English GT - Arcanist Chat

[mythicFOX]

Third Floor Wars were kind enough to have me and the other players who made the English GT podium on this week's show to talk about the event;

Link:  https://thirdfloorwars.com/malifaux-path-to-podium-english-gt/

I came second, just missing out on first by 2VP diff.   Thought I'd share the lists I used and played against that weekend in case anyone was interested.

Any questions please just ask.  

 

Round One:  Standard, Plant Explosives
Dig Their Graves, Hold Up Their Forces, Take Prisoner, Deliver a Message, Claim Jump

My Aracnists:  Kearis, Eternal Flame, Carlos, The Firestarter, Iggy, Fire Golem, Blessed of December, Soulstone Miner (+MT), and cache 2.
Stef’s Thunders:  Mai Feng, Forgeling, Metal Golem, Neil Henry, Mechanized Porkchop, Survivor, Torkage, Tanuki, and cache 8.

My Schemes: Dig Graves (2), Take Prisoner - Metal Golem (1)

Opponent’s Schemes: Deliver a Message (1), Take Prisoner - Fire Golem (1)

Win: 5-3

Thoughts:  I happened to practice this the week before vs TT Mai, my takeaway is; I don’t like Mei in explosives.

 

Round Two:  Wedge, Corrupted Idols
Harness the Ley Line, Search the Ruins, Hold Up Their Forces, Assassinate, Vendetta

My Aracnists; Sandeep, Banasuva, Kandara, Miss Step, Carlos, Fire Gamin, Wind Gamin, Soulstone Miner (+MT), and cache 4.
Rich’s Outcasts; Zipp, Earl, First Mate, Rusty Alice, Merris, Iron Skeeter, Prospector x2, Student of Conflict, and cache 1.

My Schemes; Vendetta - Miner on Skeeter (1), Hold up their forces (2)
Rich’s Schemes; Search the ruins (1), Hold up their forces (2)

Win; 5-4

Thoughts: Key to the game was tech-ing in Howard who could keep Zipp from causing too much trouble.

 

Round Three:  Flank, Turf War
Detonate Charges, Harness the Ley Line, Search the Ruins, Dig Their Graves, Deliver a Message

My Arcanists; Kaeris, Eternal Flame, Carlos, The Firestarter, Steam Arachnid Swarm (+Diesel Engine), Iggy, Wind Gamin, Soulstone Miner (+MT), and cache 4.
Grant’s Ressers;  Seamus (+ Whisper), Copycat Killer, Archie, Carrion Emissary, Bete Noire, Manos The Risen, Gravedigger, and cache 4.

My Schemes; Search the Ruins (2), Dig their Graves (1)
Grant’s Schemes; Dig Their Graves (2), Deliver a message (1)

Win; 5-4.

Thoughts:  I'd never played against Seamus before, going forward I'd definitely look to tech in something with Take the Hit.

 

DAY TWO

 

Round Four; Flank, Reckoning
Detonate Charges, Take Prisoner, Power Ritual, Outflank, Vendetta

My Arcanists;  Kaeris, Eternal Flame, Iggy, Fire Golem, Steam Arachnid Swarm (+ Diesel Engine), December Acolyte (+MT), 2x Soulstone Miner, cache 2.
Matt’s Arcanists; Hoffman, Mechanical Attendant, Howard (+ SS cache), Joss (+ Diesel Engine), Warden, Medical Automation, 2x Soulstone Miner (+MT), cache 3.

My Schemes; Power Ritual (1), Outflank (0)
Matt’s Schemes; Power Ritual (1), Outflank (1)

Win; 4-2

Thoughts: Game turned on an activation order choice.  Acolyte was of limited use.

 

Round Five; Standard - Turf War
Breakthrough, Harness the Ley Line, Hold Up Their Forces, Power Ritual, Assassinate.

My Arcanists:  Sendeep (+MT), Banasuva, Carlos, Kandara, 2x Ice Gamin, 2x Soulstone Miner, Steam Arachnid Swarm (+ MT), and cache 1.
Jamie’s Rassers;  Prof. Von Schtook (+ Whisper), Research Assistant, Anna Lovelace, The Valedictorian, Sloth, 2x Undergraduate, Bone Pile, and cache 1.

My Schemes; Hold Up Their Forces (1), Breakthrough (1).
Jamie’s Schemes; Power Ritual (1), Breakthrough (1).

Draw; 3-3

Thoughts:  Ice was the right choice for flavour.  Never take a Fire Golem vs Von Schtook.  

