Wave 3 Gold

[Whut]

So with the official announcement that wave 3 is coming, I figured I'd get discussion going on the new models. Who's excited!?

For me specifically the ones who immediately stand out are the Ice Dancer, who gives much MUCH needed speed and scheming ability to a Rasputina crew, and the Wind Gamin, who is a perfect cheap schemer for when Reckoning or Make them Suffer is on the table - because they can't die to enemies!

The Emissary I really like, but I'm having trouble figuring out what to do with such an expensive model that doesn't beat face like we are used to. It falls in this strange "some damage - mostly support" area and I haven't figured out who it would be best with yet.

Envy I really like due to the potential 6 damage with a 5 damage blast, but falls into the same pool of 6-7-8 stone ranged models that we have an abundance of. The zero focus action is super cool though, and with Kaeris, you can nearly guarantee a scheme marker will be near an enemy when you need it.

The Ice Dancer I already mentioned. I think it's speed is awesome, and it's Severe 6 damage is a nice bonus I didn't expect. Not sure what to do with Ice Path. You could screen your forces to make you almost immune to charges I suppose. Kind of squishy and needs to stay near cover or get blasted. Also, while priced reasonably, they are not dirt cheap.

The Basalisk is a model that I read once and thought "this is broken". But upon further inspection, Arcanists don't have huge amounts of poison, and the Basalisk himself isn't so tanky to be able to sit in the middle of a brawl, slowing enemies. He will quickly become target number 1. It seems his purpose is to wait till enemies are poisoned, activate last, creep towards and ally, charge, slow all the poisoned enemies, then activate first and quickly mini-expunge and petrify something. Seems like this won't work out perfectly very often, but I'm still excited to use him in a Marcus crew with a Rogue Necromancy.

And finally, the wind gamin. Great for scheming in strategies where you normally can't risk weak models, also great at fighting low Df enemies. Even at Ml4 with a 1/2/3 damage spread, 4 attacks is 4 attacks.

There's also some Foundry Gremlins for Mei Feng, but I'll let someone else talk about those, I don't play Mei. I hear good things about Sparks though.

What do you all think? What are you the moat excited to get on the table?

[D_acolyte]

Did I miss something but the Emissary beats face and is like a charging bull a 4/4/5 when it charges and 2/3/5 all other times you can put some hurt on. Charge 10+2 for its combat range makes an effective threat of 12. Armor 1, df 6, wp 6 and wd 10 gives it a good amount of survivability. The only things supportive about it is Flesh and Metal and the possible upgrades which helps but I would say it is foremost a combat model. Factoring in min damage on a charge he can do 2 (a good trigger, I shoot for burning or slow)+4+2 (non reduce able and ignores hard to kill). Now is he say better than another 10 ss model, debatable and mostly upgrade dependent. I think Ironside and Mei will love him which works because they both want him near by and they are both upfront masters. I played him a little in the beta and he has some serious damage potential.

I have not played Envy but I tend to thing he is really good at kill scheme runners and the incidental fire support on others, with a min of 2 and skill of 5 I probably would not count on him vs some heaver models. Though I like it that he can hand out focus.

Ice Dancers scream for a model with ice mirror to me. They are fast, good at dropping scheme and have a decent attack but, what I like is Butterfly Jump, yes waist your attack on her and I remove bad cards as I move away or to cover (or into engagement poor guild model being un able to shoot be cause I pushed into you when you went to shoot me).

Basilisk is ok, probably would like him better if I liked Marcus or took a lot of snakes. He takes Poison to shine but there are a few ways to bring it to the game for us, all of which are good but it starts adding up quick. All in all I think it is an interesting add and some players will love him.

I like the wind gamin, they can fly and get a huge number of attacks. People will also like that 5 inch push when they are buried. Will he usurp my love of metal and fire gamin, probably not but he has a different purpose than those two and as long as you realize that he will work well. I also love leap, that gives him a possible move of 15 inches for a 4 ss model... as long as I do not need him to be alive at the end I could see using him for mid field to end field schemes.

I have not looked at the foundry models, but I think the pig one will be a common sight in Mie forces.

[Sybarite]

Not super excited about them I'm afraid. Envy is the one I'm most interested in. Ice Dancer and Wind Gamin do seem useful.

[Whut]

The charge attack is great at 4/4/5 but it's limited to once per turn, and it also pushes 6" which I consider a support effect rather than a killing effect. For a 10 ss model however, his normal attack action is pretty weak.

Also armor 1, 10 wounds and Df6 is almost the same resilience as Howard, who dies fairly quickly when specifically targeted.

