About to start running Jack Daw

[bertmac]

Looking for some pointers.

What does he do well?

Does he need many tormented models?

I don't have any nurses or hanged. Are there any models he needs to work well?

[daniello_s]

He is:

- good damage dealer

- great with spreading his Curses which affects enemy actions

- good scheme runner (if needed)

- supporting his crew very well (pushes from Writhing Torment upgrade)

Definitely you need at least one The Guilty to torment two key non-tormented models in your crew like Rusty, Taelor or Johana.

Nurse is always great with him - I don't leave home without taking one. The Hanged is ok as well but not essential.

[Karolicker]

I like bringing a guilty, malifaux child and twist and turn. Can torment three models only using one guilty via share guilt, twist and turn then share guilt, then just like you to steal twist and turn and then share guilt. Gobbles up all of your first turn cards though.

 

Run him with ranged. I like things like alyce or convicts. Torment them, and you get a free 3" push if they are near jack (assuming you took the writhing torment upgrade; You always take that upgrade) to get into position or pop out of melee so they can rapid fire. Take papa and flip-flop 'hold this' between two convicts, or a convict and a specialist, or whatever you like. Also, he tosses dynamite.

 

Run him with melee. He can take tasty, tasty crooked men if you are expecting gun-heavy opposition. He can take a nice big-hitter list made out of two or more of taelor, johana, wrath, ama-no-zako, desolation engine, plus some support and scheming (such as nurses, lust), and push them around to where they need to be for maximum beating. Take papa and blow it all up when your dudes die and theirs havent for some reason.

 

Run him control. Monty sucks bum, but jack can take gems such as Lust for movement shenannigans, hanged for terror, nurses and crooked men for paralysis, jaakuna, drowned and boondoggle seven to make punishing toxic zones. Lady liega for that hilarous no-cheat aura. All of these are enhanced by the creeping terror. Also papa as a tactical nuclear deterrant.

 

Run him for schemes. Share guilt, writhing torment, twist and turn, plus scheme runner equals scheme markers basically wherever you want. Performers and torakage hired in as mercenaries are excellent for this. Have nurses give anyone uppers to make them scheme better. Crooked men for scheme protection, drowned and crooked men for finish the job, combine with last whisper and they drop two schemes when they die. Papa loco... he can also drop scheme markers I guess?

 

In short, Papa Loco. I realise I am mostly alone in my love of Crazy Dad amongst jack players.

 

Jack himself will do different jobs depending on whatever sort of list you pick. The dynamic of whatever crew you go for should end up leading its tactics, and jack acts as an amplifier. I think he is best used as set up (movement abilities, possible curses) early game, and to be an annoying futhermucker to your opponent later on with his control and curses flying around. Leave him as late in the turn as long as you have the nerve since his debuffs are (semi-) permenant, and he generally likes do cleaning up after this turn and setting up for the next turn. Though he is CA7, I find him unreliable and dissatisfying as a damage dealer, especially when you can bring some truly horrifying beaters along and use him to push them about.

 

Also papa loco with oathkeeper. Think about it.

[SlackerLM]

The great thing about Jack, he can have a versatile crew selection that doesn't need to start thematic but that will become so as the game progresses. This also means that he is different than many masters as he builds his own crew's synergy, rather than having to worry about it at the start of the game. You could, for example, take Ashes and Dust, make it Tormented (it's a characteristic and not a condition!) and push it 3" up the board at the start of its turn with Jack's Writhing Torment. 

[Khoregard]

I would just like to say with conviction that montresor does not suck bum, hes got a mean sh noose attack that with min damage 1 is a great way to pull your own models out of situations.

[SlackerLM]

He is a an average stated model, but his abilities are a trap, since they don't use his 3". To best use those abilities, enemies need to be in B2B with him. Now instead of keeping enemies at his 3", where very few could reach him, everyone has the opportunity to damage him. His Mocking Laughter doesn't help him directly. He is average stat'ed, so ge can easily get into a bad situation and not have the tools to help himself out of trouble. If he simply pulled and triggered in his 3", he would be a great model. 

[SlackerLM]

And both he and Jack should have been Terrifying (all).

[Karolicker]

Monty is much too flimsy for what he wants to do. The moment he becomes an annoyance to the enemy he is mashed into a fine pulp.

[Patzer]

I played quite a lot of Daw last summer, most of my thoughts about Daw are there. 

 

[Fog]

I've been playing a lot of Jack lately and here are my personal observations.

If you are smart and careful, Ligeia is a backbreaker. Your opponent will usually be willing to overextend to put her down, and if they aren't then they'll suffer once she can get in. I've found the key is being patient. You'll want to make that 4 point investment do some work but don't rush into a situation where you'll lose her for nothing.

Papa Loco is ten times better with Jack than with guild. Give him +2 armor with a nurse, 11" of out of activation movement with Lust and Jack, and oath keeper. Explode twice in their face from downtown and survive so they have to either spend actions to kill you or let you do it again. Just be wary of pushers.

Look out for moon shinobi. They have your number.

I've found the 3" push to be the number one reason to bring Jack. His insane hiring pool is number two. Though it's not quite as true as it was last year, movement tricks win games.