Nicodem and Dead Rider

[Gruesome]

Hi,

I recently got Dead Rider and really want to make him work with Nicodem in a 35SS crew.

I am not sure I understand "Mounted Combat" though. I read about people using it to drag people BACK to their lines, but thought that since its a push, its in a straight line in one direction. So, does that mean that when people say they are doing that, that they are actually running into combat up front and getting into melee range and then using mounted combat to push back towards lines? Without melee expert or fast, that means they already need to be at 7 or fewer wounds to get the extra melee actions to engage a model and still use MC in the same turn. That feels sort of unsafe, although I will admit that I have not yet tried him yet, so he might be more difficult to kill than I give him credit for.

Has anyone had success running Dead Rider with Nicodem on a regular basis? If so, how?

[demkoenig]

When I've used the Dead Rider with Nicodem, I use the Rider to drag Nicodem up 10" by using Mounted Combat on Nicodem.

[Carse]

Pushing doesn't restrict you to a straight line unless the ability causing the push says it does.

[schristofersen]

When I've used the Dead Rider with Nicodem, I use the Rider to drag Nicodem up 10" by using Mounted Combat on Nicodem.

Hrm... Risky, but basically for 3 wounds and two actions from the dead rider you get to move nico 10"... I like it

[Fetid Strumpet]

Nico can also burn his casting expert action to decay the dead rider, catch himself in the blast and heal for 2, I still don't think it's that bad a trade for 10" of movement on a rather slow master.

[ProdigalPunk]

Just wondering, but what is Nico too slow to do? I never really played him in a way that he needed to be anywhere. Most of the time if you just wait for your opponent they will come to you soon enough.

[demkoenig]

So, if you connect the Grave Spirit to Nicodem, he only takes 1 wound from the Dead Rider. Then, next turn, the Grave Spirit connects to the Dead Rider and casts The Fog (hopefully you have a mask).

Further, I like getting Nicodem closer so he can use more AP for Rigor Mortis.

Nothing is more frustrating than having your master paralyzed for three of the game's six turns (Ophelia).

[Fetid Strumpet]

What he is too slow to do is project his power over a more effective area. One of his most effective lists is a "block" of troops that slowly advances towards the enemy. In this game speed is King and getting Nicodem into a position upfield in one move, which would have taken 3 of his actions to do is golden. That lets him sit in a position that controls more of the important field of play, the center of the board, rather than mainly covering the back half of the table.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Seems a bit risky since most of your army can't keep up if done first turn. You could use Mortimer to speed up the crew through fresh near but now that is a lot of ss to invest or take a lot of dogs and belles who can keep up or thief range is enough to compensate.

[Gruesome]

Thank you for the replies.

Pushing doesn't restrict you to a straight line unless the ability causing the push says it does.

That...

is...

INTERESTING!

Get close, MC within 3 inches, u-turn and drag them back... LOVE IT!

I also love the potential of using the Dead Rider as a chauffeur for Nicodem, if needed.

I have recently been considering running grave spirit instead of the Vultures since it seems so useful and is SO cheap. I love the idea of the Vultures, but they just do not seem to pay for themselves when I play them. (poorly)

I heard the "Block" method mentioned on the Aethorvox and was intrigued. I am just getting back into the game after a hiatus since Adepticon and am trying to get myself and my son back into the swing of things. A mini-buying frenzy last week scored me dead rider which I desperately want to play and I am almost literally salivating at the thought of the Molly box-set.

For people running Dead Rider, what else do you run in your list?

Edited October 19, 2011 by Gruesome

[poulpox]

Nico can also burn his casting expert action to decay the dead rider, catch himself in the blast and heal for 2

Dead Rider is immune to influence so you can't target him with Decay

I bought the rider too for Nico and I'm waiting particulalrly on a game vs Hoffman with it, to drag the constructs away from the Hoff, or the Hoff himself (although you don't really want him destroy your construct thanks to a soulstoned torch attack...)

