Levi combos

[CaptainAsh]

Hi guys aint been on in awhile and looking at getting back into malifaux again. Downloaded the cards and stuff anybody got and sort of ideas of combos of guys with levi the one i seen is the large steampunk arachnid as something. Is there any others people have seen id like to try them out.

[SevenSins]

Total newb so pinch of salt here, but I've tended to ise lazarus, a few abominations doing their draw ability on him and he just self repairs it away. I keep deploying him badly but he still does good work with that awesome gun.

[The Zinc Lich]

The Lazarus trick is great because he self-heals so well, and he makes a great anchor for your Waifs. It's also nice to give him Survivalist for Hard to Kill, then Alyce gives him reactivate. Once he reactivates, he can heal himself again to pop back up over the Hard to Kill threshold.

 

The Hodgepodge Effigy is a great pick if you are planning on using Desolate Soul. You can spend a soulstone to guarantee the Desolate Warping trigger when you blow something up, and then use Loyalty to the Coin to discard a card and refund the soulstone.

 

Anything that summons in addition to doing its job, like the Mechanical Rider or Guild Autopsy is a good choice to have cheap things for Leveticus to blow up with Rebirth.

 

Oh! This isn't really Levi himself, but it is still cool. Use Pariah of Iron to bring a Teddy and an Iron Gamin. Def 6 Teddy is an ungodly evil thing to try and deal with. It will regenerate from any damage you do to draw cards, and you can give it fast to move-flurry or hard to kill to use with its self-heal with outcast upgrades. You can fire Unmaking into combat with Teddy without fear, because even if you hit it, you can trigger Blessings of the Unmade to get a Hug out of the deal. If you do hit the enemy, then you get a hug anyway from Teddy's Smell Fear ability.

[Patzer]

Lazarus cannot take Survivalist, it is restricted to leader. Nevertheless, I certainly agree that Lazarus is great in a Leve crew, especially for the role as a waif-anchor.

[CaptainAsh]

Right well looks like i can finally take the sweet looking model for a spin. Awesome some nice card draw well i just bought teddy so sounds like good investment.

[CaptainAsh]

Sorry i going to be honest i aint played in ages what you mean by waif anchor?

[Patzer]

For Leve's death and rebirth cycle to work, you need to have a Hollow Waif within 6" from a 6ss model. If Leve is buried, he can pop out from the waif, whom is then sacrificed. Lazarus costs 10ss and is usually fairly hard to get rid of, in addition to that he is really slow so the waifs can keep up with him, hence a good model to rely upon in order to get Leve back. Lazarus is also on a 40mm base, so hiding waifs behind him is generally a good idea. Unless you are up against something that can generate heaps of blasts that is.

[96p]

Models I use with Levi to great effect:

 

Alyce:

 

- great shooting

- good melee

- keeps enemy charges at 3"

- abomination summoning

- counter production

 

 

Ashes&Dust

 

- heavy hitter

- comes back when dead (great target for Levis (0))

- summons abominations

- additional simple duels

 

 

Valedictorian

 

- Flying

- good in melee

- potential additional attack

 

 

Necropunks

 

- perfect scheme hunters

 

 

And every single one of these models fits his style (steampunk necromancer) perrfectly

[quiche]

Pariah of Bone on Levy +

Howard Langston with Scramble is my favourite. Nimble AP can cover even more distance over a game.

[zFiend]

I've seen all those on a Levi list but the Valedictorian. She actually sounds like a good add on. 

 

And Lazarus is hard to get rid off and can really protect the Waifs from what I've seen  

[Scirian]

Rusty Alyce for the reasons above.

She can ferry the waifs and prevent charges on them, which is huge protection.

She also has Burn Out, which can reactivate any construct.

Some construct synergy with Burn Out:

Desolation Engine has a heal on its melee attack based on damage dealt, with minimum damage three, and melee expert!

Teddy has regen two, with a reactivate he heals four wounds.

Lazarus has a heal flip for a 0 action and armor two

Ashes and Dust is the perfect enforcer.

He's swift and has a rebirth cycle like Levi.

