Arachnids

[MrPieChee]

Hi all,

I'm new to Malifaux, planning on starting as the m3e book is released.

I really like the Arachnid models, and was looking at making an Arcanist crew around them. With Ramos part of dead mans hand, whats a good alternative?

I was thinking about Colette since I want to make a puppet crew as well. Several Mannequin's,  mecharachnids, and steam arachnids. The mannequins could make use of the extra movement to get into position, and then the mech's can swap places where needed. Mannaquins can also provide scrap markers for boosts to arachnids.

I quite like Marcus too, and as hes a dual master with Neverborn, he might also work well for me... (plus Scorpius doesn't cost extra with him)

(I've downloaded the M2E rulebook, but mostly been using the m3e crew builder for ideas)

 

 

[solkan]

They all are in keyword for Hoffman and he’s finally dual faction in the new edition.  So you could use Hoffman instead of Ramos and have a construct centered crew that way.

Granted, all the spiders are versatile, so for Arcanists it’s more a question of “Do I want to use them?” than anything.

[dannydb]

they can work with meifeng as she generates a lot of scrap that the spiders can use to heal from 

 

i guess you could always use joss as the leader?

 

[cbtb11235813]

Additionally, while Ramos is DMH, you can absolutely still play him. He is not allowed in certain tournaments, but if you're just starting out that may not really be an issue. Ramos is my first love, and as long as there are rules for him, I'll be playing him, and all his many legged mechanical friends

[Gnomezilla]

Spiders fit anywhere you need a cheap, somewhat durable model (single arachnid) or stronger quick Onslaught model to attack extra times per turn (swarm—bonus fun points with Diesel Engine for crazy high mobility). Mecharachnids are a super situational counter-pick hire, but Precise is such a good tool against layered defensive tech (*cough*Ironsides* *cough*Fitzsimmons*) that I can be happy with them being niche.

Tanky-crew Colette sounds fun! Swarms don’t have mobility problems, but everything else doesn’t mind. The mecharachnids might especially like being dropped off where they need to be. It’s not a great plan to plan for your models dying (the part about mannequins feeding swarms).

I have run Hoffman with a list heavy on arachnids because I was counter-picking lots of Evasive. The guardians tossed the swarms forward for mobility after Hoffman had made them fast. Lots of onslaught triggers! The swarms got too far separated from Hoffman’s bubble and token generation suffered that game, though I think I can do better with positioning now, with practice.

[MrPieChee]

Thanks all - very helpful!

I hadn't considered upgrades, diesel engines look fun on mechs!

From the comments here, I think my best bet is to get whichever master I see cheap, and then I can explore options from there. It does look like I'm going to want lots of options!

[Morgan Vening]

5 hours ago, solkan said:

They all are in keyword for Hoffman and he’s finally dual faction in the new edition.  So you could use Hoffman instead of Ramos and have a construct centered crew that way.

 Granted, all the spiders are versatile, so for Arcanists it’s more a question of “Do I want to use them?” than anything.

Ehh? My version has them as Machina, and Hoffman is Augmented.

As you say, he's dual Faction, so he can use them in Arcanists, as any could.

But he can't bring them into Guild.

And while they're Constructs, for the most part they completely ignore a good portion of Hoffman's main trick, though Emergency Power Transfer and the second half of Power Nexus does make them useful as batteries, kind of.

[AtinRik]

In this sunday I use Arachnid with Mey. In this game I attached to them dynamit from Sparks. This was pretty cool game. They ran to the opponent crew and wait when opponent kill themself against arachnid

[solkan]

1 hour ago, Morgan Vening said:

Ehh? My version has them as Machina, and Hoffman is Augmented.

No, you're right.  For some reason I gapped out and thought the Hoff was Machina.  💤

I blame M2E.  :0

 

[Morgan Vening]

1 hour ago, Atinrik said:

In this sunday I use Arachnid with Mey. In this game I attached to them dynamit from Sparks. This was pretty cool game. They ran to the opponent crew and wait when opponent kill themself against arachnid

I know it's probably dumb.

Mei Feng (as Aracanist) <-Typo, but I like it, all things considered.
Ramos
Sparks
1-2 Metal Gamin (for initial Scrap Generation, not needed once the spiders start killing things, due to Creative Salvage)

T1 Ramos makes 2 spiders (limited due to second hire).
T1 Sparks sticks bombs in their bellies.
T1 Spiders advance, and charge if possible and maybe do something.
T2 Ramos makes both spiders blow up for 5 undefendable damage each, in a ~5" area, drawing 2 cards, summoning two Electrical Creations (which will also blow up, drawing more cards or SS), then summoning two more spiders.
T2 Sparks sticks bombs in their bellies, and you get how this goes.

Mei, and the Gamin and the rest of the hires just keep doing their thing, or protecting Sparks and Ramos. Much fun to be had!

[AtinRik]

13 hours ago, Morgan Vening said:

I know it's probably dumb.

Mei Feng (as Aracanist) <-Typo, but I like it, all things considered.
Ramos
Sparks
1-2 Metal Gamin (for initial Scrap Generation, not needed once the spiders start killing things, due to Creative Salvage)

T1 Ramos makes 2 spiders (limited due to second hire).
T1 Sparks sticks bombs in their bellies.
T1 Spiders advance, and charge if possible and maybe do something.
T2 Ramos makes both spiders blow up for 5 undefendable damage each, in a ~5" area, drawing 2 cards, summoning two Electrical Creations (which will also blow up, drawing more cards or SS), then summoning two more spiders.
T2 Sparks sticks bombs in their bellies, and you get how this goes.

Mei, and the Gamin and the rest of the hires just keep doing their thing, or protecting Sparks and Ramos. Much fun to be had!

Yes, I know it. In my roster I had Ramos, but it can be any summoner

[Morgan Vening]

1 hour ago, Atinrik said:

Yes, I know it. In my roster I had Ramos, but it can be any summoner

It could, but Ramos's ability to blow up the Spiders almost at will (4+, 4+ for an Electrical Creation) and draw a card out of it, helping to perpetuate things, is why I picked him.

And the summoning for a pair is easier, if you've got the scrap (10+).

Asami doesn't get the dual explosions unless she summons Obsidioni, and she can only pull one of those a turn, though admittedly easier to go kaboom (just have ObsOni flicker themselves to dead).

Sandeep can do it with Poison Gamin, but it's much more expensive (needing a 13), but can only Detonate one a turn (though you could use one to explode the other). But they come in Slow, meaning you need an Oxfordian to get around that, and eat some damage.

Though you do get a bigger overall effect. 3 for 2 damage, 2 for 4 damage + P1. As opposed to the Arachnid's 2 for 2+3 damage.

But the cost is too high. You SHOULD be able to get a 10 and stone for the Tome for Ramos almost every turn. ~91%, 96% with stone for draw, 97.5% with Arcane Res and stone for draw.

Getting it with Sandeep is ~45%, 54% with a stone for draw, ~61% with Arcane Res and stone for draw.

[Specky]

With the large arachnids (Megarachnids) think they are fantastic. If you go with them early and gobble a scheme marker/ scrap marker having positives on defense is great not just on the offensive. 

I think you are more likely to get a scrap marker gobbled rather than rely on a scheme marker. For this reason I like them in Mei.

You can go down a path for Toni too using either the Union Miner to make a couple scheme markers or the steamfitter. People rag on the steamfitter a bit but I think he's fine. You can charge a construct to heal which is a neat trick.