Collodi Slingshot

[mo11usq]

Hi everyone, I'm new to Malifaux and have ended up starting out with Lilith (love the nephilim) and Collodi (interesting play style).

Malifaux seems to be about hiring crews based on certain objectives, but as I'm new I'm probably going to be running one build into come-what-may and see what happens. I'm having a little trouble designing my first Collodi crew, I've got an idea I'm thinking of as the 'Collodi Slingshot', but would be great to get some experienced opinions.

50ss (4ss remaining)

(THE BUBBLE) - up to 17" movement (fast + pushes), central support toolbox

Collodi - breathe life, strum the threads

3x Marionettes   

(THE SLINGSHOT) - coryphee delivery, punchy scheme runners

Vasilisa - a friend to talk to

Hooded Rider - retribution's eye

(THE PELLET) - 16" charge, at least 20" movement (revel + friend), early mess-up-opponent-game-plan pieces

2x Coryphee
 

Thanks!

 

[Bengt]

You can only form the Duet if the crew was declared Arcanists, it's in the last sentence of the action.

[Joel]

It's an interesting list, but weak until turn 3, although it is ex easily fast, it lacks activations and the loss of the effigy buffs is a big deal IMO.  I think either Vasilisa or the hidden rider should be dropped for best effect.

[mo11usq]

Yup, aware of that, but could easily have been overlooked so thanks.

Would the two separate Coryphee put realistic pressure on many crews? Or will people just thank me for the 14ss? Would be nice to gauge whether this is a dumb-ass idea before committing the hours to finding out the hard way.

[Joel]

I've been running coryphee separately with Collodi since I started him and I've never been disappointed.  They only really suffer against crew with excessive amounts of "ignore armour" - the most annoying being Metal Gamin and their Magnetism.

 

that aside, they are great - and worth paying for.

[mo11usq]

Thanks! Guess that means I'm giving it a go... here's hoping all the fuss about the limited upgrades is unjustified

[mo11usq]

Ah, just saw your first post Joel - still getting the hang of this forum thing.

I have no doubts you are right. I could drop a marionette and get an effigy for the bubble, but then I'd only have 3 ss in the bank (is Collodi ss intensive?) doesn't solve the activation problem though. Think I'll still try it out as it has kind of caught my imagination.

That aside, what would be a crew you would suggest for learning Collodi?

Edited September 15, 2015 by mo11usq
Clarification of meaning

[Nical]

Starter box(But wicked dolls may be too fragile to use.) + Arcane Effigy + Brutal Effigy + some solid minions.

[Bodiless]

Beg borrow steal or proxy some stitched together. 

[Philosfr]

Beg borrow steal or proxy some stitched together. 

Stiched are AWESOME. Especially if you can use some Vasilisa or other delivery mechanism to get them to the front quick. If you have good cards or low defenses... Gamble for life and make your opponent cry. If you need good cards, gamble for cards until you get them, then gamble for life.

I murdered the Lone Marshall on turn 1 with a Stitched one game that way. Vasilisa with A Friend to Talk To moved him into range and then Twisted him to take one attack, then used his own activation to attack. Even though it was weak damage, it was enough. He got shot up by focused rifleman and even ended up with reactivate after all that. It was glorious. Especially with a Wicked Doll running up behind him to give him 1 point of health to trigger the reactivate again (even though I actually forgot to use the heal in the game I'm talking about... doh)

[Joel]

Starting list:

collodi (fated, strum threads, breathe life) 5ss

brutal and arcane effigies

primoridal magic

doppleganger

trapper

stitched together

2 coryphee

[Bodiless]

Interesting, primordial over marionettes?

[Nical]

I'm interested, too.   

[EnternalVoid]

There is fair reason not to take Marionette.  Effigies are only 1ss more for +1Df and Armor +1.  Of course you cannot spam any one type, so you do get a lot of variance in their attacks.  Marionette's best features to me are cheap activation, their Drag along, and being significant.  In Joel's set up he gets about the same number of activates with the two Effigies and the primordial for 2ss less *basically trades one activation and one significant for 2ss*.  If he really felt like he had to have that one more cheap activation he could just get another Effigy or a Corrupted Hound when it comes out.

