Using the Guild Pathfinder and Clockwork Traps

[Pyrflamme]

I'm looking at picking up the Pathfinder and Clockwork Traps soon because it looks cool in both aesthetics and gameplay. I'm thinking the Traps will work well for cramping my opponent's play (making certain areas of the board hard to navigate safely, applying Slow to models), while the Pathfinder will be nice for cycling cards, shooting, and backing up the Traps (resummoning and shifting them next to unactivated models).

 

Does anyone have any play experience with the Pathfinder and Traps in TT? I currently have the Rail Crew, but will be picking up the Thunder in a while, and am strongly considering McCabe's box as well.

[DocSchlock]

Oh boy, are you in for a treat.

Pathfinder + Traps are my auto-include in 10T / Guild.

Traps are just as you said: roadblocks, annoying roadblocks. Since they have From the Shadows, don't be afraid to hire them and place them in key chokepoints.

Pathfinder is a damage machine. His gun has incredibly high Blast damage on Severe (4!) and has two amazing triggers. You'll really want to be Focusing and shooting with him to get as close to cheatable damage as you can get.

With Masters who are not McCabe, the Pathfinder is a cheap sniper with good damage, excellent for killing scheme runners and just being irritating.

With McCabe, you get a Reactivating, Nimble summoner with a stellar gun, though Nimble is probably better suited on Samurai or Illuminated.

Don't rely on the card draw ability. If you're that close, you need to be not that close.

[scarlett fever]

Haven't used them much recently but these were a favourite for me for while.

 

With McCabe in Squatters you bang the traps on or next to the squat markers then run/push/reactivate your crew up first turn. Second turn you can use the Austringer to push them to the marker and flip it.

With Torakage and Smoke and Shadows they're great for Breakthrough/Plant Evidence. You should be able to put one somewhere discrete but not too far from enemy deployment then when the 6+  (4+ with Tannen) comes up you teleport up there.

In Turf War they make excellent roadblocks. Ring the Turf circle with them, then nimble up Yamaziko and camp her in the middle with Brace Yari. This means the enemy has to walk into in engagement or take 4 damage.

 

Lots of annoying tricks you can use them for. Placement is really important though, a fast model can skirt through their engagement without setting them off, as long as they don't begin/end their movement inside the engagement range. So you want to place carefully or they become a wasted 2 points. Obviously things that ignore armour will delete them pretty quick, as will a good charge.

[Pyrflamme]

Thanks for the advice! Looking forward to trying these out.

[daemonkin]

In 1.5 the traps were constructs. Made Mei happy. Makes me sad they are no longer but balance must be kept. Still think they are great dor area denial and especially for Squatter's Rights - put 2 on 2 markers and go for the other 2, deny your opponent and get the points yourself. Watch the pathfinder make new ones to replace those that get wrecked.

 

D.

[Pyrflamme]

Got my first game with the Pathfinder last night. Crew was Misaki with Stalking Bisento/Smoke and Shadows/Disguised, Ototo with Call the Thunder, 3x Tokarage, Shang, Pathfinder, 3x Traps. I summoned a trap the first turn but didn't get any summons in future turns owing to opting to Reset Trap and lack of suitable tomes. My opponent mitigated the strength of From the Shadows a bit by winning the flip and opting to have me deploy first, but I selected some decent locations. My opponent was definitely very cautious about the traps, opting to maneuver to avoid them most of the time, and I managed to frustrate some of his models with them. I also got Tokarage Shadow Strides to them, which was neat. Definitely looking forward to playing more with it in the future, especially in games where my opponent wants to be getting past the midline quickly.

[Patzer]

They are great denial pieces. I have played with them and faced them a couple of times. Perfect for screwing with opposing snipers and locking up vital scheme points. The Pathfinder generally is worth its 6ss investment.

[Ludvig]

Haven't used them much recently but these were a favourite for me for while.

 

With McCabe in Squatters you bang the traps on or next to the squat markers then run/push/reactivate your crew up first turn. Second turn you can use the Austringer to push them to the marker and flip it.

 

Don't have the book but I'm pretty sure they're insignificant peons so they can never interact. The austringer doesn't say you ignore those rules so you can push anything but only interact if normally allowed. Same with being engaged after the push from an austringer. Or am I the only one playing it like this?

[daemonkin]

@Ludvig they are peons but do not have the insignificant ability which does not allow interacts. So while they cannot interact themselves the are able to take interact actions via other abilities (obey, deliver orders etc)

D.

[The Godlyness]

I curse you with my trap. Or bum bum bum distract you. Since they are nice distractions.