Malifaux- Steampunk Western Bayou Gothic What Now?

Darkewolfe · October 2011

Well...

I've had my eye on this miniatures game, Malifaux, for awhile. I wanted to ask Penny Arcade folks what they thought about it, but there's not an OP yet. So... first an OP I guess, then I'll ask for opinions.

What is Malifaux?
Based in an alternate Earth, Malifaux uses gothic, steampunk, Victorian horror with a dose of the wild west to inject fun and depth into the magical lawlessness of a world rife with monsters, necropunks, man-machine hybrids, gunslingers, and power-hungry politicos. Actively using character-driven stories to define the world of Malifaux, seek your fortune in this fast-paced and brutal 32mm tabletop miniature skirmish game. Assemble your crew and stake your claim!

Who makes it?
A company called Wyrd Miniatures

Ok, great, it's a minis game. Why's it different?
Well, first off it's Diceless. Players use a deck of cards instead of dice to manipulate gameplay. That's pretty different. Also, it's a smaller-warbands driven game, sort of like Warmachine, instead of overwhelmingly sized armies like 40k. Your "army" is usually going to revolve around one, personality-driven leader. At the beginning of each match, you'll randomly determine what kind of mission you're playing (Sort of like Mordheim or Necromunda here) and then you'll choose which characters are accompanying your leader. Unlike Warmachine, though, your game isn't over if your leader dies. Your troops can generally operate independently and finish out a scenario even if your key character dies.

Also, if you've seen the sweet ass Terraclips terrain, some of it was specifically designed for this game, so there's some pretty epic terrain at the perfect scale ready for you at the get go.

The Guild

Spoiler:

Make no mistake, the Guild exists for one reason and one reason only. There is talk of justice and peace, but these are secondary concerns, byproducts of their primary interest. The Guild exists to maintain the production of Malifaux Soulstone above all other things. The citizens abide by Guild law because it offers some amount of protection, but no one is confused about the way this force exerts its hold over the City and its resources.

For thousands of years, sorcerers have been a clandestine and erudite group. Their concerns lay with scholarly pursuits, experiments, and arcane ritual. Rarely did their interest lay with social or political concern, except where those issues interfered with their own private matters. In such times, these sorcerers would gather together to protect their shared interest and leverage their might against the world.

There has been no greater discovery in the history of man than Malifaux and its Soulstones, and there is no room for subtlety in its production. Desperate to control this priceless resource, conjurers, magicians, and wizards came together to establish the Guild in Malifaux. This organization would bring law and order to the chaos and violence of Malifaux. Above that, they would ensure that the Breach never closed again and that the supply of Soulstones was never again threatened. Under the strict authority of the Guild, a city was made anew in the ruins of Malifaux.

Today, the Guild exists as a largely self-governing body on the frontier, far away from the meddling hands of the wizards that spawned it. Its first duty remains to the enforcement of a law that allows for maximum Soulstone production. Specialized branches have been developed to combat the unique dangers of Malifaux.

Chief among those dangers are the nightmarish Neverborn. So zealous is the Guild in stamping out the threat of Neverborn that almost anyone can become deputized as a Neverborn Hunter. The job comes with a rather high casualty rate as many deputies fail to survive even their first contact with these creatures. However, there are some who excel in this role, most notably the famous Ortega family who is credited with dozens of slain monsters.

A magic native to Malifaux, necromancy has proven to be a difficult issue for the Guild to police. The practice of necromancy allows criminals to act via proxy through their reanimated minions. This often makes it difficult to identify the perpetrator of a crime. The Death Marshals are the grim, stoic faces of final death responsible for hunting down these criminals.

While the efforts of the Death Marshals and the Neverborn Hunters are appreciated by Malifaux citizens almost unanimously, the Witch Hunters manifest the Guild's mistrust in the people they profess to protect. Common people have become empowered by the rich energies of Malifaux. These Arcanists represent danger to the Guild's establishment by practicing magics unknown and untested by Earth's ancient schools. Untrained and undisciplined, these rogue elements are as much a danger to themselves as to the general population, and many Arcanists quickly take to crime upon discovering their new talents. No citizen escapes the vigilant eye of the Witch Hunter, and in the eyes of the Guild, it is best to cut deep to remove this cancer, lest it spread.

Together, these bodies enforce the fascist rule of the Guild and ensure the obedience of the population. The Soulstones pour from the mines by the weary hands of its population, but it is the Guild and its benefactors who enjoy the riches of Malifaux, a fact that the citizens of Malifaux are unlikely to forgive.

