M2E+McMourning


 * McMourning, Guild/Resurrectionists Master**

=__Overview__= McMourning is the coroner of Malifaux, working for the Guild Guardsmen by day while secretly reanimating corpses at night in his monomaniacal quest for immortality. He is dual-faction, functioning as either Guild or Resurrectionist.


 * = - **DF** - ||= - **WP** - ||= - **WD** - ||= - **WK** - ||= - **CG** - ||= - **HT** - ||
 * = 5 ||= 5 ||= 14 ||= 5 ||= 7 ||= 2 ||

McMouring and company are all about Poison. However you look at it he uses, abuses and makes your opponent cry with Poison and its slow but relentless damage.

toc You will learn to love the Infect Trigger and the fact everything in your crew has it or has its equivalent. The other thing to keep in mind is that your crew has, at best, average Wp and Df at 4 or 5. This means speed, raw damage and healing/large Wound pools are your crews strengths. So with that in mind we can take a look at the models you will likely be using. McMourning's core crew also uses Poison defensively to heal itself with **Mithridatization** and **Embalmed**. Whether they're your friends, or enemies, everyone's getting their shot. Of Poison.

The McMourning Crew box contains McMourning, Sebastian, a Flesh Construct, two Nurses, Zombie Chihuahua Totem and one Canine Remains.

=__Resilience__=

If you look at his stats on the front of his card you will see that everything is pretty average, except his Wounds which is the joint highest in the game at a fairly large 14. This means he can take a large amount of punishment before going down, especially when you look at his other defenses such as Hard to Wound, Soulstone use, and Organ Donor. While durable, he is not invincible and should not be thrown in to the middle of an enemy crew -- or at least, not lightly. Keeping Doug alive is a mixture of timing and luck. Know when he can take a hit, and when he should be activating to recoup some losses with **Organ Donor** (More on this later).

With a respectable cache of 4 Soulstones, McMourning can afford to spend most of his stones on his Crew, but it may be a good idea to run with a pool of 6-7 stones, as you will likely need to share the pool with Sebastian. How you use your stones may vary depending on playstyle and opponent. Often, they are best saved for drawing cards and damage preventions, as most of his triggers are already built in. There will be times when you absolutely need a **This One's Ready** to go off, and a stone in your back pocket will be a small mercy.

Hard to Wound
Gives a negative flip [-] to damage. A nice defensive ability that usually means he can save his Soulstones for other things. It means you're probably seeing weak damage, and if you're not getting piled on, you should be able to heal most of that back up with...

Organ Donor
Allows McMourning to heal a number of wounds equal to the damage he inflicts with Ml attacks (max 5 wounds per turn). > With so much self-healing, you can often net up to 20 extra wounds per game, giving him an effective health of 30 (give or take some misses, or positioning).
 * This is one of the main reasons McMourning is so resilient. When low on wounds attempt to engage an enemy and regain a few body parts and wounds from them. If you have **Moonlighting**, try not to kill the target but lower their wounds enough that **Expunge** will kill them.
 * That said, don't get caught up on having McMourning try to heal himself if he is in no danger and still has most of his wounds. If he is already in combat thats fine but don't actively spend AP attempting to engage enemies purely to heal.

=**__Offense__**=

Catalyst
This makes models take Poison damage when they activate. Don't forget this as it's a great way to get free damage on nearby enemies. This also works on friendly models like the Guild Autopsy and the Flesh Construct, but instead of dealing extra damage, they heal an extra wound. Keeping the **Poison +5** on a Flesh Construct may be difficult, but it practically gives them regen two on top of their already staggering wound count.

Sebastian also has **Catalyst**, but the wording makes it so models in both auras are only effected once. He does have other boons to **Poison**, so his presence is definitely still appreciated.

Some Catalyst tricks:
 * __Canine Reanimation:__ If you or your opponent have a model with 1 (or 3 near Sebastian) wound(s) left, if you can, try to poison it and either let it activate or wait until the end of your turn and turn it into a free Canine Remains! This can be more amusing when you turn big models, Masters or other Canine Remains into a new Canine Remains.
 * __Catalyst on Friendly Models__: Use Catalyst to heal models with **Embalmed** or **Mithridization**. When they activate the poison damage will tick, thus healing them for a wound instead. Be aware that this will burn through any built up **Poison** or **Poison** from **Embalmed** very quickly!
 * __Getting Around Defenses:__ **Poison** is a great way around **Hard to Kill.** **Catalyst** gives you another chance to finish off such annoying models who are near death just in case you fell short with your attack and 1 point of poison damage just isn't enough.

Precise
Allows him to ignore Armour and Hard to Wound. Fluff wise, this is probably due to him wielding a scalpel. A precision instrument for a precision cut. This makes it easier to dismantle constructs and slice down the Undead. It doesn't get around Hard To Kill, armor-like abilities other than Armor (like the Riders triggers), or Impossible To Wound.

A good thing to remember is that this works with //any// Attack Action and not just with his ** Surgical Implements ** attack. This means **Expunge** will ignore any Armor that would otherwise save a model from it's typically lethal level of damage.

