Dumb Luck Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) This topic comes from a request made by Math (I think) in my Mah Tucket discussion. Rather than sticking to a Master or two, I currently use six Gremlin masters (Ulix will be coming along soon and so, doesn't feature in this breakdown). I mentioned to Math about Gremlin Master I use and when, which is what this is here. It is not solid, as ever faction choice can change things things but if I was going just off scenario, this would be my thought process.Som'er Teeth Jones: The king for Recon and Interference, with Family Tree. The list will typically favour the Pigapult build, so I can put Gremlins in hard to reach places. What Som'er struggles with in this scenario though is pressure. Put him on the back foot by ignoring the flying Gremlins and rushing him as soon as possible. Good counter picks would be aggressive combat Masters (perhaps an out there choice for the scenario) as they can shut it all down. Somer wins as soon as the other guy thinks "Whelp, there are too many guys out here. I can't do anything." Unfortunately, I don't tend to use him elsewhere. Although I've had him since the start, I don't think I've used him much outside of these two missions and demos because of how much the other Masters tend to do better in those games. A shame really.Somer's domination of this scenario could be challenged again, with a few UK events dropping Close Deployment into games. Not something he likes at all, as it robs his summoning factory of precious time.Ophelia: She is as close to a jack of all trades as I have in my case. I think this mainly comes from her being a crutch back in V1 - habits die hard. It goes back to how people say this isn't a game about killing the other guy (lies, it certainly can be). Single target elimination will always be useful, ergo Ophelia will be useful. Package her with Lenny, Dirty Cheater and a few stones and she can deal with most missions.Starts she likes are Reckoning (obviously) and Collect the Bounty. In CTB, she mops up what the Pigapult can't finish. But with her style of play being so flexible, I have used her in Squatter Rights/Stake a Claim on occasion ('Ooo A Girl' is good for getting a cheeky Turn 1 marker) or whenever the scheme pool is very kill heavy (Murder Prot, Make Them Suffer). That said, I tend to stay clear of her when Frame for Murder is in the pool.Brewmaster: Out of the six I play, Brewmaster is the one I play the least. I think this is down to two things. Firstly, he plays so differently to the other Gremlin masters, including Zoraida. Debut is a new deal, certainly when you're used to just swarming the board or shooting the guy to bits. Secondly, I think the scenarios he could have game in crosses over with other Gremlin Masters (Turf War/Extraction come to mind, both which can be very good for Wong) who tend to fair better. Wong's area of control is so much more dominating across a mass than Brewmaster.Where i have seen him as useful is as (to borrow a Magic The Gathering term) a sideboard pick. For those who don't know, a sideboard is a smaller deck of cards in competitive Magic play that you can swop in and out of your main deck to cover up bad match ups. I believe Brewmaster to be the solution to a Master that has seen play in my local meta and has troubled Gremlins due to our low Wp, Pandora. Brewmaster boasts the largest collection of offensive seven stats in the faction and with the ability to use the Swill condition, can neutralise her pretty well. Now is it somewhat overboard to keep a Master around just for one matchup? Perhaps. But I also want to play with all of my toys.Honestly though, I believe I need more testing with Brewmaster to see if he can be more than a sideboard pick for me. Open Bar doesn't have a huge area of effect, even for missions that require you to be in a small spot like Turf War. I'd be curious to test him in standard deployment Squatter's Rights, with people being close enough together. The aura would be large enough to cover a few markers, I think.Zoraida: Next to Ophelia, the one I have played the most because of certain tournaments falling when they have. I have used her in missions where the AP is at a premium (Stake a Claim, Headhunter, Squatter's Rights) and I think she is a solid enough pick for the first two, at least. Zoraida mainly hits the table when certain scheme pools crop up. Anytime there is a combination of Assassinate/Deliver the Message/Entourage is in the pool, she is a worthy choice as she makes the first two schemes mighty hard for the other guy to get and the latter a doddle for you to do. She feels a lot different to the other Gremlin characters because she doesn't have a really explosive trick (Dumb Luck, Reckless, Lighting Jump etc). I vividly remember a game from May Feng where she effectively did nothing for five turns, but in doing nothing she is locking away VP that the other guy can't get. And there is certainly value in that.Mah Tucket: A new favourite of mine for two scenarios. I like her in Headhunter because like Zoradia, she can spread AP around by getting dudes onto head markers but unlike Zoraida, she can also swop to a head taking role too, if needs be. I also want to test her in Squatters Rights (any deployment type), for similar reasons. She could also be handy in certain Turf War style games where the opponent has access to portable cover. When it comes to schemes she is weak against, copy and paste in Ophelia but also add in Deliver a Message, as she'll be running at the foe.Wong: He was a difficult one for me to get the hang of. I picked him up after hearing fellow UK Gremlin