Mr Motley Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 Von Schill and his Freikorps was the first (and only) starter box I pick up for malifaux, they look fantastic and seemed like a good starter as they have a small set of rules. I have played quite a few games with them against a lot for different crews and have done ok so far but I’m starting to think that Schill is perhaps a better henchman then a master. So let me explain (I don’t know what the rules are on posting stats and the like so I shall try not post anything stats wise) Schill has ok Df, good number of Wd and armour (great for a henchman) but no Df triggers, so when he gets shot at/stab by something they hit and do there damage, a lot of masters out there have all sorts of thing to help keep them alive like a hi Df or triggers but not Schill. So what he can’t tank? But he can put out a lot of damage with his clockworkseeker. Well no, he can do a lot of damage but he only gets the standard two shots with it and no special triggers, the damage and Cb are the same as rusty Alyce so good but not new and not master. So maybe he’s a buff master there to make his people better? But he’s not got much to help and most of it situational a very good boost to Wp in morale duels and gives Freikorps (only) slow to die. So my final thoughts are that he’s a good 9ss model but a bit of an underpowered master. I don’t know maybe I’ve got him all wrong , maybe he’s a jack of all master of none, maybe I should go and play with someone ells . Let me know what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgraz Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 a lot of masters out there have all sorts of thing to help keep them alive like a hi Df or triggers but not Schill. Aside from his awesome armor that works on just about everything and ignores several things completely, he has one of the most powerful defensive abilities around. Slow to Die with Use Soulstone is crazy amazing. So what he can’t tank? But he can put out a lot of damage with his clockworkseeker. Well no, he can do a lot of damage but he only gets the standard two shots with it and no special triggers, the damage and Cb are the same as rusty Alyce so good but not new and not master. Way better than Rusy Alyce considering he has the mobility to get where he wants to be with his flight and Nimble....oh, and no one can stop him from disengaging. So maybe he’s a buff master there to make his people better? But he’s not got much to help and most of it situational a very good boost to Wp in morale duels and gives Freikorps (only) slow to die. Freikorps only? Since that's all he can take I guess that's okay. Since they're all immune to blasts if they turtle up with a Librarian at their back - with their armor and Von Schill's buffs, they're a pretty tough nut to crack. The Freikorps may not have the damage output that some crews have, but it's decent and they have pretty high survivablity. Combined with the mobility that Von Schill has, they're pretty good at plenty of strategies. I haven't tried it yet, but the Strong Arm Suit may provide a nice boost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claymore65 Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 I've played multiple games with the Freikorps box set, and it is way better than you might think. Von Schill is incredibly versatile, being an excellent ranged fighter, a pretty good melee fighter as he ignores armor, and offers fantastic mobility and support. One of his most important abilities is the Augmented Jump. This (0) action gives him flight and allows him to ignore disengaging strikes. This makes him extremely mobile and hard to stop. While his other abilities are somewhat situational, he is extremely versatile, being extra effective against both construct and undead crews, something fairly common in Malifaux. The Undead Knowledge is very useful against opponents trying to rely on hard to wound, and Slow to die is an amazing ability. In case you didn't know, as his last action with a slow to die he can burn a soulstone and heal a wound. If he heals one wound (not get a Black Joker) he's back in the fight. As a Master, he can also take any non-Freikorps mercenary (the ability says he may only hire Freikorps Models and Mercenary Models). This allows a huge amount of diversity to your crew, allowing you take Taelor as an anti-construct heavy magic weapon user or Ronin. Generally, you only take Freikorps anyway, but it is a common misconception that he can ONLY take Freikorps. While I agree he is a jack of all trades, he is effective always and is very useful overall. As for the units he comes with, they are a great team. At 26 SS, you get a good 5 models, and might gain activation advantage against some crews, such as Hoffman's. The Librarian is amazing, as you get an extra card in your hand which is always useful. While you have to discard a card on her turn, she gains the suit on her casting score. If you discard a ram, you can give out healing flips for only a four. With furious casting, that's 3 healing flips a turn, which makes anyone more surviveable. The specialist is fantastic at taking down heavily armored targets with his flamethrower, and has nice blasts and triggers. The trapper doesn't deal much damage overall, but the + against beasts/constructs is nice, his reposition trigger is great, and