Saint Norton Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 First, I'd like to thank Dorian for running the tourney at RIT this past week... Where I won the Ramos starter box! So with that said, my 2nd faction has been determined for me. I picked up a couple blisters to go with him and I stand with the following lists now. Ramos Mobile toolkit 6x Spiders 1 spider swarm Large spider Soulstone miner Electrical creation Not too bad, got 3 games in since then, won 2 of the 3 so off to a good start. Now to just pick a paint scheme and get them up to speed. Any reccemendations as to what to add to the crew next? I really like the construct feel so far and idealy I would like to stick with that, but no worries if not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Indio Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 Joss is a good option. He's a small-based beatstick construct, which is rather unique in Ramos's arsenal. Renegade Steamfitter Johan is a cut-rate hammer in search of a face, who gets cheaper and better in combat just by being in Ramos's crew. On the topic of guns, as long as you're using the Miner and LSPA (who wouldn't use an LSPA or two? I think it's one of Ramos's best pieces), why not take full advantage of the expanded access to MS&U Assets and pick up a Gunsmith or two? Powerful ranged pieces with a lot of versatility. Speaking of the Kaeris box, I'm looking forward to trying Fire Gamin with Ramos. Fast, small, relatively durable, significant, cheap, with ranged power and some deniability options via Burning Tokens. And when you use Controlled Detonation on 'em, they explode twice! :firedevil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 (edited) Joss (who wouldn't use an LSPA or two? Anyone with strong Arachnophobia, that thing is just creepy, way too spider like!! Atleast the SPAs dont really look spidery. As for the list, Kaeris herself would be worth taking in place of the Gunsmith if you decide to go with any Fire Gamin. One thing to bear in mind with Ramos is the lack of Significant models, he has some (Gunsmith is a sound option) but his mainstay of SPAs are unfortunately insignificant, unless they form the SPAswarm.. Options to bear in mind (esp if you decide to take Kaeris) are 1. the Student of Conflict in Strategies that involve interacting with things, to give your spiders significant for the turn (and also give Kaeris or Ramos fast!) and 2. the Brass Arachnid for the ability to give one of your models reactivate (the SPAswarm with reactive, by scattering and reassembling again can get a comined total of 13 attacks in a single turn!!!) Edited October 12, 2011 by Drake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adran Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 Speaking of the Kaeris box, I'm looking forward to trying Fire Gamin with Ramos. Fast, small, relatively durable, significant, cheap, with ranged power and some deniability options via Burning Tokens. And when you use Controlled Detonation on 'em, they explode twice! :firedevil Ramos' controlled detonation won't cause 2 explosions. It says so right there on his ability (v2). Just like the Ice gamin don't blow up twice. But otehr than that, I think you're right they offer an intersting model to Ramos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Indio Posted October 12, 2011 Report Share Posted October 12, 2011 Ramos' controlled detonation won't cause 2 explosions. It says so right there on his ability (v2). Just like the Ice gamin don't blow up twice. But otehr than that, I think you're right they offer an intersting model to Ramos Yeah, I realized that today at work. I've never used Ice Gamin with Ramos before, so I never had occasion to remember the prudent wording on Controlled Detonation. But I do think a Ramos-led crew with Kaeris and Fire Gamin could be really neat. A good amount of range to give an excuse for the rest of the crew to hang closer to Ramos, a good mobile henchman in Kaeris, and enough constructs to give Ramos some scrap. Something like: Ramos Mobile Toolkit Kaeris Fire Gamin x3 23 SS (Cache 4) Or you could sub out the Toolkit and add a fourth Gamin/Student of Conflict. It'd be interesting, to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoboStele Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Definitely check out Ramos' Avatar form, and start getting used to that. It's arguably one of the stronger Avatars out of Book 3. If you want some more ranged support, definitely look at Kaeris, especially if you're playing the Mobile Toolkit already. Lastly, I really like the Steamborg Executioner. I know some people think he's a glass cannon, and while that's partly true, I have found that when he's used effectively, he's an absolute monster. I'd recommend checking out the Arcanist section of http://pullmyfinger.wikispaces.com/home for some more ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Norton Posted October 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 I have read through his avatar form and I really like the idea of Ramos turning into this little jumpy freak. I'd rather like to get my hands on his alternate sculpt and model up some additional legs (perhaps canabalized off a large steampunk arachnid?) In the mean time I want to get a few more games in with his basic form before distracting myself with his avatar. Last night I did manage to pull off his Master specific scheme though! (Do I have to do everything myself?") Hilarity! Charged a badly wounded hoarcat pride to finish it off and then Casting expert to shoot down a wounded Shikome. The Marcus player was quite surprised by melee Ramos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Norton Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 I really like the look of the soulstone miner and the large SPA, any reccemendation as to how many of each you would want to have in your collection? Would I need 3-4 large SPA for those missions needing multiple significant models or is 1 typically enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Indio Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Well, the Large Arachnid and the Miner are both Rare 2, so unless you are planning on going the whole hog in brawls, I'd say two of each is the max. I'm not sold on the Miner as a twofer, but the LSPA is an absolute steal at 5 SS, especially if you plan on playing Avatar Ramos -- you can use Controlled Detonation or Combat Mechanic to blow one up early on, gaining you 3 Scrap...and later, when Ramos goes Avatar form, you can summon your Arachnid back! Of course, the Larges work quite well as standard beatsticks, too. Just beware, assembly is an absolute pain. Each of those eight legs is a separate piece, and