Illuminate me

[Gabbi]

Somewhat useless and spammy thread... I tried Lynch first time in M2E yesterday. Just saying, but love the iluminated They're freaking awesome. Hit very hard and are hard to kill due to armor and regeneration. Used only two, next time I'll include all three!

My list was:
Lynch, Huggy, Graves, 2x Illuminated, 2xStitched, Wake up With a Hand, cache up to 41ss
(41ss because friend wanted to try the Silurid I just gifted to him (actually, a Reaper Bones fish-man + a card from my Arsenal Deck :P), without removing anything from Marcus starting crew ^^)

Anyway, next time I'd like to try a Beckoner, and I have already ordered Terror Tots (seems they're good for schemes).

[PharaonXIII]

They are indeed! 

I love how my opponent crying, when he can't kill an illuminated in ogre activation, and they just heals almost at full health.

but to my mind, 2 of them is really enough, so you could provide some diversity in your crew. I did take 2 beckoned, but I'd like to replace one with doppelgänger

[MobiusRex]

I've just started a Lynch crew myself - trying to keep it strictly themed though.

I've found illuminated to be durable, but my only opponent so far plays Criid and so I've found myself struggling a little. Bad terrain placement, a Malifaux child and that annoying tactical upgrade that means she can throw up walls really did a number on me. I can't wait for Stitched to come out in plastic, I think they'll help against that little problem, but until then it's an uphill battle. 

What are your thoughts on depleted and beckoners. I've not used depleted yet myself but I'll be picking them up in due course and was curious to see if anyone ran them in any real numbers or just had one running solo, maybe to tie up a scheme runner in a lane.

[PharaonXIII]

Can't help you with the Depleted, to be honest. I've bought a box, but still haven't managed to assemble them. But I don't see any point in using 3 of them at a time.

But the beckoners are really do their job of getting enemy's and yours stuff in the right position. And handing out brilliance too.

[LordZombie]

Illuminated are even more deadly once the Depleted show up. I ran a list with two Illuminated, two Depleted, and a Beckoner and they really become a force to deal with. Once Brilliance hits the table, every thing get worst for your opponent. 

[Hungering Derpness]

Illuminated are effective, tanky, do decent damage....they're fanastic in every way. In fact you could almost say....

*sunglasses*

They're Brilliant.

[EnternalVoid]

For a lot of the masters I take an Illuminated and a Beckoner anymore, often I put it in the list and decide later if I wanted to remove the pair.  Generally I will not use a second Beckoner, and rarely use a second Illuminated.  I go for a Waldgeist generally before a second Illuminated for different options.  But if it is a list where I need some extra muscle I will consider a second one *though Graves also becomes a consideration*.  I have had lists before with 2 Illuminated, 2 Waldgiest, and a Beckoner as the body of it.

[Bodiless]

I'll cut against the grain a bit here... my local group is well acquainted with Illuminated, and generally they will leave them alone unless they have the resources in place to kill them outright. I find I am leaving them at home more and more often these days.

[MetaphoricDragn]

I'll cut against the grain a bit here... my local group is well acquainted with Illuminated, and generally they will leave them alone unless they have the resources in place to kill them outright. I find I am leaving them at home more and more often these days.

What do you end up taking instead?

[Bodiless]

If I need a piece to hand out damage Graves with Retribution's Eye is my go-to. Obviously costs more than an Illuminated, but hits very hard without any set up, is much more durable, immune to WP duels during his activation, has movement tricks, black blood, etc.

In that 6-7ss range I am much more likely to take Waldgeists/Silurids/Beckoners/Lilitu. They just have a lot more flexibility than Illuminated when it comes to scoring VP. 

[Eclipse]

 

What are your thoughts on depleted and beckoners.

A single Beckoner is great with any Neverborn master for a number of reasons, be it more mobility for your crew or pulling the enemies out of position. In addition, they can keep pushing the Brilliance  If you take two, this would mean you REALLY want to move you stuff around, or find it critical to have a Beckoner available - usually one is enough. The Depleted are probably the only model I ever take three of - when I need tarpits that explode shiny Brilliance, they are amazing, durable and surprisingly mobile (when around other thematic models). To make them balanced for their cost and durability, they can't run schemes. Use the Beckoner, Doppelganger or Hungering Darkness for this

[admiralvorkraft]

Deleted, as insignificant Minions, do become a liability with distract/cursed object in play.

[Vlad]

 What are your thoughts on depleted

I often use them when my opponent hire Killjoy (in Tara's crew) or some other heavy hitters. The are perfect tarpits which hold them for some rounds and protecting Lynch from being killed. And giving Brilliance after death allowing the Illuminated (or Huggy) to crush them for 1-2 Actvations.

But Desolation Engine can handle the Depleted fast, for example.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Vlad

[D_acolyte]

I find they are useful but I am not as in loved with them as others are, they are a very durable model and if you can give out brilliance they get a lot better at damaging. Though all this a good, I often keep them on the side lines and grab young or bloodwreches saving a point or 2 for other models. When I do play Lynch his job is to hand out brilliance for the illuminated to work off of. Often terrain plays a large factor as well because the illuminated are not that fast for our faction and do not have fly.

[4554551//]

Jacob is my main master, and illuminated really are as good as they seem. I started taking 3 to begin with, but quickly found 2 was enough. Due to the variety of models and abilities available (tots, huggy, beckoner etc) the doppelganger has become a must have for me, and 3 illuminated was overkill. So 2 with 1 beckoner 1 dopple is a much more effective combination. 

Depleted are amazing, with the exception of the insignificant minion liability on cursed object / distraction, they are incredible tarpits. Remember they can pull to your own models. 

On the illuminated/depleted note (and considering tots are in most arsenals) :

Black blood shaman. Seriously. You give black blood to those guys then postulate away. Healing depleted is beyond amazing, and giving black blood to illuminated is also a solid move. 

Fringe benefit :he grows your tots