Thoughts on The Drowned

[SoulG]

So, The Drowned. I recently got a hold of a gaggle of them, and I can certainly see why they are limited to 3. They feel like an efficient blend of objective grabbing, board control, and utility.

I usually wind up having them rush objectives using their bonus 3" push before running into the enemy to try and kill more than 4ss worth of stuff on their way down. Their Slow to Die action means they usually wind up in the exact position you want them.

What has other people's experience been with them?

[fritz the cat]

I havent managed to get my mits on them, but your review does have me intrigued, I may have to try proxying a couple

[rancor709]

I need to get these models. I have been theorizing on them for a bit and your post confirms what I've been thinking. I think these models are the real winners of the resser section. Perfectly priced for the utility they bring. Do you find yourself bringing 2 or are you maxing out with 3 of them?

[dsmiles]

Sadly, I haven't seen them available at my FLGS, or at the online spot I order from. I can't wait, though. More spirits for Kirai!

[Sandwich]

I saw a clamshell at my local game store a week ago, I wasn't really sure about them yet.

I did do a single proxy game a while back and wasn't really using them as best as I could've.

I'd definately be interested in reading a write up if you'd be willing to do one for us.

[SoulG]

Overview

The Drowned are the spirits of those who died per their namesake. Often the victims of their own big noses, these spirits have come back from the dead to wreck havoc with the same self-destructive vigor they did in life. They are solid 4ss models. Being fairly good at everything without excelling in anything, The Drowned are valuable for their versatility.

Mobility

The Drowned are "Almost" objective runners. At first glance they seem poor, only having an average 4" walk and no charge option. However, they have a free 3" push at the cost of 1wd to compensate. This gives them a respectable movement distance of 11" per turn. They also have the required 6" + Interact movement required to be useful in A Line in the Sand.

Finally, they are Spirits with float. They laugh at terrain, period.

Compared to Night Terrors and even Necropunks, they are a little slow. However, they are guarenteed to reach their destination and force some hard decisions from your opponent when they get there. When you can afford to take your time/aren't doing Deliver Message? 2 The Drowned are about as good as 3 Necropunks / Night Terrors.

They have one other advantage over other objective grabbers. Their (0) action, Drag Under, can move an enemy model away from an objective piece--making it more difficult for the enemy to camp an objective to prevent interaction. This is huge! It mitogates one of the bigger annoyances to early objective running.

Offense

The Drowned are almost worth of being being considered punch. However, the blend of their offensive abilities focuses more on making the opponent make tough decisions and act as board control rather than act as a hammer. They are not a hammer, they are a walking bag of caltrops.

Key to this role is their first ability, "Bursting Spray." It deals 2Dg in a huge 4" radius upon their death. Slow to Die means you can often get the burst in the right location or--if they are already in a good position--get off an extra attack. This makes killing them a choice.

They have a gun, theoretically. With a Cb of 4 and a damage line of 1/1/3 it's more of a joke than anything. However, they have Gunfighter which means they can cover most objectives from 2" away. If your opponent kills The Drowned, the resulting Slow to Die + Burst is often enough to kill off an objective runner. That is about all the use you'll get from their main weapon, even with the trigger.

Their real offensive power comes from their only spell, Riptide. It deals a flat 2 Wd to its target (not damage, so no armor, etc.). It also makes other models within 2" of the target make a Df->11 test or take 2 Wds. Most enemies will make this test, but it can force the opponent to rapidly spend cards and--again--make decisions about whether or not they want to bunch up. They have a trigger that causes the target to make another Df test or receive slow. It is, again, a very simple test but it burns the opponent's cards.

Riptide also makes Hoffman and The Dreamer cry.

Resilience

The Drowned have horrible Defense, average Wp, and above average Wds. Really, their only defense is Spirit, but that's okay. The Drowned are not designed to live, they are designed to die at strategic points and force your opponent to make choices. Just pretend they are angry bees.

Tips and Tricks

The Drowned are pretty straightforward. Run them at clumps of enemies who would hate to suffer 2wds and harass them. Remember, it's all about strategic placement and making the opponent make decisions.

Master-Specific Tips

The Drowned can work with any master, even Nicodem.

