Omenbringer

Having seen them at Origins I can tell you the Emissaries are huge models, much larger than any other model in the range save perhaps the Whiskey Golem. That is likely a part of the cost increase.

I generally use Som'er in his summon factory build so the points investment is negligible but yes it is often worth it (I would really encourage you to try it out though). It still leaves 21 points (considering I have Som'er with both Encouragement and Family Tree) to build the rest of the crew, or 3 Bayou Gremlins and 3 Piglets. This build can summon another 1-3 Bayou Gremlins and 1-2 Piglets per turn with Som'er providing the required Suits.

You can still base block Wong to prevent the Ikiryo Summoning. For a 30mm base it only takes 3 more 30mm bases placed triangularly around him in base contact to prevent the Ikiryo from being able to be placed in Base Contact. If you can't place it in base contact then it can't be summoned (page 51).

Do you have a College near by? They often have gaming clubs that will work in lieu of a store.

I am still not sure why the Flame Walls are now Blocking and Impassable instead of just Hazardous and Soft Cover, it makes them a lot more potent than they should be for a 1 AP action that succeeds on a 5+. It could be argued that Rasputina's Ice Pillars are just as potent however, they don't cause damage at a range of 1" either. That gives the Flame Walls a lot of extra board presence that the Ice Pillars don't have.

Unfortunately those pictures don't provide enough view of the actual relief but each lane was able to accommodate a 50mm base. Incorporeal is definitely an issue with the amount of terrain recommended for Malifaux. As is it is a really good ability with virtually no downsides. I am assuming the game with Sonnia and the Child was 2nd edition since in 1st the Flame Wall wasn't Blocking. I agree though that boards need to be balanced in terms of incorporating several different types of terrain to prevent abuses.

I use Lenny, Piglet, Skeeter, and a Slop Hauler (Staples of my Som'er Pigapult crew anyway). Skeeter provides the required suit for Lenny's trigger. Lenny attacks the Pigapult which either relents the attack increasing the odds of drawing the weak damage or simply cheats in the weak damage to summon the Piglet. Even on severe damage the Pigapult only takes 1 damage because of its Armor +5. Slop Hauler heals it back up. I don't use Stuffed Pigs as they come with a lot of downsides and only provide a small boost though against Kirai they might be offset (because of both the rounded damage and also the blasts in a crew that likes to cluster). This method of summoning Piglets will feed the Pigapult consistently and keep it functioning at high efficiency, particularly when Som'er is Encouraging it also. 3 Attacks at range 24 that ignores LOS and Cover with a Sh of 6 with a on the attack flip and against Manipulative makes for a fearsome Kirai slayer.

Sure about that? Wong's Glowy can't be placed on the Pigapult as it is a Peon. This was to prevent it from being absolutely ridiculous, and during play testing it definitely was.

Som'er and a lot of the 1st edition Gremlin's had noses, the Vintage model was originally an Alternate Som'er model cast in metal. When they changed to plastic the gremlin's lost their noses, likely due to difficulties in casting them. Definitely preferred the original metal version of Misaki (1st edition she was a Mercenary) to her over the top "dynamic" pose in 2nd edition. The only issue with the metal one was the thin metal spear shaft and the tassels which often caused it to bend, thankfully that was easily remedied by replacing the shaft with stronger steel wire and bracing the tassels. I suspect Som'er and the Bayou Gremlins were heavily influenced by Deliverance, especially if you recall some of their 1st edition actions (one of which conferred Terrifying to the Bayou Gremlins). I have to agree, that Hamelin Alt sculpt is wonderful and one of my favorites.

Wong is a good choice but I would also second the Pigapult (surrounded by four 30mm base models to prevent the Ikiryo from being placed in based contact with it). It may not have a Ca action but its 3 attacks are usually sufficient to kill what it wants from across the table even at half damage. The half damage is also rounded up in the Pigapults favor. Lastly, it's Wp is also high enough to make Manipulative basically ineffective as a defense.

I betcha there is a college gaming club that you could attach yourself to.

I would say the Lelu violates the Vampire prohibition, though at least it isn't a sparkly emo one. Oh and in regards to Penguins I wonder if Klawns will bypass the filter?

Yes you make the flips from your fate deck and the cheats from your control hand as both models are controlled by you.

Here is a link to the ones I used for my recent tournament (competitive tables which were closer to 50% than 70%. Here are some I have used for another tournament (at Bayou Wars in Louisiana) Badlands board all features were inbuilt (lots of blocking terrain, the highest portions were nearly 6" tall) Sewers (1st edition Indoor rules with lots of severe and blocking terrain) Here is one of my home tables I have posted built from Terraclips (this density level is what I generally prefer to play on) I posted this one primarily to show some terrain tiles I built however it would be an example of what I would consider below the minimum (it would meet the main rule books recommendation though). When I played on it later I added several pieces of scatter terrain (several 2" tall, 6" long, 1" thick Hedges, a few 2" tall, 3" long, 1" thick Hedges, and some train tracks) to the street sections which are way to open. Wish I would have taken some pictures of the full table (also need to get some street cars and carriages for future tables). I can re-stage with everything I put on it if you want.