Do not think that this makes McMourning an ideal hunter for anything with Armour, unless the target is heavily poisoned as his damage track is not that high. Instead, make sure the target has a large amount of **Poison** placed on them and let them die to **Expunge** and poison.

[[image:McMourningAlt.png width="246" height="369" align="right"]]
A high Ml but a low/mediocre damage spread.

Trigger/s:
 * **Infect[♠︎]:** After succeeding, target gains the Poison +1 condition a number of times equal to the number of Crows[♠︎] in the final duel total.
 * **This One's Ready** [♠︎][ ♦︎ ]: This action has the //This Ones Ready// trigger, if you have a Mask[ ♦︎ ] in hand and want to engage the target or move about the board while handing out poison then cheat in a high Mask[ ♦︎ ] or card with a stone to push into base contact.

Healing McMourning
As mentioned before, this is how he heals himself while also spreading low levels of poison. When combined with his **Evidence Tampering** upgrade, it is a great way to have McMourning 'teleporting' around while also healing.

Stack with Poison Damage
While his damage track is only 2/3/6, when combined with Poison you can think of it as more like 3/4/7, or 5/6/9 if Sebastian is nearby.

McMourning's **This One's Ready** trigger on **Surgical implements** is mostly there to add a touch of mobility to his **(0) Scalpel Slinging** (available with upgrade: **Evidence Tempering**) attack. If you're engaged with something that is going to die soon to poison, or is only there to try and tie you up, you can **Scalpel Slinging** a nearby target to push out of engagement.

(1) Rancid Transplant (Ca 7[♠︎] / TN: 15 / Rst: Df / Rg: 8)
Target gains **Poison +2** and for every Undead model within 3" the target gains another **Poison +2**. Beware as this will damage the nearby Undead models. This also comes with the trigger //This One's Ready//.

Trigger:
 * **This One's Ready** [♠︎][ ♦︎ ]: This action has the //This Ones Ready// trigger, if you have a Mask[ ♦︎ ] in hand and want to engage the target or move about the board while handing out poison then cheat in a high Mask[ ♦︎ ] or card with a stone to push into base contact.
 * This can give you an extra 3" of movement over a walk action on top of the other advantages such as poisoning models and escaping unwanted combats. Don't forget you can target friendly models if you wish to flee combat without the risk of your opponent stopping you.

Using ** Rancid Transplant then Expunge ** allows McMourning to quickly build up a large amount of Poison himself to Expunge rather than relying on other models. Most people forget the he doesn't need someone with Transfusion to help him hand out poison.

Skin Graft Bomb:
When combined with **Skin Graft** from the Plastic Surgery Upgrade, this can be used to poison the target ready to be **Expunged** but also will damage nearby enemy models as they are given the Undead characteristic. And don't forget this bonus damage is irresistible so if enough enemies are nearby use it on the target three times for maximum damage before **Expunging** the target.

Objective Running:
Should McMourning wish to quickly move around for a scheme (such as Entourage) and his normal walk isn't enough (and a Nurse isn't near by) then this is a great way to get around. You can use your own models as targets to fill in the gaps when an enemy model isn't quite in range.

(0) Expunge (Ca 7[♠︎] / Tn: 15 / Rst: Df / Rg: 8)
Target suffers a number of wounds equal to the amount of poison on them (max 9 then drop the condition by 9). Also, you only need to equal the opponents final duel. Beating it by 5 has the same effect as beating it by 1; the full damage will still be applied.

Transplant Synergy

 * Expunge** is the Yin to **Rancid Transplant's** Yang. Clearly these two were made for one another. This is the (0) action you want to aim for each turn and make sure whatever poor model is **Expunged**, has enough poison (or low enough wounds) to be killed instantly by this spell.

Knocking Down Big Targets
This can do a lot of damage at once. If your target has 10 or more Poison, you can even use this to get around Hard to Kill. If you put at least poison n (n= targets number of wounds +1) on them then they are as good as dead. This trick assumes there is no healing or condition removal, so it's a bit of a last resort.

(0) Injection
A (0) Action that pushes target up to its **Wk**, gives it **Poison +2,** then drops a Scheme Marker. While not as sexy as McMourning's other (0) Action, **Expunge**, it can be very useful in games where placing scheme markers is a big part of the schemes selected. It turns a (0) Action into 2 free AP: a walk and a scheme marker drop - without the limitations of an Interact! Insignificant models can place markers, markers can be placed if the model ends up engaged, markers can be placed within 4" of other markers. This can be a useful ability to complete various schemes as it effectively allows McMourning to drop 2-3 scheme markers in a single activation - This is a great action for completing Schemes like A Line in the Sand or Protect Territory. Since it's a place not an Interact, it's also //highly// effective at schemes like Plant Explosives and Spring the Trap.

This can be a useful ability to pull/push models into or out of situations. Had a model Lured too far away and it's about to get jumped? Simply Inject it and have it push itself back towards your other models. It's a great way to catch opponents off guard as most people forget this ability even exists.

