Is Lucas McCabe fun to play against?

[PokiePrawn]

I really want to get McCabe, but... with Lucas running around giving out slow and paralyzed, I am worried that the game becomes unfun for my opponent. Is he a fun master to play against, or is all his enemy crew debuffs just frustrating?

I am not arguing for or against him on a competitive level, just in terms of a fun master to play against.

Thanks for any comments.

[i_was_like_you]

Well, Cody's not liking his Hoffman crew being slow and / or paralyzed at the moment. Game in progress. *smug*

[Brohmyr]

I am a newer player with only like 10 games under my belt (mostly as Lady J) and I tried McCabe last night.

My opponent was annoyed with getting slowed, but I wasn't able to spread it around as much as I would want. Though overall my opponent didn't mind considering he still won with a HUGE difference in VP. Which started with Sidir taking a red joker+Severe (from Von Schill) dmg flip hurt me bad in round 2.

I only played his box set minus a Wastrel, and was still learning the crew so that didn't help me much. But since I'm used to book 1 guild, the huge movement change was a nice change of pace with the mobility of this crew.

[Pagan Wolfe]

I have found that generally he doesn't dish out as much slow (or paralysed...honestly, how often do you see severe damage?) as people fear. If it worries you that much make defence against his shots a priority.

It can be annoying as it allows for effective hit and run tactics but over 6 turns it is no where near pandora level of opponent dispair.

Remember that you can only be slowed once in a turn, the effects do not stack(so slow + slow does not take away 2 ap) and don't bunch up (sorry Hoffman train).

[Alviaran]

Yeah, agreed on him not dishing out THAT much Slow/Paralyzed. Really, he tends to put it in important spots, and yeah, that is really annoying, but not THAT bad.

I think he's been fun for my opponents. I don't think they ever felt like they were in a spot where they couldn't really fight back. The more frustrating part seems to be when I'm taking Strangemetal Shirt and Invigorating Bridle, making him fairly tanky. But again, it never seems that they cannot fight against it.

I am playing him as Ten Thunders, but the only 10T exclusive piece I've taken with him so far is the Archer (we've been in a league so I've been restricted in using significant portions of his box at smaller levels).

[PokiePrawn]

OK, that is good to know. I think I am going to pick him up. He sounds like he might work well with both Guild and TT, giving him a lot of options.

Actually, I just thought of a question. When he is in melee range he gets a bonus to his defence. Does this bonus stack with the defence bonus you get if someone tries to shoot you in melee?

Example, he is in melee range of 2 guys, giving him +1 defence. If someone shot at him would he be at +3 defence (1 for his ability and 2 for the rule for being in melee)?

[TalonRaven]

IMO, McCabe does a great job at thinnin' an opponent's deck. Find him clumped in one corner, let loose the net gun. If he manages to catch 3 - 4 models then that's 3-4 models that need to pass Df tests or be slowed. ?He flips a high card to stop the Slow, good for him, but that's one less high card that could've been flipped for Df or Rst or even Cb / Ca. If he has to cheat to ensure his units are not slowed, then boom, that's one card he could've used for another duel.

If it ain't enough, McCabe can also Ride Down!, forcing another lot of Slow tests.

[i_was_like_you]

Yeah, agreed on him not dishing out THAT much Slow/Paralyzed. Really, he tends to put it in important spots, and yeah, that is really annoying, but not THAT bad.

I think he's been fun for my opponents. I don't think they ever felt like they were in a spot where they couldn't really fight back. The more frustrating part seems to be when I'm taking Strangemetal Shirt and Invigorating Bridle, making him fairly tanky. But again, it never seems that they cannot fight against it.

I am playing him as Ten Thunders, but the only 10T exclusive piece I've taken with him so far is the Archer (we've been in a league so I've been restricted in using significant portions of his box at smaller levels).

I have found that generally he doesn't dish out as much slow (or paralysed...honestly, how often do you see severe damage?) as people fear. If it worries you that much make defence against his shots a priority.

It can be annoying as it allows for effective hit and run tactics but over 6 turns it is no where near pandora level of opponent dispair.

Remember that you can only be slowed once in a turn, the effects do not stack(so slow + slow does not take away 2 ap) and don't bunch up (sorry Hoffman train).

Thanks to bearskin armor and strange metal shirt and invigorating bridle, the horse only ever had one damage on it at a time. Very resilient in that regard.

