higherbrow
01-28-2010, 12:16 PM
Make your case for any models you consider auto-includes in any Guild force. I'm expecting 3 or 4 Samael posts, a few about Marshals and/or Witchlings, maybe a Nino post or Austringers or something. But I want to advocate Fransisco Ortega. Or, as I call him, the Bargain Bin Beater.
At 5 points, I'm rapidly beginning to consider Fransisco an auto-include in any Guild force. His versatility and independence allow him to fit into any Strategy and Scheme combination, with any Master, and excel in just about any situation.
Let's start with his ranged abilities. At 6R combat, Fransisco brings a highly respectable accuracy for a 5 point model, and a better than average damage track of 2-3-5, identical to the Marshals that would be the common ranged stock troops for Guild. His Critical Strike continues to mirror the cheaper Marshals, but his Fannin' trigger suddenly raises an eyebrow. Used correctly, the Fannin' trigger can severely disrupt opponents trying to utilize Companion chains, particularly totems. Squeeze a shot against a Master, cheat a Mask onto the attack, free shot on the totem. And with most totems sitting on 4 Wds, and a Critical trigger, you only need moderate damage to kill, or even weak damage with a Rams on the attack for double Critical.
But here's the kicker: he gets better in melee. For 5 points you're buying a 7R combat with 2-3-5, critical strike, and Flurry. If you go for a Flurry, you're almost guaranteed to hit two of your three, which is a minimum of 6 damage (2 weaks with single crit trigger each), to say nothing of putting effort into cheating. Your top end in dreamland is 21 with no red jokers on damage. Compare to Witchlings. Witchlings are one of the best 4 point melee models in the game, with a 6R cb, 2-3-5 damage track, crit strike and drain magic triggers, and Immolating Demise. Fransisco trades the Drain Magic for an extra Cb and the Demise for Flurry. Don't forget the extra inch on his Charge. A 7" charge with a 2" range gives him a 2" advantage over the Stalkers in getting into melee on a charge.
But wait, there's MORE! I'm missing the point of both Marshals AND Stalkers here, aren't I? Marshals bring Hard to Wound and Slow to Die, while Stalkers have, in addition to the Immolating Demise, Disrupt Magic and Dispel Magic. What does Fransisco bring to compare? I'm GLAD YOU ASKED! Duelist is a very very strong skill. Let's take a look at what Duelist can do FOR YOU! You want to squeeze a shot off on someone sitting behind Hard Cover, eh? Flip an Ace and you can't cheat? That's the PITS man, the PITS. But you say you cast Duelist? Well, looks like you can cheat after all, and all for the low low price of the worst card in your hand! Simply discard the worst card you got, and flip over another pair of initial combat cards! While this isn't by any means a guaranteed method, or even a guaranteed improvement, it gives a lot more stability. Fransisco's the only non-Master I can think of that allows you to affect your starting card on a down flipped attack. And we aren't. Done. Yet. With his 6 WP, Fransisco is a hard-to-manipulate opponent, and then he brings Stubborn to the table. Seamus does NOT want to see Fransisco on the other side of the board, nor does Pandora or anyone hoping to abuse Obey. And we're still NOT DONE. Shrug Off keeps Fransisco free of Poison and any other ongoing effects. It's like cheating.
While I don't see myself Menacing over Charging very often, the option is there for models like Candy, or someone who might be looking to Disengage you.
Now, you might be saying "Well, you make a good case, but Stalkers are still slightly better in melee." Or, you might be saying "Yes, I suppose, but Death Marshals bring more ranged power to the table." Here we get to the joy of Fransisco. For just 1 more point than either of them, you get a model comparable to both of them in their best case scenarios.
So, let's talk about how he fits in with each Master. Lady Justice is a melee beater who is primarily worried about getting mowed down before she can get to the action. Fransisco in a Lady Justice crew can advance along with the Death Marshals, providing good cover fire while LJ darts from cover to cover, then provides a strong melee combatant if your opponent gets something nasty into your back lines. Having Fransisco intercept incoming melee characters and keeping your Marshals out of combat is invaluable. Perdita, of course, is superman and can do pretty much anything. Fransisco is simply a very solid beater with the random bonus of Family. With Sonnia, Fransisco provides the flexibility she desperately wants in her troops. Sonnia's crew needs to be able to shift between ranged and melee based on how the opponent is positioning, and few models in the Guild do it as well as Fransisco. It also helps that he can protect himself against the dangerous WP duels that Samael can't afford to fail, so he doesn't need to hang out in Advanced Counterspell range.
tl;dr: Fransisco brings the hurt at range and in melee, and does well working with a tight attack strategy or a loose Reconnoiter style strategy. His high attack abilities and high WP lend him good board control, and for 5 points, you can't do better.
