Two Masters With Shared Models

[Tzarcastic]

So, as a very new player considering Ten Thunders as my faction, I have to say: I love their models and lore, but I am concerned about whether I can actually field a crew - or, more accurately, whether I could actually field MULTIPLE Crews, since I don't want to be locked in to a single list.

 

Mei Feng, for example, is probably my favorite 10T Master besed on sculpt and playstyle, but the other 10T Masters are unlikely to want a lot of slow Constructs hanging around.  Yan Lo has similar problems with Ancestors.

 

So what would you guys recommend as a good pairing of two Masters to start my collection off and have some options, while still sharing several pieces between them?  I assume Misaki, as the "generic" Master (as well as not being someone who relies on a lot of specific synergies) would be one, but who's the other?  Shenlong seems like a good pick, but he won't exist for at least three months.  So who else works?  Are the ancestors good enough by themselves that Yan Lo can do it?  Is McCabe a better choice?

 

Or am I better served by picking another faction, and just getting their Ten Thunders infiltrator as one of my starting Masters?

[zFiend]

Misaki + McCabe.

Or anyone with McCabe really. That guy is the bomb.

[Dirial]

Mei Feng, for example, is probably my favorite 10T Master besed on sculpt and playstyle, but the other 10T Masters are unlikely to want a lot of slow Constructs hanging around. 

 

That is, actually, not really true. Rail Workers are awesome, even for the other 10T Masters. On the other hand, Mei Feng doesn't like slow Constructs that much herself...

[Myyrä]

If Mei Feng is really your favorite master, I would recommend abandoning the faction and going for arcanists, unless you are really willing to go an extra mile with proxies.

If you really want to play the faction, I wouldn't recommend buying two crew boxes right from the start, but instead buying one crew box and some of the great models that come outside crew boxes. If you wanted to go with McCabe for example, you could buy the crew box, Katanaka Snipers and some ancestors like Izamu and Yin. That way you would have nice crew to play with McCabe, and when you decide that the time is right for bringing in a second master, you could just buy a crew box (Yan Lo or Misaki could be good with the example purchases) and you could have two fully functioning crews.

[admiralvorkraft]

Seconding what others have said - Ten Thunderers is the faction with the least model crossover in-faction, but every 10T master has crossover with masters in their "other" faction. I would say the biggest exception is Misaki, but that's because she couldn't care less who she runs with really...

[Tzarcastic]

Seconding what others have said - Ten Thunderers is the faction with the least model crossover in-faction, but every 10T master has crossover with masters in their "other" faction. I would say the biggest exception is Misaki, but that's because she couldn't care less who she runs with really...

See, that's what I had heard elsewhere (okay, on pullmyfinger), and had expected it to be seconded here, but prior to you, that's not quite the case.  Dirial refuted it directly, and MYYRA (if I am reading this correctly) also implies that the same support pieces (Ancestors, who I'll admit are mostly pretty awesome) can do good work in three different Masters.

Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

[Dirial]

Well, I didn't refute the general fact that 10T have less in-faction crossover. I just refuted that there is none.

[tomjoad]

One problem is that some 10T box sets come with minions that cannot be used as 10 Thunders at all without their particular master. Of you aren't using Yan Lo, only Chiaki is usable, for instance, and Brewmaster will be entirely useless with any other master.

However, there are lots of models that are useful regardless of what master you play. The Ancestors are all very good; torekage, wastrels, and rail workers all have uses; the illuminated are often called out as being borderline overpowered. That's too day nothing of models that don't fit in to any thematic crew such as samurai, snipers, brothers, et all.

[Pyrflamme]

I should point out that one can take advantage of Yan Lo's Ashigaru in other crews via Toshiro's Command the Graves upgrade which permits summoning them from corpse counters, and Toshiro himself is highly viable in any crew due to his ability to buff our potent array of minions.