If you're opponent has **Distract** or **Cursed Object** you can Inject the model with the condition and move them out of combat so they can attempt to remove said condition, then take the Interact on that models turn. Dropping the marker isn't taking an Interact action.

The number of benefits this ability can give you for schemes and strats are varied and numerous. For instance:
 * Targeting an Insignificant models with **Injection** isn't an Interact action, you simply drop a marker.
 * This is also a good way to have 2 markers dropped next to one another should space/positioning be tight. (One model, two markers for protect territory).
 * This can allow a model to drop a scheme marker in the middle of a group of enemies or near the enemy master for schemes such as Spring the Trap or Plant Explosives while looking like you are attempting to engage said enemies.
 * Combined with **Uppers** from a Nurse, Canine Remains (or Guild Hounds or Watchers) will have a potential of 24" of movement in a turn to place a marker pretty much wherever you need it.
 * This can allow a model to quickly **Deliver a Message** rather than having to engage the enemy master and survive a turn to do so.
 * When running Guild, inject Latigo Pistolero to move them into a position where models can benefit from their **Look Out!** aura, when the Pistolero activates it can **Shrug Off** the poison.

This is an amazing toolbox ability, and should not be overlooked. It can certainly compete with **Expunge** and **Scalpel Slinging**, which is saying something.

=**__Mobility__**= McMourning can move well, especially with special tricks. With a Wk 5 and Cg 7, and the 3 AP every Master gets, he's decently mobile. He's got a Trigger than can zip him up next to an enemy with an attack. What makes him really fast are the mobility tricks he can gain from his Upgrades.

This One's Ready
A Trigger on both the **Surgical Implements** and **Rancid Transplant** attacks that pushes McMourning into base contact with the target, on a Mask[ ♦︎ ]. On **Surgical Implements** the push isn't likely to matter much without another Upgrade, but this can give McMourning up to 8 inches of push in addition to an attack when used with **Rancid Transplant**.

(0) Scalpel Slingin'
This (0) Attack, from the **Evidence Tampering** upgrade, gives significant mobility to McMourning as well as an extra attack. McMourning can make a **Surgical Implements** attack against any target within 6". If he has a Mask[ ♦︎ ] for his **This One's Ready** trigger, he can then push into base contact, which can provide tremendous speed. It's often worthwhile to use this to get an attack on an enemy, or sometimes even a friendly model, for the extra mobility it provides.

**That's The Stuff**
An Ability on the **Plastic Surgery** Upgrade that gives a 6" Push when McMourning takes damage from **Poison**. Since McMourning heals quite quickly, taking the damage is not too bad, and the additional push can be huge. If you can arrange for McMourning to activate near Sebastian, he can get this push twice in a round, for a whopping 12" of extra movement!

=**__Upgrades__**=

Moonlighting - (Resser Only)
Allows McMourning to hire up to four Guild Guards or Guild Lawyers, allows Flesh Constructs to be summoned via **Expunge** and Canine Remains via things dying due to poison nearby. Simply put, its a must take upgrade and a bargain at only one Soulstone!
 * **Abra Cadaver!** - A trigger for **Expunge** that turns it from a nasty spell to a downright dirty spell and pushes it into an even more powerful (0) action. The free Flesh Contruct from Living/Undead models is just a great bonus and why you want to be attempting to kill at least 1 target a turn with Expunge.
 * Trick - This combines very well with the Skin Graft ability from Plastic Surgery as it will allow you to turn anything into a Flesh Construct.
 * **Road Kill Scholar** is a nice passive ability that gives you a free Canine Remains for every Living/Undead model that dies due to Poison. This combines nicely with **Catalyst** and **Induction** (from Sebastian) and should a viable target come up it gives the Zombie Chihuahua something to aim for!

**On the Clock - (Guild Only)**
Allows McMourning to hire Nurses, Sebastian, and the Zombie Chihuahua and provides two support tactical actions:
 * **Spot weakness** - Gives a friendly model within 10" the **Precise** condition, which provides the same benefits of the McMourning's **Precise** ability, making the model ignore **Armor** and **Hard to Wound**. The action also has a trigger requiring a Mask which allows the action to be taken once more.
 * **On Order of the Governor's Secretary...I Love Saying That** - Makes a friendly model within 10" perform a (1) interact

Plastic Surgery
Allows him to give models the Undead characteristic and to push up to 5" when he suffers damage due to **Poison**. This is a situational upgrade and one that's probably overlooked more often than it should be but it is a very useful upgrade in the right game.
 * **Skin Graft** combines very well with the trigger //Abra Cadaver!// from **Moonlighting** (as described above). It also allows McMourning to damage enemy models with **Rancid Transplant** which would otherwise be immune to (again as described above).
 * Trick - This provides an ironic synergy with Guild Marshals when declaring Guild, especially anti-Undead Guild models list Exorcists and The Judge
 * **That's the Stuff** - A great way to move around for a single point of damage. If McMourning activates near Sebastian it can potentially allow him to push 10" in a single turn. Combine that with his normal walk and that's 25" in a turn. And he could travel even further with the right **Rancid Transplant** and **Scalpel Slinging** targets!
 * This is a great way to allow McMourning to complete various schemes that require movement or scheme markers to be dropped as he can gain increased movement speed or can save more of his actions for dropping markers.
 * This can also allow McMourning to push out of danger or away from models wishing to attack him or used short ranged abilities and allow other models to deal with said threats while he goes elsewhere.
 * Should you also have the **Evidence Tampering** upgrade, this can allow McMourning to steal Scheme Markers at the end of the game with a cheeky last push denying precious VPs to your opponent and possibly claiming some for yourself in the process. This can potentially allow him to steal scheme markers 9".

