Clockwork traps w/ Hoffman

[Spifferson]

So I was about to pick up the pathfinder & traps box to add the traps into my hoffman crew and I started think. Are they just a fluffy choice for him because they're constructs, or are there greater synergies with the hoffman crew that warrant me purchasing them and fielding them in my crew?

[NeuroFire]

I think there's a lot of potential for Traps with Hoffman. If nothing else, they're cheap targets for Tap Power (they probably aren't going to be moving around much, so it matters less if they're Slow) as well as being cheap Ca boosts and cheap, well, whatever you might need a Construct for, really. They're also just good for their intended purpose, which is locking things down. Lock it down, and then Hoffman can Open Circuit its face off without having to take an attack. They also have a couple goodies he could Assimilate to make him tougher to hit (like Tiny) and if all else fails he can use them for healing. I think it's at least worth a shot, considering the low soulstone investment.

The Pathfinder doesn't suck, either. Pointman is a nice ability, and he can hit pretty hard sometimes. Don't know if he would synergize with Hoffman specifically, but he's not bad in general. Plus, free Traps and potentially more Traps.

[Sonova]

You will probably want the box for the pathfinders. The traps not so much but they are good when combined with the pathfinders. They give more utility for 10T though as jumping points for ninjas.

[i_was_like_you]

I keep visualizing a vast minefield of Traps. Six on the field at a time would be crazy, but a full twelve in a brawl would look like a Malifaux DMZ, with Pathfinders and maybe Freikorps Trappers providing overwatch. From the Shadows for everyone!

[Forar]

Small time.

24 of them in a brawl, 12 per side.

Malifaux checkers.

Trapception.

Yo dawg, I heard you liked traps so we put traps in your traps so you can trap while you trap.

Malifaux Trapipede.

I'm going to hell for that last one.

[i_was_like_you]

One heck of a mirror match...

Hey, why don't we add Traps to the special terrain rules, at least in a campaign. Seed the whole middle of the board like four rows deep of traps.

[Forar]

There's a potentially tasteless bit of humour there involving a real world scenario, the Ten Thunders and, say, the Guild...

[i_was_like_you]

It's not our fault if that's one of the most prominent DMZs that comes to mind.

[Sonova]

Small time.

24 of them in a brawl, 12 per side.

Malifaux checkers.

Trapception.

Yo dawg, I heard you liked traps so we put traps in your traps so you can trap while you trap.

Malifaux Trapipede.

I'm going to hell for that last one.

I honestly feel that if you had to buy, assemble and paint 24 clockwork traps the joke wont be on your opponent.

[i_was_like_you]

I honestly feel that if you had to buy, assemble and paint 24 clockwork traps the joke wont be on your opponent.

They're not that bad. If I wanted them to all look roughly the same, I could probably get 'em all done in one night. Snip 'em loose, trim the flash, glue 'em, then it's just prime 'em, slap some metallic paint on them, dip 'em in some sand, call 'em done.

[Sonova]

They're not that bad. If I wanted them to all look roughly the same, I could probably get 'em all done in one night. Snip 'em loose, trim the flash, glue 'em, then it's just prime 'em, slap some metallic paint on them, dip 'em in some sand, call 'em done.

Its still on the bonkers side of excessive lol. Also Leveticus thanks you for his free SPAs

[Forar]

Meh. If I were worried about dealing with Leveticus, I'd just... flip the table the moment my opponent declared Outcasts.

Strangely, this is already fairly close to the truth.

Bloody outcasts.

That said, I'm not sure I could see myself starting with many actually on the board. Using McCabe's and/or the Pathfinder's cache, however, might be useful for fortifying a spot or building a chokepoint.

[Sonova]

This is about Hoffman though. Hoffman doesnt really need traps because he's probably smashing the opponents face in with his borrowed iron fists.

Traps are area denial tools and are best with the tricksier masters like Misaki and McCabe. Everyone else can kind of spend their SS better elsewhere.

[Clockwork_Fish]

This is about Hoffman though. Hoffman doesnt really need traps because he's probably smashing the opponents face in with his borrowed iron fists.

Traps are area denial tools and are best with the tricksier masters like Misaki and McCabe. Everyone else can kind of spend their SS better elsewhere.

Between the traps' own abilities and the Pathfinder's pit trap spell, they're quite good at slowing the enemy down while you move your crew into position.

They're also dirt cheap, with a Pathfinder and two traps for a modest 6SS. I bring them along just to out activate my opponent.

Finally, they make effective and cheap bodyguards for vulnerable models.

Since they were released, I've been able to justify using Ortega-heavy Perdita crew without worrying about getting swarmed. An with the traps and Pathfinder ranging ahead, the family can make themselves a handy little bottleneck *evil*

None of this is specific to Hoffman, mind you, but I think Clockwork Traps have plenty of utility for any master.

[i_was_like_you]

Completely off topic, but I wonder if Sam will get Clockwork Traps in 2.0. His snare already has the same kind of effect, and it gets to be on a 50mm base.

I had planned on using one my proxies for the Traps as Sam's snare, but now I might just use an actual Trap on a 50mm.

[Sonova]

Between the traps' own abilities and the Pathfinder's pit trap spell, they're quite good at slowing the enemy down while you move your crew into position.

They're also dirt cheap, with a Pathfinder and two traps for a modest 6SS. I bring them along just to out activate my opponent.

Finally, they make effective and cheap bodyguards for vulnerable models.

Since they were released, I've been able to justify using Ortega-heavy Perdita crew without worrying about getting swarmed. An with the traps and Pathfinder ranging ahead, the family can make themselves a handy little bottleneck *evil*

None of this is specific to Hoffman, mind you, but I think Clockwork Traps have plenty of utility for any master.

Yeah but Hoff is already pretty much using all his stones just for his 'key' models. I agree that the activations are nice but the thing is that traps don't get better as the game progresses, where canine remains, spirits and rats (the most common junk activations) do to at least some degree. If there were a way for Hoff to parlay traps into nastier minions then maybe. But 2ss for an extra activation that becomes increasingly irrelevant as the clock moves towards 6 is pretty steep.