Philip Card Cycle for Molly

[Gypsey]

So I've picked up Molly as my newest master. I got her on the table last weekend and learned tons, especially how card hungry she is. After doing some theory-faux later, I thought of this.

First turn, three models (probably belle/doxies) activate, walk and drop schemes. Philip either gets fast from Carrion Emmissary or gets a 1 ap action from Molly. He uses Lost Knowledge 3 times, drawing 6 cards and discarding 3. A similar sequence can happen turn 2. Is this method of card cycle too AP intensive?

Molly would have take back the night on her, but I dont find its enough card draw to rely on it alone. 

I have also been toying with the idea of sebastian and molly with maniacal laugh. This way, Seb can sacrifice a zombie to draw a card and a soulstone each turn, and raise canine remains with his ither actions. Assuming I'm bringing the Carrion Emmissary, the canine remains and zombies would be Horrors in its 10" bubble. I'm aware that Seb would have to look out for black blood, which I can only think of remedying with the necrotic machine. Also I feel Molly would only use manical laugh turn 3+ as her otther (0) actions would be more valuable.

Thoughts?

[MEGAHORSE]

I like to put Take Back the Night on Phillip myself, but with Molly, you're good keeping it on her since Phillip wont be keeping up with how aggressive she *typically* wants to be played. So good call there. It's another great way to get extra cards, and with Molly, as you've seen you need all you can get  Just remember that trigger! It's easy to forget. 

Sebastian's big draw for Molly would probably be for the anti-shoot aura for helping her survive, and like you said, eating the mindless zombies. While he could eat zombies, he would need to be so far upfield near her and the action. With how squishy he is, it's very risky imo. I personally, despite having not tested it, think it's not worth the soulstone cost for the hire like it might be for Nicodem/Kirai/McM/etc. I'm not sold on it yet, but he does have potential. Please let us know how it goes!

Perhaps early turns can be anti-shooty aura, planting schemes for Phillip, etc. I just find for what I want to hire with Horror Molly, I dont have room for him. I mostly like taking Killjoy instead. Mindless zombies themselves are great for molly just sticking around and being Horrors near the Carrion Emissary.

Also, if you like to count cards, Phillip's effectiveness increases dramatically. Wait until a point in turn 2 or so, when youve seen alot of low cards, then activate him and eat markers to hit those high cards. 

[Kogan Style]

If you want to go down the scheme marker dropping route I would advise Necropunks. They can drop a marker, leap, and drop a second marker on Turn 1 (provided Leap works). Two of these and you have enough for Philip to get on with. I personally would not 'waste' Molly's zero action on Philip in turn 2, the enemy will be bearing down on you by that point and that AP may be better served elsewhere.

Seb could be useful in a Molly crew without Maniacal. Molly doesn't need Corpse markers to summon, and some models you summon more for their effect on Death rather than fighting ability (Drowned - Scheme marker, Doxy - Fast to a model within 4") so you can use the Corpse marker to make a Canine Remains. You could then sac the canine to convert it into a SS and Card. Also as Molly's models come in with low health you shouldn't be afraid to sac them if the SS and Card is more valuable.

From your post i'd look to have Molly with Limited upgrade, Tear, and Maniacal so that you can raise the Mindless if you want and still use the other Zero. Philip, as Megahorse says, could have Take Back.

 

 

 

 

 

[Math Mathonwy]

@Myyrä has been using Philip for extreme card cycling during our current slow grow league. He could probably weigh in on this.

[Myyrä]

I don't know how much I really can tell. The only resource Molly needs is cards (and SS I suppose), so anything that can get her more of those is quite good. With Philip and a single Necropunk you can see 4 more cards per turn, and I hope I don't have to tell anyone here that boosts the odds of seeing the high cards you want quite significantly.

What I have found is that you usually don't want to spend the whole game drawing cards with Philip. I often have done that just for the 2 or 3 first turns, when the summons are most useful (because they have more ap to spend). After that he can spend some of his ap hunting down enemy scheme markers and that Necropunk can run off completing some schemes himself.

I have also found Philip with Corpse Bloat to be reasonably good with Nicodem. He does his card drawing and drops a corpse as (0) action. He's also an undead, so you can heal him with Nico or give him fast as well.

[Sholto]

If you're doing Spirit Molly, Datsue Ba with Spirit Whispers can create all the Scheme Markers Philip will need on Turn 1 from a single Drowned Summon.

[benjoewoo]

4 hours ago, Sholto said:

If you're doing Spirit Molly, Datsue Ba with Spirit Whispers can create all the Scheme Markers Philip will need on Turn 1 from a single Drowned Summon.

This. Summon 2 Drowned for two 9s plus SS where you need them and you see 8 cards in one turn with re-activate or between two turns without it.

[Fetid Strumpet]

Never personally found the AP, Cards (2 nines remember) and AP spent from the master in doing so, let alone Philip's hiring cost worth it in that particular combo. Too much investment in the cards for a random pull of cards, which, since you ditched 2 nines to make it work, requires even better cards pulled from the draw to make it worth it. Much better results to just hire a Doxie. Doxie Interacts, Takes the Lead, Interacts. Only requires the investment of a 6ss model's ap, only requires 1 seven+ card, and gives another model a free push up to their walk as well. Additionally the Doxy can still do other things, and can super boost Philip's speed when required, and best of all, doesn't burn a single one of the Master's AP, who is the individual you probably want the card draw for anyway. 

[Khaiden]

Playing a summoner master and when there are scheme-marker heavy schemes like Leave your mark, breakthrough or search the ruins in the pool or say Convict labour is one of the schemes that the opponent would probably take thanks to the strat/deploy other schemes always I take Philip and a doxy.

I place them 5 inch apart. And start with activate the doxy. She place a schememarker and use take the lead on Philip (if i fail i need to pitch a 7) pushing him so he still are in reach of my marker. Then I place a new Scheme marker. Philip activates and draws me 2 cards discard 1 twice. Next turn i Place a scheme marker with the doxy and take the lead on another model like Nico or mortimer pushing him up the bord and then place a new marker.

After turn 2 i usually mix card-Drawing with eating up opponent scheme markers with Philip to deny points for their schemes.

This strategy has been very sucessful for me every time. Of course the schemes and strat must be in this strategys favour. I Almost never play a summoner master (yes yes all can summon but you know what i mean) in a killy schemepool.

This card-drawing engine or whatever you can call it Costs me 4 AP every turn when i use it. If you can plan ahead what models you want to "take the lead on" its also an excellent way of pushing models up the bord that you dant wanna waste AP on for walking, Like Nico.