions, and the bulk of your force is very clustered, making you VERY tempting targets for auras, pulses, and blasts.

 

Two, it isn't subtle at all. An opponent who knows anything about the game will see your tactic the instant you show your list, so there is no subtly here, and you won't catch your opponent in a trap.

 

Three, a good majority of your points are tied up in expensive enforcers and upgrades, leaving you less for other models, and if you do use Molly, because you are using the GS you won't be able to summon her own totem until the GS dies, or you don't care about him any more.

 

And forth while your enforcers can stop most things from getting away, some models can just easily escape the noose. Additionally the large ml ranges actually allow enemies to move around in this ranges pretty freely, and it is only slightly difficult to have a model move around inside of one of those auras and get at the GS in back.

 

 

But this idea seems to have some promise and I'll be trying it out myself soon.

[Kogan Style]

I suppose it depends on whether you feel the NM is worthwhile in its final form, personally I don't take it anymore so this GS idea could be workable.

[hypoking]

It's really fun with void wretches. Little guys turn into tiny 1.5 Izamus.

[VeZuri]

A friend of mine tried something similar in a game not long ago. He got a swift reminder why you don't bunch up models when facing Sonnia Criid, so... I guess that's a disclaimer for this tactic? Use with caution when facing a Blast-happy crew.

[Fetid Strumpet]

Pretty much. Blasts a a tiny but more common now so while you certainly can bunch up for certain tactics and it might be strong there are so many models that live you bunched up, Sonnia, Molly, raspy, sybelle, Willie, etc that any tactic that relies on the premise of keeping a bunch of models in close proximity has a glaring weakness that you'll have to watch out for.