Malifaux League - Zoraida

[Rathnard]

In a few weeks I'll be playing in the same Malifaux League as Aenur (http://www.wyrd-games.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12847).

As he said, it's a 40SS list from which you select your 25SS crew. Everything else is determined as per the book, but you can only use each scheme once during the league (so no spamming bodyguard, and I need to somehow complete eye for an eye!).

I'm pretty set on using Zoraida, so here's the list I was thinking;

Zoraida

3x Silurid (3x5)

Mature Nephilim (10)

Convict Gunslinger (6)

Baby Kade (6)

Bayou Gremlin (3)

The idea is to make sure I can build a crew that's able to fulfil any of the strategies/schemes I need to against a broad range of opposing crews.

The standard setup will be a Mature w. the Silurid, although if I want to keep at arms length I can swap out either of those for the gremlin and either the 'slinger, and/or Kade.

I'm still tossing up between Baby Kade and a Waldgeist - the latter is potentially tougher but I'm not sure if he'll be much better without a forest throw around.

The gremlin is pretty pants, sure, and while a terror tot might be better, I figure there'd be times when I'd want a ranged shooter instead (otherwise I'd just take silurid or the Mature).

Thoughts?

[tenabrae]

I'd throw in hamelin (though he's a lot of stones)... he's really good for stopping people getting er... the one where you hold the middle.

[poulpox]

Zoraida

3x Silurid (3x5)

Mature Nephilim (10)

Convict Gunslinger (6)

Baby Kade (6)

Bayou Gremlin (3)

I haven't played most of these models, so can't compare to what I'm used of, but as Tenabrae says Hamelin is rather good especially facing Ht 1 models as he can't be targeted by them; he's also very good at manipulating others (you'd have to keep your crew close to the edges to maximise his use but then you get limited for the schemes/strategies it's true)

I'm not convinced a stand alone Gremlin is a good investment. I also noticed that Silurids do work well in pair (as long as you don't throw them too hastily in melee!), so I think I would drop the Grem and one Silur to get a 8SS model, maybe Doppleganger? Lately I have preferred crews with a little less models but more punch.

Based on my (limited!) experience, if I had to do a 40SS I would pick:

. Silurids x2 10SS

. Hamelin 10SS

. Doppleganger 8SS

. Baby Kade 6SS

. Waldgeist or Gunslinger? 6SS (just to have one extra option if table's appropriate for it?)

I would even be tempted to replace the 2 Silurids by Bishop (but then you're 1SS over, so would have to drop maybe the last choice for something less costly?), then I would have one list for punch attack lead by Bishop, and one list for more subtle style lead by Hamelin; something like this:

. Bishop 11SS

. Hamelin 10SS

. Baby Kade 6SS

. Doppleganger 8SS

. Terror tot/Gremlin 3SS (to make up the numbers really more than anything, as for the 25SS you can only do a combination of the first 4 models)

you'd probably be slightly outnumbered, but Hamelin's imunity to Ht1 balances this nicely when facing multitude crews (arachnids, gremlins, canine remains, SPAbo...)

Hope this helps a little, and good luck!

T.

EDIT:

After a shower and a bit of thinking, I'm realising that my ideas might not be brilliant for playing 25SS, which I haven't done for a while, i.e when playing higher SS games you can have less models and still be able to do all scenarios/schemes, but with the minimum only of models (4 here), I'm not sure you wouldn't be a little too limited to get your VP (especially in the 4 quarters scenario).

SO, hum... Bishop wouldn't work with Hamelin as it would limit the rest of model number, therefore going back to a simple:

. Mature Nephilim 10SS

. Hamelin 10SS

. Silurids x3 15SS

What about Terror Tots instead of Silur? Maybe they'd be worth it in this league set up to make up numbers combine with one 6SS model like Baby Kade?

AM I THINKING TOO MUCH???

T.

Edited May 25, 2010 by poulpox

[Aldyhide]

I'd throw in hamelin (though he's a lot of stones)... he's really good for stopping people getting er... the one where you hold the middle.

Actually, Zoraida's already pretty good at that with her ability to spam obey; at a bonus through the Voodoo doll. and Kade's got lure, though that doesn't exactly count for much.

As far as model choices go (@ OP btw) I'd go with the tots rather than the silurids, because you can have 5 tots to 3 silurids.

[Rathnard]

Replacing the silurid with terror tots did occur to me, but right now I'm leaning more towards the silurid. In both games I've used them so far, i've been very impressed with their enourmous threat range, and packtivating all three for a hit & run against single models.

Perhaps most importantly, their leap ability lets them charge models from behind LOS-blocking terrain, which I feel is going to be invaluble against certain crews (Perdita, Rasputina etc).

