A Goblin, a Revenant and a Faerie Walk into a Bar
With more models than ever in the game, the number of strange and weird combos has soared.
One such bizarre combo involves the unlikely combination of a goblin, a spirit and a faerie, three models that up until now would never be seen together. Although it can be quite unreliable it can still be very entertaining to get working and can lead to a troupe with a very unique playstyle.
The first thing we need for this combo is a goblin, specifically one that can bring back slain models. There's not much else to discuss here until we see the other two models. The only thing to note is that he will be making good use of 'Reanimate'. But without further ado, let's continue.
The next model immediately makes very little sense, why bring a model that can't be slain alongside a model whose main purpose is to revive slain models? Because he has an ability called 'Visions of the future'! Once again this doesn't immediately make sense, why inflict catastrophes on the Mortician when all his catastrophes inflict wounds on him? Hopefully, the final model of this combo should make everything clear.
Belladonna is the final piece of this puzzle and the main ability to look at here is 'Drop of nightshade'. Normally a very useful utility and control based ability, it can be turned into massive damage instead if Belladonna is "unfortunate" enough to get a catastrophe. The main issue with relying on this is how unlikely you are to draw a catastrophe and the small side effect of being slain after use. If you could find a way to get catastrophes reliably and mitigate Belladonnas death then this could be used a lot more reliably. Now with the Morticians 'Reanimate' and the Revenants 'Visions of the future' this is a distinct possibility!
To summarise:
Get Belladonna near an enemy you don't like
Get the Revenant to trigger a catastrophe on Belladonna
Mortician reanimates Belladonna
Repeat.
Next: Build a Troupe
So now we have the combo, how can we build a troupe around executing this strategy reliably? With these three models, we are currently missing three things: A good beatstick model, a way to give additional energy and a way to extend threat ranges.
Despite the massive potential damage output from Belladonna, none of the current three models will hold up well in a brawl. A good beatstick model can therefore be a great secondary option for taking out models which aren't worth attacking with Belladonna. It can also prove invaluable at keeping the Mortician alive. Whilst a beatstick model won't have any direct abilities to do this they can dissuade would-be Mortician slayers from attacking him as they risk opening themselves up to a model like Dim & Dimmer. Dim & Dimmer is an excellent choice for such a role due to his natural synergy with the Mortician where he can use 'Constant bickering' to attack after 'Reanimate'. This choice of model is very flexible however and it can be influenced more by the more important following choices.
Additional energy for the Mortician can be invaluable as 'Reanimate' costs more energy than his base energy. Luckily, within the dominion, there are plenty of models such as Seasick Stu and even the Goblin King which can provide additional energy to him. Although slightly more unreliable when compared to these two, Shabbaroon is also a source for additional goblin energy with 'Goblin mischief'. Shabbaroon also has the excellent 'Goblin luck' which provides yet another way to trigger Belladonna's catastrophe. As mentioned previously, the beatstick model for this troupe is flexible and if you use Shabbaroon you could use a goblin beatstick such as Crusty Balboa or even Ribald, who also has an excellent catastrophe!
Finally, and possibly most importantly, is a way to extend threat range. This can generally be either: a way to get Belladonna closer to her targets or a way to bring her targets closer. If you need both, Gwendoline can push Belladonna around with 'Rejuvenate' whilst dragging her targets closer with 'Ethereal allure'. Or, if you have Shabbaroon and a goblin beatstick, you could take Boom Boom McBoom to take advantage of the goblin support and for his excellent lure. Alternatively, as a potentially completely different way to build the troupe, Muridae. With the combination of 'Sewer rat' and Belladonnas 'Faerie tricks', Belladonna can move herself insane distances. She can also make use of Muridaes 'Honour amongst thieves' to potentially trigger her 'Drop of nightshade' catastrophe herself! Once again, Muridae can influence other choices in your list, for example, taking the Fencer or Foxglove as a beatstick.
A Final Note
Beyond the core three models of this troupe, the rest of the troupe build is quite flexible. If you like Goblins you can select the Goblin King or Shabbaroon and some other goblin support and beatsticks. Otherwise, you can lean into rogues or just pick some models irrespective of traits that just synergise well with each other. Regardless of how the troupe is built, it is an intricate troupe which will require practice to master. Keeping the Mortician alive is crucial as he's the only model which can't be reanimated. Furthermore, keeping the Revenant at 5 wounds is also critically important to ensure he will always be able to cast 'Visions of the future'. When the troupe is mastered though it can be brutally efficient at locating and targeting troublesome models and removing them from play with well planned catastrophes time and time again!
(Goblin minions note: As Jobie wasn’t released at the time of this article, it’s definitely worth considering him in this build as one of the extra 3 models replacing Muridae)