The Arcanists

Spoiler:

The City of Malifaux is thick with magical energies. Those newly arrived in the City often describe an electric feeling in the air, making the hairs on the back of their neck stand up. Almost all residents of the City develop some small ability to manipulate this energy, usually manifesting as minor magical abilities. A small number will display noteworthy powers, powers that represent a threat to the Guild presence in Malifaux. These individuals have been labeled Arcanists, and the Guild expends significant resources in hunting these dangerous men and women, dedicating their Witch Hunter task force to eliminating this unpredictable rogue element.

The Witch Hunters have not proven very popular with the citizens of Malifaux. Each man and women is viewed with suspicion by the Guild, and even the most minor display of magical talent can result in unexpected midnight raids. It is unknown what happens to those taken by the Guild. Everyone has their theories, none of them very kind to the Guild. Occasionally, a fledgling Arcanist will succeed in driving off or evading the Witch Hunters. These cases always result in significant newspaper coverage, sparking the collective imaginations of every Malifaux citizen. These individuals are able to do what the common man is unable to, to spit in the eye of the Guild.

Of those few that rise to fame, their flames are often short-lived. There are very few options for a man on the run in Malifaux. Civilization is a very small place there, with few places to hide, unless a person is willing to brave the wilds outside the City. The shackles of the Guild may be a kinder fate. Hunted, these individuals often run straight into the arms of the Union.

The Miners and Steamfitters Union is an organization that represents the interests of the labor class in Malifaux. Primarily concerned with the well-being of those that mine Soulstone, it also represents any ancillary professions, such as those that operate and maintain the steam engines used to pump water from mines and drive the heavy machinery necessary for efficient mining. Founded by Doctor Ramos, the Union maintains offices in several places throughout Malifaux and the surrounding towns. Unknown to the large majority of its members, these offices also serve as safe houses for runaway Arcanists.

Utilizing this network, Ramos and other established Arcanists are able to recruit new talent into a highly structured criminal organization. Behind the legitimate face of the Union is a society of professional criminals. This organization is responsible for several high profile raids on Guild property and maintains a lucrative Soulstone smuggling operation. New members are usually put to work on petty crimes, giving them an opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty to the organization.

Because the Union receives overwhelming public support and because Union laborers exist in almost every aspect of Malifaux business and industry, the Guild finds it extremely difficult to fight these criminals. The Guild struggles with strong negative public opinion while charismatic and daring Arcanists are viewed as folk heroes. Every successful heist is celebrated quietly in the saloons and union halls, away from the ears of the Guild. To the citizens of Malifaux, Arcanists are a modern day Robin Hood and his Merry Men. The reality, however, may be closer to an underground crime syndicate. To the Guild, they are simply terrorists.

In recent months, Arcanist activity has escalated dramatically. The scope of their operations has become ever more ambitious, even striking into the heart of Malifaux itself, into the mansion of the Governor General. The extent of the damage caused and what assets were targeted is unknown, but what is clear is that the Arcanist organization is establishing itself as a major power in Malifaux. To the population of Malifaux, the Arcanists represent the power to reclaim the fruits of their own labors. The Arcanists true agenda, however, seems to be profit and power.

The Resurrectionists

Spoiler:

Resurrectionist Resurrectionists. The name is a cruel joke, amusing only to the twisted minds of murderers and graverobbers. Resurrectionists reanimate the dead, but the trade of Resurrectionists results not in a body restored but a soulless puppet. Their practices are particularly appalling to the citizens of Malifaux who already must contend with the occupational dangers of the mines and the nightmare spawn of Neverborn. That some of the most terrible monsters this world knows are fellow men and women, former friends and family, is a grim realization.

Humanity has a long tradition of honoring their dead. In Malifaux, the death effect of Soulstones provides difficult existential and religious questions, and Resurrectionists are blatant in their desecration of human life. The reanimated serve only the selfish, unconscionable goals of these masters of death. On the topic of the Resurrectionist threat, there is unanimous support by the population of Malifaux to hunt and capture these barbarous individuals.