That said, if someone can tell me why terror tots would be a better investment then I'm all ears.

I initially decided against Hamelin because I see him as a supporting model, which is something Zoraida already does very well. Zoraida, IMO, needs her minions for damage output, and spending 10SS on a model that doesn't really do that.

In missions that don't involve killing things Hamelin is probably a good investment, but that brings me to the problem of fitting him in within the 25/40SS list...

Zoraida

3 Terror Tots (9)

Baby Kade (6)

MNephilim (10)

Hamelin (10)

(35 SS)

...leaving me with 5 soulstones to do...something...with.

I dropped the silurids because I'd only ever want to take 3 or none, which makes it awkward to change the list around when I've got a second 10SS model that I may want to take (ie. Mnephilim, Hamelin and Terror tot in 25SS).

Those spare 5 soulstones though - it's a very awkward number for the neverborn faction to fill up since we've got no 4-5SS models available. There's no point adding a terror tot (I'd never be able to fit more than three when selecting my 25SS crew), so I guess it'd be a Gremlin?

So thinking about it, I've got a few options;

Zoraida

3 Silurid (15)

Mature Nephilim (10)

Baby Kade (6)

Convict Gunslinger (6)

Gremlin (3)

(OR)

Zoraida

3 Terror Tots (9)

Baby Kade (6)

MNephilim (10)

Hamelin (10)

Gremlin (3)

(OR)

Zoraida

3 Terror Tots (9) I only have three, and would prefer not to buy more.

Baby Kade (6)

Mature Nephilim (10)

Convict Gunslinger (6)

Waldgiest (6)

Gremlin (3)

So what do you guys think would work, given that I'd need to make a 25SS crew from them that can feasibly take on every strategy, scheme and crew?

[Q'iq'el]

Frankly speaking I can't think of any reason to swap 3 Silurid for 3 Terror Tots. Sure, Silurid will cost 6 points more, but they are far more versatile fighters on their own.

As far as I can tell, the raison d'être of Terror Tots is that they can claim terrain while hiding well (ht1) and grow into Young Nephilim, should you need some . Even if you take Young Nephilim in your list, Terror Tots themselves have hard time getting blood counters - they almost always rely on counters provided by older Nephilim or Lilith.

Leap is superior to Sprint in every way, so the only common utility is also performed better by Silurid. Sprint may take you 1" further, but you must almost always cheat with a :masks to get the spell off with any meaningful results.

[poulpox]

Zoraida

3 Terror Tots (9)

Baby Kade (6)

MNephilim (10)

Hamelin (10)

Gremlin (3)

I like this one, as you get to pick the 2 really different styles according to whom you're facing (and Hamelin although looks like just a support model can be actually more offensive than Zoraida: thanks to good deployement, I managed to walk out Killjoy in one turn before...)

[JarnabyBones]

It hasn't been talked about since your initial post, but I think the Waldgeist deserves another look. It's true he really shines when there is a piece of forest terrain around, where he becomes worth every single SS you paid for him, but even without, just take a second look at his stats. A good attack stat, good range, decent defenses (and armor), whats not to like? He's a tough little guy with decent attacks.

When paired with Zoraida and when theres a piece of forest terrain down, get him into the fight faster by obeying him into a forest and then obeying him to uproot. Going for defense? Get this guy into the target area with a forest and just try to get him off.

When used with Lilith he can use her "Illusionary Forest" to count as forest terrain! A 3" circle of death!

Not sure if this helps with this preparation, but saw you were considering a Waldgeist and no one said anything, this is a hugely under-appreciated model!

[Rathnard]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm still thinking about the Walgiest. Right now the only two things stopping me from including him is that I'd have to buy the model, and I'm undecided as to whether Kade is a better choice.

Kade can put out alot of pain with Backstab and Sweetbreads, plus Lure has alot of potential. But the waldgiest tends to be a bit harder to kill, his damage output is more consistent and of course he's even better when he can beat people with a forest.

For now though, I think my preferred crew is much the same as I was originally thinking;

Zoraida

3 Silurid (15)

Mature Nephilim (10)

Baby Kade or Waldgiest (6)

Convict Gunslinger (6)

Gremlin (3)

I've now tried out two 25SS variations from this crew (3 Silurids + Mature, and Kade, Gunslinger, Gremlin + Mature) and I've been pretty satisfied with the results. Kade still seems to want to rely on his sweetbreads trigger but even the Gremlin is a useful addition with the potential for Flip for it and Dumb Luck.

As a side note, hexing away "whoops" is alot less likely to happen than I thought, but on the plus side it's still easilly fixed by keeping the voodoo doll as the closest model.