help me with mei feng

[Luca 2.0]

hi guys, i would like to buy soon mei feng. I was wondering how to play her. What is the best way to use her with arcanist?

i thought to use her with howard for double protection from ranged. any suggestions about models equip or tactic i should use? I love the ability to deal a strike then deal another one and having a mile for charging! Can u explain me a little about this master?

At the end do u think is better using mei with arcanist or with the other faction?

[Psientologist]

I could almost literally speak about this subject all day and I do a lot.

If you listen to podcasts then most tournament reports I have done I have Mei Feng.

 

For reading purposes and easier filtering through check this link

 

I constantly defend Mei, mostly because I do people then give her more crap just to wind me up, this has probably been going on for years haha.

 

I've wrote things about simply why she is good, battle reports where I have used her, thoughts on (At the time) new releases and more.

Also my M2GT (last year's UK GT) coverage is in an old Wyrd Chronicles and I used her there a bit.

[hippodruid]

Mei Feng is a good, versatile master.  Like you said, she's quick and a good brawler, and she's good at keeping her crew safe while advancing.  Right now, she might have a bit of an edge as an Arcanist instead of Ten Thunders because Arcanists have access to more Constructs, which Mei works well with.  Her henchman Kang can also make her crew very strong against Undead or Constructs.

 

There's a lot of specific information on her wiki page: https://pullmyfinger.wikispaces.com/M2E+Mei+Feng

 

I use her when I want to stay in one spot but move the enemy around.  She has a lot of triggers that can move opponents on her attacks, and she can destroy scheme markers, which is good in marker-heavy scheme pools.

[AoS]

This is a good guide, you can translate it, and sure you will understand it.

http://alifaux.blogspot.com.es/2015/08/guia-de-maestros-mei-feng-arcanistas.html?m=1

[SpiralngCadavr]

My own tactics article, should be plenty to get you going...

http://spiralingcadaver.blogspot.com/2014/10/industrial-revolution-mei-feng-tactics.html

I don't think she's great, but definitely feel she's underrated and quite solid.

[retnab]

I've really enjoyed her mobile gameplay but (and my experience is still pretty light) I find I really take her for Kang and his beautiful anti-Resser aura, since that's the only way to get him in Arcanists.

[SpiralngCadavr]

Kang is a pretty hard counter, yeah.

[bertmac]

Had a mei off tonight! Went with very different crews i went with gunsmiths an acolyte willie kang and emberling. My opponent went with mech rider howard lazarus all with imbued energies a metal gamin and emberling. Shooting lists with + vs constructs are pretty horrible!

[Jordon]

Mei is awesome and an absolute blast to play. She offers a lot of versatility compared to a lot of other brawlers and can comfortably take on a variety of challenges. Her typical list can be rather slow, but they're generally tough enough to survive to see combat. If not than Mei herself can stack her vent steam actions to completely shut down ranged attacks, while still keeping up via rail walking. 

 

Arcanists give Mei some great options and can really allow her to maximize burning and constructs, both of which she is a big fan of. 

 

Another exciting thing about jumping on Mei right now is that wave 3 has really breathed some new life into a lot of Mei lists. The emissary, mechanical pork chop and Sparks are really going to add another level of versatility on top of an already great master. 

[madaxeman]

The key thing I've found with Mei is to look for clusters of smaller enemy models, ideally close to terrain that stops them being pushed away. She can then railwalk into the crowd and kill off several models in one turn in one chain activation, and then - always important - railwalk away too back to safety.  

 

She is nowhere near as effective at killing off big enemy models or masters, despite looking quite like a beatstick on paper (or on card...).  

[Luca 2.0]

thx to all for the advice. But if i'm an arcanist wich crew should be optimal around her? i was thinking to bring joss, howard december accolyte and then? what should i need more and why?

[madaxeman]

You need metal things (or scrap) for her to railwalk between. 

[Luca 2.0]

ok understood  but something for building a correct list? for example do i need mechanical rider and why? he can summon and push things.. if i bring him for example i should bring also an hard hitter like howard, for putting scheme i should bring metal gamin or something else? some particular model

[hippodruid]

A correct list is one that helps you achieve your schemes and strategy.  That can be very difficult to define universally for any given game of Malifaux.  The Mechanical Rider offers some benefit to Mei Feng in all instances, if only because she can drop scheme markers and summon other constructs.  Any Foundy models tend to work fairly well for her, so Metal Gamin, the Rail Golem, Rail Workers, Kang, Sparks, Mechanized Porkchops, and Survivors all rate a mention.  Other effective constructs for her are Joss, Howard Langston, Large Arachnids, and Coryphee because they all pull their own weight, anyway.  Even the slower Ice Gamin and Ice Golem aren't useless, and Fire Gamin can help set people on fire to maximize Mei's Damage.  The Arcane Effigy is also a very solid contender for most crews, as it has mostly effortless condition removal and can apply more fire to Mei's attacks.  In the realm of non-constructs, the Captain can speed up Mei's slightly slow crew, and Gunsmiths can capitalize on the Burning condition, as well, while the Firestarter can light people on fire or make the fires worse.

