Thinking about starting Arcanists

[Shimian]

Hey guys,

 

I am fairly new to Malifaux and still looking for "my" faction. Arcanists look pretty fun so I think I'm gonna give it a shot. But sadly I can't decide which Master to go for as a start. I narrowed it down to four, maybe five The ones I am looking at are:

 

- Rasputina

- Kaeris

- Ironsides

- Colette

- and maybe Ramos

 

Which Master is most begincuddleriendly? Since I have only played a few games so far, I am looking for a Master who doesn't lose the game due to a single mistake. Which crew can be expanded easy and cheap? My first look went to Nicodem, but since he is a summoner, I need a whole lot of models, who are to be paied for and painted Not exactly what I wanted as a start, so I discarded him and the whole faction

My main opponent plays guild. Mostly Perdita, sometimes Lady J or Hofmann. Which master got the best chances against this setup?

Thanks in advance for your advice, guys

 

Kind regards from Germany

Sebastian

[Sordid Strumpet]

7 minutes ago, Shimian said:

begincuddleriendly? 

The forum fliter is rather OCD... It corrects the word [n e r f] to cuddle. Apparently even if it finds it within other words. 

I wouldn't go with Ironsides as a start unless you're prepared to lose a lot of games because she is very difficult to learn. She looks like a beat stick, but when you play her that way she dies immediately. Colette is very powerful but tricky to learn so I'd leave her for later. She works well with just about anything, so if you do want to pick her up later on, she will fit right in.

Kaeris is also tricky as she's a support master, but with a few practise games she'd be alright.

Rasputina is great. She does a lot of damage and teaches you positioning at the same time. Her crew can be very tough and she works well against ranged crews like Perdita because she doesn't need to be put in danger to do damage herself.

Ramos is a summoner but if you buy some extra arachnid swarms with him you'll be fine, that's all he summons. His summoning also gives you a lot of options and lets you recover from mistakes so he's good that way.

He also buffs your constructs and heals them, again helping out with the whole recovery from mistakes thing. Plus if you're playing guild, you'll want disposable models and he has them in spades through summoning.

At the start you can very easily just cut out 30 mm markers and write 'arachnid' or 'arachnid swarm' on them so you're not limited in terms of summoning.

[Spike0738]

First - you have the coolest name, Sebastian.

Second and to the meat & potatoes 

I started in August/September. My first master was Kaeris, simply because I fell in love with her theme. With that said, I feel like she benefits greatly from lots of outside models like Rail Golem, Mechanical Rider, Johan, Rail Workers, Gunsmiths...etc. So it can be quite costly if you're not sure you want to invest like that yet. She also takes a bit of getting used to, since she's more a support type of master. She's easily my favorite master in the game, and I have the most fun playing her because of her unique style and flight mobility. 

Personally, I feel like Rasputina would be a great starter kit. There are models you can buy outside of her normal kit (December Acolytes, Silent Ones, Snow Storm and Blessed of December), but her box is okay on it's own if you're just going to learn with smaller games. She's also fairly straight forward, and doesn't require any crazy tricks or anything to be effective. Her only downside is she completely useless in Melee, so if you're unable to position effectively, it can be unforgiving. However; her spells and range are fantastic and it should be fairly easy for you to avoid that mistake (unless you're looking for an IN YOUR FACE master).

Ironsides and Colette are a bit trickier IMO, due to their triggers and such. A bonus is that Colette doesn't require much outside her box, other than Coryphees. She's probably my least favorite Arcanist master, because I'm just not a fan of her play style. She's one of my favorite themes though. 

Mei Fang is another option, but again she'll take some getting used to and would require a decent amount of other purchases to be truly effective. 

Ramos is a fantastic box, but he's also a Summoner. You don't necessarily need to spend much for his summons (Since they are just cheap Spiders), but he takes some getting used to, which can be frustrating as a new player. He certainly is forgiving if you make mistakes, but I still think Rasputina is the better choice. 

[Sordid Strumpet]

The problem with Rasputina's box is that it's extremely limted. You get an Ice Golem which is OK but doesn't go anywhere fast and will probably get shot to bits, three ice gamin (one is nice, three is a bit pointless) and a very good totem. But to get an effective crew you will need to purchase december acolytes, silent ones and possibly snow storm. That's a lot of investment if you're not sure about what you like.

