Please help me making Razorspine Rattler work ...

[surly]

The Rattler is such a beautyful model, I'd really love to play it more often. Right now I only pull him out of my box when I'm playing against a new player from time to time where it basically doesn't matter what I bring anyway since we're only playing to get him deeper into the rules.

It actually has decent stats and his Wicked is nice, but so far it never really made klick for me. Against most opponents we bring some rather competitive lists and there the Rattler always feels like an inferior choice to me. He's either a few points to expensive of simply not powerful enough, I really can't say ...either way he feels a bit underwhelming imo.

My main masters are Marcus, Colette, Ramos and Raspy. In Raspy and Ramos points are really hard to spend anyway, since they have a lot of synergistic and powerful stuff, so I really never used the Rattler here. Colette can probably play with everything, but since these two almost have no interaction with each other, I prefered December Acolyte all the time over the Rattler at the same points: he's a real thread and synergizes well with prompt.

Even in Marcus it's not easy imo to see play since the Rattler has some hard competition here. If I want a thread, I again would probably pick the Acolyte, if I want a mobile element I'd probably take a Silurid over it - both at the same SS costs. I can see some benefits if Marcus uses his actions to buff the Rattler or debuff opponents, but since my Marcus is most of the time mainly offensive, dishing out some hard hits, it feels wasted spending actions on buffing the Rattler in my builds.

 

 

So ... again, I really love the modell, especially the old one tbh, but I simply haven't really found a niche where it shines. Would be awesome if you could give me some input on how to use him properly, thanks a lot!

 

Edited October 20, 2015 by surly

[Masquer]

When I'm in a situation like this, I hire the model I want to play in my crew right after the choosing my crew's leader. It facilitates building a crew that works in conjuction with that model. 

And have a plan of attack, what do you want the model to do? What other models work with those tactics? 

[Breng77]

I used to use them a lot with myranda.  I would bring a pair and hide her behind them which meant they were getting df6 with a positive flip which is tough for many models to deal with.  Slither is also a nice action as you can leave engagement of enemy models with it, or attack something out of LOS.  I would think a scorpions would help them out but haven't had a chance to try it.  That said Ml5 is a big downside on these guys.  

Colette  actually supports them fairly well as she can prompt them to focus or sacrifice a dove for positives to damage flips which helps them a lot.

 

beyond that they are mostly just a durable model that can tie up enemy models.

[Jordon]

Having Marcus put Law of Meat on a model engaged with a rattler is pretty funny. I've also gotten some milage out of Slither as they are not bad at taking out or at least tying up support models or ranged attackers. I agree however it's their Ml5 that makes them a tough sell.

I haven't tried it out yet, but trying a poisoned themed list could be fun. Taking one or two rattlers, myranda, the scorpius and some performers could make for an interesting list. I don't think it'll be highly competitive but it does have some snake synergy. 

[dgraz]

First, just to look at what the model brings itself;

Big base with Unimpeded and good base speed. A higher Wd stat than his cost (which is pretty uncommon) and a high DF. I think his Ml of 5 is his only real weakness. He's pretty good at tying up enemy models (and getting there to do it). I'll often get it stuck in with a couple enemies and just hold them there for a turn or two.....deciding how important him holding them up is the tough part, and knowing when to cheat his defense. Against a single target with a Df of 5 or less I'll probably charge in (and remember the 2" reach) but against higher Df models I will often simply walk in and go Defensive.....plus flips on Df 6 with all those wounds isn't going down in a hurry. I also like to get in there like that one turn, then the next turn use Slither (which is a move so ignores Disengaging) to get to squishier support/ranged models in the backfield....the RSR is more than a match for models like that and now the opponent has to decide if they're going to waste whatever model was engaged last turn to go chase it back toward their own side of the table....thus either disrupting the flow of their game, or I take out their support models...either makes me happy. If you're locked in and want to fight it out, or can't get away, the RSR is one of those models that it's totally worth focusing to hit....especially later in the turn when big cards have been expended...his severe of 6 is better than hitting twice with weak damage. Be wary of attacks that target Wp with him.

When I use the RSR with Marcus;

Like you, I play my Marcus pretty aggressively. I usually deploy the RSR on my flank....away from Marcus. While Marcus is destroying things his side of the table, I use the RSR to delay whatever is on the other side until I can free up some other big killer or Marcus himself to deal with that side. Now, like Breng77 I like to put Myranda near him.....I've never run two (though I imagine that would be cool) but I will often pair it with a Waldgeist which is also great at tying up the enemy...then putting Myranda right behind them to buff their defenses. Then when I feel threatened like I might lose that side or after an opponent has wasted their activation trying to chew through the RSR, I'll Shapechange Myranda into a Cerberus...which will usually proceed to destroy whatever is there (I usually try to hold a high Tome for this and you never know how good a draw you might get off of Imbued Energies.....this way the Cerberus gets at least two attacks).

It's worth mentioning (even though Marcus is usually busy elsewhere) that with Trail of the Gods and a low Tome Marcus could still spend (1) AP then charge off and still get three attacks with 4 minimum damage.....Law of Meat has a good range and it's just mean cast on a model engaged with the RSR. A (1) Howl is also nice if you're playing with Terrifying creatures and have Pack Leader on the table somewhere.....Terrifying 11 isn't much, but at -2 Wp it's much better....and of course really worth it if you have the Rogue Necromancy or The Sow on the table as well.....I usually only bother with Howl if I have multiple Terrifying models on the table....forcing multiple checks at -2 Wp is very worth it.

Here's one really mean trick that doesn't come up often unless you specifically attempt to set it up, but will lose you friends if you use it.

1. Expensive enemy model or master engaged with the RSR and Myranda (or maybe two RSR's for Breng77)
2. Marcus; Pop Domesticate and cast Feral on the enemy.
3. Marcus; cast Alpha on the enemy (spend his last AP however....could potentially Howl before Alpha, but usually it'll be a Walk to get close enough for Alpha)
4. Enemy model activates under Marcus' control. Have that model attempt to disengage for all of it's AP.
5. Enemy at neg flips for defense (which you control) and the RSR and Myranda both get disengaging strikes that do damage for every AP spent trying to walk away. On a master, that's six attacks that they can't do anything about...can't cheat, and can't use SS.
6. Last step.....kiss your friendship goodbye.

[Postmortem]

Lol, that's brutal Dgraz.

[MagicGis]

I will buy Marcus just to copy that trick who needs friends if he can have the memory of this fantastic moment.

[katadder]

that is nasty. may have to try it

 

my use of the rattler is usually in support of my scheming silurid as the rattler can usually take out opposing scheme runners quite happily.