Favorite combos

[jasonfly]

Well, my return to malifaux (sadly primarily painting so far) has got me regularly lurking the forums and the internet at large for ideas regarding crews, conversions, tactics and most things Malifaux-related.

The forums aren't dead by a long shot, but I don't see too much new stuff coming through. I thought I might try and get the ball rolling a bit and have some discussing of Outcast combos that we enjoy/find effective/want to try.

Before this thread stagnates with 2 people linking me to pullmyfinger, I want to say that my main hope is to get some discussion/new ideas. The new stuff is coming out (I'm looking at you, strongarm), and doesn't yet have a page for it and/or old modles haven't been updated to show interactions with the new ones. Other than that, I just want to hear what people enjoy running.

Here are a few things that have worked well for me, and infuriated my opponents:

• Always keeping something handy to heal Taelor, be it a librarian or a desperate merc. Flipping a red joker and bringing her back from the brink has been a real turning point in a few games.
  
• The classic Vik slingshot, although I can't quite seem to get the level of devastation most people are seeing. A play by play on this would be appreciated. Also, any ways to get the enemy to bunch up?
  
• Convict gunslinger's suppressing fire on gremlins (high model count) really annoys your opponent and can really demolish their hand
  
• Von Schill just hoses some opponents with his extra WP bubble, but it only starts when he activates....(sorry Woodstock, my bad!)
  
• A pair of trappers. Toss them in the way of the enemy and in cover. If they shoot enough, the opponent will generally send some stuff to deal with them, easing the pressure on my main line. If not, they make good finishers and last-minute point grabbers.
  
• Never underestimate a freikorpsmann, but don't count on them to do much damage.
  
• Desperate mercenaries tend to prove themselves very often. use other stuff to distract the enemy from the seemingly lowly merc and then let him do his thing with his gun of doom (that thing took out a mature nephilim in one turn from full health!)
  

Those are just a few I've used. Granted, most are rather general, but I just want to get the ball rolling and see what wiser heads than mine use

[Mordeqai]

Killjoy's a hilarious combo.

[jasonfly]

Sadly he's also a model whose sculpt I despise. I've also never been a fan of killing off my own troops. Then again, I could well end up proxying him. Got any advice Regarding Killjoy?

[Mordeqai]

I play him in a Nicodem crew, so sadly, I can only give you Rezzer advice, which means I'm a bit more inclined to kill my own models. However, Desperate Mercs make wonderful sacrifices, since they won't make it past turn 3 anyway.

But generally speaking on Killjoy, if you have a final AP and you're near the end of the turn, get out of melee, so you can charge before anyone else activates next turn. If at some point you're forced to charge your own models, just charge with a cb 3 Bash attack, for 0/1/2 damage

And don't forget about Black Blood

[Ozz]

I dont uses Outcasts much, but but one thing i do tend to use is Desperate mercs, they are fantastic to have on the front line, because people do just see them and think, they are going to die at the end of turn three, lets kill something more important. and just try to keep a little bit out of the way of them, then they go bang , pick a target and it dies. If you play them as a ressurectionist with a Nurse it is even better:P

[xKoBiEx]

Tannen's Bore to Tears & VonSchill's Slow to Die; Not nice knowing you, VonSchill... stay dead and good riddance.

[Joel]

Desperate merc with hungering darkness. Huggy/beckoner makes him brilliant. When in position he goes (0)for my family, takes 4 shots at paired cb5 with his gun, Huggy then reactivates him to do it again - he then gives Huggy a healing flip when he dies.

[CannonFodder]

Rotten belles and convicted gunslinger

Nurse with either McTavish or Sue (shrug off the reactivate death)

Rusty Alice and ashes and dust (reactivate and self sacrifice)

[hackdZ]

Desperate merc with hungering darkness. Huggy/beckoner makes him brilliant. When in position he goes (0)for my family, takes 4 shots at paired cb5 with his gun, Huggy then reactivates him to do it again - he then gives Huggy a healing flip when he dies.

Lol, I love this. So going to try it!

[Drool_bucket]

Desperate merc with hungering darkness. Huggy/beckoner makes him brilliant. When in position he goes (0)for my family, takes 4 shots at paired cb5 with his gun, Huggy then reactivates him to do it again - he then gives Huggy a healing flip when he dies.