Ramos on the other hand comes woth a fantastic box (both Joss and Langston are fantastic and fit right into a lot of crews) and only requires a steam arachnid swarm and maybe a large steam arachnid to function well, even in smaller games.

 

The bottom line is - what sort of play style are you looking for? Have you olayed any other tabletop games? If so, how did/do you enjoy playing there?

[katadder]

would agree with raspy as she is very straight forward 

I would also suggest marcus, has a good crewbox to start that you can expand on when ready and the crew works nicely together plus is fairly straightforward

[Ludvig]

Collette and Ramos together would probably give you a good start and a mix of beaters and schemers. They are both very powerful and straightforward in their play style. Both of their boxes add some very versatile models that probably all the Arcanist masters will use (Marcus may be the exception). You're going to want to magnetize your spiders so you can make swarms and you might want another box of spiders if you're going to play a lot of Ramos. That should give you a good starting point with as little investment as possible to find out what you like and which direction to branch out.

[katadder]

hmm would say colette is the least straightforward of our masters but then only used her once.

[Ludvig]

4 minutes ago, katadder said:

hmm would say colette is the least straightforward of our masters but then only used her once.

She's easier than Ironsides and Kaeris. 

She poops out scheme markers enough for all the marker based schemes and prompts Langston or Joss to kill every enemy remotely close to her. The performers can paralyze any bothersome targets with high defence.

[Ludvig]

Shimian: If you are really into Ressers and Nicodem you could just start them. He does fairly ok as a buff master and just resummoning models that got killed. If you are down for buying 2-3 master boxed sets as a start you can definetly make Nico playable.

[4554551//]

I'm gonna recommend Ramos.

Yes, raspy is straight forward and strong, but you'll never end up using anything in the box set except her and wendigo. You'll need the acolytes, the silent ones, snow storm and maybe blessed. 

Ramos box is all value and stuff you'll regularly take with other masters. Plus, because of his versatility of play, you won't tire of him as quickly as you will of raspy, who's very point and click. 

I've played ramos for months straight and still feel like he has secrets to unlock. I play raspy once in a while when I wana take it easy and murder stuff.

[Shimian]

Thanks so far, guys. So I only have to decide between Raspy and Ramos.

56 minutes ago, Sordid Strumpet said:

The bottom line is - what sort of play style are you looking for? Have you olayed any other tabletop games? If so, how did/do you enjoy playing there?

I used to play Warhammer Fantasy, which I quit some years ago due to a numerous amount of reasons. After that I played Warmachine/Hordes and Infinity, so I am not entirely new to the tabletop hobby. In order to get into the rules and tricks Malifaux has to offer I am looking for a Master with a straight forward playstyle in the beginning. That would be Rasputina, I guess. I also like the idea of summoning new stuff, which would make Ramos my first Master. Hard decision.

 

16 minutes ago, Ludvig said:

Shimian: If you are really into Ressers and Nicodem you could just start them. He does fairly ok as a buff master and just resummoning models that got killed. If you are down for buying 2-3 master boxed sets as a start you can definetly make Nico playable.

I dropped the idea of playing Ressers. Mainly due to the fact that I only like Nico and Seamus as Masters. McMorning is okay, but I totally dislike the rest. So I would be stuck with two guys to play since I only want to collect one faction.

 

45 minutes ago, katadder said:

would agree with raspy as she is very straight forward 

I would also suggest marcus, has a good crewbox to start that you can expand on when ready and the crew works nicely together plus is fairly straightforward

Marcus is not my kind of guy since I am not a big fan of beasts. Sooner or later (if I really chose Arcanists) he will find a way into my collection, just to own him. But not as a start.

 

Which one is easier to learn and to master? Rasputina or Ramos?

[daniello_s]

1 hour ago, Sordid Strumpet said:

Colette is very powerful but tricky to learn so I'd leave her for later. She works well with just about anything, so if you do want to pick her up later on, she will fit right in.

 Fully disagree with first sentence and at the same time fully agree with second one (or at least with first part of second sentence).