My favorite trick is very situational, run a waif into the enemy's deployment zone, kill/sac ashes on turn five, drop dust storm next to the waif and unbury Levi next to her, turn five surprise entourage

You can sac Ashes and Dust to drop the Core and give a friendly construct Fast.

Nothing beats a Fast Lazarus! Move and the Auto Fire w/Scramble

Bête noire is a beast no matter the crew

Her unbury mechanic is thematic and perfect dissuasion from waif hunting

Nobody wants a bête noire to the face...no one

Schemers and tricksters:

Hodgepodge effigy can help Levi refuel the soulstone cache

Necropunks are the perfect scheme layers

Flesh constructs are big, dumb waif ferries

Behemoths:

Peacekeeper has some impressive damage and scheme removal

Teddy is difficult to murder and good, clean fun

Howard Langston because...holy hell

Joss for reliable damage

[Drool_bucket]

Remember Teddy's "Smell Fear" or whichever ability allows him to make a free Ml strike if an enemy model within 6" fails a Wp duel, which is exactly how Leveticus attacks people at range.

 

and realize you don't have to target the model that Levi is going after, just be within 6" of it and engaged with another model.

 

and remember that Levi has a baked-in trigger that if he does attack into combat and randomizes onto Teddy, for 2 dmg you can get Teddy to make a free strike... 

 

Those are some of my thoughts on Teddy in a Levi crew.

[Falconrider]

Ryle because he's a big construct who like all the other low Df models loves a nearby Metal Gamin, he also has a nasty gun that Lazarus can copy, a devastating punch and can heal other constructs including himself.  The other cheaper guild constructs Guardian, Hunter, Warden and Watcher are all useful as well in their own ways.

[zFiend]

Remember Teddy's "Smell Fear" or whichever ability allows him to make a free Ml strike if an enemy model within 6" fails a Wp duel, which is exactly how Leveticus attacks people at range.

 

and realize you don't have to target the model that Levi is going after, just be within 6" of it and engaged with another model.

 

and remember that Levi has a baked-in trigger that if he does attack into combat and randomizes onto Teddy, for 2 dmg you can get Teddy to make a free strike... 

 

Those are some of my thoughts on Teddy in a Levi crew.

 

Evil.. So evil..

[E.T.A. Hoffman]

I flipped through some books today because of this thread and come up with some awesome ideas!

 

1) Spiders spam plus stitched togethers: Spiders tangle up models, lowering their def so Stitches can gamble them. Replace dead models with abominations.

2) Metal Gamin + Mobile Toolkit + teddy = Def 6 with positive def flips

3) Rusty Alice + Joss + Large Arachnids = Scrap spam and thus abominations!!! (Should get +2 spiders a turn)

 

 

I'll keep positing if I find more.

 

Also, if you haven't tried it yet.

Take Ashes and Dust and 4 abominations. Each Abom pokes the ashes and dust and then Levi sacks him with his 0. End turn remake ashes and dust. You'll draw 6 cards turn 1. With 12 cards you should be able to cull a nice PHAT hand for turn two and a lean deck. Or, if you plan well, do this turn 2 so that turn 3 (THE GO TURN!) you'll really be able to smash face.

[Hateful Darkblack]

Wow, these are some really helpful combinations!

 

I'm going to be trying a combo soon: Levi + Vasalisa + Stitched, Shadowy, Hodgepodge, and Coryphee, with Mech Rider in the mix for Arcane & Mannequins. Kind of a death puppet gang. For Recon & Scheme Marker games. I'll post how it goes.

[E.T.A. Hoffman]

Got to play some games and tried a few things.

Spiders and Stitched are fun and as you would expect, knocking a model down 2 points on def is a good way to make Gamble Your Life work. Not sure it's super competitive but its a fun alternative.

 

I was looking at spamming big models and who worked as suitable replacements for the Ashes and Dust or the Desolation Engine. Teddy and the Rogue Necromancy don't really do that much more than the A&D. RN is slightly more killy but they are all Ml 7, 2" 3/4/6 (except RN whose 3/5/6) but they can't touch A&D's respawn powers. So unless points are tight,  you'd always be better off with A&D. I see no point to Teddy cause at least RN gives you almost an abomination back in points.

