What's happening, Metuselahs?
I wanted to have a look at this card, because at the moment, I think that combat with the Samedi is really inviable.
First of all, a copy-paste of the card text:
Groaning Corpse
Type: Combat
Requires: Thanatosis
Cost: X blood
Only usable before range is determined.
[thn] X is the number of Groaning Corpses already played this combat. The opposing minion takes 1 damage each round of combat during strike resolution if the range is close.
[THN] As above, but for 2 damage. A vampire may play only one Groaning Corpse at superior each combat.
Rarity: HttB:C
Should we call them the Carrion Crows of Thanatosis? The answer is definitely NO. (duh)
First of all we must be in close range (so forget about Cold Aura + Groaning Corpse + any ranged weapon), so we must think about how are we going to defend ourselves to being beaten to a Samedi pulp. At this point, there are some combos with this card to make it more playable:
- Endure and let the Corpses do the job: In other words, Superior Mettle and Groaning Corpse, with Taste of Vitae to recover blood spent, also using Trap or Mob Connections in order to play more combat rounds until you send to torpor the opposing vampire (if you endure the blood cost..)
- Can't touch this!: during strike resolution, using Dust to Dust plus the Roaning Corpses, you can dodge and press to continue the punishment to the other minion. The worst part of this combo is the fact Dust to Dust is Rare and not so easy to find, at least is $ cheap (like ~3$)
- Adding Rigor Mortis: at thn we get a press and the opposing minion can't use additional strikes, but the best comes at THN, when you can also cancel a maneuver of the opposing minion, but only once each round. Thanks for pointing it out, kevin :)
So, Metuselahs, have you tried them? Are those corpses your new pets? Wanna make Baroque or Josette the Ultimate Rusher? ;)
As for me, I like the card, and I'll try to get some of them to try the first strategy, until I get some Dust to Dust, to make a fun deck that can be easily taken back to my Reanimated Corpse deck I like to play.
In the mortuary, Metuselahs!
If I owned a bunch of Groaning Corpses, I would totally make a Talbot's Chainsaw/Hag's Wrinkles deck with a bunch of them in there to support the Chainsaw combat.
ReplyDeleteI want to build a Samedi rush deck, but I just don't fit in the 90 cards limit...
ReplyDeleteSeveral Interesting notes I feel you missed. Startes,
ReplyDeleteRigor Mortus: inferior Than provides an optional press AND your opponent cannot use additional strikes for the round. Stack this on top of your Superior Mettle? YES SIR! Superior provides you the ability to cancel a maneuver EACH round. Stalk that on top of Dust to Dust (maneuver to close), and I think you get the picture. Downside= Only one Rigor Mortus may be played a round. Boo Hoo. stack another one on top the next round and now you can cancel TWO maneuver and etc... Rinse and repeat.
I would also like to make note that Two of the best (IMHO) Samedi, Josette and Troglodytia, have inferior Potence. getting the picture?
I think you do =].
Stack**************
ReplyDelete@John Eno
ReplyDeleteWhy Talbot's Chainsaw with Samedis? You will still have to deal with the unpreventable damage to your minions, I must be missing something.
@Mephistopheles
Hundreds? ;)
@kevin
First of all, I completely missed Rigor Mortis, and I will edit with it, thanks for pointing it out :)
Why I didn't point inferior Potence of both Josette and Troglodytia? I (imo) can't see it viable, the only way worth could be the anarch way with Lam Into (for: +1str hand strike+maneuver or pot:+2str hand strike / both no replace), but at least Troglo has her +1 str which is really good, even though I was just thinking about Baroque, Morlock or Josette while writing down the article. I've learnt some more things today :) thanks Kevin
Alas, you forget a grand card for the Samedi. Compress. While providing a THAN close 3 agg, the outferior potence provides a suprise kick when you suddenly Grapple and smash. I played a deck for a while using Baroque and Josette in which i rushed using contracts and Baroques ability. Josette grappled and Baroque compressed. Good stuff, I can guarantee, provided you throw in many TOV! The deck worked great until it came to outsting...I was hoping to steal enough minions with Josette, perhaps I should rebuild it and post it for you at some time?
ReplyDeleteAlso, Why the Samedi did not recieve a path or a way to reduce the costs of Than cards, I'll never know, as it saddens me.
I've played a LOT of Talbot's Chainsaw decks, and what I've discovered is that it's only worth its cost and upkeep if
ReplyDelete1) you're immune to the damage it causes, thus negating its upkeep cost, and/or
2) you get to use the Chainsaw multiple times per turn.
The Samedi have always struck me as a clan that would make for good Chainsawing, because they can fulfill both conditions. They've got good crossover disciplines with the Giovanni, who have access to both Tye Cooper and Ambrosio, AND they have Necromancy which can be used for Ex Nihilo, the other good way to not have to pay for the Chainsaw's damage.
Additionally, the Samedi have Houngan to offset its cost as well as Fortitude, for Freak Drives (rush more than once per turn), Masochism (use the damage dealt by the Chainsaw to pay for Freak Drives and Shambling Hordes or Reanimated Corpses), and Restoration.
It'd be a tricky deck to play, for sure, but I think Groaning Corpses would definitely help it be more viable.
@kevin
ReplyDeleteWell I didn't mention Compress at all because *for me* it's a card only to carry 1 or 2 in the deck. Reason? Blood cost! If you get grappled, after playing Compress + Fortitude Prevention Card (which can cost like zero like soak or we can carry skin of steel/rolling p.e.) we get -3 blood in the vamp, assuming no enviromental, and if we have a bad draw and we get no taste, it's just one good combat but next round half or more than a half empty. I'm not saying Compress is a bad idea, just a different strategy.
@John Eno
I think I get the point, but playing with Ambrosius and Tye would mean to include Giovannis on the crypt, at least in G5 there are some options (but better older groups)
Masochism is wicked good! Pity is a rare only printed in 2 sets.
Thanks a lot for the comments, I'm learning much stuff and I'll try to apply it to my Samedis (they can be horrible in appeal, but you end up loving them!)
I think you can do some nasty stuff with a Samedi Hidden Lurker deck using Groaning Corpse + Ivory Bow/Compress. 2+ environmental plus some agg? Burn, baby, burn! Want to block my off-kilters now?
ReplyDeleteWithering and Depravity also work well with it, especially if you're grappling. or a lot of Indomitability / Hidden Strength.
ReplyDeleteI think the main advantage of Groaning Corpse is not that you can stack them, but that you can always cycle them in combat by paying a little blood, so you can find your grapple or whatever. Carrion Crows is only limited to one, and sometimes your hand can get jammed with them.