Evidence Tampering
Allows him to claim all scheme markers within 4" of himself at the end of the game and gives him access to his signature Scalpel Slinging action.
 * **Evidence Tampering** lets him claim scheme markers allowing him to deny an opponent their scheme while possibly allowing you to complete your own. This also combines with the ability **That's the Stuff** (as described above).
 * **Scalpel Slinging** - A 6" ranged **Surgical Implements** attack action which is a (0) Action, and don't forget he has access to both his //Infect// trigger and //This Ones Ready// trigger. This gives McMourning up to four attack actions a turn and another action that can allow him to move about the board without using an AP for walking.

Unknowable Pain
Allows other models to push their Cg towards a model which damages it (requires a mask).
 * Can be useful if facing a ranged heavy opponent, but otherwise somewhat limited in use.

Spare Parts (Resser Only)
While not specifically a McMourning-only Upgrade, this Upgrade has thematic ties to McMourning and works well for him. This allows the summoning of Guild Autopsies and the powerful Rogue Necromancy. Both of the following abilities require corpses, which McMourning rarely needs, so you can often summon a Rogue Necromancy fairly quickly.
 * **Good Enough for Government Work** - Allows the summoning of Guild Autopsies, for a corpse, which allows McMouring to actively summon in additional significant models that doesn't entirely rely on enemy models.
 * __Transfusion__: Summoning a Guild Autopsy brings in **Poison +5** ready for someone to **Transfuse**.
 * __Summon and Inject__: This can allow McMourning to summon a model and then **Inject** them to push and drop a scheme marker (especially useful as this would take him 3AP rather than 1AP and his (0).
 * __Avatar Synergy (beta)__: Allows for easy summoning of Sim-29 by using up the Guild Autopsy's poison.
 * **Masterpiece** - Allows the summoning of the Rogue Necromancy at the cost of a (2) and four corpses. This allows McMourning to summon in a new beatstick. Given his lack of interest in corpses, having four corpses to spare will not likely be an issue nor will he miss them.
 * Don't forget you can place the model in base contact with any of the corpses, this gives the Rogue Necromancy a huge threat range given the base size and its melee range.
 * It may be worth spending a Soulstone for the Crow you need to get this off.

Decaying Aura (Resser Only)
Prevents healing and damage prevention from Soulstones within a 4" aura
 * A very strong upgrade but not one I have actually used on McMourning however it is a strong option and one to consider highly should you decide to play McMourning as a more beatstick master.

Transfusion (Resser Only)
Transfers poison from a model to the target. This is not something McMourning himself wants to be taking due to it being a (0) action and he already has two or three strong options. Usually this Upgrade works best when you put it on a Henchman or Enforcer, like Sebastian or Rafkin.

Badge of Office (Guild Only)
A one-shot Upgrade that reduces damage down to 1. This is a lot of Soulstones for a one-shot defense, but it can help if you're facing a high-damage Crew hunting for your Master and doing damage faster than McMourning can heal it.

=__**Builds**__= Doug McMourning is a lot of things. Some might call him two-faced. Some might even call him, dare I say it, crazy. But the multiple facets of his personality give him a zeal and a flexibility that many envy in the world of Malifaux. Given different schemes and strats, not only can his crew mold around him to become the perfect machine, but he himself can change //his// M.O. to make his compatriots better. Whether you're setting up huge poison bombs, adding in buffing models so make Doug a Melee Monster, playing a Colette-esque scheme marker ploy, or anywhere in between, Doug's got the toolkit to do it all.

These builds are just suggestions for an archetype; the actual load out will differ from game to game (ie: scheme pool to scheme pool), but remember, they're guidelines. Jumping off points.

**The Poison Bomber**
Use **Rancid Transplant**, models with **Infect**, the Zombie Chihuahua's Horrific Odor, along with other models **Infect** triggers, and **Embalmed** models to spread poison to enemy models, and high levels to one model a turn for **Expunge**.

This allows a ticking of 1-2 (or 3-6) points of damage each turn due to **Poison** on any model targeted and that comes near McMourning or Sebastian. This damage combined with that that comes from Canine Remains and Guild Autopsies can quickly become too much for most crews and typically sees their models die very quickly. This method however does require some setup, and should an opponent realize what you doing will attempt to counter this by focusing on Sebastian or McMourning.

