Mercenaries

[Jordon]

I would like to start a conversation about potential mercenary options within our faction. Are there any mercs that are a great include? Which masters do you run them with and what cool combos do they offer? Being an arcanist, we generally have the most specific crew's of any other faction. I think 2.0 has helped that quite a bit however.

 

I think there are some obvious ones such as the oiran in a showgirl crew, which I would gladly pay the merc tax to include with Colette. They offer a extremely potent showgirl specific buff and they also synergize well with the performers and their "sip of wine" trigger. Not to mention they one of the only other true melee piece outside the coryphée, which is always a welcome addition.

 

What is everyone else running and why?

[Sybarite]

Johan should be good but he's probably a pretty obvious pick too. Hmm..

i'm not running any mercenaries yet i'd like to figure out a good crew to hire Ama no Zako in but i'm not sure what arcanist masters would benefit from her the most.

[Gorbad]

Ive used a bunch of different ones.

The Friekorpa Specialist is a good buy with pretty much everyone I think, he is less master dependent and a little more scheme/opponent dependent, but always good, IMO.

Similarly the Librarian is someone over use with success. The healing, ranged damage and suit denial can be very effective. She is probably better with a master who play slightly more in the backfield, so Raspy, Colette, Ramos can all easily benefit from her. You need to be more aggressive with her to really get the best out of her with the others I think.

Taylor is someone I really want to try out, I think she could be very good in selected matchups. If you don't know who your opponents is bringing she is a little more risky but should still be a good bet against most Arcanists and Ressers, and anyone else you think will summon stuff or bring lots of armour (Hoffman!). I'm particularly thinking Colette here as she is very good at making slower models not slow.

Bishop is very good too, hugely flexible and with 3 Ap build in he can be very good with anyone.

Same goes for Ronin's, good mobile mid-range combat models that can even give you soulstones back!

Both the Malifaux Child and Student of Conflict are also both interesting options. The Student ia quite expensive but we have no other way of reliably giving fast. And although the Child isn't great at casting tour masters spells he can, as well as bringing some healing.

Finally Hannah is worth a mention. She is less master and more overall crew dependent, bhut having a blast melee attack and bringingan extra card she deserves a look in.

[Dracomax]

The child is actually better at casting master spells than he looks. He gets a +fate to the cast flip. Unfortunately, he gets a -fate to any damage flip, but with Ramos, He can fairly reliably summon 1 spider.

[Gorbad]

The child can do it, but the few times I've used him he haven't been great at it. He is significantly better at doing support spells than attack spells, so quite crew interaction dependent. He can be good though. I should really try him with Colette, I've mostly been trying him with Neverborn.

[MasterDisaster]

FK Librarians can team up with Oxfordian Mages rather nicely due to both having the Academic trait. 

[Dracomax]

The child can do it, but the few times I've used him he haven't been great at it. He is significantly better at doing support spells than attack spells, so quite crew interaction dependent. He can be good though. I should really try him with Colette, I've mostly been trying him with Neverborn.

That's pretty much How I feel. He's great for those spells you just need to get off, but against someone who resists, or trying to do damage is not usually the best choice. I wouldn't use him with attack focused masters; At that point, I'd pay the extra for a Student of conflict and take 4 attacks.

[rythos42]

Whenever someone mentions Student, I feel like 3ss for a Fast Platform isn't a great trade. At the same time...I guess I pay 2ss for Imbued Energies for Fast for one turn, so maybe it is.

 

I've been running Sue for a while. He isn't super synergizey, but he's just damn good. Immune to Horror is generally useful. His Prison Pistols+Critical Strike are brutal (give him Fast and he'll take down something big!) and the totem/peon killer is good since Lynch is pretty powerful and abundant in my meta. His two (0)'s are great - the (-) to Ca is amazing, against casting crews with that and Mei's Vent Steam there isn't much getting through (also pisses off Huggy with all his Ca attacks and Casting Expert!). And if you need to control space, his Burning Aura is pretty good. Not amazing, but it makes people think twice about being near him. Add in Hard to Kill...and yeah, I'll pay 9ss for him!

