By the Rent, what IS that? Well, whatever it is, we’re going to have a look at how to include it in your games of Carnevale
Big Scary Monster
The Aberration is one of the biggest characters in Carnevale, and the most costly to hire. Coming in at 30 ducats you sure get a lot of crazy for the price. He’s a large based character with tentacles that give him a massive 3″ range on his attacks, and they both stun and work while swimming! His stats match his appearance, with lots of Move and Attack he’ll get to where he needs to. 5 Protection lets him shrug off hits that would kill or maim a lesser man. The lists we’re going to look at all use the Aberration in a slightly different, but no less effective way.
A Slavering Centrepiece
Using the Aberration as the heavy lifter of this gang we’ll start with either the Voice of Dagon or a Magi-Rashaar as the leader. We’ll go with the Voice in this example, as we’re going for a more resilient Aberration, taking Aqua Curative and Eldritch Armour as our spells. Next we’ll be taking a Dagonite Priest for more healing and utility via Wild Magic, specifically Healing and Sunder Armour. For our Henchmen we’ll be using a Lesser Ugdru as a tough water based threat, and an Aglaope for even more magical utility, taking Gateway to re position our other characters.
With this gang you’ll be making the most out of the Aberration, keeping it healed with any one of your mages and giving it any stat increases you can. Your Lesser Ugdru will be performing guard duty for your mages, though you shouldn’t be afraid to give it some magical boons and set it on an enemy if the opportunity arises. Losing one of your mages isn’t the end of the world, but you’ll want to avoid losing two. Make good use of your leaders command points and ability and go big with the Aberration’s will points, this gang needs to even the model count as soon as possible otherwise your squishy mages will get overrun.
Distraction Aberration
Going with the Guild for this gang, we’ll be using the Aberration as a big angry distraction, while our other characters deal with objectives and taking out choice targets. Using the Pulcinella box as a base, we’ll be swapping one Pulcinella for a Gondolier with Gondola and taking a Flashbang to bring us up to 100 Ducats. While Low in model count for the Guild, this gang wants to be using the Aberration to goad your opponent into attacking it. Brawler will help him dish out some damage in melee and Berserk will be a big threat when he takes enough damage, though with 22 Life that may take a while.
The Aberration in this gang will be doing his own thing, while your other characters will be denying your opponent the objectives, your Ostrich Rider will be running around stunning characters, while your Pulcinellas will be mobbing lone characters or dealing with those not attacking the Aberration.
Big Rent Energy
While the Aberration may not like it, he looks right at home in a Doctors list. Here we’re going up to 150 Ducats, starting with a Plague Doctor with your choice of magic. Because of our next choice either discipline is viable, depending on if you want a more support or offensive based Leader. A Doctor of the Beasts with a Lion and Gorilla bring some extra melee damage and an extra discipline of magic. Cantrip of the Chariot can really help position your gang, and will really help getting the Aberration into a fight. A Warden provides some muscle for your leader, protecting him with his Bodyguard(Doctor) rule as well as being able to deal out stun counters with his mace. A Doctor of the Arsenal provides versatile ranged attacks, or some powerful close range attacks. A Lab Assistant and Madman finish off our gang, with the recently adjusted Madman we’re able to squeeze a Flashbang Grenade into the gang as well.
Here the Aberration can basically do what you think is best per game, if you want to support him you have access to a couple of mages with good support magic. You also have enough other characters to use him as a large distraction, he’s capable enough on his own and gang won’t miss him doing his own thing. This list will want to make good use of magic, you won’t have a huge amount of Will to spend, having only the single Madman you’ll need to keep your Plague Doctor and Doctor of the Arsenal close to him. Your Lab Assistant, Doctor of the Beasts, and Lion are great for taking down larger opponents with their Hunter rule and won’t need to drain Will from your Madman. The single Warden can help either of your 3 doctors depending on which one your opponent wants to get rid of first, with Cantrip of Justice or Gateway you’ll be able to position him where you need him most.
The Aberration is great at what he does, while expensive, he is more versatile than may first appear. While he is Mindless you can keep him back on an important objective, or move him up the board fast to contest one of your opponents. He’s great at grappling, 6 Attack means you’re likely to send the average citizen flying and 4 Dexterity means he’s able to do a little bit of climbing. Most importantly though, you get to roll a lot of dice, with the right setup you can easily be rolling 10 dice with his attacks, with Fear(1) he’s also likely to get re-rolls on top of that. Like playing an octopus that’s eaten a brick, the Aberration isn’t subtle, he’s big, he’s angry and can really mess up your opponents game.
You can get your own Aberration here or find all of the other factions used here!
