Kealios Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 So I was pondering which faction to buy as my second, if nothing more than for a demo set, but of course, once I own it, I'll play it. I know the faction will be the Arcanists, for sure. Ramos doesnt do it for me. Rasputina is cool and is certainly a lure. I know the poll here indicates the Masters are equally represented, but not where I live - no one likes/wants Marcus that I am aware of. Somehow Beasts dont do it for alot of people here. This surprises me. How do you use Marcus' starting crew, and how do you augment it? Are you eager to hire other faction's Beasts (basically that would be the Neverborn's two), or do you stick with the Arcanist's selection solely? How do you deal with the lack of ranged weaponry? Do you rely on fast movement like the Rattler or Leap on the Cerberus? Do you think there will be flying beasts soon? And whats your favorite tricks for Miranda? Do you keep to Beasts only as you expand, or do you dabble in other combos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstripe Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Myranda (as I have said) is one of my favorite pieces. I've been having a lot of fun lurking around as a Sillurid and then transforming suddenly into a Sabertooth when threatened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted August 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Do you actually get all their stats and abilities and spells, while losing your own? It seems like she physical becomes that Silurid with all their spells and skills and stats, but not their (0) cost Actions? And as far as lurking goes, I think I'd choose a Waldgeist over a Silurid, since the catfish dudes have so many (0)'s to avoid. Can you cast a (0) from that beast, but as soon as you do you transform back into Human form again? Thats an interesting thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannibal Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 You get everything but the beast's spells when you transform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dv8guy Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 Marcus has been my primary caster. As far ad using him I have loved his totem. I think you have to have at least one moleman tunneling at armor 5 to be the target for "defend me". Also remember that combining feral with alpha lets you use an opposing model and stil perform another 0 action. On Myranda she copies everything except spells but keeps her own. But animal instincts let's her cast their cost 1 spells. Like constrict, roar, uproot, and most importantly the jackelope's magical extension. Not to mention any cost one spell on any model Marcus puts feral on. I used Myranda to cast rasputina's ice pillars and December's curse. As for what to run with Marcus I think Myranda is an auto include. The tiger is great. At least one moleman as stated earlier. And I converted a waldgeist which is nice. As far as range.... I havn't had much issue but Hans and the convict gunsling caught my eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dv8guy Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 Please forgive errors in previous post ad it was done from my phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goblyn13 Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 Not to mention any cost one spell on any model Marcus puts feral on. I used Myranda to cast rasputina's ice pillars and December's curse. Animal Instincts only works on Friendly Beast models, so casting Feral on the opposing master wouldn't work, would only work if you were playing a dual master brawl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted August 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 My main concern is I have been playing Lilith, so Marcus seems like another melee list to me, but if I switch to Pandora or Zoraida, I may have a good spread of playstyles. I must have missed that Myranda didnt get the spells of the beast she assumed the form of. Bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dv8guy Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 Animal Instincts only works on Friendly Beast models, so casting Feral on the opposing master wouldn't work, would only work if you were playing a dual master brawl. Was referring to a brawl with tins as the second master. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WEiRD sKeTCH Posted August 29, 2009 Report Share Posted August 29, 2009 Was referring to a brawl with tins as the second master. Neat trick! Just remember that Ice Pillars can only be cast once per Crew, per turn though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goblyn13 Posted August 29, 2009 Report Share Posted August 29, 2009 Neat trick! Just remember that Ice Pillars can only be cast once per Crew, per turn though. But December's Curse has no such limitation, can end up with lots cases of frostburn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dv8guy Posted August 29, 2009 Report Share Posted August 29, 2009 Also do not forget to create extra electrical creations with myranda in a brawl, And on that note.... when you do it with "sisters in spirit" it names the masamune as the weapon for "fury" and "unerring accuracy" am i correct to assume she cannot get those rules on herself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dv8guy Posted August 29, 2009 Report Share Posted August 29, 2009 and decembers curse is great with furious casting.... as you can activate marcus, make tina a beast then use myranda's companion rule on the next activation to activate tina and myranda at the same time and AOE frenzy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted August 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2009 I bit the bullet and bought Marcus' starting crew tonight. It was one of the only remaining starter kits at our FLGS anyway, and since my highly coveted Pandora box has been Out of Stock for awhile, I went for it. At 22 SS, his starting crew is pretty beefy. We tend to play 30ss games. Sounds like I need to get a Jackelope and Moleman, leaving me with 3 SS remaining. Too bad the Hoarcat Prides dont fit into this scheme. I suppose leaving it at 27SS with a cache of 7 would be nice. It would allow quite a few Primal Flames... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Used Marcus today against Perdita's crew. Oh Lord, I got slaughtered. The one moment I ALMOST got off was an "Alpha" against Papa Loco, who could have walked back into range of his Crew and "Take 'em with me!' against like 4 of them. Problem was, Perdita had just Obey'd my Cerberus who had charged back and hit Marcus...meaning that when Marcus activated, he just couldnt see around the damn cat to hit Loco (and I could find no simo-activation power that could push him any direction!). Other than that, having a dug-in Moleman with my Jackelope healing him was super neat. Offensively, though, I just choked. Do you get Marcus stuck in ASAP and swing away, or use him more like a battlefield caster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dv8guy Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Well first IMO the extra 3 points shoulda gone into an extra moleman. As far as how I run him. I run him near the front supporting his beasts while waiting for the hand I want to go for alpha with. Using my wild heart abilities to be what I need for thus turn and healing beasts. Howl and roar keeping crowds under control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 I realized that I hadnt evaluated Roar properly. It was pointed out to me that with such a wide range, that it wont force everyone to run, but it likely will get a few. If you even get 1 model, that's a 1-cost Paralyze, effectively, since they have to run AND not get to do a thing their next activation. If you get 2, wow, your return on investment just went through the roof. Also, since you wont get everyone to run, you chase a few off and then focus melee on the one or two that didnt run...you can effectively isolate an opponent's models if used correctly. And Myranda can mimic this by shapeshifting into a Cerberus...combine with Marcus using Howl, and you get a nice boost to your own models and the models about to be Howled will now likely lose quite easily... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBugKing Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 A model that falls back just can't move and all their actions are at :fate-1 If the model has a special movement ability (Like diving attack for example) the model may still use that. The model may also cast, shoot or what ever. With the Ortegas it's not really much of a paralyze as often they will still be in range to do something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted August 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Ahh. Shucks. I thought I was on to something...but I suppose against a melee Crew it would be very useful... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dv8guy Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 and when howl is used first a lot more things will run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted August 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 It seems like Marcus and his beasts are really a finesse melee army. They dont have the massive tanks of HUGE ARMOR or HARD TO WOUND like Neverborn or some of the constructs, but have some sneaky-ish tricks (Cerberus' Leap, Rattler's 16" charge range) combined with flat out a lot of low-to-medium hits (Cerberus' Leap into combat then 4 Strikes, or the Rattler's combo "Constrict + Strike to trigger Onslaught". Also, none of the beasts have an overwhelming number of wounds. We need a BEAR model which will act as a tank, and a Griphon model which will fly... /sigh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Ive been contemplating some tricks that Marcus and his Beasts can pull off, in lieu of my enlightenment that this is a finesse melee army. Marcus: Who really knows what this guy is capable of? With Wild Heart, all you need is a 3+ of anything and you get two items off the list. Hare lets you mimic Lilith's ability to