Scion of Black Blood - Cleansing?

[Philosfr]

So I've been playing with the Scion of Black Blood quite a bit in a campaign recently. I initially grabbed him for some condition removal, but he's never actually served that purpose. Instead he typically runs around with my Mysterious Emissary using the 0 to make it drop scheme markers to turn into Changelings, then acts as my scheme runner interference.

Last night was a perfect example of this. Lilith vs Kaeris. I certainly wanted SoBB in my list since I know Kaeris loves burning. After a very fun turn 1 Tangle Shadows to put Nekima right into the midst of the enemy crew to pummel Joss, I certainly got the fire. After getting hit with initial fire, I waited to activate Nekima thinking I could get the SoBB up so I could get rid of any burning. Between Kaeris and Firestarter it ended up being 10 burning.

In the end though, SoBB still didn't come into play. The way the condition removal works is very challenging. A model can only get rid of a condition on the start of its activation, which means enemies can wait until after you activate the hit you with conditions. Plus getting hit with conditions can end up messing with your activation order, forcing you to activate something to get rid of the condition before the enemy takes advantage of it. Finally, it's a pretty small area, an aura so requiring LoS, and it costs 2 cards.

It's an ability that looks great on paper and is desperately needed in NB (except in Dreamer crews I suppose), but it seems more like luck that SoBB is going to be in the right place at the right time and the activation order and conditions are going to be just right that you can then spend a large amount of resources to cleanse the condition. Anyone else have better luck?

To me, I'm going to start pretending that ability doesn't exist when determining whether to bring him with or not. Maybe go back to using Johanna instead. I still think SoBB has some neat tricks and his (0) is great, but not for condition removal. 

[Whut]

I agree on most of the above. I basically think of him like I think of Mr Graves.

Mr Graves is a discount beatstick (Ml6, 3 minimum) with some strong utility (Show the door, anti-charge aura) and good durability (decent wounds, Armor 1 + H2K + Black Blood)

The SoBB is similarly a discount beatstick (Ml5, 3 minimum, sometimes plus flips) with fair utility (zero action force interact, some healing, condition removal) and some durability (decent wounds, plus flips when low, Black Blood)

I think the SoBB is lacking just one of a few things that could REALLY make him shine brighter:

For one, his (0) is quite expensive, needing an 8 to succeed. If it were a 6, or had a trigger to use it again, or added a small push, or draw a card, or something, this action could have been fantastic.

While his attack is strong, his durability is not. Once in melee range, I believe he really suffers from his poor Df of 4, and he has no damage reduction to make up for it. Even when he gets positive flips, I'm worried he'll quickly fall to a few good attacks with severe flips/cheats.

And like you said, the condition removal both messes with activation order to use and costs WAY too much, requiring two cards from our hand.

 

That being said, it is still a good model, just not AMAZING. I'll probably be sticking to Mr. Graves for my 8-9 point hybrid beater/support slot, but when I get my hands on a SoBB I'll probably keep it in my arsenal, potentially for Squatter's or Headhunter.

Edited October 21, 2015 by Whut

[4554551//]

With Jacob ditching two aces just to get them back is pretty neat. Or more realistically, 1 ace and something you don't care about.

[wurtz]

The aces would be a nice trick. I think the retributions eye upgrade will make his armor-ignoring custom shotgun sting a bit more, makes him arguably a bigger ranged threat than angel eyes?

[Whut]

I think the combination of an 8" range, Sh5, no built in plus flip, and no built in triggers makes his gun less than useful, sadly. Most of the time you want to shoot, you'd probably be better off charging, and if you want to walk into range and shoot, you are likely now getting charged (with Df4 and a 1" melee, not a great thing)

[D_acolyte]

I have used SoBB a little bit, but I find it more as a neat side note as compared to his combat ability and the interact action. I also like that he has at least some way to heal someone even though it is a trigger on an attack. If I want a discount beat stick to slap Retribution's Eye on he is my go to if I plan on doing interact actions. The few times his remove conditions have come up have actually been helpful and really caught an opponent off guard but there is defiantly an order to it which limits it. One example, my SoBB activated and then my enemy thought he would paralyze Nekima and burned a high card to do so. His triumphant look turned to horror when I let him advance thinking my main damage dealer was inactive just to have me late that turn drop a 1 and 2 to activate her like normal.

Both paralyze and SoBB removal happen at the start of the activation so I could decide the order that they resolve on my Nekima.

[Philosfr]

I have used SoBB a little bit, but I find it more as a neat side note as compared to his combat ability and the interact action. I also like that he has at least some way to heal someone even though it is a trigger on an attack. If I want a discount beat stick to slap Retribution's Eye on he is my go to if I plan on doing interact actions. The few times his remove conditions have come up have actually been helpful and really caught an opponent off guard but there is defiantly an order to it which limits it. One example, my SoBB activated and then my enemy thought he would paralyze Nekima and burned a high card to do so. His triumphant look turned to horror when I let him advance thinking my main damage dealer was inactive just to have me late that turn drop a 1 and 2 to activate her like normal.

Both paralyze and SoBB removal happen at the start of the activation so I could decide the order that they resolve on my Nekima.

Paralyze is definitely the one condition I would want the SoBB for. I just haven't had a chance to use the SoBB when my opponent was also successful with the paralyzes. 

[D_acolyte]

He tends to be a little hit or miss, I find his removal is better vs those that use conditions that limit your models like crew built around slow, paralyses, or fees to name a few. If you think you are dealing with that his removal is better than Johan but vs fire, poison, blight or those that use beneficial conditions Johan is better. I tend to like how they are different. SoBB is really about maintaining your forward momentum more then protecting your life which works for a feel with Neverborn and means you benefit from good movement and placement with him though if you can activate near him then you can still remove things like fire. Johan on the other hand works better activating late and carries a fire extinguisher that remove ALL conditions both helpful and harmful which is a mix bag with some of our masters, such as Collodi with being able to give personal puppet or armor.

[Ludvig]

The condition removal is pretty darn powerful in distract or cursed object since it isn't an action and can thus remove them. I wouldn't mind playing Lynch with a heavyily darknened crew if distract and/or cursed object was in the pool. The enemy will select distract since they think they get it auto vs your depleted and then you use this ability to solve the problem. Just something to keep in mind.