Considering getting into Neverborn ...

[surly]

A while ago I made quite a large trade with someone and got a lot of stuff I missed for my Arcanists back then. However, my trading partner also gave me a pretty awesome Pandora model.

For free ...

Without telling me before ...

So I just put it away.

Since it was my only Neverborn model I didn't really have much use for it, but I really liked the model, so it was still somewhere at the back of my mind ...

... corrupting it. 

 

(Basically what she does ingame, just in real )

 

Skipping forward, years later after having that great model around, I'm really thinking about getting into Neverborn too.

So here are the two things why I opened this thread:

1 - playability. After reading a few articles and threads here in the forum, it seems like some consider Neverborn as one of the "weaker" factions (and Pandora being one of the worst among the faction ...). I haven't played for a few months, so I'm curious if the new book changed that or if things mostly stayed the same. I heard the new Emissary is pretty good, but have no idea about the rest.

2 - model pool. Beside Pandora I'm interested mainly in Dreamer but not so much in the remaining masters. Can I complete most schemes with these two? Dreamer can pretty much take any scheme and strategy anyway, while having Pandora as a Turf War specialist I guess.

Since I'd like to keep the faction small though I'd like to set myself a limit with models I need and like most. With that in mind, my to-get-list would look like this:

Pandora single

Dreamer plastic box

3 Silurids

1 Bad Juju metal

1 Lelu & Lilitu

1 Teddy

3 Insidious Madness

3 Stitched Together

3 Terror Tots (are they needed?)

 

Things I'm not really sure of yet are Widow Weaver, Nekima, Doppelganger and Primordial Magic (for Pandora), so I'd love to get an opinion on them.

Are there any key models missing, or is the list a solid start? Stuff like Angel Eyes or the other starter models look interesting, but I have no idea if they're good or needed.

 

 

Would be great getting some response, thanks a lot!

 

[Shadowfane]

Welcome to the dark side!

To take your points in order:

1. Those people are crazy.  Neverborn are by no means the "weaker faction" - we just have a tendency to come at the opponent sideways, and if people don't understand that when using them, they do tend to fold quickly.  Also, Pandora is a rage-inducing, black hole, card-sucking vortex of death and table flipping, so you're fine there

2. Pandora and Dreamer do share a few models, so you're ok there - she'll do nicely in Turf War and Reckoning, and Dreamer works, basically anywhere, so you should be fine.

 

For models, aside from what you have listed:

Doppelganger.  Right now. Seriously, I'm not kidding, this model makes 90% of my crews, regardless of the Master. It's just that good, and only gets better the more you play/learn what it can do.

Waldgeist - these guys are the premier space-holding models in Neverborn, and they work really well with Dreamer.  Plus, if you're getting Silurids and Bad Juju anyway, why not just get the Zoraida box?

Primordial Magic is a great totem for Pandy (The Poltergeist is somewhat more specialised and tricky to use)  and personally I wouldn't leave home without it, but thats more a personal choice than anything else.

The rest are take them and leave them - Widow Weaver and Pandora in Turf War is just plain evil, and Nekima is always fun (just remember she isn't a hammer, she's a scalpel cunnimgly disguised as a hammer).

 

Anymore questions, feel free to ask - I'm at work atm, so no doubt I'll be free to answer them

[surly]

Haha, thanks for the fast reply

I'm not sure about the Zoraida box, since I already got myself 3 Silurids for Marcus I don't really have a need for 6 (I guess?) and am no huge fan of her.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I guess the list grows and grows ...

Waldgeists I tried a few times with Marcus and had mixed feelings about them. While they're really tanky, I prefer a much more aggressive playstyle, so they didn't really make it into many lists back then.

 

... which brings up another point, can I even build some nice hard hitting lists with the models above? Beside Teddy and Juju none of them really is a wrecking ball and more scheme-centered, but I'm also not really sure if that's the point when playing Neverborn. I really love having 2-4 threats in my lists (including masters) so I can push for aggressive plays early on while still having a few left in case one of them dies. The remaining ~10-15 points of my list then can try to handle schemes and strategies.

