Arcanist Henchman Hardcore

[TeaCrusader]

So, ive been playing a fair amount of Henchman Hardcore with my housemates, we find it's a good weeknight format because it fits into an evening much easier than a full game.

I also love the exactly 4 model challenge, puts a nice spin on the crew creation process.

 

So I was wondering what HH crews people might have from the arcanist stock.

 

My favourite so far that i've tried is:

Kudra, Metal Gamin (With Diesel Engine), Metal Gamin (With Magical Training), Oxfordian Mage. It would get wrecked by armour pen, but otherwise has a couple of pretty capable ranged attackers, some good melee punch and the Metal Gamin can act as mobile tanky scheme runners. and with the healing from Kudra and the Oxfordian the whole crew can be deceptively hard to shift. This also hs the added bonus of Metal Gamin being able to use the Shielded from Kudra's Mantra offensively.

 

I've also tried:

Kandara, Fire Golem, Fire Gamin, Wind Gamin.

Kandara (With Magical Training), Oxfordian Mage, Wind Gamin, Wind Gamin.

Kudra, Metal Gamin, Metal Gamin, Arcane Effigy (With Effigy of Fate)

 

What else do people use?

[cbtb11235813]

Joss, SA Swarm w/ Diesel Engine, SS Miner, and a Steam Arachnid is pretty fun. Unfortunately the small spider is kind of a liability, but it being so cheap means you can bring some really beefy models for the rest of your crew. 

I want to try an Amina led crew, but haven't worked out exactly what it will be. Amina, 2 Gunsmiths, and maybe a Saboteur/Medical Automaton? A Union Miner would also fit into that slot, but I don't think he does much with this scheme pool other than be another source of Unionized (and potentially turning off problematic triggers). Saboteur at least has Don't Mind Me, and the Automaton can heal Amina to try to deny Assassinate. Hope your opponent also brings an 8 stone model, or else Vendetta gets difficult.

Snowstorm + 3 December Acolytes could be interesting. Spread out far with From the Shadows, deploying in place for Explosives. Hope you get lucky with Tools for the Job-ing some crows, and lean into making all of your opponent's models slow all the time. 4 actions in the crew is a whole lot harder to work with than 8. Alternatively you could drop one Acolyte for a Silent One. What you lose in deployment shenanigans, you gain in healing and range. She also has the crow built in, so you only need to fish for 2 of them for the Acolytes. 

[Ludvig]

I was hoping to try Myranda with Paul Crocket, an initiate and a cerberus.

If  I had the scorpius and Vogel I'd be wanting to try them in this list as well but right now my selection is limited. The initiate allows your other models to get farther up and start threatening enemy models or placing bombs turn one. Myranda heals decently and is pretty flexible due to her replace shenanigans. Crocket can shoot and use scent of blood and/or coordinated attack to really put some damage on the vendetta target and hopefully score it from relative safety.

 

[Ogid]

Chimera beasts loses a lot without Marcus upgrades imo (but a sabertooth versus a hand of 4 could be good with terrifying tho)... I'd go with:

• Myranda (SS cache), SS miner, SS miner, Paul Crockett (1SS). The little version of the Myranda leader sabertooth strategy.
• Myranda, Ferdinant Vogel, Scorpius, Paul Crockett (0SS). The few chimeras legit without upgrades, plus a lot of sustain and healing.

Both lists try to overpower the oponents and then go for the strategy, not outrun them tho.

[Zeroflatline]

I had went to a 5 round tournament back in October. Went 4-0-1 (tie was against matt Carter).  

Carlos (leader- 2 bombs)

Firestarter (2 bombs)

Emissary (no bombs)

Mannequin (1 bomb)

The gameplan turn 1 was use Carlos to walk walk drag the mannequin and dance a little further up. Mannequin then drops a bomb. Fire starter goes reckless moves 21 inches in to the backfield. Emissary wrecks the center! Negation aura is brutal against a 4 card hand. Turn 2 assess board state and adjust accordingly.

Most people went after Carlos (cause assassinate is a thing) but with good def stats high mobility/butterfly jump and heals form the mannequin. He only died once. (Black joker def flip opponent red joker damage!)

[Ludvig]

I tried the Myranda list but didn't have all my models so I modified it and played two games. Had Myranda, a magically trained cerberus, Crocket and an arachnid swarm. Left me with a 2ss cache as well for a significant card advantage.

