Tips, Tricks and Advice for New Player

[PsionicFox]

Hi everyone.

So I recently picked up two crew boxes from my LGS: Collette and Jacob Lynch. They didn't have any doves in stock so I couldn't get those, but I managed to snag Mr. Tannen and Mr. Graves for my Jacob crew.

I like a challenge, and the interesting synergies these masters have with their crews appealed to me greatly, so I don't need people to go 'wow, these guys are super hard' or whatever. I'm totally fine with a steep learning curve. My playstyle in a lot of games is 'control and crush' - I play denial, trickery, and look for the opportunities to strike my opponent's vulnerable places.

What I would like is advice on where to expand on these crews, where are the big traps I should avoid, and what tricks should I be taking advantage of. I have read the wiki, so the advice on Collette is good, but Jacob is a bit light.

Anyone with personal experience playing with or against these masters, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks in advance for being awesome!

[Adran]

Jacob is still a new master, so there isn't much percieved wisdom on him yet.

Also he can be played as two different factions, so advice for Neverborn Jacob will differ from advice for Ten Thunders Jacob. From my reading of the forums and Pull my finger I think this hasn't fully dawned on everyone yet. Partially because there hasn't been much of the Ten Thunder faction beem released yet.

I've only faced him once, and never played with him, so I can't give a huge amount of advice, but making the most of the darkness seems Vital for him, so make sure you have ways to spread Brilliance to allow him to return from the dead.

Colette will want Doves ASAP. you will probably want to get 2 corephyee and a duet (depending on modeling ability this may be 1 blister or 2). That will allow you to use most of her common lists. You might find that she lacks damage sources, but there are a range she can get, or she can stick with the death by 1000 paper cuts and huge mobility.

Good luck with the crews, I hope you enjoy them.

[Darios]

As far as Colette is concerned: Take a look at the Doves, Coryphees (you want that duet believe me!) and *drumroll* the Oiran! (beeing showgirls with lure makes them really good).

If you're up against Neverborn often then consider Angelica as well.. (must have against Pandora p.e.)

Lynch turned out to be my main Opponent these past weeks... played against him about 12 times so far, with different lists on both sides...

The Darkness does the heavy lifting, so he depends on models with brilliance to resummon it whenever it dies: thus these models are priority targets for the enemy... And models beeing able to spread Brilliance are worth their weight in gold...

try out a TT Brother in his lists (evermind if you play him as TT or Neverborn (though as TT you save a SS when Hiring the bro)... this allows you to companion quite a lot of models and potentially perform alphastrikes.

Also always keep Lynch safe... he's a bit on the squishy side with no big movementtricks and not much in way of defence and resilence and when he's out, well no more Hungering Darkness!

[Joel]

I've been using Jakob a lot lately - I even ran him a couple of games at the UKGT. I've used him as both Neverborn (predominantly) and ten thunders (a little) and faced him as ten thunders.

If you have the dark debts box set, Mr. Graves (sir) and Mr. Tannen, the next thing I'd suggest you get your hands on (even if you just proxy them for now) are the beckoners.

The Lynch crew all keys from the brilliance characteristic, making the listseem like it is self-contained and themed. This is one way you could play the crew, but I've found that brilliance takes care of itself most of the time - you need less models that hand it out than you might think.

Huggy is a Heavy Lifter - but his main strength is as a damage sink. As a spirit with 7 wounds and multiple ways to heal, it takes a concerted effort to displace him - and then he comes back!

Holding the right cards and setting up the other models (yours or your enemies) to bring Huggy back is one of first things you need to get your game head around with this crew.

the rest of the possible models that Lynch can hire, in either configuration, add to this attitude of despair for an opponent.

he can hit huggy - but ultimatly its pointless. The totem just heals or flat-out respawns.

He can go after beckoners - but if he's brilliant he's on double negatives and has to get past irresistable too.

He can go after stitched togethers - but "does not die" kicks in and just hurts him even more.

it's like punching fog

adding models to the crew that fit this theme just makes it work better. Anything that gives a healing flip to models is generally a good idea, anything that can make use of counters to summon more models is good too, as is any model that is simply tough to kill.

Lynch is, of course, the weak point in this chain. He has squeal and use soulstones - but what he needs most is careful and considerate planning on your behalf.

[PsionicFox]

Wow, thanks for all the helpful advice guys! I realise Jake is a bit of an unknown at the moment, but the advice still helps. How do you rate Messrs Tannen and Graves? I know the Beckoners will make a big part of his kit for keeping control pressure, but I'm not 100% sure on those two fellows yet. I think they're awesome and fit the theme, I'm just not totally sure.

As for Colette, what's a reasonable 35SS list? Her, a dove, 2 Performer/Mannequins, Cassandra and a Coryphée? That leaves her with a good bank of 'stones for her shenanigans too.

[Joel]

Mr. Grave (sir) is a very solid 7-point model. Maybe not quite on teh level of Tuco or teh Twins in general terms, but not far off that pace!

