Sudema: How to use her better

[Red_Sox_1]

Sudema, the undead queen, who has the great Stare of Stone, but is still almost never drafted or used in pre-made armies. This is usually because players feel she cannot take the beating near the front of the battle with only 3 defense and 4 lives. True, her survivability is poor, but destroying any hero on a 17 on the D20, and any squad member on a 7 can make the risk worth it. Sudema cannot just be charged at a powerful figure like a dragon. She must be used with finesse, use her to pick off powerful units, especially if they are 'sleeping' ones. If your opponent has figures with disengage, use other units to take them out. Cyprien Esenwein, for example, can get to Sudema easily, and will usually destroy her. Once such figures have been eliminated, Sudema can run around, and stare at powerful opponents. This be much easier if you have a meat-shield in front. Great units for this are Deathreavers, Gladiatrons, and Izumi Samurai (although their unique status can be Achilles heel). Quality range units backing up Sudema for crowd control are very nice, as she is best at ponding powerful or hard-to-kill heroes. Keep Sudema away from opponents that can get by your shield, or that can kill her at a range. Having Nakita Agents in your army can be nice, as Sudema can just stay adjacent to one for smoke powder. The Nakita can be used as the range support, and Sudema can be protected by them as she stares down the powerful heroes. The ability to instantly kill a game breaking figure like Krug, Nilfheim, Braxas, or Major Q9 makes Sudema a very potent figure when used right and protected.

[ABOMINATION]

Great idea, Red Sox 1! I'll have to try that next time I'm using her.

[Sokol]

Good ideas, Red Sox 1!

If I can ever find Heroes of Trollsford for a decent price, I will have to try them out.

[spiteofthedice]

Nice article, Red_Sox_1. My biggest problem with Sudema is that she doesn't fit into any particular themed army except the zombies, and they are one of the few sets I don't own. I'm just not big on zombies.

That said, your article reminded me that she has a uniquely powerful ability and it might be worth my while to figure out how to use her correctly. I'm actually not sure I've ever tried her.

[Snotwalker 8000]

Simply put, Sudema needs help.

Complexly put, Sudema can be a FORCE if properly supported. Like a Super Aircraft Carrier, Sudema needs to surround herself with a well-balanced Battle Group.

First off, recognize early that Sudema will walk around with a very large bulls-eye on her person. Plan accordingly. Either give her a Kevlar vest or entice your opponent with a MORE enticing target to draw fire away from her.

Kevlar Vest Options: Obviously, Raelin is a solid choice, as always. But another good pairing for Sudema are the Nakita Agents as Sox mentioned. Send them out in a spread pattern on which Sudema can "hop-scotch" around, while remaining adjacent to a Nakita for extra Smoke Powder protection. Or just pair her up with a couple squads of rats! Send out the vermin ahead of her to tie up opposing threats, creating a "fish in a barrel" scenario for Sudema.

More Enticing Options: Give your opponent a class A headache having to decide between attacking Sudema or (fill-in-the-blank). With Q9, or a prize-fighting dragon, or other high-profile (yet strong defensive) target in sight, Sudema may be underestimated and thus overlooked by your opponent, giving her that valuable time to make her staring attacks. Just be sure to use her only as a mid-to-late game player... NOT an opening champion! A premature Sudema activation typically results in a writhing heap of dead snakes.

Champagne Taste: Don't throw Sudema into a pack of Zombies or ocs and expect her to live. Instead, feed into her "champagne tastes" and only unleash her against high-cost squads and heroes. She just loves to petrify high-cost squadies like Sents, Minions, Templar, and the like. Always ask yourself if she's "slummin'" with the unworthy before sending her into the action. Trust me, The undead queen doesn't "slum". It's rich cake or nothing. As such, be sure to build a well-balanced "battle group" around her, able to handle both the peasants and the nobles in a battle. Leave the "crowd control" duties to a unit better suited to such unpleasant work. (Q9, Nilf, KMA, Stingers, Blasts/Glads, Braxas, etc...) Leave the Nobles to Sudema.

SW8K

[Sarpedon]

Hello, everyone

I accept Snotwalker's pointout and have deleted this misdirected post because it (unintentionally) hijacked the thread. My apologies.