 

Returning to the main topic, I agree that it's harder to get overlap between crews in terms of what comes in their boxes, but it's not impossible. Crossovers that I think would end up working are:

 

McCabe: Enjoys good minions he can buff the heck out of. The usual suspect is Illuminated, but Rail Workers also work well - healing from the McCabe crew helps their Hard to Kill, and you could end up getting 2-3   to attack between the Rail Worker's (0), Promises, and maybe Toshiro, which makes me feel funny in a good way. I don't know that Chiaki has a place, but she's good here as well, and Toshiro can potentially bring Ashigaru for more minion fun.

 

Mei Feng: Not so much benefit from other crews. Sidir from McCabe's crew has some potent defensive work with By Your Side. The Toshiro/Ashigaru package, again, can work here, as Rail Workers love Toshiro's benefits, and them dying lets you drop either scrap or corpse counters, which Toshiro can use to good effect. Illuminated are kinda in competition with Rail Workers, but if you're worried your opponent might be able to take advantage of your Rail Worker's construct quality, they can be switched out (you'll find enemy Metal Gaimin to be your bane with Rail Workers).

 

Yan Lo: Probably benefits the least from any other specific crew. Chiaki and Ashigaru are good in certain applications for other crews, though. Yan Lo honestly probably wants just the solo Ancestor boxes (Toshiro, Izamu, Yin), and certain misc. other items (maybe Onryo/Komainu).

 

Lynch: Also probably benefits least from other boxes, but in turn offers other boxes a lot with the Illuminated. Sidir might help for protecting him.

 

Misaki: Super solo. Doesn't give a hoot what else comes along as long as they can support themselves.

 

Can't really offer much about Brewmaster or Shenlong as I have a preference for playing non-proxy, am planning on picking up Brewmaster in May. Brewmaster seems like he might benefit from taking members of other crews, but is obviously incapable of offering up his own crew to TT.

 

If you're set on Mei Feng, I would go for it. I would then pick up non-crew items to supplement her force while you learn how to play her. Metal Gaimin and Rail Golem are decent options, if not available to the rest of the faction.

 

For TT-faction items for her, you might get Toshiro, as well as one or both of (Guild Pathfinder+ Traps) or Katanaka Snipers for ranged presence. Personally I love the Samurai, especially since they got their new 0-cost upgrade, but they're a little harder to make work (but are awesome with Promises and Shadowy Emissary).

 

Once you get another crew box, I think McCabe would be the strongest complement, although Lynch and Yan Lo (especially if you have Toshiro) are also good.

[admiralvorkraft]

In fairness Mei Feng can also run with anyone else's minions. She loves Toshiro of course so the Ashigaru from Yan Lo's box work as summons. Illuminated are one of the most solid models in the game. Torakage are great independent schemers... I'd probably stay away from Wastrels with her, but someone will contradict me on that point.

[AverageBoss]

Illuminated  (Jacob Lynch) are fantastic on their own. Brilliance makes them better, but it is not necessary. Try running them with McCabe and bumping them up to Armor+2 / Regen +3.

 

Ancestors, while they have some added synergies with Yan Lo, are great independently and are able to wander off and do their own thing pretty well in games (with the exception of Chiaki who is a support piece).

If you are fighting ressers, there is almost no one better to bring than Kang.

[Ferossa]

Mei Feng and the Foundry subtype is a hardcore multi-faction tag (even more so in Wave 3 with the Gremlin Foundry). If you really like her, I'd pick up an Arcanist box to go with her.

 

Misaki and McCabe are the best general masters if you want to play around in the faction. By the time you've covered your bases for them, you'll have enough 10T models to cover Mei Feng's weaknesses. IME Mei Feng just needs some ranged cover to discourage people from interfering with her Railwalking, and Misaki and McCabe don't have a lot of ranged strength, so 10T Archers, Samurai, and/or Katanaka Snipers would be my first choice for supplemental models.

[Cunning]

Shenlong is, in my opinion, the best general master.  He takes any models and makes them better.  However his box isn't out yet.  So short of proxying there's no way to play him.