The Governor General's crusade against the necromancy of the Resurrectionists has overwhelming public support. His own personal staff suffered a grisly attack days after he won his position. In later weeks, the missing members of his cabinet were identified in a series of robberies, kidnappings, and murders. It was only after an extensive investigation that the true nature of these attacks came to light, that the bodies of the Governor General's staff had succumbed to an unidentified Resurrectionist. With that discovery, a special taskforce, the Death Marshals, were organized to combat the Resurrectionist threat. Their methods lack subtlety, but they developed a sophisticated profile used to identify and apprehend their targets. A Resurrectionist is often a single individual working alone or with one or two loyal assistants. Due to the gruesome nature of the work, these necromancers are forced to ply their trade in secret. Each one comes upon his craft through individual study, whether through science, magic, or some otherworldly pact. The art fosters creative resourcefulness as fresh corpses and strict privacy are continuously in short supply.

The Governor's witch-hunt has forced necromancers into the abandoned quarantined areas of Malifaux. There, these grim wizards are constantly at odds with the Neverborn, and only those necromancers who show significant aptitude are able to survive. These enterprising individuals fortify the abandoned districts they claim and populate them with shambling undead militias to fight off rival Resurrectionists and Neverborn attackers.

The Death Marshals have attempted to raid these outposts with moderate success and chilling discoveries. Despite the obvious individualism inherent in these criminals and their methods, curiously similar sigils, devices, and journal entries suggest some amount of shared knowledge. The Governor has also discovered that by pushing Resurrectionists into the abandoned portions of the City, they have unwittingly encouraged the looting of these areas. Necromancer strongholds are filled with artifacts collected from the haunted streets of Malifaux.

Of particular note are the large libraries maintained by these graverobbers, books salvaged from ruins of Malifaux's past. While only a few have managed to be seized intact, the texts suggest a dark patron, a spirit tutoring the necromantic arts, communicating subtly through the mysteries of science and magic, tempting those who crave forbidden knowledge. These texts and artifacts seem to be the source of the shared techniques common amongst these criminals.

While many of those aware of these texts believe this patron to be simple metaphor, other Guild members fear this grave spirit is real. Those fears magnify when one considers the armies of the undead marshaled in the outskirts of the City from the vaulted hideaways of their masters. That these Resurrectionists might be the unwitting lieutenants of a malicious patron would mean that the City is under siege and that every dying man is a potential recruit for an ever-growing army of the undead.

The Neverborn

Spoiler:

As long as people have dreamed, they have been terrified by their nightmares. These ghosts that lurk in shadows exist just beyond the thin veil that separates this world from another; nightmares are real. Humans have always had the subconscious ability to peer through this boundary, but with the opening of the Breach of the Great Barrier, man must now face the deadly reality of those nightmares, the Neverborn.

The creatures that stalk the ruined city of Malifaux are terrible monsters that brutally prey on the newly arrived residents of this land. The Neverborn take many shapes, from the giant winged Nephilim to the small murderous Gremlins. Some are deceptively similar in appearance to humans, able to walk amongst them, and these are by far the most dangerous, as their unknown designs are far more subtle and far-reaching. Where many Neverborn are satisfied by grizzly, indulgent murder, these human-looking monsters wage a campaign of terror on mankind through grand organized raids and clever attacks on human settlements. They, too, are not above the occasional indulgent murder.

The origin of these creatures is uncertain. Many believe that they are created by some maligned force, and thus, they were dubbed Neverborn to help mankind explain away their complete lack of human empathy and mercy. Slowly, however, as the mysteries of Malifaux are revealed, as its great libraries are translated, people have been granted glimpses of understanding into the past. The appearance of monsters in this world seems linked to a great cataclysm, occurring ages ago, that transformed it from a place not unlike Earth into the ruined splendor seen today.

This cataclysm marked the death of a world ruled by logic and reason, replacing it with one fraught with passion, madness, and death. The Neverborn are the people of this new age, a people completely foreign and unknowable by man. Savage and ruthless, they are prone to fits of murderous madness and capable of incredible violence. Beyond that, they are creatures possessed of a terrible secret, of sins committed in the distant past. They have endured the death of this world and will not tolerate man's trespass.

The Guild has tried everything possible to diminish the Neverborn threat. Willing to deputize anyone, the Guild frequently sends groups of hunters on Neverborn raids; most of these deputies fail to survive their first encounter. The Ortega family, with their matriarch, Perdita, has proven the most effective deterrent to Neverborn proliferation. This family is credited with dozens of slain monsters, and their success has led to a sort of fame among the people of Malifaux. These are the heroes that the people idolize and the Neverborn, despite their best efforts, just can't seem to be rid of.

