Digging in with Thunders Lynch

[EntrepeNinja]

So, I've recently acquired a Jecob Lynch set- a Huggy, Lynch, a couple illuminated (he kept one) and a beckoner. I've also got games to play with Lucas McCabe, so I figured I would set up my back and cards to be a Ten Thunders box for a couple weeks. See what the faction has going for it. So, like any good player I started to do my homework.

 

Apart from seeing how good some of the general models could be, and checking out what x-faction stuff I could snag (Austringers?! In a McCabe crew?!) one of the main features I was looking for were things that made Lynch's card tricks totally baller. Here are the highlights.

 

Stitched together:

Duh. I mean. They bring a ton of card draw tricks, integral do the machine. High crow nets you a card, and loses them one. An ace in hand means you're netting two cards. (Draw two, discard an ace, draw it back into your hand.) An Ace of crows means that even if you're losing, you're drawing a card. Combine that with: 

 

Yin:

Giving someone a neg to WP before you start playing for keeps? That's pretty nasty too.

 

Guild Pathfinders:

Scavange says models dying within 6" of a pathfinder result in a card draw, and discard. Draw something good- discard an ace. You're up a card.

 

Ten Thunders Bro:

They're awesome in a lot of lists- but if you can get a hold of an ace of rams, each Bro you got will let you draw a card, then discard a card. Again- if it's an ace, that's a net card.

 

Sensei Yu:

Ok, so they've made it so you can't just mulligan twice. (Because frankly? That would be broke as hell.) But you can still cycle out 2-5's or whatever garbage you got rattling around in your huge hand. It's like a free stone for cards. With that upgrade in the neverborn...

 

 

 

Okay, so now you got the cards, and hopefully an ace or two- what can you do with 'em?

Lone Swordsman:

Can discard two to gain reactivate and go all murderous. If aces, it's for free. (you still gotta get your stabby stabby on.)

 

Kamaitachi:

I don't see a world where I'd take a Kamaitachi over a huggy, but if I ever did, he can discard a card to push a minion or leader. And he can discard two cards (at ca7) to give a model the requisite number of burning. Not half bad for a totem.

 

Ten Thunders Bro:

Interference? Hold onto that Ace of Crows. 4" melee is no joke. Any suit can turn into a useful Dance of the Heavens trigger.

 

Ten Thunders Archer:

Free Rapid Fire into melee? With blot the sky? Yesplz.

 

There are a load of others. This whole faction seems to have minions that love to discard cards. The Wastrels can discard a card to add any suit to a duel. The Rail Workers can discard a card to gain a positive twist to melee attacks and damage. Fuhatsu can take Juggernaut. Sidir can take Always There. 

 

And there's a special place in my heart for Tengu, who can discard two cards to discard two scheme markers within 3". Or if you have two aces, for free. It's not even a cast. ... Or a (1) action.

 

And all of this is before "52 card pickup" and "Expert Cheater", and woke up with a hand/final debt. 

 

So, with that in mind, am I just late to the party? Is there a tome of awesome card draw/abuse shenanigans that I'm not privy to? Lemme toss one out there:

 

 

Open Spoiler

Ten Thunders Crew - 50 - Scrap

 

 

Jakob Lynch -- 3 Pool

 +Expert Cheater [2]

 +Wanna See a Trick [1]

 +Woke Up With A Hand [2]

 

Hungering Darkness [0]

 +Addict [1]

 +Recalled Training [1]

Stitched Together [6]

Stitched Together [6]

Ten Thunders Brother [5]

Ten Thunders Brother [5]

The Lone Swordsman [8]

 +Recalled Training [1]

Toshiro The Daimyo [9]

 +Command the Graves [1]

 

 

Toshiro helps the Ten Thunders out, turns scrap and corpses into Komainu and Ashigaru. Stitched help draw cards and soften up targets (either with game of chance with crows, or gamble your life with decent cards), Ten Thunders draw cards (swapping out low rams to try and cycle into aces and higher cards), the Lone Swordsman finishes off softened targets with "You shall not live". Huggy and Lynch do their thing- Huggy tries to brilliant people, and maybe takes obeys with them for funsies. Then Lynch pops in last to show his hand, maybe literally, then flush the garbage and start over again.

