Rasputina Guide

[BlitzMonkey]

My search-fu is weak and I am unable to bring up anything resembling a guide for Raspy.  Anyone have any links?  I have a friend starting her and want to give advice.  

[Shadowfane]

Try this to start with:

https://pullmyfinger.wikispaces.com/M2E+Rasputina

 

There's couple of threads waaaaaay back on the site as well - they'll be old because Raspy was wave 1

[BlitzMonkey]

1 minute ago, Shadowfane said:

Try this to start with:

https://pullmyfinger.wikispaces.com/M2E+Rasputina

 

There's couple of threads waaaaaay back on the site as well - they'll be old because Raspy was wave 1

I know the pullmyfinger site and it helps.  My overall questions can be broken down to Shattered Heart and if it is worth it for one.  And two, what are the "core" models she needs to have.  

[Shadowfane]

Well...... I don't consider myself an expert (I'm mostly a Neverborn player who uses Arcanists as a second faction) but the most help I got Rspy wise was from the Schemes and Stones Podcast on her:

http://schemesandstones.podbean.com/e/episode-8-master-spotlight-rasputina/

 

Obviously Podcasts aren't everyone's cup of tea, but there's a lot of good stuff in there, including using Decembers Pawn and drawing duels to fish for the Black/Red Joker, which is an amusing way to play her...

 

*edit* in terms of "core" models:

She can play with either the Wendigo or the Essence of Power, they just give different bonuses really.

I consider Acolytes core, for 7 stones they're one of the most solid Minions Arcanists have, and in a Raspy crew they add Ice Mirror points, and gain from Bite of Winter (giving them a 3/5/7 harpoon gun, which is bonkers). Leading to....

Ice Gamin.  I like one around, just for Bite of Winter, since it makes Acolytes and Raspy's damage even better, but I don't usually take more than one.

Some form of Rapid movement is always useful, so I consider Snowstorm core - however, the Captain makes a surprsingly good substitute with all his pushes and relic hammers and burning

Silent Ones are ace, and get better the more Frozen Heart you have in your crew - more healing, more bouncing attacks off Frozen Heart, etc etc.

Blessed is fun, and brings speed and melee to the crew, but less "core" and more "when I can fit it in"

The wave 3 model Ice Dancer is good with her too - speedy Interacts, whats not to love? Especially because she''s frozen heart.

And I'm also coming around to the Emissary with Raspy as well.

 

That's what I would consider "core" with Raspy - you can add any of the other Arcanist stuff to her, of course, but I find Raspy does better with as much frozen heart around her as possible, which tends to limit the non-FH stuff you can fit in.

Having said that..... try and fit the Arcane Effigy in if  you can.

[BlitzMonkey]

1 hour ago, Shadowfane said:

Well...... I don't consider myself an expert (I'm mostly a Neverborn player who uses Arcanists as a second faction) but the most help I got Rspy wise was from the Schemes and Stones Podcast on her:

http://schemesandstones.podbean.com/e/episode-8-master-spotlight-rasputina/

 

Obviously Podcasts aren't everyone's cup of tea, but there's a lot of good stuff in there, including using Decembers Pawn and drawing duels to fish for the Black/Red Joker, which is an amusing way to play her...

 

*edit* in terms of "core" models:

She can play with either the Wendigo or the Essence of Power, they just give different bonuses really.

I consider Acolytes core, for 7 stones they're one of the most solid Minions Arcanists have, and in a Raspy crew they add Ice Mirror points, and gain from Bite of Winter (giving them a 3/5/7 harpoon gun, which is bonkers). Leading to....

Ice Gamin.  I like one around, just for Bite of Winter, since it makes Acolytes and Raspy's damage even better, but I don't usually take more than one.

Some form of Rapid movement is always useful, so I consider Snowstorm core - however, the Captain makes a surprsingly good substitute with all his pushes and relic hammers and burning

Silent Ones are ace, and get better the more Frozen Heart you have in your crew - more healing, more bouncing attacks off Frozen Heart, etc etc.

Blessed is fun, and brings speed and melee to the crew, but less "core" and more "when I can fit it in"

The wave 3 model Ice Dancer is good with her too - speedy Interacts, whats not to love? Especially because she''s frozen heart.

And I'm also coming around to the Emissary with Raspy as well.

 

That's what I would consider "core" with Raspy - you can add any of the other Arcanist stuff to her, of course, but I find Raspy does better with as much frozen heart around her as possible, which tends to limit the non-FH stuff you can fit in.

