The Dreamer Strategy

[Natty]

I finally got my book this weekend and the immediate strategy I came up with for The Dreamer (which will be my new master because Pandora is boring) is the following:

The Dreamer
3 Stitched Togethers
3 Daydreams

Add in a teddy or two depending on list size. Try to make sure you start with 7 or 8 soulstones because you never want The Dreamer to die and you will need those to keep him alive.

I like the idea of starting with the totems because they give you the extra soulstone for hiring nightmares and you will need lots of the totems for the following strategy. Summoning them all the time doesn't look to be that resource efficient since you need those soulstones to make sure the Dreamer never dies.

Here we go:

Start with nothing on the table but the dreamer. First couple turns you just get him into position to unleash your Stitched Together bomb.

Make sure that you have a place to hide the dreamer whenever he comes back out. You need to never lose the Dreamer for this strategy to work. He can't die. Also, every time you put your nightmares on the table, you put out on or two of your totems about 6 inches behind them.

Throw out all your Stitched Togethers and start gambling your life away. When a Stitched Together is "killed" he stays on the table, gets reactivate, and you gamble your life away with him again and again.

Activate the Dreamer or your totems last. Make sure that at this time it is the Dreamer on the table and not Lord Chompy bits. Any Stitched Togethers that would be sacrificed during the end phase, you instead bury them so they aren't around for the end phase.

Next turn you activate your Dreamer or Totems and put all of the Stitched togethers back on the table, and maybe summon or unbury more totems. Note that at this time the Stitched Togethers will still be sacrificed during the end phase (because that effect never went away, it just hasn't occurred yet).

Activate all your Stitched Togethers and gamble your life away. If they lose the wp->wp duel, it will "kill" them, but who cares because this just gives them reactivate and you gamble their life away again and again. Then bury your Stitched Togethers before the end phase.

Rinse and Repeat.

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Flaws to the strategy:

Your models will be sacrificed or not be on the table the last turn of the game. This will make some strategies very hard to complete.

Stitched Togethers require offensive wp duels to work. If your opponent is playing a construct army with a lot of immune to influence, then you are basically screwed.

You HAVE to keep the Dreamer alive. In order to rebury your Stitched Togethers with your Totems, the Dreamer needs to be kept alive. This means effective use of terrain and saving your soulstones for survival purposes. This also means that you don't get to offensively use soulstones to kill people with Lord Chompy Bits.

[Natty]

Note that the Teddys are really needed to flush out the list and kill any immune to influence models because you can't always have Lord Chompy Bits killing everything. He is too breakable for throwing up in the front lines. I feel like this list will work best in a 30 or 35 soulstone game so you can include a Teddy or two.

Other models could be used besides Teddy but I feel that he is the best Nightmare beatstick and you don't want any more models that go off of willpower stuff.

[Lucidicide]

Note that the Teddys are really needed to flush out the list and kill any immune to influence models because you can't always have Lord Chompy Bits killing everything. He is too breakable for throwing up in the front lines. I feel like this list will work best in a 30 or 35 soulstone game so you can include a Teddy or two.

Other models could be used besides Teddy but I feel that he is the best Nightmare beatstick and you don't want any more models that go off of willpower stuff.

I don't have my Book 2 yet, can you share the wording on Gamble Your Life?

[Natty]

I don't have my Book 2 yet, can you share the wording on Gamble Your Life?

I don't have the book here at work but the main idea is that you make an opposed wp->wp duel against someone within 6 inches as a (1) action (not a spell or attack, just an action) and the loser takes a 3/4/7 damage flip that can be cheated (it hits yourself if you don't win the duel). It isn't a regular attack so the duel totals don't matter.

[wrabbit37]

(1) Gamble Your Life: Target an enemy model within 6" of this model with a Wp->Wp Duel. The loser of this Duel suffers a Dg 3/4/7, which may be Cheated.

Sounds like a pretty good strategy. And it doesn't need to be the full focus of the list either. Running just one or two Stitched Togethers to toss out as little bombs wouldn't be a bad thing either.

[Lucidicide]

Stitched Together are really good at manipulating your opponent's card and hand. They are definitely strong when taken in numbers. You can probably get off a couple of losing Gamble Your Life without losing the Stitched as well.

[wrabbit37]

Stitched Together are one of my favorite new models in the Neverborn collection. Between Gamble Your Life, which can knock a chunk out of your opponent's life (or yours), their spell which can trigger Slow, and their Gambler ability which can really swing the card advantage your direction, they're just a solid model. And not too expensive either. Low Defense, so not hard to kill, but there's a 1 in 4 chance they'll hurt you back when you hurt them.

[Natty]

their spell which can trigger Slow


I honestly dislike almost everything about this spell. It ignores armor but has wp resist. Most things with armor are constructs that are immune to influence and ignore the spell. The damage on it is weak compared to Gamble Your Life and they both are defended against with wp, but with gamble your life you don't have the disadvantage of casting (where you don't get to see their resist flip until after you cast).

