Wave 5 - Hoffman

So since I`m on the roll I decided to do another entry today and its going to be a solo entry (second one will be McMourning). This time we`ll look at Charles Xavi..... Hoffman. As all other masters, he got 2 upgrades. So lets get right to it!


Improved Harness

What the card does:

• Gives Armor +1
• Gives a (0) that is an automatic 6" place called Mechanical Leap
• Gives an aura ability that allows friendly construct to make their Armor always usable (it includes both "Ignore armor" and "cannot be reduced" clauses).
• Costs 1 Soulstone

What it allows to do in game:

Pros: The Armor is great as with the trigger you can quite easily have unreducable Armor +3 vs Df attacks that don`t ignore triggers. The Leap is a very good evacuation plan as it allows you to get out of sticky situations without having to fight with disengaging strikes (with Df3-5 its pretty hard). Now when we go to the aura... Wow, just wow. This makes his crew super hard to take down and fixes one of his major flaws as well as allows him to be played in single master events and not be easily counterable.

Cons: I can`t think of anything else except "It takes an upgrade slot and costs 1 Soulstone".

Summary:

This upgrade allows Hoffman to not be pretty screwed when he is separated from his crew (for example he gets Tangled Shadowed by Lilith into a very bad position). When that happens you can survive the initial hits (due to Armor + Soulstones) and then just use Mechanical Leap and get back to safety. The aura will make him super tanky in extraction/Guard the Stash and the first thing that came to my mind is hiring a Sanctioned Spellcaster that you can either O.S.A (but how you ask? Answer below) or just activate and use the (0) to block those damn lures. I think this upgrade won`t be an autotake like Swordfighter but versus Arcanists (Oxfordian mages are pretty common with Sandeep and he`s super popular) and Outcasts you will start with it. From what I see in the wording, the aura doesn`t work on Poison (as its not an enemy model`s effect) so you still have to kill Sebastian but that`s a minor drawback (although I`d recommend remembering it)

Verdict: 
10/10 (Where`s your Thinkin` Luck aura, Genius?!
)

Pneumatic Upgrades

What the card does:

• Gives an ability to drop Power Loop from any amount of models to get +2" range to a name action per Power Loop dropped.
• Gives a tactical action that allows giving Guild non-Constructs the "Cyborg" upgrade that makes you a Construct, makes you end power loop after you use someones stat and gives a (0) requiring an 8 to attach a modification noone else has.
• Costs 2 Soulstone

What it allows to do in game:

Pros: First of all, it greatly expands Hoffmans hiring pool. While you still will have mostly constructs the 2-3 choices of non-constructs make a huge difference in what you can take. The second ability isn`t super important but sometimes can save you an AP which isn`t that bad and you can always take it off the Attendant to expand your bubble a bit.

Cons: Hoffman is pretty starved for upgrade slots so you have to really think what you want to take as Field Mechanic is still kind of crucial and Improved Harness is an autotake in some matchups so you`re left with one slot and you have to choose between O.S.A., Arcanist Assets and this.

Summary:

So I found out that there are some models that are pretty fun when combined with this one. First pick is Samael Hopkins. His main two weaknesses (he`s slow and squishy) are mitigated by giving him the Armor Modification (and various heals) and Machine Puppeting/Nimbling him around. His gun has a very good damage track that is not based on Crit Strike. He`s melee attack is trigger dependent but if you can put Burning on someone, they will be in a lot of pain even without that Crit strike. My second pick is Nino. He`s super squishy (but again, Armor and heals) and with Debt/Hair Trigger and the ram upgrade he can dish out 4 min 3 shots or 3 min 4 at 18" with a positive twist to attack. Add the Mobile Toolkit`s positive to damage and it starts to become savage. Santiago with positives from the Emissary can also be pretty good. Another cool option is Abuela as she`s a very good Power Loop target (she can currently only get Ml7 which is a waste to use and she gives out Df6 and Sh7 which is definitely worth it). It also allows you to use Death Marshal`s Pinebox with Ca6-8 and if you have O.S.A you can play Go-go-Gadget Hands, Copy O.S.A, drop 3 power Loops (himself, Attendant, start of activation) and do a 7" Pinebox :D. Robocutionier also might be good. Nimble gives him a very good threat range. He can get the rams for min 5 and with Fast deal 4 min 5 damage attacks (with possible positives to Ml/damage) and no Df triggers.

