Somer without marker-based schemes?

[Vidd]

I ask because I was puzzled in retrospect about how to achieve an Assassinate in my last game. As soon as you engage the target, your Bayou Gremlin gunline becomes a liability and Somer's melee's so-so. What else does he offer as a Master beyond Git Yer Bro?

 

The fluffy side of me would prefer to field Somer for everything but perhaps Ophelia perhaps beats him in certain encounters?

[thebarbalag]

Somer can do a lot. He's incredibly versatile. Two Skeeters and Can o' Beans can hold down an area like nobody's business. Between Lenny, Somer, and Skeeters (and most of your hand) you can give Burt a Critical Strike of +5 for minimum damage 7. With Pig Feed you can marshal War Pigs like a boss. He actually does substantial damage all by himself, and can buff models like the aforementioned Burt, or Francois to crazy levels. He can absolutely ruin a summoner like Dreamer, Ramos, or Nicodem by stripping their hand.

[Omenbringer]

Som'er has a lot more tricks than just Get Your Bro!. I would recommend a good look at the Pull My Finger Wiki tactica (to include the 1st edition stuff as well, since a lot of it is still effective) for some good advice on piloting the original Hog Boss.

[Brewmaster]

The guys above me honestly covered it. Instead of looking at Somer as the "Gremlin Playdoh Factory", think of him as a box of Lego connector pieces. Find the killy-est non leader model the gremlins can have. You know that trigger that makes them deal piles of damage? Somer can push that trigger. Like it was stated above, Somer can strip cards from a player that needs them. Somer's benefits can change based on what you put around him. Should you go with Ophelia on Assassinate? I'd personally say yes, but I play 3 masters. If you want one master that can handle anything reasonably, Somer's got it.

[surly]

Since I'm pretty new to Gremlins myself I had similar thoughts about Som'er. So far I have something about 10 games with him under my belt, and definately agree with the posters above.

Especially Burt and even more Francois can do a huge amount of damage in melee. Som'er can be just as brutal as long he is able to do a proper shot. Best moment so far, last week he killed Snow Storm and as a result a wounded Rasputina and Wendigo who stood close with collateral and blast damage

His trigger is pretty crazy as long you can get a straight flip and be able to cheat it.

[Math Mathonwy]

Bigger Hat can also completely screw over some Masters' defenses (as well as their offense and whatnot). Since Somer's crew can have access to positive flips and Bayou Two-card, they are far less card-reliant than most crews.

Molly for example is completely neutered by the hat trick since her defensive super trigger relies on cards and her Summoning needs high cards to work.

Similarly models relying on their high stats can be really crippled when they have no cards to cheat with. Lilith is the most obvious case but Perdita is another. They will eventually flip low and then that's that.

The hat has insane range and a pretty nice Casting value. At the very least you'll draw out the good cards off of your opponent's hand.

[Omenbringer]

Probably worth adding to the above that Bigger Hat Than You can also be a one way street, i.e. it screws your opponents control hand but not necessarily the Som'er crew that has methods of replacing those discarded control cards.

 

Add in Som'er's Quit Screwin' 'Round! zero action (that can be projected via Skeeters) and he becomes a very good denial Master.