The Outcasts

Spoiler:

Malifaux is ruled by the conflicting interests of powerful organizations. The Guild was the first to seize power in this world, establishing a rigid and fascist law that guarantees their control over the precious Soulstones. Despite their control, the Arcanists have managed to build a powerful resistance against that oppression and maintain a black market Soulstone trade. Concerned with the buried secrets of the past, the grim Resurrectionists loot the City of its treasures and claim the inheritance of an extinct people, wielding terrible powers garnered from the grave and forgotten lore. And what agenda the nightmarish Neverborn seek is unknown, but their presence and influence are obvious in the terror they sow. But to assume these forces represent all interests in Malifaux is naive. Within the tangled skein of dirty politics in this City, there are many players.

Whether they have been rejected by the power players of Malifaux or because they have their own individual agenda in the City, those not directly associated with the primary powers in Malifaux are known as Outcasts. It is impossible to outline a clear profile that identifies these individuals because each is distinct and must be considered separately.

Most of these Outcasts represent the lowest caste in Malifaux. Some of these unfortunate souls are able to beat out a meager existence as a petty crook or hired gun. A small few demonstrate talents or skills of note that allow them to climb from the gutter and exert their will upon the landscape of Malifaux intrigue.

To navigate and thrive in the dense web of corruption in Malifaux by one's self is a singularly difficult task. These individuals broker tenuous alliances to further their unique agendas and rely just as much on skilled negotiating as they do on martial prowess.

The primary powers of Malifaux identify the value of these lone-wolf Outcasts because the unique traits that have allowed them to flourish in independence can be put to the Guild's uses. Their independence alone is a valuable commodity, providing plausible deniability to any faction fortunate enough to gain their services.

Money, however, isn't always the chief concern of these enterprising individuals. These Outcasts have wide ranging goals. Some seek only to expand their criminal endeavors and become influential crime lords. Others are more altruistic, wandering the streets of Malifaux to protect its citizens from the nightmares that haunt them. These Outcasts are at the very center of the City's corrupt politics, crime, and constant violence. They may be Guild servants, but the Outcasts are also purposeful in their acts, achieving their own goals and demonstrating power the Guild hasn't even noticed yet.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

(Space Reserved for more stuff)

So, does anyone in the forums play Malifaux? Before I go dropping my dollars on the game, is it fun?

Draeven · October 2011

I have heard great things about this game from a friend of mine. He really likes it and actualy got his wife to play a couple games with him. she really likes the card mechanic.

stimtokolos · October 2011

A friend and I both bought the rules and one box of dudes each last night. I like that you only need a really small unit count to actually have a game. I might finish painting a crew for once.
Except I did choose the Gremlins, who I believe need more models than anyone else to form an army.

I could not resist pint size green bandits.

E: I like the idea of the deck of cards instead of dice as well, it seems like you can burn through cards fairly quickly so you will at least get some 'good' luck each game.
Also probably worth noting that all the rules are freely available online. From wyrd's website.

Asher · October 2011

I have a Rasputina crew. I have played 1 game.

The models are super awesome but, while I really dug the Card mechanic of the game, it didn't really grab me that much. That said, I'm judging after a single game, so I really can't comment that much. The Card mechanic and Cheating especially were great though.

Apparently it has a bunch of balance issues. One of the big Clubs around here got into it in a big way, then nurnt out pretty quickly as they managed to break it utterly. They broke it so hard, they stopped running events as there were only a few builds that were "Competitive" in their stupid bullshit power gaming theatre.

Basically don't play it with jerks/power game it.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

Hmm. That definitely worries me. The main reason I was going to get into it was a good group of a couple dozen locals play at the FLGS. Not knowing these folks, I'm going to assume they're power-gamers, because by default FLGS folks are powergamers.

stimtokolos · October 2011

I should be ok then, because despite the wargames crew I play with making hard lists for 40k from time to time, they more often than not play more around fluff.

One of them is running double lash in 40k next tourney he goes to, although from what I've heard that isn't quite as bad as it used to be due to some of the newer codexs coming out. He knows it is a dick move but he wants to do it once.

Asher · October 2011

Again, take what I say with a healthy dose of salt. I have bugger all experience, and what I've heard about the balance issues are just rumour. That said, it came from people I trust about the state of the community, so I dunno. Play it by ear I guess. If you like the minis enough then they're sufficiently cheap I think there's a strong case that whether the game is any good or not is pretty irrelevant.

I mean Rasputina is a lovely model:

Darkewolfe · October 2011

Yes, the models just look fun as heck to paint. I'm really digging the vibe of "The Dreamer" right now, painting up a little kid and all the monster demons under his bed. All of the steampunk clockwork looks amazing too.

