graeme27uk Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 So what was the final concensus on Yan Lo? What is his play style? What is recommended for him (crew, upgrades, etc)? How "effective" is he compared to others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_acolyte Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Yan Lo is a support master that can change thanks to Ascendance to a stick. 2 out of 3 of his Ascendance upgrades make him more survivable, the last makes him a tornado especial with brutal Khakkhara. Yan Lo lives in the mid to late game, when he can get enough Ki to have a few Ascendance upgrades or be a much better caster. Lightning dance is good to bring a flanker to the center and he can heal other models NOT JUST ancestors. Important note Chi has no maximum only a max bonus on the + to Ca. Crew for him should have 2-3 ancestors, the ones I am iffy on is Toshiro and Yin ( I love his model). Toshiro needs minions but with so many expensive characters you will only get 2-3 minions, 33 point for all 4 ancestors with no upgrades. Minion wise, spirits or corps makers though even these are only ok. Yan lo has no real direct synergy with at the beginning of the game with any type of minions and only some with spirits with one of the Ascendance upgrades. Also sense the ancestors drop corpses the need for corpse making minions is almost negligible if you want to bring back an ancestor. If you want a mid to late game master that can shift from a sapport role to a combat roll quickly then Yan Lo is a great choice but unlike most other resers he does have a hoard nor can he make one (that’s Toshiro job). His box is great and The Armor is tough to kill, especial if you have to do it twice. Also which “others” are you referring to, resser or 10t? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zFiend Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 About Yan Lo, am I missing something or is the Bone Ascendant kinda bad? Why would I use 3 chi on it? It gives Attacks on all enemy models in ml range, and it's a 8" place but costs (2) AP? Also the Brutal Khakkhara costs 1ss and gives you a ml 5 attack? Sure it has the damage on the disengagement but somehow I am missing out the usefulness of these two? Also if you play an ancestor Yan Lo path, Toshiro kinda plays against himself with the minions buff's. I think I am missing something here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnnus Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 Hunpo Assault also gives positive flips on the attacks and damage. I've used to to place Yan Lo into a cluster of weakish minions and then take out multiple models with an AP left over. Done right, you can easily pull back quite a bit of Chi in the process... It's definitely a later in the game upgrade, and you can leave Yan Lo exposed if yo're not careful. Brutal Khakkhara goes rather nicely with Bone since it also gives you a 2" range on the attack opening up more potential targets to Hunpo Assault plus a better damage curve. Unfortunately, it's not a Ca attack, so you can't rely on you Chi to help land the attacks. Valete, JohnS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 Hi Guys, Just throwing my thoughts on this. I have been playing Yan Lo a lot lately and my list is as follows Yan Lo -- 4 Pool +Brutal Khakkhara [1] +Fortify The Spirit [1] +Reliquary [1] Soul Porter [3] Ashigaru [5] Ashigaru [5] Chiaki the Niece [6] Toshiro the Daimyo [9] +Command the Graves [1] Yin the Penangalan [8] I have been winning with this list due to it's flexability. Toshiro and the two ashigaru run together. This way Toshiro is giving his buff and makes these two models beatsticks with toshiro going in first and the two following in. When they die, he resummons them and if they kill what they are fighting Toshiro summons more. Yin is a tarpit and I often hold the cards to make him control the movement of the opposing master. As one of his triggers prevents walk and charge actions. Yan, Chiaki and the Soul porter add range, healing and movement buffs. Having Chiaki around to drop schemes and to remove poison, fire conditions is great. Using it on people who thrive on conditions on there own leader is even better. Slowing down Lord Chompy Bits from manifesting is awesome when it happens or removing fire during a sonia battle is really handy. On paper this list seems week but when actually played it is a lot of fun and does really well. If you play to 50ss adding Izamu makes this list crazy as he is a massive beatstick that is hard to kill and then once your opponent has put all his effort into killing it you can use reliquary to resummon him and if Yan has chi bring him to full health in the same turn. I think Yan is a great leader and you just have to play him to really get the idea. Hope this was helpful. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbazabba1920 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Seamus and raspy with an Ice Golem holding the Sub Zero Upgrade can cause some problems, but with a very similar list to the above, I've put the hurt on Marcus, Ramos and Mei Feng. These might've been isolated incidents, however, as I am still fairly new to the game and the way the crew plays isn't naturally what I am skilled at playing. That being said, he is pretty awesome, and Yin is almost always my all star. I didn't see the value in her till I ran her the first time and DAMN is she good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiche Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Malidave: would 2 Onryo make a good swap for the 2 hired Ashigaru? Or are the corpse counters from the Ashigaru critical in case your opposition doesn't "donate" any? Abbazabba1920: Is your experience with Yin to tarpit also? How reliant is the generous healing from Yan Lo to this tactic and if so, would other sources ie a nurse or tengu suffice to get a similar result with other masters in your opinion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Well the Ashigaru get the added buffs of being with Toshiro. The additional flip with attacks, and the push away with attacks. Also the no charging is a great deal if you spend it. For me it is the buff aspect. The Ashigaru are really undersold. They are awesome minions. Like I said play with them, also with Command the graves they come back with tosihiro. