M2E+Ulix


 * Ulix, Gremlin Master**

//"Doesn't that make you feel better?// //The pigs have won tonight!// //Now they can all sleep soundly,// //and everything is all right."// //- Nine Inch Nails, March of the Pigs//

=__Overview__= toc When the pigs start stampeding, not much can stand in their way.

Ulix is the gremlin who probably could control them, but choose to just give them a poke in a direction that vaguely heads towards the enemy. Ulix is master of pigs, and all things pink. In early Malifaux, there would be small amounts of pigs in games, but Ulix has changed that. He'll come along in a sea of pork, mainly focusing on buffing and controlling the pigs around him. His choices in actions are few but powerful.

Ulix is named after the Latin translation Ulysses (or Ulix) of classic Greek hero Odysseus, and his Totem Penelope is named from the same tale.

=__Mobility__= On his own, Ulix is the slowest Gremlin Master, with **Wk 4, Cg -,** and no more than two Walks per Activation.

However, Ulix can //**Hitch A Ride**// with any friendly Pig that declares a Walk action within 2". The friendly Pig declares a Walk action, Ulix gets to Hitch a Ride along with it, and when the Pig has moved Ulix can push into base contact with the Pig. There is no limit to how may times he can do this so he is actually one of the more mobile masters in the game. By chaining up Pigs to move, Ulix can actually move all the way across the board without ever activating!

Also, Ulix has a lot of ways to move Pigs in his Crew:
 * //**"Sooey"**// moves Pig models toward Ulix. This can be handy after sending them away with **Shot In The Rear.**
 * **Pig Slingin'** (from the **Pig Slingin'** Upgrade) is a **Sh** Action that throws a friendly Ht 1 Pig at a target up to 10" away.
 * Ulix can **Prod** a friendly War Pig or Piglet and try to get a Ram trigger to Charge a nearby model with //Rampage//. This can backfire easily but can yield surprising mobility.
 * Ulix's Totem Penelope gives nearby Pigs +1 Wk, and can push Pigs up to their Wk as a (0) action.
 * Old Major and the Lucky Emissary (with Conflux of Bacon) can push Pigs with actions as well.

=__Offense__= A lot of Ulix's offensive potential is tied up in Pigs, but he does have some attacks he can use on his own, and upgrades he can take to expand his options. Many of his attacks also move a Pig, give buffs to Pigs later in the round, or rely on Pigs to work. Listing out Ulix's tactics is an exercise in using the word Pig so many times that it doesn't even look like a word any more.

Slop 'Em Up
A close-range Ca 5 attack with a 4" range. This only does 1/2/4 damage, but it also gives the Condition Tasty until the end of the turn, which gives Pigs a positive twist to attack the model. On a Ram, all friendly pigs within range and LoS can attack the target too. A Ml 5 isn't very high for a Master, but if you are attacking a low Df opponent or have good cards in hand, Ulix can cause a lot of damage with this attack: first with the base damage, then with the buff to other Pigs. This attack works best when you have a high ram card (or Soulstone for a ram) and a lot of friendly Pigs near the target.

With its huge range, this Attack is also useful because of the high engagement range it gives Ulix. Enemies within 4" of Ulix can't use ranged attacks, Charge, or Walk without a disengaging strike.

Prod
Another Pig-synergy attack. This Tactical Action targets a friendly Pig within 2". The target takes a (1) Ml Action with a positive twist. Ulix fights best when he has a big scary pig nearby.

Clobberin' Stick
Available with the **Clobberin' Stick** Upgrade. This is a **Ml 6** attack with a 1" range and a hefty **2/3/7** damage profile. This is a solid, powerful attack, but it's a (0) Action so Ulix can only use it once per Activation. It doesn't turn Ulix into a full melee beatstick, but it definitely gives him a way to smash opponents.

Ranged
Ulix can take two different ranged attacks, but only if he takes the appropriate Upgrades.

Huntin' Bow
From the Upgrade of the same name. A (1) attack with **Sh 7** and a 12" range. The damage is pretty average at **2/3/5**. On a crows trigger, the target gets **Blood Trail**, which gives Pigs +1 damage against the target until the end of the turn.

Pig Slingin'
From the Upgrade of the same name. A **Sh 6** attack with a 10" range, but you need a **Ht 1** friendly Pig within 2" of Ulix to use it. As of Wave 2, this means a Piglet or a Stuffed Piglet. Does 2/3/4 damage, places the Pig into base contact with the target, and does **1/2/4** to the Pig. A ram gives the Pig **Fast**. A tome spares the Pig damage. As a straight-up attack it's not as good as Huntin' Bow, but it has the tremendous benefit of moving a Piglet up the field into the middle of the enemy lines.

