Have you made a New Year’s resolution yet?
Why not kick 2025 off with a Gifted gang in Carnevale? Now I know what you are thinking and yes the Gifted are a mercenary faction whose characters can be hired by other gangs BUT don’t let that stop you from building a complete Gifted gang. To better outline your resolution is the Monster Behind the Mask, Dario.
The following is written by a very happy Italian man.
Commedia is not Comedy at all. A Gift You Can’t Refuse.
Shh, shh, my dear. Lay down for a moment more, there’s no hurry, there’s no more… I know, I know: those Vatican dogs came very, very close this time. Immolating a full Campo may have been a bit excessive, but it surely bought you time to flee. Mmm… What are you whispering? Vendetta? Revenge…? Sweet child, I think you are in the right place then! I will teach you how to call upon and lead those like you, the ones called “Gifted”…
Welcome to a show that is surely going to be… unforgettable! Welcome to the most fascinating of all the factions available in Carnevale. Welcome among those who are truly blessed by the Rent in the Sky. I’m Dario, and I’ll show you the way to assemble a purely Gifted gang and lead it through the streets of Venice.
I can hear you say: “Purely, Dario? What do you mean?” Well, the Gifted are the mercenary faction of the game, which means they can join any other gang from any faction. To take that to the extreme, you could even play a full Vatican, Doctors, or Patrician gang led by Il Capitano or La Signora, or deploy a full Gifted gang with a character or two from a single other faction. See the pattern here? The Gifted are flexible. And the Gifted are Unique—literally, if I may say (yes, yes, Pierrot. All of you. I know you guys are very special. Now go play hide and seek in TTCombat teasers, please).
Let’s start with a solid box: Commedia dell’Arte. The Gifted don’t have a traditional starter gang box. Nevertheless, they have this set themed around the traditional masks and characters you might find in Italian (and European) popular theater. Yes, you’re going to play pop stars. Murderous, but pop stars. Il
Capitano leads four henchmen: Brighella, Colombina, Il Dottore (not from the Ospedale!), and Pantaleone. Each one of them possesses abilities that reflect the character they portray: Il Capitano, for example, is a bombastic leader with no regard for his own life; Brighella loves to scheme and stay out of trouble;
Colombina is the smart girl who always has a backup plan; Il Dottore is a conceited scholar who lectures everyone; and Pantaleone is the greedy, heart-of-stone Venetian merchant. The gang provides solid close combat, mobility, ranged attacks, versatile characters, and objective grabbers. The full gang clocks in at 67 Ducats—not bad, and 100 aren’t far away.
The only things this gang really lacks are staying power and a sprinkle of… magic! The Mascareri is the perfect box to complement Commedia dell’Arte! Six hero models, each one able to modify how one of your characters behaves on the field. The possibilities here are almost endless, to be honest: depending on the scenario you’re playing, you can add two of those Mascareri to your existing Commedia dell’Arte and tailor your strategy accordingly. But just to give you a little insight, in a “standard” mission where you’re expected to control objectives, my two Mascareri would be Artisan Elena and Francisco de Lorme. Elena can make Il Capitano an absolute killer by giving him Frenzied and Vampiric Attack (2). Usually, Il Capitano brings excellent offense but tends to die pretty quickly due to his low PRO. Now, he can recover lost Life Points while doing what he does best. Francisco de Lorme brings the magic that enhances your gang’s flexibility by giving his mask to Pantaleone. In this way, the greedy merchant can become a pseudo-madman, charging up Will Points to give to nearby friendly characters.
In the end, this should be your average list:
- Il Capitano (21 ducats): big game hunter, he’s your sole source of command points. He’s a bit of a glass cannon but can deliver some serious pain. Don’t forget that he grants Companion to Commedia dell’Arte models, so you can replenish Will Points!
- Il Dottore (13 ducats): a situational character, probably the most difficult to exploit. He’s your best friend against Patricians. Just keep him away from your models.
- Brighella (13 ducats): your main ranged damage dealer. Best used as a sniper, don’t be shy about using his Will to boost your attacks: he’ll replenish 1 Will if he sees Il Capitano.
- Pantaleone (10 ducats): he’s your thief, your objective grabber. Together with Francisco de Lorme, he becomes a living Will Points battery.
- Colombina (10 ducats): she’s your jack of all trades. Do you have an agenda that requires something crazy? Colombina, with her guaranteed success, is your gal! Usually very underestimated, but expendable if necessary.
- Artisan Elena (17 ducats): give Vampiric Attack and Frenzied to Il Capitano and she’ll already have given you her points back. She isn’t a front-line fighter, but like many lesser Vampires, she can bully weaker characters.
- Francisco de Lorme (16 ducats): your sole mage. He isn’t the best mage around, but if you choose Blood Rites, you can’t go wrong. Keep him close to Pantaleone to tap into an almost limitless Will Point stash, and don’t be afraid to cast Blood Lust or Kraken’s Breath.
Total: 100 ducats.
I hope you found this little guide helpful. The Gifted are often seen as a faction that’s not beginner- friendly—go out there and prove them all wrong!
Arrivederci a Venezia!
You’ll find all of the characters covered in this article HERE.