fingered by gremlins

[MR TORGUE]

So i'm getting The Brewmaster crew for Xmas and while i'm seeing how the crew works though their entries in the core book i'm sure i'm missing something with fingers...

He stacks poison really well for the upcoming paralyse or brewmaster tarpit but is there something else other than the chatty and scheme marker manipulation that makes him worth 10ss?

[MONSTERNOGGIN]

Before the tide crashes in... the scheme marker manipulation/chatty is what folks feel is worth the 10ss. 

[Ludvig]

Doesn't he have a self heal and squeel too? What part of guaranteing you 6VP alone while also denying VP to your opponent with chatty is it you don't like  

I have seen him single-handedly win games and survive masters gunning for him.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Ludvig

[MONSTERNOGGIN]

He's too easily negated. I stopped taking him because I grew weary of a gamin/tot/hound/anything with a Ml range walking up and shutting him down. They don't have to attack and trigger squeel, they just have to keep him engaged. 

He also can easily just be ignored as well or pushed/pulled out of position with lure and other movement shenanigans.

For 10ss, I'd just a soon take McTavish: solid ranged attack, equally solid melee, he can remove markers, push, heal, gain a third shot, can force opponents to drop a card, provide permanent soft cover, for your squishy scheme runners, the list goes on.   

Fingers is a model that caters to individual playstyles and specific strat/scheme pools. When you're talking 20% of your points allocation, I'm looking for a model that can be anchor for the crew and provide more flexibility. 

TO each their own, I realize I'm an outlier here, and it's shaped largely by my meta. Chatty models get removed/ignored/contained early game and then sit around and watch the action. 

 

[Omenbringer]

Doesn't he have a self heal and squeel too? What part of guaranteing you 6VP alone while also denying VP to your opponent with chatty is it you don't like  

I have seen him single-handedly win games and survive masters gunning for him.

He does have Take A Swig that allows him to perform a healing flip for 1 AP and the Loudest Squeel on both Df and Wp duels triggering on a . He is definitely kitted to be a great Scheme runner though comes with a very high (for gremlins anyway) hiring cost. I tend to think of everything in the faction as how many Bayou Gremlin's and/or Piglet's could be hired instead. Even with his kit, I dont know if he replaces 2 Bayou Gremlin's and a Piglet, but admittedly the Brew Master is not one of my usual Masters.

[Adran]

He's too easily negated. I stopped taking him because I grew weary of a gamin/tot/hound/anything with a Ml range walking up and shutting him down. They don't have to attack and trigger squeel, they just have to keep him engaged. 

He also can easily just be ignored as well or pushed/pulled out of position with lure and other movement shenanigans.

For 10ss, I'd just a soon take McTavish: solid ranged attack, equally solid melee, he can remove markers, push, heal, gain a third shot, can force opponents to drop a card, provide permanent soft cover, for your squishy scheme runners, the list goes on.   

Fingers is a model that caters to individual playstyles and specific strat/scheme pools. When you're talking 20% of your points allocation, I'm looking for a model that can be anchor for the crew and provide more flexibility. 

TO each their own, I realize I'm an outlier here, and it's shaped largely by my meta. Chatty models get removed/ignored/contained early game and then sit around and watch the action. 

 

I assume your meta hasn't discovered the self attack yet. If he is tied up, then hit him with one of your own models and trigger squeel. (whilst I've not seen it with Fingers, I've had Sommer cross the entire board without having to take a walk action before)

he certainly isn't something for every game, but when he shines, he can completly win games on his own. I have found many people view schemes like protect territory, power ritual, and breakthrough almost auto points. Fingers is pretty good at denying those points to your opponent whilst getting them for you. 

[Dogmantra]

Fingers is the sort of model you take once every blue moon but boy does he provide when you do.

Diatract, cursed object and deliver a message are imo three of the easiest schemes in the game, and he not only prevents your opppnent from taking those actions in a big ol' bubble but if by some fluke he was to receive one, he could remove it while engaged.

At my first tournament I went up against a Fingers in the first game. He did nothing for a few turns except drop power ritual markers, but turn 5 he was juuust in range to remove my "safe" marker and I lost the game by 1 point, where I would have won by a point. Could someone else have done that? Maybe. Not quite as effectively.

[Flat Tooth]

There are a couple of ways to get around him getting locked down but if/when he does get locked down it can be very very sad.

 

I'm not usually one for wishing but it would be so nice if he had a push that could be used a little more easily to get him out of melee. Even if "I Saws it First!" had a way to push him into b2b. 

 

That being said when he is on he is really on

[MONSTERNOGGIN]

Self attacks do work, but shooting involves randomization (not garunteed to hit) the other involves being in ml, if there are multiple models around then the point is either moot or they've effectively made you commit more resources into an already heavy points/resource sink. 

Best case for a self attack is 1ap and 1 cheated card. Worst case is 2ap, 3cards, 2ss. Realisticly you're looking at 1ap, 2 cards, or 1ap, 1 card, 1ss. Oh, and you've dinged him for damage so that model that had them engaged can now charge right back in with less trepidation because you just burned your masks/stones, or you spend activation's ap sitting on your thumbs healing yourself 4in away from where you actually need to be to deny schemes.

Again, too expensive for a model that is swingey in their effectiveness. 

