Leveticus Crews - Post up yours today!

[n0signal]

Post up your lists for comments/criticism, plus it would be interesting to see what lists people are running and their impression of their effectiveness.

I'm only just getting into Leveticus and for my inaugural (standard) 25SS Crew I've chosen the following:

• Crew Cost: 23/25 Remaining: 2 Soulstones: 2
  
  Name Cost
  Leveticus, Steampunk Necromancer 0
  Rusty Alyce 8
  Necropunk 3
  Necropunk 3
  Bete Noire 9

I've not run a full game with it yet, altho I've proxied some of these models in smaller test games when I was deciding if Leveticus was for me or not. Has anyone run similar?

The idea of course is that the Resurrectionist models have built in CB:crows and lots of :crows:crows triggers that combo well with Blessings of Desolation. Bete Noire is there to replace Leveticus when he dies, and as long as a 10+ card is kept can not be removed from the game. Alyce is there for card draw, ranged attacks and other useful abilities. The Necropunks seem like decent, fast and cheap chaff to sling around the board; especially for things like Treasure Hunt.

Also, ganging tho two Necropunks on things can make them Slow for a turn, which stacks well with Bete either Slowing or Paralyzing things elsewhere. Basically, I think this list has quite a lot of flexibility for 25SS. Alternatives are to drop Bete Noire for some Steampunk Abominations and try and get a Desolation Engine out up the board as the Crew's heavy hitter instead. For increased soul stone cost I would probably swap out the Necropunks for Punk Zombies.

BTW, I used the Crew Builder HERE. Enable copy and paste list and just copy the results.

[ork56]

that crew builder is a neat feature, thanks

[DireTrollJake]

Still not sold on Bette. In my games, her lack of hitting power on her damage chart leaves something to be desired for 9 pts. I think I would rather spend and extra pt for a Steamborg Executioner. Mobile, 2" reach, paired, cb 7, decapitate.

Also, not entirely sure how I feel about Outcasts at such low pt games, having no SS Cache. At 40 pts, I am wanting to try this out:

Levi

Alyce 10

Steamborg 10

3 Necropunks 9

Rotten Belle 4

Leaves you with 7 SS to use and some good speed, mobility and board control. I have a hard time ever leaving without 1 Belle for Lure when she is able to tag along.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Godspeed

[n0signal]

I think I would rather spend and extra pt for a Steamborg Executioner. Mobile, 2" reach, paired, cb 7, decapitate.

Well, to be fair and compare, Bete has the same Wk/Cg stat as the Steamborg, 1" rather than 2" and Paired Cb6:crows rather than Paired Cb7:tomes. She has Slit Jugular, which is an easier trigger in a Leveticus crew (he can give her the :crows:crows) than Decapitate and better in that she generates a control card. She also has a ranged attack for what it's worth.

Also, even tho the damage she inflicts is lower, she can Paralyse opponents upon hitting them if they're alive or Slow them if they're not. To me, on paper, she doesn't seem a bad deal for 9pts compared to the Steamborg, especially since enemies will have a harder time hitter her Df7 (especially at long range :-fate flips) and even tho she's hella-squishy once hit, potentially she can't die due to her Slow to Die and One With the Night combo.

[Omadon]

Levi

Alyce

Killjoy

Sybelle

X2 Rotten Belles

Is the list I tend to run with. I've toyed around with the proposed synergy with Betty and in all honesty - you will never, eeveerr get to use blessings on her. Her one real value is appearing and doing her thing at the end of an enemy activation, and then vanishing for the turn - spend an activation with her on the board casting blessings and somebodys just going to slap her with whatever she's in combat with. However - if she's not in combat, then the tradeoff you get for being able to bless her is not being able to flurry with her, unless you have a free model to kill around her. I would, however - love to mess around with her at 50SS+, as all of the random stuff dying throughout the turn makes the looming threat of chain slit jugulars really debilitating.