Having said that..... try and fit the Arcane Effigy in if  you can.

I am a fan of the Arcane Effigy myself, particularly because of the condition removal and passing out fire to her blast.  

[Guslado]

6 hours ago, BlitzMonkey said:

I know the pullmyfinger site and it helps.  My overall questions can be broken down to Shattered Heart and if it is worth it for one.  And two, what are the "core" models she needs to have.  

At 3ss Shattered Heart is an expensive upgrade to take, but it can greatly increase the utility of your ice mirroring targets and can be easily countered by engaging your mirrors. I've found that taking I tend to take Armor of December far more often.

[lusciousmccabe]

14 minutes ago, Guslado said:

At 3ss Shattered Heart is an expensive upgrade to take, but it can greatly increase the utility of your ice mirroring targets and can be easily countered by engaging your mirrors. I've found that taking I tend to take Armor of December far more often.

Yeah, I think it's kind of a trap sometimes. It makes her much better at something she's already good at, whereas Armor of December shores up her biggest weakness. I played against an Arcanist player recently who'd gone really heavily down the Ice Mirror path and it felt pretty bad that I could render his master esentially useless for the whole game just by summoning Coppelius into melee with her.

[Guslado]

2 minutes ago, lusciousmccabe said:

Yeah, I think it's kind of a trap sometimes. It makes her much better at something she's already good at, whereas Armor of December shores up her biggest weakness. I played against an Arcanist player recently who'd gone really heavily down the Ice Mirror path and it felt pretty bad that I could render his master esentially useless for the whole game just by summoning Coppelius into melee with her.

Bringing along Snow Storm can shore up Raspy's mobility issues and the Emissary has a (0) that can move Raspy too and never counts as engaged for mirroring purposes, but a determined opponent can bring those two down easier than one might expect.

As to other core Raspy units, the Ice Golem is fantastic (especially with Imbued Energies).

As far as non-Frozen heart models go, I occasionally bring along a Sabertooth Cerberus or Myranda.

[Sordid Strumpet]

Snow Storm is a great frozen heart supporter and damage dealer in his own right, and he has a 0 action the can get Rasputina out of trouble - or you just shoot the melee with his Tornado and then push Rasputina out. Shattered heart I find really depends on the table, but I think out of the two upgrades it's by far the better one, that push is such a small distance. Alternatively you can bring a performer and lure Rasputina out of Melee, and performers are pretty much always good t bring and very cheap.

[Rogue1]

I am a much bigger fan of Shattered Heart than Armor of December.  I have rarely found myself in a position where Snowstorm cannot pull her out our a pair of silent ones cannot blow the target in melee with her away.  Shattered heart opens up so many more possibilities for her in my opinion.

[mythicFOX]

I've been playing Tina a lot recently.  Here are my thoughts;

Shattered Heart brings a lot of power, but commits you to a very stand back play style and is expensive. It also makes her more vulnerable to the enemy, both because she can't take Armor to escape melee easily, and because the enemy is more likely to see her as vulnerable and engage her.  Going with Armor allows you to play Tina much further forward and makes her a lot harder to shut down.  

Personally I'm of the view that Armor of December is the better choice most of the time, that said both options are perfectly valid. This is one of those key choices you make when hiring a crew that will inform a lot of the other build decisions you have to make.

In terms of core models you'll hire every game, by default I tend to start with something like;

Rasputina, with Arcane Reservoir, Cold Nights, Armor of December, 6ss cache (7)

Wendigo (3)

Ice Gamin (4)

Then I'd probably look to add Snow Storm (with Imbued Energies), the Arcane Effigy, and a Silent One.

If by core you mean model pool, I'd start with the box then purchase in the following order;  Blessed, Snow Storm, Mech Rider, Arcane Effigy, Silent Ones.

Outside this Myranda and Cassandra are always useful to have.

I've an up coming tournament which is fixed master with a limited model pool, and I've committed to playing Tina. I'll be posting some thoughts about that for critique by other Arcanist players here at the weekend. So you may find that useful too.

[Kadeton]

In my experience, Shattered Heart means relying on another model to pull Raspy out of the fire when the enemy come to engage her, which basically changes Snow Storm from a great option to a mandatory choice. With Armor of December, you can rely on Raspy to get herself out of trouble almost all the time, and get a few casts of Biting Chill on the way - you can play her much more aggressively that way. Personally, I much prefer the Armor style, because it makes moving upfield less scary, and that's where the objectives are. Hanging back and bouncing bank shots off your own models is very destructive, but feels a lot less interactive. It's also very easy to score schemes like Frame for Murder against Shattered Raspy.