At 5 points, I'm rapidly beginning to consider Fransisco an auto-include in any Guild force. His versatility and independence allow him to fit into any Strategy and Scheme combination, with any Master, and excel in just about any situation.
Let's start with his ranged abilities. At 6R combat, Fransisco brings a highly respectable accuracy for a 5 point model, and a better than average damage track of 2-3-5, identical to the Marshals that would be the common ranged stock troops for Guild. His Critical Strike continues to mirror the cheaper Marshals, but his Fannin' trigger suddenly raises an eyebrow. Used correctly, the Fannin' trigger can severely disrupt opponents trying to utilize Companion chains, particularly totems. Squeeze a shot against a Master, cheat a Mask onto the attack, free shot on the totem. And with most totems sitting on 4 Wds, and a Critical trigger, you only need moderate damage to kill, or even weak damage with a Rams on the attack for double Critical.
But here's the kicker: he gets better in melee. For 5 points you're buying a 7R combat with 2-3-5, critical strike, and Flurry. If you go for a Flurry, you're almost guaranteed to hit two of your three, which is a minimum of 6 damage (2 weaks with single crit trigger each), to say nothing of putting effort into cheating. Your top end in dreamland is 21 with no red jokers on damage. Compare to Witchlings. Witchlings are one of the best 4 point melee models in the game, with a 6R cb, 2-3-5 damage track, crit strike and drain magic triggers, and Immolating Demise. Fransisco trades the Drain Magic for an extra Cb and the Demise for Flurry. Don't forget the extra inch on his Charge. A 7" charge with a 2" range gives him a 2" advantage over the Stalkers in getting into melee on a charge.
But wait, there's MORE! I'm missing the point of both Marshals AND Stalkers here, aren't I? Marshals bring Hard to Wound and Slow to Die, while Stalkers have, in addition to the Immolating Demise, Disrupt Magic and Dispel Magic. What does Fransisco bring to compare? I'm GLAD YOU ASKED! Duelist is a very very strong skill. Let's take a look at what Duelist can do FOR YOU! You want to squeeze a shot off on someone sitting behind Hard Cover, eh? Flip an Ace and you can't cheat? That's the PITS man, the PITS. But you say you cast Duelist? Well, looks like you can cheat after all, and all for the low low price of the worst card in your hand! Simply discard the worst card you got, and flip over another pair of initial combat cards! While this isn't by any means a guaranteed method, or even a guaranteed improvement, it gives a lot more stability. Fransisco's the only non-Master I can think of that allows you to affect your starting card on a down flipped attack. And we aren't. Done. Yet. With his 6 WP, Fransisco is a hard-to-manipulate opponent, and then he brings Stubborn to the table. Seamus does NOT want to see Fransisco on the other side of the board, nor does Pandora or anyone hoping to abuse Obey. And we're still NOT DONE. Shrug Off keeps Fransisco free of Poison and any other ongoing effects. It's like cheating.
While I don't see myself Menacing over Charging very often, the option is there for models like Candy, or someone who might be looking to Disengage you.
Now, you might be saying "Well, you make a good case, but Stalkers are still slightly better in melee." Or, you might be saying "Yes, I suppose, but Death Marshals bring more ranged power to the table." Here we get to the joy of Fransisco. For just 1 more point than either of them, you get a model comparable to both of them in their best case scenarios.
So, let's talk about how he fits in with each Master. Lady Justice is a melee beater who is primarily worried about getting mowed down before she can get to the action. Fransisco in a Lady Justice crew can advance along with the Death Marshals, providing good cover fire while LJ darts from cover to cover, then provides a strong melee combatant if your opponent gets something nasty into your back lines. Having Fransisco intercept incoming melee characters and keeping your Marshals out of combat is invaluable. Perdita, of course, is superman and can do pretty much anything. Fransisco is simply a very solid beater with the random bonus of Family. With Sonnia, Fransisco provides the flexibility she desperately wants in her troops. Sonnia's crew needs to be able to shift between ranged and melee based on how the opponent is positioning, and few models in the Guild do it as well as Fransisco. It also helps that he can protect himself against the dangerous WP duels that Samael can't afford to fail, so he doesn't need to hang out in Advanced Counterspell range.
tl;dr: Fransisco brings the hurt at range and in melee, and does well working with a tight attack strategy or a loose Reconnoiter style strategy. His high attack abilities and high WP lend him good board control, and for 5 points, you can't do better.