Collodi in a slow grow

[SlackerLM]

So I will be participating in a Slow Grow over the next six weeks. I will be using Collodi as I have wanted an excuse to play Neverborn, but a new player to the game will be using Lilith (which is the master I really wanted to try, lol!).

I have never done a slow grow, it's 26 stone and box only event. 

I am wondering, should I play as many models as possible and only have 1 or 2 upgrades or build upgrades up first, then hire models?

[EnternalVoid]

Collodi gets a pretty decent number of models on the cheap as his marionette are only 3ss each and his upgrades can really do some nifty things.  I personally would pick up some upgrades and then hire out models.  Even if you took 3 upgrades *1ss each* and all 4 of your marionettes you are only at 15ss.  Two Wicked Dolls and that leaves you at 23ss, enough for a large cash and a total of 7 models.  If you don't want all 3 upgrades you can always drop one and your extra pool to get down to 22ss and hire the third wicked doll.

I would not be a big fan of Vasilisa in this format unless there is some objective that really involves running for a strategy/scheme that can score you big VP, with 7-8 models you will outnumber most crews and be able to handle a lot of objectives that way and not have such a large ss sink.