How to Hoffmann

[Meliondor]

I am going through my masters and one big question mark for me is hoffmann. I bought him because I wanted the watcher for Sonnia / Perdita...but I also get the rest of the box.

And perhaps I could play him again. I think I will most often use his machine puppet, because that seems like the strongest option ;-). And powerloop where useful as boost. But what units should I run him with?

 

I was thinking about Cyborg-Franc, the Emissary as construct and a Peacekeeper + some smaller stuff (Hunters / Watcher, Investigators...not really sure yet). Is this an ok beater setup for him?

I do not own Ryle and actually think he is really bad (10 Soulstones and very bad defense....am I wrong here? He seems like a realy bad choice but people here seem to use him all the time) and I do not own any Arcanists (but Howard, Joss and Metal Gamin also seem to be quite common with Hoffman).

So is it worth runnning hoffmann with my limited model pool or should I just put him back in the box?

[longfanz]

Hi,

There was a guy at the ITC that won all his games with a fixed Hoffman list... About Ryle: I used him yesterday for the first time and he is a beast (with Numb to the World and debt to de guild). About his defense, yes, is low (the same as a Peacekeeper) but stoning damage, cheating a tome if you don't get it to be armor 3 (I'm not sure if you can make him armor 4 with the Hoffman upgrade) and his 0 to heal is quite durable... I have not tried de PK but Ryle is quite strong.

[Rostislav]

I play Hoffman to do alpha strike turn 1.

[lusciousmccabe]

Does it count as an alpha strike if it's not turn 1?

 

[Meliondor]

How do you alpha? Just run forward and buy attacks with hoffman / buy movement with hoffman and attack with unit? Anything special on him?

[Ludvig]

1 hour ago, Meliondor said:

How do you alpha? Just run forward and buy attacks with hoffman / buy movement with hoffman and attack with unit? Anything special on him?

Machine puppet to walk and hit the trigger to make them fast. Apply upgrade to give something nimble. That should let you hit something turn 1. 

As for Ryle I had great fun with him in my few Hoffman games. Give him the + upgrade and have debt on him. Possibly loop a better shoot value for him and have fun with min 3 shooting attacks on positives attacks that auto trigger more attacks. He's a bit suit hungry and probably overcostad now that everyone else got dropped to 8ss so feel free to not get him if you don't want him, just using cyborgs is also pretty great.

[Gnomezilla]

A cyborg alpha mandates O.S.A. as well for the necessary fourth master AP, but:

[optional] Malifaux Child machine puppet something—if your opening hand is extra lucky, powerloop something

[optional] attach cyborg upgrade to alpha missile and/or O.S.A. copy brutal emissary to make scrap

make scrap

apply modification upgrade with tome, one to missile and one to emissary (I favor putting nimble on emissary for 6” extra reach)

machine puppet missile with ram, make it fast, have it focus (or self-buff if it has something interesting)

machine puppet emissary with ram, make it fast, have it bury missile

Watch opponent use next activation figuring out how many AP emissary will spend delivering missile (bonus point if it’s a cyborg missile with companion) versus how many AP it will spend borrowing the missile’s attack.

[Rostislav]

Mн current Hoffman list is:

Hoffman + 5 Pool
- Field Mechanic (2)
- Improved Harness (1)
- On Site Assimiliation (2)
Mechanical Attendant (2)
Peacekeeper (11)
- Numb To The World (1)
Brutal Emissary (10)
- Conflux of Amalgamation (0)
Guardian (7)
Guild Guard (3)
Guild Guard (3)
Guild Guard (3)
Guild Guard (3)

So, how I play it.

1. Guild guards activate and do something useful (4 activations)
2. Guardian gives  def to Emissary and walks slightly forward (staying within 4 of Hoffman)
3. Hoffman activates and does a couple of things

Powerloops with Peacekeeper
Gets fast and gives slow to attendant
(0) to drop a scheme marker
(1) Give Nimble to Emissary (if you flip  you can give +  to Peacekeeper)
(1) Powerloop with Guardian to give Peacekeeper def 6 and Mi 7 (if you flip   you can give Powerloop Emissary too)
(1)  Machine puppet Peacekeeper with  or stone. Give him fast and focus
(1) Machine puppet Emissary with  or stone. Make him bury Peacekeeper and give him fast

Now Emissary has nimble and fast and can deliver Hoffman and Peacekeeper within 24+2". This means everywhere.
(If he doesn't have to walk this far he can attack a couple of times)

Peacekeeper activates, looks at his fast and focus and does something useful (like killing enemy master)

[Linar]

On 6/25/2018 at 10:01 AM, longfanz said:

Hi,

There was a guy at the ITC that won all his games with a fixed Hoffman list... About Ryle: I used him yesterday for the first time and he is a beast (with Numb to the World and debt to de guild). About his defense, yes, is low (the same as a Peacekeeper) but stoning damage, cheating a tome if you don't get it to be armor 3 (I'm not sure if you can make him armor 4 with the Hoffman upgrade) and his 0 to heal is quite durable... I have not tried de PK but Ryle is quite strong.

It was me. For me Ryle is clearly the best option. It gives you more endurance and more damage than any other option. And the shot with the attributes of francisco is very useful.And with the nimble and his 0 he moves as he wants.