Horrible Zoraida plan

[Four_N_Six]

So I haven't played Zoraida since my days as a Neverborn (roughly December), and I've been meaning to give her the chance in gremlin, but I have a lot of fun with our other 7 masters or so, and just haven't gotten around to it.  The latest episode of Schemes and Stones (haven't listened to it all yet) has gotten me wanting to give her a shot this week, but not really anything I've heard in the episode.  It's something I've been wanting to try for a while, so I want to toss it out to those of you who actually use her for some reason and see if you think it'd work.

The general plan can be interrupted if an opportunity for a great Obey presents itself, so it's not like I'd be ignoring the ability.  Primarily, the crew would consist of 1 Wisp to get my Doll out, so I can still use the Voodoo Doll for what it does well, but not waste Z's AP doing it.  The plan would be for her to Bewitch 3 things a round, hopefully high priority targets that I know will be attacking, and get as many damn cards into my hand as possible.  I don't know how well it would work (in fact I'm fairly certain it'll crash and burn like the Infamy as soon as Zipp tries to fly it without Earl), but the idea is to high a large, elite, dangerous crew, and have the high cards for them to devastate my opponent as much as possible.  There are better ideas for kill heavy gremlin crews, but I don't get much use out of Z as it is, so figured I'd try a new idea.  So how hard will this fail?  Could it even make it to turn 3 before calling the game?

[Je ne c'est LaCroix]

Interesting to hear you don't use Z too much, she's nudged into the lead for me, particularly as my regular opponents are fairly terrified by, and don't yet know how to deal with, the Voodoo and also McT. Additionally I recently enjoyed my opponent's MrGraves and Johan working in tandem to come and say hello, for an Obey session with Hardy planking Laurel in the face and Laurel retaliating with a Relic Hammering to Hardy's nethers, oooh and Laurel love's a bit of that Black Blood pie in the face too thank you and goodnight.

 

I've also recently started a 'card hard' thought process, coming from my play style where I tend to spend all my stones on card draw.. So I haven't run it yet but thought I'd start at the bonkers end of card utopia and then find out if I should reign it in.. something like:

Zoraida (cache 4)

+ Crystal Ball 2

Sammy 7 (Winds of Fate card cycle near Z)

McTavish 10

Hannah 11 (+1 Hand Size + Horror Duels)

Francois + DC 8

Rooster 6

Rooster 6

Hannah ups the hand size, Z+Sammy card cycling, Z+ Bewitch for cards, Hannah + Frank get stuck in with Ml 6 + high cards, McT Sh6 into aforementioned combat, Roosters reckless early to drop Gator Snacks for McT then wing it to deal with whatever, plus bayou two card on Ml 6 so all the good cards used by Team Frank/McT/Hannah/Voodoo hem/Sammy Jynx, Sammy stabs up the Voodoo. Hannah Makes a New Entry with Sammy's Jynx and now there's twisted legs all over the place. Stones used for Franky suits or Team Damage Prevention.

Maybe some interchange take out Frank stick in Bad Juju for an additional Swampfiend for McT Shooting + Flurry (can drop a card AND potentially have 2-3 good cards Ml 6 AND potentially paralyse as there's stones knocking around for the crow if our handful of Bewitched didn't get there already) and switch out a Rooster for Tarot Reading + a minion smth like that. Also a Hans could take mean advantage of extra cards for us vs our hand-drained opponent.

Even considering Old Cranky for a couple turns card cycling depending on the schemes and then losing him for a Voodoo summon depending where we're at.

 

Back to the Wisp...

Haven't run one yet, but, Ever Changing Form has to target a Neverborn model (I spent rather too long looking through 4 books of tactical actions on Grems, Neverborn and Outcasts before figuring that one out), so if we're running Gremlin Z does she still retain her Neverbornness or is she now pure Gremlin for that purpose? Does Swampfiend Juju hired into a Gremlin faction count as a Neverborn (a Juju using Flurry and a Wisp using Juju Flurry could certainly drain some opponent cards).

Next question - Wisps Ever Changing Form - 'this action may only be taken once per turn' - is that once per turn total or once per turn per Wisp? Cos you can have three of them.

If Z's now not a Neverborn we may need to take this discussion elsewhere, and make a plan for the Wisp to Bowie out a Doll. I can also see some Wisp + Baby Kade + Teddy horror show potential, and a Raven Formed Wisp or two slowing down some Snipers and potentially even causing some Flurry worry. And a Wisp could even make a good midwife to a Spawn Mother egg delivery system.

 

[Dogmantra]

I doubt this will fail - Bewitch is a fantastic action at a nice Ca of 7. I tend to avoid animal shape on Zoraida (I like to put it on Sammy when the opportunity arises for easy Entourage points), but I think in this case you will probably want it, firstly to give you the option of teleporting Wisps to become scheme runners later, but also so you can get her into a position where she'll be in range and LoS for Bewitch while having a fallback to keep her safe.

[Izzinatah]

Some things:

- I wouldn't focus too much on Bewitch. Zoraida has an awful lot of options available to her. Bewitch if you can, but aiming to get three off a turn is difficult and likely puts her somewhere she doesn't want to be. There isn't much that can move her about for you in Gremlins either - she's immune to Trixie and can't ride in a Saddle - so getting 3 AP for Bewitch is unlikely anyway.

- Yes, she still counts as Neverborn for Wisps when taken as Gremlins. And yes, Wisps and Spawn Mothers is awesome.

- Raven Form gives the Wisps a fun 15" Flight move (not quite a teleport!) as a (1) action, but remember they are Insignificant. They can run Schemes, but if you need to put down Markers then you'll need to scare it out of them with Feed On The Lost.

- There aren't many (2) Tactical Actions available to the Wisps in Gremlins. Most are covered here already. Two more are Flurry, which isn't amazingly useful, and The Fickle Winds of Fate - which you get for taking Tarot Reading anyway. This needs a 7, and a Wisp can't stone for the Masks, but keep it in mind!

Zoraida is lots of fun, and can definitely run a 'large, elite, dangerous crew', but you'll get more out of her other Actions than spamming Bewitch. Crystal Ball would be a good take if you want to mess about with hands, as would Sammy LaCroix and the new Banjonistas. I definitely recommend the Spawn Mother - I borrowed one for a game and bought one for myself immediately afterwards!

[EnternalVoid]

2 hours ago, Izzinatah said:

Some things:

- Raven Form gives the Wisps a fun 15" Flight move (not quite a teleport!) as a (1) action, but remember they are Insignificant. They can run Schemes, but if you need to put down Markers then you'll need to scare it out of them with Feed On The Lost.

Remember that Raven Form is not flight movement, it is a placement effect.  Meaning it can get you out of combat, on top of a building with out extra movement, and out of certain conditions that prevent walking and the like.  Still like you said, being a insignificant model it limits their abilities.  But they are Minions so it means they can score certain stats by being in the right spots.

[Izzinatah]

Huh, you are right. I could have sworn that it was errata'd to be a Flight. Well, that's awesome - no more disengaging strikes, either