Day 6: Samael Hopkins

 Eugh. Sammy, Sammy, Sammy.

Probably the model I am least enthused to use in the keyword. 

Why? well part of it is personal, as soon as a model hits 9ss or more I expect big things of it.  And frankly, so I should.  I expect a 9ss or more model to have significant impact on the game in either my ability to score points, hamper the enemy (either by control or by just removing them from the board) or affect my positional control on the board. I will pay those points for Teddy, for the Whiskey Golem, for the Hodgepodge Emissary, for the Iron Matron because they meet that criteria and I just do not think that Sammy H does that. In anyway.

For a start Df5 & Wp5 on a 9ss model is just awful. Mv6 a lone highlight on his stats.  His front of card abilities look like they should be fine. Arcane shield for a modicum of survivability that hopefully means that he doesn't die early in a turn, Counterspell is a solid keyword ability for applying some hand pressure. Unimpeded, always welcome and I daresay the best thing on his card for me. Rapid fire looks good in theory, and I do prefer my expensive models to have 3ap worth of stuff but in keyword with little no card draw it's a high price. 

So what is he for?

Well the combination of Flaming Bullets, his gun and Sonnia's seeking flame would lead you to believe that he is there to paint targets for Sonnia to hone in on.  Which kind of makes sense? It's certaily thematically cool, my issue with this being that he doesn't ignore anything.  That Collier Revolver has to contend with friendly fire (unless there's a Witchling in there) cover and concealment.  This means you're having to make use of stones, additional ap or focus' to hit.  I.e. you're just spending resources on Sam to avoid paying them on Sonnia.  You're still paying them however. Robbing Peter to pay Paul famously never works out.  If you want a model to get burning out at range to enable Sonnia, well the Hexbow is right there. For the same cost as Sammy you can put Expert Marksmen on it meaning it can ignore friendly fire, cover, concealment and incorporeal.  The shots can even be blasts if you want.  So if I'm looking for a model to paint a target for Sonnia well I am not going to choose this guy.

He is Mv6 and Unimpeded, so can he function as a scheme runner?  Creep Along isn't leap, but this is Guild and we have to improvise. As long as you have a nice big target to push towards (hello Pale Rider) you should be able to squeeze some extra movement out of him.  Except of course the Rocketeer and Louisa Fusi exist for pretty much the same cost and they both definitely have movement nonsense and are much better suited to the role of scheme runner.

Samael feels like a model that has been left behind by power creep.  I view his mallet melee attack as a hinderance more than anything else, Gunfighter would be much more welcome so that flaming bullets and rapid fire could be utilised in melee.  Not every gun in the game should be able to ignore cover or concealment, but I don't thinking it unreasonable on a 9ss model particularly one that is seemingly meant to be the tip of the spear for your Master.  Equally if the dmg is reduced to nothing, the way Flaming Bullets is worded you do no burning at all, more feels bad.  Perhaps bake that in to the gun? make it non damage dependent.  I've not even mentioned that the damage track thus far as it is a pretty pedestrian 2/3/4 but if he's the one setting up others than that's ok, because he's setting up others.  But as things currently stand, is he?

Get rid of Flaming bullets, bake the burning into the gun, maybe a posflip to aid with accuracy?  Sack off the wooden mallet and give him gunfighter.  Lastly, some movement and agency would be very welcome and I think this is best done with run and gun.  Otherwise right now, the Hexbow feels a much better option.