This build is also fairly susceptible to Condition removal. If you spend three activations setting up Santiago up the bomb, and then he just shrugs all the Poison off, you're gonna feel pretty lousy. Remember who can cleanse, and either try to stall that model out, or take that model down. Even if that means doing it the old fashioned way. Watch out for Johan. He's got condition removal, is good against Flesh Constructs and Necropunks, and has Hard to Kill.

For this style, hire the following:
 * **Upgrades:** Moonlighting, Spare Parts, and any one other Upgrade of choice.
 * **Models**: Sebastian (with Transfusion and Those Are Not Ours!), Nurse, Zombie Chihuahua, Canine Remains, Guild Autopsies. Possibly Rafkin with Transfusion or Decaying Aura.

The Melee Beatstick
Mostly using **Surgical Implement** attacks and either **Scalpel Slinging** or **Expunge** to kill models up close and personally. This will require a cache of 6/7 to keep him alive longer and to make sure he has the right cards. You will likely want to keep high Masks for when you need him to push into another target via **Scalpel Slinging** or **Rancid Transplant** should the target be further away or a possible **Expunge** target. **Expunging** a target also works for the Beaststick McMourning on low wound targets.

Sebastian is still a great piece and worth taking to take full advantage of the **Poison** that will still be getting handed out. Using McMourning as a beatstick will draw a large amount of attention to him and so most Stones will likely be used to reduce damage in order to let him heal some of the damage and kill another model.

For this style, hire the following:
 * **Upgrades**: Moonlighting for sure, then two of: **Plastic Surgery**, **Evidence Tampering**, **Decaying Aura**, and **Spare Parts**.
 * **Models**: Sebastian (with Transfusion and Those Are Not Ours!), Nurse, Zombie Chihuahua, Rafkin (with Decaying Aura), Canine Remains, Guild Autopsies, and Flesh Construct.

**The Hybrid**
//(No, that doesn't mean he runs on electricity!)// There's plenty of territory between Poison Bomb and Melee Beatstick, and McMourning's true strength comes from combining them. He can switch between the two quite easily and adapt to any given situation. With a hybrid, you could start with the Poison Bombing style, then slowly use him as more of a Melee Beatstick as the number of models drops (since fewer models makes **Rancid Transplant** less effective).

For this style, hire the following:
 * **Upgrades**: **Moonlighting** and two others based on enemy Faction, Strategies and Schemes.
 * **Models**: Sebastian with Transfusion, Rafkin, Nurse, Zombie Chihuahua, Canine Remains, Guild Autopsies.

**Guild McMourning**
When hired in the Guild, McMourning tends to lean more towards the Melee Beatstick build. It's harder to get **Poison** delivery models in the Guild, and the **Transfusion** tricks are unavailable. The ** On the Clock ** upgrade also provides a support/control master aspect to McMourning, allowing him to be a midfield master handing out Precise to heavy hitters, pushing models where they need to be, and making models interact out of activation.

The fact that McMourning can't summon off **Expunge** in Guild makes it less critical that the killing blow come from Doug himself, leaving him to direct traffic with **"On the Order..."** and **Injection**, support his troops with precise, or just plain put poison and deal some damage with his **Rancid Transplant** and **Surgical instruments** attack.

If you want to play a Poison Bomb McMourning in the Guild, you still can still do so. Be sure to hire Sebastian and Nurses. Consider hiring a pair of Performers as Mercenaries. Their ability to **Lure**, apply **Poison**, and use an **Expunge**-like Ability can give McMourning back the abilities he needs.

=__Tips and Tricks__= McMourning is a very efficient Master with a lot of Actions that do multiple things at once. If every move sets up a friendly model to do more, or if his attacks lead to boosting up his later actions, he'll be successful. These tactics can vary quite a bit depending on faction.

Understand Your Opponent's Crew
McMourning relies heavily on **Poison**, which can leave it vulnerable to some defensive opponents. If your opponent's Crew is new to you, be sure to ask your opponent some questions before Turn One starts:
 * __**How many Soulstones do you have?**__ Something you should always do but more so for McMourning as this will determine how much effort you should put into killing Soulstone users via poison (and **Induction**). Lower caches means your poison shenanigans will have a greater influence over all the enemy models.
 * __**Do you have any Condition removal Abilities or Actions?**__ If you plan to poison things then you need to know where the counters are. Either eliminate them entirely, preferably via **Poison** for a more humorous death. If killing them is not as practicable them make sure not to stack large volumes of **Poison** on any given model. This will make removing poison a more trivial action until the fighting starts fully (usually turn 2/3).
 * __**Do you have any Hard to Kill models?**__ Hard to Kill makes the model less of a target for **Expunge**. Avoid targeting these models unless no other targets are available and try to make sure the **Expunge** drops them to their last wound for the **Poison** condition to kill off.
 * __**Do you have any models that are immune to Conditions or Poison?**__ Obviously this means do not bother attempting to kill them via **Poison**. You'll have to kill them the old fashioned way!

