Tactica: Pandora

[wrabbit37]

Hello everyone, I just picked up the pandora box and I;m new to malifaux. How exactly do you use panda and crew? I'm under they impression she doesn't play anything like the other crews. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

This is my crew:

Pandora

Sorrow 3

Sorrow 3

Sorrow 3

Baby Kade 6

Candy 8

Convict Gunslinger 6

Crew Cost: 29/30

Soulstones: 6

Depending on the objective, you may run into a little trouble. Only four of your models can hold objectives - the Sorrows are Insignificant. If you draw Quarters, you're going to be hurt if just one of your models is killed. Might be worth trading a Sorrow for a Terror Tot to give yourself a little more flexibility.

[Rathnard]

Depending on the objective, you may run into a little trouble. Only four of your models can hold objectives - the Sorrows are Insignificant. If you draw Quarters, you're going to be hurt if just one of your models is killed. Might be worth trading a Sorrow for a Terror Tot to give yourself a little more flexibility.

Yeah, I've noticed that the insignificant sorrows would be a problem in the recon mission. Fortunately you're able to build crews after drawing for your strategy. So it's probably worth investing in a pack of terror tots for that reason.

[islyfe]

Ok so how exactly does pandoras crew work? I have only played with rasputina's crew which is pretty simple....nuke the other guy with december's curse and have icey linebackers intercept all threats all the while buffing and boucing December's curse.

[Rathnard]

Basically, you take advantage of emotional trauma and emotional stress (if you get the sorrows close enough) to deal wounds from failed Wp duels.

Fading memory makes Pandora a hit/run caster. The idea is to pacify/incite any models in range (including your own or even Pandora!) to push into range of a target model, hurt it with Wp duels, and then pacify/incite back to safety.

The Sorrows may be easy to kill, but they've proven to be a valuble part of the crew. They're able to take damage from models in base contact (potentially saving Pandora and the like from Alpha strikes), but with emotional stress they're able to effectively multiply the damage done via Wp duels.

Case in point - Last game was a 3-way vs. Ramos and Lilith. Both Lilith and the Mature Nephilim charged in vs Candy but failed to kill her (various reasons, but regret is awesome ). In my activation, Pandora took two linked sorrows and pacified 12" towards both models, putting them within 3". In that and the next activation the turn after (I went before the Lilith player), I stripped Wp-dueled to death The MNephilim, 2 terror tots and Lilith. That was about 28 wounds in two activations.

Pandora is also very good with messing with activation order, and Pacify/incite can ensure your opponent won't get to activate his most threatening models at the right time. Also, spells cast using the Mental Anguish trigger can be used take threatening (living) models out of action for a turn.

[Omadon]

Rath, I need to correct you on a few things here. First things first - Linked models don't follow pushes. It is possible for sorrows to snap to her, but you need to spend 1AP walking for them to remember where they need to be.

Also - I don't have a book with me, but I'm pretty darn sure that construct/undead immunity extends only to morale duels, not the result of them. Making something fall back is just the end result of a morale duel, or - in this case, a seperate effect that isn't covered. It is possible that they simply say "These models do not fall back", in which case I'll eat my words, but I don't belieevvee I'm wrong.

EDIT: Ooh, yay! henchman! I had presumed I'd get some kind of confirmation mail. Anyway, this is besides the point. Panda rocks /nod

[Rathnard]

Rath, I need to correct you on a few things here. First things first - Linked models don't follow pushes. It is possible for sorrows to snap to her, but you need to spend 1AP walking for them to remember where they need to be.

Yep, I'm well aware of that. I did actually spend 1 AP on a move to snap the sorrows back into BTB, I just didn't mention that in my post.

Also - I don't have a book with me, but I'm pretty darn sure that construct/undead immunity extends only to morale duels, not the result of them. Making something fall back is just the end result of a morale duel, or - in this case, a seperate effect that isn't covered. It is possible that they simply say "These models do not fall back", in which case I'll eat my words, but I don't belieevvee I'm wrong.

Hmm, well I took a long hard look at the FAQ, Errata and rulebook, and I do believe you're right...that's awesome!

Wow, and I though Mental Anguish was good before...

[Captain.Danger]

Oh ya, falling back by way of Mental Anguish is not a result of a morale duel, therefore is totally useable against undead/constructs It would be lame to play against Rasputina(like I normally do) and not use this awesome trigger

-Captain Danger

[izikial]

how did you pacify 12" as it is a 0 action, i thought she could only do one a turn

[goblyn13]

Pacify is a 0 action abilty but it chains as long as she succeeds she can keep performing it until she's pacified as many as she wants

[Moros]

Hey Guys,

Been watching this thread for quite a while and picked up some useful tips and then I read this:

......... First things first - Linked models don't follow pushes. It is possible for sorrows to snap to her, but you need to spend 1AP walking for them to remember where they need to be.

..... at which point I almost choked on my beer. So, I'm after a little clarification as to why this is the case.

I'm happy with the Sorrow's 'When a linked model moves, push this model in BTB contact.......'

However, page 3 of the Errata, Pushes, states that 'When a game effect Pushes a model, it is moved the distance indicated by the effect causing the Push. Pushes are move effects.....'