That strategy worked nicely for me in Arcanists, is it a valid strategy in Neverborn too?

There's always the option to play multiple Teddies I guess, but I'm not really sure if that's cool or not.

 

How about Illuminated? I read a few times that they're one of the best models of the faction, but I simply can't get myseld liking their style ... so in case they're more a nice to have I'd try to avoid them tbh.

 

Also, does the Neverborn part of the 2-player-box provide some good models, or aren't they that useful for Pandora and Dreamer?

[Shadowfane]

Well, maybe just the Waldgeist then.

Waldgeist in a Neverborn crew are good because, unlike Arcanists, Armour isn't something people expect from us, so a lot of the time Armour-ignoring stuff is left at home.

Plus with the Dreamer, they can be pushed, given Fast, and heal inside his aura, making them even tankier.  I like them in Squatter's Rights (or is it Stake a Claim? the one with 5 markers across the middle of the board) because placed right, 2 Waldgeist can more or less tie up 4 of the Markers with their huge engagement range.

 

WRT hard hitting lists, you can absolutely do that, although they work a little differently in Neverborn with the Masters you want to use.

Pandora is absolutely a horrible, horrible threat.... but only to models with good damage themselves, as her damage basically depends on theirs.  However, with the Box Opens, Fears given Form and her Misery aura, she can do a lot of damage out of her activation, which helps.

Dreamer, on the other hand, does very little damage himself, but Lord Chompy Bits is goddamn terrifying.

Stable beaters for Neverborn are Nekima, Hooded Rider, Illuminated (sorry) Young Nephilim (with Dreamer, especially), Stitched Together, and probably some other stuff that escapes me due to being at work

 

*edit - Teddy, Mature Nephilim as well, obviously, as well as Bad Juju - Teddy and Mature are similar to Nekima, in that, despite how much they look like it, they are NOT tanky, and WILL go down quickly if they get focused on - Juju is more bloody annoying to get rid of, and then comes back, which is fun .

For damage output to SS ratio, you can't get much better than Baby Kade.  He does fold like a wet paper towel though, so care is required in using him!

 

Can't speak for the starter set yet from personal use, but from looking at it, I like Angel Eyes, as in-faction shooting is quite rare, plus she'd be a good place to put upgrades like Obsidian Talons or Grow, not really a fan of the Scion, and the Bloodwretches look like Terror Tots, except not as fast, but fightier - am quite looking forward to trying them out with Dreamer, actually

[Nical]

Pandora herself is one of deadliest master in this game. Wp Attacks with some Aura are very dangerous denial / attacks. 

Dreamer's Chompy is very powerful monster, but summoning dreamer may not need him.  

 

Nekima is very good heavy hitter, but she is very expensive.

Teddy with Retribution's eye(Ignoring Armor) or On dreaming Wings(Flight) is very useful beater.

Hooded Rider is good, but he need some turns to become a dangerous thing.

But my favorite beating Enforcer is Lazarus with Retribution's Eye(Ignoring Armor). 

 

Illuminated are useful, but you may need other models to give brilliance to their target. Beckoners are good partners for them.

Stitched together are good beater, but their range is short and you need to think about opponent's hand.

Waldgeists can be used as board controllers for aggressive play. 

 

Neverborn models in 2-player box are good, but I think any neverborn master can play competitive without them. 

 

Additionally, your arcanist tactic may work as neverborn, but we are more fragile and more tricky. 

[Ludvig]

Waldgeists can be a lot more aggressive in a neverborn crew than with your typical Marcus since they can deploy from the shadows if you put an upgrade on Juju. With their terrain stuff you can lock down a lot of the board or just charge people on the first turn.

I'm not sure who you heard calling Neverborn and Pandora weak. Neverborn hold their own and Pandora can be a real nightmare to face (wrong keyword I know but I couldn't fit in woe with such short notice).