Nicodem likes the drowned because Bolster Undead turns them into monsters. Boosting their gun to Cb 6 makes it actually matter, and boosting their Df to 5 means the opponent will have to commit more resources to destroying them. Spirit means they'll often live long enough to be healed up with Decay. They do not leave Corpse Counters, however, which makes their usefulness more limited. But if you feel you need some tarpits that cause damage instead of being replaceable, go for it.

Kirai likes The Drowned like she does all spirits. Their Slow to Die aspect means that they can be kept up to 12" away and still come back to make a Seishin, and they make a great "First Wave" to send at the opponent.

Seamus probably synergies the least. His Belles provide almost everything The Drowned do, and they are faster thanks to Seamus' Belles of the Ball. That said, Belles can't float.

McMourning likes the little buggers. They make for a great means to soften up the enemy and offer a nice mix of board control and speed to McMourning lists. Although I warn, you'll often spend your Slow to Die action moving them away from McMourning, since they both like to be in the fray. Otherwise, it'll often be, "McMourning is covering this half of the board while 3 The Drowned take care of the other half."

Minion-Specific Tips

The Drowned are really only short reaching most objectives on turn 1 by about 1". Combining them with Mortimer is not a horrible idea, especially for A Line in the Sand. After that initial nudge, they tend to be good on their own.

Also note that their pushes are another way to trigger Shafted Counters.

Finally, they are capable delivery systems for Bette Noir and Killjoy. This turns them into even more of a deterrant, since not only will the opponent have to face The Drowned's dying damage, but they'll have to face Bette / Killjoy as well!

Playing Against The Drowned

The Drowned aren't actually a huge threat, they just pretend to be one on TV. Deny them that strategic position by not clumping up or taking care of them at a range and they are more or less harmless. Their low Df means that, even with their moderate Wds and Spirit they will die predictably, on your terms.

Also, high-Df models make them nearly useless.

Ownership

Unless otherwise stated, all names and images on this site are property of Wyrd Miniatures, LLC. (Link)

[SoulG]

Two example lists where I used The Drowned to good effect.

Ressurectionists Crew - 35 - Scrap

Dr. Douglas McMourning

--

7 Pool

Zombie Chihuahua [1ss]

• Bête Noire
  [9ss]
  
  
• Canine Remains
  [2ss]
  
  
• Dead Rider
  [10ss]
  
  
• The Drowned
  [4ss]
  
  
• The Drowned
  [4ss]
  
  
• The Drowned
  [4ss]
  
  

The tactic is, literally. McMourning + Dead Rider + Whatever McMourning Summons goes towards one important thing and kills everything while The Drowned go on the other half of the board (towards objectives, I.E. Plant Evidence). Betty pops up as needed and tries to convince the opponent that it's a bad idea to prevent me from planting my evidence.

Ressurectionists Crew - 35 - Scrap

Kirai Ankoku

--

7 Pool

Lost Love [2ss]

• Jack Daw
  [9ss]
  
  
• Seishin
  [2ss]
  
  
• Seishin
  [2ss]
  
  
• Seishin
  [2ss]
  
  
• Seishin
  [2ss]
  
  
• The Drowned
  [4ss]
  
  
• The Drowned
  [4ss]
  
  
• The Drowned
  [4ss]
  
  

The Drowned are a surprisingly good counterpart to Jack Daw. They are fairly good at making people waste a lot of cards, setting them up for Jack Daw. Kirai summons Onryo / Ikiryo to complete objectives while The Drowned function as shock troops to waste the opponent's actions and keep them from Kirai.

[dsmiles]

That's an unfortunately excellent review, SoulG. I guess Wyrd gets a few more dollars of my hard-earned paycheck.

[geistwald]

Overview

The Drowned are etc etc

Thanks for your thoughts, it's refreshing to read posts like that after all the "drowned sux bring multiple shikome" wisdom.

[dsmiles]

Just ordered a pack of 'em. We'll see how they do after I get them painted up.

[Stonedog-7]

Damn, this makes me want more than the 1 that came in the Dead J box... wil still test that 1 out in Kirai & McMourning crews before i shell out for 3, but it's nice to know there's more going for them than people initially gave them credit for

[SoulG]

Just a forewarning, you might not get the same impact with 1 as you do with 2 or (even better) 3. The more Drowned there are, they better they are.

Let me know how it goes, dsmiles!

[Sandwich]

Great writeup.

Thank you.

