When to add more Jacks to Constance and how

[i_like_tool]

So I've finally broken down and started playing with Constance Blaze. I absolutely love the model so here is my current list

25pts

Constance
-Gallant
Forgeguard(full unit)
Precursur Knight(full) + UA
First Mate Hawk
Harlan Versh

The Forge guard have really provided my heavy lifting but I know at some point I need another Jack to deal with the growing number of Jacks I see as the points go up. The problem is I don't see adding one at 35pts as I add Boomhowler because I want trample blocking as well as a tarpit. So my guess is that bumps me up to 50pts before another Jack

So something like this?
Same as above
+ Boomhowler(full)
+ ATGM + Officer and a Mule?

Anyone have other suggestions for Jacks/ways to fit things in?

[Kenlen]

I'd consider Gorman instead of first mate hawk if you're running into jack spam, black oil to shut them down, rust to help even boomies do some damage.

[mikethefish]

Yeah it seems as iif you already have fighty people aplenty. I would probably shoot for Gorman as well. Is Hawk there to take advantage of the melee boosts that Blaize gives?

[moorg]

Hawk should be in every Merc Constance list. Charge through models with Transference is too good not to run.

I like running Wishnailer with Constance too. That extra Focus for Transference is nice to have.

[i_like_tool]

Yeah it seems as iif you already have fighty people aplenty. I would probably shoot for Gorman as well. Is Hawk there to take advantage of the melee boosts that Blaize gives?

Moorg had it dead on. Hawk goes after Support pieces for me and finishes off Warcasters. I feel she has more than critical in quite a few battles

As for Gorman, I completely brain farted on him for some reason.

So lets say I drop the ATGM and toss in Gorman + The Seeker(free focus could come in really handy) than maybe....toss in a unit of Nyss for some extra Oomph in terms of ranged/close combat. That leaves me anywhere between 5 and 2 points, depending on if Nyss is full or not, to play with. What to do with those last points?

[cannonball]

Seeker also gives you +2" range on your spells and when she's focused up you can drop a nice AOE onto their lines and get better damage rolls to boot to.

[Tavitin]

I don't think you need yet another unit, you're lacking space to play with and you'll end up clustering your troops together more often than not, being vulnerable to blasts, what you need is another Jack for that time when you're opponent just kills everything you own during feat turn filling up Blaize with Focus (that's not so hard to happen when Reavers come knocking at your door)

Wysh+Gorman is a great idea, leaving you with 14 points to work with.
Are you playing Mercenaries or MerCygnars? I ask because i see great potential for Ol'Rowdy in here.

[i_like_tool]

I don't think you need yet another unit, you're lacking space to play with and you'll end up clustering your troops together more often than not, being vulnerable to blasts, what you need is another Jack for that time when you're opponent just kills everything you own during feat turn filling up Blaize with Focus (that's not so hard to happen when Reavers come knocking at your door)

Wysh+Gorman is a great idea, leaving you with 14 points to work with.
Are you playing Mercenaries or MerCygnars? I ask because i see great potential for Ol'Rowdy in here.

Good point and something I might run into often, the clumping of my troops and being destroyed because of it, and honestly. Have not decided if Mercs or Mercynars yet.

[moorg]

Have not decided if Mercs or Mercynars yet.

Transference is Faction only. So if you're playing Cygnar, Hawk loses her punch. And you're going to have to bring the RO guy for the Forgeguard to make them Faction, otherwise no boosting for the Crit Slam.

[Ruad]

For two points left Anastasia is an option. Plus 1 to the starting roll and if you can trigger Espionage it also nice. Maybe Corbeau is another option for conny to bring the pain.

Ruad

[i_like_tool]

Transference is Faction only. So if you're playing Cygnar, Hawk loses her punch. And you're going to have to bring the RO guy for the Forgeguard to make them Faction, otherwise no boosting for the Crit Slam.

Very true, this hasn't come up as I realized my army on Forward Kommander is indeed Highborn.

My problem with being Cygnar, I do enjoy the Jacks and have a few army I am working towards slowly with them, is that they don't really have some who can replace Hawk AND get the benefit of Transference so that's why I'm staring at the ATGM. But than which Jack to toss on?

I think I'll proxy just slapping a Nomad in with Blaze and have Gorman Rust bomb things for him as well as trying a ATGM + UA with a mule/mariner to see which I like better
I'll post my thoughts if anyone remotely cares besides me lol

Basically doing a somewhat slow grow league with friends and REALLY want to give Constance a good try out so trying to hammer out my different point lvls to plan out purchases and painting. Hence this thread

[Kenlen]

Always interested in other folks experiences with miss Blaize

[cannonball]

How does a merc Blaize work with Steelhead cav and associated Steelhead Halberdiers? Transference work on Cav models?

[Kenlen]

If they count as warrior models they do.

[MagnustheJust]

None of the electric chicken players, or the handful of Mercs who popped up in my area play Connie, so I really can't help you with a decisive time to add more warjacks.

What I can tell you, is that as you play more, you kind of get a sixth sense of when you need more of something...

[Ger]

A Vanguard won't really serve you wrong.

An extra Nomad is always a solid way to guarantee you can beat someone up.

A buccaneer is always cheap and that knockdown can be big.

The thing about multiple jacks under Constance is she doesn't do much special for them. Until she has a ton of focus and can make all of them do full swings. So stick to effecient jacks that can do something most turns with 0 or 1 focus and get something out of a full load.

[slinkdawg]

Bokur are another interesting option for merc Constance. Cheap and very effective with client bonus and transference.