And yes, cursed object, d.a.m., and distract are relatively simple schemes, but I rarely take them because I don't like asking my opponent to allow me score points. Scoring full points gets tricky over the game because you are committing ap over and over again rather than just set it and forget a-la line in the sand, breakthrough, plant evidence, etc. 

Dead models is a super effective denial strategy (barring against ressers), especially with Gremlins. Let your opponent give you cursed object turn 2, then kill the engaged model turn 3 before they activate, then that model can't give you cursed object or distract next turn....or the rest of the game. If they give you that condition then they are agreeing to let you live to the next turn, punish them for it.

And Fingers doesn't punish anyone.

 

 

[monkeyking68]

He's too easily negated. I stopped taking him because I grew weary of a gamin/tot/hound/anything with a Ml range walking up and shutting him down. They don't have to attack and trigger squeel, they just have to keep him engaged. 

He also can easily just be ignored as well or pushed/pulled out of position with lure and other movement shenanigans.

For 10ss, I'd just a soon take McTavish: solid ranged attack, equally solid melee, he can remove markers, push, heal, gain a third shot, can force opponents to drop a card, provide permanent soft cover, for your squishy scheme runners, the list goes on.   

Fingers is a model that caters to individual playstyles and specific strat/scheme pools. When you're talking 20% of your points allocation, I'm looking for a model that can be anchor for the crew and provide more flexibility. 

TO each their own, I realize I'm an outlier here, and it's shaped largely by my meta. Chatty models get removed/ignored/contained early game and then sit around and watch the action. 

 

I assume your meta hasn't discovered the self attack yet. If he is tied up, then hit him with one of your own models and trigger squeel. (whilst I've not seen it with Fingers, I've had Sommer cross the entire board without having to take a walk action before)

he certainly isn't something for every game, but when he shines, he can completly win games on his own. I have found many people view schemes like protect territory, power ritual, and breakthrough almost auto points. Fingers is pretty good at denying those points to your opponent whilst getting them for you. 

We have.  And we still don't care.

[Abbazabba1920]

Lenny can be a handy tool for that, because no randomization is needed and you leave that model that tried to tie you up with the piglet.

[szendroib]

Fingers is a very rare pick it depends on the scheme pool, but if you hire him in the right pool he is super awesome. I had tournament games where he single handedly won the game for me. In the earlyer rounds he can act as a combat medic and denial piece, then in the last 2 rounds he can single handedly win you your schemes by running off (he is hard to catch, can push even further if the enemy attacks him). He can put out 2 schemes a turn AND protect both of them. He can also swap enemy scheme markers for yours. Its super fun. He doesn't add too much to your attack power but grants better staying power.

Picking him with brewmaster would be extremely rare because he doesn't really deal any damage by himself and I prefer swill with brewmaster more than drinking contest. But with the extra 2 ss upgrade he can heal 2/4/6 on your tri-chi models 3 times a turn. It is beastly. I might pick him against ressers where I like to bring moon shinobis to keep them alive.

You should first try him in a scheme and interact heavy pool. Don't prepare to win the game but I think you might be pleasantley surprised. Fingers is one of those models that are better on the board than on paper.

[Hoyled]

Im a big fan of Fingers. Always been pure gold in the right scheme pool. The chatty bubble  and defenses are good enough for me.

I also understand people not liking him. Ten stones is alot for a model with no combat ability. Hes also a bit squishy and really relies on his defense trigger for protection. He seems to be paying a premium on scheme manipulation. In the Gremlin arsenal of fantastic henchman, Fingers is definatly a niche and possibly overcosted choice.

Still love the drunken little rambler.

[Dumb Luck]

I had him in Stake a Claim with Breakthrough vs Aaron Bailey's Sonia crew. He basically tangoed in front of an Austringer and Fransisco all game, dropping Stakes, keeping them engaged and breaking hearts. It was pretty dope.

[Math Mathonwy]

Best case for a self attack is 1ap and 1 cheated card. Worst case is 2ap, 3cards, 2ss. Realisticly you're looking at 1ap, 2 cards, or 1ap, 1 card, 1ss. Oh, and you've dinged him for damage so that model that had them engaged can now charge right back in with less trepidation because you just burned your masks/stones, or you spend activation's ap sitting on your thumbs healing yourself 4in away from where you actually need to be to deny schemes.

Surely the best case is 1AP (flipping a Maks for Fingers)? Also note that you don't need to hit with the attack, so no damage needed. And it works on Wp as well so you could for example Obey him and get both the Push and the Obey. Or Gremlin Lure him or whatever. Of course this works best if you have a spare low Mask in hand so I'm not saying that it is trivial to do, just that it isn't nearly as difficult as you make it out to be.

He could be a Stone cheaper, though.

[Math Mathonwy]

He basically tangoed in front of an Austringer and Fransisco all game, dropping Stakes, keeping them engaged and breaking hearts.

[Flat Tooth]

He basically tangoed in front of an Austringer and Fransisco all game, dropping Stakes, keeping them engaged and breaking hearts.

Hey that's the dance I do when my gremlins accomplish things!

[Ludvig]

I dropped off here but austringers should be hard to tie up effectively since their attack doesn't have a pistol if they don't focus so they can krep doing it all day. Or just (2) deliver orders to someone else.