December Acolytes

[ItchyDani3l]

I have used these guys several times, and I've usually been disappointed.

It seems like his bag should be using the Harpoon to shoot people, but it never seems to work this way for me. I've only ever taken 1 in a Scrap, but maybe I should be using 2.

The only use I've ever had for them was doing the Arcanist Scheme Sabotage after deploying them somewhere close to the piece of terrain I need to sabotage.

Does anyone have any tips on how I should be using the Acolyte and against which factions?

[the imp]

The Acolyte is useful in two ways. First, he's an excellent speed bump. Used well, an acolyte can tie up a faster crew for a turn or two before being killed. This can make all the difference in the world for a slow master like Rasputina. Second, many strategies and schemes rely on models interacting with tokens and terrain features. The Acolyte's ability to deploy further afield grants you a tremendous advantage for accomplishing these goals or preventing your opponent from doing so.

[Nirvanawn]

I have one and I always find if I want to do sabotage a cerberus is better..

[ItchyDani3l]

Cerebus for Sabotage? Huh.

Thanks Guys, but I still have no clue how to use the Acolyte.

[Nirvanawn]

Leap lets you get to the objective fast. 1st turn normally.

[ItchyDani3l]

Leap?!?

I never get the mask for that!

[Keltheos]

Use it when you have a mask in hand.

The easiest time to 'get' the suit you need is when you're already holding it.

[ItchyDani3l]

Use it when you have a mask in hand.

The easiest time to 'get' the suit you need is when you're already holding it.

Well yeah, no duh. What I'm saying is that in all of the games I've played with Marcus, I haven't drawn that many high mask cards. Any of the masks I've drawn while using Marcus have usually been between 1-4 or 11-13.

You help is appreciated, but I'd really like to hear how you guys are using your Acolytes, and if they are successful or not.

[Mach_5]

I take him if I need him to grab an objective far off in the field. He can deploy pretty close and get there to (1)interact by turn 2. Then wait until the rest of my crew engages his crew, and bring him in to provide supporting fire with the harpoon. I don't have a cerberus, but I do have a Necropunk for my nicodem crew and I also never seem to get the masks needed for his Leap abilility. I'd take the acolyte as an objective-grabber since he's 2 points cheaper and I'm not gambling on a specific card draw in turn 1.

I think he can be a good support model in many strats/schemes, but he's far from obligatory. His special deployment and immunity to ranged attacks and charges until he's in position are IMO his most important abilities, and the harpoon is a nice bonus.

[ItchyDani3l]

I am definitely a fan of the forward deployment, but the harpoon gun is the thing that baffles me.

I can kill anything with it to save my life!!!

Well okay, I did flip a Red Joker on a damage flip on a Steamborg Executioner one time and killed it in like 1 shot, but other than that, I haven't killed anything with it.

[jasonbeauchene]

His forward placement is good for a lot of the schemes you can choose, it is also can help thwart schemes.

As for his Harpoon gun, it is really useful for setting up attacks and combos, anything that lets you move your opponent's pieces where you want them is a benefit.

Think that guy is out of Rasputina's range? Hit him with a harpoon and drag his butt closer.

Need something for your Hoar Cat to eat? Drag it into charge range.

Opponent trying to get in base contact with model from Stake A Claim? Drag his butt off it in turn 6.

The Acolyte is not a beat stick. He is a tactical tool with a lot of uses. In Malifaux, very few non-master models are Uber on their own, but in tandem they can mess your opponents day up.

[LoboStele]

I haven't played the Acolytes myself, but having just got a Raspy box set, I'm considering picking up one or two. However, I've played against them several times, and I have to say I was very unimpressed. However, the crews I was playing at that time was either the Viks or the Showgirls, so I could put a melee beatstick right in the Acolyte's face by end of Turn 1, beginning of Turn 2, and easily wipe him off the board (same thing for the one Fierkorp guy who has From the Shadows as well). So, he Acolytes never really did anything against me in any games. That said, maybe all my opponents have just been playing him wrong or something. I don't know. Just seems like there are more Masters that can easily move half-way across the table than those who can't, so it's very likely that the Acolyte will get caught out in the open all by itself, and away from the rest of your crew. I guess maybe against those types of Masters you just set it up as some form of bait, where Raspy can be in range for blasting the attacker to death if they come up and try to kill the Acolyte.

[ItchyDani3l]

Yeah, that's actually what I've found happens almost every game.

Either that, or he gets shot up.

It's difficult to use him correctly because of the fact that the December crew is just so amazingly slow that they can't get up to the Acolyte soon enough before he gets overwhelmed.

In retrospect, I think that the real key to using the Acolyte is ONLY take him if there is elevated terrain somewhere on the board that he can snipe from, and even then there is still the possibility of an arial assault by something that has flying (like Mature Nephilim).

He has limited range, so don't take him unless you have a good high spot (near an objective) to put him in. Even when he is attacking it's probably only going to be 1 shot per turn, and with not-so-great Cb. I think the general idea is area denial...?

[LoboStele]

I guess he would be a really good piece for things like Sabotage or Treasure Hunt. Still feels like he would get attacked something fierce after that though. Have to keep him in/behind hard cover maybe?

[The Green Git]

I think the general idea is area denial...?

You have the right idea here. It's not so much that the December Acolyte is a combat monster but that he can hit you from an unexpected quarter and you can't do anything about him until you get close. By placing him in a convenient (for you) spot near the center-ish of the board he now commands a large threat bubble with his harpoon gun. Now smaller minions must skirt the area entirely and the real heavy hitters still have to deal with DA as a distraction.

It's much more the threat and not so much the effectiveness.