I'm gonna play a couple games today with my girly, I'm definately gonna try to play them right this time.

[tadaka]

Glad to see others playing them. When i said they were an auto include for me people thought i was nuts. Any 4 pt model that can push other models around is a winner in my book. I realy enjoy any model that you want to die. They are such fun.

[Sandwich]

Overview

The Drowned are the spirits of those who died per their namesake. Often the victims of their own big noses, these spirits have come back from the dead to wreck havoc with the same self-destructive vigor they did in life. They are solid 4ss models. Being fairly good at everything without excelling in anything, The Drowned are valuable for their versatility.

Mobility

The Drowned are "Almost" objective runners. At first glance they seem poor, only having an average 4" walk and no charge option. However, they have a free 3" push at the cost of 1wd to compensate. This gives them a respectable movement distance of 11" per turn. They also have the required 6" + Interact movement required to be useful in A Line in the Sand.

Finally, they are Spirits with float. They laugh at terrain, period.

Compared to Night Terrors and even Necropunks, they are a little slow. However, they are guarenteed to reach their destination and force some hard decisions from your opponent when they get there. When you can afford to take your time/aren't doing Deliver Message? 2 The Drowned are about as good as 3 Necropunks / Night Terrors.

They have one other advantage over other objective grabbers. Their (0) action, Drag Under, can move an enemy model away from an objective piece--making it more difficult for the enemy to camp an objective to prevent interaction. This is huge! It mitogates one of the bigger annoyances to early objective running.

Offense

The Drowned are almost worth of being being considered punch. However, the blend of their offensive abilities focuses more on making the opponent make tough decisions and act as board control rather than act as a hammer. They are not a hammer, they are a walking bag of caltrops.

Key to this role is their first ability, "Bursting Spray." It deals 2Dg in a huge 4" radius upon their death. Slow to Die means you can often get the burst in the right location or--if they are already in a good position--get off an extra attack. This makes killing them a choice.

They have a gun, theoretically. With a Cb of 4 and a damage line of 1/1/3 it's more of a joke than anything. However, they have Gunfighter which means they can cover most objectives from 2" away. If your opponent kills The Drowned, the resulting Slow to Die + Burst is often enough to kill off an objective runner. That is about all the use you'll get from their main weapon, even with the trigger.

Their real offensive power comes from their only spell, Riptide. It deals a flat 2 Wd to its target (not damage, so no armor, etc.). It also makes other models within 2" of the target make a Df->11 test or take 2 Wds. Most enemies will make this test, but it can force the opponent to rapidly spend cards and--again--make decisions about whether or not they want to bunch up. They have a trigger that causes the target to make another Df test or receive slow. It is, again, a very simple test but it burns the opponent's cards.

Riptide also makes Hoffman and The Dreamer cry.

Resilience

The Drowned have horrible Defense, average Wp, and above average Wds. Really, their only defense is Spirit, but that's okay. The Drowned are not designed to live, they are designed to die at strategic points and force your opponent to make choices. Just pretend they are angry bees.

Tips and Tricks

The Drowned are pretty straightforward. Run them at clumps of enemies who would hate to suffer 2wds and harass them. Remember, it's all about strategic placement and making the opponent make decisions.

Master-Specific Tips

The Drowned can work with any master, even Nicodem.

Nicodem likes the drowned because Bolster Undead turns them into monsters. Boosting their gun to Cb 6 makes it actually matter, and boosting their Df to 5 means the opponent will have to commit more resources to destroying them. Spirit means they'll often live long enough to be healed up with Decay. They do not leave Corpse Counters, however, which makes their usefulness more limited. But if you feel you need some tarpits that cause damage instead of being replaceable, go for it.

Kirai likes The Drowned like she does all spirits. Their Slow to Die aspect means that they can be kept up to 12" away and still come back to make a Seishin, and they make a great "First Wave" to send at the opponent.

Seamus probably synergies the least. His Belles provide almost everything The Drowned do, and they are faster thanks to Seamus' Belles of the Ball. That said, Belles can't float.

McMourning likes the little buggers. They make for a great means to soften up the enemy and offer a nice mix of board control and speed to McMourning lists. Although I warn, you'll often spend your Slow to Die action moving them away from McMourning, since they both like to be in the fray. Otherwise, it'll often be, "McMourning is covering this half of the board while 3 The Drowned take care of the other half."