I would definitely suggest picking up some Acolytes as your first purchase - Shadowfane called them "one of the most solid Minions Arcanists have" and I'd go further than that. In my opinion, they're right up there as one of the strongest 7ss models in the game. I have never regretted hiring them. They will destroy your opponent's models, cards, and dreams.

My suggested second purchase is Snow Storm. She usually displaces the Ice Golem in my lists - she doesn't hit as hard, but she's more survivable, far more mobile, and can move your other Frozen Heart models around which is absolutely invaluable.

After that, whatever you like! Lots of great options already presented above.

[MR TORGUE]

I've had a lot of experience being blasted by Rasputina and my regular opponent who i suppose you could say is a raspy specialist always takes Mirrors and Pillars; the fact the Wendigo can throw down a second lot of them really helps to lock down some crews and being able to double cast due to triggers while arcing is brutal.

I'd honestly say the more intellectual side of Rasputina is her pillar use; therein lies her depth rather than the straight out nuking of crews. I agree with Fox however that both upgrades are great and it will come down to what you feel most comfortable with. 
 

[MR TORGUE]

2 minutes ago, Kadeton said:

I would definitely suggest picking up some Acolytes as your first purchase - Shadowfane called them "one of the most solid Minions Arcanists have" and I'd go further than that. In my opinion, they're right up there as one of the strongest 7ss models in the game. I have never regretted hiring them. They will destroy your opponent's models, cards, and dreams.

True dat. 
 

[Spike0738]

Snow Storm - Top purchase... This will increase Rasputina's ability tremendously. Keeping her alive and moving her out of combat #1. 
December Acolytes - Probably equally as important as Snow Storm. They do just about everything you'd want. 
Silent Ones - Very nice to have a heal in the group, while adding another Frozen Heart model. 
Blessed of December - Good dmg output. Great threat range. Will make your opponent activate differently.  

Top 4 purchases for any Rasputina crew... I've never found myself using 3 Acolytes, heck barely ever have I used 2, so you may want to just hop onto Gadzooks gaming and pick up a solo Acolyte for $5... I'm not sure I agree that Acolytes are the best 7ss models in the game, but they are amazing if used properly. Snow Storm is a must, in my opinion. He just adds too much potential and keeps Raspy alive longer. 

[Eldmor]

As for non-Frozen Heart models:

Cassandra/Lola is wonderful running up a flank with a Silent One backpacking spells for her when scheme running is done.

Wind Gamin for disposable scheme runners that add mobility.

Mechanical Rider because summoning, mobility, and a bull's-eye.

Arcane Emissary for blitzkreig damage and being able to bounce a spell for Rasputina in melee.

[Shadowfane]

5 hours ago, Kadeton said:

I would definitely suggest picking up some Acolytes as your first purchase - Shadowfane called them "one of the most solid Minions Arcanists have" and I'd go further than that. In my opinion, they're right up there as one of the strongest 7ss models in the game. I have never regretted hiring them. They will destroy your opponent's models, cards, and dreams.

I should point out that, being primarily a Neverborn player, I'm reluctant to describe any other 7ss model as "the strongest in the game" when I have Illuminated sitting there watching me....

[Ludvig]

19 minutes ago, Shadowfane said:

I should point out that, being primarily a Neverborn player, I'm reluctant to describe any other 7ss model as "the strongest in the game" when I have Illuminated sitting there watching me....

An illuminated without brilliance on it's target isn't better than an acolyte at damaging I believe. It also doesn't automatically slow and make the enemy discard cards from range. The illuminated does take one hell of a beating to put down and hits hard under the right circumstances. I'd say they have very different applications making them hard to compare but are both very strong.

[Kadeton]

1 hour ago, Shadowfane said:

I should point out that, being primarily a Neverborn player, I'm reluctant to describe any other 7ss model as "the strongest in the game" when I have Illuminated sitting there watching me....

Hence "one of the strongest".

It's worth noting that one-on-one, an Acolyte will usually win against an Illuminated... eventually. They're both incredibly strong for their cost by themselves, and get even stronger with support from a Master.

[BlitzMonkey]

Thanks all!  My buddy has looked at this thread and said it helped immensely.  