I am guessing the thought process is that by "Dropping" the marionette he basically frees up those 12ss *10ss cause you will take the Primordial magic*.  Odds are you are taking 1-2 Effigies already so taking them in that place as cheap models is fine.  At this point it looks like his list has teeth in the mid SS tier range.  Stitched are rough, namely when they can be healed.  Collodi can also use his Will on them to make them attack out of activation with a Positive to the action.  The Trapper is a nice range model and thanks to Collodi can get extra AP as he is a minion.  He also can get the buffs from the Effigies if Collodi pulses them.  The Doppelganger can copy any model's key (1) action and use it.  It also is nice for certain schemes thanks to Don't Mind Me.  Not to mention helps safe guard initiative a bit when you need it.

The coryphee I suspect are kind of go to models.  They are pretty fast at Wk7, Cg8, can jump to each other, and are minions for more Collodi tricks.  They should be able to take more Scheme runners as they can run down most, cannot be charged, and have a decent attack that should tear up lose SS scheme runners fairly fast.

 

Sure I am missing perhaps a trick or two in there.  Personally I can see the list doing well, not my approach to Collodi but a valid one.

[Joel]

There is fair reason not to take Marionette.  Effigies are only 1ss more for +1Df and Armor +1.  Of course you cannot spam any one type, so you do get a lot of variance in their attacks.  Marionette's best features to me are cheap activation, their Drag along, and being significant.  In Joel's set up he gets about the same number of activates with the two Effigies and the primordial for 2ss less *basically trades one activation and one significant for 2ss*.  If he really felt like he had to have that one more cheap activation he could just get another Effigy or a Corrupted Hound when it comes out.

I am guessing the thought process is that by "Dropping" the marionette he basically frees up those 12ss *10ss cause you will take the Primordial magic*.  Odds are you are taking 1-2 Effigies already so taking them in that place as cheap models is fine.  At this point it looks like his list has teeth in the mid SS tier range.  Stitched are rough, namely when they can be healed.  Collodi can also use his Will on them to make them attack out of activation with a Positive to the action.  The Trapper is a nice range model and thanks to Collodi can get extra AP as he is a minion.  He also can get the buffs from the Effigies if Collodi pulses them.  The Doppelganger can copy any model's key (1) action and use it.  It also is nice for certain schemes thanks to Don't Mind Me.  Not to mention helps safe guard initiative a bit when you need it.

The coryphee I suspect are kind of go to models.  They are pretty fast at Wk7, Cg8, can jump to each other, and are minions for more Collodi tricks.  They should be able to take more Scheme runners as they can run down most, cannot be charged, and have a decent attack that should tear up lose SS scheme runners fairly fast.

 

Sure I am missing perhaps a trick or two in there.  Personally I can see the list doing well, not my approach to Collodi but a valid one.

pretty much that  great summary.  Doppleganger provides a potential second trapper gun.  The coryphee have the hypnotise trigger that makes that amazing at taking down masters - they can set the rest of the crew up to smash for the turn.

[Bodiless]

Thanks! I simply cannot wait for the Dark Coryphee to come out.

[mo11usq]

Some great sounding advice guys thanks!

What's a dark coryphee? and to pay lip service to keeping things on topic - can I slingshot it?

[Adran]

They are limited edition sculpts of models that we expect to see at Black Friday. 

They will count as Corephyee (In every way...), but are in theme with the Dark Carnival set that was sold at Gencon. There was a flyer in with peoples Gencon orders about them. 

[Nical]

There is fair reason not to take Marionette.  Effigies are only 1ss more for +1Df and Armor +1.  Of course you cannot spam any one type, so you do get a lot of variance in their attacks.  Marionette's best features to me are cheap activation, their Drag along, and being significant.  In Joel's set up he gets about the same number of activates with the two Effigies and the primordial for 2ss less *basically trades one activation and one significant for 2ss*.  If he really felt like he had to have that one more cheap activation he could just get another Effigy or a Corrupted Hound when it comes out.