I know people would probably like the "Guild only" restriction taken and I don`t think the Mecha-Tavish would be a problem, but O.S.A Gracie`s Reactivate on Hoffman would probably be a bit over the top ;)

Verdict: 
8/10 (Where is my Mecha-Gracie and Mecha-Tavish?!)

If you have some nice combos and ideas for the Cyborg stuff, let me know!

All images are property of Wyrd Miniature (www.wyrd-games.net)

Battle Report - Hoffman versus Zipp

Another battle report. This time I face off against Bober (ranked number 2 in polish Rankings) and his dreaded Gremlins.

Schemes:

Deployment: Flank
Strategy: Headhunter
Schemes: Claim Jump, Hunting Party, Frame for Murder, Leave Your Mark, Covert Breakthrough

Guild:

Hoffman (Cache 4)
- Field Mechanic (Allows attaching modifications)
- Arcanists Assets (Allows hiring some Arcanist models)

Mechanical Attendant

Ryle
- A Debt to the Guild (Once per game deal more damage in an activation and draw a card.)

Joss
- A Debt to the Guild

Watcher

Watcher

Steam Arachnid

Mobile Toolkit

Guardian


Note: I forgot to put Mechanical Attendant in the box so he is being proxied by Luna.

Why this:

Headhunter means its good to have extra AP/pushes. Its Flank so we will be more or less close to each other. I didn`t want a ranged crew. I wanted AP manipulation. Nellie would be pretty cool here but since I`m on a Nellie ban I went for Hoffman (as I thought Glowy Tavish isn`t pretty effective in Wong Crews and I can quite easily kill Swinecursed and Burt).


Ryle: Quite mobile. Benefits from Power Loop quite well. Good antiswarmer in shooting and good damage dealer in melee. Can also heal. Benefits quite nicely from the +Ram modification.

Joss: He is my favorite beater for Hoffman. Doesn`t have triggers so using Machine Puppet doesn`t make his attack less useful. Armor 2. Hard to kill combined with reactivate combined with a lot of healing means he is very hard to take down. He ignores Hard to Kill (hi Burt!) and Defensive triggers (hi gremlin faction!). He can also get focus from Machine Puppet and Paralyze some key models. Hoffman likes big beaters because they benefit from Machine Puppet. Since Hunting Party is in the pool I decided I need at least 2 enforcers.

Watcher: Flight, Walk 6, perfect for getting those heads or dropping those markers. Best scheme runner in Guild.

Mobile Toolkit: Buffing damage for Ryle is pretty good as he gets an average of 5 damage with his fist and 3 with his gun and you can most likely cheat even when you declare the extra shots triggers. Cheap activation that can become significant if I really needed via the interact modification. also helps to move Hoffman along

Steam Arachnid: Immune to pulses so versus Wong and Stuffed Piglets it should do ok. High Df makes it a good power loop substitute and the Df debuff should also be fun.

Guardian: He gives excellent Loop shenanigans (Ml7, Df6) as well as 3" engage to block heads. 3" engage is also very good against Gremlins as they have a lot of 1" engage models.

Mechanical Attendant: In case of Somer or Wong, protects me from blast damage. Can easily push Hoffman and makes me safer from Stuffed Piglet explosions

What other units I was considering:

Austringer: Not a construct so no synergies, but its great for Headhunter

Brutal Emissary: Very good for looping, 3" engagement but I thought I like Ryle more because he can one shot some Gremlin models.

Field Reporters: I like the marker swapping since its LYM and Covert Breakthrough

Phiona Gage: Transparency is a very good and quite consistent way of getting Markers while dealing damage. The fact she`s not a construct meant I can`t really support her so I left her out.

Gremlins:

Zipp (5SS)
- Gift of the Gab (Removing Conditions for Stones)
- Dirty Cheater (cheating heals)

First Mate
- Treasure Map (bonuses from discarding markers)
- When the Captain Can`t See (leaping allows discarding markers and eating markers gives armor)

Burt Jebsen
- Dirty Cheater

Merris Lacroix

Lightning Bug

Fingers

Stuffed Piglet

Stuffed Piglet

Stuffed Piglet

Stuffed Piglet

Schemes:

Guild Schemes: Hunting Party, Frame for Murder (Joss)

Gremlins Schemes: Leave Your Mark, Claim Jump

Since he had 4 Stuffed Piglets and Lightning Bug I figured out that Hunting Party is quite a good choice. Since he had First Mate and Fingers I thought that marker schemes aren`t really good so I went for Frame on Joss as he has Armor 2 which meant only Zipp or the Lightning Bug could hurt him enough (and could heal him from burning/Poison if necessary).

