Looking into Levi

[Wolfpact]

So, I'm a hopeless case. Still have glue residue on my fingers from my very first Crew's in-progress assembly and I'm looking into my next one(s)...

 

And well, I love Levi's website fluff, look, and suggested play-style from reading PullMyFinger on him. Plus, his Abominations seem to have a good synergy with Sue - who is high on my list to pick up (as I'm a huge Johnny Cash fan in general and well, Sue looks really great)...

Which, plus Alyce leaves me looking into a third "anchor" - Bishop seems a valid choice?  I'm wide open for feedback here

 

And would, for a summoning Levi/Alyce, an extra box of Abominations be advisable? I'd pick up a Desolation Engine for this crew to bring in by way of Abomination summons

 

******

 

Outcasts
50ss Crew

- Leveticus -- 7ss
 +From Ash - 2ss
 +To The Earth Return - 1ss

- Hollow Waif x 2 - 0ss

- Abomination - 4ss

- Abomination - 4ss

- Rusty Alyce - 10ss
 +Desolate Soul - 2ss
 +From The Aether - 2ss

- Sue - 8ss

- (Insert 10ss Figure Here)

 

*******

 

Though, one other concern.. I hear Levi called a little overpowered on the forums? I don't want to rely on a crutch, but again he and his Crew jsut really speak to me aesthetically..

 

So.. anything on Levi, a good 10ss (or Xss with upgrades, etc.) to mix with that list, things to know about power levels, purchase advice, etc.? Anything you fine folks feel fit to share will be most appreciated.

[KrazyIvan]

Every time a new Levi player adds From Ash to their crew baby Levi cries (including when I used it all the time when I first started).

I'll talk about upgrades in a minute, but let me start with crew composition. Levi's core crew is very good, but it's expensive and you will often find yourself with only 3 anchors. Personally I prefer to have at least 4 anchors, and I rarely take more than one 10SS+ model. The reason for this is twofold: first, Levi simply doesn't need them because he fills the role of beater in his crew, and second the more anchors you have the more mobile Levi will be. Levi's strength isn't just that you can count on him to erase a model every turn, instead his strength is that he is mobile enough through his Waifs to erase exactly the model you want every turn. For that to work you need as many anchors as you can get.

Now that I've played tons of games with the old man my typical crew starts with the following models:

• Levi
• Rusty Alyce (10SS)
• Friekorps Trapper (6SS)
• Friekorps Librarian (7SS)
• Johan (6SS)

I could go over the reasons that I use these models, but that has less to do with theme than you seem to be interested in. Sufficed to say that this base provides a ton a flexibility (good shooting, melee, healing, condition removal, scheme running, and something to use against incorporeal models). More importantly it allows me to spread my anchors around which increases Levi potential threat range. Whatever else I add is usually dependent on the scheme and strategy pool for the match.

Ultimately model selection is personal thing. You should use what you like for whatever reason. If Sue and Bishop speak to you then by all means use them! Bishop should make a fine anchor. He is a good beater who should be able to hold his own. Not a ton of synergy there, but that doesn't necessarily matter

For additional purchases I would add a box of Abominations (I rarely need more than 6, and that is all summoned from Desolate Soul), Ashes & Dust (beater/scheme runner who I used to make use of all the time), and a Desolation Engine (which I mostly set on the sideboard as a threat...it rarely makes it into a game since I tend to find 4 abominations much more useful than 1 Desolation Engine).

Now lets talk upgrades. I never take From Ash or From the Aether any more. On the surface they look great...who wouldn't want easy Abominations rights? My problem with those upgrades are their cost compared to the benefit you will get out of them, particularly compared to Desolate Soul. Abominations are great, but they are much more useful in your opponents face than in the backfield where you summoned scrap markers are going to start out. Since Levi will be killing thing anyway, you will have plenty of opportunities to summon your Abominations. If you want more opportunities for Abomination summoning then put Desolate Soul on Rusty as well (since they can both carry it at the same time).

To the Earth Return is another upgrade that I rarely use. Levi does a ton of damage, and I've never found myself in a situation where I needed to take half models wounds and wasn't in charge range. Through double Channeling is is very easy to land double severe melee damage on a charge, particularly if you are able to get in 3 attacks. That is 16 damage...there are very few models than can absorb that. Few enough that To the Earth Return becomes corner case for me. I'd rather spend my points on other upgrades.

