Gloom

Ok, well - like I said - we're both newbs and our Henchmen had to step out, so we were winging it with that most helpful (serious sarcasm alert) Rule book with it's awesome "bounce you all over the effing book before answering your question" method of answering your question; hell, the Index doesn't even do its job. When we read the rule book we both flipped two cards for the schemes - so he had 4 different options to score points where my two cards were both RAM, so I only had 3 options for scoring points. My opponent and I were the only ones there to (officially) kick off the league, so the Henchmen has since said (as of an hour ago) we're going to scrap that game and start new next week using a different rules set. So, the Deities of Malifaux have smiled upon me... this once.

Interesting you should ask because my opponent (also new to Malifaux) had heard from the same Henchman that he did NOT have to include the SS cost of the Henchman chosen as Leader (Master). So the rule book says you use a Henchmen for the Leader (in lieu of a Master) for =/< 25ss, but - apparently - the Slow Grow League rules (Shifting Loyalties?) say you DO count the Henchmen/Leader's SS cost into the 25ss count. I wondered if Sebastian would survive attack(s) if I didn't deliberately throw him into the mix. Thanks for the input there. Just my luck, my first opponent played Guild, so my first ever full complete game of Malifaux I got my ass handed to me (14VPs to 5VPs, if we were adding them up correctly), and I couldn't even try to overwhelm with numbers because no Nicodem, and no Mortimer.

So far my slow-grow league 25ss crew is: + Sybelle (8) *Bleeding Tongue (1) + Rogue Necromancy (10) *Pack (1) + Rotten Belle (5) === 25

You make sense; honestly, the reason why I thought of bringing Mortimer was just so I would get more familiar with him. I've yet to use Sebastian because I just built him (bought just him from Gadzooks), but I have played with Sybelle and I like her. So no Valedictorian?

Hello fellow Rezers. I'm still really new to the game; in fact, I've yet to complete/finish a full 35ss game. I've done the first few 2-Player Box scenarios, and had one full 35ss game that I had to quit in Turn 3 because it was my kiddo's bedtime so we had to leave our FLGS. PART I: I have my first slow-grow league game tonight. I chose Nicodem, but we don't get to use a 'Master' until later in the league. Our "Master" is a henchmen of our choice. I'm gradually collecting all of the "Nicodem must haves" (hory shet there's a ton of them! ), but I'm looking for ideas, opinions, strategies, etc. for which Henchmen (that I own) should act as my Master. Here's what I have for Henchmen thus far: + Mortimer (of course) ~ I'm considering him because he'll likely be part of my lineup. Chatty seems like good objective control, plus Found-A-Bone, and Fresh Meat. Poison is always a bonus as well. + Sebastian ~ poison pain and more. + Madame Sybelle ~ Board control, movement shenanigans, and other shenanigans like discard & peon. + The Valedictorian ~ Movement, trigger control, and good damage. I love all of them and don't know what to do. PART II: The first game or two is 25ss, and that value also includes your Henchmen-as-Master. As far as crew building goes, here's what else I have available if you'd like to chime in on advice, ideas, strategy, etc. Enforcers: ~ Bete Noire ~ Yin The Penangalan ~ Rogue Necromancy Minions: ~ Student of Viscera ~ Nurses (2) ~ Carrion Effigy ~ Rotten Belles (3) ~ Punk Zombie (3) ~ Student of Steel ~ Student of Sinew Peons: ~ Graveyard Spirit ~ Vulture PART III: For what it's worth, I have Necropunks waiting for me at my FLGS to pick up, but I doubt I'll have time to build them before my game tonight. I'm pretty picky about 'cleaning' the models and washing them before assembly. Here's what's on my 'Buy List' each week for the League, in this order: = Hanged = Drowned = Mindless Zombies = Crooligans = Canine Remains Other purchases I'm considering - just because I like their look - are: Carrion Emissary Flesh Construct Gaki Dead Rider -Maybe Izamu (I like Rogue Necromancy for a beat-stick though) -Maybe Guild Autopsies

I payed a visit to a few local game stores. One of them near me is starting a Malifaux slow-grow league in the End of May, so I'm going to join that. They're also starting a Through the Breach game, so I'm going to join that as well. Thanks for all of the input and detail. I appreciate it!

Really good points, thank you! 25 sessions @ (roughly) once per month is easily two years, and that's about where we're at now - give or take. Sometimes we miss a month just because some of us have wives (wife aggro! ), and all of the group but one has a child or children, so that takes time as well. If it's not crazy to get 20 sessions out of a game then this is something worth considering. I did play Savage Worlds once, a decade or so ago, and liked the system. Thanks for the input.

This is a great description, thank you. Is there a way to make the Malifaux RPG more long-term? I've been running a Pathfinder game for the last 18 months with the same group of peoples, and they've gone from level 1 to 7, and are almost 8. I imagine will taper off around level 15 or so and look into retiring the group. Not sure how 'short term' Malifaux's RPG is, but I imagine it's not like 15 levels - as such?

I find this very encouraging ~ Thank you iamfanboy - you've been extremely helpful! So much so, that I bought the 2 Player box set, have assembled the two crews, and have played through the first two scenarios (against myself LOL). It was quite a process for me to learn to work with (true) plastics as all my years of experience in building/assembling has been with white metal and resin. Anyway, based on the information you provided, and that I already have Nicodem's (old) box set, I am going to pick up: Hanged, Drowned, and Penangalan once it's available again. I've also arranged a trade on Bartertown for the Titania box, and I still want to get Sandeep's crew someday. Then there's the Gremlins... see what I mean? Faction A.D.D.