Deployment:

I win deployment and make him deploy first

Zipp Deployment

Hoffman Deployment

Summary:

Me being optimistic pre-game

Turn 1:

Start of the game

This turn was mostly positioning. Hoffman gave Joss the Nimble Upgrade and one Watcher got the Interact one. I looped Ryle and the Guardian. Stuffed Piglets moved forward. Burt shot at Zipp. Zipp placed and walked 2 times and hit Joss for 4 damage (moderate on negative) which was 3 after prevents. Lightning Bug hits an Arachnid I put too much forward.

Turn 2:

I lose initiative. I have a horrible hand except a RJ from turn one (I stoned for cards). Zipp attacks Joss and brings him down to 2 wds (I used another stone). Ryle shoots a Stuffed Piglet. Lightning Bug kills the Steam Arachnid. Watcher with upgrade double walks and picks up head and is then killed. First Mate picks up his head. Hoffman puts 2 damage on Joss giving him Reactivate and then healing him from scrap and making him walk towards Zipp. Joss walks up to Zipp and has 5 attacks. Uses Debt. I do 2 damage in total (hit once, for 3, 1 prevented).... Merris goes off to scheme.

Middle of Turn 2

End of Turn 2

Score: 2:2 (Gremlins score Claim Jump and Headhunter, Guild scores Headhunter and Hunting Party)

Turn 3:

I lose initiative. Zipp tries to kill Joss but fails. Joss is left at 1 Wd.
Ryle charges a stuffed piglets and does 3 damage.
Stuffed Piglets walks to Joss and Attendant (2" within of Joss) and blows up with 3 damage in 2" (note: I noticed this wouldn`t work as the Attendant was nearby). Joss uses last stone to prevent. Hoffman machine Puppets Ryle to attack Stuffed Piglets, succeeds but Ryle fails to hit. Does it again and Ryle kills the Stuffed Piglet (which does 4 damage to Ryle). Then Puppets the Guardian to attack Burt (who has 1 wound taken). Burt is hit for 2. Joss charges Zipp and does 3 damage. Guardian kills Burt (RJ damage on first attack). Fingers picks up his head. Merris does Claim Jump and LYM. First Mate charges Guardian

Sneaky Merris is waiting to do 6 VP...

Joss getting attacks 6 and 7 into Zipp

Start of turn 4

Score: 3:5 (Gremlins score everything, Guild scores Hunting Party)

Turn 4:

I lose initiative. Zipp kills Joss (scoring Frame). Ryle kills a stuffed Piglet (which explodes 3 damage in 2 inches hitting Fingers, Guardian and Ryle). Merris does schemes. First Mate Leaps and walks to prevent me picking up heads. Nobody picks up a head (a 2 Wound First Mate survives 3 hits from Hoffman with positives to attack). Merris does LYM and puts a marker for Claim Jump. Zipp kills the Guardian

Turn 4

Score: 6:6 (Gremlins LYM, Guild scores Hunting Party and Frame for Murder)

Turn 5:

End of turn 5

I win initiative and kill First Mate and pick up a head. Fingers picks up a Head. Ryle kills the Lightning Bug. Zipp kills the Guardian. Merris does CJ and LYM

Score: 7:9 (Guild scores Headhunter and Gremlins do all three. )


I flip a 12 and we go to turn 6....

Turn 6:

I win initiative and Ryle picks up a head and gets Merris down to 1 Wd. Zipp tries to kill Ryle but fails. Fingers triple walks to give chatty in case of turn 7. Game ends in a Gremlin Victory.

End of Game

Score: 8:9 (Guild scores Headhunter)

Crew Summary: So the crew wasn`t that bad. I was missing O.S.A definitely. Joss under performed heavily but it was to several moderates on negative flips from Zipp and hitting 2 out of 7 attacks. I should probably go for Fingers (#fuckfingers) and leave Zipp alone. I`m still inexperienced with Hoffman and I have to play some more games with him. I also probably should have killed Merris off earlier but I was tied down with the rest of his crew and since Joss had went after Zipp, Ryle had to do all the Hunting Party.

Gremlin Crew Summary: I told Bober to play competitive but he doesn`t have to be 100% standard (this is why he chose Zipp over Somer). The Crew performed very well. Fingers and Merris are pretty fucked up models and I would give them a nerf faster than Burt :D

MVP: Merris for scoring 5 points by herself...