player Rob Smith talk about his virtues. The list Rob runs is very combo heavy (think Sammy, Trixie, Gracie, Lenny) and I struggled to get all the pieces dancing together in time. Stripping down the unique characters and limited upgrades to just the one, opened up the possibilities with Wong for me as an Ophelia esque solo operator. He can work alongside the crew, but he isn't relying on everyone else to help too.Wong with A Gremlin's Luck has a really great chance of knocking suckers out of the circle for Turf War/Extraction because he isn't relying on killing guys. Providing they're stung, the right trigger will force them out. Where he can struggle is Turf Wars and the like where the other guy can bring portable cover (see above). Wong can also be a solid pick against crews with a lot of Incorporeal models like Kirai or Tara. If Plant Explosives is in the pool, I'll generally give him a look too.Hope that makes sense. The thought process is a little vague but I think there is a method in there. Curious to see how Ulix will play into it and how other Gremlin players pick their Master for the job. Edited August 30, 2015 by Dumb Luck 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat Tooth Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Thanks for this! Super helpful for us newbies to get kind of a jumping off point. I've only had the 1 game with so'mer (we haven't technically even started the league yet) but the summon factory was so fun. I have Wong from a 1st Ed box find so I'm hoping he's not too complicated to wrap my head around... Current philosophy is to get at least 10 games with each master in then move on. Maybe 5 games so I don't get burnt out haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumb Luck Posted August 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 As mentioned, I think my troubles with Wong were purely down to focusing on the crew as a combo. I just can't play like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 I would challenge the idea that Som'er is that one dimensional. He is a very versatile Master that can tailor and adapt a crew to virtually any strategy and scenario. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to do this in game. In Fixed Master events he is my go to. I would also go as far as to say he is the most versatile Master in the Faction and likely one of the most versatile in the game. His largest downfall is the amount of time required to really learn all he is capable of and when to apply which. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumb Luck Posted August 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 I would challenge the idea that Som'er is that one dimensional. He is a very versatile Master that can tailor and adapt a crew to virtually any strategy and scenario. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to do this in game. In Fixed Master events he is my go to. I would also go as far as to say he is the most versatile Master in the Faction and likely one of the most versatile in the game. His largest downfall is the amount of time required to really learn all he is capable of and when to apply which.Oh, I know that son. But for my purposes, he has his little niche. I'd be very curious to find out more of those dimensions myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogmantra Posted August 30, 2015 Report Share Posted August 30, 2015 Oh, I know that son. But for my purposes, he has his little niche. I'd be very curious to find out more of those dimensions myself!My favourite of his many dimensions is moving him around with Loudest Squeal so he can pop out and hit an unsuspecting enemy with a focused shot on turn 1. Can't do that with Ophelia >:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat Tooth Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 I can tell you he has a hard time when Mei Feng is in his face... Then again he has an easier time with that when you remember you have the Warn the Kin! upgrade and Francois nearby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Oh, I know that son. But for my purposes, he has his little niche. I'd be very curious to find out more of those dimensions myself!My favourite of his many dimensions is moving him around with Loudest Squeal so he can pop out and hit an unsuspecting enemy with a focused shot on turn 1. Can't do that with Ophelia >:DDon't know if I fully agree with that. Ophelia (or any gremlin models really) can easily increase her single turn movement via the Truffle Shuffle. In the case of Ophelia she could also potentially bring a friend along. Though it isn't as awesome as it used to be way back in first edition, an unactivated gremlin can cover some serious ground via pig ladders and the truffle shuffle (I did a tactica in Pullmyfinger for it during 1sr ed that really showcased the potential). Granted she really likes her kin around, but a single Piglet tender can do some good work in her crew via the Truffle Shuffle. The best part about them is it doesn't depend upon anything being damaged to do either; Slop Haulers are good but do struggle to keep up with the rest of a mobile crew and throw out max healing each turn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogmantra Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Som'er's squeal isn't dependent on being damaged either, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 (edited) True he doesn't have to take damage for it to work, though it does occur after the attack action which triggers it has resolved completely, so he likely will. Most Attack actions are going to cause at least 1 damage (baring a Black Joker