Lucius: The Elite/Mimic Keyword, with Grim Bonus

I've lost SO many games with Lucius, but I'm finally starting to turn that around, so I wanted to share what I've learned so far about the crew. Also I wrote this right after playing into Nekima, so that was a big influence. It's a long one, but hopefully can give some insight to other Lucius players so they don't have to suffer as much as I did haha.

tldr;

Strengths: Heavy melee control, card draw, hand control, scheming

Weaknesses: Complicated, bubble crew, AoE/shockwaves, Hostile Work Environment

Intimidating Authority

After this model is targeted with an Attack Action, it may discard a card to have the Attacking model suffer a negative to that Action's duel. This ability (on most of the Elites) forces your opponent to rethink almost every attack they take, and most models will have to focus to hit, the exception being stone users. However, your opponent burning stones works to your advantage in the long run.

Disguised

This ability is the other half of the crews "tankiness", and is on most of the Mimics. This model cannot be the target of Actions generated by the Charge Action. One big problem with Enforcer and Minions is that they don't have stones so they can go down to focus fire easily. With Disguised, the opponent has to walk up or charge something else just to be able to actually attack the Disguised model.

Following Orders

Once Per Activation. After this model resolves an Action taken outside its Activation, generated by a model with Cost higher than it, this model may draw a card. There are a ton of ways for this crew to generate extra actions: Issue Command, Called Out, Obey, Coordinated Attack, Wicked Waltz. Pretty simple, but very important to cycle into a good hand.

Draw Out Secrets

This trigger was important enough to make it into the overview. On a tome, Drop a Scheme Marker into base contact with the target. While its offensive use is somewhat obvious, it does not specify enemy only, so you can hit a friendly for low damage (usually) and drop a scheme, regardless of the 4" restriction Interacts suffer from.

Execute

Another cornerstone trigger of the crew, and a large part of my long term game plan for swinging attrition in my favor. Needs a crow, the target must either discard a card or a Soulstone. If it does neither, it is killed, ignoring Demise abilities. This can come off as a big gotcha so try to remind your opponents, but at the end of the day, a player can only hold on to his resources for so long before they get burned down, and that is when you go remove their "invincible" model from the game. One small but important caveat: when an enemy model is vulnerable, they have no cards so they also can't cheat against it, so many times even a moderate crow (or moderate with a Soulstone) can finish the job. You'll never forget that feeling of taking that S-Tier overpowered master from 100 to 0 in a single action (requiring a lot of setup obviously).

Lucius Mattheson (Elite, Mimic)

It took me many games to learn how to use this Master effectively. Like Zoraida, he has so many avenues of attack that its very overwhelming initially, and activation order becomes very important. For example, Guild Lawyer needs to Tools for the Job before he gets his suits baked in for the turn, and Doppleganger has a 0" melee until she Mimics something better.

Serene Countenance is Intimidating Authority without giving your opponent the choice, so very solid considering he has 10 HP. Mastermind says if this model is the Crew's Leader, after any player discards a Pass Token to skip Activating a model, this model may draw a card. This is super important against alpha strikes or smart opponents trying to secure unopposed activations at the end of the turn. Keep in mind this also applies when you discard a Pass Token, so if you start falling behind in attrition, thats at least one resource you can pull from. Arcane Reservoir is great, you get 7 cards in your hand. Entourage says After this model resolves a Walk Action, any number of other friendly unengaged models within a 6" aura may MOVE up to 2" in any direction. Extremely useful in corner deployment, but also can allow you to juke your whole crew if they aren't engaged. Finally, Subterfuge says When an enemy Scheme Marker would be Dropped within a 6" aura, this model may discard a card. If it does so, a friendly Scheme Marker is Dropped instead. Rare that this comes up, and if you are a friendly player you'll warn your opponent, so this is really there as a deterrent.

