Chiaki

[dgraz]

So, I've been playing 10T for my latest league (been a massive Guild/Arcanist player before) and I've been very intrigued with Yan Lo.....I generally don't care for Rezzers in general, but Yan's theme is really cool.....and since I'm playing him as 10T, I can still say I'm anti-Rezzer

 

I dabbled with a couple Henchman games with Toshiro, and that guy is BOSS!! Yesterday, I played a full 50ss game with the full crew and everything worked as expected (it helped that I played against Som'er and had plenty of little guys to kill to rack up the Chi)...........except for Chiaki. I was decidedly under-whelmed with her.

 

Her base abilities are neat, but nothing spectacular.....her Triggers are where the good stuff really is....gaining Chi, the Healing, the Harmless....even her Upgrade, the Trigger to cast again........

 

.....the downside is that not ONE of those things is built in. She's only running off of a attacking stat of 5 for all of those, so just to have a chance with any of those (except the Healing) you need to cheat a really high suited card.

 

One time I top-decked a Tome to gain a Chi, but I never hit any other Trigger in the game.........I found that very disappointing. For a model worth 7ss that's supposed to support the crew she was pretty worthless and I couldn't help thinking the entire game that for one more SS, I could have been running Yin who has the potential to shut down quite a bit of the enemy just be standing there.

 

Anybody else have experience with Chiaki?

[zFiend]

I have fielded her a couple of times with my Rezzer crews. I would really like to say she's the boss, which she seems to be at first glance when looking at her card. Healing, condition removal, dishes out slow, can push models away from turf war or reconnoiter, etc. But yeah, she hasn't really made an impact in my games yet. I have found that I don't get past ca 5, never hit the tome trigger to actually gain it. Also she really seems to be quite suite dependent as you pointed out. 

 

Not sure, I have to field her a couple of more times, as I would really like her to be what she looks out to be. But at the moment, I have to kinda agree with you. 

[rgarbonzo]

Ten Thunders Crew - 50 - Scrap

 

Yan Lo -- 7 Pool

 +Fortify The Spirit [1]

 +Reliquary [1]

 

Student of Conflict [5]

Ashigaru [5]

Chiaki the Niece [6]

 +Pull of the Grave [1]

Izamu the Armor [10]

Toshiro The Daimyo [9]

 +Command the Graves [1]

Yin the Penangalan [8]

 

 

Gives Yan a whole crew he can resummon, Chiaki and Yin synergize well together, Toshiro can always bring back more Ashigaru letting Yan do the support

[Inquisitor Wall]

I've felt the same way about her when reading through her card as others have mentioned, one benefit about her ability to remove conditions and heal is that while it is suit dependent it is not a very high card to meet it. I have heard a number of people swear by her, but she always seems to get cut from my list when I'm building a crew.

When playing against a yan lo crew, she was monumental in removing conditions such as slow and paralyze from Imazu which made him even more difficult to deal with which was frustrating but not game winning.

[DeleteAccount]

Chiaki is basically insurance. If you fear the other guy likes to spam conditions, Chaiki is your big fat shield of protection, hell completely broke the tempo of a McMourning player by stripping the Poison from his Flesh Construct. Outside of that, I consider her upgrade a must since giving out Slow is fantastic and getting a free cast can start getting annoying (made Judge and Lone Marshal Slow with the same AP). Also, her 0 action to make insignificant has saved me games by itself by making the usual objective runner model unable to seal the deal.

 

Basically, she won't always be a top model, but when she works, she is a life saver. Also, yeah, her initial Ca of 5 is crap, so focus on lowish stat models if possible and try to see if you can get a tome in there since at the start of the game, most models won't really feel the need to cheat to stop the Calling, getting her to Ca 6 is already pretty huge.

[dgraz]

@Rgarbonzo - why the Student of Conflict? I would think the Soul Porter would be monumental in a game with so many Ancestors to Empower along with his Chi producing attack (much more reliable than Chiaki's).

 

I guess if you can get a couple of Chi on Chiaki so she could use lower value suits she would be better...........I just think that getting Chi to Yan Lo would be more important for his other Upgrades and to power Transcendence.