 

Sounds like a lot of fun. I'm excited to give it a go. 

 

ENinja

[asrian]

Hmm, posting from your phone again, Entrepeninja?

[asrian]

And taken from a post I've made before (as well as posting it recently on AWP Facebook for someone), Lynch in Ten Thunders and who benefits from his Aces tricks:

Models which utilize Discard abilities (thus his recycling aces come in handy):

Ototo
Fuhatsu
Rail Worker
Thunder Archer
Tengu
Torakage
Ten Thunders Brothers (They need a TN 1+ and a suit for different triggers)

Any other model in his crew also can utilize the aces by discarding to go Defensive Stance, which helps out quite a bit occasionally.

A few models I've read (never tried personally so defer to more experienced players for these) that compliment Lynch and Crew:

Kang - Rousing Speech 6: gives friendly living models immune to Horror Duels. Good in itself, but can be combined with Hungering Darkness' self heal so that your own Brilliant models won't have to take Terror tests when Huggy heals off of them.

Sensei Yu - Disciple (0) Action allows Sensei Yu to take Lynch's Mulligan ability and help cycle more cards from the deck to your hand.

Dawn Serpent - Very resilient and heals in relation to CA users nearby. Lynch and most all of his thematic crew have CA abilities, which make it easier to keep the Serpent alive.

I'm sure there are more/better combos and choices out there, but this at least gives you a few to start thinking about. Best of luck to you. grin emoticon 

I'll also mention Lynch's default theme models (Graves, Tannen, Depleted, and Beckoners) that come outside of his crew box. All are very good, and I'd recommend any of them for any Lynch player.

[EntrepeNinja]

Awe... Son of a...

 

Yeah- Apparently, I tabbed and spammed "Space" which made triple post. 

 

Well. I've edited this one to be the text of the others. Maybe i can get the other ones deleted?

 

ENinja

[Patzer]

I really like Fuhatsu with Lynch. They make a solid tandem, protect each other very well, and they form a frightening fire base. Huggy can then run with a couple of Illuminated, or a Beckoner and Illuminated. Rest of the crew can be flavoured for schemes and strategies. For me that is usually a couple of TT-Bros (one can go for Chiaki if I want some condition removal) or a couple of Rail Workers, as well as another beater like the Lone Swordsman, Kang, or Yin.

[Dirial]

Awe... Son of a...

 

Yeah- Apparently, I tabbed and spammed "Space" which made triple post. 

 

Well. I've edited this one to be the text of the others. Maybe i can get the other ones deleted?

 

ENinja

 

You can report your own posts to the mods.

[Cunning]

I could be wrong. But you seem to be implying that you can rapid fire in your blot the sky free action. You can't. Blot the sky let's you take (2) attack action. Rapid fire is a tactical action.

[D_acolyte]

In your list I see no reason for addict nor many ways to hand out brilliance for it either.

I like Kang with Lynch, especially vs resers outcasts or arcanists, and Ama No Zaku with beckoners.

[EntrepeNinja]

@Cunningstunt

You're totally right. But they can still get the rapid fire for free with an ace on their turn. Perhaps BtS is just an added bonus. Which is still awesome.

 

@D_Acolyte RE: Addict

Fair enough. I guess I figured Huggy could snap it on them early in an activation, then benefit from it. Freeing up a stone is probably pretty useful.

[Jonasty]

Also, if you rock Toshiro you can summon Ashigaru which charge for (1)  on a discard, free on an ace.

[ArcticPangolin]

Don't forget the poor Monks of High River who can discard a card for an extra attack on Charges.

[D_acolyte]

@Entrepeninja it would be great if it Hungry could benefit form addict but I am certain that it works only on darkened minions. Though Lynch and Hungry are good-great at handing out Brilliance, I tend to feel it is not worth it without another hander of Brilliance and more then 2 stiches to take advantage of it.

[asrian]

@Entrepeninja it would be great if it Hungry could benefit form addict but I am certain that it works only on darkened minions. Though Lynch and Hungry are good-great at handing out Brilliance, I tend to feel it is not worth it without another hander of Brilliance and more then 2 stiches to take advantage of it.