Crocket didn't do much because I stupidly built the board with a big building that my vendetta targets choose to hide behind while crossing the center line in both games. He goes down fast and lacks mobility so I might have to reevaluate him for an enforcer that can actually kill something and get bombs down. The cerberus performed pretty well although both the opposing crews had terrifying which was bothersome. Myranda lasted very well so I didn't give up any points on assassinate. The arachnid sauntered over and plonked a bomb down in both games. The star of the show was the cerberus. I had Myranda move it up and walk along to give it the defense buff turn one, she applied camouflage to herself and held of the shapechange. Then the cerb could walk, get a bomb out and leap+attack an exposed enemy runner in both games due to luck with crows and opponents forgetting Myranda could move it (the free leap attacks on isolated models might not work in the long run). 

Won against Aionius and lost against some big TT ghost Oni thing. Ama No Sako perhaps?

 

[Kaeris_Main]

I've only played two hench hardcore crews, and the Wildfire crew I don't recommend because they schemed amazingly but folded like wet paper in combat. Bringing Carlos with performer backup like Ludvig did sounds more viable (I didn't own any at the time). The effigy > emissary combo was banned for the tournament or else I would've included it.

However, I played a Kudra led list and it was very awesome. I only lost one game and it was when I didn't have a legal vendetta target and Ototo was the leader (that wasn't bloody happening 😂). It was quite balanced between scheming and killing, and let me flex depending on what the situation was.

- Kudra, leader (2 bombs)

- Shasta Vidiya Guard (1 bomb)

- Soulstone miner (1 bomb)

- Oxfordian Mage (1 bomb)

Kudra was brilliant with 6 stats, onslaught and butterfly jump, super scary melee threat but also a solid schemer. Had to decide not to oneshot a master kind of situation. Miner was the vendetta model- popped up next to them and dealt damage, then re-buried and Kudra finished them off next turn for second point. Also helped offset low SS cache. Shasta was everyone's vendetta target save one game where it was the mage, but he provided a seriously needed second damage threat and his pushes were great. Oxy mage was the weakest point of the crew but it did come in handy- I'd probably try swapping it for a wind gamin next time though.

It'd be weaker vs ranged crews (fortunate to only play melee henchmen & Samuel Hopkins who decided to go melee instead of ranged- for those wondering I DID warn him twice about her onslaught) and also a little weaker vs opponents with better melee damage tracks. But it was a super good all-round crew and also a blast to play! However, the cheapest SS of 6 means the chance for a non-legal vendetta target IS there.

[TeaCrusader]

2 hours ago, Kaeris_Main said:

I've only played two hench hardcore crews, and the Wildfire crew I don't recommend because they schemed amazingly but folded like wet paper in combat. Bringing Carlos with performer backup like Ludvig did sounds more viable (I didn't own any at the time). The effigy > emissary combo was banned for the tournament or else I would've included it.

However, I played a Kudra led list and it was very awesome. I only lost one game and it was when I didn't have a legal vendetta target and Ototo was the leader (that wasn't bloody happening 😂)

- Kudra, leader (2 bombs)

- Shasta Vidiya Guard (1 bomb)

- Soulstone miner (1 bomb)

- Oxfordian Mage (1 bomb)

Kudra was brilliant with 6 stats, onslaught and butterfly jump, super scary melee threat but also a solid schemer. Had to decide not to oneshot a master kind of situation. It was quite balanced between scheming and killing, and let me flex depending on what the situation was. Miner was the vendetta model- popped up next to them and dealt damage, then re-buried and Kudra finished them off next turn for second point. Also helped offset low SS cache. Shasta was everyone's vendetta target save one game where it was the mage, but he provided a seriously needed second damage threat and his pushes were great. Oxy mage was the weakest point of the crew but it did come in handy- I'd probably try swapping it for a wind gamin next time though.

It'd be weaker vs ranged crews (fortunate to only play melee henchmen & Samuel Hopkins who decided to go melee instead of ranged- for those wondering I DID warn him twice about her onslaught) and also a little weaker vs opponents with better melee damage tracks. But it was a super good all-round crew and also a blast to play! However, the cheapest SS of 6 means the chance for a non-legal vendetta target IS there.

