First game with Toni Ironsides

[11th Thunder]

I had my first game with the unstoppable force tonight. I played Turf war against Lucius and had great fun!

My favourite master is Mei Feng, I was initially worried that Toni and Mei would be very similar.

Any one else worried about that, let me assure you otherwise! Toni's pull tricks feel very different to Mei's pushes, and the resource management game keeps you on your toes!

Having played her, I can happily say Ironsides feels a very Arcanist master. All the worries I had prior disappeared in play!

Toni for president! Vote Toni!

[Kadeton]

Good to hear. What crew did you take with her, and what synergies were you using?

[HiveCommander]

I also feel that Ironsides and Mei look far too similar on paper, being they're both in-your-face brawler types, with their own twists on it. Good to hear it's not the case, I've yet to play either of them myself.

[11th Thunder]

I used what I suspect will be in Ironsides box. 3 oxfordian mages, mouse, the Captain. I added Johan, because he is always worth it.

Both Cap and Toni packed Warding Runes, so it was all about trying to stay in groups in those auras.

We were playing Turf War, which Toni shines in. She can get loads of adrenaline for those big groups.

Make them suffer was part of the scheme pool, not a bad one for Toni again! She gave up alot of points on it though, due to a lack of minions in her crew. Had I a wider selection I would have considered Union Miners or Gunsmiths, but because I wanted to test the box, I gave away three points there.

I won 9 - 8 ib the end. My opponent lost 2 points on turf war, hiding his body guarded Dashel from my crew. I dropped one point when burning killed a minion instead of someone good

[Adran]

Mouse means its not a garenteed give away of Make them suffer, but it does paint a huge target on him.

[LunarSol]

I also feel that Ironsides and Mei look far too similar on paper, being they're both in-your-face brawler types, with their own twists on it. Good to hear it's not the case, I've yet to play either of them myself.

 

In-your-face brawler types are probably the most common master archetype in the game and most factions have a couple.  Mei and Toni just have the problem of using similar weapons (aka, none) which makes them seem more similar than they really are.  Technically speaking, McMourning and Justice share similar space, but no one really thinks of them as too similar.

[HiveCommander]

In-your-face brawler types are probably the most common master archetype in the game and most factions have a couple.  Mei and Toni just have the problem of using similar weapons (aka, none) which makes them seem more similar than they really are.  Technically speaking, McMourning and Justice share similar space, but no one really thinks of them as too similar.

There's a bit more of a difference between a katana-wielding blind lady and a mortician that uses his scalpels and other surgical tools to do his dirty work, than a streetbrawler and a martial artist that both resort to punching stuff until it gives in. I haven't played against Lady J yet, does she have anywhere near as much healing as McMourning does?

[Math Mathonwy]

I haven't played against Lady J yet, does she have anywhere near as much healing as McMourning does?

Aye, almost as much.

[LunarSol]

There's a bit more of a difference between a katana-wielding blind lady and a mortician that uses his scalpels and other surgical tools to do his dirty work, than a streetbrawler and a martial artist that both resort to punching stuff until it gives in. I haven't played against Lady J yet, does she have anywhere near as much healing as McMourning does?

 

My point is there's really not.  All 4 mechanically revolve around moving, often through a charge into a relatively short distance from a target and flipping cards to deal damage with Ml  stats vs opposing model Df stats.  The cynical point of view is that there's no real difference between surgical tools or feet or or whips or swords or steam powered rocket fists.  

 

The truth of the matter though is that there's more to a figure than the attacks they make and in the case of melee models, how they position to make those attacks often creates huge differences in overall feel and strategies (which, as an aside, is why games that favor too much range often struggle to make interesting mechanical differences in their models).  That's why Toni and Mei really are quite different; they just make the mistake of dressing up their unique mechanics in the same outfit.  It makes them feel more similar than other masters that use the game's melee mechanics to represent a different kind of weapon.