Nico list- the agony of choice...

[Fetid Strumpet]

I just look at it in context of what else you could hire. For the same cost I could get Rafkin or Senastian, or for 1 more stone I could hire Madam Sybelle, Yin, or Bête Noir.

For me I just don't think they generally pull 7ss worth of weight when hired when compared to the other models available in that price range. They were balanced and costed as primarily a summoned model and in that respect they stack up very favorably. But as a hire I've never found them worth it.

However I'd say to not take anyone's word for it. Try them out yourself and see how they fare in your meta and make your own mind up.

[Math Mathonwy]

I think that Canine Remains are excellent in producing Corpse Counters by killing and dying - the digging up thing is a very situational ability that should be used very rarely.

Yin/Nurse is really good too lock down the Rail Golem.

Not disagreeing per se, but noting that Yin needs to be really careful around the Rail Golem since it has a permanent positive twist to its Ml Attack thus negating Yin's most powerful defense.

[Dirial]

Not disagreeing per se, but noting that Yin needs to be really careful around the Rail Golem since it has a permanent positive twist to its Ml Attack thus negating Yin's most powerful defense.

 

Ooooh, yes, Rail Golem hurts Yin something awful. Built-in , high weak, and a way of generating additional AP... Yin doesn't like Rail Golem very much.

[zFiend]

I managed to hold down a rail golem down with Yin for 3 turns.

[Dirial]

I managed to hold down a rail golem down with Yin for 3 turns.

 

Didn't say that it's impossible, just... it's more risky than holding a lot of other things down with Yin. Just saying.

[skaroreg]

That's a very interesting point - in my head, the SS you carry into the game are a precious resource that must be hoarded against the direst of dire fortune (which of course comes true 9 times out of 10 !).

 

But you're right; they're just the spill over from the pool you used to buy your crew.

 

Buy a 7 point punk zombie, or buy a belle for 5, use a SS to summon the punk zombie and still be a SS up on the deal.

 

Of course SS do more than just purchase models during the game, and they are limited.  Also MasterDisaster is right that you are (somewhat) dependent on getting the cards from your deck.

 

But still, if you create a crew with the max soulstones (and assume that you won't be in dire straits in the first two turns) then you still have a couple a turn to play with.

 

I shall play the next few games with a much more philosophical view of my SS pool...

 

Any time I play Nico I bring Max soulstone cache. I bring them with the intention that they will be used for models. I am generally surprised at how efficient I end up being. It is a rare game I am not getting higher cards to summon with especially with card draw ability.  I also end up finding out that I get crows to use as summons far more often than I think it should but I do not plan on it so by the end of the game I am finding myself using stones for other things. Soulstones are a resource to be used not to be saved for next time

[Patzer]

Not to derail the topic here, I think it fits rather well. Here goes, do all of you Nico players out here feel that you more or less always want to hire Mortimer?

[crimzzen]

The core list for me:

Nico (7SS Cache)

+Maniacal Laugh

+Reaper Grin

+Undertaker

 

Graveyard Spirit

 

Izamu the Armor

+Unnerving Aura

 

Mortimer

+Corpse Bloat

+My Favorite Shovel

 

Nurse

 

The remaining 9 SS plus the graveyard spirit will be adjusted for schemes and strats.  Then I'll play the typical buff boss and summoner (depending what I need as the game unfolds).

[Patzer]

Crimzzen, can you see any scenario where you would not sink 13ss into Mortimer?

[Clement]

Vs. Gremlins definitely. You won't need help making the corpses. I've left him at home when I focus more on buffing Nico then summoning Nico, especially if I don't need chatty for whatever reason.

He's going to lose a little shine when Phillip makes it out, he's just a great support piece though.

[jonahmaul]

Couple of points that have popped up throughout the thread that I thought I will throw in my 2 pence for:

 

I run Nico with a minimum of six stones and usually seven.  They are almost exclusively for adding Crows to suits for summoning.  If I draw the high crows I want they might get spent on drawing cards to help my hand a bit.  But generally you should count on Nico using all his good cards for summoning.  With Impossible to Wound, 14 wounds, ability to Tarpit enemy models and generally hanging out at the back you don't need SS for damage reduction.

 

Killjoy is Undead - Nico likes Undead just a bit!  If you can get him within Nico's Aura's then Killjoy is going to cause more carnage than normal.

 

I have been running Bete again recently and I like her a lot for holding up enemy beat sticks.  With Df7 she can be pretty hard to hit and if she does go down she can just bury and come back again.  Having said that I don't think that she's ideal for a Nico crew because you generally want to keep cards for his summoning.

 

Nurses are great for holding up big things like Rail Golem's because of Take Your Meds.  You don't want any of the conditions going on one of your beatsticks, even the +2 damage because the only thing you can do is declare Ml actions (no Walks, no (0) actions, no anything unless it's got Ml written in it (for extra laughs put it on things like Nothing Beast or Huggy who only have Ca attacks!)) and if there's nothing to hit it's as effective as being Paralysed.  As an added bonus you can also Paralyse and Full Heal your own models (which can make Mortimer pump out more Corpse Markers with Corpse Bloat).  Combine with Chiaki to remove the Paralysed condition for maximum annoying.

 

I always take Mortimer.  He feels like an 11-13SS absolute necessity.  Nico needs corpse markers to work effectively (whether it's for summoning, healing or adding to your Ca for the turn) and Mortimer is a reliable way to get two a turn (which means you can full heal most things when you summon by sacking off the second corpse marker).  I might drop My Favourite Shovel depending on the strat/schemes but I always take Corpse Bloat with him.  He also hits surprisingly hard if you need him to because of his Ml7 (if you can get him on combat and jack him up with the Nurse he hits like a truck).

 

Apart from the Valedictorian (who can't be summoned) I don't hire the Iron Zombies.  They are quite expensive when you're not sure what you're facing (though if you're facing Gremlins/Guild then its fairly certain you'll be facing Living targets making the Student of Viscera an appealing hire) so they work more effectively as summons for me.  I rarely hire Punk Zombies either because they are expensive though ironically in smaller games I usually find a place for them.