Spells
Ulix can also improve his combat abilities with some Upgrades.

Show Off
From the General Upgrade of the same name. Friendly Gremlin models in LoS do 3 damage in a 2" Pulse. Requires an 8 of any suit, with no resist, and sacrifices the model using it.

Summoning (Husbandry Upgrade)
This Upgrades gives two powerful (1) Summoning Actions.


 * ** Birthin' ** : Requires a 9 of any suit, and a 50mm base Pig model within 2". As of Wave 2, qualifying models include Old Major, Gracie, The Sow, and the War Pig. Summons a Piglet within 2" of the target Pig, then does 2 damage (which can't be reduced) to both Pigs. A fairly inexpensive and consistent Summoning.
 * **Call Forth the Pork:** Requires a 12 of any suit and three friendly Scheme Markers within 4". Summons a War Pig, then does 4 damage to both Ulix and the War Pig. Laying out three Scheme Markers is a lot of setup, but the War Pig is worth it.

Both of these summonings work better if you have healing available afterward. This could be a Slop Hauler, Dirty Cheater or Ulix's own healing ability.

=__Resilience__=

Ulix sports a **Df 6 crows**, **Wp 5**, and **10 Wd**. He has a Crows Trigger on Df and Wp (with Crows built-in for Df) that increases his duel total by 1 per pig within 2", up to 2. With two Pigs around, that's a whopping **Df 8!** Ulix also has **Impossible to Wound**, which gives a negative twist to damage flips and makes them always uncheatable.

Ulix can get more resilience from a variety of General upgrades: //Dirty Cheater, Liquid Bravery, Quality Mash Liquor, Stilts, The Guardian Stone//

Ulix can also increase his Crew's resilient with **Proper Care**, a (0) Action that does 2 damage to Ulix and heals 2 on all friendly pigs within 6".

=__Upgrades__=

__**Clobberin' Stick:**__
This upgrades gives Ulix a nice stick to whack things around as a (0) Action. It's a good addition to his arsenal when there are no pigs around to heal with **//Proper Care//**. It also cames with the //**Poke Around**// ability to gain one extra card per Turn.

__Corn Husks__
Scheme Marker Extravaganza in one Upgrade! Friendly Pigs who can look at this model can get rid of one enemy Scheme Marker nearby (1") to heal 1 damage. Also, Pigs are now trained! Pigs who can see this model's awesomeness in person can take (1) Interact Actions as (0) Actions! Cool synergy with Husbandry. Dream big and bacon will rise!

__Huntin' Bow__
Finally, a ranged option to Ulix which cames with a very nice Sh of 7, a decent damage profile, and a deadly, damage support trigger for every pig, who attacks the target further more. However, this bow is not just for hitting enemies, Ulix can shoot his own piggies in the rear for some "mad pig in action" move: the pig hit with this bow goes rampage, charging from foe to foe until it fails to kill his target.

__Husbandry__
A.k.a.: Ulix's summoning upgrade. It gives the Swineherd two abilities for summoning models on the board: one for summoning Piglets, and one for summoning a mighty War Pig. Both of these pigs are significant models, so it is a good option for replenishing the bacon-count for this Crew. Summoning Piglets are an easy task, you just need a Pig on a 50mm base nearby and some wounds to spare. Getting the Pork on the Board is much harder: you need 3 Scheme Markers ready in 4" from Ulix, 4 wounds from the Swineherd himself and a high card (12). Every pig has given birth by Ulix are comes to play wounded, so a gremlin with //**Proper Care**// or //**Feeding the Piggies**// are handy.

Note that you can also offload summoning to Sammy Lacroix to free up Ulix for offense and scheme running.

__Pig Sling__
Pigs can fly? Of course, they can't. I said NO, Mr. Taxidermist, we have better ways to make BACON fly around the table. The first is the Pigapult. Just place a pig inside the basket and pull the lever. However, this process are not healthy for the Piggies itself. And what's the solution? Yes, you guessed it right: a huge sling. That's a more gentle approach, isn't it? (Please note: Pigs are still harmed during this experiment!)

__Dirty Cheater__
Ulix has a fairly low **Wd 10**, and burns through these pretty quickly. It's great to be able to heal him back.