You basically want some additional non gallant beat sticks so you can save gallant for later in the game. Nomads work... Have been contemplating vanguards too to milk crusaders call and assault.

[baronvonchaos]

IMO, the only thing better than adding ATGM's and 1 mule is adding ATGM's and 2 mules. However if you're concerned about case cracking add a Mangler in there. I use the mangler to great effect. It's always been a consistant case cracker for me. It swings around pesky shields and at pow 17 with access to buffs... yeah. Also there's reach thresher.

I just realized it. Constance is the only caster in the game that can take either Merc jacks or Cygnar jacks (which depends on whether you play Mercs or Cygnar). That's just interesting because No other caster can interface with no faction jacks. Huh. If only trasnferrence extended to the Mules that are jack marshalled under the ATGM's.

As far as your thread name? when to add more jacks. When your case cracking isn't getting enough mileage. If you're running up against Kharchev/Khador lists with mostly jacks that are bulldozing (literally and figuratively) through your troops and cutting through your lines too fast, bring more jacks. That's when you know. Personally I try to play with equal parts of each. Each of my lists runs 2-3 heavies and maybe a light or 2 in place of 1 heavy (except 2 Renegades). The mangler is efficient with troops clearing (reach thresher), and the Mule does it at range. The Nomad is the Nomad. Rocinate and Gallant do their own things. The Mariner has great range, bring MacNaile for good aiming.

Constance doesn't strike me as the Caster who loves any other jacks than Gallant (and maybe Galleon). You could also look into Rorsh and Brine or Thor and a Basher/Avalancher combo (more than 14pts). Meg and a Buccaneer/Freebooter combo. Things like that. The basher is a ton of fun with flak fielding and killing troops, then bashing a jack and chasing after it to bash it some more. .

[moorg]

Very true, this hasn't come up as I realized my army on Forward Kommander is indeed Highborn.

My problem with being Cygnar, I do enjoy the Jacks and have a few army I am working towards slowly with them, is that they don't really have some who can replace Hawk AND get the benefit of Transference so that's why I'm staring at the ATGM. But than which Jack to toss on?

I think I'll proxy just slapping a Nomad in with Blaze and have Gorman Rust bomb things for him as well as trying a ATGM + UA with a mule/mariner to see which I like better
I'll post my thoughts if anyone remotely cares besides me lol

Basically doing a somewhat slow grow league with friends and REALLY want to give Constance a good try out so trying to hammer out my different point lvls to plan out purchases and painting. Hence this thread

Gun Mages are sexy, no doubt there. And they're generally self sufficient. So while Constance only really supports a melee army, because they don't need any help from her, they can support her by adding some much needed ranged support that doesn't eat up resources.

As for your Jack choices... If you want range, Mule or Mariner on the Gun Mages will do the trick. Mariner if you want pure range, Mule if you want that attack to cause more carnage. If you want melee, the Nomad is your go to guy. Though a Mangler is good if you find yourself swarmed by infantry.

And needless to say, ranged Jacks go with Gun Mages, melee Jacks don't. Melee Jacks either go in Constance's BG, or with another Marshall that can handle them with support Drives (Sam, Meg or Shaw).

[i_like_tool]

Thanks again for all the advice. I have been playtesting more and more, via vassal and in person, different setups and definitely feel the added range is necessary. Not 100% on gunmages over Nyss though but both seem very viable. The extra Jack is very handy

I've also tagged on the Nomad to Constance and a Buccaneer(not both at the same time) and having different success.

The Devil Dogs....are they generally hated on by the community? They seem like an interesting way to take out heavies if albeit a bit expensive

[MinaFangirlOfEverblight]

i've said it a lot and i'll keep repeating: if you want a cheap jack that can do some nasty crap, try the freeboter: 2 hi-pow open fists with trash, and chain attack grab and smash... oh, and lash. considering all the different ways the highborn (and for that matter the talion) have in which they can knock things down, you'll probably find a lot of ways to get those extra damage dice, plus auto-hitting with both open fists for the trigger of chain-attack will give you a chance to throw some things around... which is more effective than you think, once you master the art. two-handed throws are brutal and can be the end-game move easily... and if not, hitting the warcaster with another model at least knocks them down for whatever you need to do next, and if you can't finish them off, that's just more focus they have to waste in order to stand. where can you go wrong? connie+gallant charging a model that just got knocked down and thrown around can bring it to nothing. khador's best will be weeping if you pull off a lot of things properly. mercs are a lot better at wrecking face than most people realize... you just have to get used to unconventional methods. which is why i like them, because they give me a lot of options to toy with my opponent and get the results i want. <3

[tort]

I would recommend against the Nomad. Rocinante is awesome with her as is the Mariner. The problem with melee jacks with Connie is that they need to stay back behind the infantry or your opponent scraps the jack and ignores your infantry on feat turn. With Forgeguard and precursors she has plenty of melee hitting power what I have found she needs is a good ranged threat to force your opponent to come forward and engage. Lately I've haven't been taking Gallant instead Rocinante and the Mariner. In addition to doing damage at range they both also help protect Connie bringing her to DEF 17 and no knock down. Gallant is good with her it's just that he tends to get stuck behind the wave of infantry and I don't feel I get a great deal out of him.

[i_like_tool]

Yeah I like the Nomad, amazingly solid Jack, but more melee oomph isn't what my army needs. I am playing around with Nyss just for more shooting(and some solid melee ability) but that seems like too much infantry for poor blaze to handle.

I'll try out the Rocinante, the ATGM + Mule is working out fairly well so far