**The Sneaky Summoner**
McMourning has two ways to summon, both from Upgrades.

The first one is **Road Kill Scholar**//,// his ability to summon Canine Remains. This happens when a model dies from **Poison** within a 8" of McMourning. It's important to know that it's only for death from **Poison**, and that McMourning doesn't have to discard anything for this to go off. So often, passive summoning requires discarding resources, but for Doug, if they die of **Poison** near him, and you took **Moonlighting**, you're getting a dog.

The second way to summon, also from **Moonlighting**, is the //Abra Cadaver// trigger to **Expunge**. **Expunge** already has the crow built into the cast, so you don't have to worry about getting a suit to make this summon go off. If you kill a target with **Expunge**, you get a Flesh Construct.

How does this play into McMourning's theme? His primary attacks (**Rancid Transplant** and **Surgical Implements**) and his Crew's attacks all do damage then give a target **Poison**. Each attack both does damage and prepares for a hearty **Expunge**, or causes secondary damage through poison (and **Catalyst**, and **Induction** on Sebastian, and **My Own Concoction** from Rafkin, etc.). As enemies get softened up, and the **Poison** stacks higher, **Expunge** looks stronger and stronger, until you pop the enemy, dealing massive damage and summoning at the same time, which is a very AP-efficient move. The opponent loses a model, you gain one, making it a two-activation swing instead of just one from the kill. This can very quickly turn the tide.

**The Speedy Shambler**
There are some really tricky ability combinations inherent in McMourning's crew.

One favorite is the Nurse/Flesh Construct/Injection plan. This is most effective when you've got Plant Explosive or Spring The Trap Scheme in play, or even Deliver the Message.

The trick runs like this:
 * 1) The Nurse gives the Flesh Construct Uppers (+2 to walk, and may only take interact/walk actions). Construct's walk becomes 7.
 * 2) Wait for a cluster of enemies.
 * 3) Walk the construct 14" towards said cluster of enemies, preferably with an open straight line to them.
 * 4) Activate Doug near to last, use **Injection** to push that construct 7" (Giving him 21" of movemenet with his own 2 walks) and place a Scheme Marker. He may do so even though he's engaged.

With this trick, you can tie down 3 VP for Plant Explosives on Turn One. With 6" of deployment zone, and 21" of effective movement, he's got 27" (just over 2 feet) of linear movement available to the Construct.

**The "Oh Crap" Button**
McMourning has one of the highest wound counts in the game. He's also got a way to heal up to 5 of that back a turn. But what if that's not enough? Is assassinate on the board? Are the enemies at the gate ready to cut the good doctor down to size? Have a Nurse hit him with an **Injection** with the Crow trigger and **Paralyze** him. Sure, he'll lose an activation, but he'll be very, very alive.

You can clear the **Paralyze** with Chiaki (Resser), a Witchling Stalker (Guild), or Johan (either).

Guild
McMourning's guild persona is a little more manic, and a bit incognito. He can't do any of his typical summoning tricks. "THEN WHAT GOOD IS HE?!", you might be screaming at your computer. Let me tell you what. If there is one person who can attempt to keep up with Colette's scheme marker generation, it's... well, okay, Lucius. But after that, it's McMourning. Through a liberal use of Guardsmen, Austringers, and Guild-only Upgrades, McMourning can create so many Scheme Markers, it's just silly.

**On Order Of The Governor's Secretary...I love saying that!**

 * On the Clock** gives an Ability called //**"On Order of The Governor's Secretary... I love saying that"**.// On top of being an amazingly named ability, it gives Doug the ability to trade an AP for an Interact action on a model within 10". Combine that with his **Injection** ability, and he can make some serious out of activation Interactions. It also allows him to hire Nurses and Sebastian. This is often in my lineup as a guild McMourning. Finally, it gives him the **Spot Weakness** ability, which passes the ability to ignore **Armor** and **Hard to Wound** out to one or two other people on his team. An Executioner with Precise is scary. A Peacekeeper with Precise will ruin someone's day.

** The Stealth Bomber **
Similar to the Speedy Shambler above, but just a hair different. Take a Watcher, who typically has a 6" move with flight. Have a Nurse pump it with Uppers to give it 8" of flight. Move him up, then have McMourning use **Injection**. With a standard deployment, this can give 30" of uninterrupted movement with a Scheme Marker place at the end of it.

** Air Support **
Austringers are an amazing minion. They bring really good utility, with an amazing attack, some enemy card manipulation, and **Deliver Orders**. It's a push and interact outside of activation, which can free up a model from engagement, and get a Scheme Marker.

** The Medical Squadron **
The Nurse is a toolbox that can superpower many facets of a model, that depending on what you've got in hand. Each trigger for her main power is a benefit paired with a detriment: movement bonuses but you can only walk, or melee damage increase but you can only attack. Played cleverly, you can make the benefits count for you and the detriments count for your enemies.


 * "You can only attack, but the Austringer will push you, and then McMourning will push you, and now you're engaged... go crazy!"
 * "You can only make moves and interacts, but hey! That's your job! You get to move 4 times and place three Scheme Markers this turn!"