And yeah, I can probably still find a few folks to play with. It's just... less fun if you know there's going to be a few people at the table that you'll never want to play against.

Norgoth · October 2011

My local group plays this a ton, and personally I play a Kirai crew. In terms of the "brokeness" of the game, it's not a huge issue if you play it "properly" I.e the game should be set up in this manner

1.decide faction
2.generate board and strategy
3.pick crew
4.pick schemes

Pitched battles don't work in malifaux, if you play it for VP's and use the above system it's fairly balanced. Obviously though you need all the models for your chosen faction though.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

Yes. I thought that was pretty hilarious. You can just buy a couple models, buuuut.... when you actually generate the board and strategy you're sure going to feel silly that you picked THAT guy. Steve over there, on the other hand, owns all the models, so he's just completely retooled his squad list.

I think it sounds like an awesomely fun mechanic, but it's definitely gonna make me spend more. Which is good, it's appropriate, it's how they stay in business.

Norgoth · October 2011

To be fair buying a whole faction is cheaper than an entire army in most games. All the starter boxes for for your faction is a good start.

If your planning on neverborn get Lillith, zorida, pandora then the dreamer in that order. Lillith is the easiest to learn, zorida is best next because she's so detched from her crew list you can afford to make a few mistakes learning. The dreamer and pandora are not recommended for new players like, at all, both rely on specific rules that don't come big into general play (WP an burying models) so take much longer to master.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

Ok, so you really are buying out a faction? In that case I think I'm going to lean Outcasts. I don't like Lillith or Zorida particularly. The only box I liked was the Dreamer. I'd thought from briefly looking at the rules that you more stuck with a commander and flexed around them.

Example, the Dreamer wants things with the nightmare trait. I'd thought there were a bunch of models with the Nightmare trait, and I'd just ignore Lillith.

Or that guy who loves undead and constructs. I figured you'd pretty much always use him, and just buy the undead and constructs to give him versatility.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

Anyone who has played, would you make an honest comparison between this and Necromunda/Mordheim? That's just the vibe I get off it and it makes me all tingly in my pants.

Norgoth · October 2011

It isn't really like either honestly, its much more like a skirmish warmachine, threat ranges and synergy are very important.

As for the faction thing, yes masters tend to favour one type of mini over another, but a master tends to excel at certain strats. A good example is that lillith is a beatstick and does great at combat based missions, whilst the dreamer is movement based and works best in item capture or movement type scenarios.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

This might be a decent thread to ask it in too. Does anyone have any opinions on Terraclips? I've always enjoyed building my own terrain, but I can't store multi-level complexes in my tiny apartment. Honestly, I don't have room for any terrain that doesn't fit into my display case. Something I can pack away in a box might be perfect, although I wonder if I'll get tired of disassembling and reassembling the stuff.

Saar · October 2011

Once you familiarize yourself with the pieces assembly should go quickly. My first 3x3 board with streets and buildings took about an hour and half it wasn't all that fancy - no roofs, no balconies. It took some getting used to working with the clips, figuring out where tiles should lay, etc. Subsequent builds went a bit faster but I'm still no master.

If you pick up a set be careful when punching out the pieces. The videos over at World Works make it seem as if they just fall out but in reality several of my cards seemed as if the die didn't completely punch through. A few pieces started to tear, especially the ladders, so an exacto knife comes in handy. I ended up glueing my stairs and ladders for stability even though it makes portability an issue. You could get away without gluing the stairs but the ladders will eventually break after a few disassemblies. Other than that, with a couple plastic baggies the set boxes up nicely.

As far as the clips go, a few more "L"s per box would be nice but really it seems as if people go clip happy during assembly.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

Any chance you could take some pictures of what you did with your box?

Saar · October 2011

The sets are all back their respective boxes but I'll try to put something together over the weekend.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

Oh, don't do that. I was just curious.

So, was talking to some of the local players. I've been leaning toward starting with Hamelin the Plagued, but one of the main guys said that box was "kind of boring" because of the rat ability. That made me sad.

Asher · October 2011

I've heard Hamlin described as a pretty complex crew. I haven't heard anything about it being boring, but I have heard people say it's not a great first crew because of complexity issues.

Though I may be getting confused with the Collette crew.

Darkewolfe · October 2011

I'm not terribly concerned with complexity. I mean, I've been playing miniatures games for awhile. I suspect I'll pick it up before too long.

