How to use Scion of the Void?

[Kirby]

Hey gang!  With Tara's new henchman's final beta rules I've been looking at trying it out on the table.  However, I'm a fair bit at a loss.  I'm sure it's worth the 8 points, but I don't think I'm fully grasping how to use it.

 

The Returning Home ability seems to give it a high level of survivability if you can guarantee an unbury later on, but otherwise he doesn't have any defensive stats and not that resilient.  Further, if minions use his abilities then he takes damage while buried.  I guess he's made to go along with the Void Wretches healing, but then you're spending their entire activations doing that instead.

 

I dunno, he seems... odd.

[admiralvorkraft]

It is odd, extremely frustrating to face. Basically put it in positions where you're daring your opponent to attack it, get the bury off, come out wherever you need to be to score your schemes.

[SpiralngCadavr]

Well, we don't actually know what he's finally going to be, since that was just the end of the open beta.

 

Assuming it doesn't change much, it's got a strong ranged attack if you plan your turn well, and its other main objective (for me, at least) will primarily be getting in someone's face and aggressively using Forgotten, to either pull it off and be a pain with little retaliation, or get more flexibility if I've forced my opponent to deal with it. Healing in some form is probably a must, but wretches are good scheme runners and librarians are good supporters/fighters, so it's hardly a burden.

[Hateful Darkblack]

Things I liked doing with the Scion in the final beta:
- Scoot up fast with Blink.
- Jump around with unbury tricks.
- Heal with Void Wretch.
- Tara buries it and makes it fast with Upgrade.
- Attack enemies at close for bonus cards.
- Unbury things that Karina summons.

 

EDIT: One thing I forgot!

 

- Get him in your enemy's face as a wrench in the gears!

[SpiralngCadavr]

It's kind of weird- I find it least useful when I'm already doing well, since most of its actions are reactive so if I'm pressuring my opponent, they'll go for easier targets so it just plays like a decently damaging piece when not taking advantage of defensive tricks, and I really don't like damaging my pieces if there's a non-damaging option (via Tara, who also gets chain activation).

[moxypoo]

Justin mentioned that the Scion wouldn't be seeing anymore major changes, so I think it's safe to assume we'll only see small tweaks on stats and things like that.

 

Like the rest of Tara's crew, I found that the Scion works much better when used with finesse.  A lot of other crews can be used like a sledgehammer, but think of the Scion more like a scalpel.  The Scion is a support piece that can perform many roles, so find a specific job for it during the game, and it should complete that job well.  However, since it's a very flexible model, you'll often be able to switch up its job in the middle of the game if its original purpose becomes defunct. HD does a great job listing useful combos with the Scion a few posts above mine, so I'll speak in generalities.

 

Front line damage dealer.  When using Focused attacks, the Scion can put out a solid amount of damage and has a number of useful triggers. Returning Home means you don't have to take return hits if you don't want to, and the Scion can fuel the discard cost with it's own triggers. 

 

Scheme runner/combat support.  With Blink and The Hollowing the Scion can move around the board quickly, but keep in mind that it has to follow a friendly model.  The Hollowing allows the Scion to pop up and support any of your scheme runners that might be engaged and can help with numerous schemes.

 

Toolbox.  Whispers from the Nothing allows your models to use the Scions useful actions while it's buried, giving every friendly model access to its toolbox of triggers.  I think this has been shown to be the least powerful use, but the option remains.  Maybe you really need a Void Wretch to Focus and pop something for 7 damage while drawing a card.

 

There are certainly lots of other uses for the Scion, but these are the main ones that I use it for.  I think the issue most people will have when first playing with this model is that it does a little bit of everything, which makes you think it should be doing everything in a game.  The Scion works best in my hands when I have a specific job for it in mind rather than trying to make use of all its actions and abilities.

[SpiralngCadavr]

There's a lot I agree with there, but the basic claim that Tara's crew is finesse-oriented is, I think, false: it takes learning, but after you've got it, the interactions are pretty straightforward. I'd probably say Pure Nothingness is the only part of her suite that requires much finesse, and the rest is no trickier than a general condition master.

