Building for 35ss games: Ten Thunders

[ezramantis]

Recently I've been playing 35ss games.  The guy I've been playing with has limited time available and we're playing over VASSAL, so 35ss size is perfect because it usually allows us squeeze in about a turn a session.

Most crew building wisdom centers around standard 50ss size, so I'd like to explore what the community thinks about how to build 35ss crews.

Obviously each game is different, with opponent's master, keywords, strats and schemes, etc. but I feel like there must be some general philosophies that can be kept in mind with smaller games.

As a conversation starter I'd like to offer how I've been thinking about it ("right" or "wrong").  With less models to achieve objectives, I've been focusing on how to score the strat and 1 objective, with the second object being a "plan B" of sorts.

[TheUnseemlyOne]

One thing to keep in mind is that models that summon can greatly unbalance the game at smaller game sizes.  Summoning 7-9 stones worth of models can represent a %20+ increase in your crew size.  Crews that can reliably do this every turn have a lot of potential to quickly overwhelm crews that can’t. 

[ezramantis]

Fo sho. Our first game we both picked summoners (to help counteract a lack of mooks to get shtuff done) and then laughed that our game was going to be lengthened by this choice. The whole reason we play at 35ss is for time!

[dannydb]

If you playing on vassal isn't it better just to learn to play 50 stone games and save the game and play over a couple of sessions? 

[ezramantis]

Perhaps, but at the rate we get to complete even 35ss games it'd take that much longer for 50ss.  The 35ss turn fits just right into his schedule so it's nice to have a solid bookmark at the end of eaxh turn.

Plus, i think this is a discussion worth having, since 35ss games are good for new players, players with fewer models, or players who just want to have a shorter game and still use their masters instead of Henchman as leaders.

[ezramantis]

To clarify dannydb, we DO play over several sessions and save between. We still only get 1 turn in at a time (and in a few instances have had to cut those short) that's how tight his schedule is haha

[dannydb]

have you thought about playing other people

the vassal community is growing all the time and is full of friendly folk

[ezramantis]

I've thought of it and I might do that one day. But honestly my reason for starting this thread was less about finding alternatives to 35ss games and more about exploring how to approach them in terms of crew building.

There's something nice about fewer models on the table, especially for players who are new to skirmish gaming or aren't accustomed to the complexity of options and interactions that a typical game of malifaux presents.

[Psycho_alchemist]

Well the first point you already mentioned, skip on Summoners. They can offset games.

My main thing when building at 35, no support pieces. No healing or nice to have. It is a tight format, so schemers and beaters and a few SS to spare. In most of my 35 lists I try to keep 5-6 SS. Already like this with a master, beater around 10 points, two scheme runners and maybe another piece I find this is it. Also rarely there are point to spare for upgrades