Musing on our Character Beasts

Typhon: Point reduction. Maybe pathfinder.
Proteus: I’m okay with him as is.
Azrael: Point reduction.
Zuriek: Gunfighter and a better animus.

I don't see any changes happening for our character beasts and most don't need them. Typhon is pretty expensive yes but still worth it. I would disagree that they seem worse then our non characters.

Only thing I wish they would do is give Typhon and Proteus a theme to play in. Such a shame you only see them with their respective locks.

Zuriel needs 14 defense. Otherwise his animus largely doesn't do much unless you happen to be playing the right caster. And since the "right caster" didn't include all three of the casters he is bonded with, that's kind of crap. Also Gunfighter or often his Quickwork does nothing, especially since with Precision Strike he is meant to cripple and not kill, our when facing him against infantry you are either wasting all his attacks by not getting him in melee range of more or you are wasting Quick Work.

Typhon with his current abilities costs 1-2 points too much, but since we have really no other beasts like him, this is a harder point to argue. However, two things always bothered me with him. He has 6 limbs and a tail, but still only 3 melee attacks. He probably shouldn't have more melee initials, but those limbs should be represented SOMEhow... And Pathfinder is really the perfect fit. Carniveans have it because of their four limbs, but move up to 6 and you suddenly lose it? Lame. Also, has anyone ever gotten much, if any, use out of his Thagrosh bond? It seems completely irrelevant on every game I've ever played him, and it's always been kinda frustrating to me that Typhon is better with almost every other caster we have than he is with his bestest buddy Thaggers. Awkward... I think changing his bond to something more regularly useful would help address this. Maybe Hyper-regeneration, or "when transferring damage to Typhon, he heals d3"... Right now the bond largely just serves to say "Thagrosh can field him and the Nephilim-Bros in an otherwise pretty awkward CotD list"

I think Typhon is ok. If he had a theme you'd see him alot. I always take him with Thag1, and I think with Thag2.

Zuriel is fragile and expensive, but he does kick out alot of damage. I wish he had a better and more interesting animus.

Proteus is probably not worth more than a carnivian. His bond is powerful so you'll see him with Abby all the time.

Azurel, I have thought for a long time is far too expensive for not enough.

Recently I have been running Kallus2, Saeryn and Kryssa.

Kallus2 loves Zuriel and Azurel in COTD. I think this will be true for a few other casters (thag1 may be Abby1). With unyielding they become much more survivable.

Zuriel is ok with Saeryn. He's expensive and fragile, he might get swopped out for a Sythean and 2 spell martyrs.

Azuriel though, in ravens and Cotd with Kryssa I have been not running him. I think Oracle's will be the same if I run Kryssa in that (which I might). My current Kryssa list is 50 points of battle group CoTD,. 4 Nephalim soliders, a protector and a shredder (on a beast mistress). Azurel doesn't do what I need in this list.

Even with Kallus2, I find zuriel is better than Azurel. Azurel gun is very short range, the spray is good at hitting things in melee,. And one less attack,. With one less mat makes zuriel alot better at killing casters I've found.

At the very least, I think Typhon deserves Relentless Charge. Also assuming he stays 24pts, maybe Dual Attack?

No other suggestions for Zuriel.

Proteus and Azrael need to get cheaper. And a buff/change to Vortex of Fire would be nice.

I feel Typhon is priced for how dangerous he can be with casters that boost his 3 sprays (especially the Lylyth's).
Since he can only be played with Thagrosh currently, I feel he si overpriced for what he can do with him.

I could get behind a point cost reduction, but maybe I would rather have him made available in a theme so he can be played with mroe casters.


I would also love Proteus to be allowed in a theme. Unlike Typhon, he is actually extremely good with Absylonias bond and toolkit (both versions), so I feel loosing grievous wounds when played without her is enough of a nerf that he would not risk being overpowered with other casters.

Even in SotN, Lyly can stationary champs.

Her feat is one of very few stationary effects that works on immune to cold models.

-und_ed