 

Peacekeaper or Howard would be fine replacements for A&D. They dont have his survivability but they're plenty hardy enough and have a much higher damage output.

 

This of course ignores riders. I think, competitively, the Hooded or Undead are great choices and the Mechanical Rider being basically an autoinclude.

 

Still you could take the Mech Rider and RN and use the Mech to make an Metal gamin and have him make RN Def 6.

 

Just some thoughts I had.

[Hateful Darkblack]

Played a few games with Vasalisa, Stitched, and Coryphee. It's a really solid combination. Vasalisa provides the mobility and control that Leveticus lacks, while Leveticus annihilates things like he does.

[Druso]

Hi guys. This weekend i have played a tournament. I was 2nd from 19 players, i play the 3 games with Leveticus. I use Pariah of Bone, crooligans,rotten belles, dead doxy and necropun are so nice, trappers too, and dont forget killjoy! i used in the 3 games. In two of my games i kill one of my own models to bring Killjoy to the game.

[Scirian]

Hi guys. This weekend i have played a tournament. I was 2nd from 19 players, i play the 3 games with Leveticus. I use Pariah of Bone, crooligans,rotten belles, dead doxy and necropun are so nice, trappers too, and dont forget killjoy! i used in the 3 games. In two of my games i kill one of my own models to bring Killjoy to the game.

I would never argue with a winning strategy...but I'm going to argue:

Avoid killing your models unless absolutely necessary for schemes/strats.

This goes especially for a Levi crew.

I love bringing Bete and Killjoy as they are enormous deterrents from Waif hunting.

However, by killing/saccing your own models, you are taking activations/AP out of the pile that could be yours without reaping the benefits.

This is obviously situational and if you came in second, then you are doing just fine.

But I wouldn't want new players to think that it is preferable to having enemies kill your models only to discover a cleaver to the face!

Never forget that unlike last edition, you can start with them on the field even.

[Druso]

Im totally agree with you Scirian, but there is time when you see that the "sacrifice" model has done great work an is time to a next step. In my first game against Viktorias Kiljjoy kill Viktoria of Ashes and almost entirely Sue and Convict Gunslinger (1/2 wound left both i though) in my next game kills Francois Lacroix and in my third game kill Francisco Ortega and a Guild Hound...but is not all killing what KJ does is about disturbing the enemy and dont letting that the opponet makes the strats and schemes because have a big monster in their house.

[grave13]

Bete Noire! Yes! I am soooooo putting her in my Leveticus crew as an anchor!

[Kadeton]

Man, I'm really starting to wish I'd just brought a bunch of Levi's hiring options with me instead of all the other Outcasts. I've barely used the Viktorias or Von Schill competitively... I could have used the space for wacky hijinks. Lots of new things to try when I get back to my collection, I guess!

[The Godlyness]

Ryle. He is all around better than Lazarus. Can still poke him for cards can heal any construct. Has a built in + to shooting and if you don't use raking fire a built in + to damage. More mobile can push around has a hydraulic fist which hits like a truck. And can use soul stones.

[Drool_bucket]

I enjoying using Lazarus and Ryle.. together.

 

On an island Ryle is superior to Lazarus in most areas, but not once you hit the table that can change.

 

I find a significant difference between Sh 5 and Sh 6, because it makes Ryle hunt lesser models while Lazarus targets higher priority.  Likewise, Ryle hits hard, and can do so twice because of the pos flip... a single Focused shot from Laz hits harder and hits more targets.

 

Ryle is stronger in Hth until you figure in Assimilate on Lazarus and have a nearby Construct to copy a Melee attack from, particular when that construct is A&D or a DE, not to mention a Teddy.

 

But, in the end, try running them both together...  In Turf War I like to park both just within the 6" (assuming the opponent has no push mechanics) and they dominate the area.  I usually back them with a Librarian and between their self-heals and the Librarian they never die.  (the Librarian also frees up Laz's assimilate to copy Ryle's shooting attack...)