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How do you play Sonnia nowadays?


Franchute

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Hello,

I'm playing a game of Malifaux this afternoon with a friend. It's been more than a year without playing and I'm pretty exited about it!

I'm starting this thread mainly to know what I have missed during all this time. I guess there is a new gaining ground and a new errata, but we should maybe be aware of more things. Also, I wanted to know how you guys play Sonnia nowadays. I'm thinking about bringing some keyword minis with things that are already painted (Grimwell, the effigy), but these are probably not the relevant minis to play her. What about the governor proxy? Is he still popular?

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It's also been a while since I played sonnia, but the handlers/thralls are pretty decent keyword choices. I personally dislike samael hopkins, and the stalkers have niche situational roles. Thalarian quellers are useful back up models if you have them. The effigy is great with sonnia because she has low defence and the heal is useful.

In terms of OOK models, anything which can protect sonnia is good, or help her move into range quickly to get the most from her actions. For this I either use the guardian (to be close and take the hit, and then lob her 10" up the board), or horsey models with "ride with me" to carry her up the board, so Pale Rider, or Mounted Guard.

I haven't used the governer's proxy in a long while, so I can't help you there.

The latest errata was March I think, and the GG1 released at the same time. Nothing has changed with Sonnia/her crew or cards.

Hope this helps 😀

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The Pale Rider is an amazing Versatile to bring along. Ride with Me, extra burning and healing. I don't often find the need for the Steward, but don't think he is a bad choice. Healing, focus, condition removal, and potential card draw are always good.

I love the new Samael. Move 6, unimpeded, and creep along make him very quick. Extra burning from shooting means he really wants focus if you do bring the Steward. Thralls are great beater models if you are going for the middle - fists speak for themselves, ruthless, and shockwaves to punish people bunching up or get around defensive tech. Almost anything combos well with Witchling Handler for extra speed, and Witchfire if you are going the summoning route. Couple of Sanctioned with a Queller or Handler have a ton of AP for cheap, but are fairly squishy.

I think the Jury would be an interesting tech piece for the Obey, but have yet to test this. Counterspell and By the Book could really blunt an attack. Though to save a few stones maybe a Lawyer instead.

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10 hours ago, Franchute said:

Hello,

I'm playing a game of Malifaux this afternoon with a friend. It's been more than a year without playing and I'm pretty exited about it!

I'm starting this thread mainly to know what I have missed during all this time. I guess there is a new gaining ground and a new errata, but we should maybe be aware of more things. Also, I wanted to know how you guys play Sonnia nowadays. I'm thinking about bringing some keyword minis with things that are already painted (Grimwell, the effigy), but these are probably not the relevant minis to play her. What about the governor proxy? Is he still popular?

Welcome back!

I run mostly out of keyword.  My newest thing to do is use the rider to throw her forward activation one, then activate Sonia activation 2 then pull her back with phi activation 3.  A lot of people are bunching up to start the game, which gives her a chance to get some burning out early.  And if they want to charge her in between, they have to be fast and willing to take the hazardous, and the burning from her trigger, and be there for the rest of the crew to shoot (and then Sonia can get healed by the steward or domador.)

If they have guns this is a little more risky, but out side of a few crews, there isn't a ton of threat to her.

I'm not sure if it's good, but people really aren't used to activation 2 aggression, which makes it really fun to watch them deal. 

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The pale rider is a strong versatile, and he has good synergy with Sonnia. That would be my first pick. Steward is also good.

Samael + 1 or 2 sanctionned spellcasters is good to cover a flank.

The totem is one of the best scheme runners of guild. Forget about playing it to bomb the opponent : auto disengage + incorporeal + significant is really strong.

Witchling stalkers are bad. Their only plus is the dispell that can be useful.

Witchling thrall do not survive long enough to justify their cost. They hit like a truck but they often do not have a chance to hit anyone because they are already dead.

Handlers can be good if you need a minion that can survive for schemes. Attuned is often overlooked as defensive tech. They will also light up opponents in concealment preparing the blasts of Sonnia. They have a good movement. Good model for catch and release or schemes on which you need a minion, but you will need 2 stones to keep them alive.

Quellers have never done anything useful in my games.

Sonnia with a Lead lined coat is extremely hard to take down. With her hazardous, she can cover a choke point. If your opponent do not attack them, she will blast him. If he trys to get her, she will heal with melee attacks, deals burning/damage with attacks and hazardous and end up summoning a new model.

There is a preview on a future witch hunter from explorer keyword that will be an auto include in this team, but he is not yet available.

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19 hours ago, Higgybeans said:

Thalarian quellers are useful back up models if you have them. The effigy is great with sonnia because she has low defence and the heal is useful.

In terms of OOK models, anything which can protect sonnia is good, or help her move into range quickly to get the most from her actions. For this I either use the guardian (to be close and take the hit, and then lob her 10" up the board), or horsey models with "ride with me" to carry her up the board, so Pale Rider, or Mounted Guard.

