thoughts on crew build?

[Guildenstern]

My first (and only atm) Master is Somer, I'm looking at the following for my crew for 35ss:

 

Somer + Family Tree - 2ss

Skeeter (totem) - 2ss

Bayou Gremlin X4 - 12 SS

Lenny w/ Dirty Cheater - 10ss

Slop Hauler - 5ss

 

Models I have (ready to play): Hog Whisperer, Wild Boars (3), Sammy LaCroix, Whiskey Golem, 4 more Bayou Gremlins

Models I have (still in box): Brewmaster box (intend to use with Whiskey golem prolly), piglets, pigapult, gracie, War Wabbit

 

I'm trying to keep my list simple til I am more comfortable with everyone's abilities and how Gremlins work ingame etc. The Bayou Gremlins are fun but I notice their damage wasn't very good unless I really focus fired - or maybe I should have been taking potshots at the chaff first.

 

Anyway still figuring this out, comments appreciated =D

[Runeman]

I really would consider dirty cheater for Som'er, it works really well with him since he can then cheat with the top card of the deck just to heal.

[Guildenstern]

cool! thanks for the input!

[Dogmantra]

Summoning tends to be quite powerful in smaller games, so you will probably do pretty well with this crew.

Depending on the strategy you might want to get a second Skeeter - they're great for Reconnoiter (and Interference for the Gaining Grounds strats) to tie up enemies and stop them spreading out as well as you. I also really like the Can O'Beans upgrade on Som'er so that you can have the Skeeters sit by enemies and fart at them to force lots of high Wp duels - it's much more damaging than their attacks.

I'm also personally not much of a fan of Dirty Cheater on Lenny, in my experience he tends to walk around a lot and not cheat during his own activation that often, although in a crew with so much Bayou Two Card you can probably spare the cards specifically to heal him. I like Hide in the Mud as a defensive upgrade on him (it's in Crossroads - essentially gives you permanent soft cover).

 

And you're right that Bayou Gremlins aren't too strong damage wise, but I find the best way to make them pack a punch is to use Focus very liberally. In any case where you have two AP and you're in range, I always suggest focusing and firing, not firing twice. This helps to counteract their lower Sh stat, but also means that if you're hitting people out of cover, you're probably getting a straight damage flip, which means it's cheateable. With Bayou Two Card that essentially means you can reflip weak damage flips for a much better chance at hitting moderate or severe. Stand 'em next to Lenny and they can hit pretty hard, too.

[Math Mathonwy]

47 minutes ago, Dogmantra said:

Stand 'em next to Lenny and they can hit pretty hard, too.

And the understatement of the year award goes to... *drumroll* ...  

[MR TORGUE]

39 minutes ago, Dogmantra said:

And you're right that Bayou Gremlins aren't too strong damage wise, but I find the best way to make them pack a punch is to use Focus very liberally. In any case where you have two AP and you're in range, I always suggest focusing and firing, not firing twice. This helps to counteract their lower Sh stat, but also means that if you're hitting people out of cover, you're probably getting a straight damage flip, which means it's cheateable. With Bayou Two Card that essentially means you can reflip weak damage flips for a much better chance at hitting moderate or severe. Stand 'em next to Lenny and they can hit pretty hard, too.

Its sneaky combo's like this that make me love gremlins and bayou two-card. 
Somer forever!!!

[Guildenstern]

I didn't even realize it was a combo - sooo much to learn! thanks guys!

[D6Damager]

Alternatively to summoning Bayou Gremlins, you could put your Pigapult and Piglets together for a different type of summoning.

Will allow you to be more flexible with Somer when you see what schemes and strats are revealed. Killy, lots of interacts, or 'scrum in the middle' go for Bayous...scheme running, table quarters, enemy deployment zone go pigs.

[Guildenstern]

had my second game tonight against Freikorps - wow Von Schill... just ouch lol

Was an awesome game though! I learned a lot, and got a better sense of the interactions with the upgrades etc too. I'm still getting used to what model can do what and so forth.

I definitely want to put together my piglets - I already have hog whisperer, which I think I forgot to mention above.

I wasn't as impressed with slophauler, but I hadn't realized during the game he could add a healing flip to gremlins as well as pigs - I was thinking just pigs =/ Reading comprehension for the win! lol

[Math Mathonwy]

20 hours ago, Guildenstern said:

I wasn't as impressed with slophauler, but I hadn't realized during the game he could add a healing flip to gremlins as well as pigs - I was thinking just pigs =/ Reading comprehension for the win! lol

Also note that Bayou Two-card works on healing flips as well  (This was something that I realized only after a while of using the Slops - others may be quicker on the uptake)

Oh, and Piglets are incredibly fun. Try charging something (for one AP) and then going Defensive Stance - they are extremely annoying to remove.

[Guildenstern]

No I had not realized that, awesome thanks!!

[Dogmantra]

Just remember that the model being healed is the one that makes the flip and so that's the one that needs Bayou Two Card to use it.

[TerrorPenguin]

6 hours ago, Dogmantra said:

Just remember that the model being healed is the one that makes the flip and so that's the one that needs Bayou Two Card to use it.

Ach, I've been cheating! Thanks, will know this from now on

[cfrag]

A quick note on piglets. They are amazing vs shooty models, but melt to wp attacks! I had a tough time against rezzers with piglets (and lenny lol) because of that.

However, have a pig charge Perdita (which only has a shooting attack) followed by def stance and see your opponent spend tons of AP just to move it away.

Somer was my first master and still is my goto master. He is super versatile, summon or no summon. The best tips have already been given to you (focus on bayou gremlins), but I'll add a couple tips:

- abuse your bayou two card ability. In heals, in shots, in dmg, etc. That's the best way to remember the abilities exist!

- Somer's ability to make the both you and the opponent discard their hands is way more powerful than it seems because:

1) Even if you both lose your hands you have bayou 2 card in half your crew

2) You can use it as a "bluff": cast it and if you're winning the flip, your opponent will very much probably use its higher card to cheat (because if he loses, all the hand will go away). that way you get to keep your hand and your opponent loses his best card

- Somer's shotgun has ridiculous damage with the rams trigger. 8 dmg on a severe with double blasts is an absurd amount of dmg. And although it requires some good cards in your hand, it's not that hard to pull off. Just aim for miniatures with low df

[Red Moon Head]

Lenny is an awesome addition not only giving you rams and damage reduction for all near but alows the BG's to go drunk and reckless for 1 damage rather than 2.

However don't count out using Trixiebelle instead. 
While I've not use dit in 35, in 50ss having a skeeter to do it like dis for masks, somer spawning 3 gremlins, slop haulers heal them up to full. Then once you've out activated get all the bayous to shoot somer (and miss) to make him squeel across the board to within 12" of the enemy master. 
(stone for cards if you dont have at least 2x 11+ cards and a mask on the draw) Trixie cheats initiative next turn, somer does do it like dis for masks (ensuring squeel for the turn) and then bigger hat than you their master and shoot twice stoning for rams if you really want to pump damage. 

A lot of opponents crews will be punished playing every turn thereafter with no control hand, you having squeel built in and bayou two card.