Jump to content

Kabosan

Members
  • Posts

    36
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Kabosan

  1. Thanks for the nice comments guys! Edonil: After reading your comment I had a mental image of the wife showing up day after day at the train station waiting for Jake. Your right, that is a bit depressing. I like to think they went on to lead a nice life earthside and his sacrifice wasn't in vain. ThePandaDirector: I know what you mean about the feeling of repetition, I had the same thing as I re-read it before posting, but I just couldn't put my finger on it either to edit away. I was really aiming for a clean, fast read that still evoked imagery. It sounds like it did that for you, and if that's the case I'm happy. Silver Chocobo: Thanks for the praise, but I don't know if I'm a shoe in. There are some pretty good wordsmiths on these forums. Again, thanks for the comments all. It's been fun participating.
  2. That's not at all what my Lilitu told me when I was painting her. Apparently I was not doing a good enough job. I needed to know my place and lick her boots. I told her it would take the paint I just put on off but she told me to do it anyway. Sure enough it took the paint off. She called me a weakling and made me paint her boots again. Lelu told me that no matter how humiliating it was I would kind of like it anyway. I'm not so sure. :Hiding_Puppet:
  3. I never really thought of it as depressing. I guess I sort of thought the protagonist had a zen sort of approach to his death by now. After all, he really did know he was going to die in Malifaux. (You know, the way all of the ways those gut feelings are supposed to work). I guess it was kind of mean to take it away from him at the end, but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess. I think that he found a kind of poetry at the end was my apology for that mean streak.
  4. “Well Jake, you always knew you’d die in this God forsaken place” Jake thought to himself as another pair of eyes appeared, glowing like coals in the darkness. He had known the moment the train passed through the breach. Known it the way you’re supposed to know right from wrong. Known it the way you’re supposed to know when you’ve found true love. He’d known it deep in the pit of his stomach. He was going to die in Malifaux. He’d never told his wife, of course, what’d be the use of that? It was a good plan, they’d thought. Travel through the breach, live hard for a few years, and then they could move up in the world. He’d go prospecting, or that failing, work in the mines. She could find work as a maid or a seamstress. They would save all their money and come back earthside and be able to afford to raise a family right. Only one thing they hadn’t counted on. Those stories about the dangers, the ones that seem like faerie tales; well, in Malifaux they were true. They weren’t stupid. Hell, some people figured they were pretty smart. They knew the guild was gonna rip them off with their contract. They knew ends weren’t going to meet easy like. They scrimped and saved. Sure it was hard, but they had each other and they were doing ok. It was going to take a little longer than they planned, but in a year or two they were going back earthside winners. Jake shook his head sadly as another set of demon eyes appeared in the darkness. Unlike the others this one didn’t just watch, but moved toward him with a slow, purposeful gait. “You shouldn’t feel so betrayed,” he thought bitterly to himself, “jobs don’t pay this much up front unless they’re suicide runs”. Everything changed the day she told him she was pregnant. He was so happy, and so scared, all at the same time. If they’d been earthside it all would have been different. They would have made ends meet, no matter what. Everything would have been ok. They weren’t earthside though. They were in Malifaux. He just couldn’t let his baby grow up in a world where the boogey man wasn’t just a story you told your kids to make them behave. Here the boogey man was real. He just couldn’t let his kid grow up in this nightmare. He might die in Malifaux, but his wife and kid could get out. He’d always been handy with a gun. There were people who paid good money for that, if you were just willing not to ask any questions. He took their money, and somehow he’d always ended up on top. He thought he’d seen the ugly side of Malifaux before. He’d had no idea. Job after job, lucky win after lucky win, he almost had his nest egg saved. One more job and they all could leave. This new set of eyes stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the lamp he was standing under. It was a tortured creature that stood before him. One of those demon Nephilim he’d heard about, but this one looked different than any he’d heard tell of. First it wore some kind of mask, made to resemble the skull of some twisted Malifaux creature or another. Its tattered wings hung around it like a shroud. They didn’t even look like they worked anymore. Despite the ritualistic knife it held in one hand he wouldn’t