Surely that means that a Sorrow that is linked to Pandora will remain in BTB contact after Fading Memory? I'm very happy to be put back on the straight and narrow, but can someone please explain otherwise.

[Captain.Danger]

To my understanding, the Sorrow will not follow Pandora due to Fading Memory. A Push and a Move Action are two different things technically. When Fading Memory activates you "push" Pandora, you don't "move" her.

I'll ask around for more precise ruling. Just my thinking.

-Captain Danger

ps. you have one of the best signatures I've ever seen

[dreadpiratelynx]

Push is a move action. The errata explicitly says so. You're confusing Walk Action with Move effect. Fading Memory triggers link RAW

[Rathnard]

Push is a move action. The errata explicitly says so. You're confusing Walk Action with Move effect. Fading Memory triggers link RAW

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the case pre-errata. This is an interesting development.

I've stuck up a thread on the rules forum. Looking at the rulebook/errata, it looks like you're right.

[Joona]

Push is a move action. The errata explicitly says so. You're confusing Walk Action with Move effect. Fading Memory triggers link RAW

It's not an action, it's an effect Still, with the current errata it seems that it should trigger Link. Now the big question is if the Cuddly Ghost Bear of the Rules Forum decides that Link only triggers on Move actions or also on a push.

[Omadon]

This seems to be the point of the change. The end-result of this is that Panda is even more busted than before. My panda list just gained 2AP to play with. /drool

[Captain.Danger]

Dreadpiratelynx, you're right

I guess I was looking at it TOO technically hahaha

this is gonna be fun to try the next time I play.

-Captain Danger

[Iron Man]

I just played my first game with pandora and im not too sure what to think

pandora herself was a powerhouse, never took a single wound, was hard to even attempt to hurt and with a sorrow backing her up all the time boosted her nicely. the sheer amount of soulstones she gets helped as well.

candy seemed alright, having the self harming spell as well made her quite good, although i didnt get much chance to use some of her other powers. the running away one did save her life though.

baby kade, hes a tough little cookie, and can win fights well. lure and backstab work well for him when he pulls it off. my only dissapointment is that he doesnt actually do that much damage.

sorrows, unless they are near pandora they seem to be crap. with candy and kade harmless my opponent just targeted the sorrows first, and they arent hard to kill at all. And to cast their best spell you need a high crow card, just at the right time, which makes it unreliable.

im planning on painting up teddy for my next go. i think i need some muscle in there, as the most damage i did to my opponent was them hurting themselves!

strategy wise, i am feeling like this little group really needs to stick close to each other to be effective. my scheme was to capture a terrain peice in the middle of the table (against viktorias) and they had slaughter, it ended as a draw as pandora is just way to slow to go anywhere. as soon as the fighting started i needed her to cast spells.

im really in need of some basic simple tips on playing pandora, not grand strategies but just little hints.

[Omadon]

Read fading memory and incite, consider the applications - yes, you can incite your own models. Pandora is the fastest model in the game, without a shadow of a doubt. Keep Candy near walls, so that her run away home lets her put terrain between her and her target, and the sorrows are mainly there for soaking a hit or two, and ramping the damage taken by losing WP duels. Also - Candy gets alot better once you've hit something with project emotions, as it gives them -WP flips, making anything that doesn't have use soulstones pretty darn likley to just take it to the face. God, the list goes on. I recommend reading this thread cover to cover, and buying a doppleganger

[studderingdave]

not to derail the topic completely, i am just curious to know what would be a good opposing force for the pandora starter box, i need to get another starter to demo the game at my LGS.

[WEiRD sKeTCH]

Perdita can shoot her all day long.

Be careful with using Papa Loco, he can get bamboozled pretty easily in Willpower Duels.

[studderingdave]

thanks for the insight, ill look into it.

[heckler]

i wouldn't run pandora for demo games. she kind of plays her own game. it's like introducing someone to the game by introducing them to an expansion first.

my buddy uses sonia and rasputina for demo games and it seems to work well. lady J is a pretty good set up for demo games as well.

[Captain.Danger]

I gotta agree with you on this one justin, Pandora is NOT for demos.

Besides the 2 that josh use, i think that Lilith might make a good choice as well as either Marcus or even seamus. Then again, Seamus may get a bit too confusing at times.

[Rathnard]

I gotta agree with you on this one justin, Pandora is NOT for demos.

Thirded. Pandora and Leviticus are really the two masters avoid ever using for demo games. The rest aren't too difficult to get their heads around. Some are easier to do well with and they all have their tricks, sure, but they don't have the brain-exploding mind-****ery that Levi and Pandy possess.

[Murphy'sLawyer]

I played Pandora in my demo game. I know that Goblyn13 (the local henchman) was going easy on me, but coming from WM/H I felt right at home using her. Tricky, yes! But the fun value of running a toddler with a teddy bear into my opponent's master to just...well you know.

I purchased the Pandora box-set with Teddy that day and have the Doppelganger coming in this week.

I say let the tasty new mea...I mean new player demo the models he likes. Just make sure to guide them through the rules without just totally hosing them out right. I know Goblyn13 could, and will, chew me up alive. But he guided me through Pandora's tricks and let me get the master kill. And it got me hooked!