Omenbringer

Well I dont have any of the plastic ones but I did do some things with the old metal ones to make them more interesting and distinguish between each of them. Here are a few examples: By altering their orientation you might be able to get them to fit a bit better on their bases, or at least make them a bit more playable.

You like the models as is, fine, but that doesn't mean that those of us that would like to see some improvement are any less justified on our opinions. My question is how long would you suggest the company be given a mulligan for? They have made plastics for more than a bit now and the kits are still often just as fiddly and delicate as some of the earlier ones. This is not a new complaint or even an infrequent one, it also isn't restricted to just a handful of first production run crew boxes (Yan Lo, Misaki, etc). Glad you have had minimal trouble transporting your models, that also doesn't in any way mean that others do not. I also carefully cut my foam, trying to insure that they dont catch on any thing or have "pressure on them in bad directions," doesn't really help when the models are attached via only one small foot and posed over dynamically. Just moving models from the house to the car in their foam protection is likely to see the outstretched arms and weapons catching on the sides and breaking off. Probably the best solution is the magnetic transport options, though even here those single small points of contact between model and base are likely to be an issue during removal from the tray to play. I dont believe anyone in the thread is asking for models that are statically posed at attention like a soldier standing for an inspection, but we are asking for more consideration in terms of how these models are actually going to be assembled (whole arms instead of upper arm and separate hand holding weapon that attaches at the wrist) and used during games (models that overhang their bases quite a bit or have small single points of connection). Being a fan of the company doesn't mean you cant see issues or recommend improvements, it means you let them know of issues (real or perceived) and recommend improvements.

Warzone Matrix in Cleveland, Ohio will be hosting demo games of Malifaux this Friday Night (February 26, 2016) from 6:30-9:00 PM. The following crews will be available for use during demo games (let me know if you have a specific crew that you are interested in and I will try to have it available); 1) Somer Teeth Jones (The Bayou Boss crew box) 2) Lady Justice (The Guilds Judgment crew box) 3) Perdita Ortega (The Latigo Posse crew box) 4) Rasputina (The Children of December crew box) 5) Zoraida (The Swamp Hag crew box) 6) Seamus (The Shadows of red Chapel crew box) * Fate Decks, Soulstone Counters, and other items will be provided. These will be quick, thirty minute "wave top" games intended to present only the basics of the game without the intricacies of crew synergies or deep strategy. To facilitate this games will be played on a smaller than recommended board of 18" by 18". These games will also utilize a smaller number of models than is typical, in order to emphasize only the basic mechanics of the game. When the demo is completed you will have a firm understanding of the core mechanics of the game and be ready to explore the deeper mysteries of the world. Longer demos may be available but are subject to the response of those interested in demos. Warzone Matrix is located at: 4704 Rocky River Dr Cleveland, OH 44135216) 433-1316 Phone # (216) 433-1316 Parking is available in the front of the store and demos will be conducted in the back gaming area. Please ask for Dustin if you dont see me right away. I look forward to introducing you to the world of Malifaux. P.S. If you cant make this Friday night, you may either PM me or email NOLA_henchman@yahoo.com to schedule another time that is more conducive to your schedule.

Love the dark moody palette though do wish the photography was a bit better. As is I think a lot of your work is being obscured. I might recommend using darker backgrounds (without fingers) to give the camera a better chance of snapping a picture that will show all that work hinted at in the above photos. Also might recommend a "cheapo" light box made from an empty plastic gallon milk jug.

I dont agree that the choices are quite so stark. There can be a middle ground where the models can be easily assembled and also quite dynamic. The Alkemy miniatures come to mind in this regard. One of the issues that I see is Wyrd has made the choice to really push the dynamism of some of their models to a level that makes molding much more difficult. Look for example at Misaki or the Coryphee or the Dark Carnival edition of the Coryphee. Though these are beautiful and very dynamic models, functionally they are incredibly difficult to put together and delicate to transport. A lesser example would be Ototo, who is also posed very dynamically but is an odd piece to play around because of this choice. Dynamism is great but these are pieces intended to be played with and transported, some form has to give way to function. The choice to realistically proportion the models (omitting a discussion about the inconsistencies of this within the range) is another issue unto itself. It is exacerbated by the choices made in connection locations. When you are going for realistic proportions the wrists, ankles and neck make for very delicate connections due to the lack of real estate to glue. Plastic glue can only do so much to strengthen these minute joins. Also consider that these realistically proportioned areas are also extremely difficult to reinforce with pinning because of the lack of available real estate (many pins are as thick as the areas they would be pinning). The increasingly popular one foot connection to the base is another issue exacerbated by the choice to realistically proportioned models. If these were strictly competition show pieces then all these things would be great, however these are pieces intended to be handled and moved about while playing the game, so are much less desirable traits. I for one would prefer the pieces be dialed back a bit in terms of both realistic proportions and dynamism in favor of increased functionality during play and assembly. As has been stated many times, model assembly should not be a barrier to entry for new players.