[Hateful Darkblack]

One thing I forgot!

 

Get him in your enemy's face as a wrench in the gears! He really likes it when enemies target him, so some opponents will want to leave him alone. Don't let him! Go sit next to their sniper. Go camp the choke point or objective. Put him in places where your opponent will be forced to make an awkward choice. If they attack him, good! You can either bury him, or surprise your opponent by withstanding the attack, whichever is more annoying. If they leave him alone, good! They've just conceded a strategic disadvantage because they want to avoid your pieces. Don't return the favor. The Scion can cause plenty of damage and draw cards in the process too.

[admiralvorkraft]

I liked your post because it was helpful to OP. I dislike it because that's how the Scion has been used against me and it leaves me flopping around like a dead fish on an impossible to kill hook...

 

[Hateful Darkblack]

Yeah, I feel like the Scion of the Void brings some extra nastiness and aggression to a Tara crew!

[admiralvorkraft]

It's definitely one of the models in this game that you introduce to your opponent ahead of time...

[moxypoo]

There's a lot I agree with there, but the basic claim that Tara's crew is finesse-oriented is, I think, false: it takes learning, but after you've got it, the interactions are pretty straightforward. I'd probably say Pure Nothingness is the only part of her suite that requires much finesse, and the rest is no trickier than a general condition master.

I think we may be using a different definition of finesse here.  I'm using the definition "delicate and subtle performance/interaction/abilities, etc." The reason I class Tara this way is because 1) she has a much steeper learning curve than a lot of other masters, and 2) her abilities and actions are intertwined in subtle ways.  She doesn't just smash things like the Viks or Levy, and there's a lot more planning, activation order, and considerations to account for.  For example, giving the enemy models Fast to provide buffs to your own units - that sort of thing takes a delicate touch since you can easily provide your opponent a larger benefit than yourself.

 

I consider masters like Jack Daw as finesse masters, because there are multiple unclear paths to winning.  Masters like Sonnia Criid I wouldn't consider finesse masters, because they dominate one specific aspect of the game, so their path is very clear.

 

If you don't see Tara as requiring finesse, I'm interested which masters you think require more finesse?

[Kadeton]

That depends on whether you regard "finesse" as "has a steep learning curve" or "requires careful application". Tara is definitely the former, but I've never felt the need to be particularly cautious or deliberate with her. I would regard Viktoria as far more of a "finesse" Master than Tara, simply because for Viktoria a single misstep (or a Miss Step) can easily lose you the game. Tara's mechanics, in contrast, are more complex but more robust.

 

If you mean "finesse" in the sense often used in wargaming, ie. "kind of sucks, but some people are proud to play it because it's like choosing a harder difficulty," then I don't think Tara really fits that description. For that, look at Ironsides.

[SpiralngCadavr]

If you don't see Tara as requiring finesse, I'm interested which masters you think require more finesse?

I don't consider Tara finesse because the only tricky thing with her specifically is judging her fast pulse utility and position. I think playing the first few games with her can be tricky, but then you're just getting a ton of AP. The Pure Nothingness set takes some finesse, as does getting mileage out of WP shenanigans, but both of those aren't necessary to playing her, or even necessarily that strong of choices, and the Scion being able to eat Fast makes that system even easier.

 

From personal experience, Lucius is the most finesse-oriented Master I've played as much, since if you don't plan well, you can easily have him doing very little in a turn, since he's a support master with no basic ranged attack and just about everything requiring a middling card and usually a specific suit to get much mileage out of it.

 

...In general, I'd say that he actually epitomizes what I'd consider the trickiest bits of Malifaux, which are managing a hand with a plethora of demanding spells, and taking advantage of things that damage your own pieces.

 

I basically agree with Kadeton's assessments. I basically consider it a matter of difficult maneuvers once you've learned a master, rather than it being difficult to start out with a master- most masters are pretty hard to start with unless you've played something similar or they're exceptionally obvious.