Skip to main content

Edge of Reason - Model Review

Hello world! 

Since this blog has been subsumed into the Beard Media Empire I’m sure I’m supposed to put something in here about ‘handy readers such as you are’. I'll pass though - even though most of my trademarks involve creative swearing, I'm going to try and fill out a post without borrowing Ritch's...


So we’re here to look at a new rookie model from the Free Cities Draft. Us media types were lucky enough to receive review models from this wave of releases, and as I’ve always had a soft spot for Skatha and crazily dodging strikers, I went for Edge of the Hunter's Guild. And I’ll be honest, I think I got lucky, because this is a beautiful model and arguably the pick of the wave.



These rookie models are available as singles, and they’re produced in resin. I’ve worked on a great deal of the Steamforged resin models, from the alternative Navigators Angel and Siren through to the 3rd captains like Corbelli and Rivet. Edge felt very different to work with – I don’t know if the material has changed, but it does feel more plasticky and a lot more robust. You’ve probably already seen the thin machete blades – they’re not brittle at all. I accidentally tweaked them on numerous occasions whilst painting the model and no damage. 

There was one breakage in transit – the handle on the machete in her right hand snapped off in the blister. I didn’t actually spot it, I was tipped off by Matt Doran from Roll Better who also got Edge and had the same issue, so that’s one to watch out for. I’ve cut down the weapon shaft to make it less vulnerable, but it’s a pretty simple fix. 





The cast was spot-on. The details are sharp and it needed very little cleaning up. I’ve been critical of SFG resins in the past – my Miners Guild are still in disgrace after what I had to do in order to get a team I could work with – but this model genuinely felt like the premium product they’re supposed to be. Lessons appear to have been learned and that’s the main thing.

Painting went pretty smoothly. Details like the lining on the coat and the feathers on her shoulder were crisp and easy to pick out. I’m my own biggest critic on my painting but I’m really happy with how Edge has come out, and a big chunk of the credit goes to how easy it was to pick out that detail. 





Before we move on to look at her card, some quick plugs. I was taught that bases are important, and doing a proper job on your bases will make your models stand out more. I’m now a convert to this school of thinking! Bases Panzer-style are made possible by the following awesome people;
Fenris Games provide the bases themselves. I use the Woodland Path range for my Hunters – they look amazing.
Versatile Terrain are my name plate guys. Because Guild Ball is a game that relies on precision measurement and I attend a lot of events, I cut away the base rim so that the plate fits flush and doesn’t overhang. This keeps it simple for measurements.
Bad Squiddo Games is where to go for the flowers, amongst other things.


So the card. First thing that caught my eye was that ridiculous 7”/9” move. She’s Skatha’s sister and apparently they’re both sprinters! TAC 4 is nothing to write home about, and neither is Def 4+ with 13 wounds, but she does have a healthy 3/6” kick. 

I’m actually a big fan of her playbook. Momentous Tackle Dodge on 1 hit is fantastic for a ball player. Hunters have many different ways to make it easier to score hits, from Singled Out on Hearne to Gut and String on Jaecar and Eye Spy on Minerva. And we haven’t even touched on the Snared possibilities. These mean that, with a little set-up, it shouldn’t be too hard to wrap on the charge. 5 hits nets you a double tackle, 3” of dodge and 2 momentum. 


At this point I have to address the trait Unorthodox from the back of her card. If Edge makes a successful attack on a Snared target, she gains an additional double dodge. So let’s multiply up those results we just looked at. Against a Snared model, 1 success will grant you a momentous Tackle and 3” of dodge. 

And if you hit the wrap, that’s double tackle, 2 momentum and 5” of dodge. Thank you for coming, Close Control, Edge will be taking that ball now and flying clear of your counter attack! And if somehow she can't get clear, well... She's got Close Control herself.


Mirage is a very useful trait as it lets you use areas of ground to boost your movement. I see many tables that have areas of ground at the edge of the pitch - that means Edge can come on and use the terrain (she's Light Footed so it won't slow her down) for a handy jump. It's worth remembering though, you can't pause an advance, use Mirage, then continue your advance. 

I can also see a use for Mirage as a 'get out of jail free' card. If Edge is pinned down, then Theron and Skatha can use their terrain rules to place the terrain where she needs it. When she activates she canteleport to the other side away from the enemy, or into range so she can use her dodges, and then advance. Mobility is so important to her, especially with those defensive stats, so it's worth having that option on hand if you need it. 

We talked about the Entangle Fandango on the podcast and this could be hilarious. If Edge isn't in position for a goal run, she can become a machine for generating the Snared condition. Throw out Entangle onto a vulnerable target using dice, then walk up to the target and attack. 2 hits into a Snared target gives you momentous 2 damage, a double dodge via Unorthodox and Entangle to Snare another model within 6". With this you can do the damage, hit another target with Snared, bounce over to them with the double dodge, then go again for more momentum and potentially even more Snared! 

In case you haven't gathered, I really like Edge. I think she fits in with Skatha as a strike partner, and suddenly your opponent has to deal with 2 strikers with crazy long advances and a boatload of dodges. Steeljaw and Theron can also both make use of her - she's the premier squaddie goal threat in Hunters, and if you're holding that goal back she can throw out some Snared for you and make Seenah even more dangerous in the meantime.

I'm planning to follow this post up with some actual Edge stories once I've got some games in with her, so watch this space. In the meantime, if you want some more content on her, you can check out the BeardPod itself with Ritch, Conor and I, or go to the YouTubes for the Rapid Rookie Roundup!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Opening the Casket - Introducing the Season 4 Mortician's Guild and Ratcatcher's Guild!

So as you’ve hopefully spotted via some new shiny graphics, this blog is now part of the BeardMinis Media Network. Which is a very grandiose way of saying that I’m good mates with the Beard so I get to go on his podcast, and he and Conor can write blog posts. Vintage Ritch – he has a media network before he has a decent outro… As I'm part of BeardMinis, that means I can post about the season 4 Mortician’s Guild and Ratcatcher’s Guild. You may have seen another post Never Mind the Podcast – that one is literally just the cards for season 4. Head over there if you want to see the new shiny without our waffle. If, on the other hand, you’d like to see some comparisons and some commentary, step this way! Obulus Season 3 Season 4 Very detailed, this one. Changes, nil. Obulus’ control over the world of Guild Ball is such that he doesn’t need to worry about season 4. It turns out he was already perfect. All joking aside, Obulus was very much a captain that

Tooling Up

Right then. The first post with some actual useful Guild Ball content on it!  It seems appropriate at this point to look at the resources that are out there for beginners and what you really need to get started. I fully accept this won’t be an exhaustive list, but it will include the bits I’ve found useful and the ones I’m aware of.  So first and foremost. You want to play some Guild Ball but have literally no idea where to start.  My initial advice would be to look for a Pundit local to you. Pundits are essentially the people who’ve signed up with Steamforged Games, the producers of Guild Ball, to give demonstration games and run events. They get cool shiny toys and encouragement for doing this so don’t feel in any way awkward about getting in touch!.  You can find the list of Pundits here , no matter where you are in the world! Scroll down to the bottom to find the lists. This was actually how I got my first games under my belt. I live near Northampton in