Musings on the Ripples Gremlins

[AgentRock]

Here's a blog post discussing the Ripples of Fate Gremlins.

[Hoyled]

Thank you. Very informative blog post.

[dancater]

Amazing post, please hoping for more, the NB and Gremlins information is great, very succinct and interesting.  Thanks for the time and effort and please do more.

[Omenbringer]

Greatly appreciated AWOL. There is an awful lot of good for the faction in that synopsis. I agree Zipp and his crew of Iron Skeeters are going to cause some serious issues with all those Smoke Markers and not just for ranged actions.

Really looking forward to the Swine-Cursed myself.

[Hoyled]

Seems like a great book for just about everyone. Greatly looking forward to everything on the gremlin side. The bathroom monsters have me excited to mess with brewy again and my whiskey golem will hit the table a lot more often with the new upgrade.

Now to make 50 smoke markers, wasn't expecting the skeeters to also do that kind of board control.

 

[Omenbringer]

It really seems like the Iron Skeeters were inspired a bit by the Hayao Miyazaki film Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

[wizuriel]

On 8/8/2016 at 2:52 PM, AWOL said:

They have a ranged attack that ignores armor, which is probably something gremlins need

isn't that already what lightning bugs are for?

[AgentRock]

Sure. (doesn't play gremlins)

[Clockwork_Fish]

I'm guessing the Akaname are dual faction?  I ordered Asami from the Gencon sale and having more summoning options never hurts.

[Xandron]

Does Merris have any place in a Zipp crew?

[Eclipse]

7 hours ago, Clockwork_Fish said:

I'm guessing the Akaname are dual faction?  I ordered Asami from the Gencon sale and having more summoning options never hurts.

This is what I understood as well. Even if they are not dual faction they are still Tri-Chi and Oni, so Brewmaster and Asami are still going to have a field day with the filth golems

[Math Mathonwy]

It's a bit of a shame really - Akaname don't seem to be of any use to anyone in the Gremlin faction outside of Brewie (and even there I'm not quite so sure as going heavy Poison with Brewie is IMO by far the less effective way of playing him). I really hope that someone comes up with a reason for taking them in Gremlins.

[Blacks85]

15 minutes ago, Math Mathonwy said:

It's a bit of a shame really - Akaname don't seem to be of any use to anyone in the Gremlin faction outside of Brewie (and even there I'm not quite so sure as going heavy Poison with Brewie is IMO by far the less effective way of playing him). I really hope that someone comes up with a reason for taking them in Gremlins.

yeah, poison brewy just doesn't work.

[Four_N_Six]

I don't know if I just have better luck with him or if it's because I worked hard to get good with him, but I really enjoy poison Brewmaster. I usually have him plus 2 or 3 models working for his contest, and the rest of the crew does whatever I need to score 

[Math Mathonwy]

1 hour ago, Four_N_Six said:

I don't know if I just have better luck with him or if it's because I worked hard to get good with him, but I really enjoy poison Brewmaster. I usually have him plus 2 or 3 models working for his contest, and the rest of the crew does whatever I need to score 

The problem, as I see it, is that in a "normal" Gremlin list those models that you lock down could simply be killed. There are some models which are highly durable yet have bad Wp (Yan Lo being the ultimate example, I guess, though Chiaki ruins everything) but I haven't had much success unless the opponent had many such models.

I did play Brewie quite a bit last spring but I don't consider myself an expert by any stretch so it is entirely possible that you simply execute the lockdown better and thus get more out of it, mind.

[Four_N_Six]

I agree on just killing them, I just see Brew as a way to save AP. Generally speaking, models I want locked down are harder to kill. Not impossible, but something I have to sink resources and AP into to take out. Brew can do it with 1 or 2

[AgentRock]

16 hours ago, Clockwork_Fish said:

I'm guessing the Akaname are dual faction?  I ordered Asami from the Gencon sale and having more summoning options never hurts.

Yes. D/F Grem/10T

[Omenbringer]

My issue with the Brew Master is that he really isn't a great Gremlin Master. He shines much brighter with out of faction options. The Moon Shinobi are also quite lack luster compared to our other options. Was hoping to see one of those 0 cost errata's...err I mean upgrades for them that would allow them to keep the Swill condition from turn to turn.

[Hoyled]

I think moon shinobi are in a decent place myself, solid defensive stat, a good defensive trigger, and really consistent if lower damage. The main issue is that rooster riders and lightining bugs are insane and two bayou gremlins worth of points in gremlins has to be really good.

I was kinda hoping for a Fingers upgrade myself. Something to give him a bit more board presence on the non schemey front. A swill trigger on his fists would be thematic.

