Gunsmiths with Ramos?

[Anung Un Rama]

I m thinking about adding some gunsmiths to my Ramos box for my first few games at 50ss with Ramos. Are they any good with Ramos? or should I just get a mechanical rider?

[hydranixx]

I think Gunsmiths are a trap option for most Masters in the faction. They look like they do a lot, but at 7ss with a 2/3/4 damage track, they cost too much to warrant buying unless they're getting substantial buffs from their master; Kaeris & Ironsides are their best fit. As far as Ramos is concerned, they're not constructs, so have no inherent synergy. Despite both being M&SU, neither of them actually buffs the other. I think for Ramos, they're way too expensive at 7ss, and in a similar price bracket, Soulstone Miners & Large Arachnids are almost always better options.

Mech Rider is very good. It's one of the best models in our faction, and most masters find space for it even without any particular synergy. The fact that it is a construct and can spawn extra constructs for free, makes it an extremely popular choice for Ramos. Definitely recommend it.

[spooky_squirrel]

I second the call for large arachnids. They've got creative salvage, so they'll drop scrap markers off of anything they kill (similar to Joss) and can eat scheme markers or scrap markers to gain positives on all flips (yes, this includes eating enemy scheme markers). They're also minion constructs, so they benefit from Bleeding Edge Technology. If you want a relatively cheap scheme runner that can pop up literally anywhere on the board, you cannot go wrong with a Soulstone Miner. Pop up somewhere safe, drop scheme marker. Next turn: move, drop scheme marker. Repeat for max return on the schemes that call for scheme markers and/or models in the opponent's half of the board (or to disrupt/run Reconnoiter, etc.). Both of these choices are minion constructs with a pricetag of 6SS. They'll work really well with Ramos right off the bat and still find spots in other Masters' lists (strat/scheme pool directed).

 

Gunsmiths can be very good, but they need to be set up by your own faction to get the most out of them. Your opponent isn't going to send a stray shot at them and give you fast off of your Df (Rams) trigger. At least not more than once. Kaeris can halo them, they flip a ram or cheat a ram, gain fast, and you're playing Kaeris--so you don't care if they end up on fire (or better yet, you do care because it's more card draws), and she then throws her halo out onto whatever you're about to East Way off the board. Ironsides (and her crew) can do things to ping them slightly (rope from Mouse, elemental strike from an Oxfordian Mage), and grant them positive flips for being Hand Picked Men, and if they're not burning the enemy, you switch chamber and throw the suit that will get you what you need (armor piercing, cursed ammo, buffed damage track) and put three focused shots into their target.

Other masters aren't giving you as many reasonable ways to hit your own defense trigger yourself, so the Fast you're paying for in hiring them is not reliable; they also don't end up getting reliable access to things like a burning victim or HPM for bonuses. At worst, they actually present a liability to your own force due to their cost and the relianc one some kind of booster.

[Sybarite]

If you want shooting for Ramos, take a look at Anna Lovelace, who doesnt randomise into combat, has rush of magic, min dg 3 etc

[retnab]

I can't say I see much synergy between the Gunsmiths and Ramos, besides just raw ranged damage numbers and a bit of durability.  My standard shooter for Ramos is usually Sue, mostly due to Hurt for more cards in hand but also his min damage 3 (after crit strike) and Sh5 with built in .

[Mxbedlam]

I agree with Anna in Ramos. The problem iwth gunsmiths is that they are gonna want to shoot models that the spiders have swarmed, but they still randomize into combat. Some of Ramos's power comes from a shot that doesn't randomize and can benefit from Spider -Def.  Adding more of this to your crew can help turn out a much more aggressive Ramos crew. Also, Anna Lovelace is mean against anyone who has movement shenanigans up their sleeves and offers extra summoning and horror duels. 

[BFOmega]

Lazarus isn't a bad choice for some ranged support either. Spiders are semi-disposable, so if you had to you could blast off of them, and his 0 Assimilate has a lot of juicy targets in a Ramos crew. They in your face? Howard/Joss attacks to the face. Want another ranged attack? Ramos Electrical Fire. Need to bunker down? Double up on Arcing Screen. Also, benefits from Powered by Flame if it's in range, so a nice bonus there.

[DrEvilmonki]

18 hours ago, spooky_squirrel said:

 Ironsides (and her crew) can do things to ping them slightly (rope from Mouse, elemental strike from an Oxfordian Mage), and grant them positive flips for being Hand Picked Men, and if they're not burning the enemy, you switch chamber and throw the suit that will get you what you need (armor piercing, cursed ammo, buffed damage track) and put three focused shots into their target.

 

Also don't forget since they don't have a Ml attack Ironsides can use her 'Are you looking at me" to move them up the field with no downside and if you happen to have a low ram in hand you can cheat in fast for them as well.

 

But I agree with all here, it's rare that I don't take them with Ironsides, I probably wouldn't take them with Ramos.

[Ammanas]

On 20/09/2016 at 8:41 PM, Sybarite said:

If you want shooting for Ramos, take a look at Anna Lovelace, who doesnt randomise into combat, has rush of magic, min dg 3 etc

I didn't realise she was a merc

[hydranixx]

She is indeed, and I think its worth paying Merc tax for her everytime. Every faction has multiple masters and crews that find Anna to be of fantastic value. She's similar to Johan; that genuinely good all rounder Merc that almost all players should acquire.

She certainly gives more to Ramos than a Gunsmith ever could and I couldn't recommend her highly enough.