Fancy Cane is his melee attack, and you really don't want to be using it for anything but occasionally engaging things to lock them down. 1" melee stat 5 against defense, 2/3/4 damage is meh but it has some decent triggers when they come up. Beautiful Clothes on a tome gives Distracted +1, Coordinated Attack lets another enemy model take a melee against the target (generating a card usually), and Siphon Essence on a crow gives you a stone for killing an enemy. Hidden Sniper is a really cool ability that I would use a lot more if Issue Command wasn't so good. 10" gun attack stat 5 against defense that ignores cover and can draw LoS and range from any friendly Mimic or Elite model, target suffers 2/3/4 damage and gains Injured +1, with a Critical Strike trigger on the ram. This can snipe out enemy schemers from miles away and the injured really helps the crew's efficiency as well, but remember that Lucius still can't use this if he himself is engaged (it doesn't matter if the friendly model you're using for LoS is engaged though). His bonus action is Misinformation: 6" ranged attack stat 6 against willpower, Enemy Only. Target reveals its Control Hand and discards up to two cards of this model's choice. Then, the target draws a number of cards equal to the number of cards discarded. When you use this effectively, you can neuter the opponents hand whether they cheat or not. First, target something with lower willpower, like a totem or minion they are using to tarpit your models. Regardless of who cheats first, the opponent will have to cheat to win the duel or they will lose 2 severes from their hand, so they will almost always cheat a severe to dodge this attack, so either way you come out ahead.

The moment you've all been waiting for: Issue Command. 12" range tactical action, stat 7 needing a TN 12 (5). This Action cannot target the same model more than once per Activation(!!!). Friendly Minion, Mimic, or Elite model only. Target takes a non-bonus Action (and usually draws a card after from Following Orders). Purification trigger on a tome ends a condition on the target (after the Action is resolved), and Under Pressure on a mask pushes the target 2" away from this model. This action means that your opponent can't ignore any model after they have activated. Finding where you need those extra actions is 90% of learning original Lucius. Most of his crew doesn't hit super hard, mostly 2/3/4, but putting out enough of them gets the job done, and a lot of the models can hand out conditions on top of that. Additionally, you can target any friendly Minion with this ability, the most common being the Mature Nephilim (min 3 attack with shove aside, and Combat Finesse).

The Scribe (Elite, Mimic)

For a 2 stone Enforcer, this model is tremendously good. He has a defense/willpower trigger Fade Away: Enemy Only. When resolving, reduce any damage this model suffers by 2, then Bury this model. He has 4 HP and defense 4, but as long as he doesn't get spiked for 6 damage, he can eat about 1 attack a game without dying. The other half of that is Unseen Butler: At the start of this model's Activation, if it is Buried, Unbury it within 2" of a Scheme Marker or a friendly Master. After this model Unburies for any reason, all friendly models with a 2" pulse Heal 1 and gain Focused +1. This is what makes you happy to tank that hit. This crew has tricks but ultimately goes down like paper, so even 1 HP can make the difference, and Focused is just amazing to get for "free". The most important ability though by a landslide is Betrayal: Enemy models within a 6" aura must each discard a card to Cheat Fate. When this is combined with the other auras in the crew, every attack becomes that much more expensive, and Executes get that much closer. He's Insignificant, which ends up being a positive for him overall, and he has Following Orders.

Sharpened Quill is his melee attack, 0" range stat 5 against defense, deals 1/2/3 damage. It's a bad attack for the most part, but its triggers can be very important. On a crow, the target discards a card, which is nice but at stat 5 it's not that hard to dodge. On a tome though he gets Draw Out Secrets, this lets him still be able to scheme despite being Insignificant. Dispel Magic is his other attack action, 6" range stat 6 against willpower needing a TN 12 (6), end one Condition on the target. Strong offensively and defensively.

His tactical is his bonus, I've Got Your Back: 6" range stat 5 needing a TN 10 (5), Target other engaged friendly model. Target is Placed into base contact with this model. This pops damaged models to safely, it can pull them out of engagement for scheming, it can set them up to attack in a range disadvantage. Remember Disguised means pulling them out of engagement keeps them safe from Charges as well.

Alan Reid (Elite, 8SS)

I have absolutely loved this model from the first game I played with him. He's a monster at debuffing and decreasing the efficiency of enemy models. He's got Intimidating Authority and Following Orders like a standard Elite model. Diversion says enemy models within a 4" aura cannot declare bonus actions. This is truly backbreaking for some crews, against others less so, but it's part of what keeps Alan in place doing his job. Nefarious Pact says at the end of this model's Activation, it may draw a card. Good stuff.

