Looking to start Ramos, shopping list?

[NeverEnding]

Hey guys payday is tomorrow and I'm looking to pick up Ramos to start my second faction of M2E Models. Ramos is the one Arcanist master I didn't pick up in first edition so I don't know much about him, any suggestions on what to pick up with his box? 

 

Thanks in advance! 

[Kalkris]

Not knowing much myself, I can offer this much help: Ramos comes with 6 steam arachnids with the potential to make 2 swarms (or 3 arachnids and 1 swarm). Thus, if you want to double your output in that regard, you'd need 2x boxes of Steam Arachnid Swarms. I remember there being an issue with the production of said swarms but I figure its been rectified by now.

 

My list to start would probably be:

1x The M&SU box

2x Steam Arachnid Swarm boxes

 

Hope this helps somewhat

 

~Lil Kalki

[Bloaty]

Kalkris is exactly right. I played a lot of Ramos when M2e came out. I had 6 individual spiders and 2 swarms. With his summoning potential, I ran out of individual spiders within the first 2-3 turns every game. My rule was (and still is) if I run out of spiders, I have to go buy more immediately. And now I'm up to 15 individual spiders and 3 swarms. So spiders are the best start for Ramos. Next I'd look for Johan. I love him with Ramos and Bleeding Edge Tech on someone near the spiders. With Df flips from Ramos, Regen 1, and Johan heal, things like Metal Gamin, Spiders, and Rail Workers (to a degree) get pretty annoying to get off the board. Plus Johan gets melee bonuses with any spiders in melee with his target. The -1 Df from spiders is also nifty.

[NeverEnding]

Yeah I have the old metal Johan so I can do that and ohhh my god?! 15 spiders? thats....awesome actually. I MUST BUY NOW 

[Dracomax]

I'd pick up at least one Electric Creation, the aforementioned spiders. Also, about 5-10 30mm markers that have been modified for use as scrap markers.

 

Once you start looking to break out(and because if you have the other arcanist crews, you probably already have these) I'd look into the following:

 

Rail Golem

Coryphee

Molemen

1-2 extra Electric Constructs (you won't have more than 3 on the field at a time, but you might occasionally get up to 3 for pulse damage)

[Hunt.er]

You should also think about one or two Soulstone Miners. With their "Enemy down below"-ability you could use them for some special jobs. They can use Soulstones also. And The Captain will be a good henchman for Ramos, to pull enemy models into your spider-swarms. His model isnt out yet, but you will find nice proxies for him.

[Godgolden]

Looking at what I normally take as a Ramos player.

 

The box set

 

Plus some spiders (even magnetised you'll need more than 6)

 

And a Electrical Creation

 

Thats all thats 'required' anything else is up to taste, Ramos is an amazing master in an amazing faction, I would humbly suggest if you want to pump out spiders, take Arcane Reservoir but thats gameplay choices.

[rythos42]

I'm thinking of magnetizing my M&SU box spiders to help out with the "MOAR SPIDERZ!" problem. 

[Fenton Crack]

For Wave 1, I would second the suggestion for Molemen and the EC (especially if you are going to use the Mythic Fox opening), and would also suggest taking a look at Johan (for really any Ramos build) and the Metal Gamin (more strats and schemes specific for me). 

 

With Wave 2 done I would second the Soulstone Miner, and suggest a pair of the Union Miners (MS&U specifics buffs and scheme maker shenanigans).

[rythos42]

Just wanted to pop in and report that I may not be magnetizing my spiders...they had a bit of an accident, involving being clipped at the wrong point in one of their legs and now I'm afraid they may not have as much structural integrity as they might once have had.

 

Also, they are SO FREAKING CUTE. I can't stand it.

[Tograth]

i would recommend the following:

 

box set

 

1x electrical creation

2 extra spider swarms

mechanical rider

 

 

 

after that, its up to you, but that gives you a very good selection for dealing with enemy models and completing schemes. 

[NeverEnding]

I love you guys....Thank you for all the replies I've placed my orders and be ready to see some ramos batreps in the future! 

[rythos42]

I had my first games with Ramos yesterday. I'm in love! MOAR SPIDERS!

 

I can definitely agree with the need for a second box of spiders. For the most part, I just used the single Spiders and only Swarmed them together when I needed some quick and dirty Scheme Marker removal. I had to use a Scrap Marker as a spider at one point, and felt a bit dirty doing so...once you have 8+ additional 4ss models on the table, it's hard to feel good about proxying. >.>

 

I also got good use out of Joss' Open Currents (not a shopping item). The spiders aren't great in combat with only Ml4, but if your opponent can't cheat their attack and is at -2 to -7 (bye Nothing Beast!) Df, most of your attacks should make it through...at 1Wd per hit.

 

 

As an additional shopping list item - I think you can save 1ss by using the Mobile Toolkit as your Scrap Starter instead of the EC. The MT also doesn't explode for 2Wd when it dies! I happened to have this model in my case and used it in my second game. (And it looks like all of the 2ss Constructs are Totems for other Masters. )

 

Good luck!