flip on damage), and the ones that don't usually have some fairly negative consequences from failing. Would be interested to hear how you are getting so much use out of this without him suffering damage in the process. Edited September 1, 2015 by Omenbringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrella Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 You can just attack with a friendly model and win the duel with Somer? He still gets to use his defensive trigger then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogmantra Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 (edited) Som'er's squeal triggers after resolving the duel, and so you can push 4" even if you win the duel (pg 32 big rulebook). And since Bayou Gremlins only have 4sh vs Som'er's 6 Df, it's not hard to make the attacks fail, especially when both models have Bayou Two Card.Also, first attack is usually with a Skeeter who I place in base contact, since they have such a long movement range. Even if that duel goes through you're probably going to flip a 0 for damage off that. Edited September 1, 2015 by Dogmantra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Thank you for the description Dogmantra.and nice find. Will have to add this to the bag of tricks. Like that it increases the efficacy of the Skeeters as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumb Luck Posted September 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Plus, Som'er's Squeel trigger trick is real clever if you manage to pull it off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vidd Posted September 1, 2015 Report Share Posted September 1, 2015 Both Somer and Fingers have Loudest Squeel although I gather the latter model is not that popular.Nice trick with the Skeeters, I hadn't thought of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumb Luck Posted September 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 Fingers entirely depends on the mission. Most of the time when I take him, he does very little early game but dominates mid/late turns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat Tooth Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 Wouldn't Fingers be a pretty good choice if deliver message was in the scheme pool or is 10 SS just too much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogmantra Posted September 3, 2015 Report Share Posted September 3, 2015 Fingers isn't particularly good at Deliver a Message, since he doesn't really have any specific bonuses to it beyond Reckless, to take a walk and still be able to deliver (anyone can deliver while engaged). Maybe for Distract or Cursed Object, but in my experience piglets or even regular bayou gremlins can just keep people engaged and prevent 'em from removing the condition. That depends on the rest of your crew I guess.My go-to for Deliver a Message is Merris. Flying lets her position relatively safely, then Reckless into range of a master, deliver with the last two AP. It can be pretty difficult to prevent,and she's a few SS cheaper than Fingers. Plus on the way she can drop some scheme markers without compromising her speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat Tooth Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Oh, sorry, I meant because he can hang out near your master with his chatty bubble to prevent deliver a message. Obviously there's a chance they wont even take it though. Basically I love the idea of Fingers so I'm trying to find ways to bring him haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogmantra Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Ohhh, I never thought of that... Could be worthwhile but I haven't taken him often enough to say. Probably a good pick against me sine I will always take distract/cursed object/deliver a message when they're available. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat Tooth Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Yeah I feel like that's one of those things I could take advantage of it I knew the game better or maybe just the person i'm playing against haha. I have a bad habit of trying to be too clever for my own good and getting caught out because of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumb Luck Posted September 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Yes. Yes he is. Also solid in Headhunter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vidd Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Yes. Yes he is. Also solid in Headhunter.He'd be cool for lifting up markers and stopping other people but he's 10ss that can't actually kill anything. Hm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHATEYOU Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 My go-to for Deliver a Message is Merris. Flying lets her position relatively safely, then Reckless into range of a master, deliver with the last two AP. It can be pretty difficult to prevent,and she's a few SS cheaper than Fingers. Plus on the way she can drop some scheme markers without compromising her speed.Since Merris doesn't have an ML attack you need to make sure the enemy master has one as being engaged is a requirement for Deliver the Message. I tried delivering a message to Molly a few weeks ago, asked my friend what Molly's engagement range was only to find out that she had no ML attacks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogmantra Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 I knew you'd need the enemy melee attack, I just wasn't sure that there was a master with no s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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