Colette is dead easy to run. Just check where and which model you need to Prompt and do it.  With Cassandra and Practiced Production dropping scheme markers is (almost) no-brainer task

All you need to add is some beatstick models (here a box of Ramos would be a perfect addition to Colette's box) and you are set up for almost every game.

 

[JoeJones]

Either Ramos or Raspy would work well as a first master. I started with Raspy back in June and I'm ok running her. After I picked up Ramos, however, I got hooked. I won my first game with him, and now he's my primary master. Spiders...good.....

[Spike0738]

2 hours ago, Ludvig said:

She's easier than Ironsides and Kaeris. 

She poops out scheme markers enough for all the marker based schemes and prompts Langston or Joss to kill every enemy remotely close to her. The performers can paralyze any bothersome targets with high defence.

Colette is, in no way, easier or more straight forward than Ironsides or Kaeris... Understanding her special abilities, the crew scheme markers, and the special rules flooded throughout her crew, are very difficult for a new player to grasp and utilize effectively. She's fun, a unique theme and interesting, but easy and straight forward, her crew is not... She's also fairly unforgiving... You move her wrong one turn, she won't have range with her triggers and dies.  

At least with Ironsides or Kaeris, you have 1 goal (attack things / put burning on them). Sure, you have to really adjust and play a unique way to get the most out of them, but they are VERY straight forward in terms of just learning the game. They don't have a bunch of crazy rules, triggers...etc 

I will also agree with the person who says that Raspy's box is a little light. The difference is that I'm not thinking competitively. None of these boxes are going to be competitive out of the shrink wrap. They all need boosts and purchases. Rasputina's box is by far a straight forward and easy to learn box. Ramos' box is fantastic and has 2 fantastic models in Joss and Howard Langston. I still feel like Raspy is easier to learn, but Ramos' box is amazing.

Which one is easier to learn and to master? Rasputina or Ramos? - I believe that Rasputina is easier to learn on, IMO... She has far less special rules than almost every other Arcanist master. Ramos isn't necessarily hard, but I just feel Raspy is easier. Although killing isn't the name of the game (you have to complete schemes and strategies), you'd probably have more fun whipping up on models with Howard and Joss while you learned to complete objectives effectively. 

You can't go wrong with Ramos or Raspy.

[Ludvig]

Collette hardly has to move after the first turn and can keep a dove around to discard if she suffers damage. She also makes marker schemes trivial. She also offers some of the best models for the faction in her box so you could just play Ramos with Cassandra and a Performer if you don't get her playstyle.

Kaeris on the other hand requires a truckload of models that only she really uses to function. Her box also offers very little that your next master will want to hire so it's wasted cash if you want to start as cheap as possible.

Rasputina is nice but I very rarely see her box set models with other masters so I question whether she is a cheap master to start with.

[LeperColony]

As a Colette main, I find the idea she's simpler than Kaeris or Ironsides pretty amusing, but that's a discussion for another topic and let's not de-rail the OP's thread.

 

My standard answer to this sort of question, in all games not just Malifaux, is that it's best to pick the master that seems coolest to you.  Since you're new, your playing style will naturally come to be shaped by your initial master.  As you branch out that'll change, but at the start I tend to think that while there are of course certain degrees of variation, in the end they just won't matter as much.

If price is your primary issue:

No master is going to be a 50ss crew right out of the box. 

Colette can be cheap if you just run showgirls, since that's mostly her box plus Coryphee and/or Angelica.  However, many Colette players like to have a high quality beater like Howard to prompt, and that means another master box since they are almost invariably Henchmen.  Or a Mech Rider, and then summoning comes into play...

Rasputina doesn't summon and, while other people have already mentioned that her box needs more help than the others, the additional models you'd want for a Rasputina crew work well with other Arcanists too.  This isn't necessarily as true with Kaeris (all the burning) or Colette (how often do you see Angelica in a non-Colette crew?).

Kaeris is a good option price-wise, because I think with a Rail Golem and your choice of support minion, you're probably pretty solid. 