How dense should terrain be in this game?

Forar · February 2012

So, some friends who are old school wargamers (Warhammer of various flavours, among other things) are trying to get me into Malifaux.

Now, I'm a decade and a half long Magic and D&D player, but have always seen table top wargaming as a something of a 'bridge too far' of geekery for me, not out of any real opposition to the concept (quite the contrary, I marvel at the artistic skill shown in the painting of many people's armies), but mainly because most of the games seem intimidatingly complex and I have less artistic talent in my entire being than my friend's seem to have in their pinkies.

They've loaned me the rulebook, and I should have a chance to glance at Rising Powers and Twisting Fate tomorrow, but even just picking out a faction (let alone a crew) is proving cumbersome.

So far we have three people with basic crews on hand; Lady Justice and Rasputina (whose owners have apparently played maybe half a dozen games against one another), another guy who just got The Dreamer's box (far as I know he has yet to play) and I'm trying to figure something out eventually. Thus, so far we have the Guild, Arcanists and Neverborn represented, and some cursory reading of various forums seems to be indicating that they're all solid choices, and that the Dreamer in particular can be absolutely terrifying if played well. I do love the concept of power armour and robots, so a Hoffman box was sort of calling to me, but apparently the player who already has a Guild crew going was thinking of picking him up next. As likely as it is that we'll see some overlap eventually, I figured making my first choice not only from a crew that already has representation but a duplicate of one that might be built soon seems ill advised.

Anyway, I just thought I'd check in, see what some people more experienced with the game had to say, perhaps give some insight to their experiences? As far as I've read in the rules, I really like the deck as an RNG mechanic (it's like rolling dice that DO remember whether they've rolled high or low recently).

Hensler · March 2012

Just saw this at the game store tonight - looks pretty awesome, except the owner says he hasn't sold a single copy. I'd love to hear more about this, it looks right up my alley, but I'm hesitant to buy into another game that I can never get a group going for.

Forar · March 2012

I'm probably not a very good judge, as I've yet to buy my own figures or play a game, but I can understand the reluctance.

If it's a question of ever actually playing the game, I'd pass on it for now, unless you find the models so awesome or you find an incredible deal (like the store starts selling them at 1/2 off) where it wouldn't put you out to get some, maybe glue 'em, paint 'em and make conversation pieces out of them.

I'm looking forward to getting a few box sets, some minions and really getting into it, but until my birthday passes (embargo on buying Malifaux stuff as some friends are apparently getting me some stuff) it may be a while in the making.

Darkewolfe · March 2012

I never did pick up any mini's for the game. It looks awesome, but I guess I haven't been able to shoehorn a miniatures game into my life again. Board games have filled that void. It still seems to be going strong at my FLGS.

Wub · March 2012

Count me among the number of people who are very interested but have yet to decide on a crew/play. I was hooked just by the variety of characters and the box art, and after reading up on it more the lore and card mechanics were interesting, too. The Dreamer jumped out at me as a favorite almost immediately, but after doing so research I'll hold off on him until I learn to play (assuming that day ever comes). Right now as a starter I'm considering the Resurrectionists, probably either Nicodem or Dr. McMourning. Does anyone have experience with either? I'd like to hear from a source other than the wiki.

Forar · March 2012

I haven't actually played yet, but I'll be getting some figures on the weekend for my birthday, and am leaning towards the Guild and Arcanists so far. Sonnia Criid is likely to be my starting Master, and I'll probably snag Perdita, Ramos, and Hoffman along with a mix of minions to give me a variety of options per game.

I've enjoyed reading the wiki for tactical suggestions, and using the crew builder on the official site to get a sense of what seems to work together synergistically. If anything, I hope to have a few games from the start that are low (like, 25 soulstones, just a starter box each), but with 3 friends interested in playing I'm also kind of looking forward to trying a 3 or 4 player game. On one hand, it could be a while between turns. On the other hand, it'd be batshit crazy.

Forar · May 2012

Okay, I got a 20 soulstone game in to see some of the mechanics in action, and I'm hooked. Played a short handed Perdita crew versus The Dreamer and won in a close match that involved both of us drawing into both the red and black jokers at times, an awesome back and forth with Lord Chompy Bits' height proving key in his defeat (shooting into a melee between him and Perdita was risky, but every time I pulled a 3 for her, I pulled a 2 or an ace for LCB on the double draw).