Same. Even though I typically take Lynch, Huggy, and 2x Illuminated, I rarely hand out brilliance except with Lynch, who is typically acting last with his Play For Blood attack. I really don't worry about Brilliance at all and consider it a happy by-product when it does occur.

[D_acolyte]

There are 2 types of Lynch players, those that hands out free samples and those that do not. lol

[asrian]

There are 2 types of Lynch players, those that hands out free samples and those that do not. lol

With either one though, you still pay in the end.

And I'm definitely the "not" type. I prefer for Lynch to forcibly overdose you and leave your body in a ditch to look like an accidental suicide.

[EntrepeNinja]

I wish there was a way to throw an upgrade on a wastrel in Lynch crew... being able to take bravado, ditch an ace for a suit, AND draw a card would be awesome. Which is probably why he can't do that.

[zFiend]

With either one though, you still pay in the end.

And I'm definitely the "not" type. I prefer for Lynch to forcibly overdose you and leave your body in a ditch to look like an accidental suicide.

I like to share free samples.. Though I immediately send someone to collect the payment. It's blood, non negotiable. I suppose free sample is a loose term.

[BigHammer]

I wish there was a way to throw an upgrade on a wastrel in Lynch crew... being able to take bravado, ditch an ace for a suit, AND draw a card would be awesome. Which is probably why he can't do that.

 

10T Brothers are your friends. Ace of Rams = free card.

[AverageGatsby]

Wait, is there an eratta somewhere where Sensei can't use mulligan? Also, is there a similar rule I might have missed about not being able to "pay up" with sensei either?A little confused about Entrepeninja's statement

[EntrepeNinja]

Well, yes and no. At least the way I read it.

 

They made it so "any cards discarded during this action are shuffled back into the deck", so you can't mulligan three aces, draw three cards, and get the three aces back (as they would've been discarded outside of lynch's turn).

 

I don't think anything blocks him from taking the ability, tho. In fact, that's a great way to take a red joker from hand and make it live again.

[tomjoad]

Yeah, I just used Yu for the first time with Lynch and it was a great addition. Lynch likes to activate last, so using Mulligan with Yu earlier in the turn actually lets you improve your hand when it could help Huggy or whoever else needs it. Also, even though you have to shuffle those aces back in, you will have a shot at flipping them again to help 52 Card Pick Up/Woke Up With a Hand. Yu's ability to move your guys around is also very useful. Between him and the Beckoner it is easy to guarantee that lynch, Huggy, and the Illuminated are in range to do whatever horrifying things it is they want to do. With so much damage potential in Lynch's thematic crew, adding a piece like Yu can pay you back in multiples by allowing you to actualize that potential.

[EntrepeNinja]

You know- I ran my first Lynch game last week. It went horribly for a number of reasons, but I didn't have beckoners to bring things forward, or draw things in. That might've helped on of my problems- getting trenched in with a large unit in a doorway, and potentially another one (I had pushed Lynch too far forward to try and net round two strat point....) I could have potentially pulled the threat out to lessen his effect, or yanked him back. I'll have to remember the "Belle" tactics. 

 

(Having only limited belle experience, I don't have a lot of those tactics in my mindset)

 

ENinja

[tomjoad]

I've never used Belles, tbh, but I bought the Beckoners and I liked my painting on them, so I used one. Getting an enemy model within 6" of Lynch himself means certain doom for that model, so they definitely play well together.

 

I've been practicing with Lynch lately, just a few games, to get ready for Califaux, and the amount of killing that the crew can do is just monumental. I was accustomed to Shenlong et al, a crew that I don't usually kill anything with, so this way of playing is very different to me. Even a Levi crew, in my experience, can't deal that much damage every turn (if that's what you're into, I mean).

[Pyrflamme]

I know this is an older post, but figure it might be worth bumping. Anyone had any experience with Thunder Archers with Jacob? I've heard 2x with Sidir carrying Blot the Sky and using his gun could be pretty potent.

[Sackville]

Sidir gets a free heal every turn from Ace in the Hole, which is pretty neat. That's also the best interaction between Lynch and the Archers, since a pair of Thunder Archers can share the same ace for rapid shot.

Yu is also a good candidate for Blot the Sky. If you want to take rapid shots instead of using Hail of Hachinosou then the Archers are going to be a bit closer to danger, and Yu can help disengage them with Airburst.