Garrote is his 0" melee action, stat 6 against defense with a mask baked in, target suffers 1/2/3 damage. If the target has Staggered, it suffers +2 damage. "TALK!" is the ram trigger, Enemy only, target must discard 2 cards. If it does not, the opposing player must name one of their unrevealed Schemes (and any models noted by that Scheme). Totally unique and very strong early in the game, this can ruin a game for your opponent. On a mask is Stagger, models damaged by this Action gain Staggered, good for keeping things in place and securing better damage later in the round via Issue Orders. He's got a Derringer: 8" gun stat 5 against defense with no triggers, it's an ok attack but usually loses out in priority to the next attack. "One More Question!" is an 8" range stat 6 against willpower, target gains slow, and if the TARGET is engaging any models, it suffers 1/3/4 damage. On a tome is surge to draw a card, and on a mask is Coordinated Attack which allows another friendly model to take a melee action targeting the same model. This attack is swinging momentum into your favor by deleting enemy actions, dealing a little damage, and then generating additional actions and/or cards on top of that. He has a bonus Startle, 8" range stat 6 against willpower, target gains staggered. I've basically never used this because of the other bonus, but in a rare instance that only a few enemies are near your crew, this can boost Alan and the Investigators' 1/2/3 melee damage tracks to 3/4/5.

Boring Conversation is huge. Bonus action, 6" aura, stat 7 needing a TN 13 (6). Until the End Phase, when an enemy model within range declares a non-Walk Action it must pass a TN 10 willpower duel or the Action fails. With Alan in the middle of your crew, every single action your opponent makes near you has a pseudo-terrifying check beforehand. This will burn your opponents hand or make their crew useless. By itself its strong, but with Betrayal stacked on top, its backbreaking. The more they cheat, the closer you are to Executing.

Klaus Norwood (Grim, Mimic, 8SS)

Klaus feels good in a lot of crews, but in Lucius he takes your hand attack to the next level, as well as handing out debuff conditions. Dark Tale is the Grim common ability: After a friendly Grim model within a 6" aura ends its Activation, this model gains Shielded +1 for each enemy model damaged during that Activation. This is good for Klaus but he also has Disguised to stay up (8 HP with stones), so it's more important for keeping Hildegard alive, more on that later. Infiltrator is a very interesting ability that occasionally will be very important: Enemy models do not treat this model as an enemy model for their Actions, Abilities, and Triggers. This model may choose to be affected by the Actions, Abilities, and Triggers of enemy models that are restricted to "friendly" models and/or models of a specific Keyword. This means he can ignore a lot of enemy defensive tech (i.e. Terrifying, Serene Countenance), but it can also keep you safe by preventing enemy attacks/triggers that are enemy only. Face in the Crowd is nice when it matters: If this model is within 3" of one or more other models, it gains Cover. Finally, his best ability is Which One is Real?: When this model Activates, the opposing player must discard a card. This puts huge pressure on your opponent because this is unopposed and can happen any time in the turn, no flips or TN. Try to wait until they are lower on cards to get the most effectiveness here; getting a weak is ok but getting a moderate/severe is tastier.

Sharp Wit is a great melee with some weird triggers: 1" melee range stat 6 against willpower, target gains slow. On a tome is Cryptic Message, giving friendly models within a 2" pulse of the target gain Shielded +1, really good for a squishy crew and its not enemy only so you can attack your own model and strip the slow with The Scribe. On the crow is Pocketful of Personalities: basically you copy a trigger off the target's melee action. This can be great with things like Shove Aside. However because he's disguised, melee can be dangerous, so I usually use Incessant Questioning: 6" range stat 6 against willpower, target suffers 1/3/4 and gains Staggered. This is basically One More Question but doesn't require engagement and gives Staggered instead of slow. Get in There on a mask lets a friendly minion in LoS push up to 3" towards the target, nice for a little extra movement to get your Lawyer in range of things. His bonus Press for Information is really disgusting: 6" range stat 6 against willpower, Enemy Only. Choose a suit. The target must either discard a card of the chosen suit or suffer 3 damage, and on a tome is Draw Out Secrets for a scheme marker. Study your opponents crew (i.e. against Nephilim gun for their big mask for Shove Aside) and this becomes either a tough choice or just straight 3 damage.

His tactical is very interesting and can make a huge difference, but often I just don't have the AP for it. Once per Turn. Discard a card. Choose a non-Joker card in your Discard Pile with the same suit as the discarded to take this Action and draw it. This can help you guarantee something with a 13, but you do need card the right suit card in your hand to pull it off. Situationally good, and Lucius can always Issue Command if you really need it to happen.