"Penny Dreadfuls" ~ are those the people that play the RPG? I've seen a couple piece of literature (or brochures?) with that title, but I wasn't sure what they were. I'll go look for that forum you suggest, thanks. I also meant to ask, what is Puppet Wars?

Have you played it? Is it fun? I've always been a fantasy (AD&D & Pathfinder) player, but this setting seems like it would be really fun!

Oh there's an RPG? That's dangerous (for me). LOL

This is a really good point, and now that I have a quality tablet I could probably pull them up and read them when I'm not at my PC as well. Just so I'm clear - to get all the fluff, cards, rules, scenarios, and whatever else, it would be 4 books total; basically, everything printed that's "Malifaux 2e"?

I think we have this in common. Rarely do I "like" a model/faction because it's a 'winner'; rather, it's the look of the mini, or their story line that makes me a believer. That said, it's kinda sucky that Malifaux has so many cool looking minis! Sandeep's box looks pretty cool, as does Collodi, and then some of the beasts and undead type creatures (Penangalan) look pretty awesome.... then there's Gremlins! I mean, who doesn't want to launch a pig across the board?

So let's say I bought the Beacon of Knowledge box set. I now have his card and the cards of the others in the box, and I can read/understand what they do; however, when I start looking at other Arcanist models to purchase, I don't have their cards so I don't know what they do and how they'd fit with Sandeep. Perhaps he's not a good example, because he has a Genie/Indian theme and there's a box set of guards that look similar to him out now, so let me pick something more ambiguous (to me). I really like some of the undead (Resurrectionist) models - crooligans, the hanged, the drowned, Penangalan, etc. so I could start there, but then I'm not sure which Master to get. I thought about asking in the faction specific forums, but my interests and likes seemed too broad. I thought about looking in the literature for the card-stats, but I think I'd have to buy every book to see every card.

Totally! (wow, 3-7 masters per faction! ) LOL How do you know which models will work well together? By reading the forums and info-sites, it seems like - for example - an Arcanist Master can use any model in the faction, but some masters work better with some faction models than others, etc. I'm afraid if I just start buying and painting what I like - even in the same faction - I'll end up with uber weak combos, no synergy at all, or unplayable trash.

I made the mistake of watching a youtube video talking about the factions and their strengths, weaknesses, why you'd play them/not play them, etc. and I pretty much wanted to try them all; no surprise there. When I started collecting, it was all Neverborn and Necromancy (Resurrectionists), and there were a few Gremlins I wanted to pick up because I thought they were funny. Now, I'm screwed. I like Neverborn still, Arcanists, Gremlins, Ressers, and the list goes on... On another trading site, someone offered the Queen/Titania box set for some of my WM/H I'm getting rid of... her play style seems interesting, and the models are cool.

Pow! What a great idea! Is that legal for "official" play?

You're definitely right, even if exaggerated - it's still very true. I don't do GW, but I can't imagine having faction ADD in any of their games! Not even WM/H - Malifaux seems more manageable.

That was easy in 2009, but there are so many models now, and the factions are so big!

I don't think this is a good game for people with faction A.D.D. Even in MMOs I'm an ALTaholic.

15ss (soul stones?) to 50ss - so how many SS are in Sandeep's box set, for example? Like I said, WM/H is "supposed" to be anywhere between 25pts and 100pts, but I never see 25pt games unless it's a Demo for a newb; that said, 25pts doesn't really give you a feel for the faction at all, Cryx & Menoth are a perfect example of that. I also never see 35pt or 50pt games - I can get a 50pt game if I specifically ask for it, but half my local meta won't play 50pt games because the Tournaments are 75pt games. So even though some Malifaux games are 15ss, is that like the WM/H 25pt game? Like, technically it's an option but no one uses it except to teach other players? Solely ranged crews don't work very well - fair enough, so there's: shooting, melee, board manipulation? controlling your opponent's models? What are the basic strategies in the game? I read the link one of you provided up there, but it was a pretty shallow explanation of the different faction's strategies. Maybe I'll read it again more critically.

EDIT 4/3/17: I've decided to keep what Malifaux I have, and I already have the 2 Player Starter Box; however, I'm still looking for some minis, so if you're selling (cheap), or want to trade for my miscellaneous other items (non-malifaux), then let's talk. I trade (a lot) on bartertown, so you can find my feedback rating there under the user ID 'Connivingsumo'. Wants: + Hanged + Drowned + Penangalan + Collodi Crew Box + Sandeep Crew Box + Shastar Vidiya Guards + Gremlins (possibly)

I think you and Bengt are correct. The path you provided (Edit Profile > Basic Info > Member Title) just has my birth date & enable/disable status updates. Thanks for the input.

I think when I joined the forums there was something going to happen with the 'Rank' under your user name - above your avatar pic. I can't recall if they were still talking about if they wanted to make a formal ranking, or leave it self titled - heck - maybe I'm thinking of something else. Anyway, I don't hate my rank but it was made in jest. I'm wondering if there's a way to change your 'Rank'? If not, no big deal, but I couldn't find anywhere in editing my profile where I could make the change. Thanks