Have gotten right into the Guild, current masters are Perdita, Sonnia, Hoffman and Ramos, with Lady Justice on order from Ebay. Have around 45 models (masters and minions) built and primed, with half a dozen more coming in between two orders. Larger models that aren't self supporting are proving problematic to build (Guardian and Hunter were tricky, Steamborg was much trickier, Peacekeeper will be a nightmare) but are still turning out nicely, and the Battlefoam carrying case I snagged holds everything perfectly (at least until they release Book 4 and/or I snag another dozen'ish minions). Kind of tempted to glance at the other Arcanist masters, but I think 5 on hand is more than enough, and with minion synergy being kinda key to having a variable force to match opponents and objectives, each one would basically require snagging several extras for the base crew and variations, so it'd be pretty expensive.

I've managed to introduce a friend and his wife to the game, and the friends I play with here in TO seems to be expanding from 3 other players to 4, so hopefully I can get some more actual games in sooner or later.

So far we have 2 (primarily) Arcanist players, 2 guild, 1 neverborn, and possibly one Outcasts. Kind of surprised how little people have latched onto the ressurectionists, but a lot of people seem to be collecting one faction and snagging one of them as a side/individual crew. There's been some doubling up of masters, but none with three+ yet.

Definitely still looking forward to trying some multiplayer. 3-4 players fighting in the same area would get batshit crazy, solo or in teams.

Darkewolfe · July 2012

@Forar do you still play?

Forar · July 2012

Darkewolfe wrote: »

@Forar do you still play?

Yeah, I've gotten nearly a dozen games under my belt to date. Our group is still improving in terms of rules comprehension, speed of play (apparently 35ss tournaments are supposed to be done in under an hour and a half? Pretty sure we've had single turns take that long. Minor hyperbole)

Have all 4 Guild masters, Ramos and Kaeris, along with appropriate crews (though as noted, LJ isn't a box set, so she's more built by just taking assorted other minions and going to work), and even bought all 3 boxes of Terraclips. Got a solid 3x3 board set up on the kitchen table, just to see what I can do with them.

Once I snag a few more Guild models (including Wardens, which should finally be out at the end of the month) and maybe Lucius (waiting to see if he gets an alternate sculpt, but it's not looking likely at this point) I should have pretty much the entire Guild to build from, but with only my Perdita crew painted, I really need to spend like a month or two working on that.

Also looking forward to the new Terraclips boxes, the (re)release of book 1.5 and book 4 in the coming months.

DiannaoChong · July 2012

So I have 3-4 people in the area tempted to pick this up, but we have no clue on what factions we should pick. I posted earlier I liked the gremlins/outcasts, but there was something wrong/off about them that made me stay away. I look now and the dreamer seems like an awesome concept.

With 3-4 people starting from scratch, are we going to get boned if we just pick out a cool looking box set each from a different faction? there seemed to be a collectable aspect as well, you switch out minions between leaders before matches start based on the scenario, right? Or is it a" box set comes with 4 minions, and you pick 3 when the match starts" kind of thing? Edit: Hey, look at that, reading the thread answered those questions. Becareful but its hard to mess up seems to be the answer.

Forar · July 2012

Okay, so here's how it works.

First you decide how big a game (in terms of Soul Stone pool) you're playing, declare your faction, and set up the terrain, so everyone knows where you're fighting and figure out how the crews will deploy.

Then you flip for strategies, so you know what the objectives are for you and your opponent.

Then you pick masters and minions. Some masters/crews/minions are better than others for certain strategies. Both sides get to see what the other has picked and how large their SS cache is once they're both ready.

Once those are picked, you choose Schemes, which are your second source of victory points, and can be based on what you and/or your opponent are putting on the table.

Then you choose where you deploy. Whoever wins the flip chooses whether to deploy first (giving them their pick of the choicest deployment zone but also showing their opponent where everything is).

Then you flip for initiative and go to work.

I feel the game does a fairly good job of "reasonably easy to learn, hard to master", and with so many different abilities it can feel like it takes forever to really grasp every little intricacy.

Having a box per person is a good start, but something to keep in mind is that minions exist on a spectrum; they each have a soul stone count, so depending on who buys what and whom is playing whom, you may need to tweak the starting Soul Stone pool to account for that. Now, many of the boxes are based around a ~25 Soul Stone game (and the average Master starts with a cache of 4 soul stones; whatever you have left over from paying for Minions while building your crew goes into your cache as well, to a maximum of 8 SS in most games), but for example the Perdita box set (my first one, a gift from friends) can actually play at 30+ without much trouble, and much higher with just an extra minion or two.

