Colette crew - Doubt

[AndyP.]

Hi all,

I'm playing arcanists from 3 mounts and not too much as I want.

I love colette and her showgirl but I have some doubt about some models of her crew.

First of all I cannot understand how to use properly Mannequins of the performers.

I link them to the performers but what is the benefit?

Second question is about Coryphée: what is the best way to get best performance from them?

I'd like to play good to try to have fun with my opponents with a good tactics with her.

Thanks a lot to everybody in advance!

[harbinger]

for the basics... http://pullmyfinger.wikispaces.com/Arcanists

[Usiel]

+1 to checking out the wiki.

However, the short answer for the mannequins is: Link one to Collette. She can switch with another Showgirl who is in danger, then switch with the mannequin...then Link will pull the mannequin back to her when the activation ends, and everyone is safe.

Also, mannequins have Companion (Showgirl), so they let your crew activate simultaneously. This can be huge, but Companion takes some getting used too... if you don't know Malifaux very well, you may want to practice with a simple Companion, like between a master and totem, first.

[Rameses]

Odin1981 wrote this tactica about Colette: it's a good read.

Then there is ebonstars tactica which is also equally good. Link

[AndyP.]

Thanks to all for reply.

If I understood well:

I link a mannequin to Colette;

I play normal using Colette's teleport to switch her with other showgirls to leach Objectives;

After switching mannequin follow her for protection from attacks.

Is the right approach?

I thinked another one possibility:

Colette and other showgirls advance to leach objectives;

Mannequins remain on the second line in range of switch to avoid Colette in danger and use them as sacrifical pieces.

One thing more: I can't understand what is the scope to hit Colette with the bash of a Mannequin. Can you please help me to understand better this tactic?

Laste question is about Performers: I have to include them to have Mannequins.

I usually use them with Siren's Call to move an enemy model in combat range to Paralyze it and give him Poison 3 or 4 (I can't remember the rule correctly now).

Is the right use or I'm using them wrong?

I found another problem with them: usually I need to be in range of Siren's Call before move and I need the model at the right distance to use the 2 Action Points to paralyze the target and get him poisoned. How can I be at the right distance without spending Action Points?

Thanks to all in advance!

[geistwald]

One thing more: I can't understand what is the scope to hit Colette with the bash of a Mannequin. Can you please help me to understand better this tactic?

Say you want to move Colette without spending any AP. You activate the Mannequin and companion Colette. They are likely BtB, so you can attack Colette with the Mannequin. Hit her with the bash attack, and cheat for weak damage, also cheat to trigger A Blinding Flash. The Mannequin will receive Slow, that she already is, no problem. On the other hand, you can switch Colette with a friendly showgirl within 18 inches, and immediately activate.

[AndyP.]

And what about performer?

Can you give me some advice about her?

What do you think about those 2 lists?

What's better?

Arcanists Crew - 35 - Scrap

Colette Du Bois -- 4 Pool

+ Colette, Avatar of Deception [2ss]

3 Mechanical Doves [6ss]

Angelica, Mistress of Ceremonies [5ss]

Cassandra, Magician's Apprentice [9ss]

Performer & Mannequin [6ss]

Performer & Mannequin [6ss]

______________________________________________________________________

Arcanists Crew - 35 - Scrap

Colette Du Bois -- 3 Pool

+ Colette, Avatar of Deception [2ss]

2 Mechanical Doves [4ss]

Cassandra, Magician's Apprentice [9ss]

Coryphée [7ss]

Coryphée [7ss]

Performer & Mannequin [6ss]

Thanks to all for replies!

Edited February 20, 2013 by AndyP.

[The Godlyness]

your bottom list is by far better, but the avatar is way underpowered and only good in extreme cases also one dove is fine. you can make more if need be. Colette Crews love their stones, cause more or less every one can use them.

some people dislike the corpyhee say its a crutch or some jazz i disagree, i have seen my coryphee die in one hit many times. but if used properly you will do fine with them.

[Adran]

Performers are a model I struggle to get the most out of. When I first got them I thought they were the main model, and the manniquin was a freebie, but now I would probably consider paying 4 ss for a manniquin alone.

They are tricky for an opponent to attack. You can use Colletes movement tricks to get them into the right place do do that wonderful turn when you Sirens call paralyse poison 4 a model.