The slow trigger is the only thing I like about this spell. Sure there is no chance to hurt yourself, but that is what these little invincible Kenny Rogers are for!!!

[Natty]

Sounds like a pretty good strategy. And it doesn't need to be the full focus of the list either. Running just one or two Stitched Togethers to toss out as little bombs wouldn't be a bad thing either.


I actually don't intend to run this list at all because I think it would be very annoying to play against so many unkillable minions.

As the quote I heard this weekend goes: "Playing Malifaux is like sex, if you opponents aren't having fun then don't expect to be playing many games."

I don't know that this strategy would be very fun to play against so I intend to only take 1 or 2 Stitched Togethers and do the trick in moderation.

[Nutcase168]

I honestly dislike almost everything about this spell. It ignores armor but has wp resist. Most things with armor are constructs that are immune to influence and ignore the spell. The damage on it is weak compared to Gamble Your Life and they both are defended against with wp, but with gamble your life you don't have the disadvantage of casting (where you don't get to see their resist flip until after you cast).

The slow trigger is the only thing I like about this spell. Sure there is no chance to hurt yourself, but that is what these little invincible Kenny Rogers are for!!!

Just remember a construct by itself is not immune to influence. Only the Peacekeeper, Hooded Rider and Teddy in book 1 were immune. A couple of the new ones are, but not all. And you still have a lot of other factions which aren't immune.

[karn987]

Working on a Dreamer tactica that will be to the same degree as my Pandora tactica. Ill post when it's done but it's already nearly 6 pages long and I'm not even that far in. =D

[Murphy'sLawyer]

Thank you in advance. :love:

[WoeIsMe]

look forward to reading it karn as your pandora tactica was immensly helpful

[karn987]

Good to hear! Give me about another week or so. I don't have a ton of time and it takes a while to write one heh =D. Plus I need more games with him on the board to round it out. But Ill have a draft ready soonish.

[alemon]

I am looking forward to it : )


BTW, is anyone else having trouble piecing their LCB together? I dont have much modeling experience and it's frustrating trying to put him together, becuase I can't glue him together before he falls apart, and there are holes all over the place.

[Murphy'sLawyer]

Hate to say it, he sounds like he is going to need pins and green stuff.

It is a little bit of a hassle but you will love the results with a model that will not fall apart and no ugly holes.

[JarnabyBones]

I was able to put mine together with glue and get him to stay, but also had plenty of holes and gaps which the green stuff fixed up. My biggest problem was that his legs were angling his torso down way too much, so that he looked hunched over. He looked less like a scary demigod and more like something that just lost a contact he was trying to find. Careful application of pliers fixed this right up. I was even able to make it look like he was just about to take a step forward. This is off topic though.

As for stitched togethers, I too will not be taking too many, as one of my regular opponents called them "broken" since i used Gamble Your Life on Seamus twice, then did it two more times on the reactivate, then buried the stiched before the resolve effects step and brought them back to do it again next turn. My opponent was not amused...

[ilikepizza]

wow...stichted together sound good.

surely they can't come back if your opponent kills them though?

[karn987]

Nightmare LCB is a really awesome model, but he is also a really advanced model. I used a tone of putty to fill in his monsterous gaps. But I didnt have to pin at all.

@Alemon: My best advice to you is go to your LGS and ask help getting him together. If they can help you, make sure to play close attention because he is one of the bigger pain in the asses to put together out there. His hardest part is the chest and sholders which you have to get the front and back into place in the shoulders and lineing up with each other. Which isn't that bad, his pins and holes fit nicely together (at least on mine). The upper arms need some shaving down of their pegs and I had to put a putty insert into his hip to body slot to make him stand up a bit more, he was leaning way to much

But definitly find an experience modeler near you and ask for a bit of help and watch and listen as they show you. He is a great model but very hard to get really nice. You can learn a lot from this model.


@ilikepizza:
Stitched together have "Does Not Die" which states: "When this model would be killed", doesn't matter by who. It gets a chance to activate or reinactivate and basically will be unkillable for the turn. But it sac's its self during resolve effects step.

So yeah, even from enemy attacks. Though the burying them before the resolve effects step is just evil... I wish I thought of that right off the bat. =D

[ilikepizza]

does it at least have a low willpower?

also, wouldn't it then come back from being buried with 0 wounds? how would that work, would it auto die and activate?

[karn987]

It has Wp 6. So pretty decent to average.

It stays in play with 1 wd. So it would come back with 1 wd and as long as you burried it over and over again before the Resolve Effects step, you could keep it around forever.

[ilikepizza]

that sounds completely broken...

I don't wanna fight these guys :(

at least tell me they cost alot of ss (6 or more).
otherwise I guess it's a case of killing the dreamer ASAP.

[T3tsuya]

that sounds completely broken...

I don't wanna fight these guys :(

at least tell me they cost alot of ss (6 or more).
otherwise I guess it's a case of killing the dreamer ASAP.


