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Monday Preview - GenCon Nightmare Crew


Nef

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10 hours ago, -Loki- said:

Goofiness has been Gremlins thing since M2E.  Gremlins have never been about gothic horror and aside from the Whiskey Golem, steampunk. They’re drunk rednecks who delight in the myriad ways they can blow themselves up.

This might be a tad goofier than Gremlins in general but they’re the goofy faction. 

You have a point obviously, Gremlins have always been a bit goofy.

I have a feeling though, to better illustrate my point, that we are moving from Batman's Joker/Penguin creepy (Gremlins in M1E) towards Jar Jar Binks goofy which is really not my cup of tea.

If it was limited to Gremlins I would not mind much but, from the last Monday previews, I am afraid that this is moving towards other factions and Malifaux in general.

This is disappointing to me, especially since TOS' art seems to be keeping the original Malifaux feeling (at least the one I perceived).

1 hour ago, catbat07 said:

But still- most of Malifaux is inherently grimdark.

Is it still the case though? It seems that we are moving out of this in the latest fluff and the latest artwork.

The latest Gremlin fluff is not grimdark at all imho, it is plain goofy.

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Now when I first set eyes on this it just brought a smile to my face it is defiantly original and very well done but I can see why a lot of Gremlin players are disappointed.

This is not in the same league as the Dark Carnival, The Wild Ones, Curiosity Killed the Cat & the Alternate Rasputina crew boxes.

I would have loved to see a 1940’s gangster style Ophelia crew or a 3 Musketeers inspired Brewmaster crew, the Spanish Inquisition comes to mind for Wong.

This is one of those crews that I would not be disappointed in finding in a Large Mystery box at an event though.

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6 hours ago, santaclaws01 said:

Not really. Only Ophelia really copies anyone, and that's the Oretga. Somer just has the big hat=in charge thing, Wong is basically just a weaboo, Ulix does his own thing, Zipp does his own thing, Brewmaster does his own thing, Merris does her own thing, and Zoraida isn't a gremlin so she doesn't count. Of the 7 gremlin masters only 1 actually directly mimics anyone, and the majority of the other Gremlins that actually mimic anyone fall within her box. Other than her there is what, Sparks and the Criers? 


A lot of people seem to have their own idea of what Malifaux is, and seem to just gloss over all the rest of malifaux that doesn't align with their view of the game.

See (Keenan)''s post.

Think he only missed Sammy LaCroix = zoraida and Trixibelle (to some extent)= belles. 

And as he mentioned the original point of most gremlins being a threat is that they're copying humans. Dangerously experimental and inventive,  and in many ways inspired by humans.

I just don't feel this crew fits in with the look or feel of Malifaux in any way - unless that is drastically shifting. ...which judging by the Guild Goofballs recently previewed. ..it is. 

My other major criticism of this crew is that they're just ponies. The My Little Pony theme could have been taken and gremlin-ified  more. A pig pony?  Ponies representing the different factions? Ponies being ridden? Giant biting pony? Mechanical pony? Swamp pony? 

Literally anything other than 'just ponies'. It's just not gremlin-y  enough for my taste. 

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The models themselves are cute and quite funny looking. But in my opinion they don't fit in with the Malifaux aesthetic at all. They look way more cartoony then anything released for Malifaux so far. Yes, nightmare boxes are supposed to be a bit more strange compared to normal models, but this looks like they are made for a different game.

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9 minutes ago, Mortarion said:

they don't fit in with the Malifaux aesthetic at all.

Maybe they will do something like they did with the Dead Justice box where the models could count as more than just one thing
With it being the Core box of Ulix but the Wild Ponies could be nightmare alts for the Dreamer

 

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Haven't read the topic very carefully, but it kinda seems that the US side of the ocean likes this more than the European side. Funny if true.

Not really digging somewhat. Won't say it's bad, but this isn't something I would gladly buy.

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7 hours ago, (Keenan) said:

Are you counting just the alts? 

Yeah. IIRC Teddy has had two regular releases (one per edition) and three alts - Nightmare Teddy, Miss Ery and Puppet Teddy. The Warpig is sitting just behind; two regular (again, one per edition) and two alts - Rooster Rider and War Wabbit.

8 hours ago, Bazlord_Prime said:

Pssst! <Nightmare Crew> is what I was talking about (and you know it 😉). As for Black Friday etc, I want talking about availability, but opportunity.

Yeah, there's plenty of other Factions that haven't had a Nightmare crew yet, which is why it'll be a long time before the G-men get another shot at it, which is why I'm a little bummed about it. Still - can't fault the enthusiasm of some of the reactions here. Sounds like Wyrd will shift quite a few of these boxes!

