dancater

Wyrd is still a fairly small company in the greater scheme, I think it has fewer than 25 full time employees, not certain on that but I am certain they do not approach the larger gaming monoliths in size.  Thus they do not (and cannot) match the larger companies production volumes.

Also they have a (I think overly optimistic) release schedule for this year with a new Malifaux book, the Other Side and new Through the Breach edition alongside releasing the the models still holding over from last years book.

Furthermore I've found that retailers are more intermittent with stocking Malifaux, while other notable (bigger volume) games have regular re-stock I find Malifaux is less easy to find with some stores stocking only a small range (or not at all) and re-stock only on demand.  In addition often the owners don't regularly play and especially with certain models (like the Doppelganger) do not recognize its popularity in play from any other model in the range, the "standard stock" is frequently some basic boxes and maybe a odd flashy big monster.

All told the end result is exactly the problem you've experienced.  Immensely frustrating, I feel your pain.  

So basically for 3 soul stones you get a durable model (for its cost) which is extremely fast.  Add to that the manifold synergies they can produce with something to add to really every Arcanist master depending on exact list composition, your needs and imagination.

There primary weakness is insignificant meaning they are not directly able to place scheme markers or otherwise interact but even this is something which can be manipulated depending on crew selection.

Also they are not a 'killy' model but for 3SS you'd expect they would not be, especially given there higher than expected durability, but again this is not as bad as it sounds as they are fast enough to pace many if not most other scheme runners and other irritant models and in many cases the Raptor does not need to kill them to disrupt them, simply engaging a model usually curtails its actions significantly until they deal with the Raptor which as noted is not usually as simple or AP economical as your opponent will like.  One trap in Malifaux is thinking what can this model kill, Malifaux is not a killing game - then the thought is Malifaux is about scoring so how does this model score.  In both these cases the Raptor is not primarily designed for this role.  But another aspect is how can I stop my opponent from scoring or otherwise disrupt them, and in this the Raptor simply excels, it is IMO the best points for economy disruption model in the entire game given its speed and flexibility.  Then you add that it can score points in the right schemes and/or crews and while it does not do a massive amount of damage it can do some (and maybe that 1 dam kills the vital model) and it can also enhance the potential of other models in crews to do more damage.

This is a model with massive upside and minimal downside, at 3SS I'd be relatively happy if they burned a couple of AP's from an opponents crew just to see them dead and given their reputation, flexibility and game impact most opponents will allocate significant energy trying to kill or neutralize them.

Fast

Good WD stat for pts cost

High Df

Larger base to take up space and get into enemy engagement to disrupt them

Then they have scheme marker synergy with several faction selections (Practiced Production upgrade and Kaeris)

Synergy with Marcus in Beast trickery

In all honesty in this forum most people will say they are excellent.  Go to the other faction forums and ask the same question and it will explode with rage, angst, demands they get Cuddled and possibly tears.  In Arcanist's Raptors are probably in the top 3 most despised and considered OP models we have, they are amazingly versatile and very economical cost wise.  I think if they simply fly around and engage enemy scheme runners while going defensive so they are a nightmare to kill that alone is value in 80+% of games.  With everything else they can do I simply always  pull the card out during list selection, they may not get into list but they are considered every time.

Nice, thanks

Always depends on the variables of scheme-strat-opponent.

Schemes & Stones podcast has a Mei episode, I'd try to listen to that, always valuable.

But..

Your girls already has the Ramos box so Steam Arachnids, Howard and Joss all good Mei models.

Mechanical Pork Chop (Gremlin/Foundry) is an exceptional model for Mei.

The Arcane Effigy if she does not already own is a must for Arcanists and Mei and Ramos in particular love it.

Also as you've noted the Rail Golem.

Those are the must purchases for me.

Then as bertmac points out Gunsmiths, Dec Acolytes (tbh these are amazing and must haves in Arcanist particularly for Raspy), Willie all can be useful.  Definitely the Dec Acolytes.

Large Steam Arachnid, Metal Gamin, Union Miner and Scorpius all have synergy.

Sparks (as Vor notes) is an interesting potential model as well (Gremlin/Foundry) providing some unexpected and powerful interactions.

Johan/Johanna is always worth mentioning and with Mei their inclusion depends on how many M&SU models also get a look in the crew.

Mei is an exceptional model in fights which reward maneuverability and is generally very flexible.  She can work a good anti-shooting build, is potentially very fast across the field and is great for chewing up low-mid cost enemies.  Her weaknesses are she does not have a huge punch against durable opposition (but the Rail Golem and Howard can solve this) and she can be overwhelmed easily in part because she is prone to get isolated and in part because she is not super tanky but instead a hit and run master.  She is a bit all-around so can suffer against a crew which fully commits to a particular scheme-strat pool but the same is true for any of the more flexible masters, she is a solid Arcanist take and actually an exceptional compliment to Ramos (who does the mass troop summon fights) and Raspy (who brings the ranged blasting pain) with her move and hit from all angles style.