Hildegard (Grim, 7SS)

While Klaus has fairly obvious strengths, Hildegard took me a while to figure out, and honestly I still don't always know what to do with her AP, but her abilities and her bonus are enough to make that a minor problem. She has Dark Tale and Face in the Crowd like Klaus. Infatuation is what got me to try her out: When this model Activates, if a friendly Master or Henchman is within a 6" aura, draw a card. If a friendly Klaus is within a 6" aura, either this model or the friendly Klaus may Heal 2. More card draw is nice, healing in a paper thin crew is fabulous. Entrancing is what makes this bubble crew nearly impossible to crack: Enemy models ignore any positives to flips gained from Focused when in opposed duels with (or damage flips against) friendly models within a 3" aura. Do you remember Intimidating Authority? Now only stone users or attacks with built-in positives can hit any of your elites. Hildegard herself is pretty squishy at 7 HP and no stones, so you have to really build your game plan around keeping her alive with Shielded and body blocking for her, but if they can't kill her, the focus they spent actions acquiring turn 1 become useless.

Unassuming Demeanor is underrated imo: 1" melee range stat 6 against willpower, target suffers 1/2/3 damage, and this Action's damage flip treats all negatives as if they were positives. On a crow is Coppelius' "AHHH, MY EYE!" trigger: When resolving, the target suffers +1 damage and is Pushed up to 3" away from this model. On a ram is Making Conversation: a friendly within 3" may Heal 2. The triggers are really good, but she is very killable, so be careful using this. Her bonus is Take by the Hand: 6" range stat 5 needing a TN 11 (6), push the target 3" in any direction, the push this model up to 3" towards the target. Great positioning tool against friendly or enemy models, this is really important for pushing nasty beaters off of your Disguised models to waste extra actions. Unrequited love is on a crow: Enemy Only. Choose another enemy model in the target's LoS. The chosen model gains Distracted +1. Wicked Waltz is on a mask: Friendly Minion only. The target may take a melee action. Both triggers are good if you can get them, but its rare I have the cards for them.

Sweet Song is her tactical: 6" pulse, stat 5 needing a TN 11 (6) with a baked-in mask: Enemy models in range must pass a TN 13 move duel or push 4" towards this model. On a ram is Bolster Strength: friendlies in range Heal 1. Jealousy is the built-in mask: Until the End Phase, after this model reduces the value of its Shielded Condition, enemy models within a 1" pulse suffer 1 damage. I have yet to get much out of this action, but 6" pulse heal 1 for a 6 of rams is solid. However, this becomes situation because she is SO squishy and when you bring her in this crew, she becomes a lynchpin holding it all together. An interesting specific interaction though - against a black blood crew, Jealousy will keep looping until Hildegard burns through all her focus. This could just kill your entire crew, but with the right setup Hildegard could deal 2-8 unresisted damage to maybe even 2 models, only burning her Shielded, while the opposing models are burning HP.

Cavatica (Mimic, 7SS)

Another model I wasn't sure about when it dropped, but I've found his place, and its in original Lucius. He's Disguised with Following Orders. Arcane Shield +2 gives him Shielded +2 in the start phase, its good defensively but has other implications as well. Superiority Complex says reduce any damage this model suffers from enemy models with any Conditions by 1, really useful in a crew that hands out a ton of negative conditions. Unstable Form is the money though: When a friendly model within an 8" aura takes an Action outside of its Activation, this model may reduce the value of its own Shielded Condition by 1 to have the friendly model receive either a positive or a negative to the Action's duel. No idea why you'd ever give a negative, but giving a positive to models out of their Activation is really important in this crew because it really helps you actually hit things without spending a card from your hand. A few models, notably the Lawyers, can stack this Shielded up when you need it, but keep him safe or damage will take your Shielded away.

Cavatica's Fancy Cane is way better than Lucius': 1" melee range stat 6 against defense, target suffers 2/3/4, with Severe Injury for giving injured +1 on a crow, and Tear Off a Bite on a ram for healing himself 2. This and the shielded can make him surprisingly resilient for an Enforcer. Called Out is truly an insane ability with a high cost: This Action ignores Concealment. Until the End Phase, the target cannot have Cover or Concealment. Then, this model may discard a card to have another friendly model that shares a Keyword with this model take an Attack Action targeting the same model. This is restricted to Mimics obviously, but this does not have any other restrictions. Did Lucius go too early in the turn to use his bonus? Use it now. Need to spike 3 damage against an opponent with no hand? Klaus. Need to get that last Hidden Sniper shot off but the target is concealed? No problem. Also this ignoring Cover or Concealment lasts the round not just this attack, so can be great for fighting in a forest or against people like Zipp with Sputtering Exhaust. On a mask is Look Away: Non-Leader only. Until the End Phase, reduce the range of aura and pulse effects generated by the target by 3" (to a minimum of 0"). This trigger is situationally disgusting. If you need to hammer on a Nephilim, take its black blood range down to 0"; against riders it brings their bonus "ultimate" down to a 3" pulse. Startle is one of his bonus actions, 8" range stat 6 against willpower, target gains Staggered. Helps enable the garrotes to hit hard, but I'm usually fishing for the mask trigger Under Pressure to push the target 2" away from this model. This has gotten me points in the late game, and its always good to push people away from your Disguised models.