[Dracomax]

Huh. hadn't thought about that. I guess I'm still thinking of the mobile toolkit as a totem.

[Godgolden]

I find the mobile toolkit an auto-take for its actual in game benefit, giving positive flips to damage with some tasty combat monster is always fun.

 

Hell double positive flip to hit is also nice lol.

[Fenton Crack]

As an additional shopping list item - I think you can save 1ss by using the Mobile Toolkit as your Scrap Starter instead of the EC. The MT also doesn't explode for 2Wd when it dies! I happened to have this model in my case and used it in my second game. (And it looks like all of the 2ss Constructs are Totems for other Masters. )

 

 

You certainly can save the stone, but my problem with using the Mobile Toolkit for scrap is its durability, and thus potential loss of AP or cards in trying to kill it. 

 

With the EC, if it activates first, it auto drops a wound leaving only two.  Using the "Mythic Fox Opening", Ramos will use his zero action to mag off the EC after it has done its walk-walk, thus giving Ramos the 6" of free movement (but not enough to be in range of the explosive demise) and simultaneously dealing the two final wounds to the EC, delivering Ramos outside of the deployment zone, with a scrap counter, and still sitting on 3AP, without having to flip a card.

 

A similar gambit with Ramos on the MT would have the MT still sitting on a wound left, which would necessitate the expenditure of at least an additional AP to finish him off.

 

If one is going to use Joss for the counter generation, perhaps the MT would be a safer choice , as Joss has an almost guaranteed kill on it despite its Armor +2.  It gets you two scrap instead of one, which can be a a boon, despite taking AP expenditure to do so, however, having flipped a Black Joker  in the situation before, I am a bit leery to not go for the the "sure thing" turn one, when get getting the spider factory online can be most important.

[Dracomax]

Well, All Joss has to do is hit and not Black Joker to take out the MT. If He is in range to hit, he can take a second attack if/when the MT doesn't die. OTOH, Black Joker would preclude using Joss to kill a MT and an EC for 4 starter scrap(guaranteeing you never have to purposefully kill one of your own to make scrap again...) Of course, that would be a 7 SS investment...

[Fenton Crack]

I realize the black joker is in all likelihood not going flip on Joss (despite the sting of once having experienced it), but the use of AP is the main reason I don't use Joss to generate the scrap. Since I want Joss in the thick of it, I generally walk-walk him turn one to get him up-field, and prefer not to have the speed bump of having to have him make the kill and be 5" further back. If I'm able to treble-spider turn one with Ramos (an increased probability since I usually take Arcane Resevoir), I'll just have Ramos zero action mag one of the newly minted two-wound spiders for the scrap, as to keep the spiders factory going. I keep Joss wading forward and hopefully getting even more scrap deeper into the board for Ramos to use as he continues to move forward with the swarm.

[MasterDisaster]

I'd go with MS&U Box, 2-3 Boxes of additional Spiders, Johan, Rail Golem and the Mechanical Rider. That's a fairly solid starter crew for any Ramos player and offers some nice variety

[mythicFOX]

Shopping list should be something like;

 

Crew Box,

Electric Creation,

Steam Arachnids,

 

From there it's really up to you. 

[decker_cky]

I realize the black joker is in all likelihood not going flip on Joss (despite the sting of once having experienced it), but the use of AP is the main reason I don't use Joss to generate the scrap. Since I want Joss in the thick of it, I generally walk-walk him turn one to get him up-field, and prefer not to have the speed bump of having to have him make the kill and be 5" further back. 

 

You could position Joss so he's only 4" back from a double walk if he charges something to generate the scrap.

[Fenton Crack]

Yeah, that's true, and every inch can truly count, but I'd still rather have him 10" outside his deployment zone rather than 6", but I can certainly imagine a scenario where field penitration may be less important to me. However, getting Joss upfield in disruption mode is where I tend to get the most use out of him, as he is usually on an intercept with the scariest thing my opponent is fielding to try and take it out with his ability ignoring axes. t's usually hinge enough in my strategy I through imbued energies on him just to get the one time Fast to ensure he gets where he needs to.

If I were using him as a bottleneck to shut down a charge lane , or bodyguarding Ramos and had the regen upgrade on him to have the spiders activate within range for the heal, I'd consider using him to generate the initial scrap(s) and not be afraid to lay him up rather than plowing towards the enemy.

[CRC]

If I was going to start up Ramos right now, I'd buy two Ramos crew boxes, and a old metal Brass Arachnid.

 

I'd convert the new plastic BAs to be Large Arachnids, and I'd sell off the spare Joss for like 20$ or so.

 

No idea what I'd do with the spare Ramos.

[Drool_bucket]

That is a great idea above.

 

You would have an extra Ramos, Joss and Howard when you were done, but Howard would be an easy sell at a low price point, plenty of Levi players there that would like to have him.

 

But he's right, the Joss would probably pay for half the second box by himself.

 

and I agree 100% with buying the old Brass Arachnid (metal) and using the two plastic ones as LSA.

[decker_cky]

You could convert spare ramos + howard into a ramos avatar. That's what I'm planning on doing with mine.