Notice that the Iconic Fate Deck is re-releasing in August in the new newsletter.

Hoping this means that all us folks with the misprinted version will see our replacement around the same time Aug/Sept.

Good news.

Ironsides is much more tank and brawl then Mei who is a scalpel and about speed, the crews tend to be different as well as Irons has excellent ranged options in OxMages and even the Gunsmiths where as Mei's Foundry is stronger in durability (Metal Gamin and Rail Workers) and melee.  But you are right the scheme/strat coverage overlaps a lot.

Kaeris is a interesting master, tricky to play but rewarding, her box is surprisingly useful in that it contains nothing you'll be overwhelmed by but both the Fire Gamin and the Firestarter can work there way into multiple different crews.

Now Johan/Johanna, I'd hold off, not sure where you are based but we are only a couple of months from GenCon in August and Wyrd will have a sale event over that weekend.  I'm 99% certain that Johanna would be available during that event, which would let you buy a few things including her, maybe get a bonus sale item and hopefully shipping won't be to expensive.  If all else fails and Johanna is not available you could still get a couple of LE mini's which are and then on the Wyrd trade forum look for a straight swap with someone who has Johanna.

That would be my plan.  

Didn't mention Ice Dancers mainly because Kaeris is probably one of the few Arcanist masters who does not absolutely love them.

Don't get me wrong, awesome and near essential for Raspy herself if only as an option but not an auto buy for Kaeris.

First where your collection really complements:

Mei Feng works well with several of the models you already have, her box set is good and she plays somewhat differently from Kaeris, still fast but more master kill potential.

Ironsides is also an option especially as you already have a number of models that she likes and again her crew box is value with the Ox Mages, she is a slower more grind master and crew, with ranged or melee build options.  Another option.

Ramos is an obvious choice given the models you have, he is more expensive a choice as you'll need his box + extra arachnids and you end up doubling up on Joss, but he is a great master, does many of the schemes Kaeris does well but differently and has other strengths as well.

A note here I'd go out and buy Arcane Effigy and Johan as these models are superb in certain lists and with M&SU more so.  Also Angelica + the Raptors is a cause of Malifaux forum rage, Angelica is a great model to get.

Now others:

Colette, excellent master, fun to play very schemey, may overlap strongly with Kaeris but plays different.  You don't have a huge number of complementing models but her box set is excellent and Kaeris can get value from Performers and Cassandra (well anyone can). 

Marcus, perhaps with his amazing crew range the ultimate Arcanist toolbox, great master but your collection complements him not at all (except the Raptors) and the exact same huge range of beasts in and out of faction he can take in his crew makes him very expensive to play once you commit.

Sandeep is an excellent toolbox master, currently really strong it seems across many metas, but his box is awful with only the summons only totem getting real consistent play, with Sandeep you'd likely want to buy Raspy box for Ice Gamin and certainly Ironsides for the Ox Mages, so why not start with Ironsides anyway.

Raspy, super slow, super ranged, super blasty ice death.  Very strong crew which complements Kaeris very well - whole fire and ice schtick... But her box is weak, you'll likely want Dec Acolytes, Silent Ones and Snowstorm so slightly expensive (but if I was honestly going to go outside the what I had for the next master choice Raspy would be my option, the additional models you'll get particularly the Silent Ones and Dec Acolytes are exceptional and get regular use in any crew including Kaeris).

So that is it... If it was me I'd think this way:

1. Ironsides (different, you have useful models for her and her box has value)
2. Mei (more overlap but otherwise see 1.)
3. Raspy (very different, weak box but exceptional value and use from the other support models you'll want, but more expensive as a result)

All the others I'd say its a pure choice they are all good, play differently to some degree and so are viable but they are generally more expensive options I think with either high overlap (Ramos & Colette), weak boxes (Sandeep) or prohibitively expensive large model pool (Marcus - who is kinda like deciding to buy into an Arcanist sub-faction).  If you really want toolbox masters that can mix it up then Sandeep and Marcus are first tier, and they play very differently so one or the other will likely suit a particular style desire.  

13 hours ago, Math Mathonwy said:

Has it really improved? I mean, we still get stuff like the Jorogumo or the Shadow Emissary rather frequently it seems.

I think it has improved broadly, the assembly recently seems generally less nightmarish (aside from the appropriately named Nightmare McCabe).

Equally the general models seem a bit more, constrained... perhaps is the word.  But 100% agree the problems and outliers are still notable (Joru, Guild Cav, etc) but I think overall the direction is improved.  Of course Wyrd, plastics in particular, has always walked the fine line between visually dynamic and extravagant vs game playable with their models, it is one of the attractions and negatives, not sure there is a line between the insane model and the game ready piece that would please everyone but for my collection I've felt that recent models have improved some of playability which is my (emphasis my) preference and in my (emphasis my) experience.

