Nicodem Crew List help needed

[qoob]

Hello everyone!

I've started playing Malifaux two weeks ago...Nicodem of course. My local game store hosts a 50ss tournament at the end of November and I want to ask you for help because I have no idea what to deploy.

It's a 3 round based tournament with following strategies:

1. round - Reconnoiter

2. round - Extraction

3. round - Interference

I've read through a few posts here and there and have following base crew list:

Nicodem
- Maniacal Laugh
- Undertaker
- Reaper Grin

Mortimer
-Corpse Bloat

Izamu
-Decaying Aura

Graveyard Spirit

29 SS

Can you guys help me out give me some "recruiting advice" based on the strategy? 

Thank you very very much!!!

Greetings, qoob

 

[Hunt.er]

Here you find some suggestions:

http://pullmyfinger.wikispaces.com/M2E+Nicodem.

I`m not familiar with him, but he is one of the most powerfull summoners, so you can`t make much wrong.

[Alexifer]

Don't forget Bete Noir!  She is so good!  Also, check out the Schemes and Stones podcast.  They go over one master each episode, and their Nicodem episode is quite informative!

[Strangely Brown]

Hey,

I'm only a little bit further along with Nicodem than you are, so please treat my suggestions/comments with caution!

The good news is that you don't have Reckoning to deal with.  A master that specialises in summoning half-wounded models has so far baffled me in a strategy where body count is king!

I sometimes take 'Love Thy Master' instead of 'Reaper Grin' on Nicodem - there are a lot of instances where being able to companion the newly summoned model so that it activates (with 2AP, thanks to 'Death's Whip') as soon as it is summoned is useful - particularly since it comes into play on half wounds, and my opponents sometimes feel like killing it off before it can activate (sometimes the fact that they're wasting AP to kill it is enough, but sometimes I summoned it for a reason and I need to do something with it).

Yin is worth looking at - she seems to be (haven't played with her yet) a disruption piece that doesn't add to your strategic capabilities, but is mobile (low Wk but can ignore terrain) and can bog down enemy units.

Nurses are nice to have - they provide a useful outlet for low cards of all suits to power their 'Illegible prescriptions'.

Chiaki the Niece (from the Yan-Lo crew) does condition removal.  A lot of the nurse's effects have a good side and a bad side.  If you use Chiaki, sometimes you can remove the bad side.

I frequently start off with a dead doxy - they can push Nicodem & Mortimer about so that they don't have to waste AP walking - especially useful on Mortimer, who wants to use both his (0) and (2) actions to get corpse counters out, but wants to move up to just behind the centreline with Nicodem.  It's harder to cast than the Belle's lure, but you can push in any direction, not just towards the Belle.  You could summon her in on the first turn if you couldn't fit her into your 50SS crew.

As I said, these are only my early experiences with Nicodem, there are others with way more experience who will no doubt add their advice too!

 

Good luck in November!

'Brown

[doombladez]

You'll want Necropunks or Crooligans for scheme runners, they're both excellent at getting where you want them. I personally recommend the Punks but everyone has a preference on which is best. Also you need the University of Transmortis box, in my opinion it is literally the best buy if you need to add to your summoning pool. All three of the normal Iron Zombies are great summons and the Valedictorian is very useful if you need a mobile Enforcer. 

Finally I'm just gonna recommend zFiend's Nicodem guide right here on this subforum again, it really is the best resource for playing him that I've ever found. Good luck in the tournament, and welcome to Nicodem and the Rezers! 

[MEGAHORSE]

Dan from Schemes and Stones really enjoys playing Nico as more of a support piece, utilizing Yin and Bete. Bete is rough to keep a 10 for every round, but being able to pop her out in SO many places and avenues for Delivering Messages (which is stupidly easy with her), assassinate, etc. 

Izamu+Graveyard spirit is perfect for Turf War or holding any points. I really prefer taking a beater/tarpit with Nico so some of the focus is taken off of him and Morty. Crooligans are amazing as well. They're forward Corpse Markers for 4ss each, which is easier to manage than Necropunks. But dont count out the punks. Depending on strats/schemes, either are better than the other. Crooligans also can forward deliver poison on an Infect trigger, which will make your Shikome summons that much more brutal. 