Its not really broken so much as it's effective at a certain thing, it's got it's glaring downsides. Mostly that they're effective in numbers so it's a big ss commitment. If you're against anything immune to influence you're in a really bad place, and if your dreamer dies you're officially S.O.L. so they have a big (Actually, very very small) target to shoot at.

Putting all your eggs into one basket, are you willing to do it? Because I'm not sure if I am. Has anyone played around with any other strats?

[karn987]

Yeah, actually these guys only get their full SS worht out of them when you have the Dreamer on the board to bury and unbury them to keep them going. Plus the Dreamer can only bury models within 6" of him or his totems with Magical Extension. So its not like its automatic either. Just push them away, or sac them via some effect. They are Wp 6 so average so they arent' that bad, just really hard to kill.

[ilikepizza]

what WP is the dreamer? I wish I had the new book.
If i'd known about the small range on the bury spell then that would have made it seem much less cheesy (hoping he has a low wp so transpose will work :D)

[karn987]

Dreamer is Wp 8 and very low wounds. Going to stop giving out stats because I feel bad about doing it since not a lot of people have the book yet. Don't want to cheat Wyrd out of anything.

When you see their stats and their full details, you will understand more why everything is the way it is. Dreamer and his crew are fragile, but powerful. Stitched just happens to be really hard to finally put down and some what lethal.

[Natty]

Dreamer is Wp 8 and very low wounds. Going to stop giving out stats because I feel bad about doing it since not a lot of people have the book yet. Don't want to cheat Wyrd out of anything.


Wyrd actually posted The Dreamer and Lord Chompy Bit's cards a while back so their stats are all well known. I believe they are on the announcement boards.

The Dreamer has Wp 8 which is really nice, but Lord Chompy Bits has Wp 5.

That means that his Wp is low enough that the new Hamelin can make him take actions when he gets severe damage with pipes. Getting a (1) or Charge action with your opponents master is just mean!

[Murphy'sLawyer]

Here (http://wyrd-games.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14025) are all of the Dreamer's and LCB's stats.

Now go ahead and discuss him all you want :blah: with Wyrds full consent. Mind you the other models have not been teased so :censored:.

[Beckman]

What about running a gillion teddies, then running the Dreamer over to the enemy? Kill the dreamer. DO IT.

[thaehl]

Putting all your eggs into one basket, are you willing to do it? Because I'm not sure if I am. Has anyone played around with any other strats?

Yep Indeed I have its really a simple one and to me it seems cookie cutter, and that is one I have dubbed "The Alp Bomb" It has yet to be beaten :wink ! Dreamer goes and flies over to any enemy stragglers, or a big ol' cluster of your meanest "playmates" then proceed to check your hand for a mask because your gonna need that glorious :masks :masks Trigger to let loose all your friends! so drop five alps and Coppelous around your foes. if those guys attempt to activate the alps will force them to beat a WP test at a negative 4 flip or recieve slow and take five wounds, then next activation activate "Coppy" and cast sleep my friends and they take five more (assuming all goes to plan, it should) they crumble, then repeat the prosess.

[JarnabyBones]

Yep Indeed I have its really a simple one and to me it seems cookie cutter, and that is one I have dubbed "The Alp Bomb" It has yet to be beaten :wink ! Dreamer goes and flies over to any enemy stragglers, or a big ol' cluster of your meanest "playmates" then proceed to check your hand for a mask because your gonna need that glorious :masks :masks Trigger to let loose all your friends! so drop five alps and Coppelous around your foes. if those guys attempt to activate the alps will force them to beat a WP test at a negative 4 flip or recieve slow and take five wounds, then next activation activate "Coppy" and cast sleep my friends and they take five more (assuming all goes to plan, it should) they crumble, then repeat the prosess.

Wow, I may have to try this method out. In my opinion the one thing that makes the Dreamer such a fantastic master is the ability to just plop down your whole army surrounding your foe. It can be truly devastating even without setting up an Alp bomb. Coppelius is my new best friend, a true beast of a minion and worth every SS you pay for him. Though trying to figure out "Unexplained Connection" is driving me INSANE.

I have yet to try Alps, but will make a point to in my next game with the Dreamer.

[Satyrwyld]

Though trying to figure out "Unexplained Connection" is driving me INSANE.

Well, there's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandman_%28short_story%29

The Sandman, a story by ETA Hoffman featuring a lawyer named Coppelius who builds a construct woman with beautiful eyes (and when she loses them the protaganist goes insane). Also, it's interesting that the concept art for Coppelius (eye-eating insanity inducing monster) has him wearing a similar outfit to Lucius, the Guild henchman with an unidentified monstrous form and power over Hoffman's half-construct brother.

[alemon]

As I'm reading the book, The daydreams look more and more like a must have, at 1-2 if not three. The Dreamer's Spells can be cast TWICE by each Daydream, making for waves of nightmares that appear and then disappear once they've attacked. Also, the ability to move LCB with a push seems like a lifesaver.