But yeah improved, not solved.  Assuming the community would even agree on a solution. 

25 minutes ago, WWHSD said:

Is Joss+Johan usually worth leaving Howard in the box?

To difficult a question without context of opponent, schemes and strats.  That is the Malifaux conundrum the nature of schemes, strats and crew selection means you cannot make blanket yes/no strong/weak statements on models and combos.

Joss+Johan are more expensive than Howard and overall vastly less killy but probably more durable (individually Joss is more durable than Howard, Johan less so depends if you consider as group or not).  Howard is fast and provides amazing auto-kill potential with terrifying min damage but likewise attracts all hell and fury from opponent so rarely survives a game (or even mid-game), but equally in certain strats (notably frame for murder) this can be its own advantage.

Joss amazingly durable and flexible henchman with some potential damage and exceptional value for points, but he is a little slow and is generally the ultimate backstop but not your home run hitter on either killing or schemeing pools.

Johan is potentially dangerous, heals, has ranged and really boosts M&SU but he is slowish and by no means is he a slug it out model, a concerted round of "I want that dead" and he's going down fast.

So really its what master you take, what master they take, what is the scheme pool, strats? 

Is it Howard vs Joss and Johan or Howard and 'x' vs Joss and Johan????

Malifaux defies simple strategy questions in the same way as Malifaux models defy simple construction.

Yeah

The simple answer is it doesn't.

Early Wyrd plastics were notoriously difficult to assemble and problematic in size/scale.  It has improved vastly but many memes exist concerning Wyrd models.  The Brass Arachnid was notable among these models for its ridiculous size compared to the tiny base on which it was supposed to fit, call it a modelers challenge.  

That is a universally applicable tactic to get a large Arcanist beast deployed for 9SS and some extra cards.  

I'll acknowledge that it is valid, but honestly I don't think its that useful for Ramos or Mei, each of them would get better mileage from construct choices, if you really want extra cards for Ramos then Arcane Reservoir or even Merc models such as Big Jake, Sue or if you want to go over the top Hannah, these models bring interesting twists to the table.  The Arcanist beasts you take for the Myranda switch are solid but basically simple beaters, for this Joss, Howard, Mech Rider, Large Arachnid, Scorpius (maybe) are all simply better for the points.

Besides I honestly rarely take that combination in any crew, I prefer the extra AP, in the end AP > Soul Stones > Cards in my mind.

But legitimate observation.  Franchute the Marcus box offers Myranda and the Cerberus (an obvious shapeshift) and this has some value in, frankly any Arcanist crew 100% agree.  

My thoughts

Johan, yes.

Soulstone Miners, good, worth getting.

Ironsides is OK, she is a interesting 3rd master but the Ox Mages and Captain are not something you'll use in Ramos or Mei crews much if at all.  The Captain is very expensive and adds nothing to construct builds, he adds maneuverability and construct destruction in two crews that do not need that.  As a 3rd master as good as any but as a support for Ramos and Mei, not really.

Carlos is a great piece, interesting play and fun, does not really fit in Ramos that well but could add an alternative threat vector and burning synergy to Mei (or Ramos but with Howard and Joss why?) with certain builds (again Howard and Joss are probably better though).

What I'd definitely consider:

Arcane Effigy, simply must have.

Metal Gamin, a solid model and worth considering.

Mech Rider is probably the strongest of the Riders and that is a pretty deep pool, really good.

Large Steam Arachnid, excellent model, mid-range construct hitter and drops scrap so solid in both Ramos and Mei crews.

Arcane Emissary, is a big fast hitter, I think he's at his weakest in Ramos and Mei crews but is still viable and has application across Arcanists.

The Malifaux Raptors and Angelica, simply because for certain schemes and strats this combo is broken and even outside that its valid and flexible, but it may cause people to refuse to play you....

Mechanical Porkchop Mei ONLY is Foundry but a great construct which drops scrap and hits hard.

Union Miners, not by any means an auto take but good.

As for a third crew and box with utility, so they are all fun but many boxes add very little to Mei or Ramos:

Add not much; Ironsides (Ox Mages are great but need all 3 for value and that is hefty 15SS of non-construct, fragile ranged), Sandeep (great master awful box), Rasputina (her box is meh although the Ice Gamin are potential construct includes and are solid).  These masters add little in base boxes but can have synergy with other non-box models.

Add something; Colette (her box contains Performers, excellent schemers and Mannequins which are durable constructs; Colette crew itself is excellent and plays very different to Ramos or Mei and has superb synergy with Carlos), Kaeris (a low tier master but very fast and can play interesting - many prefer Mei for similar but generally better play, still different enough, the Fire Gamin are OK ranged constructs and the Firestarter is cheap, fast, great burning synergy, he'll see Mei crews and maybe Ramos as well, really good).  These masters do have in-box synergy (some) and are interesting alternative to Ramos and Mei's play.