His tactical bonus is Creep Along, stat 6 needing a TN 11 (5), push this model up to its move in inches toward a friendly model in LoS. Good in the early game or later when you get engaged.

Doppleganger (Mimic, 8SS)

Doppler, as I often call her, is literally versatile but her gameplay is also very versatile. She's got Disguised and Following Orders, and has 6 move instead of 5 like most of the keyword. She's got Manipulative: If this model has not yet Activated this Turn, enemy Attack Actions that target this model suffer a negative to their duel. If your opponent doesn't bring ruthless, this is a great ability, otherwise she's just a Disguised Enforcer. She also has Don't Mind Me: This model may take the Interact Action while engaged or if it has taken the Disengage Action this Activation. This makes her a potent schemer, and allows you to score points even when the opponent is fully into your face.

Staggering Punch kinda sucks I'll admit it: 0" melee stat 5 against defense, target suffers 2/3/4 and gains Staggered. It does have No Witnesses on a crow: This Trigger may only be declared if no other enemy mode (other than the target) is within 12" and LoS of this model. When resolving, target suffers +1 damage and damage from this Action ignores Armor. This is a desperation attack when the Mimic doesn't go off. She has Lure which is always strong: 12" range stat 6 needing a 12 (6) against willpower, move the target its move toward this model. Love Hurts on a tome does 2 damage, and Reposition on a mask lets her move up to 3". Solid utility ability, and you can get it to stat 7 (see below).

Mimic is a bonus tactical that takes time to learn to use effectively, you really have to know your opponent's crew. 6" range stat 7 needing a TN 12 (5): Select one of the target's non-bonus Actions that does not Attach Upgrades or list a model by name. NON-MASTER ONLY. Until the End Phase, this model may treat the selected Action (and its Triggers) as though it were printed on its card. The Stat for the Action is considered to be equal to the Stat for this Action (7!). On a crow is Mental Trauma: target must either discard a card or suffer 3 damage. Considering this is unresisted, this means every 5 of crows I get is being saved for this action lol. Nobody expects Mimic to nuke you for 3 damage randomly, or burn a card from your hand. You get to steal an action from anybody in the game unresisted (except Masters), and then Lucius can even get you to do it again later. One More Question, Incessant Questioning, Obey are a few good ones in this crew, outside the crew look for things like Shove Aside and Execute. And this stolen action is stat 7, but you do not get any baked-in suits, because its just the flat 7 from this action. The other tactical bonus is Blend In: Discard a card. Until the End Phase, this model has Concealment. I've never done this, presumably its useful in the right situation.

Guild Lawyer (Elite, 6SS)

Congrats, even though you play Neverborn, you can bring one of the best Guild models in the game! He has Intimidating Authority and Following Orders. He has Chatty, making enemy models in a 6" aura discard a card if they want to Interact. Tools for the Job is a super versatile ability: At the start of this model's Activation, it may draw the top card of its Discard Pile, then discard a card. Until the End Phase, this model may add the suit of the discarded card to its final duel totals. This is during and after your activation, so I typically will activate these guys early so Lucius can use them even better. Ideally you want to grab a severe from the discard and drop a weak of the suit you need. Court Authority says friendly models may treat this model as having +2 cost when resolving game effects, so he can trigger Following Orders on a few extra models (Cavatica, Investigators). If an opponent can get past your negative flip, this guy can die in 1 hit pretty easily at defense 4 and 6 HP.

Lawyers have Sharp Wit: 1" melee stat 6 against willpower, target gains slow. Slow is always good, and the triggers you fish for give you additional value; on a mask is Under Pressure to push the target 2" away, and Mental Trauma forces your opponent to discard a card or take 3 flat damage. Obey is why you want them though: 12" range stat 5 needs a TN 14 and a mask, resisted by willpower. This Action cannot target the same model more than once per Activation. NON-MASTER ONLY. Target model takes a non-bonus Action with the usual stipulations, controlled by this model. On a tome you have Draw Out Secrets, and that happens after the action resolves, you can charge a model and then drop a scheme at the end of everything. You have to think ahead a bit with this, using Tools for the Job to secure either a mask or a tome baked in, depending on your hand. Such a powerful ability, it's hard to describe concisely how powerful this is even at a measly stat 5. My favorite is taking the enemy beater in your face and charging it into their other beaters, which keeps your guys safe, hurts their guys, and also can cut off attack vectors for unactivated models. Stat 5 means you have to be smart about targeting, but with Tools for the Job, you can obey any friendly models (excluding Lucius) for a 9.

