New To Malifaux - Starting a Guild Crew - Take 2

[Ajax1983]

Hi everyone,

I've played a few intro games a while back, and a friend of mine has convinced me to get into Malifaux. So I have little experience.

I'm starting a Guild crew, but since I'm new, I'm not sure what to purchase. Long term I'll probably get most of the minis in the range, but to start I'm going for a crew box and one booster.

What can people recommend for a beginner starting out with the Guild?

Thank you 😊

[Legislat]

Nellie box and executioners.

Versatile master that can do almost anything - check

No bad models in a box - check

2 mean beaters for Nellie to support - check

exellent henchman - check

Thats 8 models for 50 game with heavy upgrades. Or you can buy one more small box  for a 9 model list (brutal effigy for example - it will be great with other masters as well).

[Ajax1983]

29 minutes ago, Legislat said:

Nellie box and executioners.

Versatile master that can do almost anything - check

No bad models in a box - check

2 mean beaters for Nellie to support - check

exellent henchman - check

Thats 8 models for 50 game with heavy upgrades. Or you can buy one more small box  for a 9 model list (brutal effigy for example - it will be great with other masters as well).

Thank you for the feedback. I don't think I've heard of Nellie however. What's the product name?

[Ajax1983]

Never mind I found it (the pen is mightier).

what would be another option? Just as a back up plan. 😊🙏

[Legislat]

Classic guild start - Perdita box (The Latigo Posse) with something extra. Monster Hunters would be perfect, but they are not out yet. For example you can get brutal effigy for utility and scheming + Jury for synergy with Perdita/Santiago (and heals/condition removing). 

 

[Ajax1983]

32 minutes ago, Legislat said:

Classic guild start - Perdita box (The Latigo Posse) with something extra. Monster Hunters would be perfect, but they are not out yet. For example you can get brutal effigy for utility and scheming + Jury for synergy with Perdita/Santiago (and heals/condition removing). 

 

Thanks friend. I'll look into both

[Ajax1983]

Oh quick question. Would the Austringers be good with the Latigo Posse?

[Adran]

There are 8 Guild masters. From a starting point of view, McMornign has a box which contains some models that are only usable when you use him as a resurectioninst, so that may be a reason to not start with him (the box also can't be used when you buy a second guild master). Lucius has received errata, so the cards in his box are not correct, which might be a hurdle to you starting playing him (he changed quite extensively, where as the other guild models that have errata only have miner changes which may not really affect how you use them.)

The other 6 boxes are certainly playable with their contents. 

I am going to assume you are looking to play 50 ss games (because they are the normal). Most of the masters are about 40ss in their box, with Nellie being 31 and Perdita being 49. So Perdita with a brutal effigy gets you over the 50 stones and every one loves the brutal effigy. Nellie with 2 executioners is not quite enough to reach 50 ss. Austringers are good models with most people. 

Its probably not going to help with your initial purchase, but I would strongly recommend the general upgrade pack to be the second purchase. 

Pick a master that you like the look of, or the style of, and go from there

[Regelridderen]

Best advice for starting out any model game is to find out which model you want to paint the most and then work from there. So a more relevant question to ask would be: "Which guild master made you choose the guild?".

Then follow it up with: "How do I support that model the best?".

And then keep your pokemonitis in check, when you put in the order. So you can just concentrate on getting enough models painted to start playing, and through that find out what mechanics and playstyle and models would actually suits you the best in the long run – it could easily turn out to be in a wholly different faction.

[ttsgosadow]

Although a little bit outdated with the latest releases, this is an excellent starting point: https://schemesandstones.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/building-on-a-budget/

[Gnomezilla]

McCabe is of moderate complexity to play and is generally good into all strategies. He’s the Guild specialist at getting minions far across the board fast, by giving them buffs, pushes, and item-card upgrades. If you want lots of models on the board (not usually a Guild speciality, our best models have traditionally been our expensive ones to hire) buy guild hounds; if you want tough hard-hitting minions for McCabe to shower with love and upgrades buy witchling thralls (muscle-bound blindfolded ones, not women in steampunk coats or robed beings with broken swords). As you get more models you’ll use the wastrels from his box less. Some people swear by Sidir his henchman, but I don’t like how he works for me.

Hoffman is also of moderate complexity, but more constrained in his strategies since he relies on very short distances to at least one construct in his crew. His specialty is soaking absurd amounts of damage, and boosting his stompybots by giving them buffs, pushes, and item-card upgrades. His next purchase must be an expensive stompybot, but here there’s options. Ryle his henchman can shoot everything that’s out of reach once Hoffman buffs him. The peacekeeper stompybot becomes almost immortal and smashes single targets. As Hoffman has a special hiring rule for Arcanist M&SU-keyword constructs, Ramos’ box is a valid second purchase for him—but that won’t go with anyone else in Guild. You will always have a use for Hoffman’s watcher as a scheme runner. I swear by the guardian for defending other models, although not everyone does. The hunters are solid minions to start with but they’ll be the first to be replaced with later purchases: they’re mid-cost damage dealers, and Hoffman prefers more expensive beaters that will survive a sustained assault.

[Ajax1983]

Okay, so after some research (and some fortuitous Christmas funds) I'm going to be purchasing these items:

M2E Rulebook, Fate Deck, The Guild's Judgement, The Latigo Posse, Austringers, Brutal Effigy, Schemes & Strategies Deck.

Is there anything else that is a must have, or particularly useful that I should add to the list?

 

Also, is there anything from the above list that I can drop, or replace?

[Joachim]

I think the brutal effigy is an auto-take, his (0) is crazy good, and even outside of that he is very good for his cost statwise.