Adds nothing; Marcus (the Beast Master adds zero in box to Ramos and Mei and has no synergy with the construct side of Arcanists [well there is Scorpius and Blade & Claw], however he is an incredibly fun and flexible alternative master [honestly he is almost a sub-faction in himself and is very different to any other Arcanist master], he's a great do anything toolbox).  The Marcus beast lists are superb but it is an expensive proposition which has minimal cross-over with Mei and Ramos.

13 hours ago, Bengt said:

I consider the Wendigo tier 1. 3 SS for a significant Minion with Wk 6 that can copy Ice Pillars.

Left out the little furry teeth machine, I basically consider it a mandatory inclusion, Raspy + Wendigo is essentially the same as Lynch + Huggy.

So yes, having said that my original post also concentrated on the models outside the Raspy box, what you'd buy next/in addition.  From the box:

• Wendigo is tier 1 a pretty much auto take model, surprisingly dangerous, an excellent threat, meaningful activation and scheme runner with FH and 3 SS, there is a word for this - perfect.
• Ice Gamin, solid little durable minions excellent FH Ice Mirrors and can be, especially working together quite dangerous and with the death explosion can have a nasty final bite, good models taking 1-2 is rarely disappointing, tier 2.
• Ice Golem, huge hitting beater but..... By no means an auto take, only un-tiered FH model (so tier 4?).  Yes hits massively hard and has 3 potential AP (melee expert) but its massive attack requires all 3 and must hit, so his slow speed and the fact that most targets will burn cards to dodge the attack means its rare to hit anything meaningful with the smash.  Armor gives it durability but its abominable Df 2 takes it away, so its a wound soak and will rarely last a concerted turn of attacks, yes its a useful magnet for those attacks, but.. Has some utility abilities, notably throw but its simply at best an average slow moving beater in a faction (Howard, Mech Rider, Duet, Cerebus, Joss, Carlos, Cassandra) with multiple exceptional options not to mention an excellent fast FH killer (Blessed of Dec).  The Blessed in particular offers speed, FH and killing in a crew which generally likes that speed, and at base its cheaper as well.  

18 hours ago, Jordon said:

I would also put forth the arcane emissary as a tier 1 buy for Raspy. She got the best version of the emissary compared to the other arcanist masters in my opinion. It's super fast with Cg10, gives Raspy a critical means to escape combat. More importantly though it gives her the best possible ice mirror. Typically she cannot use her (0) through mirrors since the 2" range means most models are engaged and thus no longer legal mirrors. The emissary solves that by not counting as engaged. It also makes Freeze over a lot easier to use as well 

Have not played with the Emissary so did not comment on it as minimal experience or insight for Raspy lists.  Having said that its FH with upgrade and seems to really bring value to her lists, so will 100% support Jordan here.

10 hours ago, retnab said:

I'd argue the Effigy is tier 2 since it gives Raspy a way to burn the enemy's hand / just Burn them.  Otherwise, agreed with the above.

The only reason Effigy was tier 3 was because the way I separated the tier's placed the "best" non-FH models into tier 3, otherwise I totally support the Effigy as one of the most valuable and useful models in Arcanists across almost every one of the masters including Raspy.  I cannot think of a reason for not making the Effigy an automatic next purchase after getting the first Arcanist crew box of your choice, at 4SS the little fellow is simply cost efficient enough as a durable scheme runner and activation and that is regardless of his other abilities.  There are very few Raspy lists I make that the Effigy does not get included in, never is it not considered.

So yep retnab in a global sense discounting pure FH theme and such I'd rank the Effigy as perhaps second only to the Dec Acolyte as a near auto include for Raspy lists.  

For Rasputina the Frozen Heart models are really, really useful, in theme and besides many of them are very good.  In the end I'd get all of them, Raspy is lucky in that her theme models (outside of the box which is average) are exceptional.

But in order of usefulness I'll put the good models (IMO) into 3 tiers first essential FH, second great FH and third great non-FH:

Tier 1:

• Snowstorm is the Raspy henchman and it adds mobility to her crew, excellent model and while you won't include it in every crew you'll want the option.
• December Acolyte because it is simply put one of the best and most cost efficient models in the game and also FH, can't think of a reason not to take one in every Raspy crew.

Tier 2, these models are amazing but not quite as core "in every crew considered" as above:

• Silent Ones, additional spell casting FH and heals so awesome model.
• Blessed of December 9/10 what you take instead of the Ice Golem, not as punchy but far faster, better Df and so will do more damage and disrupt more plans then the Golem almost every time.
• Ice Dancers are a fast scheme runner in a crew which badly needs them and have enough tricks and durability to be good, they are Raspy's first choice scheme runners in Arcanists because they add more FH utility.