[Omenbringer]

Aside from not being able to compete with the Rooster rider, Lightning Bugs, or 2 Bayou Gremlin's, the "solid defensive stat" is really all they got going for them. Even that though isn't great as the only method of getting it better is trying to get multiple instances of Swill on them (which only helps until the end of the turn when it expires). That isn't an easy proposition considering only the Brew Master and Apprentice Wesley have access to it.

Even their trigger is only a 1 in 4 chance unless you have a method of providing the required suit (something the Brew Master can't do). Multiple instances of Swill (maxed at 4 instances per turn unless you can get reactivate on either the Brew Master or Apprentice Wesley) is the only method of increasing their potential both offensively and Defensively (Focus and Defensive Stance don't work because of Drunken Gremlin Kung Fu).

They are not worth the SS cost or the effort required to try and wring usefulness out of them when a Piglet is cheaper, has the same "solid defense stat," has an in built resistance to Sh Attack Actions, and finally can do more damage, all without requiring any real external support (though they get even better with the ample support options available for pigs).

Aside from the models that you have listed and the Piglet I listed, they also compete with Merris, Lacroix, Bayou Bushwhackers, the Lucky Effigy, Survivors, and for only a Soul Stone more even Sammy Lacroix and the Mechanized Porkchop.

To be worth their cost they really need a way to apply consistently on themselves outside of the Brew Master's Hang Over Action and Apprentice Wesley using Magical Extension to cast the same. As you suggest an upgrade on Fingers that could impart more instances of Swill could help a little and give him a bit versatility.

I could be wrong but these have been my experiences with them.

[Dogmantra]

19 minutes ago, Omenbringer said:

Aside from not being able to compete with the Rooster rider, Lightning Bugs, or 2 Bayou Gremlin's, the "solid defensive stat" is really all they got going for them.

Well, I think you're missing their Stumble Around Drunk trigger, which is a slightly shorter push but otherwise the same as the much-coveted Loudest Squeel (although no stoning like Som'er or Fingers can)

But they're situationally pretty good - they're nice vs anything with lowish Df, and can force your opponent to cheat to beat rather than cheat to put you on a . They make Yin cry. A Nurse + Shinobi combination is somewhat expensive but can really be disruptive, since a Shinobi with Armour 2 and s to everything is kinda scary. And they have one of the rare attacks vs Wp in faction (particularly one that can deal a fair amount of damage. A 2" engagement range doesn't hurt either, even if it is only at Ml4.

I agree though, they are pretty shafted when it comes to picking from Slop Haulers, Lightning Bugs, Rooster Riders etc. It's a shame though because they're one of my favourite models.

[Hoyled]

I guess the real problem is everything in Gremlins is amazing, and toning down the awesome so they can fit in ten thunders has ruined them.

I'm also inordinately fond of them because Drunken Gremlin Kungfu makes one of my gaming buddies brain explode whenever he has to deal with them. Kinda the reason I like Fingers so much as well. Forgetting the chatty bubble in the middle of your win the game gambit has cost him a few times.

[Omenbringer]

1 hour ago, Dogmantra said:

Well, I think you're missing their Stumble Around Drunk trigger, which is a slightly shorter push but otherwise the same as the much-coveted Loudest Squeel (although no stoning like Som'er or Fingers can)

No I took it into account and am still not impressed with it honestly. 1 in 4 push effect that occurs after the action has resolved isn't great. Som'er could make it more consistent but he also makes 2 Bayou Gremlin's even more tasty compared to a single Moon Shinobi.

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But they're situationally pretty good - they're nice vs anything with lowish Df, and can force your opponent to cheat to beat rather than cheat to put you on a . They make Yin cry. A Nurse + Shinobi combination is somewhat expensive but can really be disruptive, since a Shinobi with Armour 2 and s to everything is kinda scary. And they have one of the rare attacks vs Wp in faction (particularly one that can deal a fair amount of damage. A 2" engagement range doesn't hurt either, even if it is only at Ml4.

Situationally useful is a good way to describe them but again the targets that would make them shine are also targets that a Piglet could tie up for even less cost, or others for the same cost. The Nurse combination is reasonable but again limited to one Master that can Hire them and can often find a better use for the SS cost of a Moon Shinobi.

The WP attack is a bit of a boon but again is nothing to really write home especially given the emergence of targeting other stats such as Wk, Cg, and Ht.

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I agree though, they are pretty shafted when it comes to picking from Slop Haulers, Lightning Bugs, Rooster Riders etc. It's a shame though because they're one of my favourite models.

I really like the look of them as well and would love a reason to play them more often. They really need a way to give themselves flips though. Not being able to benefit from Focus or Defensive Stance hurts them an awful lot, particularly the latter as it is something that they could really excel at given their Defense stat value and trigger.

[Bengt]

What's the stations of Banjonistas and Swine-Cursed?

[Omenbringer]

Both are Minions.