I haven't used the governer's proxy in a long while, so I can't help you there.

The latest errata was March I think, and the GG1 released at the same time. Nothing has changed with Sonnia/her crew or cards.

Hope this helps 😀

Quellers are awful imo.  They have a load of short range abilities but no melee attack, they get shut down by simply engaging them, forcing them to waste a activation disengaging before they can do anything.  Not bad at range, but very easily shut down (removing the :ranged from Arcane Blast would probably fix that though) meaning that they aren't particularly good at scheme running.

 

And the Effigy isn't a bad choice at all, but I think the Steward is better.  Both models have heals, but the Steward also gives out Focus, has Condition removal, and the Demise ability is much better at keeping the model alive than the Effigy's defensive tech!  It depends how much you need the SS :)

1 hour ago, le_wahou said:

The pale rider is a strong versatile, and he has good synergy with Sonnia. That would be my first pick. Steward is also good.

Samael + 1 or 2 sanctionned spellcasters is good to cover a flank.

The totem is one of the best scheme runners of guild. Forget about playing it to bomb the opponent : auto disengage + incorporeal + significant is really strong.

Witchling stalkers are bad. Their only plus is the dispell that can be useful.

Witchling thrall do not survive long enough to justify their cost. They hit like a truck but they often do not have a chance to hit anyone because they are already dead.

Handlers can be good if you need a minion that can survive for schemes. Attuned is often overlooked as defensive tech. They will also light up opponents in concealment preparing the blasts of Sonnia. They have a good movement. Good model for catch and release or schemes on which you need a minion, but you will need 2 stones to keep them alive.

Quellers have never done anything useful in my games.

I agree with pretty much all of that.  Especially the last part!

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IvI've had fun and success running stalkers and thralls powered by a Handler and backed up by a Peacekeepr and Sam. Use the stalkers as a screen for the thralls, make liberal use of the No Love For Witchlings and their explode and it's easy to summon in more when they die. Claim the centre ground with the peacekeeper, hide Sonnia behind it and use Sam as a mobile firebase.  

Can't wait for the spell eaters.

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1 hour ago, Mikes said:

IvI've had fun and success running stalkers and thralls powered by a Handler and backed up by a Peacekeepr and Sam. Use the stalkers as a screen for the thralls, make liberal use of the No Love For Witchlings and their explode and it's easy to summon in more when they die. Claim the centre ground with the peacekeeper, hide Sonnia behind it and use Sam as a mobile firebase.  

Can't wait for the spell eaters.

bad plan; sam as mobile firebase? what?)) without ignoring concealment and cover and dmg track 2/3/4? better to take rider or lone marshal for real firepower; stalkers and thralls are garbage

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1 hour ago, Plaag said:

bad plan; sam as mobile firebase? what?)) without ignoring concealment and cover and dmg track 2/3/4? better to take rider or lone marshal for real firepower; stalkers and thralls are garbage

Sam is suprinsingly efficient. he needs a setup, but creep along + rapide means 4 AP. His dmg track is 2/3/4 burning +1. He is not the best to take down a model, but he is really good to pile up damage on ennemy team, especiallly with ricochet. Do not use him if there is a lot of concealment, but otherwise he is better than his stats let you believe.

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2 hours ago, le_wahou said:

Sam is suprinsingly efficient. he needs a setup, but creep along + rapide means 4 AP. His dmg track is 2/3/4 burning +1. He is not the best to take down a model, but he is really good to pile up damage on ennemy team, especiallly with ricochet. Do not use him if there is a lot of concealment, but otherwise he is better than his stats let you believe.

with 2/3/4 still dont ignoring cover, he will just spend your cards

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8 hours ago, Plaag said:

bad plan; sam as mobile firebase? what?)) without ignoring concealment and cover and dmg track 2/3/4? better to take rider or lone marshal for real firepower; stalkers and thralls are garbage

Are you actively trying to suck all joy and fun out of this game?  Please stop.

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3 minutes ago, 4thstringer said:

I just realized these models cannot be hit by the obey action, nor the pseudo obey on the Domador.  He also can't be reaped by the dead rider.

 

Riders can still declare triggers against them, since their Fate token usage happens "when declaring" as opposed to "before declaring" which is when the Spelleaters to eat the suits.

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3 minutes ago, 4thstringer said:

I just realized these models cannot be hit by the obey action, nor the pseudo obey on the Domador.  He also can't be reaped by the dead rider.

 

Neat interaction!

Not sure about the Reap trigger though (the Dead Rider discards 'when' declaring the trigger, so I'm not sure there is a window to remove the suits).

It's also weird because effects like this would normally say 'after' ('after determining the final duel total, transfer suits' is how I would have assumed it would have been worded).

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