 

Johan is in my todo list, but I haven't had enough M&SU to make him worthwhile yet. I'm going to build Ramos after AdeptiCon, so maybe then...

[Jordon]

Whenever someone mentions Student, I feel like 3ss for a Fast Platform isn't a great trade. At the same time...I guess I pay 2ss for Imbued Energies for Fast for one turn, so maybe it is.

 

I've been running Sue for a while. He isn't super synergizey, but he's just damn good. Immune to Horror is generally useful. His Prison Pistols+Critical Strike are brutal (give him Fast and he'll take down something big!) and the totem/peon killer is good since Lynch is pretty powerful and abundant in my meta. His two (0)'s are great - the (-) to Ca is amazing, against casting crews with that and Mei's Vent Steam there isn't much getting through (also pisses off Huggy with all his Ca attacks and Casting Expert!). And if you need to control space, his Burning Aura is pretty good. Not amazing, but it makes people think twice about being near him. Add in Hard to Kill...and yeah, I'll pay 9ss for him!

 

Johan is in my todo list, but I haven't had enough M&SU to make him worthwhile yet. I'm going to build Ramos after AdeptiCon, so maybe then...

 

 

Well actually imbued energies is only 1ss, and it's real value is that you'r almost always going to make use of it, either by using it for an extra AP, or by dying and gaining extra cards. 

 

Also, I don't have my cards in front of me, but isn't the student 4ss? Which would be 5ss for non outcasts? Either way, it's a little pricey, although if you can consistently gain fast on your master every turn, thats 5 turns of fast, which essentially works out to 5ss worth of embed energies, except your using up your totem slot instead of an upgrade slot. With it being a 2AP action, it's very difficult getting 5 turns of fast on many of our masters with the possible exception of Raspy and maybe Colette. 

 

I haven't tried it out personally, but it seems like the torakage would work quite well in a Colette list. First off he's has a decent ranged attack, which a general colette list sometimes lacks. You can make use of the doves to really boost his rapid fire, which could also benefit from his "works best alone" ability to gain a ++ on either attack or damage flips. Also "works best alone" is not activation specific and thus still gains the benefits while being prompted from colette. He has poison on both his attacks which synergies well with the performers. His relocate and leaf step auto trigger allows him some extreme mobility when combined with prompt allowing him to maintain offence and speed. Prompt also allows him to gain benefit from "one in the crowd" as she can prompt him away to gain his "work best alone" and then at the end of his activation, he can use his leaf step trigger to move back to gain his "one in the crowd" ability. Really seems like a bargain for 7ss

[HalcyonSeraph]

Johan is a natural in a Ramos or Mei crew.

 

I consider Bishop practically an honorary Beast (and Woe, but thats for another forum) for how well he goes with Marcus. He hits WP, which Marcus can debuff and which triggers Smell Fear if you have it nearby. He gets extra AP which makes him a great target for Alpha. If you make him a beast the extra Df flips from Myranda mean his Df trigger goes off more. 

[brdparker]

Johan is a natural in a Ramos or Mei crew.

 

I consider Bishop practically an honorary Beast (and Woe, but thats for another forum) for how well he goes with Marcus. He hits WP, which Marcus can debuff and which triggers Smell Fear if you have it nearby. He gets extra AP which makes him a great target for Alpha. If you make him a beast the extra Df flips from Myranda mean his Df trigger goes off more. 

 

Whoa, hadn't thought of that. I totally want to use that now. How does that work with an embeastened Bishop? After he attacks, the opponent fails a Wp duel, and he can attack again, once per turn? Along with all the other beasts in melee range... ouch.

[Durza]

Killjoy, while Arcanists aren't short on beatsticks, Killjoys I unbury in your face and go to town is always worth it.

[Kalkris]

Killjoy, while Arcanists aren't short on beatsticks, Killjoys I unbury in your face and go to town is always worth it.

I recall, during a very early time in my 1.5 days, a Ramos player using a Steam Arachnid to bring out Killjoy. He even painted Killjoy like a pikachu and the specific arachnid he would only ever bring Killjoy out with like a pokeball. It was glorious.