Here are some really useful resources:

The Malifaux Crew Creator: http://www.malifaux.com/Crew.php

Pull My Finger: the Malifaux wiki/"Tactica": http://pullmyfinger.wikispaces.com/

I highly recommend getting one of the little rules books and reading it repeatedly. There are some interactions that my friends and I messed up or misunderstood for a good half dozen games, and even now mistakes are still made.

Please feel free to ask any questions you like. I'm by no means an expert yet, but I like to think I've started to get a pretty solid grasp on the rules, and have played Guild and some minor Arcanist action against Arcanists, Neverborn and Outcast forces (haven't yet played against our other Guild player, and we don't have anyone picking up much of the Resurrectionists yet).

DiannaoChong · July 2012

I hear a starter box is "a good start" from alot of places, would 2 be best from the same faction so we have options at the start of the game?

Forar · July 2012

DiannaoChong wrote: »

I hear a starter box is "a good start" from alot of places, would 2 be best from the same faction so we have options at the start of the game?

There is generally some good synergy within the faction, but there are a few outliers where this isn't the case.

I'm not terribly well informed, but my impression is that The Outcasts can definitely have this issue arise. As an example; our Outcast player has the Leviticus and Viktoria, and has noted that there are very, very few models that can be shared between them.

Whereas I started with Perdita and Sonnia, and you can swap any member from either box into a crew led by the other master.

On the other hand, while you may be able to move some minions into other crews, they may lack the synergy to make this work as well as another minion from within the faction, but it can be done if you need warm bodies to get into a higher SS game or have another reason (example: the Guild Exorcist doesn't necessarily synergize with any crew in particular, but it's a terror against many Neverborn crews so it's more about who you're playing against than who you're playing directly).

One reason why I like starting with a single faction is that it keeps your opponent guessing.

Say you buy the Guild Perdita box, and the Neverborn Dreamer box. At the start when you have to declare your faction, your opponent knows exactly who you're playing and can prepare accordingly. If you instead get Perdita and Lady Justice, both from the guild, and both who play very differently (Perdita is a terrifying ranged combatant, Lady Justice is sort of her melee counterpart). Some masters/crews are better fits for certain strategies, so that alone can give your opponent insight into whom your playing, but it also means you can choose between the two, rather than risking picking a slow master when you end up with a strat that requires high manueverability.

Darkewolfe · July 2012

I want to point out that Forar talking about his setup literally made me reconsider the house I'm thinking about buying, because I'm not sure I'd have a table to permanently dedicate to things like minis.

DiannaoChong · July 2012

No room, or no money? There's always room. In the first house I lived in growing up, was lived in by a bunch of bachelors before us. they mounted a fold down(think like a bed in a terrible apartment) piece of plywood in the wall for a table that held a miniature electric race track for those slot cars you could race.

No money? look on craigs list for free to a good home

Darkewolfe · July 2012

Space. I'm a city dweller, and having a table which could remain set up for a week with the same game has long been a goal. Also, it's much easier to do crazy shit when you're a bachelor, which I am not.

Forar · July 2012

It does depend on a lot of factors, but if you can set up within half an hour or so, you can definitely do a 20-35 soul stone game in 4 hours or less. Tournament players are expected to do the whole thing in about 90 min or less, but even with looking things up, thinking on moves like it's chess (with undead prostitutes and ghosts and cyberpunk spiders and cowboys, etc, etc) and whatnot, ideally a game can be done in an afternoon. Even two if the players have the time and inclination!

Of course, that does require a willingness to set up and take down said terrain/table repeatedly, and I can totally understand that not being ideal, especially as someone who has had some terraclips set up on his living room table for a good month or so.

Darkewolfe · August 2012

Malifaux was mentioned on the main page today. Seems like most of our activity here has died down, but I wonder if that'll give the game a serious boost.

ForceVoid · August 2012

Here's the old thread:
[Malifaux] – 52 card pickup with Ol’ West-Steampunk-Necro-Gothic-Horror-Bandito Minia
back from the launch of Book 2.

I'm still playing when I can find the time. I'm mostly a Neverborn player (Lillith, Pandora, Dreamer), but I am building an Avatar Leveticus Crew (loving the Riders' theme), and I am eagerly awaiting book 4 and Jacob Lynch's Crew.

Penny Arcade

Malifaux- Steampunk Western Bayou Gothic What Now?

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