Matchup question

[Ravencroft]

I figure this is sort of counterproductive, but I am in a pickle. I have a game coming up that is most likely against Hoffman. I was wondering which Arcanist Master would be the best counter to Hoffman. The only Arcanist Master I do not have is Colette. Please let me know. Thanks.

[NoisyAssassin]

Do you know the pool, or just that the opponent is likely to bring Hoff?

Regardless I'd avoid Mei, since she drops lots of scrap that Augmented models can eat for fun and profit. 

[Ravencroft]

7 minutes ago, NoisyAssassin said:

Do you know the pool, or just that the opponent is likely to bring Hoff?

Regardless I'd avoid Mei, since she drops lots of scrap that Augmented models can eat for fun and profit. 

My opponent is most likely to bring Hoffman

[dancater]

Yeah not knowing the strategy and schemes means advise is not simple, and largely broad generalisation.

First note, always take the crew you have the most fun with and know the best. Malifaux is a game for fun, or why bother, and Malifaux rewards knowledge more than perhaps any other war game I've played. This is always the default unless you're intentionally branching out to learn or experiment.

Against Hoffman, absent of any other information. No Colette, you don't have her. No Mei, don't run OK stompy Bots into the Prince of stompy Bots. That's the no's.

Maybe Marcus, he's not the first tier but if you know him it's a solid list. Maybe Sandeep, summons is always a solid choice, although with the GG2 summoning nerf I'd be cautious. Maybe Rasputina, she is slow but Hoff-ball does play into a mid-field brawl where her tough, healing crew and blasts are solid. Maybe Hoffman, the Hoff vs Hoff battle, bring your Bots to the battle, but I'd be cautious seems obvious your opponent knows Hoffman better than you and in the mirror the more experienced will usually win.

Better selections. Solid, Kaeris, she and her crew are fast, versatile and reliable, envelope the Hoff-ball and literally slash and burn, rolling in and out, picking off key strat and scheme scorers, this works great with at least some VP's on a spread field, not so good if the strat and schemes dictate a mid-field brawl. Solid, Ironsides, run durable brawlers up into the middle of the Hoff-ball and trade blow for blow on the M&SU mistresses terms, Ironsides crew hit hard at range, while being solid at the attrition battle and a crew which likes to bubble up, solid opposition to Hoffman when the strat and schemes dictate a centralised slugfest.

So in a more spread out scheme pool I'd take Kaeris. In a more centralised maim and kill scheme pool I'd go old Ironsides. From your options available.  

[Ravencroft]

Sounds good. I’m very familiar with Kaeris. Have to wait until game day to make a decision 

[dancater]

On 7/27/2021 at 12:09 PM, Ravencroft said:

Sounds good. I’m very familiar with Kaeris. Have to wait until game day to make a decision 

Good luck mate

[Mycellanious]

Arcanists as a Faction have the most Armor piercing in the game, so it is not too hard to build a list with any master than counters Hoffman. 

I'd actually throw a vote Mei Feng's way. She has Access to Neil Henry and Sparks two excellent anti construct models. She also has a lot of moderate 4 which is good against armor 2. I just wouldnt hire the Golem or Porkchop

 

[Jinn]

1 hour ago, Mycellanious said:

Arcanists as a Faction have the most Armor piercing in the game, so it is not too hard to build a list with any master than counters Hoffman. 

I'd actually throw a vote Mei Feng's way. She has Access to Neil Henry and Sparks two excellent anti construct models. She also has a lot of moderate 4 which is good against armor 2. I just wouldnt hire the Golem or Porkchop

 

Mei Feng gets absolutely annihilated by Hoffman. She needs her scrap so badly and his crew eats it passively. Her crew's most powerful ability (other than Ride the Rails, which also gets wrecked) is Vent Steam and Hoffman's entire crew is just incidentally immune to it. Neil Henry is too squishy to be a counter to that crew IMO, but if you need him just hire him OOK or something. Sparks would be nice just for the obey, but still not worth it. The Peacekeeper can have inbuilt Armour Piercing with Flurry and Fast (and even Trail of Gore), your armoured models are not going to survive.

If you want Command Construct just hire Joss and get armour ignore from his Arc Axe (built in), best of both Neil Henry and Sparks. Electric Discharge isn't bad either. You'll drop more scrap markers because of Creative Salvage, but at least your crew's abilities won't get worse while Hoff's gets better when he eats them. Another reason not to go with Mei Feng, Hoffman can hire this guy too and then he can obey your constructs.

[Mycellanious]

38 minutes ago, Jinn said:

Mei Feng gets absolutely annihilated by Hoffman. She needs her scrap so badly and his crew eats it passively. Her crew's most powerful ability (other than Ride the Rails, which also gets wrecked) is Vent Steam and Hoffman's entire crew is just incidentally immune to it. Neil Henry is too squishy to be a counter to that crew IMO, but if you need him just hire him OOK or something. Sparks would be nice just for the obey, but still not worth it. The Peacekeeper can have inbuilt Armour Piercing with Flurry and Fast (and even Trail of Gore), your armoured models are not going to survive.

If you want Command Construct just hire Joss and get armour ignore from his Arc Axe (built in), best of both Neil Henry and Sparks. Electric Discharge isn't bad either. You'll drop more scrap markers because of Creative Salvage, but at least your crew's abilities won't get worse while Hoff's gets better when he eats them. Another reason not to go with Mei Feng, Hoffman can hire this guy too and then he can obey your constructs.

So outside of the Golem and Porkchop, which I agree are bad to take into Hoffman, Mei's crew doesnt overly rely on on Armor. Some minions have Armor +1, and that's about it. I think that you and I have had very different experience with Scrap Markers; the Foundry is the absolute master of them. Hoffman's models need to start within an Aura in order to consume them; Mei Feng doesn't have to allow Hoffman to be able to do that because they can place / consume their Scrap at will. Not to mention, that Augmented needs LoS to Scrap Markers whereas Foundry does not. It is entirely possible to block LoS to the Markers and prevent Hoffman from picking them up.