Sending Nico upfield so quickly would have me a little worried though if he doesn't have much support there, as all it could result in is being blasted without MZ or other models to protect him. This could be good in turn 3-4 though to make a definite/finale advance once other models have taken position.

[Fetid Strumpet]

Ahhh my mistake, I only have Seamus and Kirai as masters and forgot that Decay targeted willpower.

[demkoenig]

Doesn't the Mounted Combat ability mandate a straight line push?

[Fetid Strumpet]

All Mounted Combat says about the movement portion is "Push this model up to it's charge." Nothing in it about it having to be towards, or directly towards, or in a straight line. Just push it up to it's charge.

[Gruesome]

Finally got a chance to play last week and used Dead Rider for the first time.

What a blast!

With regen, hard to wound 2, Nico Bolster, a linked grave spirit and adjust purpose to heal 2 wounds, he just felt untouchable.

His threat range was very deceptive. By giving him the purpose that had FAST, I could move him 6 inches toward the enemy, then mounted-combat 2 inches and interrupted the push with his Scythe melee range of 3 inches. I dragged a Lelu far from his "friends" back the 8 inches that I had moved out and let my crew shred his remaining wounds.

Its net effect was like an 11 inch lure.

Thanks for the tip on the push in Mounted Combat.

[poulpox]

Nice one!

[rancor709]

Yeepie ki yea Mr. Falcon, Dead Rider seems to be a great addition to a nico death bubble. Glad to here he went around and did horrible things to the neverborn. Guess it time to get some paint on this beast.

[Q'iq'el]

I've been thinking about Dead Rider and Nicodem for quite a bit. I want at least one of the riders for my collection, but for now neither of my three masters, including Nicodem, seems to benefit much from it.

Obviously with Bolster the Rider is going to be great, but isn't it too limiting to have to keep the rider in the bubble all the time?

Typically Nicodem summons his heavy hitters, one expensive model is a bit limiting... though my Nico crews tend to contain Bête Noire and I could always take the Rider in her place.

I guess the ultimate question is, who works better for Nico, for these points? There are multiple comparisons of Bête and Killjoy, but how about the Rider?

[Dorian]

I use him, to great success with grave spirit. For 11SS you get a model that is HtW 2, Armor 2, Regen 1, with the adjust purpose to heal him more. Nicodem brings him up to Df 7, Cb 8. You then use magical extension to rigor mortis whatever dead rider wants to kill. Or you magical extension decay & blast it onto dead rider for more healing.

The rider hits like a truck & shrugs off all but the most grievous of wounds. Aside from Colette (Mannequin replacement) I have yet to see anyone ho wants to stare that down. Even when he costs about 1/3 of your force.

As for comparison between other similar models, bete, kill joy. The rider is far more durable than either. Less risky then bete (oops I don't have a 10 in my hand) and most importantly extremely mobile. Plus immune to influence is awesome

[Tiny]

I think a better use for magical extension is to channel fog, making the dead riders mounted combat awesome. He can charge/attack people and cannot be shot.

[Gruesome]

Obviously with Bolster the Rider is going to be great, but isn't it too limiting to have to keep the rider in the bubble all the time?

I have not had anywhere near the play I want with him yet, but so far it seems to be like he is specifically for stepping out(of the bubble) and picking up carry-out food for the rest of my crew.

[rancor709]

Played a few more games with Dead rider last night against a seamus crew. Very impressed with Rider overall if it hadn't been for some really poor tactics with him on my part he would have been the star of the match. Note to self when postioning rider during mounted combat make sure you are blocking lure lanes for your opponent. Had dead blasted off the table cause he couldn't kill the desperate mercenary and wasn't blocking the desperate from the bell who lured the desperate away and proceeded to for my family the rider out of the game. Second game i total bone headedly mounted combat before i had adjusted purpuse to make him fast which would have killed the threat I was dragging off an objective instead, I set my opponent up for a nice strong flurry which killed dead. But I learned a lot about not leaving him unsupported, ah well hard lessons make for hard crews.