Their bonus action is also really good. Impassioned Defense has an 8" range, stat 6 needing a TN 10 (4), friendly only target gains Shielded +2. On a tome is surge to draw a card, on a mask is quick reflexes to take the action again. You want to put first on any low health models, but outside of that, Hildegard and Alan Reid are usually top priority, and sometimes stacking Cavatica is good if you don't have a hand to push your attacks through (hands out positives by reducing his Shield).

Briefly, here's a short guide on Tools for the Job:
Mask - Obey TN, Quick Reflexes for bonus, Under Pressure on melee
Tome - Draw Out Secrets on Obey, Surge on bonus
Crow- Mental Trauma on melee
Ram- nothing

Lucius Mattheson, Dishonorable (Elite, Mimic)

This version of Lucius is almost the complete opposite of the original. He has a little bit of support left, but he's best at going in and assassinating models by himself. Flexible Morality is the better version of Intimidating Authority: After an enemy model targets this model with an Attack Action, the enemy model must either discard a card or suffer a negative to its duel. Planning Ahead is strong and versatile: During the Start Phase, Drop a Scheme Marker within aura 12". Until the End Phase, once per Activation, when a friendly Elite or Mimic model with aura 2" of the Dropped Marker declares an Attack Action, it may add any one suit to its duel. I haven't been able to setup the free suit because my opponents either avoid it or remove it right away, but being able to drop a scheme 12" away for free in the start phase is fantastic. Ruthless means he ignores Terrifying and Manipulative, something Neverborn is really starved for. Finally, Superiority Complex reduces damage he takes from enemy models with conditions on them by 1. He's a slippery fish, basically, and he can instakill a lot of things, but its very important to know your opponents defensive tech, because if he can't get the kill he is in real trouble.

Daggerlike Claw is one of the best attacks in the game. 1" melee, stat 7 against defense, target suffers 2/3/5 damage, and if they are Staggered, the damage flip gets a positive flip. On top of all that, he gets Cleaning Up Loose Ends on a crow to ignore Hard to Kill or Demise abilities, on a mask is Coordinated Attack for extra melees on the target, and Critical Strike means that you can make this attack 4/5/7 if you really need to. Against most enemies, you'll be able to cheat the damage too. Down the Wrong Path is his other attack, 12" range stat 6 against willpower: This Action ignores Concealment. Enemy Only. Move the target up to its move. If the target ends this move engaged by a friendly Elite or Mimic model, they can take a melee action. Really long range, generates a lot of efficiency when it goes off, but ultimately it is a resisted duel, so even when it goes off, you'll still have to hit the attack itself. I probably just haven't played enough games with him yet to know when this ability is strong.

He has Secret Passage: 12" range stat 7 needing a TN 14 (7), This Action may only be declared if this model is within 1" of Blocking Terrain. Place this model anywhere within range within 1" of Blocking Terrain. On a crow he gets Sudden Appearance to hand out Staggered to enemy models within 1". Remember the positive he gets to damage flips against Staggered enemies? Now you can teleport in and unresisted drop that condition on a few models. His other tactical is his bonus action "You Have Your Orders": 12" range stat 7 needing a TN 12 (5), Other friendly Elite or Mimic only. Move the target up to 2". The target may take a non-Charge General Action or melee Action, which cannot declare triggers. This is how he can still hand out 1 extra action a turn to his crew, and even if he goes in hard to get a kill, he can often still reach back to his crew. Moving 2" first means you can get out of engagement pretty easily and then either hit something or use a General Action. Peak Efficiency is the mask trigger: Elite only. Enemy models within pulse 2" of the target must pass a TN 13 defense duel or gain Staggered and suffer 1 damage. On a ram is Rapid Shift: Mimic only. Target Heals 2 and receives a positive to the generated Action. I've never used the Elite trigger, but the Mimic trigger is really good. I'm usually Interacting with this bonus, but the heal is solid.

Agent 46 (Elite, Mimic, 9SS)

Other than Lucius and the Scribe, this is the only other model in the crew that has both keywords. He's got Following Orders, but at 9SS this is only being triggered by Lucius. He has Stealth, so enemies can't target him from more than 6" away. He's also Ruthless like Dishonored, a very important ability thats limited in Neverborn overall. He's also move 6 in a crew of all move 5.

