So the new Max Baine leads to some interesting deck building options. Combined with the also newly released Huntsmen’s Society we have some support for 10-J-Q-K dudes that makes them much more playable. The ability to put them in at -3 and upkeep them for less lets you cycle in very powerful characters and keep them around.
Have you found a way to use one or both of these cards? Are you starting Max? What outfit is working best for you?
Here’s what I’ve been playing with. It’s 4R control with a mid-range draw structure (10 15 - J 12 - Q 14) and some surprisingly decent stud. (I know Exp 1 Avie doesn’t benefit from Huntsmen’s or fit the draw structure but she is amazing for ending games and I can play regular Avie for free/1 upkeep and Upgrade when I need to). Shout out to 1 Cost no Upkeep Tyx. He makes the hucksters much more scary.
I do something similar, except I use two Pagliaccios in place of Jake and Jacqueline. One clown lets me grab a quick ghost rock and lock down a potentially troublesome dude in the town square, and both are a quick influence gain if I need it. Although I am thinking of switching to Gina as my starting grifter since I don’t have to ace her to use her ability. And I LOVE Valeria as a starting huckster. Zero upkeep for a stud with influence, and with my draw structure (nothing below 9), Huckster 1 is about all I’ll ever need.
I also use No Turning Back and Raising Hell to get lost Abominations back, and the Whateley Estate to get those Raising Hells back.
I gotta say, I’ve never triggered Freddy. With 12 hexes in the deck, I usually have 1-2 in my opening, and I value the 1 Stud Huckster 0 (the skill only really matters in the deck for Paralysis Mark) for no upkeep. It’s a great statline.
Sounds like you’re running Oddities too, not core 4R. That sounds interesting, for sure.
Although I do have hexes in the deck, I find I’m not using them nearly as often as I would in a straight up spellcasting deck, since they’re pretty situational. But I can always get an Abomination into the town square. The smaller starting ghost rock can be a bit of a bind, but No Turning Back Pags or Freddy, especially with an Undertaker out, can offset the lack of funds.
I love Freddy as a cheap stud. I actually prefer Gina as my grifter, and put Freddy in the deck as I run a hexless Oddities deck.
Gina lets me keep my useful cards and fish for another piece of my puzzle. It also thins the deck even further, getting me closer to more good stuff.
I’ve found starting him with the MCC outfit from core might be the most efficient ghost rock engine in the game. Don’t spend, just save save save. I feel like this guy is a huge boon to Deedslide.
I definitely think Morgan and 4R have the best shots with this guy, just because their high value dudes are the most playable. Max in a modern Deedslide deck sounds awesome. You even get a free upgrade to Non-Exp to close out the game once you’ve used Exp 1 ability to push out tons of dudes for cheap.
I had some Hex Slingings in there, but I was routinely getting fours of a kind, full houses and fives of a kind, so I was rarely using it. Plus the Pags, the Clown Carriage and my hexes give me some shootout actions as well.