 

My issue is it's just so difficult to get the stuff that it seems she is costed for.......without the triggers she isn't worth her SS......but the Triggers certainly get her there....but the one game where you don't draw the suits you need she is a complete waste (and getting a free cast on a CA 5 with the proper suited card is very difficult indeed).........there's also the issue of cheating big cards from your hand on a 7ss model just to get any use out of it when you could be cheating those cards on a model that can give you a much bigger return for it.

[dgraz]

Oh, and since I'm running Yan Lo as 10T.....if I really need the Condition insurance, for 4ss I could take the Low River Monk.

[DeleteAccount]

Oh, and since I'm running Yan Lo as 10T.....if I really need the Condition insurance, for 4ss I could take the Low River Monk.

That sounds fine in theory, but that effective 6" threat range that has to wade through models and terrain is murder.

[dgraz]

That sounds fine in theory, but that effective 6" threat range that has to wade through models and terrain is murder.

Fair point.

[rgarbonzo]

Ah wasn't paying attention, should have been Soul Porter

[dgraz]

Ah wasn't paying attention, should have been Soul Porter

Which gives you two more SS.......maybe Recalled Training on Izamu and Yin or Toshiro.

[DeleteAccount]

I feel recalled is kind of wasted on Yin or Toshiro. Izamu makes it sing though and if you want more hate, the Lone Swordsman is another amazing model with Recalled Training. I mean, the 4 ancestor list is certainly thematic, but Yin doesn't really have any synergy with Yan Lo Outside of being an ancestor and giving some Wp hate to the crew, though if you want to use a couple of Komainu, Yin becomes a lot more compelling. Yan Lo can really work with pretty much anything which is awesome on it's own right.

[dgraz]

Yeah......I love that with a lot of the Masters in M2E....you can really switch up your crews for completely different playstyles.

 

I love Komainu and I've been using them. At this point I'm just starting my 10T journey so I'm trying to learn the more thematic models first....then I'll start subbing in some of the others.....I've tested Tengu, Dawn Serpent and the Sniper a couple of times but haven't really gone outside crew box/synergy models yet.

 

Though there are certainly plenty I have my eye on.

[DeleteAccount]

How has the serpent behaved for you? it's on my todo list, but so much stuff to try and it being a 10 SS piece makes me wonder how much use I'll actually get with stuff like Toshiro, Sidir, Fuhatsu, Izamu or Sensei Yu in the same bracket.

[dgraz]

He is very tough to fit into a list, but he's pretty good. I've used him once with Marcus.....plenty of Ca actions in most Marcus crews so he called the Chi for 3-4 points every turn....it stuck around the whole game.

 

But he was a real star with Toshiro.....Fast with plus flips was just brutal.

[Falconrider]

He is very tough to fit into a list, but he's pretty good. I've used him once with Marcus.....plenty of Ca actions in most Marcus crews so he called the Chi for 3-4 points every turn....it stuck around the whole game.

 

But he was a real star with Toshiro.....Fast with plus flips was just brutal.

With Ml7 and poison +2 per hit it almost has me wanting to team it up with a Performer.  

 

Yan Lo's box is being built atm and first off the blocks is Chiaki for that condition removal and healing. 

[scarlett fever]

I really rate Chiaki, I bring her every game with Misaki or Yan Lo.

 

I would say 25% of the time she just ends up being an incorporeal speed bump, usually due to poor match-ups, but the rest of the time I love her.

It's true I often cheat in a card to get the goods but the abilities I like the most require mid-range cards (memories past, 7   and purity, 7).

 

I like taking Hard-to-Kill models such as Swordsman, Komainu and Ashigaru so if I have that mid that works. And just the straight condition removal at range 10 is either amazing (paralysed Misaki, ugh) half the time or not used.

 

Purity has won me games as well, at the end of a turn when hands are low a WP 14 push to all enemy models within 6" can be huge.

 

Handing out slow or insignificant is nice and even just the extra damage plink from the calling as a 0 action to get rid of models hanging around on their last wound.

 

She is situational and a little opportunistic due to her desire for triggers but I most games I can make her worth more than her points.

 

Just don't take her in Hardcore, that was just stupid.

[rancor709]

Chiaki is a model I rate highly in 10t.

 

First and foremost, Walk 5 and Incorporal isn't something to underrate. The ability to walk twice ignoring whatever is going on and go after victory points shouldn't be underestimated. 

 

don't use her specific upgrade its a trap, I really like servant of 5 dragons on her, again highly mobile platform that can then bomb away scheme markers again is a fun bit of tech.