Twirling Blades is his melee: 1" stat 6 against defense, target suffers 2/4/5, with Critical Strike on the ram, Execute on the crow, and Pouncing strike on the mask (Place this model into base contact with another enemy model within 5" and LoS, then take this Action again, targeting that enemy model). 3 really solid triggers, but the spike in damage track makes me feel like he's very Focus hungry. Analyze Weakness is his other attack: 10" range stat 6 against willpower, Until the End Phase all damage the target suffers ignores Armor and Shielded. This is very important because the crew has very limited access to armor ignore, ignoring shielded is a bonus on top. On the mask he gets On Your Heels just like Lord Chompy: Enemy Only. Place this model into base contact with the target. Trigger is really there in the event that you are going for a tank with Extended Reach or Disguised.

Both of his tacticals are very useful. Inhuman Physiology used to just be an ability sadly, but now you have to use a bonus (no flip) to get Until the End Phase, enemy models cannot Cheat Fate when targeted by this model's Attack Actions. Mimic is his other bonus, same as Doppleganger but only stat 6 on the stat of the copied attack. IP is better, but in either case this model needs to activate early so that old Lucius can make the best use of him. Another thing is that your opponent not being able to cheat against him means you can often get value out of cheaper cards, but more importantly he can go early in the turn and still hit even when your opponent has a full hand, unlike a lot of attacks in the keyword. I still haven't gotten 9SS worth out of him, but I'll keep trying.

Investigator (Elite, 7SS)

Investigators are a really interesting utility piece that can be surprisingly strong in melee with some setup. They have Following Orders and Intimidating Authority with 7 HP. "Stand Back! It's Evidence!" says after a Corpse, Scrap, or Scheme Marker is Dropped within a 4" aura, after resolving the current Action or Ability, this model may Push a model within 3" of the Marker up to 3" away from it. This ability is extremely versatile, you really just have to try it out to see how often it will come up. Remove Evidence is the other ability: at the start of this model's Activation, it may remove a Scheme, Corpse, or Scrap Marker within a 4" aura to draw a card. This can get you extra cards pretty easily, but is also great for denying your opponents on schemes like Research Mission.

They have a Garrote like Alan: 0" melee stat 7 against defense with mask built-in, target suffered 1/2/3 damage, if they have staggered its 3/4/5 instead. Draw Out Secrets on the tome to drop a scheme, Stagger on the mask to give models damaged by this Action Staggered, and No Witnesses on the crow to rarely get +1 damage and ignore Armor. With all the move tricks and extra actions this crew has, the 0" melee loses a lot of its negatives, and stat 7 is really good. Interrogate is the other attack: 8" range stat 5 against willpower, target must discard a card, and if the target is within 2" of an enemy Scheme Marker, this model may draw a card, with Draw Out Secrets on the tome, and Delay on the crow to give the target slow. The low stat makes this hard to land, but its not terrible, just very situational.

Active Crime Scene is their tactical bonus: aura of 4" stat 6 needing a TN 12 (6), Until the Start Phase, enemy Scheme Markers within range cannot be targeted or affected by enemy models and are ignored for the purposes of Schemes and Strategies. Seems really powerful, but can be tough to make relevant.

False Witness (Elite, 5SS)

For me, this model either gets broken amounts of value, or goes down like a sack of potatoes. They have Manipulative and Following Orders from the Elite keyword, but almost everything else is from their other keyword, Journalists. Distraction is a really gross ability that puts enemy models within a 2" aura on a negative to willpower duels, which the crew has a ton of (remember Boring Conversation? stat 5 Obey?). Chasing a Story says after an enemy model within an 8" aura resolves the Interact Action, this model may gain Focused +1, nice when it comes up but its uncommon. Innocent Bystander says Attack Actions without a TN that target this model gain a TN of 12, this matter mostly when your opponent is top decking trying to kill this model. Exclusive interview is when an enemy model within aura 2" takes the Interact Action, it is treated as a friendly model and the Action is controlled by this model. This means that even though this model has no melee, it can still hold down objectives just like any 2" range melee model. Its risky because with the right tools, this model dies super easily.