They also have the built in defense that if you kill one, then a show girl model gets re-activate, and no-one really wants to see a reactivating duet. They are relatively cheap signifigant bodies for achieving objectives and helping in activation control.

I've yet to use the avatar, so can't comment on that, but I find when I play the crew I want at least 5 soulstone, if not more, as so much of my crew can use it. I often find even with 6-7 sousltone to start with by about turn 4 I am almost out, and the crew then starts to fall apart.

[AndyP.]

Thanks guys for suggestions!

I need your help again for another question:

What do you think about those Mercenary?

Misaki, Renegade Steamfitter Johan, Taelor and Jack Daw (I like very much the model but I don't know if it would have high performanche with colette).

Thanks to all in advance! (as usual XD)

[Gorbad]

If you like the models its always worth playing around with something, but since they are not showgirls they won't synergies with the rest of the crew much. You might be able to do some fun stuff with a melee heavy hitter and disapearing act, getting them way up field fast, but in general Collette can easily spend her stones on showgirls and be happy with that. Although it can be tempting to add either some range model to the crew or a more brute force model.

[Adran]

Johan is very good with Colette as both his hiring and Colettes stack, making him only 5 soulstone.

He doesn't get any of the showgirl benefits, but he is a good melee model for that price.

A tactic to use with him is to bury him with Colette (using a mask if you can to get the soulstone back, and then unbury him where ever you want him to be and leave him there hitting the enemy.

Miaski and Taelor are both good models, but I generally find the cheapness of Johan makes him the best choice out of the 3 in almost all occasions for Colette.

Jack Daw is a finesse piece. He won't help your showgirls much, and you'll need to use him caerfully to not hinder them, but when he is used well he can totally change a game for you and is very independent

[AndyP.]

A tactic to use with him is to bury him with Colette (using a mask if you can to get the soulstone back, and then unbury him where ever you want him to be and leave him there hitting the enemy.

How can I do that?

With disappearing act?

[Gorbad]

Yeah, he will then pop up within 6" of Collette at the end of the turn, and with her movements tricks that can cover quite a large section of the board allowing you to deliver him straight into mêlée. Of course he will have to wait until next turn to activate.

[OTP]

you could equally use Collettes disappearing act to "kidnap" an enemy model, switch Colette back to next to Johan and unbury the model ripe for a beating

[Gorbad]

It still carries the problem of having to wait until next turn, but yes, that's a good use too. Or just clearing objective areas or clearing line of advances or similar actions. You can do all sorts of things with that spell.

[Mr. Goggles]

A thing many people forget is that Johan gets his CB bonus when near Colette since she is an M&SU member. That plus his cheapness makes him a great bodyguard for Colette.

[AndyP.]

I payed a match last weekend and I'm quite happy about my game.

I had a problem with Angelica.

She stayed all the game on the back of my advancing line and she does nothing all the game.

What is her main use? I used her to activate immediatly another one showgirl but nothing more.

[Serigala]

Johan can be good with Collette as she is an M&SU member and therefore confers a Cb bonus.

The second list, minus the avatar and 1 mechanical dove (adding onto Collettes cache) is a very competitive list. Unless you are playing larger games, any of those other models will require you to drop something from the 'standard' Collette list which just works.

Oiran are additional cheap showgirls which might be useful though they have not really been released long enough to see whether they will become 'must haves'.

[Barnaberible]

My standard Colette list would be

Colette

Cassandra - 9

Coryphee - 14

Performer / Man - 6

Johan - 5

4 Cache

its quite a low cache but you can pretty much throw cards turn 1 to get 2/3 more stones and hopefully summon a dove turn 1

I generally swap out the duet or Cassie if I need anything more specialist, Kaeris can be quite fun but you will need to use Colette quite defensively and make stones for Kaeris to burn

Johan is great, just pop him somewhere and use diassapearing act with Colette, if you get the trip tomes then awesome, if you dont just illusionist to in range of Johan and drop the buried model into his hefty 3" melee range and wait for him to red joker the damage flip (you would not belive how many times I have had Johan red joker a damage flip)

you can also cast dissapearing act on Johan to deliver him into position if you need to

I havnt tried Orian as stopped playing Colette before they were released but they might be an option.

The Coryphee take some time to learn before you get the best out of them for 14ss but once you have figured them out they are absolutely awesome

As for Angelica, its a nice models that I have had since it was released and never put on the table!