That said - the list I run with I actually can't see anything really wrong with. It's got something to do with every single suit. Levi's dual focused and soaks up all the ravens/tomes, Alyce gets crit off rams (Who the fuck thought rapid fire and headshot were a good idea? ) and Killjoy puts masks to good use. Lure tricks from the Belles let me get Levi into range/stuff into range of Levi alot easier, and they let me rearrange what killjoys going to blood price into. Sybelle means I can just flat win at treasure hunt, and is a solid choice for blessings. Many a game I've sat at the back for a couple turns with a blessed Sybelle punching out Levi/a waif to mass produce SPAs.

Only real change I make to the list is if I'm up against somebody who'se going to be on me alot quicker than I'm used to, or someone with a low minion count and a solid target for a desolation bomb (See Alyce's Burn Out) I occasionally drop Sybelle for a pair of SPAs and make the other two with belles.

I've also been meaning to poke around with the idea of using Crooked Men instead of the belle suite. The idea of using them when my opponent gets assassinate sounds nice - close up entrances to somewhere with shaft markers and then force them to come to me while I make a bunch of SPAs.

Also - in reguards to everybody using necropunks, I really can't see the point. Sure they're an easy target for reconstruction, and they benefit alot from blessings, but they don't really do much else. Alot of Levi's magic is hampered by his inability to get to anybody - so being able to drag people closer has proven soo useful thusforth. Not to mention that they break up companion plays, they let me pull snipers off ledges - hell, I've yet to be bothered by giant mosquitos because as soon as they come within 18, they've been dragged into spell range and then promptly annihilated.

In closing - when you look at your list, ask yourself what use you have for all the different sets. It's not so bad having one dead to you, and by taking Alyce you automatically have a place for rams in your hand. I think he really needs something big that makes a good use of Masks. I personally go for Killjoy due to the abuse of slow to die from the belles, but the steamborg is a perfect substitute. Sure, he doesnt do much damage with them, but he's got the added advantage of using up all of your shit masks to get free charges off his melee expert. Need to play around with him sumore at some point. Only games I've played with him I've won off totally seperate means before I could do anything clever with him D:

EDIT: Also, Godspeed - Alyce only costs 8, bare in mind - Levi is an outcast too

FURTHER EDIT: Nobody, but nobody has mentioned marked for death when talking about betty - screw her damage output if you're playing recconoiter/claim jump against somebody that isn't jones pop her out somewhere and insignificant a bunch of shit. Unresistable I tell you! Unresistable!

Edited January 9, 2010 by Omadon

[TheBugKing]

From the Errata:

Mark for Death

(Bete Noir)

Replace “Rst: -“ with “Rst: Wp”

Just so you know...

[n0signal]

To clarify something else, it was ruled HERE that Leveticus's Blessings of Desolation version of Desolate Warping is incorrect. It can only trigger off enemy models unfortunately.

So you can't have Sybelle sat in the back killing Waifs/Leve for SPA's, infact you can't kill any of your own stuff for SPA's, it has to be enemy models. This makes getting the damn things a lot harder.

Also, I would have assumed that Bete could be quite survivable with Df7, is is it everyone's experience that this isn't the case? When I play Zoraida, my Df8 Voodoo Doll is almost un-hittable my most things, as long as I cheat his defence flips.

[DireTrollJake]

Your chances of having low cards in hand vs good cards is as good as it is him having the opposite. Banking on a high DEF in a game that can modify/cheat really is hard. Tho, it is helpful.

[Omadon]

To clarify something else, it was ruled HERE that Leveticus's Blessings of Desolation version of Desolate Warping is incorrect. It can only trigger off enemy models unfortunately.

Hm. Well. Crap. Back to the drawing board then!

Really rather looking forwards to the clarity the errata should bring, apart from all the bits which cuddle me. /cry

[karn987]

Levi

Alyce 8ss

4 Steam Punk Abominations (3e) 12ss

Total 20ss with 5 ss cache

I play a very classical Levi list but it works rather well. Levi moves up field with Alyce nearby. The two of them will kill anything that gets within 12" and LOS, their damage output is insane. I generally kill Levi every other turn with this style since he very rarely comes under direct assault so I just let him slowly kill himself off, doing Death's Leasons when I need to make sure I get a good flip etc etc.

