Starting with the Ramos Crew Box

[Peytro]

I'm new to Malifaux, and decided to start with the Ramos Crew Box.  I'm looking to start with small scale games (~35 SS) which I understood could be done with the crew box alone.  But if I decide to summon the spiders instead of hiring them, and depending on upgrades, I was wondering if there was anything else people would reccomend I pick up.

Specifically - Do I need to pick up another box of steam arachnids?  Should I pick up a box of Electric Creations, or are they not worth it? Is there any other minion you'd recommend picking up to start for a little extra flexibility?

Thanks for any help!

[Fog]

You will need a second box of spiders, maybe a third depending on your comfort level with magnets. I use a single electrical creation but some people ignore it and others will swear by it. It's a personal preference thing.

My first suggestion beyond those basics is Johann. His heal is great, he's tough, removes conditions and gains attack bonuses from the entire box.

[Shadowofthen]

Defintiely get a second box of spiders you will need them! I would recommend an electric creation as they can give you some early game scrap to get the spider factory started 

 

For additional models I would recommend Johan as a solid utility piece with a great hammer and he synergises with the rest of the crew, I would also recommend the mechanical rider and metal gamin as both are very good pieces. Also the rail crew, Mei Feng's box, may be a good second choice of master as her box models synergise with Ramos and his stuff works with her, also it will give you two unique masters that can over all the available strats.

 

Just my 2 cents

[Dirial]

Metal Gamin are an Arcanist staple. December Acolytes have little direct synergy but they are very powerful and independent and give you a different attack angle.

Be aware that summoners are considered unbalanced in smaller games, so you might want to increase to 50 SS sooner rather than later.

[mythicFOX]

Assuming you're not magnetising your spiders I'd just make the spiders that come in the box as single arachnids and play some 35ss games with the box contents. You'll still have 5 spare spiders to summon.

When you want to expand I'd get: Johan, Electric Creation, and a box of Spiders in that order.

I'd use spiders seven eight and nine to make your first swarm. You only ever need one.

As Dirial has said summoners like Ramos are quite good in low SS games so you'll want to move on to bigger games sooner rather than later.

[Peytro]

Thanks for all the advice.

I went ahead and grabbed Johan and a box of ECs.  

For the spiders, I actually was considering trying my hand at magnetizing.  And maybe by limiting the number of spiders I can summon will keep things a little more balanced at the 35 SS level.  

[retnab]

I'm in the same spot as you are right now, pretty new to the game and started with Ramos.  If you do get more spiders (and so far I've found even 6 to not be enough sometimes) they have a box of 6 right now for only a couple bucks more than a box of 3 so I'd say grab that: http://giveusyourmoneypleasethankyou-wyrd.com/collections/arcanists/products/arachnid-swarm-2-swarms

[Mean Green Killing Machine]

We've all been there...^^

I also started with Ramos a while ago. Learned to play the game with his Crew Box and got hurt badly every time.

After some games, I started anew with Gremlins and later on Ressers. I got most of all plastics of these factions and although I'm still losing a lot against our Neverborn player here, I'm madly in love with both factions. And yet, here I am, building a Raspy crew since last night and getting the dust off my Ramos crew.

What I meant to say: You've chosen not the easiest crew to start with, but don't get frustrated - Malifaux can be hard to master, but it's worth it to keep tryin! And definitely get another box of spiders, even if you are using magnets!

[admiralvorkraft]

I'm lazy, when I summon a swarm I just set down a 40mm base, put a spider (complete with base) on top of it, and call it a day. Once I've finished basing it will probably look fine.

Also, Ramos (like any master) clicks more with some people than others. I struggle to not take him in every game forever.

[Luca 2.0]

hello guys, just a question if i would like to build a crew 35ss is better using about 4/5 steam arachnid and then summoning others with ramos, later using them to create the arachnid swarm. Or i should use 1/2 steam arachnid swarm and just summoning the little spiders with rammos?

[Dirial]

What Strategy and Schemes are we talking?

[Luca 2.0]

i don't know really, i'm new to!  how should i decide if is better puttin more arachnid than swarm?

[zFiend]

I never spend any stones on spiders from the get go. They are for summons alone. I stack the crew full of high cost elite models and summon in the minions.

[Fog]

Exactly what he said. I end up with more spiders than I know what to do with regardless. Spend your stones on things that will make a more heavily felt impact

[zFiend]

I end up with more spiders than I know what to do with regardless. Spend your stones on things that will make a more heavily felt impact

 

This. 

[Adran]

hello guys, just a question if i would like to build a crew 35ss is better using about 4/5 steam arachnid and then summoning others with ramos, later using them to create the arachnid swarm. Or i should use 1/2 steam arachnid swarm and just summoning the little spiders with rammos?

 

There isn't a rigth answer to this, it will depend on what you are tryiong to do and how you play.

 

Luckily with this question you can sort of try it out both ways. Play 1 game with spiders, and summon more and turn your spiders into swarms, then play the next game starting with swarms and summon spiders.

(remember if you are planning on summoning spiders you may want to work out a way to get scrap).

Then you will ahve an idea how both play, how you use them and how amny of each you think are worth it.

You may even work out when you think is the right time to switch from spiders to swarms.