Taelor: What is She Missing?

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13 hours ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

The principle of 'do 3 useful things a turn' is a good one, but I agree a third attack is quite boring.

How is her leadership abilities in the lore? Could be sweet if she had an aura to double battle tempo to 4 inches, or some other buff that only helps keyword?

In 2e there was a Sister (the Viks keyword at the time) only upgrade that let friendly mercenaries take a flurry or rapid fire without having to discard a card. If Taelor got that added to her card, I think that would be a really fun ability that adds some needed in keyword synergy. It could also be a double bonus, giving a reason to play Desperate Mercenaries as they're a dead model right now. However, I could see it being OP with Ronin. No one wants them moving 5" and then charging for 3 attacks every turn. Maybe a small enough aura would work? Or limiting it to just Rapid Fire?

[Maniacal_cackle]

2 minutes ago, touchdown said:

In 2e there was a Sister (the Viks keyword at the time) only upgrade that let friendly mercenaries take a flurry or rapid fire without having to discard a card. If Taelor got that added to her card, I think that would be a really fun ability that adds some needed in keyword synergy. It could also be a double bonus, giving a reason to play Desperate Mercenaries as they're a dead model right now. However, I could see it being OP with Ronin. No one wants them moving 5" and then charging for 3 attacks every turn. Maybe a small enough aura would work? Or limiting it to just Rapid Fire?

Interesting idea, would definitely be worth beta-testing!  I also wonder if it could be something like when a friendly Merc uses rapid fire or flurry, Taelor gains focused. That way you're getting extra mileage out of your resources (cards), but you're still having to spend them.

That might make sense if Taelor's lore is more smash focused than leadership focused, having her get buffed by her allies.

[Jesy Blue]

The Sister keyword was so much better than the Mercenary keyword is.

Both Vik's, Vanessa, Taelor, & The Student of Conflict had the Sister keyword, and there were 5 different things that affected "only Sisters"; now there's one effect that is "only Mercenary" & an ability that only effects Vik, Vik, & Vanessa.

[Zebo]

Taleor has never been Sister. 

The worst thing about the Mercenary keyword ia that they really don't feel like a crew at all. They're a bunch of people that really don't help each other very much, but someway do the same thing (mostly, run and beat). There's no interaction between them. There's no advantage for playing in-keyword. 

 

I understand that not every crew need to have wholesome mechanics or intricate sinergies, but at least the Mercenary could have more diversity in their options. 

 

Or, at least, a little push to those mercenaries that don't do the same. 

 

Desperate mercenaries changing their damage track to 2/3/3 or 2/3/4, and loosing the ignore cover part, would become a regular support adition. Even doing flat 2 damage would be an improvement. 

Both Student of Conflict and Big Jake could get some help to be seen a bit more. SoC some little boost to do something more than give fast, and not sure what is Big Jake's role. 

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1 hour ago, Zebo said:

Both Student of Conflict and Big Jake could get some help to be seen a bit more. SoC some little boost to do something more than give fast, and not sure what is Big Jake's role. 

I like Big Jake a lot. Unexpected Return is amazing for any scheme where you need any friendly model in a certain place (in GG1, Research Mission, and Take Prisoner). Consult the Ancestors is a great deck filtering ability (even if it fails, that's a weak out of your deck). Don't Mind Me is icing on the cake, combined with Unexpected Return makes him very good at Symbols and Recovery Evidence for grabbing that last point.

Regarding the Student, I'm not sure a 4ss model does need to do more than hand out fast, a bigger problem is that Mercenary probably needs fast less than any other keyword with 2 masters in every crew, one of their 9 stone models having it built in, and Ronin already being psuedo-4 AP models.

[Maniacal_cackle]

5 minutes ago, touchdown said:

I like Big Jake a lot. Unexpected Return is amazing for any scheme where you need any friendly model in a certain place (in GG1, Research Mission, and Take Prisoner). Consult the Ancestors is a great deck filtering ability (even if it fails, that's a weak out of your deck). Don't Mind Me is icing on the cake, combined with Unexpected Return makes him very good at Symbols and Recovery Evidence for grabbing that last point.

Regarding the Student, I'm not sure a 4ss model does need to do more than hand out fast, a bigger problem is that Mercenary probably needs fast less than any other keyword with 2 masters in every crew, one of their 9 stone models having it built in, and Ronin already being psuedo-4 AP models.

Funnily enough, I have found Student of Conflict quite brutal in other crews, so now that makes sense.

[Zebo]

Then some kind of "only mercenary" Action/Trigger.

 

Also, I think Big Jake "Unexpected Return" Should state that the summoned Big Jake is considered as being the same model than the one killed. 

[touchdown]

Do you think Explorers Society breathes new life into Taelor? Everyone is scared of English Ivan and coincidentally Welcome to Malifaux suddenly becomes actually useful when you have some control over where the opponent summons. They also hand out shielded like candy.

[LeperColony]

I think Taelor is mostly in a good spot.  If it were up to me, I'd change Welcome to Malifaux to be Once per Turn and remove the card cost, add an exorcism trigger to her hammer, and a trigger to her Bring It that allows friendly Mercenaries to not take the mandatory melee action.  