[blomkaal]

On 31/12/2015 at 9:47 AM, mythicFOX said:

I've been playing Tina a lot recently.  Here are my thoughts;

Shattered Heart brings a lot of power, but commits you to a very stand back play style and is expensive. It also makes her more vulnerable to the enemy, both because she can't take Armor to escape melee easily, and because the enemy is more likely to see her as vulnerable and engage her.  Going with Armor allows you to play Tina much further forward and makes her a lot harder to shut down.  

Personally I'm of the view that Armor of December is the better choice most of the time, that said both options are perfectly valid. This is one of those key choices you make when hiring a crew that will inform a lot of the other build decisions you have to make.

In terms of core models you'll hire every game, by default I tend to start with something like;

Rasputina, with Arcane Reservoir, Cold Nights, Armor of December, 6ss cache (7)

Wendigo (3)

Ice Gamin (4)

Then I'd probably look to add Snow Storm (with Imbued Energies), the Arcane Effigy, and a Silent One.

If by core you mean model pool, I'd start with the box then purchase in the following order;  Blessed, Snow Storm, Mech Rider, Arcane Effigy, Silent Ones.

Outside this Myranda and Cassandra are always useful to have.

I've an up coming tournament which is fixed master with a limited model pool, and I've committed to playing Tina. I'll be posting some thoughts about that for critique by other Arcanist players here at the weekend. So you may find that useful too.

I'm curious as to why you don't mention Acolytes at all. They seem really strong, which The Collective Internet "Wisdom" seems to agree with, but I really liked your arguments on Gunsmiths and The Captain in the Kaeris Schemes & Stones, so I would love to hear your opinion on Acolytes as well

[Rogue1]

 

As a pretty dedicated Raspy player I find that the Acolytes are very good but by no means mandatory.  They put out good damage but are often over extended to do so and opponents usually make it a point to remove them.  I tend to prefer my forward models (read ice mirrors) to be more resilient.  A list I ran at a recent tournament that did this very very well was:

 

Raspy- Shattered Heart, Cold Nights, Child of December, 3SS cache

Snowstorm- Warding Runes (normally armor of December but I traded out because I was facing Ressers and did not want a bunch of belles luring Snowstorm)

Arcane Emmisary- elemental conflux

Ice gamin

Ice Dancer

Silent One

Arcane Effigy

Wendego

 

My opponent found it almost impossible to break up my two mirror points due to the resiliance of the emissary and counterspell on Snowstorm.  I used Raspy to paralyze and blast the interceptors trying to stop the ice Dancer and she and the Wendego went out on flanks running schemes.  I did not find the lack of Acolytes to be an issue due to my ability to project power out from a central position with relative impunity.

[mythicFOX]

7 hours ago, blomkaal said:

I'm curious as to why you don't mention Acolytes at all. They seem really strong, which The Collective Internet "Wisdom" seems to agree with, but I really liked your arguments on Gunsmiths and The Captain in the Kaeris Schemes & Stones, so I would love to hear your opinion on Acolytes as well

Thanks, I'm glad you liked my appearance on the cast.

I'll begin by saying that December Acolytes are very good models which sit ahead of the power curve. So the rest below is typed in full understanding of that.

The DA brings two things to a Tina crew;  more shooting, and alpha strike capability.

Now more shooting isn't something Raspy really needs, it's pushes her a little bit too far towards being a gun line IMO.  I wrote a longer article about this on my blog recently, so that may also be of interest.  

Using From the Shadows to set up very early ice mirrored casts into the enemy DZ and alpha-striking is a valid plan. Personally I find that approach to be somewhat all or nothing, it either wins or loses fairly hard, and it's got quite a high variance in doing so.

While you can use the acolyte in other roles it wouldn't be technically more efficient than other choices we have available as a faction.

TLDR; There's nothing fundamentally wrong in including the Acolyte, and they're certainly a very good model.  I just find that I'm not often looking for what they're bringing to Tina. Others will certainly disagree with me.

[Hinge]

After a nice run with Collette, I have started playing Raspy.  One model I have found very useful is Angelica (with Practiced Production).  Her two pushes allow me to reposition Raspy's ice mirror network fairly easily, especially when my opponent attempts to engage them.  She can also push Snow Storm, who then can focus on moving Raspy.  I have been playing with Shattered, so Raspy does prefer to sit back more. 

PP is always useful and should be fun with the new schemes.