#ToMB The End of Month 2
You win some you lose some
As it comes close to the odd final day of month 2 (17th), I thought I better get up a post about what I've done, what I've learnt and what I'm thinking about heading into month 3.
Would you like to play a game.
Overall since my last report I think I have won and lost around an equal amount of games.
In a Vassal rematch of sorts I actually lost to @clankers86 and his Gremlins, still using Wong.
This was a game where Cojo showed that he could be good but perhaps a poor move by me but he still ultimately let me down.
The strategy was Squatters Rights, I had elected to declare Line in the Sand and I also had assassinate, Pigs of all different sizes had been heading up to the line and being torn to pieces by the Cerberus, Myranda a little and the big man Marcus himself. This action was all to the right side of the centre of the screen.
Jan had Merris, a common sight in Gremlin crews, poised on a roof ready to fly in and take a marker on the left centre, however, Cojo had been Alpha'd to get essentially a movement boost but be able to flip a marker and stand between 2. This was a fight Merris couldn't really get in on.
I should also add the side note that 2 Metal Gamin (my month 2 additions) had secured the far left and right markers.
This game was all in my hands as a win, I had kept Jan off of Strategy points and was quite easily getting something if not the full amount for Line.
Eventually through the inability to draw masks this entire game, not only did the Cerberus get taken down being unable to leap, so had Myranda in Cerberus form.
Ulix, is actually a hard nut to crack, with his "Wall of Pork" and Impossible to Wound.
I had got him so low, Jan was out of stones.
A slop hauler had healed him for very little.
Cojo had a charge.
I had a decent Ram for the trigger on the Ml 7 on Rampage, it was time for Cojo to shine, I just needed a moderate.
Inevitably the positive damage flip meant little versus barely winning and fighting Impossible to Wound, I flip, it's a weak.
Ulix due to a little bit of summoning had also had activation control meaning Jan's ever patient Merris got in there.
The horde of big kat killing piglets had now flipped markers and headed off to secure Jan's Protect Territory and a game which was probably a 9-3 turned to a win for Jan.
Things learnt from this game:
- Cojo has potential but is essentially balls. 3" reach is good and hard to kill can mean you can hold areas. Cojo's 0's have lots of power, pushing the enemy out of position or easily removing scheme markers. However, at his cost I am still not sure.
- I need Masks! Leaping, Myranda's Hunting Call and Alpha. 2 of these can be negated by the use of stones, which has caused me to take a full cash, but is not an ideal use of them.
I also have had 2 real life games against @AaronBailey17.
Both against Resurrectionists.
First was a win for me against Nicodem. We ended up flipping Reckoning which did mean that all though I was using Month 2 stuff, the Metal Gamin (who had just been painted) stayed in the case.
Hunger Cry was a highly useful upgrade here against Hanged.
The Cerberus and then Myranda Cerberus did so much this game, when actually leaping and more scarily getting their Maul Trigger off to get extra hits in versus the enemy, the rip things to shreds.
Essentially tabling Aaron of all bar 1 miniature if I remember correctly.
Things learnt from this game:
- God's Domain is quite poor. Now against poison the Regeneration was pretty funny, keeping Marcus alive for much longer than he should have been. The killer is not getting the Hare form from Trail. The movement is needed even if just to catch up to the crew you have been using Alpha on to push up the board. Maybe there are more situations these abilities can be good but I'm sticking to the other limited upgrade for the foreseeable future.
- Myranda is not just another cat. First of all, she is offensive herself, plus she has her mini-alpha letting other beasts do melee attacks. She is fairly survivable, for one Def7 is great but actually, the fact people know you will sacrifice her means that they may not hit her unless they believe it will kill her. This could be the wrong way to go about things against her though, as forcing the sacrifice can be a good play at the right time.
- Razorspine is cool. He isn't the tarpit he always wants to be, but the thing I have found through lots of games is that his Slither is a great surprise, essentially charging blindly at enemies. It's a great trick.
The one action shot I took.
Note the built and sprayed RSR.
I also lost to him, this time was against McMourning.
A big loss due to some weird situations during the game but not taking anything from Aaron, he had me beat and I had thrown Marcus into some fights he couldn't really win.
McM being Hard to Wound with a whole bunch of wounds on his card means it takes a lot of AP to take him down. I thought between Marcus with extra AP, and an Alpha'd cat with some high Tomes for Maul would be able to do it.
I didn't but I came close. Marcus can do minimum damage 4 which is great in this situation, but again, even with 4 AP I am not guaranteeing those 16 wounds.
Things learnt from this game:
- People need to read their cards.
- Marcus is hardcore but not superman, Defend Me targets are always a good thing to have about in a big slug fest.
There may have been more #ToMB games I haven't reported about, but hopefully there is a few nuggets of wisdom here.
Overall:
- Marcus; fantastic; Trail gives so much utility, Alpha is awesome with the right targets and his only real weakness is no special defensive abilities bar the Defend Me trigger.
- Myranda; Decent even without ShapeChange insane because of it.