 

Round Six; Corner – Plant Explosives
Breakthrough, Dig Their Graves, Outflank, Assassinate, Claim Jump

My Arcanists; Sandeep, Banasuva, Kandara, Wind Gamin, Fire Gamin, Fire Gamin, Carlos Vasquez, Blessed of December, Soulstone Miner (+ MT), and cache 2.
Cleezy’s Ressers; Molly Squidpiddge, Necrotic Machine, Rogue Necromancy, Archie, The Forgotten Marshal (+ Whisper), 2x Crooligan, Dead Rider, and cache 3.

My Schemes; Dig Their Graves (2), Outflank (2).
Cleezy’s Schemes; Dig Their Graves (0), Outflank (1).

Win; 6-2

Thoughts:  Mobile beats fighty in corner explosives, hands down.
 

[Vatic]

I haven't listened to the episode yet, so sorry if this is covered there. 

What role does Carlos play in a Sandeep crew? If he is primarily a schemer, what do you feel he offers over in-keyword and versitile schemes? 

What did your Sandeep summons roughly look like? 

How are you generally using Iggy in the Kaeris Crew? Is he mainly denying scheme markers with arson and providing an annoying misery bubble?

[DuBlanck]

5 hours ago, Vatic said:

What role does Carlos play in a Sandeep crew? If he is primarily a schemer, what do you feel he offers over in-keyword and versitile schemes? 

Based on previous statements by some folks: he's mobile, puts out decent damage (some at range), can gunk up the opponent with Pyres (when not Pushing), decently hard to kill (Butterfly, Df6, stones, Distracted)and is generally pretty independent on a wing unless a beefy lad is sent to hunt him. Presumably there's some Burning synergy available too.

[mythicFOX]

10 hours ago, Vatic said:

I haven't listened to the episode yet, so sorry if this is covered there. 

What role does Carlos play in a Sandeep crew? If he is primarily a schemer, what do you feel he offers over in-keyword and versitile schemes? 

What did your Sandeep summons roughly look like? 

How are you generally using Iggy in the Kaeris Crew? Is he mainly denying scheme markers with arson and providing an annoying misery bubble?

No worries.

1)  Carlos is a good all purpose objective runner and counter schemer; good mobility, don't mind me, can drop two schemes a turn, trigger to pulse delete schemes, decent defensive tech, and a 40mm base to protect objectives.

2) Sandeep summons to make a Golem turn one, with extra summons generally being Wind Gamin to run objectives, or Metal Gamin for the back half of Dig Their Graves.

3) Iggy's misery bubble is made of win, that combined with Arson and reckless in a 6ss body make him and amazing all rounder in the mid ground.

Hope that helps!  

[cbtb11235813]

Thanks for the writeup, always interested to see the lists of Arcanists who do well

1) You said you don't like Mei in explosives, do you mean playing against her? Or that she isn't good at it?

2) Howard into Zipp: What makes Howard worth it? Obviously turning off that defensive trigger is nice. but can't Zip just outrun Howard? SS Miners also turn off triggers. They don't hit as hard as Howard, but 2 miners is only one stone more than an OOK Howard (less if you consider them getting stones back), and they can just pop up wherever Zipp is

[mythicFOX]

12 hours ago, cbtb11235813 said:

Thanks for the writeup, always interested to see the lists of Arcanists who do well

1) You said you don't like Mei in explosives, do you mean playing against her? Or that she isn't good at it?

2) Howard into Zipp: What makes Howard worth it? Obviously turning off that defensive trigger is nice. but can't Zip just outrun Howard? SS Miners also turn off triggers. They don't hit as hard as Howard, but 2 miners is only one stone more than an OOK Howard (less if you consider them getting stones back), and they can just pop up wherever Zipp is

Thanks

1)  The latter, although I wouldn't say she's bad at it, I just think we have way better choices, her movement tricks are great but I find them too linear.

2)  I wouldn't send Howard to chase Zipp, I use him to deny Zipp parts of the board.  Zipp finds it risky to operate inside Howard's threat radius.  Which is important in games like idols.  Miners don't pose the same threat that a tooled up that our Howard does. Stat 5 2/3/4 isn't the same as Stat 6 3/4/5 with execute and trail of gore. 

 

[Vatic]

In your Kearis crews, is there a particular model you are using to slingshot your fire golem around with Draw Off the Flame, now that you don't have the Gamin that you spoke about in the deep dive? Or is it very situational?

 

[mythicFOX]

8 hours ago, Vatic said:

In your Kearis crews, is there a particular model you are using to slingshot your fire golem around with Draw Off the Flame, now that you don't have the Gamin that you spoke about in the deep dive? Or is it very situational?

For the first turn I tend to use the Eternal Flame, and occasionally Carlos.  After that there tend to be a decent number of models on fire to choose from.