And the best yet, on a Crow you heal and get **Paralyzed**. Unless you pair a Nurse with a Witchling Stalker. This two man medic team can make a Executioner an unstoppable juggernaut. If he's not hurting, give him extra melee damage! If he is hurting, heal him up and clear the **Paralyze** with dispel magic.

**Doug's Favorite Doll**
Five wounds a turn through **Organ Donor** is pretty freakin' good. You know what's better? Potentially nine. Take the Brutal Effigy, and put **Revitialize** on Doug through a (0) action. Every attack that lands heals an extra wound. If you kill a model with him, you then also get to draw a card! If you're running Doug as a killer, this is an amazing four Soulstone investment. And he's a good option for **On the Order...**, as he can take Interacts. Four stones, nearly doubling McMourning's healing, as well as giving him some card draw? What's not to love?

=**__Strategy and Schemes__**=

Overall when it comes to Strategies and Schemes, McMourning very balanced, with no real weaknesses.


 * Turf War**//:// Solid McMourning strat. It means people are going to have to come to a central location and stay there, which means **Catalyst** is going to pull more weight. He's good at keeping tough targets up with the help of Nurses, so put a couple meat shields in the middle and support them, taking out threats with a concentrated barrage.


 * Reconnoiter:** Easier for Resser McMourning than Guild, as you can focus on making model swings happen. Kill one of theirs, make one for you, and you went from 3/2 in your quarter to 2/3 in your favor. Sebastian with some dogs and the ability to resummon said dogs can fill up another quarter with relative ease.


 * Squatters Rights:** Easier for Guild McMourning than Resser, since you can use **In the name of...** to make models take squat interacts outside of their turn, making them easily claimable on turn one, and defendable after that. You can also bring an Austringer to make it even easier. Ressur McMourning can still do it, but it's more with Nurses giving Necropunks range increases, and watching them Leap around the markers like hopped up grasshoppers.


 * Reckoning:** The only concern with this is giving your opponent too many targets to kill. Try to avoid Dog Summoning, and focus on Flesh Contructs, as it is hard to kill two of them in a turn! Keep your opponent's killers tied up with Flesh Constructs, and burn down the support crew with your melee monsters. If all else fails, paralyze or cripple your opponent's key pieces with Nurses, making them only take walk and interacts, or worse, giving them increased melee damage while they're too far from anyone or anything to attack.


 * Stake a Claim**//:// This Strategy may be a bit rougher for him than the others, as it takes a two action to place a claim marker. He's got the movement to get into the enemy half quickly, and so long as you can tie up your enemy to keep them there, and place a couple claims of his own, he should be able to control the board without much trouble. The trick is getting in early and putting a stop to the enemy's movement.

Schemes
Again, McMourning can complete all of the Schemes without any real difficulty. He has a fondness for those that require killing (**Make Them Suffer**), Scheme Markers (**A Line in the Sand** or **Protect Territory**) or movement (**Entourage**). He's also quite good at Offensive Scheme Marker Schemes (**Plant Explosives** or **Spring the Trap**) thanks to **Injection**.

However, he can be vulnerable to giving the enemy **Frame for Murder** (due to **Expunge** or **Surgical Implements**) and **Deliver a Message** (if playing as a Melee Beatstick).

=**__Crew__**=

**Getting started with the good doctor**
New in box, you're looking at Doug, Sebastion, a Flesh Construct, a pair of Nurses, one Canine Remains, and the Zombie Chihuahua. From here you'll probably want a few more dogs, and a couple more Flesh Constructs.

If you're starting Doug as a Guild Master, you're in for a rougher bit, as you can't hire the Canine Remains or the Flesh Construct. Get some Witchling Stalkers to pair with your Nurses, and look into either the Family or the Guardsmen to fill out your ranks a bit. An Executioner or The Judge can also be good. So, if you've got a Sonia or a Lady Justice box, you should be pretty set for filler.

McMourning's crew selection will vary widely on what the schemes and strategies are, but some models of note follow, as well as a brief description of roles they may fulfill.

//**Either Faction:**// Sebastian: The right hand man. Whether Guild or Ressur, Sebastion is always helping synergize with Doug's **Poison**. **Poison** damage can get a little scary with Sebastian on the table, as **Induction** makes them take 2 //additional// damage from **Poison**, which means that a model activating within 6" of Sebastian can take upwards of 6 damage from **Poison** (3 from activating, 3 at the end of the turn). He's also got //Under Cover// which gives some really good defense against ranged attacks, something Doug and his crew need as they're mostly melee oriented.

Nurses: An amazing toolbox for Doug: their ability to lock down nearly any model with a lot of different cards. or boost up a perfectly placed model with the exact same cards makes them rediculously useful. Got a healthy model you want out of the picture? Heal them. And **Paralyze** them. You have a caster up in your grill about to drop some fireballs? Make it so they can only take ML attacks. Have fun doing nothing. Did Bette Noir just pop up next to a model that killed something you love? How 'bout givin' //her// +2 damage and melee attacks. Never regretted a Nurse.