If I could start again I would have gone with the Reaper Master Series line. They have an awesome line for all of the reasons above plus they come in the dropper bottles with additives already included in the mix. The triads are fabulous but even better is the ease with which they can be expanded into quintets (or further) through the purchase of empty dropper bottles and mixes between shade to mid and then mid to highlight. Dont know if I completely agree about the limited washes being an detriment though, it is easy enough to thin many of their paints to near translucency with a "magic mix" of additives, essentially allowing many of their colors to function as a wash.

Steal wool could work though might be to tightly packed to give the right look. What I would recommend is some dry craft moss like this: It is available in small bags and fairly cheap from most virtually very craft store I have visited. Though a bit delicate out of the bag, a little glue wash followed by some clear coat stiffens them right up. Best part is they likely wont even need paint.

Gremlins are pretty notorious for having both numerous and small parts, especially in the head region. Amazing how many parts a one inch model can have. I would rather have models that are functional for play than models that are beautiful on a shelf. Many of the new "dynamic" poses are not just a nightmare to put together but also a nightmare to actually transport or play with. Single points of connection that are also itty-bitty are becoming increasingly common.

Let me know if you want some assistance with running the events. I missed helping Wyrd at Gencon last year.

Likely the better use for them with it.

I would probably recommend adapting another system then, using the TtB books as source material (prior to Wyrd publishing TtB some members of the community did this). The original developer of TtB was not a huge fan of rigid systems. I will forgo expanding upon this as you will likely stumble across my thoughts on it, in many of the threads pertaining to TtB and its idiosyncrasies. I think it is a good story telling game, but will caveat this with it very likely could have been a lot better had someone else been at the helm back then (like say the new developers who have already made some improvements and have me optimistic about future development).

Looking at the rest of the crew you got there, it seems the dry brushing was restricted primarily to the Inorganic Ice Construct models in the crew (Golem and Gamin). On those models it assists in making them look "frosty". The organic models in the crew (Rasputina and the Guildy being pounced by the Wendigo) though, look markedly different. The Wendigo on the Guildy does look fairly similar to how you painted your Storm, Snow as well does share a similar look with the Rasputina (perhaps she could benefit from a wash to tighten the look), so in terms of crew cohesion it does work. Off topic, but the Ice Golems "nipples" always makes me laugh, almost as much as the bicep thing.

I can give you a LGS in Cleveland that has a pretty good chance of having those. PM if interested.

Off topic but I disagree with this sentiment intensely. When it is incorporated into the games design from the start of development, the rules can be made tight and intuitive in the majority of circumstances. The key is it has to be a priority and not an after thought.

A Wild Boar could likely do that just as well for 2 SS cheaper or a Warpig for 1 SS more than the Sow dont you think. Either would offer more versatility for a Ulix crew not built around summoning, than the Sow would.

Back to the original question though; If running Ulix without Husbandry, I would build around Old Major and a Hog Whisperer, then fill the list with as many non-Sow, non-Gracie Pigs as I could fit. This will maximize the potential for Ulix's Hitch a Ride, saving his AP for attacks, while the Hog Whisperer allows some re-positioning options for Ulix and the rest of the Pigs via Sooey!.