 

Her pulse ability has some play again its about forcing duels.

[Da Git]

I also really Rate Chiaki for basically the reasons Razhem & Scarlett Fever mentioned.  However I haven't taken her upgrade yet & there hasn't been a moment I've regretted it yet.  I basically use her for condition removal & healling as well as the Calling.  As I summon a lot (through Toshiro or Ressurs), removing slow plus healing a bit is golden!

 

Also agree with the Calling, I actually cheet in a good card turn one to get the plus Chi, most people will let it slide & the Ca 6 is really good.  Plus it's damage is great for removing those pesky HtK models.

 

Lastly, she's collected full points for Bodyguard many a times as people generally don't attack her and she can go around doing her thing with impunity.

[dgraz]

Thanks a lot everyone for your comments.......I'm not 100% sure I'm convinced yet, but I do think I need to give her more of a chance.......perhaps I just haven't had her in the right situations yet.

 

don't use her specific upgrade its a trap,

I wonder if you could expand on this...........also, I don't think I'd ever take Servant of 5 Dragons unless I knew for a fact I was going against a Wp heavy crew.........why do you think it's good on her.

[DeleteAccount]

I have to say, I feel her upgrade is pretty much autoinclude, Slow spamming is my main use for her unless something needs a condition removed.

 

Servant of the 5 Dragons can be amusing but it really has to be a scheme heavy match to see it being a good plan. Dgraz, remember that you can discard the upgrade at the start of her activation to nuke all enemy scheme markers 3" from the user, so it can be a fantastic scheme destroyer for a packed protect territory for example, but the start of activation restrictions means you have to account for it and your opponent, knowing you have it can compensate for it with some movement shenanigans, I mean, a single Lure could destroy the utility completely.

[dgraz]

Hmm yeah, was going from memory...forgot about the Scheme Marker removal.......but meh....taking a situational upgrade on a situational model doesn't seem like a good choice to me.

 

I would think she needs her own upgrade or she could be basically doing nothing if there aren't any conditions going on.

[DeleteAccount]

Hmm yeah, was going from memory...forgot about the Scheme Marker removal.......but meh....taking a situational upgrade on a situational model doesn't seem like a good choice to me.

 

I would think she needs her own upgrade or she could be basically doing nothing if there aren't any conditions going on.

That's the sensation I get when using her, though it may just be I have to pair her up with summoners.

[Argentbadger]

I agree that Chiaki is a situational piece, but this is Malifaux where you can (at least up to a point) find out the situation before committing to including her in your crew.

 

My experience has been that she is great for Bodyguard and pretty good for scheme marker running.  In general I don't bother with her named (or any) upgrade as I basically don't do anything with her AP apart from move and interact anyway.  That said, removing conditions from your own models at a huge range can come in useful from time to time and it only needs an unsuited 7 so it's not exactly the most challenging cast.  Similarly, pushing models out of the Turf War zone with Purity feels like it ought to be a really powerful play but in practice it seems tricky to get lined up well and almost guarantees that something will be assigned to take Chiaki down next turn (though that might be OK depending on what that something turns out to be).  Her (0) is handy and has a long range so it can be used to plink a couple of points of damage here or there without unnecessarily endangering Chiaki; in particular it can be good for finishing off a piece that has been left on Hard to Kill after a mauling from an Illuminated or other fighter.

[Sevorin]

 I'm where you are Dgraz.

 

 I started playing 10T 2 weeks ago: specifically Yan Lo. I've played quite a few games since (vassal, and LGS), and have played close to 10 games now. I think Chiaki is an excellent 10T choice, but like you, I think she is situational. I will bring her only if I know I am facing conditions (definitely when my opponent says NB, or Ressur). When conditions are on the board she is gold (her 10" remove condition radius is awesome). I faced Pandy, who paralyzed Yan Lo, Toshiro, a MotLR, an Ashigaru, and Chiaki, for two turns (with help of other models). If it wasn't for Chiaki, I would have watched my opponent play. With Chiaki, I pretty much can remove paralyze from everyone (within range, of course).

 

 Joe's use of her is interesting as well. I haven't thought to use her that way. 

 

 I must add, Yan Lo is amazing with a 10T elite crew. Between his healing, and their own heals, they are hard to take down.