Lets talk Datsue Ba

[Primed]

So, How is everyone making use of her? I used her in one game with seamus and didnt feel like she did much.

I need some secret tech lads, open my eyes and let me carry on judging!

[Wake of Godzilla]

For me, she makes Resser Yan Lo, in the same way that works for Sebastian does for the good doc and Mort for Nicodem.

The senshin summoning to be sacked for chi makes him be "up and running" much faster without risking getting him killed early game.

I can see some good play with Seamus but at a guess she (Datsu-Ba) would need to be a late turn activation or need to stay close to Seamus to make use of his WP debuff. 

[Kogan Style]

Outside of Summoning Masters she is a good option for anti-armour when the Arcanist come knocking. 

Ability to chain-attack four times (Judgement triggering Weigh Sins) is very nice, but you do need to make sure you have the Tomes to start the process off. Weigh Sins being a ranged WP attack gives you some mobile healing for Seamus (14" actually: Weigh Sins is 8", Seamus only needs to be within 6" of the target to heal - he does not need LoS to the target however) 

[SurreyLee]

Her ability to summon Seishin can also assist Seamus in using his back alley action as at the start of his activation they can go into base contact with him blocking LOS from most models as they are height 2. 

Also, as the Hanged has synergy with Seamus and being a spirit, Datsu can move them along for a 0 action which is always nice.

She also looks great at finishing off those models on 1-2 wounds to create free Gaki/Onryo.

I've not actually used her yet, just finished painting, but I think she'd work nicely in a Seamus crew in support.

[Fireuser]

Seishin cannot give Yan-Lo unless he is using Spirit Barrage on them.  Since they are immune to auras, if an enemy kills it, no chi will be gained by Yan-Lo.  I do not understand the desire to attack your own models for chi either.  I have never had a problem getting chi on Yan-Lo, nor does he die early unless I terribly misplay him.

I still find that Datsue Ba is great with him.  His theme crew is sorely lacking the ability to deal with armor, and being able to summon some spirits can really put a damper on the opponents plans.  This is also very AP efficient (kill an enemy model and generate one of your own for a single AP).

[MEGAHORSE]

Agreed with @Fireuser on Datsue being anti-armor. Lately I've been taking it in many, many lists, even against my non-arcanist opponent's (she sure shines there!) for that ability alone. I see her as the Spirit version of Sybelle. She provides many of the same benefits at the same point cost, and it's hard not to justify taking her with a Spirit Master for all that she can offer. 

• She enhances the abilities of many other models in your crew, helping them move about on a 0, much like Sybelle. Yan Lo, when he gives a model +2 Armor, also turns that model into a spirit, allowing her 0 to be used to Walk a previously non-spirit model as well. 
• Her attacks arent particularly damaging, even for an 8 point model sans upgrades, but the triggers can be devastating to the opponent
• Tough to remove from the table without a focused effort, usually by a higher point model. Sybelle has terrifying, hard to wound, Def5 Wp5, and alot of wounds. If the opponent is going to remove her, they're gonna gun for her. Same with Datsue, and with the healing spirits tend to bring (and their masters/Chiaki/Seishin), her 6 wounds can go a longer way. Incorporeal and Terrifying on Datsue also help her survive random attacks, and if your opponent wants to remove her, they need to put some effort into it. She then will make them discard 2 card when she does die, so it's incredibly taxing, possibly taxing their entire hand between terrifying and trying to put her down, just to lose two more cards.
• Her upgrades further enhance the crew. Spirit Whispers and Beacon (I sometimes put beacon on kirai) can summon additional models to help keep her healed (when you sacrifice the seishin) and provide activation control, as well as allowing you to continue summoning or plant free schemes when your nearby non-seishin models die. Sybelle does this too! Her attacks gain more relevant triggers or further enhance the infamous belle lure. 

[Ryin]

I'll bring her as a henchwoman in a Tara crew. She has anti-armor, the ability to generate more Ap through summoning and precious healing when I gobble up Seishin. Not to mention, if I have her following Tara around, I have gotten people paralyzed with her terrifying combined with a hanged an Tara's -wp aura. Her damage isn't bad either and her movement tricks are always nice.

She's just a really solid model as long as you can keep her a live (and from what I have seen she is generally a target (and rightfully so)) which you can still use to your advantage.

[benjoewoo]

Datsue-ba with seamus isn't terrible--about the same level of utility as Sybelle the Bus Driver. Sybelle moves up belles for 18" healing on Seamus, while Datsue-ba can enable Seamus to back alley without relying on RCK while providing healing potential outside of Feast of Fear. 

The armor bypass is great against crews that care about, e.g. Arcanists. Otherwise, her damage track is somewhat lacking. But, you'll most often use her to summon Seishin and range barrage people. Weigh Sins is a great little finisher because even though it's an AP and possibly a high card for 1 min damage negative flip, it auto-summons a gaki and with a mask gets you an onryo, provided you're not affected by a counter spell.

[RaguRagla]

What about Denial of Sanzu? I found this to be a very mean Action that can shut down a model on it's own. Since Jakuuna has it too, and Yin having something similar IIRC one could make a pretty mean Denial-based list. What's your opinion?

[Fetid Strumpet]

Focusing on it would be a mistake. Don't get me wrong, it's a decent ability, but it's niche in how an actual game of Malifaux goes. In order for the ability to be really game shifting there are too many required variables that would all need to go off. Firstly you have to use the ability on a model who hasn't activated, as the condition ends at the end of the turn. Secondly you have to use it on a model that actually wants to make use of the actions it prevents. It does no good to say:

"Aha Perdita, now you cannot move or charge! Mwahaha!" 

...*shrugs* "Ok." BANG BANG BANG

If the model has something useful for the crew it can do without taking the action you are preventing, then why even take the action.

Both of those together, as well as the alternating activation system Malifaux operates under means that trying to build a crew to take advantage of these abilities most likely will not be effective. As an incidental benefit to having them in the crew, sure, being able to have that ability spread through a crew to increase the chances at least one of them will be in the right position to take advantage of one of those niche situations when it occurs is great.

 

[Khaiden]

Her Weight Sins ability is Bonkers if you focus and will be able to cheat in a severe for damage.
Its Cast so it ignores Incoporeal and you can cast it against engaged targets without randomizing. It ignores armour and has a Severe Damage of 6!!!! If you kill someone with it you get a Gaki. She one-shot the majority of  undamaged minious out there (except ours) and even some enforcers with a focused Cast against them. 

I try to use her agressively and kill un-activated minions to get activationcontrol with my new fresh Gaki. 

She has some great synergy with Yan Lo, of course Kirai and Seamus With or without sinister rep.

I like her a lot.



 

[Primed]

thanks for the responses guys, i forgot that i even posted this.

I have been playing her as much as i can and i cant seem to get much out of her, I think i probably need to use her as a finishing model rather than a first line damage dealer. finishing off something with her after seamus has done a hefty amount of damage and getting a gaki does sound pretty decent