The 4 SPA leapfrog up field as Ive described in other posts, effectively going 12" and summoning the desolation engine another 6 from that, so a 18" blitz with that huge guy. For added danger Alyce does Burn Out on one of the SPA's as it moves up field. That SPA doesn't use reactivate, it keeps to its normal activations. So when the Desolation Engine is summoned, it has Reactivate on it. So it gets a double activation that will most likely be well after your enemy finishes their activations. Since you can summon within 6" of the summoning model, you can do this through buildings and basically get him where they didnt expect to see him.

As we all know, the Desolation Engine is one nasty dude to. I try to start out his blitz turn by picking off a pidly (or something pidly to the Desolation Engine ;D) and using Desolate Warping to make another SPA. I try to avoid going after the master unless its one of the low def masters (like Ramos/Pandora etc) then it may be worth going after them. Otherwise this thing goes to town killing and maiming all supporting units and front liners. Yes it is then reduced to 1 wd thanks to Burn Out, but it's done it's job. It's probably just leveled everything around it. Make sure you stay close to a cluster so you maxamize Industrial Nightmare and then cast Desolate Supplications, yeah you need an 11 of tombs to pull it off >.> but it will hurt everything around it. Sure it dies next turn, but you get 2 more SPA's and with luck the Engine made 2 more during its turn so now you have 4 again to make another one of these beasts.

Big risks, losing the SPA's to a long range high damage blast early on. Though if your careful, and play with terrain ;D, you shouldn't have much trouble with this. Activate them last in your turn and use Levy and Alyce to clear the way for them.

[n0signal]

Thanks Karn, interesting to see a "pure" Leveticus list that performs well and a good explanation of how you use it. Much appreciated!! I will definitely give your list a go at some point (especially because it's the only way I can probably get my £10 Desolation engine on the board. lol).

[karn987]

Heh, thanks n0signal, glad to see you haven't wasted away any more ;D.

I tried bringing the Desolation to the field as it's self and that pretty much fails horribly, its more then half dead by the tine it makes it to combat. Even then, its not that fast and can be avoided depending on the enemies objectives. This list has some... issues when it comes to objectives you need models to hold objectives with.

For Treasure Hunt for exmaple, you have Alyce or Levy probably getting the token, either that or a spare SPA picks it up and runs it to the back. Later if you can, get Alyce or Levy back there to pick it up for the final score.

Also since the desolation engine blitz can happen very early on, I suggest you target the enemy with Levy and Alyce before you send in the Engine, you want to wear down their hand. You attack with no other purpose then really cutting down their hand and maybe even burning their SS's if possible. Make sure you get Levy's draw trigger as often as possible, your going to want a good hand when the Engine starts up.

[TheBugKing]

Don't forget that you can play the attrition game with Levi too. Keep the SPA's back and use Levi as the attrition generator. Then when you have a good opportunity do the DE blitz. Also, this is one of those things that works wonders on threat alone. Keep moving the SPAs up field in a group. Keeping that last activation for the potential blitz and transform. The threat of having the DE pretty much anywhere on the board will do wonders in board control.

[karn987]

Bugking, you think a scarey amount like me some times. ^^

I forgot to add that, but Bug hit it right on the head. The Engine alone is such a huge threat it can give you a massive amount of board control.

[TheBugKing]

Bugking, you think a scarey amount like me some times. ^^

I forgot to add that, but Bug hit it right on the head. The Engine alone is such a huge threat it can give you a massive amount of board control.

Well Leveticus was something of a pet project for me and Isoulle. We actually thought up all these things as we were tinkering with him. During the Beta we focused on him quite a bit. I'm just stoked that folks are figuring him out.

[thetang22]

The problem I see with Levi is that there are a decent number of models I want to include in a list that have solid synergy with him, yet they are all high cost models: alyce, killjoy, bete... That gets pricey, but they all have lots of potential.

[Isoulle]

Well Leveticus was something of a pet project for me and Isoulle. We actually thought up all these things as we were tinkering with him. During the Beta we focused on him quite a bit. I'm just stoked that folks are figuring him out.