Ramos is a summoner, but there are stop-gaps (especially if your opponent isn't a stickler and/or you aren't doing official events or tournaments.  Cheap plastic spiders and cheap 30mm bases are not hard to come by), and Howard and Joss are both really high quality models that end up in many other crews.  The thing about this box that isn't necessarily true about the others is that if you become a serious Arcanist player, you'll end up getting this box at some point, even if you never intend to play Ramos. 

Never played Mei, so couldn't say.

[Ludvig]

16 minutes ago, LeperColony said:

As a Colette main, I find the idea she's simpler than Kaeris or Ironsides pretty amusing, but that's a discussion for another topic and let's not de-rail the OP's thread.

 

My standard answer to this sort of question, in all games not just Malifaux, is that it's best to pick the master that seems coolest to you.  Since you're new, your playing style will naturally come to be shaped by your initial master.  As you branch out that'll change, but at the start I tend to think that while there are of course certain degrees of variation, in the end they just won't matter as much.

If price is your primary issue:

No master is going to be a 50ss crew right out of the box. 

Colette can be cheap if you just run showgirls, since that's mostly her box plus Coryphee and/or Angelica.  However, many Colette players like to have a high quality beater like Howard to prompt, and that means another master box since they are almost invariably Henchmen.  Or a Mech Rider, and then summoning comes into play...

Rasputina doesn't summon and, while other people have already mentioned that her box needs more help than the others, the additional models you'd want for a Rasputina crew work well with other Arcanists too.  This isn't necessarily as true with Kaeris (all the burning) or Colette (how often do you see Angelica in a non-Colette crew?).

Kaeris is a good option price-wise, because I think with a Rail Golem and your choice of support minion, you're probably pretty solid. 

Ramos is a summoner, but there are stop-gaps (especially if your opponent isn't a stickler and/or you aren't doing official events or tournaments.  Cheap plastic spiders and cheap 30mm bases are not hard to come by), and Howard and Joss are both really high quality models that end up in many other crews.  The thing about this box that isn't necessarily true about the others is that if you become a serious Arcanist player, you'll end up getting this box at some point, even if you never intend to play Ramos. 

Never played Mei, so couldn't say.

I'd say it isn't too off topic, it could be helpful to both Shimian and others starting arcanists. I haven't found Kaeris overly simple, a friend of mine playing arcanists since first edition had a lot of trouble getting her to work decently in m2e. Shimian mentioned experience from Warmahordes, Infinity and WH-Fantasy so we aren't talking "twelve years old, first game ever" level beginner. When people with that kind of experience look for "easy" they are in my interpretation often asking for something that will be powerful so they can win easily but I might be misinterpretating that.  

Angelica isn't in the Collette box but Cassandra is. My advice was to get Ramos and Collette to have a good base to build from and two sets that complement each other and add models everyone is likely to want. This is what I have suggested to several budding arcanists in my area. Are you saying Performers and Cassandra aren't generally useful to other arcanists?

If Ramos + Collette is bad advice I need to apoligize to a few people.

[LeperColony]

13 minutes ago, Ludvig said:

Angelica isn't in the Collette box but Cassandra is. My advice was to get Ramos and Collette to have a good base to build from and two sets that complement each other and add models everyone is likely to want. This is what I have suggested to several budding arcanists in my area. Are you saying Performers and Cassandra aren't generally useful to other arcanists?

If Ramos + Collette is bad advice I need to apoligize to a few people.

To be sure, this is just my opinion.  And I'm not saying people can't make it work, because they can.

But I personally don't think Performers are all that great outside of a Colette crew.  Showgirl synergy is very strong, but that aspect is built into a Performer's cost.  Without what Colette gives them, I just don't think they're worth the ss to other masters.

As for Cassandra, with Understudy you can definitely always find a place for her, but again I think there are usually going to be better options.  Though I admit, I am particularly sensitive to making sure I get the most out of what I call the "design tax" of a model.  For instance, Cassandra pays some "design points" for being able to Understudy Colette.  That has to be built into her abilities and her ss cost, because otherwise she could be OP with her default master.  But when it isn't available at all, that means it's lost points, and those personally bother me quite a bit.

I think Ramos + Colette is much better for Colette players than it is for Ramos players.  I'd tend to think Ramos would do as well with getting The Captain from Ironsides, for instance. 