Zombie Chihuahua: McMourning's Totem. His ability is a little odd, he's like the eternal flame for Sonnia: he's built to run in, be a nuisance, and probably die. But give **Poison** while he's at it. He's also got **Expunge** on his card; it's only at cast 5, but if he's still around and it's late in the turn, you might just luck into it. He can't, however, summon a Flesh Construct with his. So, it's mostly for bragging rights.

Guild Guard: A cheap model with movement abilities that are based around scheme markers. Good fillers.

Guild Lawyer: A really cool model that's able to hamper your enemy's ability to retaliate. I haven't played with them much, but from the one or two Lucius games I've seen them in, they interest me.

Flesh Construct: Amazing 6 stone models. The true workhorse in a Ressur/Doug crew, even if you don't hire any of them. They've got low stats but amazing wounds, and the ability to heal some of them back as they go. Easily summoned back, and their **//Ceaseless Advance//** ability forces your opponent to play a card down, lest they see some **Reactivates** get handed out.
 * //Resurrectionists//**

Canine Remains: Four stones that can dig up bodies, which is good if Sebastian takes the upgrade allowing him to summon a dog off a corpse. Good scheme runners, and they have **Scent of Death** which allows them to charge for a (1) ap. Fast objective runners, and they can reduce defense in melee, to make models easier to hit with all of McMourning's attacks.

Rafkin the Embalmer: He's technically Nicodem's assistant, but he synergizes with Doug so well! He's got the ability to make enemies take more damage from melee attacks if they've been poisoned. He's also got **Mithridatization** which means he's cool with being poisoned. And as a Enforcer, he can take the **Transfusion** upgrade which means he can get a bunch of **Poison** stacked up on him, then transfer it over to set up an **Expunge** bomb.

Bete Noir: A melee model that pops up when models die. Send a dog up. Let that dog get crushed. SURPRISE! It's a Bette Noir. The Bette bomb has been around for forever, but with easily replenishable dogs or Flesh Constructs, Bette is a good choice for things like Murder Protege, or Assassinate.

Necro Punks: One of the best scheme runners in the game. If Deliver the Message is on the table, take them. Leap and then 2AP to Deliver. Scheme, Leap, Scheme. Move Leap a wall, Scheme. Their movement and survivability is a bargain at their cost of 5ss.

//**Guild**// **Only** Brutal Effigy: Brutal Effigy and Doug get along so well! Gives McMourning more healing and card draw when he kills things, which is what he's likely to do anyway. Also a good target for **Injection**.

Executioner: A great big meaty beat stick that heals when he kills folks. Team him with a Nurse and watch the sparks. He's also got some scheme removal/movement shenanigans, and can turn the tide of the game quite well. Be careful, though: It's easy to over-extend him with the **Injection** ability and less than stellar support.

Francisco: Everyone's favorite Duelist. He can get stabby with the best of 'em. If you need to lead two squads (Reconnoiter or something of the like), he's often good at the point of the second squad. He's also good at sniper removal, with his **Enfrente Me** ability placing him in a roost.

The Judge: There are some cool synergies with the judge and Doug's //Skin Graft// ability on the **Plastic Surgery** upgrade. He gets bonuses against the Undead, and Doug can make folks look Undead. This might be the team of choice if you wanna get in the middle and mix it up, for a Turf War for instance.

Witchling Stalkers: These guys make the list specifically for condition removal. Their attacks are secondary, and their ability to explode and add **Burning** is more of a detriment than a boon, but being able to clear **Poison** off friendlies that have been injected, or **Paralyze** off models that just got healed. It's pretty good.

=Playing against McMourning= From a McMourning standpoint, there are two things that need to happen. You need **Poison** to go out, and you need to activate after that has happened after the big threats have gone.

There are two things that'll ruin McMourning's day: Condition removal, and having to activate early. If you're going to make a run against Doug, either frontload the damage and try and get him to activate early, or try and push the damage off as long as you can, and save some big threats for near the end of the turn. Make McMourning activate before he wants to, so he's not yet ready to **Expunge** effectively. If you drop a bunch of damage on him after he's activated, it means he's got to weather the storm until next turn, or get a heal from a Nurse which can cut his battlefield potential substantially.

Try to take out the Nurses early. They've got some of the best control in his crew, they can hand out **Poison**, and they can **Paralyze**. So kill the Nurses, and the buffs/debuffs go away, as well as some of Doug's healing abilities.

Try and stay out of McMourning's 6" **Scalpel Slingin'** range, to make him spend an action to get within range. By forcing him to walk, even a little, you can cut his offense by 25%.

To recap:
 * Hit him hard early in the Turn, to force him to activate or take a **Paralyze** heal.
 * Hit him after he's activated for the turn to either kill him without a chance to recoup, or force him to activate earlier in the next turn.
 * Take out his Nurses and/or his condition removal.
 * Be aware of his movement tricks and try and make him waste AP for positioning.

Originally written by forums user Kriltic Edited and Expanded by EntrepeNinja Unless otherwise stated, all names and images on this site are property of Wyrd Miniatures, LLC. ([|Link]) 
 * __Ownership__ **