I also never leave home without a death marshal recruiter with lady J.

I recently got my Jury, so I still have to try her out on the table, but she looks really strong as well.

[Ludvig]

That should keep you happy for a good while. You'll be a bit short on cheap activations but it should be manageable unless you're going to a tournament.

[Ajax1983]

1 minute ago, Ludvig said:

That should keep you happy for a good while. You'll be a bit short on cheap activations but it should be manageable unless you're going to a tournament.

Nah, no tourneys yet. Just playing with a friend, and maybe at my local hobby store. I've also considered Outcasts (Hired Guns w/Hired Swords), or Ten Thunders (Temple of Dawn w/The Thunder). Would it be better to go with a different faction since I'm new to all this?

[Ludvig]

Both Perdita and LJ are beginner friendly and Perdita brings Francisco who is a faction staple so if you like the models I'd say go with it. There are no beginner factions, as a beginner you just need to focus on a limited set of models to learn how they work. It doesn't matter too much which models in my opinion, some may be a bit extra complicated but LJ and Perdita are very stright-forward. 

Hired guns + hired swords should also work I think, pretty straight forward crews but you should ask on the outcast boards for better tips. I've heard Shen Long called complicated and I think Misaki requires some finesse too.

[Ajax1983]

18 minutes ago, Ludvig said:

Both Perdita and LJ are beginner friendly and Perdita brings Francisco who is a faction staple so if you like the models I'd say go with it. There are no beginner factions, as a beginner you just need to focus on a limited set of models to learn how they work. It doesn't matter too much which models in my opinion, some may be a bit extra complicated but LJ and Perdita are very stright-forward. 

Hired guns + hired swords should also work I think, pretty straight forward crews but you should ask on the outcast boards for better tips. I've heard Shen Long called complicated and I think Misaki requires some finesse too.

Awesome. Thank you.

[Mirage78]

2 hours ago, Ajax1983 said:

Okay, so after some research (and some fortuitous Christmas funds) I'm going to be purchasing these items:

M2E Rulebook, Fate Deck, The Guild's Judgement, The Latigo Posse, Austringers, Brutal Effigy, Schemes & Strategies Deck.

Is there anything else that is a must have, or particularly useful that I should add to the list?

 

Also, is there anything from the above list that I can drop, or replace?

I don't Play Guild, so I can't give you any advice regarding models.

But I would think about dropping the Rulebook and getting the free PDF-Rules ( http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/133323/Malifaux--RULES-ONLY-Handbook--2E?term=malifaux+rule&test_epoch=0 ) for a start, and using the money to instead buy the general upgrade deck mentioned by Adran or more miniatures for your starting pool.

This way you'll be missing out on the fluff provided in the full Rulebook, but you can always purchase the full Rulebook later on, if you want.
Until then you might want to look into the Breachside Podcast ( http://www.breachsidebroadcast.com/page/7 ) and/or the Wyrd Chronicles as sources for fluff ( http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=wyrd+chronicles&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=&x=0&y=0 ), both also free.

[Ludvig]

A good suggestion. If you can stomach reading the rules from a screen or have a good printer you don't need to buy the rules.

[Ajax1983]

36 minutes ago, Mirage78 said:

I don't Play Guild, so I can't give you any advice regarding models.

But I would think about dropping the Rulebook and getting the free PDF-Rules ( http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/133323/Malifaux--RULES-ONLY-Handbook--2E?term=malifaux+rule&test_epoch=0 ) for a start, and using the money to instead buy the general upgrade deck mentioned by Adran or more miniatures for your starting pool.

This way you'll be missing out on the fluff provided in the full Rulebook, but you can always purchase the full Rulebook later on, if you want.
Until then you might want to look into the Breachside Podcast ( http://www.breachsidebroadcast.com/page/7 ) and/or the Wyrd Chronicles as sources for fluff ( http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=wyrd+chronicles&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=&x=0&y=0 ), both also free.

Thanks for this. I might still get the rule book because my budget has expanded (isn't Christmas awesome?), but you might be right about expanding my model range and the upgrade deck.

[Nikodemus]

9 hours ago, Ajax1983 said:

Schemes & Strategies Deck.

I'd drop that. Or at least consider if you really want or need it. That deck is for s&s found in the rulebook (I assume, I'm not aware of anyone selling gg s&s decks outside wargame vault).

Even if you're not going to play at tournaments, or with people who do, I still strongly encourage you to try out Gaining Grounds s&s which is ostensibly a tournament set of strategies and schemes. Current one is gg17 which you can find at Wyrd website, gg18 is just round the corner and you can find more or less done open beta files in gg 2018 testing subforum. When I played my first gg game, there was no going back. They're just so much better, more fun, than what's in the core book. If you start with core book s&s and buy the deck for them, I think there's a very real chance a month or two down the line it'll sit unused and you wish you'd have bought an upgrade deck instead.

[zurelol]

If I can suggest I would spend the money for S&S and Rules into buiyng all card in the Malifaux App( It's just ten bucks). Having all cards with a touch is EXTREMELY useful

[Adran]

Regarding the strats and scheme decks, I do find it very useful to have the cards on hand to refer to, but it is well worth chatting with your regular opponents to find out if you are likely to play book or any of the gaining ground packs (or even story encounters) and look at getting those. I would probably put them down the list a little, but I had a set already printed out before Wyrd made its deck. 

If you and your regular opponents don't yet know because you are all just starting, then I might hold off buying anything until you know. 

[Ludvig]

There used to be free strat and scheme decks to print and if there aren't it is really easy to copy paste from the digital documents and make your own.