The Zinc Lich Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 In the upcoming Black Friday sale season, the wife is going to be grabbing herself a Miss Step. This means that I'm going to get a free Howard Langston out of her MSU box. I was planning on getting Hoffman at some point in the next few months, so I'm pretty happy with the deal. That being said, he is very similar to the Peacekeeper. The defensive stats don't mean much; either way, the big guys are going to be power loop'd pretty much all the time. I can give the Peacekeeper Nimble with the Hydraulics modification. The big differences are the decap trigger on Langston's claws (which is pretty sweet) and Steam Cloud vs the Peacekeeper's harpoon gun and Advanced Protocol. Has anyone had experience with the two of them? Is Langston worth the upgrade slot for Arcanist Ties and the extra Soul Stone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zFiend Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 I have played him a few times in Arcanists side and goddamn has he performed. He is one of my favourite face wreckers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therril_83 Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Before I start writing, I should say that this is mostly theoryfaux, I've not actually played with or against that many of the 10+ models in 2e.. But reading the cards and theoryfauxing around the big monsters, especially the ones from wave1, I do feel Howard is head and shoulders above the others, taken on their own. Sure, with the right crews you can get around the limitations of the other hitters, for example there are at least two ways to give the Peacekeeper Nimble when playing guild, but it cannot get it on its own, and I think that is what makes Howard so great: he doesn't _need_ to be upgraded/buffed/comboed.. Howard is both very quick, very offensive, and still not very fragile, and I don't think any of the other 10+ models can compare to that. As you say, you can make the Peacekeeper Nimble too when using Hoffman, but using Howard, you don't need to, and that means you can give him something else.. like + to his Ml.. making Decapitate automatic... now don't tell me that's not tasty! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrKittens Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 They specified Guild-Only Constructs for that Upgrade (specifically that one, the others can fit Arcanists, too). Probably for exactly that reason. Sorry! I had the same disappointment / realization that that would be busted. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therril_83 Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 ah, good point, I had missed that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDisaster Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Hoffman is my no. 1 Bro! He takes ANY Construct he can get his hands on and makes them a whole lot better! I've had him turn a Rail Golem into a thing of nightmares. He takes M&SU constructs and makes them better than any Arcanist could hope for. I've used Langston once and gave him Patchwork Plating.... Oh the joy I had cramming that down Mei Feng's throat! Another time I played Mei Feng she had a Rail Golem... So did I.... We went at it and mine won, easily! It's a damn shame Langston can't be given Targeting Systems though... of course that would break Malifaux 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnternalVoid Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 One of the advantages of Langston over the Peacekeeper in this case is that you can give Nimble to a different construct and still keep the speed on your primary beatstick. This means perhaps for very interact based schemes you could put Nimble on one watcher and Programmed Directive on another and still have Langston be nimble. Or you can put Nimble on that Hunter or Warden you took so they can keep up with Langston or serve as better delivery boats for Hoffman himself. With the peacekeeper though you get Armor +2 and hard to Wound +1 making it more durable than Langston for those times you need durability over speed. Give the Peacekeeper the armor plating for Armor +3 or the Targeting System for a bit more explosive damage while utilizing its durability. Unless your opponent can ignore the armor it will take its fair share to drag down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDisaster Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Langston has his fair share of useful things though. You can give him Patchwork Plating to make him even more durable and his Steam Cloud to provide cover making Hoffman's crew more durable while they advance up the board. He's also pretty badass in combat which is never a bad thing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furio Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Just picked up Miss Step, so I'm looking forward to trying her in my hoffman crew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sholto Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Why pick between them? The first time I played Hoffman in M2E I took the Peacekeeper and Langston 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDisaster Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Why pick between them? The first time I played Hoffman in M2E I took the Peacekeeper and Langston I've done similar to this with Langston and the Rail Golem but at the cost of Ryle / Joss who I almost always take at least one of. You can really only justify 2 10+ ss models in his crew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanilla_Dice Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Langston with the tesalating magnet upgrade to keep a metal gamin in tow is my favorite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDisaster Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Langston with the tesalating magnet upgrade to keep a metal gamin in tow is my favorite Sounds cool, I'll have to try that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbobovalsocks Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Doesn't it depend upon the schemes/opponent's crew to an extent? Advanced protocol can be a real pain in the arse for some schemes and against some crews but more or less useless against others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDisaster Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Doesn't it depend upon the schemes/opponent's crew to an extent? Advanced protocol can be a real pain in the arse for some schemes and against some crews but more or less useless against others. Advanced Protocol? Where are you getting that from? I think I'm having a derp moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbobovalsocks Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 My book is back home so I don't have it to hand at the moment but doesn't the Peacekeeper have a pulse efect that removes all markers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbobovalsocks Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Yes, I knew I wasn't making it up. He has a zero action which discards all enemy scheme markers within 8 inches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decker_cky Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Langston with the tesalating magnet upgrade to keep a metal gamin in tow is my favorite That wouldn't keep protection of metal up on Langston though, since the moment he was 3" away from the gamin, he loses the condition. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durza Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 Unless he moves 3" each time, and if Hoffman gives him extra moves it can make up for the lost travel distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EntrepeNinja Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 He was a staple in my Hoffman crew when I ran it. Melee 7 in the loop is fantastic. Giving him extra armor and a potentially higher DF makes him more survivable. Use Hoffman's machine puppet to get him close enough to nimble in and flurry? Couldn't be better. I've done a Peacekeeper and Howard Langston at the same time for a Reckoning game. Hoffman was heal-bot, and Hank and the PK played bash bros. I know you can bring in ML 7 with the guardian, as well as DF 6 to pass around, but Hank's benefits are in his inherent nimble action, and high minimum damage. ENinja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorbad Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 I've seen him be quite brutal with Hoffman, especially as part of a Peacekeeper+Howard tagteam. Granted, it was also in a doubles tournament and we ran Colette+Hoffman. The PEacekeeper and Howard had so many APs a turn it was a little silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i9haunter Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Are you able to use Arcanists upgrades on Howard/Joss when you take them with Arcanists Assets with Hoffman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocSchlock Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Nope. You can only purchase Upgrades from the faction you declare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i9haunter Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Ahhh bummer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EntrepeNinja Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 S'okay. He's already got nimble, so you can give him armor plating making him armor two, and looping him can make him DF 6 rather easily. He's tough, fast, and has flurry with min damage 3. I don't see what's not to love. There are some good general guild upgrades (especially with the wave two stuff) that can give him some more fantastic utility, such as: Expert Sleuth- a 0 action that can push him towards enemy scheme markers to give his flurry a potential 11" threat range, or even more for a charge. Plant Evidence- Makes him drop a scheme marker if he dies, or placeing a scheme marker if he makes it to the end of the game? Or Removing a scheme marker if he makes it to the end of the game to deny a point? All pretty decent. He can't take lead lined coat, since it specifies a model "that does not already have the Armor ability". But again, that's what Armor Plating is for. :3 ENinja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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