Tier 3, not FH but Arcanist and mercs which are always worth considering:

• Arcane Effigy adds a little condition removal and is a nice cheap, durable and useful activation.
• Johan is the condition removal all around solid mercenary model, no real synergy with Raspy but still a solid piece.
• Malifaux Raptors are cheap activation's with amazing utility and disruptive abilities, simply always worth considering.  As an addition if you take the Raptors adding Angelica with Practiced Productions upgrade is well renowned as a little bit dirty and a whole lot of broken in certain scheme pools.

That is it.  The Arcanists have many other excellent models all of which Raspy can gain benefit from but if I was going to a small tournament with a single master box and some additional models and that crew was Rasputina then the above (+Angelica as noted) would be my starting point.

Ahh Putting Malifaux models together is perhaps the reason for the famous Malifaux statement that "Bad things happen".

Before embarking on any construction I strongly suggest checking out GMort Chaotica

http://gmortschaotica.blogspot.com.au/

This space has short and invaluable articles on most of the Malifaux 2E plastic kits currently available with advice of pitfalls and tricks to help, it has been a difference making resource for my Malifaux model building and I recommend it, nay say henceforth it should be mandatory viewing before the box of shinies is even opened.  Honestly this will turn the process from tense and stressful into relatively painless, really worth checking out.

As for every other resource, podcast and online thread on tactics and construction and all Malifaux goodness, well I have a few I love, a few I like but I'll let you explore on your own.  Good luck and have fun, I strongly advise the first few games you play with Colette, play to explore, experiment with her core crew, the schemes and how far you can extend her and her girls (plus Carlos) before they get smacked down.  Don't play to lose but accept you likely will, but learn.  Her crew at its best its subtle and damn near unbeatable, but you need to understand the nuance and unfortunately the best teacher is a good smack down with prejudice, then getting up off the dance floor and reviewing when to twirl and when to high kick an opponents head from their shoulders.

Less bad things happen with good glue, sharp cutters, advice and above all patience and care.

Totally agree with the sentiment in this topic.  

Totems are a common area where small thematic addition models should be considered and the actual models have very wide and divergent game play, power and utility potential.  In short across the faction some totems never see play, certain masters effectively have no totem, sometimes this is because of no viable totem for the master others see the generic totem so useful that it overwhelms and displaces the intrinsic master totem.  Both outcomes are not desirable.

So the issues are refined down in two parts:

1. The master specific totems are they to powerful (taken in 90-100% of games and critical to the master play) or weak (seen only in intentionally thematic crews likely >25% of the time, non-competitive) or about right.
2. Then the generic totems are they over powered (seen in multiple masters frequently, with certain masters always), stable (feature in multiple masters lists on occasion) or under powered (so seen almost never in any list or only in a highly niche build for a certain master).

But then these questions demand the answer of how often a master specific or generic totem should appear in lists, should they be critical to the masters play, supportive or just schtick and theme?

So here is my thinking (an 80/80/20 concept):

Any master, any crew, any faction; a totem should always be a valid choice to consider, they should be competitive and I'd like to see totems in 80-85% of lists builds.  However the totem should not be central to the function of the master, instead it is a model which provides support, some enhancement and options.

The master specific totem should be generally stronger than the generic totem for a given master, applicable to more build (ideally for me featuring in about 80% of builds where a totem is included).

However the generic should be interesting, perhaps offering something novel that the factions and masters find rare or difficult (maybe making about 20% of the lists with a totem).

Now that is the 80% of games with a totem which is 80% the master specific choice and 20% generic faction totem which is an impossible dream goal, Malifaux has too many moving parts for every master, faction and totem to consistently achieve these numbers across the whole large range.  But equally the design should strive for this balance (and generally Malifaux is pretty reliable in striving for a balance between factions and within factions).  I'd maybe add another level which are the Outcast merc totems which perhaps should see occasional play in certain faction lists (so maybe 5% table time..?).

I play Arcanists mainly so I'll give my thoughts on them:

• The Essence of Power is a rarely seen model, it is not an immense force multiplier and is very fragile as well as slow.  Cheap yes but basically in most competitive play it is a negilible or even burdensome inclusion.  Definitely could use a buff. 
• Ramos and the Brass Archanid - solid selection, commonly seen (its so damn big its difficult to miss), I'd say about right.  Problem is EofP is so weak and not competition.
• Rasputina and the Wendigo - perhaps a shade too good, it is a common include and rarely is the Essence of Power again problem is EofP is so weak and not competition.  
• Marcus and the Jackolope - again solid, powerful without being oppressive, theme without being essential to master play again problem is EofP is so weak and not competition.
• Mei and the Emberling - perhaps a shade weak for the faction specific totems in Arcanists, still I've had success with it, useful.  Again refer to EofP flaws.
• Colette and the Doves - well she summons them on certain builds and can also include multiple, so very common, but don't feel to OP specially since the important Prompt x3 + dove (+) and Howard (or other beater) AP filth was cuddled by the Prompt cuddle (which I support).  I'd say a legit and fair inclusion and again EofP is flawed so it needs a redress, not necessarily the doves.
• Kaeris and the Eternal Flame, I'd say the Eternal Flame is a shade under powered, perhaps a little slow but this maybe that Kaeris is a little diffuse as a master and crew, she does a lot of things but multiple other Arcanist masters do any and maybe all of them better; so maybe the problem is Kaeris lacks focus and the Eternal Flame cannot support anything in particular because of this... not certain and am willing to be schooled by superior Kaeris players.  Of course EofP still sucks.
• Sandeep and Banasuvva comes next, here is a real niche case (somewhat like Lynch and Huggie) that the master is intimately connected to the totem, it is in part an extension of their core actions and powers, its a summoned only model and I think within Sandeep's core mechanic is will placed and priced.  A separate argument exists on whether Sandeep and crew are a little to good, flexible and wide ranging and the default competitive selection for Arcanists (this in a faction including the strong Colette, Ramos and Marcus crews at least); this is not a discussion for here and may simply be about the masters newness contributing to their success.

So to these are the base review, less one.  I'd say only one totem clearly needs review (subject to a more comprehensive review of the masters power curve itself) and that is the generic and generally under utilised Essence of Power, I'd opinion that it needs at least a marginal cuddle (in the form of speed and durability mainly - so perhaps incorporeal rule..??) to achieve anything like the generic niche inclusion it should have by design goal.

Now the missing one, this is the only master specific totem which I think 100% demands review in Arcanists:

• Ironsides and Mouse this totem is expensive, vulnerable and does minimal work in contributing to Ironsides play, while the actions Mouse performs in theory support Irons they are difficult to pull off, provide limited return and generally Mouse is too easily neutralised.  The actions Mouse performs and the concept and theme are also barely in conjunction, for a supposed spy master for the Arcanists it simply does not inspire theme.  In short too expensive, too bland, too under powered and along with the EofP's noted flaws this means Ironsides rarely sees an Arcanist totem.

I think for Arcanists both Essence of Power and Mouse need a game revisit otherwise I think that everything else is at least workable.  However I will say that Kaeris and her totem may need some slight adjustment in the future as I think the fire angel is falling behind the Arcanist power curve and losing any really competitive niche within the faction; her strongest trait now in the Arcanist tournament and general game play scene is likely that she is so rare that her crew is a surprise and folks struggle to initially grasp her play.

Finally I will mention two other totems, the generic Outcasts pair which can feature in Arcanist lists; balancing this totem however requires very careful consideration because (a) they can feature in any masters lists so wide ranging OP potential and (b) without the merc tax they must still be balanced in Outcast lists:

• Student of Conflict, the Viks sister, is powerful but with merc tax is simply to over costed to really see much time in any Arcanist lists.  Also note that SofC is a quasi Viks totem but like the non-twins (+ additional mage sister) is really a true mercenary and will even wander outside the sisterhood.  Tellingly in my experience SofC in a Viks list is thought to be sub-optimal and the Child is preferred.  So SofC is perhaps in need of a slight buff.
• Malifaux Child, is cheap and a flexible inclusion for any master, actually probably the points cost and play ideal for poor Ironsides, but is still an expensive piece (with merc tax) and rarely sees Arcanist table time in my experience.

For Arcanists the Outcast generics are very rarely seen on the table, and ultimately I don't mind because given how game breaking they could be if buffed across wide ranging lists I'd prefer to see them rarely in Arcanists then all the time in certain single or multi faction and crew builds.

OK, so

Basically you could choose any of the Arcanist master's to run beside Colette, she runs a very solid crew and pairs reasonably with all the other Arcanists.  So I'll give points on each:

• Ramos is a first tier economical summoner and excels in strat/schemes which overwhelm opponents, his crew is also durable which somewhat mitigates Colette as her crew (and the lady herself) can be fragile.  In particular Johan and Howard in the Ramos box are well regarded and superb editions to Colette crew.  The problem is Ramos is a summoner so you'll need to buy more summons and in all honesty probably a few extra constructs.
• Marcus is a great master with flexibility in his own self and huge crew selection option to truly be able to field almost any scheme/strat/opponent pool.  Great master, self contained, huge variety.  But this is also his problem, Marcus is damn near a faction to himself with the Beasts he can take and once you start buying into the master of the wilds you can end up with a large beast collection from across multiple factions.  Marcus can also run a interesting niche poison theme with some Performer models (Colette crew).
• Rasputina is one of the most powerfully themed models in the game IMO.  Her crew bonuses really synergize well and for what she does she is very powerful but she does have hard counters and bad match ups mainly around speed, which is a Colette strength.  The Silent Ones and December Acolytes, while not in Raspy's actual crew box are superb models and exceptional with both Rasputina and Colette.
• Mei Feng is a dual faction master, fast, durable, fun to play, many options.  She plays well in a range of pools.  No real synergy with Colette in models available generally but does contrast nicely with the Colette crew.  As dual faction she can invite exploration into other factions (Ten Thunders).
• Ironsides is a master in some ways the diametric opposite of Colette, where Colette is board control scheme markers and tricky, Ironsides is board control brawling and blunt.  She has limited synergy with Colette but her crew plays in a nicely contrasting way to Colette.  She also runs superbly with Johan which is a merc model mentioned above who covers condition removal, many Arcanists like Johan but with Ironsides he shines.
• Kaeris is a very fast scheme master with some burning synergy and as a flyer really solid on terrain heavy boards.  In many ways Kaeris plays the same scheme/strat combos well as Colette does, but differently, more movement and less pure tricks.  Interesting and thematically funky crew, not IMO a great mirror to Colette.
• Sandeep is the new book 4 master, Academic key word which Colette does not have.  Amazingly flexible summoner crew, probably one of the most limited pure summoners but the range of other things Sandeep brings to the game more than make up for that.  Sandeep runs well in every scheme/strat once you get a handle of him, a great jack of all trades master and crew so he'll be a fine compliment master to Colette and he can make good use of some of her Performers.  Solid master, but worth noting that likely some of his success and hype is associated with being newer and he'll get tougher reviews as opponents work counters out.

So there you go, a short review of the Arcanists crews you could take to compliment Colette.  Honestly I'd go with the theme and look you enjoy the best as Colette is strong enough to compete in most scheme/strat pools and you can afford to take any of the crews above and just experiment as you will.  Having said that here are my suggestions:

• Budget - Ramos, despite being a summoner and needs extra models (notably at least one additional mech spider swarm box) the contents of his crew box are really so good for Colette that you'll want to get them anyway.  Also once you have got the extra Rami constructs he runs fairly well without much need for schtick outside the norm selections.
• Variety - Marcus because he is perhaps, in certain crew builds, the most raw and aggressive Arcanist master.  Huge range of options and he can really get in, get bloody and slug it out with opponents which is a superb contrast to Colette who is arch-typical finesse.
• Coverage - Sandeep because between Colette and Sandeep you'd have arguably the two strongest and most flexible crew selections available certainly to Arcanists and potentially in any faction.  Between Colette and Sandeep you have two exceptionally strong crews which can each cover almost every scheme/strat/opponent combination well.  However as befits two such powerful masters they each have a sharp learning curve.
• Simplicity - Rasputina, she has a particular talent and she does it very well.  Her crew is tough, in particular the Frozen Heart immunity to horror negative effects is exceptionally forgiving.  Also the Rasputina crew offers two synergistic crutch models the Dec Acolyte is perhaps the most flexible and adaptable mid-cost minion in the game and the Silent One is Arcanists in-faction healing option so, yeah useful.  Also Ice Dancers are vital scheme runners for Raspy and also Showgirls so some potential Colette interaction.

Finally for Colette you'll 100% want the Arcane Effigy for condition removal (this model is honestly so useful every Arcanist crew should consider it), Angelica is a superb and vital addition, which links to the Malifaux Raptors which will one day get Cuddled and cause the Arcanist forums to implode into a black hole and finally the Coryphee Duet because its thematic, deadly and plain fun.  I'd seriously consider the Mechanical Rider who is simply excellent, Howard and Joss (Ramos box), Dec Acolyte box, Silent Ones are also first class.  Union Miners have some interesting cross synergy.

Good luck

Let me start by saying that I am 100% happy with the current 7 factions and think that expansion would be more likely to be negative than positive in terms of outcomes.  Still in the spirit of speculation.

On a podcast (I want to say Schemes & Stones episode??) somewhere there is a discussion about how Molemen were originally a much more fully developed native creature to Malifaux but for various reasons that changed.

The Other Side ocean spawn could fit into this, Gibbering Hordes of fish crew beasts.

Obviously you could upgrade Spawn Mother to a full master. 

The new Fae mega hound indicates thoughts towards pack leaders for the various hounds.

Hamelin is almost dual faction beast as potentially Ulix could also be.

Ten Thunders could run a dual faction concept around Foo creatures, dragons and other mythological beasts.

So yeah that has potential.  Question is what "niche" does it fill.

I'd easily see the other native Malifaux faction getting more time, so the Fae and progressing Tatiana as a dual faction.

Also in line with the Other Side an African themed tech advanced faction could be possible.

I'd agree that Collodi is the better choice for beginners there.

Collodi is a good crew, plays well and is fairly (as these things go) simple.