Actually Now that Gremlins get one this year, I'm pretty sure every Faction has now had at least one a Nightmare release;

Guild: Dead Justice and McCabe

Ressers: Tara, Dead Justice and Hanging Tree (although with the latter two they counted as non-Master releases, plus the Hanging tree models only counted as a Hanged in M1E...they're Montressor proxies now)

Arcanists: Colette (although you might want to count Rasputina's christmas release too)

Neverborn: Lord Chompy Bits and Teddy

Outcasts: Tara, Hamelin and Hanging Tree (as above, it's a Montressor proxy now)

Ten Thunders: McCabe (even though it was more of a Guild box)

Gremlins: Ulix, Whiskey Golem

 

I *think* that's all of them. So it really is open as to which Faction gets a new Nightmare box next Gencon. 

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8 hours ago, catbat07 said:

I get why people don't like the box, and hey, more power too you, but saying Malifaux has a definite theme is kind of hard to do when the game has so many conflicting elements. 

When asked at LFGS what the theme of Malifaux is, I usually answer: SteamVictorianWesternHorrorKungFuGothicPunk, which I think pretty much sums it up.

As for the new Nightmare set... I'll be getting this. And the Wyrdscapes Terrain and everything else I can afford to grab during GenCon weekend.

Is MLP my thing? No. But then again I painted up the 1st edition belles as Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup. Why? because it was funny. 

Final thought: If you think Ponies can't be a Nightmare, you've never owned a Shetland.

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48 minutes ago, Rathnard said:

Actually Now that Gremlins get one this year, I'm pretty sure every Faction has now had at least one a Nightmare release;

Guild: Dead Justice and McCabe

Ressers: Tara, Dead Justice and Hanging Tree (although with the latter two they counted as non-Master releases, plus the Hanging tree models only counted as a Hanged in M1E...they're Montressor proxies now)

Arcanists: Colette (although you might want to count Rasputina's christmas release too)

Neverborn: Lord Chompy Bits and Teddy

Outcasts: Tara, Hamelin and Hanging Tree (as above, it's a Montressor proxy now)

Ten Thunders: McCabe (even though it was more of a Guild box)

Gremlins: Ulix, Whiskey Golem

 

I *think* that's all of them. So it really is open as to which Faction gets a new Nightmare box next Gencon. 

Resurrectionists, Neverborn and Ten Thunders don't have "their own" Nightmare crew though, they either share it with another faction or don't have one at all. I'd love to see one for Oni's Wrath though, using proper yokai like the umberella thing instead of the blue monkeys. Grown Up Dreamer would be neat too.

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I'll be honest, I find The Wild Ones box set to be far less in tune with Malifaux style than this nightMARE pony set.  I mean if you look at the renders and not the art it doesn't even scream MLP.

Also fun part about being an Alt model is if you don't like it there are other options for ya.  I'll admit, tis not my cup o' tea, but I can see others like it a lot and good on 'em.  I have no ire towards Wyrd for this, have fun with things.  I was hoping for brewmaster alt personally though.  Would have liked to see an old west saloon bartender.

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4 hours ago, SoylentRobot said:

Resurrectionists, Neverborn and Ten Thunders don't have "their own" Nightmare crew though, they either share it with another faction or don't have one at all. I'd love to see one for Oni's Wrath though, using proper yokai like the umberella thing instead of the blue monkeys. Grown Up Dreamer would be neat too.

This. Dead Justice only counts as Minion models in Rezzers, and <personal opinion only> Nightmare Tara is a cop out, since the only differences from normal were Tara's sword position, and the bigger, armier Nothing Beast. Karina & the Wretches are all the same, right?

So yeah, everybody's got something, but only a few Nightmare crews have a true alternate theme. Of those, Arcanists have 2, Guild 1 (2 if you want to count Dead Justice), Outcasts 1, Gremlins 1, Ten Thunders 1, Neverborn 0, Rezzers 0. I'm absolutely for Neverborn & Rezzers to get the treatment next, and hope the alt themes fit those players well. 

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46 minutes ago, Bazlord_Prime said:

the only differences from normal were Tara's sword position, and the bigger, armier Nothing Beast. Karina & the Wretches are all the same, right?

I just had a look and Tara also has an actual hole in her torso and Karina is a different sculpt as well. The Wretches seem to be the same though.

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5 hours ago, SoylentRobot said:

Resurrectionists, Neverborn and Ten Thunders don't have "their own" Nightmare crew though, they either share it with another faction or don't have one at all. I'd love to see one for Oni's Wrath though, using proper yokai like the umberella thing instead of the blue monkeys. Grown Up Dreamer would be neat too.

I'd love to have a grown up Dreamer alt sculpt.  I've been periodically searching for appropriately sized cricket bats to model onto a TTB model but I just can't seem to find one.  

 

7 hours ago, wobbly_goggy said:

See (Keenan)''s post.

Think he only missed Sammy LaCroix = zoraida and Trixibelle (to some extent)= belles. 

And as he mentioned the original point of most gremlins being a threat is that they're copying humans. Dangerously experimental and inventive,  and in many ways inspired by humans.

