Critique My P.H.D.

[ShaddowKatt]

I'm playing Dr. Douglas McMourning more and more lately. The more I play him, the better I get. It's a great vicious circle. Anyways, critique my P.H.D. (Dr. Douglas McMourning...P.H.D...lol)

35pt General List:

• Master: Dr. Douglas McMourning (6 Cache) - 2 Body Part Counters, 4 Soulstones
  
• Totem: Zombie Chihuahua (1 Cost)
  
• Minions:
  
• Canine Remains (2 Cost)
  
• Canine Remains (2 Cost)
  
• The Hanged (8 Cost)
  
• Dead Rider (10 Cost)
  
• The Drowned (4 Cost)
  
• The Drowned (4 Cost)
  
• Rotten Belle (4 Cost)
  

35pt List vs Summoner:

Master: Dr. Douglas McMourning (6 Cache) - 2 Body Part Counters, 4 Soulstones

Totem: Zombie Chihuahua (1 Cost)

Minions:

• Canine Remains (2 Cost)
  
• Canine Remains (2 Cost)
  
• Bete Noire (9 Cost)
  
• The Drowned (4 Cost)
  
• The Drowned (4 Cost)
  
• The Hanged (8 Cost)
  
• Rotten Belle (4 Cost)
  
• (1 Soulstone left over added to Body Part Counters, totaling 3)
  

25pt List:

• Master: Dr. Douglas McMourning (6 Cache) - 2 Body Part Counters, 4 Soulstones
  
• Totem: Zombie Chihuahua (1 Cost)
  
• Minions:
  
• Canine Remains (2 Cost)
  
• Canine Remains (2 Cost)
  
• Dead Rider (10 Cost)
  
• The Hanged (8 Cost)
  
• (2 Soulstones left over added to Body Part Counters, totaling 4)
  

Available Summons for any game:

• Canine Remains
  
• Flesh Construct
  
• Rogue Necromancy
  

I usually Surgical Implements Strike a Canine Reamins/Zombie Chihuahua until I get some Corpse/Body Part counters built up, then summon a Flesh Construct, or if I'm doing alright in position a Rogue Necromancy. I use The Hanged to target the big guys my opponent has and either take away half their health and healing or rope them in with a little bit of damage and pull them 4" toward that model (usually sitting in a pile of my models). I use Dead Rider to pull models around the bored as well as allowing McMourning to Strike him to gain Body Part Counters (with his Regneration 1 and Adjust Purpose, 2 Wds for a (0) Action, it's really not a worry if he takes a hit here and there). He's great for throwing my opponent off as well as dragging my models into a fray and watching my opponent freak out for a minute as they readjust their entire game-plan. I haven't ran the Drowned in a game yet, but I foresee myself using them as distrations and mini bombs. I'll use them to toss bile at my opponents while advancing towards their clusters of weaker models, and when they attempt to swarm me, Bursting Spray will take care of the rest. Although I haven't run Bete Noir in a real game yet either; against a summoner she is a no brainer...killer a weak model (or wait until they do) pop her up and deal as much as I can to anything and everything around her, if she dies, oh well, she'll be back again and again. Rotten Belle's haven't ran along side the Doctor either yet officially, but their Lure will make a great way of getting models around the bored. They can pull my models to them as escape or advance; as well as bring enemy models into ranged for Body Part harvesting. Zombie Chihuahua is giving me some problems. I use him as a back up Body Part generator by using him to Magical Extension Dr. McMourning's Wracked with Pain spell, to mainly get Counters...but he takes away so much utility with the taking away of (0) cost actions until the Closing Phase, plus he doesn't actually cast it most of the time either, if I really want it to work I have to cheat or get really lucky! Finally, Flesh Constructs, well to be honest, they haven't seen much board time lately, I bring out the Rogue Necromancy as fast as I can now and then pop up a Construct or two later on in the game. I use them as meat shields and just let them soak up as much attention as they can get. When they're dead, I use my other Canine Remains to scoop up their Counters they leave behind and that's about it.

So there it is. Sorry it's kind of a ramble post, just wanted to toss it all out there. Critique away. I welcome the good, the bad, and the ugly! My feelings won't be hurt. Thanks in advance. Happy Ress-ing!

[His Fattness]

I think it's generally a bad idea to be sacking soul stones for body part counters. It doesn't take much work to generate 8 counters the first turn by sacking the chihuahua and a canine remains while still moving 6-11 inches. Also you may want to consider running night terrors for objective grabing. Also running Molly as well can give your team some serious buffs, especially if you like running the dead rider. Dead rider plus movement buff plus grave spirit is a very scary thing to behold. She can also copy McM's or the rouge necro's spells for an added ranged punch.

Edited January 31, 2012 by His Fattness

[Fetid Strumpet]

I also feel in most of your lists your SS cache is too low. Combat masters like McMorning really really want to have 8 stones fully banked before the game starts. You need them for Defense but also for offense so that when you attack something you know it will die.

I also agree that spending SS for BP is something you never want to do. BP you can easily get through your first few actions, and by attacking things, SS McMorning can only get more of in game by draining souls, and outside of very specific situations it is not something you really want to be doing.

[ShaddowKatt]

I also feel in most of your lists your SS cache is too low. Combat masters like McMorning really really want to have 8 stones fully banked before the game starts. You need them for Defense but also for offense so that when you attack something you know it will die.

I also agree that spending SS for BP is something you never want to do. BP you can easily get through your first few actions, and by attacking things, SS McMorning can only get more of in game by draining souls, and outside of very specific situations it is not something you really want to be doing.

You second paragraph lost me...what are you talking about?

---------- Post added at 07:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:03 PM ----------

A side note: If anyone has good lists for McMourning that have been "time-tested" and work out real well, I'd love to see them. If nothing else for ideas of my own.

[Fetid Strumpet]

You don't want to trade Soul Stones at the beginning of the game for Body Parts, because McMorning NEEDS Soul Stones to be the nastiest threat he can be. Plus he needs them to stay alive. Body Parts can be gained in game by attacking your own minions and the opponents models. So Body Parts can be gained during the game.

The only way to gain more Soul Stones in game, with McMorning, aside from a terrain element allowing you to, is to use the Drain Souls action that all masters have access to. It is an ability that many people forget about because it isn't written on the card, and outside of a few specific situations, it isn't a worthwhile trade.

Drain Souls is basically an action that allows a Master to sacrifice up to 3 minions within 6" and gain 1 soul stone per minion sacrificed. The other downside, besides the unfavorable SS return rate, is that it permanently causes your crew to lose WP, I forget how much, until the end of the game, because they are worried about working for someone who will kill them and steal their souls so casually.

[Carse]

You lose 1 wp per use of drain souls, and you can't sacrifice insignificant minions for it.

[Dr.Feelgood]

Unless you are going for a more combat heavy encounter, you might want to change a piece or two in your listings for something close to the Necropunks of the Crooligans. They both work fairly well for objective grabbers.