As you point out she also requires an enemy Scheme Marker like Sammy, though the big differences are the 1 action as compared to the 0 and the lower requirement value (Sammy needs an 8, she needs a 5). Plus she automatically replaces herself upon death or sacrifice with 2 unactivated, though wounded Piglets. She also benefits from all the Pig specific abilities likely to be found in a Ulix list, Sammy does not. And lastly, the Sow with Ulix running Husbandry for Piglet summoning is fairly good and consistent (True Sammy could attach that upgrade as well in a Ulix led crew, but that is an increased crew costs for something that can be done much cheaper with just Ulix and the Sow). All this for only 1 more SS in cost over Sammy. If Piglet summoning is the plan (granted that is not the angle you are looking for in this thread but), then the Sow is just plain better for it than taking Sammy with Ulix. Did this back when the Skeeters could act as Air Traffic Controllers for the Pigs (even authored a tactica for it before the edition and forum switches), was alright but an awful lot of work to set up and very inconsistent in results (even when you could manage to cluster them tightly around a target to guaranty damage from Bacon Bomb regardless of the suit flipped). Mildly useful then, much less so now. The Skeeters losing access to Sooey! really hurt Bacon Bombing runs an awful lot. Once an opponent has seen it (in this edition specifically), it is easy enough to counter (ranged actions or out maneuvering) or just weather the storm (It isn't that much damage singly even at max effect, and it is only a one time per Stuffed Piglet thing since they go away regardless of the suit flipped). The best case would be if you could manage to out activate your opponent (freezing the target in place), they are 10" or closer so the Stuffed Piglets can walk to them, you can manage to cluster them within an 1" around the target to guaranty damage regardless of suit flip (need at least 3 for a decent chance of killing most desirable targets and this positioning is more difficult than it sounds), and then you can kill your own gremlin Taxidermist to trigger Dead mans Switch so they all blow at the same time (so the target doesn't really have a chance to do anything against it). Also probably worth mentioning that the preferred target for this is one that is difficult for the Piglets to hit, i.e. extremely high Defense without any defensive tech such as Armor or a move away upon damaging trigger. It is a lot of work to do and more importantly an awful lot of resources for a one trick pony that is incredibly telegraphed (at least last edition there was the Skeeters to assist in getting them where they needed to be, launching from odd angles and covered positions). Well managed Piglets are better at annoying an opponent, can do it from farther away, and perform more work for the typical crew build (being able to achieve objectives as well as aid in Gremlin Movement is a huge advantage). Bacon Bombing with Stuffed Piglets is one of those things that looks way more effective than it really is (even with the perfect storm of card draws), especially if you are paying for them instead of summoning them (12 SS for 6 Stuffed Piglets that are going to telegraph this tactic could have been better spent on 3 Piglets or 4 Bayou Gremlins, both of which are far more versatile and useful). Also consider that the Swarm of Stuffed Piglets is fairly prone to detonating in your lines if the enemy has any credible ranged threat that can trigger It Goes Pop! by killing 1 or 2 in the herd before they get to do anything. Believe me I want to like them (why I own a full compliment of 8 of them), but they really do come with a long list of negatives that are not easily accounted for (unlike other Gremlin/ Pig models in the faction). They are extremely high risk and very low reward in my opinion.

Nothing to add to Solkan's post other than I really wish that particular ability was never published, it causes more problems than it is worth.

At least this has improved from the early plastic kits. Likely one of the worst examples of the Plastics in terms of sprue layout and intuitive assembly. Hoping that at some point the "Old" Plastics (from 1st edition that only received a new "dark" M2e Box) will receive building instructions since it has come up a number of times (beginning with the 1st edition "Light" sets years ago). I have felt your frustration and consider myself a fairly experienced and astute modeler. It is unfortunate that one of the barriers to entry for Malifaux is now the model assembly. A lot of that is attributable to the peculiarities of manufacturing plastic models, some is attributable to poor choice of cut location. Additionally, some of it might also stem from the companies origins as a painting competition organizer, where detail was all important and the modelers significantly more experienced than the average. In either case, it can be said that for the most part at least, it is only a few models that need to be assembled to play (unless of course you have massive collections). These though are some of the small handful of Malifaux models where I prefer the look of the plastics to the metal versions. Unfortunately that improvement comes at a price.