 

~Lil Kalki

[Falconrider]

Myranda shapechanging to summon a Cerberus and unbury Killjoy all at once.

[Jordon]

I recall, during a very early time in my 1.5 days, a Ramos player using a Steam Arachnid to bring out Killjoy. He even painted Killjoy like a pikachu and the specific arachnid he would only ever bring Killjoy out with like a pokeball. It was glorious.

 

~Lil Kalki

 

I think that has to be the best thing I have ever heard... 

[Hunt.er]

I like Taelor, she`s a beast with her hudge range she could bind models in melees and would give a nice team with The Captain and Johan especially against construct-crews.

[Inquisitor Wall]

I'm really liking Sue right now as an option in my Colette crew. I find he actually matches up really well, as the extra card draw can go toward Colette's discard for a soulstone, finish the job is great for additional scheme markers and gets around the 4" restriction, and helps with WP based resistance which I find the performers really benefit from. He also has pretty solid shooting.

[Morgan Vening]

I recall, during a very early time in my 1.5 days, a Ramos player using a Steam Arachnid to bring out Killjoy. He even painted Killjoy like a pikachu and the specific arachnid he would only ever bring Killjoy out with like a pokeball. It was glorious.

 

~Lil Kalki

Pics or it didn't happen! Oh, I want pics of that.

 

I thought I was lame wanting to paint up an Executioner in "yellow and blue spandex" motif. And Von Schill with a red and yellow Schillamania shirt. And Huggy D as a muppet (probably Grover, but Elmo or Oscar were possibilities). All of which are beyond my mediocre skills.

 

But this. Pikakilljoy and Pokeball Arachnid, this is the peak. The summit of lame-cool.

[Kalkris]

Pics or it didn't happen! Oh, I want pics of that.

 

I thought I was lame wanting to paint up an Executioner in "yellow and blue spandex" motif. And Von Schill with a red and yellow Schillamania shirt. And Huggy D as a muppet (probably Grover, but Elmo or Oscar were possibilities). All of which are beyond my mediocre skills.

 

But this. Pikakilljoy and Pokeball Arachnid, this is the peak. The summit of lame-cool.

Trouble is, he quit playing after the semi-exodus of a lot of our key players after the edition shift, so I'd be hard-pressed to get such a picture from him. Sorry!

 

I think the only solution is to emulate it. I may have to get on that

 

~Lil Kalki

[prof_bycid]

I like Hans. Not much synergy, but 36'range with focus can deal damage off the starting line. He's helped me keep areas of the table clear for making a run to objectives. Added bonus of shooting upgrades off models is just fun.

[Falconrider]

I don't want to give away all my secrets (just kidding).  Lazarus copying and giving himself protection from metal from a Metal Gamin who is giving it to a Convict

Gunslinger, who are being buffed by Mei's Vent Steam.

[rythos42]

How do you find keeping the Gamin within 3" of those two guys?

[Falconrider]

Double walk them forward turn 1 then Laz can use his 0 for PFM, turn 2 move the gamin into the right position then PFM the Gunslinger.  It can be a bit fiddly keeping them all in the 3" bubble but i've found having Df 6 on the 2 models coupled with the gunslingers quick draw makes the opponent generally want to be rid of the gamin first.  If possible i try use Laz to block los to the gamin though usually by turn 4 the bubble bursts due to them having to do other things.

 

It does offer a good deal of board control and is useful for turf war and Reckoning though maybe not as good for reconnoiter.  

[HalcyonSeraph]

I don't want to give away all my secrets (just kidding).  Lazarus copying and giving himself protection from metal from a Metal Gamin who is giving it to a Convict

Gunslinger, who are being buffed by Mei's Vent Steam.

 

Doesn't Assimilate have the "cannot mention a model by name" restriction? Protection From Metal names Metal Gamin. 

[Falconrider]

It does have the restriction but protection from metal only requires metal gamin to stay in range.  It doesn't have a name associated with it.  An example of an action by name would be Shang's healing for target Misaki.