As far as dishing out paralyzed, after using netgun with ranged expert, for slow, or, if we're lucky, paralyzed, there's always the option of casting Stunner, making it so Target Slow model replaces Slow with Paralyzed, df resist. Had Ryle paralyzed for 4 turns. He'd activate to shake off paralyzed, I'd just re-paralyze him. It's how the dwindling activation orders went (as we kept trading models). In Magic the Gathering terms, I might as well have had an Icy Manipulator out there. Just as much love / hate control magic involved.

[Alviaran]

OK, that is good to know. I think I am going to pick him up. He sounds like he might work well with both Guild and TT, giving him a lot of options.

Actually, I just thought of a question. When he is in melee range he gets a bonus to his defence. Does this bonus stack with the defence bonus you get if someone tries to shoot you in melee?

Example, he is in melee range of 2 guys, giving him +1 defence. If someone shot at him would he be at +3 defence (1 for his ability and 2 for the rule for being in melee)?

He works fantastic with Ten Thunders and he sounds like he is a great pickup for Guild as well, bringing some much needed speed. Unlike Mei Feng, who brings a lot to Arcanists I think but not so much to Ten Thunders (I've only had a few games with her so far but everytime I just wished I was playing Misaki instead).

And yes, In The Thick of It and the shooting into melee penalty do stack.

I've played a bit more with Luna after my first experiences and her big thing for me is Magical Extensioning Stunner!. If the target is in range, I'll Channel it too. I got to do that to Sybelle last week and she just stayed right there while the Archer killed her (who, btw, is a great include for a Ten Thunders crew anyway, but against non-living targets being another source of Slow is great for McCabe's crew. I was also using McCabe's scheme that game). I might consider a Guild Hound in there just to give her the free walk since that REALLY extends Stunner!'s range. McCabe himself can easily walk 8", shoot, then walk back out to safety while letting Luna do the Stunner! casting instead.

I felt in control and confident playing McCabe, but never felt that I was absolutely dominant, if that makes sense. I've played Pandora a grand total of once, against someone who has a lot more experience against her and I had never played her before. I felt dominant most of that game without even really needing to try (up to, and including, making McMourning cut his own throat). I felt like my opponent couldn't really fight against me. With McCabe, I feel good about my game without feeling that my opponent cannot fight. And that is IMO what every master should strive to feel like when played right or sitting in a good position.

[i_was_like_you]

In the middle of a three-player game right now. My McCabe was running around the outside to flank the gremlins, who had then made their way towards my deployment zone to try for Breakthrough (meanwhile, Rasputina's Strat is shared Turf War with McCabe, but currently nowhere near my deployment zone, while I have a Wastrel in his). Had McCabe backtrack, shoot his net at a piglet in a cluster of models, hit it for 1+slow, and the marker nailed another piglet, a skeeter, and Som'er & Peaches, all of which failed their df, receiving slow. It was like casting Sleep on all of them.

End of turn, dropped a Torakage behind buildings on each side of McCabe, in case I need to switch places via Mistaken Identity...

...Speaking of which, nearly had a situation where a Torakage would have switched places, putting a horse up on a balcony to face an arctic commando (December Acolyte).

My list, btw, is McCabe, 3x Wastrels, 3x Torakage. I aimed for sweet & simple, to just escape & evade during this match. Starting turn 4 and I'm only down one Torakage. *grin*

[dgraz]

End of turn, dropped a Torakage behind buildings on each side of McCabe, in case I need to switch places via Mistaken Identity...

Just remember that you need LoS to use Mistaken Identity.

[i_was_like_you]

Just remember that you need LoS to use Mistaken Identity.

I'll keep it in mind for next time. Had to wrap up the game.

Each ninja was at the corner of a building, just out of sight, ready to step out and switch places, in case McCabe, with 7 stones, bearskin armor, strange metal shirt, and invigorating bridle had problem with a slow aSom'er, skeeter, and two piglets (and a third non-slow piggy).

[i_was_like_you]

Another bit of McCabe shenanigans:

As we were on our last turn that we were going to play last night, had McCabe run up on Collodi to trample him. Did a couple damage. Collodi acted next, scratched McCabe, then each marionette tried to attack him, adding to his df and having a harder and harder time trying to hit him. All told, McCabe only took 5 wds between himself and the horse.

With the Bridle, his own healing flip, and Yamaziko, he'd most likely have been unscathed on a follow up turn.