Yesss Kudra rocks in this format! (Shame she doesn't feel as valuable in a 50ss Sandeep crew)

Couple of questions.

How did you find the solo-only Mantras? I mean they are still good but do you feel you're missing out on any value by not having elementals about?

Other than soulstone miner it doesn't look like a hugely mobile crew (Though butterfly jump has got me into some excellent bomb-dropping positions before), did you ever struggle to get to places to plant bombs?

Great to hear the format is being played!

[Kaeris_Main]

On 12/9/2019 at 7:32 PM, TeaCrusader said:

Yesss Kudra rocks in this format! (Shame she doesn't feel as valuable in a 50ss Sandeep crew)

Couple of questions.

How did you find the solo-only Mantras? I mean they are still good but do you feel you're missing out on any value by not having elementals about?

Other than soulstone miner it doesn't look like a hugely mobile crew (Though butterfly jump has got me into some excellent bomb-dropping positions before), did you ever struggle to get to places to plant bombs?

Great to hear the format is being played!

Kudra was amazing. Having my leader as the primary damage was a bit of a risk but it definitely paid off. I haven't played Sandeep! I own him, but yet to put him on the table because bubble crews aren't my favourite so I'm a bit iffy to do so. I really miss playing a summoner though (Ramos was my second master). I suppose she'd just compete with too many good beaters in a Sandeep crew between all those amazing golems.

They were fine? Sure, it would've been NICE to have more models benefiting off it, but also that would've forced me to position differently. I didn't particularly feel it's loss, although, point for point, of course there would be a lack of effectiveness without them. I didn't mind it, though. Maybe it's because I haven't played Sandeep.

Yeah, I had a few issues. SS Miner always dropped it's bomb on the first turn so it hemmed in where other bombs could go depending on how I deployed. I think wind gamin instead of oxy mage would ultimately be more valuable due to their leap and 6 inch move- mage did the least out of everyone BUT it was also the only source for ranged attacks, so... that's a pretty big vulnerability. Kudra got like nine inches in one activation from jump though haha, so she swept all the way up the flank and was home free to scheme. Butterfly Jump is SO good.

I'd love to try running a December list. I think Snowstorm is an awesome model vs ranged crews, really packs a punch and is pretty survivable.

Snowstorm (9)

December Acolyte (7)

Silent One (6)

Not sure after that. 8 points left. Maybe a hoarcat for scheming & 3 cache? Really keen to give a December list a shot.

[Stumpyfjord]

The acolytes can’t get a bomb.

And I’ve run snowstorm before. It was both fun and good.

[Kaeris_Main]

1 hour ago, Stumpyfjord said:

The acolytes can’t get a bomb.

And I’ve run snowstorm before. It was both fun and good.

I know! I've played Plant with Raspy before. nasty surprise the first time, I tell you it's a downside but Snowstorm can hold two, or you don't need to deploy them forward. You can just chuck them into normal deployment phase.

I was thinking earlier shifting out the Acolyte anyway- big vendetta target. Maybe Snowstorm, Silent One, Soulstone Miner and then SOMETHING for more damage. 9 points left. Swarm? Everyone likes a good Swarm. Except the opponent.

What Snowstorm list did you run and how'd it go?

[Stumpyfjord]

We messed up and played 25 stones. So not sure how useful it was.

But it was 

Snowstorm

Ice Golem

Ice Gamin

 

vs

 

Captain

Gunsmith

Steamfitter

 

It was an intro game and I played the M&SU side. Purposefully didn’t use upgrades or versatile to keep things simpler.
 

 The combo of Ice Golem being a giant threat with Snowstorm getting him up the table and the putting down the bombs was clutch. The Gunsmith and captain eventually got him down for both Vendetta points but not before the Golem ate the Steamfitter and Captain.

M&SU didn’t feel great but the Snowstorm/Golem combo is really strong in that limited format.

[AskM3L8r]

Haven't done hard core Henchmen yet but have done Henchmen Teams 

Myranda w/ SS cache

Arcane Effigy w/ fate upgrade

Cojo

two mole men. 

Myranda shapeshifting and Cojo were a nice team up let the molemen scheme run while Myranda was gnawing as SRM.

A theory build for H H. is :

Snowstorm

2 Acolytes and 

Silent One.

I'd also want to explore Hank and the Capt for HH