 

If you had to pick a few to start, I'd go with Metal Gamin, the Mechanical Rider, Joss, and Howard Langston.  That'll cover a lot of bases along with the Rail Crew box.

[AoS]

As heavy hitter you have Kang, howard and Rail Golem. Mei is also a heavy hitter in a different way.

To interact I like the Emberling, arachnids, SsMiner and the effigy.

If you need a tank: Joss and the Rider are the best ones, but probably they would need some healers.

Swarm and Large arachnid are good to remove scheme markers.

As mercenaries I recomend you Johan and Lazarus.

I also play the mobile toolkit often, but Rail workers and Willie only sometimes, and they are really good minions, I just dont like to spam those.

 

 

good luck!

 

 

EDIT: The Mechanical Rider does so much more than be a tank, he can summon and interact as the best. And he creates new points for Mei Feng to jump.

[Math Mathonwy]

My lists for Mei Feng have tended to be Joss, Mech Rider, Large Arachnid, Angelica, Emberling and Metal Gamins with the rest of the points. Suitable for anything non-Reckoning, essentially.

[bfrench]

+1 to the it depends comments

Really is scheme and strategy dependent, but also varies based on your opponents faction. Anything you can do to counteract the opponenets strentgh and disrupt their game plan is key.

Exg against rezzers Kang with his + against undead and constructs is huge. He can also dish out burning which helps Mei and gunsmiths. The december acolyte is great at draining cards from the opponent but his Smell weakness ability is key to providing forward support for Mei. It negates armor and hard to wound in a 6in bubble around him. Using from the shadows you can set up a brutal 1st or 2nd turn strike with Mei ignoring most of the opponents protective mechanisms.

Don't overlook the rail workers. Their pin trigger is brutal against mobile units (colette and crew, jack daw, etc...). Additionally if you bring the firestarter rather than Kang the rail workers have a zero action that makes models take their burning damage early. They also serve as jump points and can drop either a scrap or corpse marker, dependent on what you're trying to deny your opponent.

It's been mentioned before but is worth mentioning again, the emberling IS NOT A PEON. This means your totem can drop scheme markers and preform interact actions. Since he's incorporeal he's also very mobile.

Don't forget with the new warding runes upgrade every henchman has access to counterspell so no more lure to deal with. Really puts a crimp in the opponents style.

[D_acolyte]

I love Mei but I feel that if your not using her in combat then you are wasting her. I love her as an arcanist and I do not feel the ten thunders add much to her that the arcansits can not do or do better other than 10 thunder archers. I always take 2 rail workers, Kang, the emberling, and 1 metal gamin then the rest is just about anything else. Willy is good anti armor and I never take the Rail Golem as I do not see it bring a lot to her and the model is ugly IMO.  The trick is making sure you have a safe path to retreat for Mei and that she is not unsupported for long, because that is when she dies just like anything else.

I have seen her kill a lot of models trying to encircle her but just because she can does not mean you should really I on it, now if only I will take my own advice lol.

She and her crew are resilient but more than that they are all about offensive damage and there resilience is there to  allow them to be placed in compromising combats and come out alive while Mei railwalks to where she is needed.

[Jordon]

I love Mei but I feel that if your not using her in combat then you are wasting her. I love her as an arcanist and I do not feel the ten thunders add much to her that the arcansits can not do or do better other than 10 thunder archers.

 

 

I disagree. There have been games where Mei would mostly vent steam and it has won me games and I'd probably consider it her strongest ability. She's probably a lot more fun when she's wading into combat, but sometimes letting off a little steam is the best way to achieve victory. 

 

As for 10T Mei, I feel like misdirection is kind of a big deal, especially on Mei. 

[D_acolyte]

I disagree. There have been games where Mei would mostly vent steam and it has won me games and I'd probably consider it her strongest ability. She's probably a lot more fun when she's wading into combat, but sometimes letting off a little steam is the best way to achieve victory. 

 

As for 10T Mei, I feel like misdirection is kind of a big deal, especially on Mei. 

 

The beauty of it is that she can do both. I feel many are too timid with her but she is not made to be timid, with armor, a high defense, 12 wounds and a good Df trigger she can survive most things. She is very mobile and great for sending into the thick of things and moving your enemies around or herself out. With the right upgrades either of here base attacks can vent steam, you just have to have the cards for it which may be her greatest weakness. Mei is very card dependent. It also helps to choose her targets well, I prefer non masters or crowds for her targets and have used her to kill 2 executioners and severely injure the judge in 2 turns.  