As well as being a beater with brilliance, he's got some interesting movement abilities and some ranged magical damage that most people miss. As a beatstick, well he certainly packs a punch. He's not overly resiliant, but he can be a good control piece.

Mr. Tannen is rather squishy and slow. I've not really liked using him that much. If I want a model that disruptive I'd pay teh extra for Jack Daw who fits better with the whole "punching fog" motif as well as giving arcane reservoir to the crew.

[Adran]

As for Colette, what's a reasonable 35SS list? Her, a dove, 2 Performer/Mannequins, Cassandra and a Coryphée? That leaves her with a good bank of 'stones for her shenanigans too.

2 corephyee is much much better than 1. You need 2 to form the duet. The duet is great.

A common 35 list is probably

2 corephyee, Cassandra, 1 performer manniquin pair, 1 dove and 8 stones.

[PsionicFox]

Heh, good point.

I guess she doesn't need lots of doves since she can always summon more off her 'trick of the hat' right?

[Darios]

rigth. i wouldn't bother to buy any doves... instead get yourself angelica or some oiran.

[Adran]

I like to have at least one dove to start with, but it isn't essential. If I have a spare couple of stones I'll get another dove. I will try and summon a dove every turn (although on her second activation as reactivate is too good to not do normally).

Doves on the table have the advantage of not being slow one the first turn allowing move and magicians dual or just keeping up with a duet, can be sacrificed as a soulstone if you need it and grant you more activation control.

Summoned Doves are 1 soulstone cheaper over all.

Both are good. A lot depends on how you play the crew. If you are using Colette at the back to just gain soulstone and doves then other models in the crew are more worth it.

If you are pushing models forward early, or wanting to swap them about then starting with more doves can be helpful.

[PsionicFox]

Well I played my first Colette game today. It was 25SS, so I just used the core box, while my opponent was Lady J, three Death Marshals, Scales of Justice, and an Executioner. We shared the Distract scenario, and I chose Breakthrough and Bodyguard as her schemes.

For my first Colette game, and like my fourth ever Malifaux game, I think I did pretty well. I got close to paralysing Lady J a few times, slapped his executioner with disappearing act when it got to close to my girls, and had Cassandra eat about three turns of attacks before ripping through two Death Marshals at the cost of her life at the well-placed shot of the third Marshal.

I ended up getting wiped out on the last turn, all except for Colette, who was on my opponent's side of the board, while he had a single model in my deployment zone.

I learned a lot, I think. I learned how tempting it is to burn through all of your soulstones and cards in the space of an activation (I'm looking at you, Cassandra). And ever turn I think I learned another neat combo or trick to beat my foe into the ground with.

I think my biggest mistake was not using Colette and Cassandra more aggressively, as I could have taken out Lady J with Magician's Duel, and the Executioner could have been dealt with the same way (although Disappearing Act did the trick there).

So yeah, great first outing, I think.

[PsionicFox]

Sorry for the double post, but I do have a question about Colette.

Specifically, her defensive trigger. Okay, so she gets attacked in melee. I flip defense, and she makes her suit. Does she immediately go swap places with a showgirl, thus avoiding all damage? And if so, whose defense do you use to finish resolving the combat?

[Ausplosions]

Sorry for the double post, but I do have a question about Colette.

Specifically, her defensive trigger. Okay, so she gets attacked in melee. I flip defense, and she makes her suit. Does she immediately go swap places with a showgirl, thus avoiding all damage? And if so, whose defense do you use to finish resolving the combat?

Unless stated otherwise, triggers only activate when you win the duel.

So yes, she swaps but the attack is already completed.

[Kadeton]

Sorry for the double post, but I do have a question about Colette.

Specifically, her defensive trigger. Okay, so she gets attacked in melee. I flip defense, and she makes her suit. Does she immediately go swap places with a showgirl, thus avoiding all damage? And if so, whose defense do you use to finish resolving the combat?

This is in the official model Errata:

'Blinding Flash' Immediately after declaring triggers, Swap Colette's position with a Showgirl. This Showgirl is now the target of the Attack.

So after you flip your card for Defense and declare Blinding Flash, you swap with a Showgirl. If Colette lost the duel, damage is dealt to the Showgirl as if she had lost the duel by the same margin. The Showgirl's Df is never substituted for Colette's, but the attacker also does not need to pass an Irresistible duel, for example (if you swapped with a Performer).

It's worth noting that if you swap with Cassandra and she has Southern Charm up, the damage flip will take an additional modifier.

[Ausplosions]

This is in the official model Errata:

So after you flip your card for Defense and declare Blinding Flash, you swap with a Showgirl. If Colette lost the duel, damage is dealt to the Showgirl as if she had lost the duel by the same margin. The Showgirl's Df is never substituted for Colette's, but the attacker also does not need to pass an Irresistible duel, for example (if you swapped with a Performer).

It's worth noting that if you swap with Cassandra and she has Southern Charm up, the damage flip will take an additional modifier.

Well there you go.

Those sneaky Errata.....