I wouldn't say it's bad advice, because perfectly solid crews can be made from it.  But I wouldn't recommend it as a default Arcanist beginning.

[Ludvig]

That way of seeing it is alien to me. After all, Howard and Joss can gain reactivate and +flips to attack with Ramos so you are basically saying that they are subpar with every other master in arcanists and shouldn't be taken since that combo is factored into their cost. I often feel it is worth it to merc performers into other factions so I really wouldn't call them overcosted for any master in arcanists. It's hard to find a cheaper model that can interact while engaged and paralyze enemy models.

I will stop budding in now and leave it to actual arcanists to give advice  

[LeperColony]

I didn't say they would be sub-par, I said they'd be sub-optimal.  Par is a baseline.  If the model is above the baseline, it will beat par, even if it is not being optimally utilized.  That's what makes Howard so popular in Colette crews.  Sure, Howard is not optimally deployed in a Colette crew, but his potential as a Prompt vessel is so high that he is a very strong option.

Cassandra, by comparison, is definitely sub-optimal, and may be sub-par as there could be better options for Ramos at an equal or lesser cost (such as The Captain), or better options even at a higher cost, if the gains outweigh the expenditure.

[Dirial]

Performers are easily worth 6 SS as Mercs. They are a deal for 5 SS for every Arcanist and very much worth their weight in gold. For Colette, they are just ridiculous.

 

My opinion.

[Spike0738]

I'm going to refrain from commenting about the blatant mis-representation of Rasputina's and Colette's crew, and just focus on helping the new player. I'll summarize the points for you, so you have an easier time picking your stuff. 

Rasputina - Easy master to learn the game with. Fantastic caster. Useless in combat. Competitive. 

- What you'll probably want to buy: Snow Storm (Releases soon), Blessed of December (Releases soon), December Acolytes and Silent Ones (Releases soon)... These extra models will run you about $75.

-Acolytes, Blessed and Silent Ones can be and are used in other master's lists, so purchasing them isn't a bad thing or a "waste". Especially the Acolytes, since they seem to always make an appearance with multiple Arcanist masters in every tournament I've been to. You'll probably purchase the Acolytes regardless of which master you start with, at some point.

Ramos - Relatively easy master. Good Summoner. Not a great dmg dealer himself. Best Arcanist starter box. Competitive. Will take a little extra time to get used to some special rules and features of the models for a beginner. You have some playing experience, so maybe it wont be too much of an issue for you. 

-What you'll probably want to buy: Mechanical Rider and extra Spiders to summon with Ramos. This might cost you $50. You might also want to purchase a type of Gamin to summon with the Mech Rider, but you certainly don't have to for her to be effective. 

- Howard Langston, Joss and Mechanical Rider can and will be used with every master at some point. They are all very powerful and very optimal choices for certain schemes and strategies. 

Either box is certainly a good pick. Glad to have you apart of the Arcanist team!!!

[hippodruid]

As this thread no doubt highlights, it's a complicated issue.  Aside from that, (0) Welcome to Malifaux!

This is a super-long post, so I'll rate the masters you listed in the order I would recommend: Rasputina, Ramos, Colette, Ironsides, Kaeris. 

I typically recommend Rasputina as a first pick if you want something straightforward in Arcanists.  She fills out easily to 50SS with just a box of December Acolytes, and most of her other thematic models will be out by February according the release schedule.  Despite what's been said, she can be a very mobile threat on the board with the right pieces (like Snowstorm), and an in-theme crew can give her access to most of the play area without moving, anyway.

A game going her way will see her dropping long-range attacks against enemy models with a possibility of blasting damage onto other nearby models.  She can also paralyze enemy models, causing them to forfeit activating for the turn.  Her box crew contains ice constructs that, while slow, are reasonably tough and deal anything from respectable to horrifying damage in melee combat.  They also explode when they die, damaging everything around them.  Her totem, the Wendigo, is extremely fast for a cheap model and can cast her spells and devour paralyzed living models.

Ramos is also good to start with, as it is very easy to win games with him.  He provides good support and an interesting variety of ways to deal damage.  His box can reach 50SS without any outside models, although the main problem is that you will need more steam arachnids for summoning.  The box comes with six, but another six right out of the gate will hurt nothing.  He synergizes best with constructs of any flavor although Joss and Howard Langston will usually cut out a lot of the competition.