you need to do some wrangling to make sure the Arachnid will stand up straight when you're done. I ended up spending several hours pinning my first one together, and am holding off work on the second for precisely that reason. BTW, speaking of Avatar Ramos, I think his improved combat skills make Do I Have To Do Everything Myself? a much more attractive scheme. You still have Electrical Fire, and the new ability to pounce on some poor schlub and punch him to death with a CB6 Brutal haymaker. Heh-heh-heh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracomax Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Honestly, I just don't see the Large Steampunk arachnid's worth except with ARamos. They strike me as a cross between the Swarm and the individual spider, without the real strengths of either. The only thing that strikes me is 3 scrap counters and the ability to make them rather than hire them make them useful when he is an avatar. I think I'd rather spend the soulstones to hire 2 spiders and then make a third to join up into a swarm, myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Indio Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 IMHO, the LSPA has several things going for it vs. the Swarm: 1) A longer threat range. The LSPA has the same reach and charge distance as a Steamborg (10" combined), at half the cost. By contrast, a charging Swarm can go after targets up to 7" away. Go the 2x normal move route, and you wind up with a more favorable comparison (especially with the Swarm's Melee Master), but the LSPA still outranges the Swarm by an inch. Striking first can be decisive, and the LSPA does it better. 2) A larger battlefield footprint. While this has its disadvantages in close quarters, it has other benefits. With a 2" melee reach, the LSPA can cover a wide area with disengaging strikes, and a Controlled Detonation can impact many models. Extra scrap never hurt anyone, either. 3) Anti-Armor. While the LSPA's damage output isn't quite as steady on paper, it can really mulch opposing constructs and other armored types. I haven't gone up againt Hoffmann yet, but I'm willing to bet money that I'll appreciate the LSPA even more when I do. 4) Bargain Basement Price. Even when you go the 2 Arachnids + Summon route to cut the price down, the LSPA still costs less, and it's ready to move right out of the starting gate, as opposed to relying on a spell to reach full potential. This advantage is more apparent when you want to use multiples of the same model: 10 SS vs. 18/12, two turns of Summoning to get both up and running vs. none. On its own, the LSPA may not be as impressive as a single Swarm, but then, the Swarm costs more, either in SS or in spells and flips. I think the Swarm is a great piece. But the LSPA has its place, too. It is a wonderfully self-sufficient model. You don't need to buff it up, or spend precious actions prepping it. It's cheap enough to serve as a distraction, while being durable and deadly enough to make a dent in combat. For the cost, I think it's pretty unbeatable as far as constructs go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dracomax Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Well, I'll certainly give it a try. I need to pick it up anyway for use with the avatar. but I find that Ramos needs every soulstone he can get for crew, so it'll have to impress me quite a bit to displace the swarm. Melee master 2 + (0) healing flip and the combine/split/recombine antics make it(the swarm) pretty hard to beat, and the attacks are stronger too. Cost is definitly something to look at, but I just can't help but look at that and wonder If I wouldn't rather spend an additional stone to take another spider. I guess we'll see when I pick one up. I might find I really like it; I've been complaining for a while that there didn't seem to be any good 4-6 stone Arcvanist constructs for Ramos, so this might be just what I'm looking for. The additional range and significant are definitly going to make it something to look at for objective grabbing. I guess I need to wait and see how it plays before making my mind up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruglyother Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 SaintNorton, To be fair, the Marcus player you were up against is new to the crew and not real solid on Malifaux in general. As for the LSPAs, I'm beginning to think they might be a good option when using the Brass Arachnid. Without the toolkit, summoning is much less certain, so the small SPAs are less prolific, cutting down on some of their shenanigans. With Brass Arachnid, you end up focusing more on Ramos's other abilities besides summoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoboStele Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Having used the SPAs in my crew last night, I would definitely agree that they are worth the price. I played a crew that was a bit sub-par competitively, but the Large SPA was a definite star, nearly killing Lelu by itself over 2 activations (thank you Rusty Alyce Burn Out). Being able to summon them with Avatar Ramos is amazing though. They also really help out Ramos builds when you have strategies requiring interaction. They are the cheapest construct/themed models that don't have Insignificant, except for the Ice/Fire Gamin. So, for 1 point more than the Gamin, you get 2 extra Scrap Counters, more Wds, and some other nifty tidbits. I definitely think they are worthwhile, and I will certainly be picking up a 2nd one here soon. I ended up spending several hours pinning my first one together, and am holding off work on the second for precisely that reason. As for construction....yeah, they're a bit fiddly. However, the blister comes with some of that black foam. I just cut a small rectangle about the same size as the LSPAs main body. Then I rested the foam on top of the base I was using, and then set the LSPA's body on the foam. Then I simply glued each leg to both the body and the base at the same time, and worked my way along each leg that way. Probably took me less than an hour to assemble the whole thing from start to finish, and it turned out pretty sweet, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Norton Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Forgot all about the Rare 2 on both, I think i'm going to go with 2 of the LSPA and only the 1 miner. I've tried both and the miner has seemed "OK" with his defense and low wounds being the real downer for him. The LSPA seemed like a good buy. Like a nice fit between the little spiders and the swarm. Nice that he's significant too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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