EDIT:  Can't give her exorcism.  Maybe Drain Magic.

[Jesy Blue]

Not that I want her too, but why can't you give her the Exorcism trigger?

[Cedar]

6 minutes ago, Jesy Blue said:

Not that I want her too, but why can't you give her the Exorcism trigger?

I think it's because it doesn't fit her - exorcism is found on some sort of people trained to deal with otherworldly stuff (like Guild Exorcists position, or Charm Warders), not for some angry lady with a hammer. 

[Maniacal_cackle]

If she did have exorcism, would definitely have to put it on Bring it. Lure the otherworldly entity in and then trap it.

She would basically be a ghostbuster.

[Azahul]

7 hours ago, touchdown said:

Do you think Explorers Society breathes new life into Taelor? Everyone is scared of English Ivan and coincidentally Welcome to Malifaux suddenly becomes actually useful when you have some control over where the opponent summons. They also hand out shielded like candy.

Wouldn't Arik give you a far harder denial for just one stone more?

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1 minute ago, Azahul said:

Wouldn't Arik give you a far harder denial for just one stone more?

Well 2 stones more if you're playing Mercenary, if they're both going to be ook, probably yeah you just take Arik.

[Zebo]

Arik wouldn't only force the new summoned model to be placed in their deployment zone? 

[Azahul]

Two stones difference does make Arik less appealing, true, though Wp 6 isn't ideal against Ivan. If she's already a borderline choice that you're only reaching for because of Welcome to Malifaux utility, the fact he can summon Spectres off of her might tip things the other way again.

[Azahul]

2 minutes ago, Zebo said:

Arik wouldn't only force the new summoned model to be placed in their deployment zone? 

Reasonably sure you're thinking of the Unbury rules. If a Summoned model cannot be placed it isn't added to the game.

[touchdown]

6 minutes ago, Azahul said:

Two stones difference does make Arik less appealing, true, though Wp 6 isn't ideal against Ivan. If she's already a borderline choice that you're only reaching for because of Welcome to Malifaux utility, the fact he can summon Spectres off of her might tip things the other way again.

I wasn't thinking about that. Every step forward followed by 2 steps back. Although if the plan is to leave Taelor unactivated until Ivan summons, perhaps you don't care about Spectres over Daeva. They don't get the free attack, terrifying doesn't bother her, and it's just 1 more wound to get through (either way severe + weak kills)

[Thatguy]

3 hours ago, Cedar said:

I think it's because it doesn't fit her - exorcism is found on some sort of people trained to deal with otherworldly stuff (like Guild Exorcists position, or Charm Warders), not for some angry lady with a hammer. 

What about Execute instead of Exorcism. A big hammer to the face seems pretty Execute-y.

Given her new model has a whiskey bottle in hand, I also like the earlier suggestion of adding Trusty Flask. Maybe you could add a cool trigger to it, like:
Angry Drunk- This model gains Poison +1 and may take an Melee Attack against a target of the Opponent's choice. 
Something more selective than just an extra attack a turn and something that also works with her Shrug off, if you need to get rid of all that poison you've stacked getting good and drunk.

Alternatively a built in Drunken Stumble could give her more mobility.

[Jesy Blue]

If you gave her Trusty Flask & Driving While A Drink but no ability to resist poison, that would be hilarious!

[Zebo]

If you're gonna give her poison, at least give her something like Drunken Strength, although I really don't like to direct her to be a drunk. 

She indeed needs a bonus action that helps her each turn, not only when wants to get rid of a condition. 

[Thatguy]

18 hours ago, Jesy Blue said:

If you gave her Trusty Flask & Driving While A Drink but no ability to resist poison, that would be hilarious!

Without a way to boost her poison other than trusty flask it would be a 0" push.

8 hours ago, Zebo said:

Drunken Strength

I was thinking if that too, but wasn't sure Taelor needed a 4/5/7 damage spread. Or 5/6/8 if you can find another poison source 

[Zebo]

Maybe, but without something like that, Trusty Flask in Taelor would be like having to beat a duel with TN to heal 0/1/2. Probably the worst healing action in the game. 

 

Another option could be Drunken Kung Fu ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Nah XD. I would prefer for her to go another direction, or at least her "alcoholic" Thing to not be Trusty Flask. 

For example, she could have Beer Goggles and the trigger Shower of Booze both in her Hammer and (specially interesting) in her Bring It (they charge, gets poisoned and then must decide if discard a card or gain a negative to their attack). 

But still would miss some bonus action. 

[Thatguy]

It's a bonus action, that she otherwise probably wasn't using. It's not as good a heal as say Juggernaut, but it's less card intensive and even a small heal is pretty good on a hard to kill model. 

I agree that she probably needs more than just that, like a cool trigger or Too Drunk to Care.

[Maniacal_cackle]

In terms of triggers that can single handedly make a henchman playable, shove aside is pretty darn good.

Something similar to Dreamer's "bam! Your turn" would be very flavourful as well.