Rotten Belles - First Impressions.

[Maniacal_cackle]

Just tried my first game with my Seamus core box, and I have to say Belles exceeded my expectations (for casual play). My crew was:

• Seamus + Whisper & Copycat
• Madame Sybelle
• Carrion Emissary
• Bete Noire
• 3 Belles

I scored 4 points off Symbols, 1 point off Bete's Vendetta (model soulstoned when she tried to damage it, so only got the second point), and 2 points off spread them out.

The Belles really overperformed! They scored one symbol and two spread them out, and killed a flying piglet. They contributed to the death of the First Mate and an Iron Skeeter.

I ran them as a unit of three models. They stayed in the same quarter of the board as each other the whole game, and it meant they synergised insanely well with each other. Their scarlet temptations make both their attacks land incredibly easily. Their melee attack is surprisingly dangerous, hitting consistently and with positive flips means they commonly do 2-3 damage.

The lure was a home run. A single Belle luring an enemy into a pile can hand out multiple fasts, ensuring the group can be dishing out quite a few actions (or damage) as needed. It acts as free ways to exit engagement (and in fact the winning point was based off a scarlet temptation-ed lure to free up another belle to interact). Stat 6 lure when the enemy is on a minus flip is pretty nuts!

Collectively, they have 21 wounds + hard to wound + disguised, making them quite tanky (just make sure to space them widely enough to avoid blasts if need be!)

Bete Noire acted as nice backup - when a Belle couldn't get into position to scarlet temptation someone, Bete Noire did her usual brilliant job of getting the aura exactly where I needed it to be.

Moving forward, I think 3 Belles (maybe swapping one for a Doxy) is going to be something I use for a lot of casual games. Definitely recommend people trying to run them as a 'unit' working closely together in a team!

That said, it was really annoying that they couldn't hand out distract and so the few rams triggers I got during the game were pretty useless. Would love if they had a bonus action to give distract (although at this point I have to wonder if they'd be too strong with that kind of buff).

EDIT: Hilariously Seamus didn't kill a single model all game. But that's alright, he might secretly be a scheme runner anyway

[ShinChan]

Wait until you try the Dead Doxies. They're great! For 1ss more you get:

• +1 Df
• +1 Wp
• +1 Wd
• A trigger in defense (after resolving) to end the enemy model activation
• +1 Stat in the attack and 1 extra trigger
• An extra trigger in the Lure
• A 

Although you lose Pounce, but that's not bad at all (you change gaining 1 extra action occasionally for a  that you can use every turn). If you put GST on them, they become super tanky (Terrifying 11, Regeneration +2 and a new source of Blasphemous ritual).

 

[Paddywhack]

I don't hate them as much as others, but they are definitely not as strong as they used to be (for good and bad). I just really wish they had a Bonus action. I still think their Lure should have the Mask built in. That would give them more utility than they currently have and synergize better with the crew.  Unassuming Demeanor with the + dmg flips can be better than it looks. Wouldn't mind the Mask built in there either  

I usually only bring one and often OOK to assist. I'll have to try bringing a crew of them with Seamus and see how it goes. 

[Maniacal_cackle]

4 hours ago, ShinChan said:

Wait until you try the Dead Doxies. They're great! For 1ss more you get:

• An extra trigger in the Lure

 

 

Looking forward to it!

But Doxies don't have lure, do they?

[ShinChan]

12 minutes ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Looking forward to it!

But Doxies don't have lure, do they?

Yep, I wanted to say the "secondary attack".

I had to face not so long ago the combination of both (I was playing Parker). 2 Belles and 2 Doxies, and that was truly difficult to deal with  I managed to get a Tie, but it was a truly intense game.

[Maniacal_cackle]

Just now, ShinChan said:

Yep, I wanted to say the "secondary attack".

I had to face not so long ago the combination of both (I was playing Parker). 2 Belles and 2 Doxies, and that was truly difficult to deal with  I managed to get a Tie, but it was a truly intense game.

Awesome.  I've also been considering pairing a Doxy and a Belle for a tag team unit of two (rather than one big unit of three).

Could cover both flanks with two groups. Not sure it'd be worth the stones though.

If they encounter anything too strong to take down themselves, Seamus or Bete can teleport in.

[Morgan Vening]

On 10/30/2020 at 3:16 AM, Paddywhack said:

I don't hate them as much as others, but they are definitely not as strong as they used to be (for good and bad). I just really wish they had a Bonus action. I still think their Lure should have the Mask built in. That would give them more utility than they currently have and synergize better with the crew.  Unassuming Demeanor with the + dmg flips can be better than it looks. Wouldn't mind the Mask built in there either  

I usually only bring one and often OOK to assist. I'll have to try bringing a crew of them with Seamus and see how it goes. 

How about a weaker version of Tools, as a Bonus Action?

 Shallow Graves: Until the end of this model's activation, it may add the suit of the top card of the discard pile to it's duel totals.

It's relatively minor, but increases the chance of triggers occurring, and can be gamed a little if needed (like choosing a crappier card on a plus duel/damage flip, because it'll make the second action have the suit needed built in)

[Sagrit]

On 10/29/2020 at 4:10 PM, ShinChan said:

Wait until you try the Dead Doxies. They're great! For 1ss more you get:

• +1 Df
• +1 Wp
• +1 Wd
• A trigger in defense (after resolving) to end the enemy model activation
• +1 Stat in the attack and 1 extra trigger
• An extra trigger in the Lure
• A 

Although you lose Pounce, but that's not bad at all (you change gaining 1 extra action occasionally for a  that you can use every turn). If you put GST on them, they become super tanky (Terrifying 11, Regeneration +2 and a new source of Blasphemous ritual).

 

The most important thing that you loose when take Doxy instead of Belle is WP attacks. Scarlet Tempatation don't affect Df based attacks. Doxy was a real star in M2E, but this days i'm actualy preffer Bellebecause of nice synergy with Scarlet Temptation, Lure and moreover "-" damage becomes "+" damage. It can be brutal with Unexpected Ferocity.

[NoahScape]

Taking a belle or two is okay, but they don't tend to make it very deep into games because other than HTW and disguised. 

Seamus really needs the belles to tie things up, which they're meh at, and try to stay alive long enough for him to shoot at a model they're engaging. Belles also need something else, distracted isn't that good currently, and they don't put enough of it out for it to really matter. Its needs to be more reliable, be it built into the lure, or a built in mask so triggers can still be denied but it gives them a special lure. 

I get they were nerfed into the ground because ME2 they were really strong, but the lure is just weak sauce. 

Sybelle continues to be garbage and I will say it in every post about Seamus.