I just don't feel this crew fits in with the look or feel of Malifaux in any way - unless that is drastically shifting. ...which judging by the Guild Goofballs recently previewed. ..it is. 

My other major criticism of this crew is that they're just ponies. The My Little Pony theme could have been taken and gremlin-ified  more. A pig pony?  Ponies representing the different factions? Ponies being ridden? Giant biting pony? Mechanical pony? Swamp pony? 

Literally anything other than 'just ponies'. It's just not gremlin-y  enough for my taste. 

I can't believe I forgot Sammy and Trixiebelle! Also taxidermists are McMourning.  

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These make me want to go completely hog wild (or I guess pony wild) on colour schemes.  The the brightest, most painfully neon paints I can find.  My LGS will think I've gone crazy.

On the subject of the tone and theme of Malifaux, it's always been a bit eclectic.  Just about every faction has had its goofy models, and for the most part people haven't complained.  Never heard anyone complain about Teddy not fitting the game's aesthetic, or that Colette's crew was too cheery looking on the tabletop.

Heck, I painted the original metal showgirls' outfits pink.  Bright pink, to burn away the darkness.  😈

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There’s so many themes in Malifaux that trying to pin one down basically results in ‘Edwardian era’ for the overall setting. Individual crews are all over the place.

Off the top of my head, crews cover fantasy type Mages, Edwardian dandies, gothic horror, steampunk, American western, Wushu, hammer horror, stereotyped American confederates, high fantasy, feudal era Japanese, supernatural myths from many cultures and many more.

Saying ‘Malifaux is X’ more just shows the crews you play rather than representing the game as a whole.

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I am with the neigh-sayers on this one.

Opinions on all sculpts are subjective, and Wyrd has made models I like, and models I don’t. But this is the first set of models that I have not thought either "I wish I had that model", or "I don’t wish to get that model", instead I have thought "I wish those models were not in the game".

Previous comedic sculpts, like the cats and the snowmen, reminded me of Tim Burton’s work - Nightmare Before Christmas sort of thing. Cute but creepy. I didn’t want to buy them, but I could see what the designers were getting at, and I didn't think they detracted from the game.

Homaging My Little Pony, on the other hand, makes me uneasy for several reasons. Firstly, it is not just a subtle nod to a real world thing (and Malifaux is full of pop culture references) but this time they have actually lifted the entire look from a kids toy series. This breaks my suspension of disbelief, because My Little Pony should not exist in the Malifaux universe, because Wikipedia tells me they were first on the market in 1981.

Secondly, adults playing with My Little Pony has a specific cultural meaning in the real world, and that meaning is not positive. If I walk into a back room of a games shop and see people playing a game with undead and cowboys, you have sparked my interest. If I walk into the back room of a games shop and see adults playing a game with My Little Ponys, on the other hand, I am going to back away slowly.

It is the jump from "those models are creepy" to "those people are creepy".

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Sigh...I guess there is a crowd for this...not sure who, when you have creepy ass pygmy horses. It will be interesting to see if it makes much in the way of sales, seems like a very niche corner. would have rather seen something for Mama Z or Brewie, to drum up some cross faction sales, Like the wild ones.

Gotta wonder tho with cat-hamlin and wild ones being cannon, is this a thing too?   

 

With the last few months I think I'm going to take a break from this game/company. 

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You know, the most weird thing in malifaux is not even a Nightmare box. For me, it's the crossroad 7. Even if I love the models, they got nothing to do with malifaux. They are anachronic (without even looking at DJ envy).
I feel the same about Ten Thunders. We got pretty few alt models and I can't see alt Mc Cabe as a Ten thunder crew.

For the ponies, there are a lot of guys loving it and a the other lot disliking it. Not much in the middle. I think Wyrd hit the targets. Sorry for Gremlins which do not like it. Also just try to imagine those ponies painted as bayou ponies rather than MLP. Or like Happy! (the serie).

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15 hours ago, SoylentRobot said:

Resurrectionists, Neverborn and Ten Thunders don't have "their own" Nightmare crew though, they either share it with another faction or don't have one at all.

That's a fairly harsh stick you use, neverborn had nightmare chompybits as the first nightmare, and followed it with nightmare teddy. ( whose entire concept appears to be a children's toy gone wild...)

 Ten thunders whole concept is about dual faction and so 3/4 of their masters are dual faction. 

As to theme of these, from what I can see the models them selves are not especially my little pony. They probably fit malifaux more than the wild ones ever did. ( at least for me). Each to there own. 

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Awesome Monday preview.

I wasn't expecting this for the nightmare edition and I'm looking forward to picking it up since it's a master who's original box didn't excite me.  Although, I may have to get the classic box too since I like the idea of grizzled ulix surrounded by bright ponies in kind of a 'how did I end up with these annoying buggers' way.

That said, I am a bit annoyed that, for once, I may not have the brightest/most pastel crew on the table.  Guess I'll have to work harder to get the least grim-dark crew possible.  I'm thinking rainbows and glitter effects :)

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