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krehtsturm Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Yan Lo isn't the star player of his crew in my experience. I think it's still worth it to run him, he is a lot of fun. But for me, Soul Porter, Toshiro and Izamu are the real stars of the show. I usually end up using Yan Lo to enhance whatever my other ancestors are doing. Yan Lo is still pretty versatile despite that. He can act as a support master, or he can dish out damage, the main problem is that he is pretty fragile. I still like him despite that though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AverageBoss Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 I don't think 12 wounds, 8 DF / WP, Impossible to Wound, and Incorporeal are by any means fragile. I do agree that Izamu, Toshiro, and the Soul Porter are awesome though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zFiend Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 I don't think a master needs to be the star of the show all the time. It's a good change up from say Seamus who is the star on the floor to a support master who's just there to see everyone else shine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiche Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Malidave: the trigger for the push looks better each time I look at the Ashigaru. Do you find 2 cover enough area to brace and establish an anticharge field around the Ancestor they are guarding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 It depends how you play them. Really they have a 10 inch threat range. So I keep one near toshiro one out of the three inches, but in 6 to get the double flip to hit. The other just guards toshiro until toshiro charges. Then when toshiro charges I charge in with the second one. It takes some time to finesse just right but you would be amazed at the psychological mind tricks these guys cause then they just jump across the table at just the right time. They are glass cannons, but with Toshiro around there are always plenty more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbazabba1920 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Yes, the heal is quite great on yin. That and the armor bonus on Yin makes her a beastly thing. Yan's lightning dance is also good for feeding a slew of guys to yin and then Yan can Hunpo in the next turn into the cluster of guys. I haven't yet really used Tengu or any non plastic models (not even to proxy) just b/c I'm a purest and don't like repainting chipping metal models. I've been longing to try out a force with Toshiro, the upgrade that makes him generate scrap and just pump out some ashigaru, but I'm to the point where I have too many crews and wandering interests....I can't seem to find the time to play all the games I'd like with specific masters! Curse all these beautiful crews! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiche Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Malidave: I'll give the strategy you describe a few tests and see if I can pull it off. Abbazabba1920: Yin definately seems the perfect partner for Yan Lo's lightning dance. I can understand your reluctance to proxy when the future plastics are just getting better and better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krehtsturm Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 While Yan Lo isn't flimsy, per se, he isn't the hardest master to kill. Lilith has definitely run him through in one activation. That being said, the activation before I'd lightning danced her into melee with an ashigaru and then completed deliver a message... so worth it. I don't run Yin as much. She seems pretty good on paper, but most battles I've read about or seen tend to see Yin not doing much. I'm tempted to use her, but I like my crew. Of course, I definitely have her sitting half built, so maybe I should try her out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiche Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Krehtsturm: Yin is sitting on my table too awaiting some love. I get the impression it's ideally a waste of AP for your opponents used on Yin instead of against your other models or not spent on walks and interacts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnternalVoid Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 The best uses of Yin as others notes that I have seen is denying models their turn by using Gnawing Fear and then hitting them with the Fear Behind the Eyes so to get the No Escape trigger. Unless they posses some way to push or place a model, you have locked it in place for a turn. More so with the Negative to Wp tests from Gnawing Fear they have a hard time attacking Yin if they can reach her. One of my opponents always saves his 13 or 12 in his hand for this to try and shot down a beatstick. I myself though are leery of using this against anyone that can use Soulstones as one prevention flip could shut down the No Escape Trigger as it results off damaging. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrnyjackal Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I'm tempted on running Yan Lo -- 4 Pool +Brutal Khakkhara [1] +Fortify The Spirit [1] +Reliquary [1] Soul Porter [3] Ashigaru [5] Wastrel [4] Chiaki the Niece [6] Toshiro the Daimyo [9] +Command the Graves [1] Yin the Penangalan [8] Izamu [10] Start the game and hit Izamu with three severs from Yan so he starts with 4 chi and then 0 and heal Izamu back up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Oh I like that idea I never thought of that. I think I will try that in the future. Thanks for the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krehtsturm Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I run a few more ashigaru so that Toshiro has some playmates. I'm also a fan of Chiaki's upgrade, but then I love dishing out the slow XD I do like the concept of just buffing up Yan o's chi though... pretty nifty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiche Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Eternalvoid: thats a really good insight on Yin. Especially the risk of soul stone damage prevention. Jackal: setting up a tonne of chi first turn off Izamu then healing hims a cool idea. Krehtsturm: how any Ashigaru do you run normally with Toshiro? Duplicates of the 3 (and a half) in Masters of the Path or a proxies/ conversions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krehtsturm Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 @jackal: what action are you talking about? Yan Lo's Spirit Barrage has to either kill or hit severe, Soul Porter's Bladed Spear has to be an enemy. what other attack gives Yan Lo chi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 The idea is first you discard a card, +1 Chi. Then attack your Izamu, he has Armor +2 so even boosting damage on him will not kill him, attack three times +3 CHi. Then Yang uses his 0 action to heal izamu up 4 points. Izamu will still have two wounds on himself until he activates and then heals for at least 1 point to almost full, with luck heal to full. end result Yan has 4chi first turn and his casts are now 8, possible df 8, and with the soul porter you can even push yan out of the deployment zone so you do not loose a round moving. It is a nasty combo for sure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeleteAccount Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 The idea is first you discard a card, +1 Chi. Then attack your Izamu, he has Armor +2 so even boosting damage on him will not kill him, attack three times +3 CHi. Then Yang uses his 0 action to heal izamu up 4 points. Izamu will still have two wounds on himself until he activates and then heals for at least 1 point to almost full, with luck heal to full. end result Yan has 4chi first turn and his casts are now 8, possible df 8, and with the soul porter you can even push yan out of the deployment zone so you do not loose a round moving. It is a nasty combo for sure. It's also supposing you manage to get 3 severe's on izamu which means you have to have a pretty amazing hand to ensure you hit with enough difference to cheat and have the cards to cheat for it, frankly, not worth it in my eyes. Maybe for 1 chi at most to get spirit ascended ASAP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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