He will primarily want to spend at least a bit of time establishing himself as a walking spider factory.  He can summon up to three steam arachnids for one action, then still move, cast, or attack.  He can also sacrifice constructs to detonate them, dealing a good amount of damage to surrounding models.  He has a unique ranged attack in the Arcanist faction that does not randomly select a target if engaged in close combat and ignores armor.  His box is one of the more desirable ones in the faction.  Joss and Howard Langston are commonly seen outside of Ramos crews, the first offering an attack that ignores most defensive abilities, the second just killing everything with massive prejudice.  Joss is also very durable and not particularly slow, while Howard is very quick and easy to position for maximum damage.  The steam arachnids can reduce an enemy's defense statistic just by touching them.  Ramos's totem, the brass arachnid, can give friendly constructs the ability to activate twice in one turn, which is ridiculously potent when paired with Joss and Howard.

Colette will reap large dividends if you can learn to use her well.  She spends most of her game directing the actions and placement of her own models.  She can come up to a full 50SS with only another model or two outside of her box, although choosing which one will be the hard part.  Colette works well with any model, as she spends the game making other models do more of what they do (Howard Langston, Sabertooth Cerberus, and other high-damage models are perennial favorites, although the Mechanical Rider is very popular here, too).  The inherent showgirl synergies are nice, but she really makes her own synergy with anything.

Colette's games will typically involve some kind of scheme dominance.  Marker-based schemes are laughably easy to accomplish and generally beneficial to her and her crew, while kill-based schemes can be rapidly accomplished by spreading her actions to those high-damage models mentioned earlier.  She's also generally invincible as long as she's near a Scheme Marker, as she can discard them to reduce damage and teleport away.  Cassandra is a high-mobility mid-damage model.  She's very quick, and has an action that makes her very difficult for enemies to hit (and therefore pin down), while attacking decently from range and up close, and she can also copy the spells of others in the crew.  Performers can interact to drop scheme markers while engaged, lure enemy models to a variety of bad ends including paralysis, and destroy scheme markers at range.  They're fragile, but if killed, they can make friendly showgirls or minion models reactivate.  The mannequins have a host of supporting abilities, like pushing to follow friendly showgirls when they move, as well as an aura that allows scheme markers to be placed out of base contact with friendly models.  They also have a lot of armor and a decent attack that can slow enemy models.  Colette's totem is the mechanical dove, and three of them can be on the board at the same time.  Colette has an upgrade that allows her to summon them.  They count as scheme markers for showgirl abilities, can detonate to damage models around them, and can sacrifice themselves to give a boost to friendly models.

Ironsides is typically fun.  She tends to be sold as a beatstick or brawler, but that's only a secondary function of her gameplay.  She's intended to act as a kind of gravity well, drawing enemy models in and keeping them there to be punished by her and her crew.  Her box expands to 50SS with anywhere from one to three models (value depending).  One of her key strengths is synergy with models with the M&SU characteristic, although that's more about what she gives to them than what they bring to her.  I personally really like gunsmiths with her.

Ironsides wants to stand in the middle of a huge scrum.  The more enemies that fight her, the more adrenaline she generates, which can lead to her unleashing massive attacks and combos.  She has a high wound total but an average defense, and she has the ability to hit back when attacked in melee.  She can also pull enemies in to attack her for limited damage, just in case she was having trouble keeping up with them.  While she does have healing available, it's very probable that she will die in the course of a game, so be prepared for that to happen if you pick her.  The Captain has an attack that positions both friendly and enemy models and has a great melee attack, and he can't be pinned down in melee combat at all.  The Oxfordian mages offer ranged attacks that can slow enemies, set them on fire, ignore their armor, or push them around.  They also have special, free upgrades that apply bonuses to Ironsides, and have a shield that prevents damage before they activate.  The totem in the box is Mouse, who has a decent heal at range and can yank enemy models out of position with a ranged attack.

