DBX TEAM CONFIGURATION: Greater Alienation (Blaine)

Ok, as a second thought and follow-up to the one yesterday... how about this one:

Greater Alienation
Blaine
Kalyshi Strikers x 2
Nameless Bloodsucker x 1
Pusk Rampager x 1
Zee Buccaneer x 4
Total: 68 MC

Let's see... 

• Not many players on the pitch, but with the Zees Speed and Duck & Weave, they are very difficult to take out, so that should help immensely.
• Got the two very good Strikers for Scoring, and in total 7 out of 8 people can Score. 
• The Pusk is there for the occasional Slam, but mostly for single hex movement via Ram--to clear lanes and such. 
• The Nameless Bloodsucker is there for some added nastiness to those that fall on the ground, plus he has great Movement and Speed. And he is fairly cheap. 
• Just need to be sure I have everyone on the pitch I can. Because if they start going down, I could loose the game easily. 

Variants
Maybe switch out a Zee or two for a Kalyshi Jack or two?

Drop 2 Zees for a Yndij Reaver?


Conclusion
Haven't played it yet. But I am liking the way it is sounding.

DBX TEAM CONFIGURATION: Alienation (Blaine)

The basic team for Blaine is actually a very good team. It does what Blaine's team does well and you won't go wrong with it. But, let's look at another viable team. How about something like this:

Alienation (Original)
Blaine
Kalyshi Strikers x 2
Kalyshi Jacks x 1
Pusk Rampager x 1
Zee Buccaneer x 2
Yndij Reaver x 1
Total: 69 MC

I tried out this team and it is very interesting, if a little fragile. I really think that with a few more options and just some slight alterations, this might be a good team. I have not won with this configuration yet, but it is fun. It has a lot of speed and scoring ability, but little in the way of "punch". And only 7 members - eek!

Variants
Increase the number of Kalyshi on the team by dropping the Zee?

Get rid of the Pusk and the Zees to grab another Reaver and another Kalyshi Striker - going full on Score-happy?

Conclusion
It is hard to get much better than Blaine's original starting team (though I have had some success just dropping 2 Jacks for 2 Zees). I don't think this team is ready for prime time yet, but until we get some more options, there is little that can be done... maybe a Nameless Bloodsucker? Nah.

SPONSOR: Blaine (DBX)

Blaine

Best Features:
Bloody Chess - If board control is your style of play, Blaine is the way to go. He doesn't bring the sheer, direct brutality that the Warden does, but he can bring the pain. To make the most of what Blaine can bring, you will need to utilize the superior movement shenanigans that he can get on the cheap. Kalyshi Jacks have Shove and the Pusk Rampager has Ram, both are players that Blaine can take advantage of to make the pitch his. Use your players to move your opponent into, or out of, position - or directly onto an exploding crate. Then use your Kalyshi Strikers to get wherever they need to be - Jump and their Movement make this easier than you might think.

Dexterity - On the whole, Blaine's team is going to be dexterity-oriented. Whether it is the Kalyshi, or a Yndij, you are going to want to zero in on the quickness available to his team, and the talents they bring. Speed is the stat that I tend to lean heavily on when playing a Blaine team. And next, I try to go for the big Score as much as possible.

Deceptively Good - When I first looked at Blaine versus the Warden, I thought, "Ugh, Blaine is awful!" But having played him multiple times now, and won more games than I have with the Warden, I can say for sure, Blaine has game. His team is usually smaller than a Warden team, but each player is individually better.

"Quickness is the essence of the war." - Sun Tzu

Drawbacks:
Bring your Wallet - Blaine cannot buy a cheap player. If you want to play for Blaine, you are getting 7 MC or better. This makes his teams smaller, because of that it also has the disadvatage of...

You Feel Every Loss - Much more than when I play the Warden, I hate losing a player on the pitch. Someone getting hurt is bad, someone getting killed is awful. Sometimes losing a few key players can quite literally cost you the game.


Custom Options:
You have to play Blaine as if you were Blaine. Be ruthless in your attacks and Score every chance available. I usually take the extra die when I play him, it helps secure the victory more than doing something to hurt the opposing players. Be quick, be smart, and be willing to do what you need to get the win! Blaine is extremely enjoyable to play! He is a great compliment and contrast to the Warden in the stater box.


Grade:
A