Speaking of other upgrades I generally put Tally Sheet on Levi for additional card draw and I Pay Better on Rusty because it's arguably the best upgrade available to Outcasts. Levi should be able to kill 1-2 models per turn, which translates to cards, and I Pay Better gives all your mercs AP-free focus. Being able to free focus the Trapper is money!

When it comes to power levels I feel like Levi is a newb-hammer more than generally OP. It's true that he in one of the most consistent killy models in the game, but that is all he does. He will definitely be a problem for new players at first, but once an your regular opponents get used to him then they will start taking steps to minimize his effectiveness. If they are able to wound him before he activates it greatly reduces his killing power since he can't Channel as much as he otherwise would. If they target Waif or Anchors they can control if and where he can res himself. He also not as strong if you are using Gaining Grounds schemes and strategies rather than standard tech.
 

[Freman]

If the crew you started with wasn't Von Schill I'd suggest grabbing him, then grabbing Leveticus (or grab both at the same time). A trapper and librarian are always useful (two trappers are even more useful) and Von Schill himself is a good, straightforward, master. Rusty Alyce actually works quite well him, and her From the Aether upgrade combined with his Engage at Will allows the summoning of an Abomination each turn for a 7 and 10. Desolate Soul allows her to generate more with her shooting attack (which is very good) although at 14 stones she's then taking up a chunk of resources. However she doesn't have a competing (0) action, so producing a scrap marker, or turning a random scrap marker into an Abomination, is never a bad option to have.

Leveticus is a master I don't have a lot of experience with, but his mechanism of channel, kill, bury is clear enough, the trick then being keeping your Waifs alive and within six inches and LOS of an anchor so he can come back. Trying to keep one hiding behind a Trapper or Hans out of reach of most enemy models is probably not a terrible idea.

Lazarus is awesome. I haven't tried Ashes and Dust but people seem to think he's awesome too. I have played Desolation Engine with Jack Daw, and while I didn't play very well with him, I'm sure that with a little more practice he'd be quite a killy beast. Strongarm Suit is a good flexible enforcer too, and I should probably use him more often.

Abominations are very nice. Killing all enemy (0) actions and built in suits within  2 can neuter many enemy masters. Hamelin doesn't like them at all, and they're so easy to create from things like rats. As KrazyIvan says, have eight of them on hand. You probably won't need them all, but it's better to have and not need than need and not have... which now I think about it kind of explains my Malifaux collection.

[daniello_s]

Wolfpact - you are welcome to visit my blog where I share reports from my Levi's games:

http://fiftyshadesofleviandjack.blogspot.ie/

I try to experiment with different models in his crew so hopefully it might help you a bit with your questions/concerns.

 

thx

[olterman]

Hmm again the need for Von Schill box just for those two models .... getting a bit tired of the need for a trapper and librarian in all the other crews 

 

[daniello_s]

You don't need them really. Especially Librarian. Especially with Levi

[Franchute]

This might sound like a stupid question, but what about survivalist on Leveticus? I know hes supposed to come back if you kill him, but doesnt this mean that you would actually take a better advantage of hard to kill on Leveticus?

[Adran]

4 minutes ago, Franchute said:

This might sound like a stupid question, but what about survivalist on Leveticus? I know hes supposed to come back if you kill him, but doesnt this mean that you would actually take a better advantage of hard to kill on Leveticus?

This can work, if you are plannign on late activations of Levi, manign that it is muh less likely he will be killed before activation. You just have to decide if the upgrade slot is worth the freedom of activation. 

[daniello_s]

Unless there is Neutralize the Leader in the pool you really, really want Levi 'to die' each turn so he can pop out at the bottom of the turn where he is needed most fully healed. Believe me.

[Adran]

2 minutes ago, daniello_s said:

Unless there is Neutralize the Leader in the pool you really, really want Levi 'to die' each turn so he can pop out at the bottom of the turn where he is needed most fully healed. Believe me.

I'm not disagreeing with this, but you would much rather you killed Levi each turn rather than he was killed by your opponent, so if you want to hold his activation till later you run the risk of him being killed before activation. Survivalist reduces this risk, offering extra options of what Levi will do before he dies each turn

[daniello_s]

Agreed with above.

 

[Wolfpact]

For what it's worth, Von Schill is not far behind Levi on my 'want' list. Though his pose terrifies me after the escapades I've had getting models to base with feet that aren't both flat on the ground.

[Freman]

He's surprisingly robust, although you can always run a pin through his foot if you want to. I did that with the librarian who was just a little too floaty.