I would wager the best option would be to "pool" your redemptions between players in your community.

To insure a cheatable damage flip I would recommend not relenting the attack since it comes with the on the damage flip. Instead you can cheat down your defending models defense and cheat up your attacking models AV. It is more resource intensive but often worth the effort (a good use of those really low value cards in your hand).

Aside from what has already been said, this is true for almost every crew. A lot of players (particularly those coming from Warmahordes or Warhammer) dont utilize nearly enough terrain on their tables. A large amount of terrain (50-70% as recommended in the 2 Player Starter not the lower amount of 25-50% from the mini Rule Book or Large M2e book) and a good range of terrain types has a huge effect on the game. Often times models are declared either broken or pointless because of how they preform on tables that aren't dense enough. I can link you to some examples of what I consider well laid out tables if you are interested.

I like how you did the fire effect. I would recommend that you use more light (not the camera flash) when you take your photos. Inadequate light can cause the pixelation you see in the Lady Justice photo and also "wash out" the subtle paint gradations. I would also recommend a more uniform and "neutral" background so your camera's light sensor doesn't have to work so hard to balance things. No need to get ridiculous a simple empty plastic milk jug works very well and will allow light to filter through as well.

Well depending on where exactly you are in Ontario you might be able to cross the border and attend an event in either Detroit or Buffalo if you can't find something closer in Canada. The Henchmen page though, has quite a few listed for Ontario at least two of which are fairly regular posters.

Interesting Gremlin reveal, looks like some one has been doing some experimenting, most curious about the Musicians though. Glad to hear the Guilder program is going live soon and am looking forward to seeing it expand.

Thank you, we definitely tried to present boards that would be fun to play on, serve as a good example of terrain density (50% coverage with multiple types), had a definite theme, and also provided fair tables for all players. It was a difficult task but I would like to thank those who assisted with them by either providing materials (Game Mats and Terrain) and/or providing a "competitive eye" for balancing things between sides and crews. I am hoping to make this a biannual event for the area.

A few recommendations right off the bat: It looks as if you are not using primer. I would strongly recommend Duplicolor Sandable Primer (available at most auto parts stores). This is a very important step that provides a solid base for your paints to adhere to. There are other brands of primer but most of the "game specific" ones are glorified spray paints instead of real primers. The "Gloppiness" is likely caused by not thinning your paints adequately. You can use plain water (distilled is the best) but acrylic paint additives will do a better job. Liquitex Flow Improver (available at most Arts and Crafts stores) is good on its own though I would recommend a custom blend of a few different Liquitex products. This is what I use (and since starting with it my painting has improved noticeably) 1 part Liquitex Gloss Medium, 1 part Liquitex Matte Medium, 2 parts Liquitex Flow Improver, 2 parts Distilled Water (less other stuff that can "gum up" paints than tap water). This will keep your paints fluid and "loose" without diminishing adhesion or altering sheen. Add this to your paints before you paint and also when you are done and storing them for awhile. I would second the recommendation to try the "formula paints." These include the Citadel line (often lauded but fairly good unless you are a competition painter, this is Games Workshops brand) and the Reaper Master Series paints (some of the best though they can be a pain to get your hands on consistently). The advantage of these lines is they have ready made recipes for base coat (generally set to one coat cover primers, black, white, grey, or any other color), shade, and highlight (generally at least two coats). Even the challenging colors of red, black, and white are broken down into easy to replicate systems. They really take the guess work out of things. I might also look at your paint brushes. Cheaper brushes and those that have not been cleaned well can adversely affect your painting. I would recommend trying to get your hands on a Kolinsky sable hair brush and some brush soap (you can use a very "gentle" hand soap in a pinch but risk degrading the brush hairs). Finally I would recommend using some good lights. I paint under 5 independently adjustable lights. Additionally, though I know there will be those that disagree vehemently with this, I would recommend using at least two different "temperature" bulbs a full spectrum day light bulb and a softer white incandescent. I add a Compact florescent light bulb as well. Dr Faust is a very good place to start. I would also add the Brush Thralls and Citadel's own painting pages. If you can get your hands on their How to Paint books they are also decent at presenting techniques. Their Youttube pages are good at showing how to use their more technical paints (Typhus Corrision and Ryza Rust for aging metals for example). You can also head over to Cool Mini or Not's webpages for some tutorials, though since they started selling games these have been less maintained. This site can also be a pretty good resource. Once you have refined the basics I would also suggest taking a look at the Dark Age Miniatures painting videos, some really quality videos from some really great painters. Hopefully some of that helps.

Definitely agree, our "staples" generally do an awful lot for our crews that make other models difficult to justify. This is particularly true when pieces lack either the Pig or Gremlin characteristic. Pretty much. The model is nice looking and can do some work though, it isn't auto-include like some of the other Emissaries.

Fair enough.

While those are some nice pre-made bases they could be made very easily (and likely even cheaper with just some balsa wood and water effect.