walk through walls at a fast pace to access bad guys or make a quick getaway. Of course, Feral+Alpha should be his primary role, I feel. Keep Moleman nearby if you can to soak damage, and Jackelope can heal Moleman instead of Marcus. Marcus can be a Melee Beast if needed (Bear brings his damage in line with Lilith's) but this shouldnt be his primary location on the battlefield, I feel. See Cerberus for a combo of Howl/Roar. Rattler: Want a 32" charge? Yes, that's right - under the right circumstances, you can get a massive board-crossing charge in one activation. How? Charge a model 12" for (1). Hit it and damage it, but make sure you cheat with a :malimasks to trigger Lightning Quick. Push 6". Use (1) Serpent Strike again for another backfield 12" charge, which is really 14" since Fangs have a 2" reach. 12+6+12+2 = 32", and dont worry about cutting through defenders - they cant stop you because of Spiny Growths. Alternatively, if you trigger Lightning Quick and are near Blocking terrain, fall back out of LoS to avoid the counter charge. Myranda: She is an enigma to me. No beast hits particularly hard, so to me, she is basically there to cast Heal while Marcus does his own thing. However, what if she gets hurt? I mean, really hurt. Well, check out Hoarcats. Unless you are running other Hoarcats in your Crew, there isnt much of a need to become one, imho. However, have a Jackelope nearby? Eat it, just Eat it! Target it with a melee strike and cheat with a :malicrows if you need to trigger Rip Throat. Have a really bad card in your Control hand? Perfect! Cheat with it to bring the Jackelope's Df roll really low and get the kill...finish off the combat with (0) Eat your Fill, and re-summon the Jackelope a little bit later in the fight. I think this is her best heal option. Moleman: Armor 8, please? Place him in a secure spot, finish with (0) Dug In. Next Activation, drop (0) Tunneling and bam, Marcus can circle him like a tether to make sure the little guy is his ultimate sponge. Cerberus:So this guy just hasnt won a spot in my heart yet. Yet. Sure, he can Leap into combat from out of sight and follow up with an awesome 4 Strikes, but you better hope youre hitting a really low Df model, because Bite's Cb of 5 isnt super inspiring, even if it does do a nice minimum 3 damage. I think he should be used in conjunction with Marcus's Howl ability. Leap in, Roar, and charge/isolate any enemy models that didnt run (as there is sure to be at least one!). Its a crying shame that Smell Fear wont trigger off Roar, since that looks like a ready-made combo And for the record, Myranda has a much better chance of getting off a Roar with Animal Instincts than even the Cerberus can. Silly but true. Waldgeist (Neverborn): I think this should be one of our Aces in the hole (even though Aces in this game arent good!). Using Uproot should be your first priority, to help your whole Crew to advance without fear from fire (such as what Peridita et al do!). Combine with Entangle or Haunted Forest, and you have moving cover that is baaad for the bad guys! That, and his melee Cb and damage is actually respectable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kealios Posted September 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Apparently I am the only one putting any thought into how to run Marcus effectively? Interesting. That being the case, I came upon an (obviously) effective tactic last night in my battle against Seamus. I had set up my Moleman behind some cover and was working on getting the Armor 9 trick in place, when Marcus got lured WAY out of place by a couple of overeager Belles. I ended up surrounded by 2 Belles, Sybelle, Seamus and the Copycat, and even cheating my way through the exchange, he cheated just that much better. I was in trouble. Somehow I survived the round with 3 wounds left, and needed to kill Seamus quickly. So my actions were thus: (0) Wild Heart: Bear, Eagle (1) Strike with a nice cheat with :mali+fate and +2 damage > Primal Reaction (0) Stare Down (1) Strike with :mali+fate and +2 damage versus Seamus' Defense :mali-fate (thus, no cheat) This dealt 7 damage from the 2 strikes. My combo was going to be Leaping in the Cerberus, but I didnt have the :malimasks and so had to pray for the initiative next turn. I got it, and performed the above combo again to perfection. Dead bossman. I guess Marcus really CAN be a front-line melee beast in the right circumstances... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DangerousBeans Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Bloody hell, you've done your homework! This is great though, I'm planning on breaking out Marcus soon and your posts were really helpful. What about Silurids? Have you tried them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannibal Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 So quick question on the Wild Heart spell: it's a zero action and Serpent & Feline also grant zero actions. Does that mean to carry out the Blinding Strike you have to burn your second zero action? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.