Just to be clear, a Desp Merc is sacrificed at the end of turn they use "for the family" so they don't generate a Healing Flip for a nearby model.

Due, however, take a Wd from the Desp Merc prior to his fireworks show so he gets the added bonus... (I forget the name of the ability)

[JazzNazz]

I was thinking of taking Killjoy, Desperate Merc and Johan in the same list run up the Merc along with Johan do some damage to there crew and with Johan's slow to die bring out Killjoy and and finish off Johans job and hope the desperate merc was enough to take away attention for Johan to get into position

[Adran]

Von Schill just hoses some opponents with his extra WP bubble, but it only starts when he activates....(sorry Woodstock, my bad!)

Just to clarify Von Schill ONLY helps against morale duels. His Hard Ass ability will not save you against obey or lure (for example), its only useful against Terrifying, Anantama and other abilities that make you take a morale dual (Hungering Darkness being re-summoned and Howl spring to mind)

So possibly the only thing it really hurts is Avatar Seamus, and even then it just reduced the pain. Other stratergys that rely on terrifying fail when they face any one of the other crews that are immune to morale duels (Undead and constructs, Frozen heart and lifers) or just aren't living (Spirits and Nightmares).

Librarian and Sue work well together, with the ability to heal sue and also give him bonus' to casting. (has to be in a Viks crew)

I'm looking forward to trying out Vanessa and the Librarian to boost her casting. (Yes I really want the librarian to do something other than heal in a game, I've just not had enough suited casters to make it worthwhile yet.)

[Pox]

been toying with the idea of Librarian and Hamelin the merc in the same list...just makes those hard to reach spells even better.

[jasonfly]

@ Adran: The case was a judge trying to use one of his spells (arrest I think). I'm gonna double-check with him, I need to keep the limitations of the ability in mind.

I'm glad to see the suggestions coming up. Anyone have anything to say about vanessa and/or the strongarm suit? I haven't seen their stats but am itching to get my hands on them.

[Joel]

Lazarus copying (1)burrowing from a soulstone miner - lets him get to a good firing spot unmolested and a little quicker.

Lazarus in a colette crew, picks up 2 scrap from dead doves, permanenty copies link from a mnnaquin and links to a coryphee duet - mobile gun platform! He can then copy other abilities from the duet every turn. Expensive to set up and takes time, but fun to try.

Sue in a crew with brutal effigy or yamaziko - he takes wounds to gain cards, they heal him up with invigorate. works well in a jakob list to restock cards - can even get the 5 card straight for HD scheme this way.

[Adran]

@ Adran: The case was a judge trying to use one of his spells (arrest I think). I'm gonna double-check with him, I need to keep the limitations of the ability in mind.

Von Schills "Hard-ass" won't help at all against that at all.

I struggle to judge combos unless I've either played them, or got the cards in front of me, so haven't got much with Vanessa or the Strongarm suit, although under the wording in the book, if you turn the Strongarm suit into a spirit (With Kirai or Yan Lo) then you have to hit it for at least 5 damage to hurt it from a non magical source.

[Drool_bucket]

Vanessa will have the ability to "prime" both Viks and a Convict Gunslinger first turn with "Awaken Artifact" (I think that's the name). She needs just a low Crow in her hand (or top three cards) to get it off and then both Viks will have auto Whirlwind and the CG will have auto trigger happy. Von Schill can join in for auto reposition with his pistol...

She can also prime herself and a Librarian with a low Tome to get there auto "splash" damage (her trigger is kinda like a pulse but not and the Librarian gets blasts)

Her being able to peek at the top three cards and Sue in the list can let you snag them first activation if they are good enough...

The Strongarm suit has less synergy, surprisingly. It offers cover and has "get back" which always helps to move something like a Librarian that's been engaged. But with Leap I don't see it hanging out in the back. The suit is also pretty greedy when it comes to cards to "Charge Up" so I am not 100% I'll be using it outside of a Freikorps list..

[Ryu]

Favorite combo: 2+ trappers in hard to get places when my opponent has any centralized strategy.

Also, I've recently discovered the joy of focus shot with any Freikorps. Since their weakness is really their 1 damage on weak, it often makes a ton of sense to get in one decent shot rather than two weak ones.

Pigapult + Som'er crew