On morty, I just take Corpse Bloat. If My Favorite Shovel was 1ss instead of 2ss, I'd take it as well, but it's tough to justify. If you need to move Morty, just hire a Belle to move him and to Lure opposing models around. 

[jonahmaul]

 

The good news is that you don't have Reckoning to deal with.  A master that specialises in summoning half-wounded models has so far baffled me in a strategy where body count is king!

Nico is actually very good at Reckoning because he is such a good support Master.  Taking some big nasties (Killjoy, Izamu, Rogue Necromany) which you are able to full heal and hand out extra AP to like candy makes him very effective.  A common mistake is to think of Nico only as a summoner but he is also an incredibly effective support Master.  You can also heal models four wounds by discarding a second corpse marker (which is it's a Mindless Zombie nets you a second card) so if you do summon in Reckoning it's generally pretty easy to get fully healed models out as most of Nico's summons come with <8 full wounds.

You'll want Necropunks or Crooligans for scheme runners, they're both excellent at getting where you want them. I personally recommend the Punks but everyone has a preference on which is best. Also you need the University of Transmortis box, in my opinion it is literally the best buy if you need to add to your summoning pool. All three of the normal Iron Zombies are great summons and the Valedictorian is very useful if you need a mobile Enforcer. 

I wouldn't recommend hiring Punk Zombies but they are excellent summons.  They're a bit expensive to hire but at the cost of a card and maybe a SS they're a very viable summon.  Transmortis box is a definite need for Nico because it gives you a swiss army toolkit of summons depending on what you are facing.

 

As to what to advise taking it's quite hard without knowing the schemes as well.  The main priority should be things that you are unable to summon as if you don't start with it you can't get it!  Yin, Nurses, Chiaki, Necropunks and Crooligans are all solid suggestions.  Of those I would say 100% you want a nurse because they are fantastic (and you can't summon them).  Depending how you intend to play you probably want a Belle or two for helping to move Nico/Mortimer up early and for pulling enemies towards you (excellent for allowing  Punk Zombies to Flurry) as well as pulling enemies towards the centre so they can't score for Reconnoiter/Interference (or pull enemies into engagement for the latter if that will allow you to score VPs).  I assume from Izamu/Graveyard Spirit you're planning on having the latter stick to Izamu like glue for a horrible armour +4.  If this is the case then the first question you want to ask your opponents is if they have any models that ignore armour.  If the answer is yes then make those a priority target and get rid of the asap!  You also want an absolute minimum of  6 soulstones for Nico and generally I'll take the full complement of 7.

[Strangely Brown]

Nico is actually very good at Reckoning because he is such a good support Master.  Taking some big nasties (Killjoy, Izamu, Rogue Necromany) which you are able to full heal and hand out extra AP to like candy makes him very effective.  A common mistake is to think of Nico only as a summoner but he is also an incredibly effective support Master.  You can also heal models four wounds by discarding a second corpse marker (which is it's a Mindless Zombie nets you a second card) so if you do summon in Reckoning it's generally pretty easy to get fully healed models out as most of Nico's summons come with <8 full wounds.

That is a very interesting point - you have given me a whole new perspective on Nicodem - many thanks!

[jonahmaul]

Nico is actually very good at Reckoning because he is such a good support Master.  Taking some big nasties (Killjoy, Izamu, Rogue Necromany) which you are able to full heal and hand out extra AP to like candy makes him very effective.  A common mistake is to think of Nico only as a summoner but he is also an incredibly effective support Master.  You can also heal models four wounds by discarding a second corpse marker (which is it's a Mindless Zombie nets you a second card) so if you do summon in Reckoning it's generally pretty easy to get fully healed models out as most of Nico's summons come with <8 full wounds.

That is a very interesting point - you have given me a whole new perspective on Nicodem - many thanks!

No problem!  The main issue for full heals can be corpse counters but chuck Corpse Bloat on one of the big gribblies to drop some early doors and then have Nico heal them.  And of course all those big guys are going to be doing some serious killing!

Edited October 28, 2015 by jonahmaul