Kaeris is actually a very versatile master much like Colette.  She can fill a variety of roles in her own crew from healer to damage-dealer to tank to scheme-master-extraordinaire depending on her upgrades.  Her box is the smallest of all, though, and is only just barely legal to play with full upgrades.  50SS will take several more models, even including mid-priced ones, although two expensive ones would also do the job.  Models that have synergy with the burning condition are all right (rail workers, union miners, gunsmiths, the rail golem), although she can honestly make anything work.

She sets things on the fire.  That's the basic gist of her playstyle.  It's what she does with the fire afterwards that makes the difference.  Her own attacks can fuel themselves, giving her more damage potential, and work at range or up close.  Setting friendly models on fire can either heal them or give them wings of fire, letting them fly and burning off as scheme markers, all dependent on her upgrades.  She can create walls of fire or strip flames off nearby models to draw cards.  She can shove enemies around, blinding them, or pick up enemies and drop them to the ground.  Like I said, versatile.  The Firestarter is a fast, fairly fragile model that also, unsurprisingly, lights models on fire.  He flies and can generate extra actions for himself, which can make him extremely useful for schemes or applying burning to a lot of models.  Fire gamin are quick, reliable combatants that explode when they die, spreading flames and damage around them.  Their attacks also set enemy models on fire no matter what when hitting.  Her totem, the eternal flame, can damage enemies for the amount of burning they have stacked on them, can move flame walls, and can heal constructs and Kaeris.  It also has high armor and an unusually wide base.

I hope this information helps!

[Yvarre]

Ramos.  The fact that he can keep summoning cheap, disposable, mobile minions which can take interacts acts as a nice buffer for play mistakes, and his spiders can be a real nuisance for your opponent.  Activation control is a powerful resource in Malifaux, and turning AP into extra AP is generally a good way to overrun one's opponent.  In this, Ramos excels, and he is highly capable at all strategies.  I also echo the sentiments that Howard and Joss are both indispensable in the Arcanist collection and can find a place in many crews and strats.  The small spiders and summoning also mitigate their higher costs and allow you to force your opponent to maneuver unfavorably into positions where Howard can nimble walk over and kill important models.

I feel that Rasputina is very straightforward, in that models with the Frozen Heart characteristic maximize her potential and can make her crew selection very straightforward.  But in this her main tactic is trying to maximize raw damage output and spread blasts around.  Her effectiveness at this can be highly dependent on terrain, and I find her much more easy to neuter through skilled positioning and selective target removal than Ramos with his spider swarms.  As also noted, the initial investment in Ramos is a little less, and Raspy is still waiting for some of her necessary support to come out in plastic.

[Breng77]

3 hours ago, LeperColony said:

To be sure, this is just my opinion.  And I'm not saying people can't make it work, because they can.

But I personally don't think Performers are all that great outside of a Colette crew.  Showgirl synergy is very strong, but that aspect is built into a Performer's cost.  Without what Colette gives them, I just don't think they're worth the ss to other masters.

As for Cassandra, with Understudy you can definitely always find a place for her, but again I think there are usually going to be better options.  Though I admit, I am particularly sensitive to making sure I get the most out of what I call the "design tax" of a model.  For instance, Cassandra pays some "design points" for being able to Understudy Colette.  That has to be built into her abilities and her ss cost, because otherwise she could be OP with her default master.  But when it isn't available at all, that means it's lost points, and those personally bother me quite a bit.

I think Ramos + Colette is much better for Colette players than it is for Ramos players.  I'd tend to think Ramos would do as well with getting The Captain from Ironsides, for instance. 

I wouldn't say it's bad advice, because perfectly solid crews can be made from it.  But I wouldn't recommend it as a default Arcanist beginning.

Interesting take because I feel like Cassandra is so much better outside of Colette than with her.  The ability to be a fast model and carry practiced production is amazing.  Sure understudy is somewhat better in a Colette crew but otherwise I would rate Cassandra as a must have model in nearly any crew.  Far more than anything in the Ramos box.  Just goes to show how much meta and playstyle influence choices we make.  As for a starting crew pick what you like as there isn't a wrong choice really.  That said as a beginner I might opt for Ramos simply because he is a forgiving master and doesn't really break any base rules which is good for learning (playing Colette breaks scheme marker interactions, and raspy breaks terrifying). I find that needing to use all base mechanics is a good place to start.