Koschai

Lol okay so thats where I got confused

So you guy's are referencing the original Hamelin the Rat Catcher rather than the new Henchman right?

Well thanks guy's for the feedback. I still love the background behind Hamelin and just reading the Rising Powers book about the Stolen had me ooh'ing and ahh'ing, however between a rather boring playstyle and hostility from other people who read forums I went ahead and picked up Leveticus. I do like the fact that I'll be able to dip into other factions for the constructs and undead and think he will be an interesting master and as my 5th (not to mention 2 henchmen) gives me something really different to grow into. And who knows, maybe I'll pick up a Hamelin box later on. If I do, maybe I'll try playing him without rats! Or at least with only a handfull.

I'm hoping it will be the opposite. I appreciate the "just stick to your guns" however what I'm really looking for is something to hold up as a "this is why you guy's should relax". Unfortunatly there, as noted, is a lot of hostility towards Hamlin. As a prospective new Hamlin player that's a problem so I was hoping for one of the people who feel Hamelin is okay, a little top tier perhaps but not out of the park, to give me a line of reasoning that I could use to defuse the internet hate when it spills over into our local store. Then again, maybe the answer is just to play Leveticus. I'm not 100% convinced the whole rat swarm sounds all that fun to actually play... I just love the background.

So heres the situation. I've been looking for another Outcast master as I have the Viks (plus several Neverborn crews) and would like an alternative. I sort of decided upon Leveticus as I kinda want to run some Undead but agreed not to buy any Resser masters as my buddy wanted to run them all and I didn't want to step on his toes. Plus the constructs look great and his playstyle seems interesting and powerful. However I really like the concept and fluff of Hamelin. The problem is he strikes me as vastly overpowered. I read the thread a while back where it was strongly argued that he wasn't broken and that it was just players didn't know how to play against him. The issue at hand though is that both I, and my regular playing buddies are pretty inexperienced and I am concerned that I would simply not get any games. My Pandora crew is already dubbed as overpowered and I rarely get to play it. Note I regularly play against Alp bombs and McMourning slingshotting Flesh constructs he summons turn 1 into assault with models I have not touched yet! So the hypocracy is there. Plus no one bitches about things like a blood factory list! So my question is help me out. Can you give me some argument I can use to convince people who hear Hamelin and think "I ain't playing against that" that he really isn't that bad, or should I just go ahead and pick up Leveticus as planned.

Edit: Never mind... answered my own question...

Okay thanks. Wanted to be sure we were doing things right

Can McMourning use his summoning over subsequent turns to have multiple Flesh Constructs running around or is it a case of one at a time? Thanks

I second this list!

Thanks for the input, I really need definitive though... Here's the exact wording (assuming its okay to post): When a model ends a move or push within 2" of a shafted marker... So as the move was over before I attacked and therefore over before the Crooked man died, and therefore over before the shafted marker was placed I should take no damage from it's proximity so long as I move more than 2 inches away next movement. Correct?

If I kill the crooked man in close combat, due to his Slow to Die he get's a free action. If he then uses that free action to drop a Shafted token when does this happen in relation to my activation? In other words as I killed him (let's assume it was my final AP through a charge or whatever, that actually did the killing) do I end my activation and THEN he get's his Slow to Die dropping the Shafted token after my activation is over (which makes it pointless as it will vanish during the End Closing Phase before I activate again assuming i dont get reactivated within that turn)... Or would the Slow to Die kick in instantly (even though I was unable to do anything else that turn) making me technically end my ativation on top of the Shafted token and so I get hit with unavoidable damage. In this case the Crooked man guarentees at least one Shafted hit per game on whatever model takes it down in close combat (unless I choose to shoot him). Thanks for the clarification on this.

Your going to want the Doppleganger. That is a must! From there it's all up to you. Stitched Togethers are very good as they can give you some shooting protection as well as spamming gamble your life (wp duel). Insidious Madness is a very nice fast moving spirit that can mess with peoples wp so he's really nice. A lot of people will say the Primordial Magic totem and its great, though I don't like the model. I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of Teddy, but just thematically I had to have the model. Coppelius is also a great beaststick alternative that works really well with Pandora. If you want to really change it up later on, you might also be interested in Collodi as teaming him up with Pandora will totally change your crew, but his giving Stitched togethers WP8 and fast while in the aura of Pandora and a doppleganger... ouch. If you can find it check out the podcast the Aethervox. They recently ran a full extended interview/tactical guide to using Pandora that was increadibly useful. Also helped me generally get a better grasp on the game. Highly recommended.

I am NO expert! I have bearly played a handful of games but have fallen in love with the game and have a scary number of models already. All I can tell you is what I've experienced. I started with Pandora but found that she was hell on my opponents who were also new. Between being complicated for a newbie to play and driving my buddy to threaten to melt his models into bullets and shoot me with them I went a bought a 2nd gang. I still consider myself a Pandora 1st player but can't use her until we know the game better. Next I picked up Von Schill and supplimented him with the Viks. I like that crew and find myself playing it more, but it's a little on the bland side so I went back to Neverborn. I picked up Collodi and Lillith crews this past weekend. I have yet to play them but what made up my mind was Lillith is a beat stick that will give me a lot of enjoyment while being not too complex or too over the top. Collodi sounds a little like Pandora but I couldn't resist him background. Plus he will work beautifully with Pandora. Just to round it off I have the Zoraida blister on the way to give him an alternate master and round off my options. This all included picking up extra models (most of the Neverborn range and a handful of mercs). For Lillith though I got the Black Blood Shamen but am being advised Nekima is so good that she is effectivly compulsory so I guess I'm failing another WP check thsi weekend lol.