One thing I was hoping to do is place two pyre markers with Kaeris and have him push an enemy into them for two 1/2/4 damage streight flips, but sadly his action that allows Kaeris to take an extra zero action doesn't allow for the proper activation order to do that.

[D_acolyte]

I see the push as a means to open up the ability to charge again next turn. He lives for the charge. As with all emissary there strange regen power lets them stay alive better, but unlike the other he does not have hard to kill. Sort of like the riders his survivability increases as time goes on, in this case it is as you accomplish your schemes. In 5 games I never had an issue with him dieing early, but I tend to plan on when I commit I put everyone at risk. As with everything if you put one model out there with a shoot me sign he is dead meat.

[retnab]

Where do you find the stats and abilities of the new stuff?  I can't see anything anywhere.

[Dirial]

Where do you find the stats and abilities of the new stuff?  I can't see anything anywhere.

 

The old beta files. No one here knows for sure whether they have changed, by our experience from Wave 2 tells us that likely they didn't change much.

[Bengt]

I'm keen on the Ice Dancer and the Wind Gamin. Affordable fast and semi-fast models.

 

Envy is somewhat interesting, but it feels he needs a bit too much set up to live up to his 8 stones. His aura has be to placed on enemies with an unsuited after damage trigger, and he needs to activate early for it to have any effect. His shooting need scheme markers by the target to really shine; sure many Arcanists crew can put out markers without too much trouble, it's still something you have to do.

 

Though my largest problem with Envy is how he is sold in a crew box. The art for several of the band members leave me sceptical, and I'm not going get it unless I like most of the models. But I'm not ruling it out until I see the models, a lot can happen between art and final models.

 

One that note the emissary is disqualified on account of being a silly cow. I would have to find a proxy or convert something that is more in line with effigy to field it, and is it really worth the effort?

[Sholto]

Emissary + Arcane Conflux = all December Acolytes within 4" are on +s to attack. Cover? What cover?

[Whut]

Emissary + Arcane Conflux = all December Acolytes within 4" are on +s to attack. Cover? What cover?

Sure, but are you going to have a 10 point melee model babysitting (let's say two) ranged models just for bonuses to hit?

[katadder]

as things normally come towards them, and they only have 12" range then sure, why not if its getting me points

[Sholto]

Sure, but are you going to have a 10 point melee model babysitting (let's say two) ranged models just for bonuses to hit?

 

Absolutely - depending on the Strat and Schemes

[dgraz]

I tested the Basilisk extensively. I ran him in the most poison-heavy lists I could (RSR, Myranda, Canines, Rogue) to try and abuse the poison mechanic....and I ran him in normal lists to try and find his place.

 

In the end he never thrilled me and I'm afraid he's going to end up in the Mauler category....cool stuff but too hard to execute/use and will end up collecting dust. It's competing with some great models in its price range (RSR/Waldgeist).

[Whut]

Holy Baloney, I was just looking at some of the other Wave 3 final beta models and MissingNo seems utterly fantastic. Like... potentially too good. An extra card cycled into your hand, Df&WP6, Good Wounds, Armor. A HUGE area of denying push and place effects (if I'm correct, this includes things like leap!), a (0) which pushes up to 4" and then spreads the enemy, and to top it all off, a decent Ml attack which can hit against both Df or Wp and can trigger glimpse the void, and lastly, a 3/3/4 CA gun action that ignores engagement randomizing, has a 10" range, and on a trigger can summon peons (hey, free activations aren't a bad thing) or cause a TN12 horror duel in a 3" pulse. Allow me to repeat. Every model within 3" takes a TN12 Horror Duel! And to top it all off, as a henchman she can stone for the trigger whenever she wants.

Holy balls I would never want to face her. But there's something else, she's a mercenary! Is there anything we can do to take advantage of her abilities? She seems super good, although she does come with a 10 ss price tag.

Colette can get her to make extra shots, but usually doesn't bring many extra stones and also is this better than a December Acolyte?

Rasputina's crew is immune to the Horror Duels so shoot into engagement all you want! Also she can funnel enemies together using Ice Pillars for a really condensed pulse.

Ideas?

[Sholto]

Ramos could have some fun with an Electrical Creation. Use Glimpse the Void to bury a Reactivated Hank and send the EC up field. When it dies, out pops Hank

 

Of course, Guild could do the same with Papa Loco, or Lady J. Viks could do it...

[Whut]

That's an interesting niche idea. Though I was thinking more towards abusing her gun and push for paralyzing and board control