J'accuse! is their attack action: 8" range stat 5 against willpower, target gains Adversary (Elite). If the target is engaging this model, the target suffers 1/2/3 damage. A decent force multiplier ability, but its triggers are even nastier. Slander is on a mask, target gains Distracted +1, if the target is within a 2" aura of a Scheme Marker, damage goes to 2/3/4. On a crow is Debt of Gratitude: target must remove a Scheme Marker friendly to its Crew from anywhere in play. If it cannot, it suffers 2 damage. An important distinction here is that the enemy doesn't get a choice here, they have to remove it, and if they can't they take 2 damage, putting this attack at a 3/4/5 for a 5SS model, in the right situation of course.

False Claim is really why you bring these guys though. 3" range stat 5 needing a TN 12 (7), This Action cannot be taken while engaged. Drop 2 Scheme Markers within range. During the End Phase, remove a friendly Scheme Marker from play. You are dropping enough free Schemes in this crew that usually removing the one at the end is more about removing markers that can't get you anything. Instant detonate charges. Tell No Lies is their bonus action: 3" aura stat 5 needing a TN 12 (7), Until the End Phase, models within range cannot Cheat Fate. This seems like a totally busted ability off the bat, but it has some serious drawbacks when used imprecisely. This applies to friendly and enemy models, so you have to be ok with Heart of the Cards being your models only defenses. However, if False Witness times things right, going in after a model has already activated, you can make any ranged attack against the target as good as Agent 46's Inhuman Physiology. Just remember that you can't cheat either, so your only safety net there is Innocent Bystander.

Changeling (Mimic, 4SS)

These guys just got totally overhauled, but I'll throw in my 10 cents on them. Its a 4 stone 4HP model with 4/4 stats, but it has a ton of defensive abilities. Disguised, Stealth, and Manipulative make them hard to attack, and Following Orders keeps using them cheap. They also got a new ability Sidekick: At the start of this model's Activation, it may discard a card to Place itself into base contact with a friendly non-Minion that shares a Keyword with it (Mimic) within a 12" aura. Huge mobility and size 1 can make these guys pretty sneaky, and as a result they have a lot of potential in a few different schemes.

They have Unassuming Demeanor like Hildegard: 1" melee but only stat 5 here against willpower, target suffers 1/2/3 damage, this Action's damage flip treats all negatives like positives. They also have Hildegard's Take By the Hand: 6" range stat 5 against willpower needing a TN 11 (6), push the target 3" in any direction, then push up to 3" towards them. Both stat 5 but both high value.

They also have a new tactical On the Wrong Side: 1" range no flips. Once per Turn. Target an enemy Scheme or Terrain Marker. If the target is a Terrain Marker, this model may discard a card to Drop a SCheme Marker into base contact with it, then remove the target. In my mind, I imagine this model activating late, sidekicking into position for scoring, then Lucius using On the Wrong Side via Issue Orders to discard a card, drop the scheme, remove the target, and then also draw a card from Following Orders.

Red Cap (Grim, 5SS)

I haven't used these guys at all, but I think the best thing on their card is Trail of Gore bonus to remove an enemy scheme marker in 3" to walk or punch. With rush they can remove a scheme 15" away (as the crow flies), even if they get summoned in. Will come back to these guys later.

Bubble Anti-Nephilim Build:

I chose to introduce models in this order because now we can talk about my new favorite build of old Lucius, I chose it specifically against Nekima but it could work against most elite or alpha strike crews:

• Lucius Mattheson
• The Scribe
• Alan Reid
• Klaus Norwood
• Hildegard
• Doppleganger
• Cavatica
• Guild Lawyer

vs

• Nekima
• Blood Hunter
• Mature Nephilim w/ Ancient Pact
• Mature Nephilim w/ Ancient Pact
• Hooded Rider
• Hinamatsu

Here's a video of the game, I'll come back for a more in depth analysis here.

https://youtu.be/IJeCGsymAaU

Aside: 0" Melee

I've heard a lot of people talk about 0" melee and how its terrible and should be removed from the game, but I wanted to briefly mention an example where 0" is actually better. Obviously its hard to tie up multiple models with a 0" range. In games where you have that ranged advantage and you tie up a bunch of models with your massive 2" arms, those models have a massive range of movement they can make without having to Disengage from you, and if they do try that, they will only actually get away on a weak flip (usually). Models that have ranged non-gun attacks that you initially cut off LoS to other things can simply walk around to the other side and do as they please. With a 0" melee range, that model isn't going anywhere while its engaged with you, meaning especially with Staggered, its stuck right where it is. The flip side of that is that if they disengage with you, they can almost certainly get away from you. While 0" certainly isn't a superior melee range, it does have its advantages, and in crews with lots of movement tricks, I think its perfectly valid.