- Jackalope; not always essential, bad in Reckoning good in other situations to charge little guys and and easy "defender"
- Razorspine; can hold pieces for a limited time, but Slither is a great trick and poison is always quite nice. Nothing over powering but at 7ss a reasonable little guy.
- Cojo; at his cost too easily compared to the far better Sabertooth Cerberus. Cojo has some good things going for him, his melee range, his (0) actions a Ml7 attack (all be it a 2AP one) and even Hard to Kill. He just is too easy to hit, doesn't have many wounds, the zeros are quite situational, oh and he is incredibly slow for a model that would like to get in there. I have used Marcus to Alpha him, but I would much rather use it on the...
- Sabertooth Cerberus; very much a glass cannon, you do not want to get stuck in a fight without a way of leaping out, but leaping in and charging, this cat can tear so many things to pieces. Maul can also be insane and generally this is where most the "attacking power" of the Marcus crew comes from.
- Metal Gamin; tough little buggers, cheap, resilient, your opponent had to dedicate things to kill them and not just that, but Magnetism wrecks certain crews and Metal Protection can be handy in a place holding situation.
Next I start thinking about what I will want to buy in Month 3, but before this, I'd like to do a hobby update.
Painting and that
2 Months down and I haven't got this crew finished.
I could write a load of excuse here, but it'd all be rubbish.
However, I am very close to done.
The Sabertooth Cerberus is done, you hopefully will have seen him in Wyrd Chronicles even.
I am tempted to add the feathers, tassels and bracelets (sounds quite camp I realise) that Red XIII has, but that will be at the back of the list for now.
Cojo still needs his tie and possibly a barrell, but he easily "done" otherwise.
The Metal Gamin as per last update still need some glowy fiery goodness, but like Cojo are "done".
Myranda. Well remember I was going for this:
Rainbow Mika style, well she has ended like this:
First thing I would like to say, is the photo seems to make the miniature actually look worse than in real life and I usually will always bag on my own stuff.
Myranda is 90% done, her hair needs another highlight and I need to back to her mouth and patiently paint the skin there a little nicer.
I am tempted by the hearts on the breasts but unlike the tattoos on Red, these are solid shapes and are also on a tucked away surface.
The blue is closer to R.Mika art as sort've seen here (apologies for the blurriness):
I will aim to get some better photos up, but from the back I am quite pleased with how Myranda has come out.
Just need to sort a base too.
Next is my "Raving Rabbid"
Again, photography is killing this for me, the model looks far better with the naked eye.
Still, the Jackalope is simply in the colour scheme of the "Rabbids" of Rayman fame, the reason the head is blonde is that's what Rayman is, if not human at all.
Need to get some Tamiya clear red on this guy, but I will actually do snow first as some blood on the snow will look cool.
Not usually the biggest fan of blood all over the place, but I feel the Jackalope is screaming out for it.
Another semi successful outside painting evening, with the RSR's base in the background.
No photos, but he is fixed (mostly) as mentioned earlier, and will be ready to look like Arbok very soon!
Last thing will be Marcus.
I am still kind of stuck, I can't think how I will tie him into the mild Videogame theme, I might not even bother.
Month 3 incoming
Rapping this up I look ahead, with a weekend to go off Month 2 meaning the potential to at least get things finished and maybe the RSR done, it's all about painting Marcus month 3 and whatever I decide to add.
What will it be?
I do really want to go back to Beasts, the frustration right now for me is the lack of plastics.
I want Hoarcats and Molemen, Silurids are also high on the list too. This is only wave 1 stuff.
Molemen take a similar role to the Metal Gamin, where as the Hoarcats are a more offensive cheap minion and Silurids add some speed.
Month 3 may end up with finding a larger minion/enforcer/henchman to replace Cojo for a lot of games.
I like the idea of the Rogue Necromancy, activating it twice means it's shooting attack Acid Breath could clear away small minions easily.
It is also very comparable to the Cerberus who has always performed.
Where as the cat is a glass cannon though, the Rogue Necro is a lot more "tanky". Not as painfully slow as Cojo and even so has a shooting attack so isn't useless if left behind.
Impossible to Wound is fantastic and Terrifying (All) 13 is quite relevant too.
The other hope is the plastic Dawn Serpent is out in time, as the barrage potential from this guy is similarly tempting. You may find I decide to use my metal proxy anyway.
With $39 to spend after savings from last month. I can actually afford both.
However, maybe saving more will make for an interesting month 4.
I better keep checking those Wyrd Schedules.
Until next time
I will return with more #ToMB next week where I will have picked how to spend my dollars.
Also expect to see more #MFXTOP as usual and I will endeavour to start writing up part 2+ of "Everything you do matters".
As well as all this, I am aiming to turn "Wave 2 thoughts" which will get a better title into a mini series of looking at Wave 2 to expand Wave 1 masters.
Hopefully I can get some guest posts in for it.
If you want to volunteer, check the post I'm speaking of to see the format and message me here in the comments or over at Twitter.
Thanks again guys, let's hope we all get a lovely weekend.
-Ben (@psientologist) [Listening to the soundtracks of Grim Fandango and FTL]