he can his range is amazing. This makes him great for taking down small health targets or simply wearing down a bigger one. The Freikorpsmann aren't anything crazy, but they are simple and versatile, with decent guns and flurry. Overall, they are a great starter faction that can be highly effective. If you are playing against new players as well, you will be surprised about how truly effective they are. The Freikorps Strongarm Suit I've heard is really cool as well, but I don't own the book yet so I can't try him out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adran Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 I honestly can't think of a more survivalable leader. His defense is good, better than most. He is immune to several different damage sources (All pulse and blasts) and has armour against everything (armour 2 in some cases). He also has slow to die which allows him an action upon death, which can be a healing flip and so preventing death. He gets to do 5 actions a turn which is pretty good. 2 of them are 0 actions, and 1 has to be a walk, but thats still not bad. Most masters are limited to 4 actions. The Viks only get a maximum of 6 and they are two models. He is a toolbox master, not the best at melee and shooting, but pretty good at them. He is also one of the most mobile leaders in the game. He can adapt his play style to his foes. I don't know if its a case of you have seen other masters and they seem better. I might suggest swaping crews with your opponent, a lot of masters seem a lot more fragile when you are controlling them rather than trying to kill them. I'm happy to use him to lead Merc crews rather than the Viks in several games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mehter Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 For a friekorps master, I'd like it to be Von Schill's dad. Some old man with a huge beard in a custom strongarm suit or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Motley Posted January 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 I don't know if its a case of you have seen other masters and they seem better. I might suggest swaping crews with your opponent, a lot of masters seem a lot more fragile when you are controlling them rather than trying to kill them. I'm happy to use him to lead Merc crews rather than the Viks in several games. I think you might be right, I’ve never played as any other master and im getting envious of there shiny. I will try playing as other masters for a bit and see how it goes (Im going to miss the librarian). Thank you for your comments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybaris Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 (edited) One of his most important abilities is the Augmented Jump. This (0) action gives him flight and allows him to ignore disengaging strikes. As a side note, and just because i am used to "flight" Nephilim shenanigans, remember that Von Schill isn't immune to disengaging strikes, but rather their blocking effect. That' something to consider when engaged by Wicked models (lilith comes to mind) Edited January 29, 2013 by Sybaris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hateful Darkblack Posted January 29, 2013 Report Share Posted January 29, 2013 As a side note, and just because i am used to "flight" Nephilim shenanigans, remember that Von Schill isn't immune to disengaging strikes, but rather their blocking effect. That' something to consider when engaged by Wicked models (lilith comes to mind) Untrue. Ruling here: http://www.wyrd-games.net/showthread.php?20473-Augmented-Jump-amp-Wicked&highlight=augmented+jump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybaris Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Gees...thanks, i stand corrected. That was seriously unclear rule text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hateful Darkblack Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Gees...thanks, i stand corrected. That was seriously unclear rule text. It's true! It's surprising, and the ruling is sorta hard to find. I only was able to find it by reading another thread where someone pointed to the ruling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adran Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 It's true! It's surprising, and the ruling is sorta hard to find. I only was able to find it by reading another thread where someone pointed to the ruling. I found it hard to believe anyone could read it the wrong way. Just goes to show how different people are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limelizard Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 Freikorps is one of the three crews I own and I like to play with all three as equally as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grim Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 What size base does the Freikorps Strongarm suit use? Will the box contain two strongarm suits or is it just alternate poses for a single? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adran Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 (edited) According to the book, it is unique, so I would expect only 1. EDIT Just checked the announcement and it is 1 with Leg varients Edited February 13, 2013 by Adran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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