The Captain and Mages

[Suzakuni]

Also keep in mind those ++ flips also work if you hit an enemy that hasn't acted yet, you also get those flips for defensive duels and opposing wp duels which will give you a better chance to hit your defensive triggers and possibly prep a 3ap activation in the next round!!!!

[Whut]

Hey guys I'd like to revisit the Captain. Despite my excitement to get him on the table, I keep trying to fit him into crews but every time I do he just falls short of being able to justify his cost. Perhaps it is just my playstyle, but despite his potentially game winning Airburst, I can't take him in my crew for 12-13 stones because that's a large amount (I can get a mix of 3 raptors/gamin/performers/railworkers, or Mech Rider, or Joss, or Howard, etc) that is not going to the frontline or activation control. Sure, Df6 is great, but without H2k, H2W, Armor, or Bullet Proof and with a weak (vs cost) WP of 5, I just get scared he'll die or get paralyzed or lured or not be able to contribute enough whereas having 2 to 3 smaller models would have given me fantastic activation control and attrition power.

When do you use captain? Are you afraid he'll die or be unable to help hold the front?

[decker_cky]

Hmm okay, maybe it's just the strange card theory concept combined with my natural pessimistic outlook? Im just worried of the case that you flip 4 cards and it comes up 13,13,11,10 cause that really sucks. But then again it could be 13,2,2,1 so yadda yadda yadda it's basically back to luck.

 

It's called 1.5e resser thinking - considering hard to wound a bad ability.

 

The math looks a whole lot better if you manage to draw the black joker into your hand. 

 

I think the interesting thing about models that can get fast which can flip 4 cards on duels is the fact that you'll cycle through the whole deck FAST. It really changes the math from discrete (eg, taking choice out of the deck) to something closer to dice rolling (it's not....but it's a little closer to a rolling average). 

 

I rarely run more than one gunsmith, maybe two with Kaeris. You hit diminishing marginal returns with them pretty quickly due to the drain they put on your hand.

 

 

 

Their card intensiveness is only really in getting the triggers and getting the fast. Only the fast *really* matters - the triggers you only go for at key times. In a crew that can hand out burning, they're quite a nice choice.

[joediamond]

I second Gunsmiths when it comes to Kaeris/Ironsides.  Never underestimate Concealed Weapon.  And they work very well with the Captain/Mages.

 

Not much I can say that hasn't already been said in their favor.  But I feel somehow obligated to comment on threads about the Captain.  

[entropolous]

When do you use captain? Are you afraid he'll die or be unable to help hold the front?

 

In my experience the airburst push, his pulse push with no resist and his 11 inch threat range with a min damage of 3 is worth it.  Don't forget he also has a psuedo-squeal (5" push in any direction after taking damage, but Df only) which is a very solid defensive ability.  this along with his immunity to disengaging strikes which make him very difficult to tie down.

[Coge]

The push for fast is pretty cool, but that takes rams like I said. And if Ironsides wants to pull them, she's taking 1 attack to the face, requiring either more low cards, soulstone prevention, high cards, or you can relent and take the 2 damage, which sucks.

Actually, You Lookin' At Me? specifies Ml actions, which Gunsmiths don't have.  Just a slight, but very important correction.  (Oxfordian Mages don't have Ml attacks, either, so it's a pretty good way to compensate for their not-so-quickness.)  I personally find Gunsmiths incredibly useful, and I'm very fond of taking them with the Captain in Kaeris crews so I can push and potentially gain fast and burning.  I will feed them plenty of to accomplish 20+ inches of movement in one turn.

why do you want to give them burning? 

[hippodruid]

Kaeris can make them fly and drop scheme markers with one of her limited upgrades if they have the condition, or if the gunsmiths aren't moving far, they can heal at the end of the turn the amount of their burning condition with her other upgrade.  Also, she can strip the condition off of them to draw cards.