Stuffed with Explosives or specifically the Concussion condition it throws out (which is also a 3" unmarked pulse) is a huge negative. Particularly because the enticement of using Stuffed Piglets to fuel the Pigapult in the first place, is for the increased damage potential and the Blast they provide over the normal Piglet. Unfortunately given the reduction in Sh higher damage neither is as likely, given it will likely result in more flips on damage on top of "no cheating" when you have a neutral or better flip. Consistently I find the Piglet to out perform the Stuffed Piglet as ammo. Additionally, the Stuffed Piglet just isn't as versatile as the normal Piglet, which can do a lot more work, for the crew. Even when considering the potential to "Free" Summon them with a Taxidermist or Sammy. Both of them require a material component to perform (a corpse counter for the former, and an enemy scheme marker for the latter) and both are 0 actions (so only one per turn from each). In a Ulix crew, spending the points on a Sow for summoning normal piglets for Pigapult fuel instead of Sammy or a taxidermist is likely the better investment. Really want to like the Stuffed Piglet's, but with out access to Skeeter Air traffic Controllers (facilitating what I coined the Bacon Bombing Assassination Run) like last edition they have really lost a lot. Even at only 2 SS they are difficult to justify ever hiring (horrible combination of Peon and Insignificant as compared to the Piglet which is neither) and only marginally better for summoning (especially considering Piglets can usually be spam summoned via triggers or 1 AP if desired, where as Stuffed Piglets require a 0 action currently).

Like the look, especially the horns on Storm. Great job on the Eyes too! Not sure if you are looking for recommendations, but I might suggest applying a wash over the model to really get things to pop and mellow out the chalking a bit. perhaps a "smokey" color over Storm and a blue over Snow's coat.

Agree with Shadowpal, that is some good looking stuff. Especially like the Livery stable. I Might recommend working on a bit more scatter terrain though, as is that board strongly favors long ranged abilities.

Interesting. I am not a huge fan of the Stuffed Piglets for fueling the Pigapult. They come with some serious trade offs as compared to the normal Piglet, though I tend to run it with Som'er so that might make a difference.

"Fluid" is a good way to explain the character progression and class system (especially for some one coming from DnD). The magic system I would say it is very open, but not particularly robust mechanically (Into the Steam improved upon it, but...). It will likely present some challenges, particularly for the Fate Master if his group contains any "munchkin" type players. In regards to the cards versus dice comments, well it is best to just say that it is a very, very different experience than DnD. Just saying the probability curve is different is not enough, the probability curve is tuned for a specific encounter level, and much longer wave (read as memory). Because of this combats in TtB are much different than you will find in DnD. With that out of the way on to the OP's original question; The biggest selling point for TtB to me is in the story. This is particularly true if the group is somewhat seasoned and doesn't contain a lot of "munchkin" players that can game the system. I would recommend the OP search the forum for some of the other threads in regards to TtB, particularly the discussions on TN and card randomization. TtB has a lot of similarities to the Story Telling Games from White Wolf, but the card mechanic is something that is somewhat unique to TtB (and something that I feel needs to be really understood prior to playing). For an experienced group of RPG's (especially the Fate Master) looking for a different experience from what they are used to, their is a lot of opportunity in TtB. Not an excited endorsement, but one that I feel better reflects the game. Think of TtB as more of a connoisseurs game.

Agree with much of what has been said. It is a different game than it was, but still enjoyable. I much prefer the story encounters and their asymmetry, to the standard encounters symmetry. If you really enjoyed that portion from first edition, then I wouldn't suggest playing a lot of standard encounters with the restricted scheme pools and symmetric Strategies. My only additional comment in regards to strats and schemes is there is quite a bit more center weighting (or near center) to them in this edition. Deep incursions into your opponents deployment zone (or truthfully even shallow ones up to it) are not very common requirements. I can not agree with this more, though am much less optimistic about the rules "working" than Fetid. Elevation in particular is probably best to be avoided as the system doesn't really support it well at all (somewhat of a design intent). Since you are coming from 1st ed and likely have an existing supply of metal models to play with, you might want to be aware that several models for the old metal crews (and models that received a promotion in this edition) are unavailable outside of the new plastic crew boxes. While unfortunate and often lamented (a new thread seems to pop up every two months or so), it can make edition transitioning players (and local game stores with stock of metal models) irritated. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options in regards to acquiring these models, as there are a lot of people looking (high demand) for the exact same models and very little supply, so prices are usually high when you can find them at all (Economics at work).