 

Vent steam is great, especially when you are approaching a strong shooting enemy or have to stop Pandora but generally if by second turn you are not braking enemy formations or jumping to where they do not expect a strike and are instead acting like a turtle then I think you are missing something, and I am the person that a few months ago pointed out the vent steam and brace yari combo being a good way to form a wall in the 10 thunder forum, but I can not seem to find that post. I am not a believer in the one great support ability makes relegates you to that ability, it is as bad as pigeonholing a heal bot cleric in D&D.

 

Strongest ability is rail walk, the ability to help you position to where you want to kill is great. She has great mobility, so never abandon it though be careful about over extending yourself and saying high to Lilith.

 

Ultimately play how you enjoy with her, you can form a nice wall (cough cough go 10 Thunders cough cough) or you can hop the field as a martial arts whirl wind of death. Most masters have at least 2 ways to play mechanically speaking, it is up to the players to figure out which works for them.

 

One of the 10 Thunder discussions about her:

[Finwe8]

I cannot add much to the great guides posted allready. My only addition is that I too think she is very underrated. Against gremlins or guild she is very strong as she brings both counters to ranged:

1. Speed to engage the enemy

2. A way to mitigate ranged attacks and not just some soft cover but a stacking, mostly unignorable something. Very strong...

Due to her "chain all minions in an area to death" style she is also very good in some nieche cases like playing against Ramos. "Oh you have 5 spiders and want to out activate me... now you have five scrap..."  (Probably works against Hamelin and some others too)

But she is not an allrounder in my experience and has to be utilized carefully in a nieche were she can actually shine.

[Luca 2.0]

thx a lot for all. i was thinking to build a list like that mei feng imbued protectionin case of assassination, seismic claws, vapormancy and 3 more soulstone, emberling 2x accolyte, howard imbued energies, mechianical rider imbued energies. Do you think it should work? I know that it depends from objective that you have to do in the mission, but it's a a good list or something is totally wrong?

[cryion]

thx a lot for all. i was thinking to build a list like that mei feng imbued protectionin case of assassination, seismic claws, vapormancy and 3 more soulstone, emberling 2x accolyte, howard imbued energies, mechianical rider imbued energies. Do you think it should work? I know that it depends from objective that you have to do in the mission, but it's a a good list or something is totally wrong?

6 models seems low. Yes, you get a couple more with the rider later on, but still.

I kinda enjoy running at least 8 models. Activation count is just that important, especially when you have killy stuff like Howard.

Mate of mine loves the combination of Howard and Rider, but I'm not sure he is using it ouside of Ramos. With Mei Feng I would pick only one of them depending on the strategy and schemes. But thats just me.

While I love Acolytes, I'm not entirely sure about using 2 of them. I've recently started playing 2 Oxfordian Mages. Now I'm gonna get my faced punched in, but I think 2 Mages > 2 Acolytes.
I tried running 2 Mages and 1 Acolyte once and it worked pretty good as well.

If your opponent announces Ressers (and to a certain degree Arcanists ofc), then Kang is a must-have imo. + flips on atk and dmg on a flurried Mage = ridiculous.
Also dont underestimate the Railworkers. They are super tanky for their SS cost and with that Discard bonus they can dish out a whole lot of damage.

Imbued energies on the rider: Dont see a need for that.
Imbued energies on Howard: Super nice, but I found myself cutting it more often than not recently because I really needed that point elsewhere.

Imbued protection: Maybe in case of Assassinate, depends on the crew your fellow is playing. I prefer the extra card from Reservoir.

/2cents

[Luca 2.0]

ok thanks again, i like your comments! in your opinion how many soulstone do i have with mei?
 i should use howard or mechanical rider then,  do u like emberling or do u prefer something else for 3ss.

may i use more times vent steam for having more negative flips on enemy ranged? in some previous comments i understand that i can, is itcorrect?

 

Edited August 27, 2015 by Luca 2.0

[cryion]

I consider her cache of 3 to be enough. Especially with that lovely 0AP attack on the Mages that generate Soulstones.
I like Emberling as a Scheme runner a lot. If Im left with 3 SS Im gonna pick him. If I have 4 I usually go Fire or Metal Gamin.

Pretty sure you cannot stack Vent Steam multiple times, but not sure enough to claim that you cannot. ^^

I guess you can try and run both Rider and Howard, but then I would not throw in 2 acolytes because its getting too expensive imo.

You could try something like

Mei Feng (Reservoir, Seismic, Vapormancy)
Howard Langston
Mechanical Rider
Emberling
2x Fire Gamin
2x Rail Worker.

Leaves you with 1pt to upgrade a model to another or use Imbued Energies.

edit: This obviously mainly works if you need to drop a ton of scheme markers. heh

Edited August 27, 2015 by cryion