I am guessing the thought process is that by "Dropping" the marionette he basically frees up those 12ss *10ss cause you will take the Primordial magic*.  Odds are you are taking 1-2 Effigies already so taking them in that place as cheap models is fine.  At this point it looks like his list has teeth in the mid SS tier range.  Stitched are rough, namely when they can be healed.  Collodi can also use his Will on them to make them attack out of activation with a Positive to the action.  The Trapper is a nice range model and thanks to Collodi can get extra AP as he is a minion.  He also can get the buffs from the Effigies if Collodi pulses them.  The Doppelganger can copy any model's key (1) action and use it.  It also is nice for certain schemes thanks to Don't Mind Me.  Not to mention helps safe guard initiative a bit when you need it.

The coryphee I suspect are kind of go to models.  They are pretty fast at Wk7, Cg8, can jump to each other, and are minions for more Collodi tricks.  They should be able to take more Scheme runners as they can run down most, cannot be charged, and have a decent attack that should tear up lose SS scheme runners fairly fast.

 

Sure I am missing perhaps a trick or two in there.  Personally I can see the list doing well, not my approach to Collodi but a valid one.

Hmm.... I agree full marionette quartet is sometimes too expensive. But when I need more SS, I prefer less(2-3) marionettes to primordial magic. Because Marionettes are one of cheapest expendable minions, and Collodi can summon them, so I think they are very good minions. But I always take Primordial Magic for Lucius, so I know how good it is. I think I need to test your idea. Thanks for your post.

 

[EnternalVoid]

Hmm.... I agree full marionette quartet is sometimes too expensive. But when I need more SS, I prefer less(2-3) marionettes to primordial magic. Because Marionettes are one of cheapest expendable minions, and Collodi can summon them, so I think they are very good minions. But I always take Primordial Magic for Lucius, so I know how good it is. I think I need to test your idea. Thanks for your post.

 

Joel might will be able to tell how well it works. I believe he said in another Collodi thread he was taking the puppet master to Gencon so he might have some stories to share on this approach.  Personally I have yet to take no Marionettes but will give it a try in the future perhaps.  I was just digesting his list to see what I could decipher a bit.

[Joel]

The marionettes and effigies fill similar roles in the list. Cheap activations that are moderately fast and require a bit more than a stiff breeze to blow over.  Too many of any one model tends to make a list very flat - by which I mean inflexible and lacking responses to enemy moves.

the effigy models are just better than marionettes.  Armour, higher defence and useful (0) actions.  This frees up the totem slot too, so the arguably best totem in the game gets the spot. Saves you dropping a scheme marker, adds a cheap activation, can nullify and most importantly gives you rush of magic, allowing Collodi to be more card and stone efficient.

[mo11usq]

Okay, forgive me getting a bit excited and posting ideas without any experience... but continuing the alpha-strike / disruption theme of the slingshot ->

THE BUBBLE (scheme running, range 10" fire support)
Collodi - breathe life, fated, strum the threads (3ss cache)

3x Marionettes

Brutal Effigy

 

THE AMBUSH (deployment zone mayhem)

Bad Juju - eternal fiend, hexed among you

Waldgeist

Gupps

Killjoy

[Joel]

Starting juju buried?

[mo11usq]

Starting juju buried?

Good question, suddenly not sure... I guess Juju is too slow to run (though the bubble could push him a fair way at the expense of cards). But if he's buried, perhaps gupps + waldgeist aren't enough pressure and will just get ignored?
 

How about: Collodi (breathe + strum), 4x marionettes, 3x gupps, Juju (eternal + hexed), killjoy 

Gupps get hexed up-field - get killed to summon the heavies, or get ignored and gum up 3 models before being sacrificed (or better yet idle-handing their killer) by Collodi from range - bringing in the heavies. All while the crew continues to run at 8 activations?

[mo11usq]

Tried out the Collodi-swampfiend crew vs a Colette crew. I'm not a good player, and it was only one game, but it did pretty well.

A link to the report for those interested: