Top Three Ten Thunders...

[Ferossa]

Minions? Enforcers? Which non-master models do you use time and again? Why? Is it an effect of your chosen masters? Play style?

 

Let's show some minion love as we all eagerly await the rest of our toys.

[Duront]

I really enjoy the following:

 

Masters: Brewmaster, Shenlong, Mei Feng

Henchmen: Ama no Zako, Toshiro, Kang

Enforcers: Chiaki, Lone Swordsman, Izamu

Minions: Ten Thunders Bro, Fermented river monk, Dawn Serpent

[Hound Grey]

I normally go for Kang, path finder and wastrels

[tomjoad]

My favorite part of the 10 Thunders is our choice in minions. My top 3 probably would be:

 

1) Ten Thunders Brother. I think that, stone-for-stone, the Brother is the best model in the faction. I have never seen a scheme pool that didn't make me want AT LEAST one of these guys, and I usually take two. Protect Our Holdings is just so strong, and DF7 with Defensive makes them extremely difficult for a lot of models to harm.

 

2) Katanaka Sniper. The gun is very good, like all snipers. But the melee attack and the 0 action blow dart push him ahead of other faction's snipers to me. While Nino, the Pathfinder or Trapper are busy escaping engagements, the Katanaka can just hack enemies to pieces.

 

3) Tengu. Obviously, you can tell from their card that these are good scheme runners. Until I had them on the table, though, I didn't realize just how fast they were. Slingshot movement with them can get them across the table incredibly fast and leaves tons of markers behind (particularly useful with Shenlong nearby to move them to more advantageous positions later on). My Tengu usually die before I can use their ability to remove opposing markers, but it has been incredibly strong on the occasions when it does come up. Removing multiple markers at once can ruin Spring the Trap or Plant Explosives and is good against everything else as well.

[Patzer]

TT-Bros, Illuminated, and Tengus; can't really go wrong with them.

 

TT-bros can do a little bit of everything reasonably well, while their biggest strength is that they are adaptive. Only real weakness is their wp of 5.

 

Illuminated, might be the best 7ss model in the game. Will stay around for ever and can dish out a lot of hurt. As with the TT-Bro, they are adaptive, but they are way more offensive than the Bros.

 

Tengu. Great scheme runner. Just outstanding. They can also disrupt enemy schemes as well as keep your own troops alive a little bit longer. Dirt cheap too, in a faction where stuff tend to cost a lot.

 

Honourable mention: Sensei Yu. For 11ss you can have the best healer in the game, who will support the crew in a number of other ways too. He is simply amazing.

[daemonkin]

10T Brothers and Tengu together work great with Dance of Heavens and Shooting Star, at least until Wandering River Monks come out.

 

D.

[tomjoad]

I didn't include Illuminated because I haven't got the Jakob Lynch box, but that will be changed as soon as my Easter sale order comes in, and I'm excited to work them into the mix.

 

I'm really curious how I'm going to spend my scheme runner points once the Wander River is out. His card looks insanely good, but I don't know how one of him will stack up to two Tengu, which seems like the most obvious swap. Just based on how good silurids are, though, I am sure there will be games where I'll want a pair of monks for their leap.

[Inquisitor Wall]

Henchmen: Kang is my current favorite, but Fuhatsu is fun too.

Enforcers: Lone swordsman (as bulletproof against guild is awesome), Chiaki (awesome for scheme running and removing conditions), Yin (Just started using her, and the frustration level of opponents is AMAZING)

 

Minions: Illuminated, Dawn Serpent (hard to kill, and attack values of 7) 

[scarlett fever]

The models I use the most are Brother, Sniper, Chiaki and Sensei Yu. Sometimes I leave them out on purpose just because they do see so much use. I field Shenlong a lot and if I do I don't tend to take Chiaki unless I want to hand out insignificant as they both have condition removal.

[scarlett fever]

Henchmen: Kang is my current favorite, but Fuhatsu is fun too.

Enforcers: Lone swordsman (as bulletproof against guild is awesome), Chiaki (awesome for scheme running and removing conditions), Yin (Just started using her, and the frustration level of opponents is AMAZING)

 

Minions: Illuminated, Dawn Serpent (hard to kill, and attack values of 7) 

Agree with you on Lone Swordsman and Yin, they're really fun models to play.

 

I have to ask you about Fuhatsu though, I've found him really tough to get anything out of other than a speedbump.

When do you field him, with what master/models, against who and how do you play him? 

 

When I've fielded him I've found myself wishing I'd replaced him with either Samurai or Izamu. Many of the games I've played with him he hasn't got a single shot off, not that that's the be all and end all. I do wonder if my perspective might be skewed by the fact that some of my Fuhatsu games have just happened to be against a neverborn player who choose Lilith each time. Placement effects and 3" melee are his ultimate neutralizer. Similar issues in my other games though.

 

I really want to make him work but keep giving up on him out of frustration.

[tomjoad]

I've never used Fuhatsu, but I always come to the same conclusions on him. He looks awesome, he's a cool character, but when I read his card I just think "Wouldn't I rather have a samurai?" So, consider this a seconding for wanting to hear how he preforms, and when you might best use him.

[asrian]

There was a topic on Top 5 for each faction floating around the forums about 6 months ago that might add some input for you as well:

http://wyrd-games.net/community/topic/103283-5-models-every-ten-thunderist-should-have/

[Inquisitor Wall]

Fuhatsu is just really fun to use. I have had him work well on a couple of occasions usually against rezzers or models with a low df. If you invest stones and a recalled training you can get a number if good shots with high damage blasts. I have certainly found samurai or even a sniper to be more consistent but certainly not as fun.

[DeleteAccount]

Add another to "can't get Fuhatsu to work for me" to the club... I mean, I WANT to use him, I love the model and the concept of a madman that can't keep his pants up with a machinegun, but he is so easy to shut down and make irrelevant it's not even funny. Hell, right now Envy is the profile I would use for Fuhatsu without a doubt and I'm not saying Envy is overpowered, but Fuhatsu is paying too much for a durability he can't capitalize on the moment that anything engages him.

 

On topic.

 

Master: Mei Feng (she just clicks, she's my go to when I don't want to get complicated), Shenlong (love the concept and his abilities, not having the models is the only reason I don't use him more) and McCabe (love his upgrade game and can do a bit of everything at a given moment)

 

Henchman: Toshiro (that summon), Sidir (really like promises and he's a good platform for it, also have a soft spot after a game he went nuts and did a ton of damage to Nekima and Lilith from riposte) and  Sensei Yu (really annoyed at his lack of a charge, but it's undeniable that he brings a lot to the table and his 0 action is just so versatile. Honorable mention for Kang who is a shoein against ressers.

 

Enforcer: Izamu (classic), Samurai (Fuhatsu done right) and Mr Graves (like his show ya the door trick and hits like a brick house). Lone Swordsman I also really like, but just doesn't seem as consistent as the other choices

 

Minion: Ten T Bro (I've talked all over the place why I feel he is a rock star), Tengu (yay for objective grabbers) and Rail Workers/Torakage (love them both to pieces, one as the death brawlers they are and the others as the lone harassers that can kick ass and take an objective after doing it)

[lucius101]

Masters -  McCabe, Lynch and Mei Feng. Think Masters will always be a personal Choice.

Henchmen - Kang (against Ressers, Hoff or Ramos he's golden), Huggy (Ok so only allowed with Lynch but he's a real workhorse for killing) and Toshiro (get a bit of summoning going but also not bad in a fight too)

Enforcers - Lone Swordsman (with recalled training, deadly for a single turn with potentially 4 AP), Mr Graves (the pushes are pretty awesome for propelling crews forward) and Chiaki (Condition removal and healing).

Minions - Illuminated (think people have already discussed), Tengu (great to score or deny markers based schemes), Railworker (People seem to underestimate how hard they hit, but a build in [+] on their attack and damage and a high max damage can cause people a shock).

Totems - Huggy (again), Super Weasal (Kamatachi, nice push awesome with McCabe when not many interactions in the pool), Emberling (great with Toshiro for first turn summons).

[MasterDisaster]

For me it's the following (and in no particular order)

 

Masters: Misaki, McCabe, Lynch

Henchmen: Toshiro, Sidir, Sensei Yu

Enforcers: Izamu, Mr Graves, Lone Swordsman

Minions: Illuminated, Katanaka Snipers, 10T Brothers

Totems: Huggy, Kamaitatchi, Shang.

[King Of Speling]

Fuhatsu is great for bodyguard. Get an initial push on him to get him out of your deployment zone and then he has a massive area of denial around him and takes a lot of killing. Samurai is a better all rounder I grant you, but actually not that durable.

 

For scheme running, especially power ritual, I love torakage. Pricey, but with smoke and shadows, immunity from disengaging strikes, push on shooting etc they operate well as isolated scheme runners. Learning to use tengu now though as I've got some proxies sorted.

 

I like Yamaziko a lot especially when you know they are going to be getting into melee range - assassinate, reckoning, lady justice etc. Her brace yari and 3" melee range can be really useful to create a safe bubble for other models.

 

For any scheme/strat there is a lot of love for 10T brothers but I need some suitable models for these!

[DeleteAccount]

I've felt the opposite about Fuhatsu in Bodyguard, he needs to move to be more than 8" from his deployment to actually count and he is slow and easy to engage and as such, keep rooted and blowing 3 AP from the 10 total on just moving stings when his gun is so variable.

[AverageGatsby]

I probably overuse Tengu, Illuminated, and Yamaziko more than any other models. Yamaziko I can always find a use for; a seven SS henchmen with a dedicated Ap and charge denial is awesome. She is well balanced by being super fragile, but other than that, she can help out with most schemes. 

 

Tengu have so much going for them its crazy. The teleport all around dropping scheme markers like the feathered mole men they are, pass out regeneration and on the off trigger, drop scheme markers in combat. They tend to die to a stiff breeze but for 4 points, I almost always throw one in a list. ( and Sensei Yu with wandering river style, beautiful)