[Snotwalker 8000]

Originally Posted by Sarpedon

Hello, everyone

An extensive discussion on the use of d20 units for recreational and tournament play has already been done, so I won't go into the general merits/lack thereof here. What I will do is to explain why I think that Sudema is not worth her points and cannot be made to be worthwhile in either type of play.

Sapedon,

This isn't necessarily about making Sudema "worth her points." It's about having fun with the units we have, and how to maximize what they can do in battle, with or without support. (Read "Embrace the Suck" if you haven't done so yet... a very good article)

I believe everyone here would acknowlede that Sudema is rarely used, due to previously mentioned reasons of survivability. And it's a shame that she wasn't given better stats either in the life or defense arena. But the bigger shame would be to never dust her off and take her for a spin. Even if she doesn't end up "earning her points" in a battle, she can be a lot of fun to throw into the mix now and then. I remember of number of fun games where she siimply pounded the enemy into submission, once taking out Nilfheim, Charos, and a full Nakita squad in ONE GAME! Easily duplicated? Of course not... but a fun use of a harder to use figure.

And regarding her being an end-gamer in some situations isn't a waste of points either... another example of a good mid/end-gamer would be Agent Carr. If you bring out Carr in the early game, he tends to die quickly with his 4/4 defense/life... but once the field is thinned a bit, he makes for a deadly finisher.

As I mentioned in my earlier post above, Sudema needs help. No one questions that. But one of the fun challenges in this game is to think and play creatively with some of our "misfit units" to see what does and doesn't work. Instead of going into further detail as to why you feel she's not "worth her points" and shouldn't be used, take a whack at ways in which she CAN be used once in a while for fun. (Refer to the title of this thread again... "Sudema: How to use her better").

SW8K

[southwest ninja]

the best way ive found to use her is give her to my wife when she is playing against me. then her stare is guaranteed to work.....

[pti8]

Congrats on your 1000th post SW ninja.

[J-Unit94]

Originally Posted by Red_Sox_1

Sudema, the undead queen, who has the great Stare of Stone, but is still almost never drafted or used in pre-made armies. This is usually because players feel she cannot take the beating near the front of the battle with only 3 defense and 4 lives. True, her survivability is poor, but destroying any hero on a 17 on the D20, and any squad member on a 7 can make the risk worth it. Sudema cannot just be charged at a powerful figure like a dragon. She must be used with finesse, use her to pick off powerful units, especially if they are 'sleeping' ones. If your opponent has figures with disengage, use other units to take them out. Cyprien Esenwein, for example, can get to Sudema easily, and will usually destroy her. Once such figures have been eliminated, Sudema can run around, and stare at powerful opponents. This be much easier if you have a meat-shield in front. Great units for this are Deathreavers, Gladiatrons, and Izumi Samurai (although their unique status can be Achilles heel). Quality range units backing up Sudema for crowd control are very nice, as she is best at ponding powerful or hard-to-kill heroes. Keep Sudema away from opponents that can get by your shield, or that can kill her at a range. Having Nakita Agents in your army can be nice, as Sudema can just stay adjacent to one for smoke powder. The Nakita can be used as the range support, and Sudema can be protected by them as she stares down the powerful heroes. The ability to instantly kill a game breaking figure like Krug, Nilfheim, Braxas, or Major Q9 makes Sudema a very potent figure when used right and protected.

Red Sox Lost!

Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway.....

It's a good stradegy, but I can't see Sudema being used a lot. Braxas and Cyprien both have abilities that far out-class Sudema's. An order marker on Sudema might yield fantastic results, but most of the time, it's just not worth it.

[Red_Sox_1]

Originally Posted by J-Unit94

Red Sox Lost!

Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway.....

SW8K is right. Sudema is defiantly not a tournament ready figure. But she can be fun in casual games (In the circle I play in, no one takes dragons anymore in fear of her). But she can be a fun figure that can defiantly scare people. I'm not saying to take her to Gencon, but when your friends take a few dragons, or Jotun, this can be a fun figure. Also, dusting off unused figs can be cool. That's all I meant: that she is a fun figure I suggest you use sometime.