__The Guardian Stone__
=__Tactics and Tips__= Ulix relies heavily on Pig Synergy to operate.

What Ulix does for Pigs:
 * Pigs within 8" of Ulix may ignore **Set'er Off**.
 * **Slop 'em Up** gives a positive twist to Pig Attacks, and on Rams can give them all a free attack.
 * Ulix can **Prod** pigs to take Ml Attack with a positive twist.
 * Ulix can pull Pigs back toward him with **Sooey!**
 * Ulix can do himself damage with **Proper Care** to heal Pigs.
 * **Huntin' Bow** Upgrade: Shot in the Rear launches a Pig to charge a target, and then keep charging if it kills each target. Pigs do +1 damage to anyone who is hit by the Huntin' Bow attack.
 * **Pig Slingin'** Upgrade: Pigs lose Beast, and Ulix can throw them, and maybe even give them Fast.
 * **Husbandry** Upgrade: Ulix can summon Pigs.
 * **Corn Husks** Upgrade: Friendly Pigs can heal off enemy Scheme Markers, and can drop Scheme Markers more easily.

What Pigs do for Ulix:
 * Ulix can **Hitch a Ride** to tag along when a Pig walks.
 * Ulix gains a bonus to Wp or Df when Pigs are nearby.
 * **Pig Slingin'** Upgrade: Ulix needs a Pig to make the attack, and it damages the Pig.

Combos:
 * **Pig-a-rang**: Send a battle-ready pig into combat with the Huntin' Bow's //**Shot in the Rear.**// After the mayhem pull that pig back with //**"Sooey"**// then send it back with another //**Shot in the Rear**//.
 * A friendly Lenny could ease your flips with the extra +ram, needing only a 6 or higher card to pull off //**Shot in the Rear.**//

First turn summon tactic: Have two big pigs (Old Major and The Sow are good choices) near Ulix. Summon three Piglets from the big pigs and the use Proper Care to heal them all. A Slop Hauler should be used to heal Ulix and the still wounded big pig. If Old Major has Corn Husks, you can then use the Piglets to use (0) Interacts to arrange for a Scheme Marker triangle for summoning a War Pig next turn.

=__Leading a Crew__=

Strategies and Schemes
Ulix's Crew does well with Schemes that require moving out and dropping Scheme Markers. He also does well holding territory, since he can keep his Pigs nearby and heal them as they're hurt.

With **Corn Husks** on Ulix or Old Major makes a Crew with incredible counter-scheming, able to remove enemy Scheme Markers with ease. With **Corn Husks,** Piglets can even remove Scheme Markers on the turn they are Summoned!

Building a Crew
Most of all, you'll want Pigs. Old Major and Penelope are almost auto-includes to keep the Pigs under control and get more flexibility with their use.

Most games you'll be picking one or two big Pigs to act as your beatsticks and a base for your Birthin'. Gracie provides a lot of mobility for Ulix, and resilience, and self-healing. The Sow provides a massive attack and summoning, and combines amazingly well with Shot In The Rear, but she can't use a Saddle to drag along a Slop Hauler. Old Major is a great leader for other Pigs and can carry Corn Husks, and he can move around both Pigs and Gremlins, but he's often better guiding other Pigs for objective-running. You can also pick the Warpig, which is cheaper and still very solid and scary, but it's harder to control and may be vulnerable to Wp attacks.

If you're facing Ressurrectionists, you may want to hire McTavish with **Mud Fling** to remove conditions. Ulix's Crew relies heavily on healing, and unless you have a way to remove Conditions, The Hanged can shut that down with a single **Whispers From Beyond** attack. If you can't afford McTavish, consider hiring Johan instead.


 * Pigs on 50mm base:**
 * Old Major (henchman)
 * Gracie (enforcer)
 * The Sow (minion)
 * War Pig (minion)


 * Pigs on 40mm base:**
 * Wild Boar (minion)


 * Pigs on 30mm base:**
 * Piglet (minion)
 * Stuffed Piglet (peon)


 * Models worth to mention (synergy with Pigs):**
 * Burt Jebsen (enforcer)
 * Gremlin Taxidermist (enforcer)
 * Lenny (enforcer)
 * Hog Whisperer (minion)
 * Slop Hauler (minion)
 * Pigapult (peon)
 * Penelope (peon, totem)
 * McTavish (henchman)

=__Playing Against Ulix__= Ulix is resilient, and many of his powers rely on his Crew for support. If you can pull him away from his Crew, or destroy his melee beatstick pigs, he becomes a lot less powerful.

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