Pandora is a harder master to play and her crew is tricky, the main problem is that well played she is very difficult to kill and incredibly frustrating to play against but if you don't play her well (and experience with the game will dictate this initially) then she is fragile and her crew vanishes in a puff of ectoplasm (she is very similar to Arcanists, my main faction, Colette in this way)

Titania is a harder proposition as she is still quite new, book and box only recent releases, so there is less established knowledge on her and her crew, but so far the whispering I've heard is she is lower end power curve and reliant on scheme marker manipulation to win.  So I'd advice avoid.

Basically I think the hardest thing about learning Malifaux is wrapping your mind around the complex and multifaceted scheme/strat - objective aspect.  It moves the mind from a more 'traditional' gaming paradigm of I win by killing the other guy.  This can be a difficult hurdle to conquer initially until the light goes on and so I'd avoid playing masters which specifically play into the weird tricks and scheme heavy concepts of Malifaux until I've conquered the basic game with a more basic master.  

Avoid but not discount.  For all that I'd play first and foremost the master and crew you like the best and learn with them, it may be a little tougher but it will be more rewarding.  So assuming everything is about equal I'd go a starting master, but if you have a clear favorite take them regardless and learn by doing.

I'd rank the NB best starting master as Lillith by the way probably followed by Collodi.

Malifaux, has I've espoused in many other posts is a game of complex answers to seemingly simple questions.

Many (if not all) other war games have a pretty simple move - kill - win system and objective aspect meaning that models which are not either killy or durable for points compared to other models are pretty much terrible.  Malifaux simply does not work like that because of the objectives importance.

Malifaux also has a variety of diverse masters and crew combination (which certain other war games also feature) which may mean a bad model in one crew gets a significant boost in another, likewise this may be true based on the choice of your opponents crew, so a model becomes much better against certain opponents.  This makes a "this model is terrible" broad statement nigh impossible because the question is qualified by with which master > against which opponent > and in which scheme/strat pool.

So the Soulstone Miner which has been mentioned here is an example, better with Ramos and Mei Feng, brilliant in certain scheme/strat pools and potentially useful against crews which hate a sudden melee threat appearing in there midst.  But as a general auto include with any crew and combination of opponent and objective - under whelming.

Having said that models I think are generally weak and have to do more work to get value are (and note they are not always awful, just maybe more often than they should be):

• Mouse, to expensive, vulnerable, generally does nothing you critically need and what he does do puts a easy to kill model in harms way which is never good.
• Poison Gamin, they are simply 'meh' compared to other Gamin, across the board there are Gamin which are better than Poison and for less points (are summons cost), Ice are as dangerous up close, Metal more durable, Fire have superior ranged and the amazing Wind are fast and exceptional scheme runners.
• The Captain, with his almost mandatory casting expert he is expensive and does many things well but nothing brilliantly while being expensive and vulnerable for his cost.  Other models can bring the key ability a certain game needs usually better (without the utility) and for less cost.  Simply put the Captain is a great piece in a game where you have no idea what is coming and need to prepare for many possibilities, Malifaux is rarely that as you purchase your crew with at least on outline of the opponent and the scheme/strat pool.
• Gunsmiths and the Rail Golem both, are a little tricky to get full value from and need other models to help them maximize where as other available models for the faction can do much the same tasks more independently.

Overall though Arcanists are a great faction with many models which can see action legitimately in certain lists and games.  With some nice recent balancing the list of struggling to make fit or better alternative for exactly the same task is also smaller now.  Yes we have many "niche to this circumstance" models but then the system and range of Malifaux models and rules mean this is inevitable and ultimately desirable, otherwise we'd have either terrible power creep (as do everything models slowly trump each other) or boredom (as each model is effectively the original 'do this task piece' with a different 'skin' appearance.

The Captain is not useless or unplayable, he simply is not in a competitive context (tournaments) the optimal choice.  He does a lot of things, he does these things adequately but for the utility you lose durability and pay points.  In the end cheaper models do what he does with additional abilities, sure no model does everything but then you don't usually need everything especially in a game where you can tailor your list building to the opponents faction, scheme, strats and your general plan.

Basically the Captain is a model you will always get play, often get value but rarely get above value returns.

Joss is exactly the opposite, he is slow, durable and can hit.  If you want a durable model Joss is it, Armor, good wounds and soul stone use means he almost always absorbs at least his value in punishment to put down.  He hits hard enough to be deadly to low end opposition and dangerous to high end and he has some little trick abilities to give him the odd surprise utility.  His weaknesses include Armor negation, being generally slow and poor ranged threat (but still has ranged).  For his points he is a bargain for what he does and if played as a durable tank piece he'll almost always return his points value in play, often return more.

So Joss is simply a great model designed and able to perform an important role that most Malifaux games require in some form or another.

Both models are playable, both are characterful and fun, but if you want to min/max your list then Joss is significantly better value for points and purpose than the Captain.

Received a much appreciated update email today explaining the difficulties and outlining a planned timeline for deck replacement.