Minion-Specific Tips

The Drowned are really only short reaching most objectives on turn 1 by about 1". Combining them with Mortimer is not a horrible idea, especially for A Line in the Sand. After that initial nudge, they tend to be good on their own.

Also note that their pushes are another way to trigger Shafted Counters.

Finally, they are capable delivery systems for Bette Noir and Killjoy. This turns them into even more of a deterrant, since not only will the opponent have to face The Drowned's dying damage, but they'll have to face Bette / Killjoy as well!

Playing Against The Drowned

The Drowned aren't actually a huge threat, they just pretend to be one on TV. Deny them that strategic position by not clumping up or taking care of them at a range and they are more or less harmless. Their low Df means that, even with their moderate Wds and Spirit they will die predictably, on your terms.

Also, high-Df models make them nearly useless.

Ownership

Unless otherwise stated, all names and images on this site are property of Wyrd Miniatures, LLC. (Link)

Wow, that was actually pretty great.

I played them in a Nico and Seamus list and they really shined with Nico, but I do agree, Seamus is better off without them.

Their Bursting Spray makes them great versus high Df crews because you can nab 3 and send them in to go crazy.

With a Doxy dropping the enemy Df by 2 pretty often (Or Molly, their Weapons become pretty reliable.

Drag Under is pretty powerful, especially with Crooked Men because of how little it moves enemies.

A great combo is 1 Crooked Men, 2 Belles, and 1 The Drowned. It lets you drop a Shafted, Lure close, and then finish the gap.

Their free push is also really great because its a push.

Thanks for the writeup man, it was really helpful. :]

[Mawdrigen]

The Drowned are SERIOUSLY good.

I used one in my recent game as seamus, basically as a suicide bomber to try and take out my Kill Protege target. Heave Bile with trigger to slow him, then get killed and use the slow to die action to get me within 2" of the target... and the witchling that was on 1 hit next to him....

4 damage later I had 2vp

[fritz the cat]

I really wish I liked the models more, I'd jump all over them... but i dont... so they kinda slide down the priority meter

doesnt help that my main opponent is a freikorp player, so the death blasty goodness is a waste

[Orboros]

I can really see them shine with my AMcmournjng list. Seems like i underestimated them..

[Buhallin]

A great combo is 1 Crooked Men, 2 Belles, and 1 The Drowned. It lets you drop a Shafted, Lure close, and then finish the gap.

I've become more iffy on the Shafted+Lure combo lately because it's 2 AP for a very good chance of doing 3 damage to a single model, and realistically paralyzes it at best. Good, but still expensive.

How does adding a Drowned improve that? You're now looking at 3 AP - 1 AP per damage is NOT a good combo, much less great, and even if you get the paralyzed it's expensive enough that I'd question whether it's a "good" combo.

[tadaka]

I really wish I liked the models more, I'd jump all over them... but i dont... so they kinda slide down the priority meter

doesnt help that my main opponent is a freikorp player, so the death blasty goodness is a waste

The aoe 2 inch check in there spell is whats so great about them. It works on models immune to aoe blast type effects. It is not an aura pulse or blast so can hit dreamer the kirai anti aoe bubble, bear skin armor and von shills crew.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

I don't have the book with me but just checking are drowned spirit undead? I think I might have misses if they are, because I thought the rocked, but could justify with Nico. But I'd they are undead then I will definitely be adding them to Nico.

[CrouchingMoose]

I don't have the book with me but just checking are drowned spirit undead? I think I might have misses if they are, because I thought the rocked, but could justify with Nico. But I'd they are undead then I will definitely be adding them to Nico.

Checked the card...they're undead spirits just like the hanged

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Nice, makes them great targets for decay. Thanks.

[fritz the cat]

The aoe 2 inch check in there spell is whats so great about them. It works on models immune to aoe blast type effects. It is not an aura pulse or blast so can hit dreamer the kirai anti aoe bubble, bear skin armor and von shills crew.

I'd almost consider there attack and spell a secondary point to the model though. Their mobility (through the free push, and spirit) and their ability to get where they want to be when they death pulse through their slow to die is where I think alot of their power is.

It is a nice little bonus though, but i still dont think i'd take them vs freikorps though.

[tadaka]

I take them vs everything. Love me some drowned.