Hamlin or Levi for a new look?

[Palmerdoc13]

I currently play Lady J and more primarily, Hoffman. I was looking to add some diversity and I really like the looks of both Hamlin and Levi. I am trying to go for a playstyle very different from the ones I currently have, but I see a lot of /sighing when Hamlin is brought up. I feel like he gives me the biggest change from the very low model count of my hoffman team. I also enjoy a lot of secondary thinking to succeed, which is why Lady J has become a bit more boring to me.

They both seem like solid masters, but I was wondering if i could get any advice on one over the other or a nice 25ss-35ss starting point for either one. I have read pullmyfinger, but their opinions often differ from ones I see here. Thanks in advance for responses:)

[Buck Dog]

One thing to consider is that Levi can use any construct. If you already have Hoffman, then you are half the way to a decent Levi crew anyway !

I picked up a Peacekeeper and Ryle to run with Levi, so I am considering going the other way and buying Hoffman

[recklas]

well max since you are already playing with constructs hamlin might be the better choice for diversity.

[Necromorph]

If you have constructs and like that theme then levi can hire any construct in the game (undead as well), he has the biggest model selection in the game. Hamelin also has quite an impressive selection on models from across factions, but has very little overlap with your current crews.

So, if you want to utilize you existing constructs and have and urge to buy more constructs and undead, go with Levi.

If you want to do something completely different from your existing crews, then Hamelin is probably the better choice.

[magicpockets]

Hamelin is not that much fun to play as or against (I feel like I should be wearing a skeleton costume when playing him). Bear that in mind before investing heavily in his crew. I've got a 70+ models crew which I've paid to have painted and am now starting a different crew - says it all

[Clousseau]

If you fancy an alternative to Hamelin (as I echo mp's comments) have you considered Collodi?

[dsmiles]

Or you could say screw what other people like and play Hamelin anyways. I know he's my next Master to pick up, and he'll probably be my most played (at tournaments and such, they're all about winning).

Levi's fun, as long as you manage to kill him off every turn. Plus he can hire (as stated) Constructs, Undead, and Soulless models from any faction at no extra cost. I like to run him with either Ryle or a Soulstone Miner. Plus his standard Steampunk Abominations, Desolation Engines, etc. When his avatar comes out I'll start picking up the riders to run with him.

[magicpockets]

Or you could say screw what other people like and play Hamelin anyways. I know he's my next Master to pick up, and he'll probably be my most played (at tournaments and such, they're all about winning).

Yes, you could take that attitude. And if you're the type of person who sees the world that way, Hamelin will be right up your street.

[Zwergenkrieger]

Hamelin is not that much fun to play as or against

I often read sentences like this one, but nobody elaborates why he is that awful to play or to play against. Can someone explain?

HTG

[Palmerdoc13]

I have actually put some thought towards Collodi and even Z since my wife and i got the puppet wars starter and i was thinking of using all the models as wicked dolls.

Since I don't take myself or the game too seriously, it seems like I wouldn't enjoy the consequences of playing Hamelin (even though I like the Avatar illustration a ton). I may just slowly pick up Levi stuff here or there. Any recommendations on a solid list that incorporates some Hoff stuff but remains viable? Thanks for all of the responses:)

[Ozz]

I have played against him twice, first time with the Dreamer, he died, ill elaborate. Second with Nicodem, each time in a brawl with him teamed with Rasputina.

game one i played with Dreamer and my team mate with Zoraida, Turn 2 Hamelin hits dreamer in the face, for 9 dmg, he can ignore all positive and negative modifiers for an attack so if he hits, you cheat and get sever, unless you flip Black joker, 1/54 (minus your hand and used cards) So not to hard to happen. ! shots dreamer, my crew appears, putting all his stolen in combat, after his crew has activated. Kill them, then chompy hits hamelin, first time both use stones and do nothing to him with 3 attacks.

Turn i wont Initiative, again chompy first, 3 attacks, eventually killed him (final hit red joker 12 dmg) though he had 2 wd left by then. Hamelin then was removed from play and could not come back. (they thought that if they killed dreamer all buried models were dead)

Second game i put nico into a forest in turn one with dead rider, rider also in forest, raspy froze us. Hamelin started summoning rats, and killing the odd model, eating counters so we could not summon anything, by turn 3 he had about 6 rats, and surrounded Nicodem, attacks with them all, activates a rat catcher, sacs them all and so gets to activate them again as he summons a new one in base contact attacks again. so burning stones to ignore the dmg here taks out the entire supply, due to i wasn't thinking of the following turns where Seamus could have made use of them and tried to keep him alive, and i survived that turn due to the rats couldnt go again as i pulled the last rat catcher out of range of sacing them with dead rider (i think?) Then Hamelin Charges dead rider ignoring positive/negative modifiers and 1 shots him, 9 WD to 0 in 1 shot because you must win vs him using SS, he can kill anything in 1 shot near enough.

Cant remember to accurately what happened after that. So ill just give my reasoning why is sucks to play if he is able to work. In very different ways, he is like Zoraida and Perdita, Repetitive spam. he makes rats, and activates them several times doing very little with them, but when they get 2, 3 maybe 4 or more activations depending on your crew selection the dmg adds up. And getting free ones for every model that dies you get a lot of actions with them al. Having said all that, as my first game shows, it is possible to deal with him, it just requires your opponent to not hide/protect their stolen well enough otherwise it is very difficult, as he also summons them for a 1 action.

For if anyone was interested first game was a win to Dreamer/Zoraida, not sure of score, didnt work it out as it was a clear win in the end.

Second game was a 6-6 Tie. In my opinion, the way Hamelin managed to play in second game, you must be lucky like me and have a good opponent otherwise its a very dull time for you. Never used him, but my opponent appeared to enjoy himself playing the game with him.