I'm a little confused. Albeit that I'm very new to the game I thought that Kirai was a Ressurectionist and that the Madnesses were Neverborn. I know outcasts can be taken cross faction but I thought that was it...

So how does he play with the final cards? Is he balanced, top tier or going to struggle to keep up? More importantly, is he going to be fun to play against? I'm trying to think what to play as my 3rd crew and am looking for well rounded. Thinking maybe Collodi with Zoraida as a master if required. Wondering if having actually played with him in his final "release" status you had any opinions?

Thanks, thats pretty much the vibe I was getting... okay so I guess no Hamelin for me! Maybe when were all a little more experienced i.e. know what were doing

My first crew was Pandora but due to the fact that she is insanely unpleasent to play against (noting here that we are all beginners) and that playing her is a little complex, I got myself the Viks/Friekorps combo. I'm looking now for something at a mid point between the two and am considering Hamelin (I love the background and theme). However am I just getting into Pandora mk2? Thanks

I really appreciate the feedback. I'd actually just about finalised by decision to go with Seamus, however a buddy of mine kind of veto'd that. He has really doubled down on Ressers and to be honest its only fair for me to leave them to him. He has dibbs. So what does that leave me? Hamelin - EDIT: Okay looks like Hamelin is off the table due to the fact he's unpleasent to play against (for newbies). Last thing I want is to pick a gang that drives my friends away from playing me (I already have Pandora for that lol). Collodi, maybe with Zoraida as the master - Combines a minor swarm of lesser models with tricksy. My concern here is that it's another Pandora like list. I'm also not sure if its overpowered or underpowered... Lilith - I'd really not been all that interested in the demons both fluff or model wise, however on the table they certainly play well... On the fence here. Collette - I'm interested but... I had been quite keen originally but I'm not 100% as they are fairly ubiquetus locally and while the fluff is interesting and I'm tempted to branch into another faction I'm not that sure. So I guess I still need some opinions as to which direction to go...

Thanks

Does it matter that I am using non lip bases? I purchased a bunch of cobblestone 30mm bases but not the lipped variety. They are still 30mm though so I'm not botherd and I think they look great. I'm probably not going to play tournaments but just wanted to check if anyone cares. Thanks

Given the fairly low model count and therefore low number of activations of the Viks crew (especially when teamed up with Von Schill and Friekorps, see my lists above) do you guy's think it's worth getting the Desperate Mercenary? I'm thinking while it drops the SS cache down just a little, for 2ss your getting an extra body who while only mediocre is still another activation and another body your oponents need to deal with.

Sorry I posted this initially in the wrong place. I cant see how to delete my other post... Anyway... Yes I apologise it's another of "those" threads. But I find them very useful to my thought process and I rather enjoy reading other people's threads when there are reasons given for the suggestions people make. So that said here is my dilemma. I'm really getting into Malifaux and while I've not played that many games I'm all about collecting models and branching into systems I like. For example I have 3 Uncharted seas fleets and 3 40k armies and am well on my way in a couple of other game systems lol so 3 seems to be my magic number... Plus with Malifaux's small model count there's no real harm in having a little variety (spice of life). Of course I think I'm about to throw down with a starter box of Dystopian wars but what the hell... So, that said I have a Pandora crew that is all but complete with the starter box, teddy, doppleganger, madness, 2 stitched togethers and Coppelius. I've also got a Viks crew with the Viks, Von Schill's crew, Taelor and a Convict Gunslinger. In both cases I have the models I wanted and enough to play a 35ss game with a couple of ways to switch it up for variety (though I think I want Hans, a Desperate Merc and may have my arm twisted into some Ronin for the Viks). At this point what next? The gangs that are catching my attention right now are: a) Hamelin - I like the concept of the kids and rats etc but especially with resin bases for everyone it seems like it could get costly (not a deal breaker) with a very high model count (lots of rats). Plus is it all that tough against beatstick armies? Kirai - Kind of like the concept here. Kinda like the Grudge! On the fence a little but could get behind it. Plus very different to what I have. c) Seamus - This is sort of where I'm leaning. It branches me out into a 3rd faction (which is a positive to me) and he's one of the guy's I thought about at the start as I love the whole Jack the Ripper theme. d) Lucius - I have no idea how this guy plays or if he's all that good. I just dont really see how he would work alone and I'm not all that keen on the other Guild crews. I just like the idea of a bunch of lawyers and accountants lol. e) I am liking the sound of the new Collodi box and teamed up with Zoraida as the master I'm wondering if this could be a very interestering way to go. Not sure how they operate with no beatstick to back them up against more physical crews... f) I don't really want to go with either Lillith or Colette because both are so heavily played locally but I could be convinced as I rather like both... What do you guy's think? I dont really want to go with an underpowered crew as I already feel the Viks stretch me a bit against some of the tougher gangs out there while Pandora really pushes the envelope on complexity so I was looking for something between the two.

Sorry I posted this in the wrong place. I cant see how to delete it...

I like the idea of cobblestones for Pandora. I can just see her walking through town at the dead of night...

Thank you