Yeah but I was totally the brains of the operations

Seriously though he was a lot of fun for us to design. It is very fun to see what people come up with him.

[higherbrow]

I've just started brainstorming on him. I'm still trying to decide which Masters I want to play with, and he's in the running.

How hard is it to get Hollow Waifs? It seems crucial for Levi to get at least one Waif on turns one or two for him to shine. I was thinking about using Drain Souls to drain a Necropunk and make a corpse counter, then using that to make a Waif. Is it necessary or can it be reliably done without wasting points on a sacrificial lamb?

[Justin]

I've just started brainstorming on him. I'm still trying to decide which Masters I want to play with, and he's in the running.

How hard is it to get Hollow Waifs? It seems crucial for Levi to get at least one Waif on turns one or two for him to shine. I was thinking about using Drain Souls to drain a Necropunk and make a corpse counter, then using that to make a Waif. Is it necessary or can it be reliably done without wasting points on a sacrificial lamb?

Read "Pariah" in the Leviticus entry.

"...at the start of the first activation phase summon a hollow waif to this model."

[higherbrow]

Read "Pariah" in the Leveticus entry.

"...at the start of the first activation phase summon a hollow waif to this model."

Oh my, I sure look silly. I guess I must have missed that while reading about all the Undead and Soulless requirements.

Well, I guess I'll try the SPA leapfrog outlined earlier. It seems like the best way to try the pure Leveticus strategy I'm interested in of plowing through control cards and Leveticuses until the Deso Engine goes nuts.

[Justin]

Oh my, I sure look silly. I guess I must have missed that while reading about all the Undead and Soulless requirements.

Well, I guess I'll try the SPA leapfrog outlined earlier. It seems like the best way to try the pure Leveticus strategy I'm interested in of plowing through control cards and Leveticuses until the Deso Engine goes nuts.

It happens. I screw up rules all the time.

Leviticus is one of the few masters I've never played against. Nobody in my group has wanted to pick him up, I guess. I would like to see him play.

[n0signal]

Leveticus is one of the few masters I've never played against. Nobody in my group has wanted to pick him up, I guess. I would like to see him play.

Similar situation here, but I put it down to him having no starting box for new players to pick up easily; and the fact that Hollowed Waifs and SPA's are nowhere to be seen compounds it all.

[n0signal]

The problem I see with Levi is that there are a decent number of models I want to include in a list that have solid synergy with him, yet they are all high cost models: alyce, killjoy, bete... That gets pricey, but they all have lots of potential.

Well, I think Alyce is near-auto-include with him, because she just brings so much to his Crew (as well as being very fluffy if you care about stuff like that - I do!). As for other expensive models like Bete and Killjoy, they're completely optional and depend on if you think you need another heavy hitter.

I think that Leve and Alyce can do such a good job putting out the hurt themselves, that you perhaps don't need anything else against weaker Crews, and can concentrate on have more piddly-things (like Necropunks) to run about and claim objectives - especially if you've got Reconnoiter for instance, you need the model count and SPA's are insignificant. Your choice of extra hitting power is either the Desolation Engine trick mentioned above (in which case you'll be bringing lots of SPA's with your Crew at the start) or one of the models mentioned above - like Killjoy/Bete/Horseman/Etc.

[karn987]

Yeah, in all honesty, Levy and Alyce can be your only heavy hitter and you can still dominate the board. Their damage output is down right intense. Levy often just deals wd loss so its hard to stop, he can just snap his fingers and kill a 2 wd or less model and move on and loves to make friends. Alyce can gun with the best of them and lay down some seriously impressive fire support. Her spells suite levy very well and compliment his ungodly dirrect damage.

[n0signal]

BTW, I never hear of anyone running Flesh Constructs with Leveticus, but they would seem to benefit from Blessings of Desolation like other Resurrectionist stuff. They're quite tough and hard to kill and relatively inexpensive; downsides are they're slow and cost cards to control. So, anyone played Leve with one (or two)?