even have been very frightened of it with the gun in his hand if it hadn’t been for the excited hissing coming from all around him. He’d met the old hag at a tavern. She’d been telling fortunes for scrip’. He took one look at her and knew that wasn’t all she was there for. She had the look of one of those that would give you money if you didn’t ask any questions. She’d offered him just enough up front to finish his nest egg. He could finally get his wife and newborn son onto a train to a better life. He only had one more job to do. He put them both on the train this morning. They would be waiting for him earthside. It all felt like a dream to him then. One more job. He’d come out on top this time again, just like before, and this nightmare would be over. Only the nightmare wasn’t over. Out of the shadows came, one after another, a small horde of tiny little demons. Each little larger than a child, hunger writ large upon their faces, they approached him. There was no escape from them, he knew. As good with a pistol as he was he had no chance here. “You knew you were gonna die here Jake,” he thought to himself again. What then was this gut wrenching feeling? He always knew the odds of his jobs were bad, he’d just gotten used to getting away clean. He signed the contract in blood. That was a new one. It didn’t matter. His wife and kid were going to be safe. He’d gotten t up from the table with the wad of scrip’ in his hand. As he walked away he heard the old hag say something. What was it she said? It floated around in his head like a tune you can’t quite place. “Your last payment will be forwarded to your wife and child son” the old hag’s voice cut through the night. He knew then the depth of his betrayal. He had thought maybe he was bait. He’d played that game before. Or maybe a distraction, that made a sort of sense. But he knew now what his job was. With the sound of the hag’s voice, like hearing the melody playing and finally recognizing the song, he remembered what she said. You can’t escape your fate. His gun fell from his nerveless fingers. He wasn’t bait. He wasn’t a distraction. He was food. The tots rushed forward, clamping mouths to his arms and legs, sinking tiny teeth into his flesh. The shaman strode forward, knife held high. He knew now, as death closed in around the edges of his consciousness what the terrible feeling at the pit of his stomach was. It was the end of his dream. He always knew he would die here, but when he put his wife and child on that train he had dared to dream. To dream of a life with his family. He had forgotten he was always going to die here. He knew it, from the moment he crossed the rift. You can’t escape your fate. The knife that plunged into his chest was a mercy. His lifeblood rushed out, and peace rushed in. He always knew he’d die in Malifaux. Just like he knew, when he put his wife and son on that train, that they’d be all right. His last job would feed his wife and child. His last job would feed a whole different kind of child. He supposed that was poetic in some kind of way. You can’t escape your fate. ---------- Post added at 11:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:21 PM ---------- Ever since I first played a Nephilim grow list I wanted to make a realistic reason for the Desperate Mercenary to be there. Both Nekima and Lilith seemed too straight forward to really draw a cagey mercenary into the trap. I didn't know how to go. It was only after I found I preferred to play Zoraida as the main master with Nekima and the BBS that I finally found my muse. Zoraida with her focus on fate seemed to be the answer. What if the mercenary was simply fated to die in Malifaux? There are a lot of ways to die. What's wrong with being food (well aside from the obvious)? From a fate standpoint it could be kismet. He could take care of his children at the cost of him taking care of the Nephilim children. Seemed fair...ish. Well, a good story anyway.
  5. I think I'll throw my hat in on this one. This one caught my eye and for the first time in years made me want to write something. I kinda felt like I was in college again and my prof actually assigned me a assignment I wanted to write.
  6. To be honest I doubt that they will really be 100% reproducible in small runs. To me it looks like a press run 60# (probably gloss) cardstock with a liquid or 1mil (or less) lamination. They also has a pretty pronounced machine score. This sort of printing is only really economical in large batches. That said, your local national chain copy shop could probably produce something somewhat similar. Small run prints are much more economical on Laser printers and copiers, but what you're looking for in paper changes slightly. They will probably have a 60# cardstock (probably not one of their 'standard' papers, but they should stock it) that is a smooth (but not glossy) finish designed for use in Laser printers and copiers. The lamination here gets kind of tricky. If you normally laminate your cards anyway, go with that lamination. You'll hardly tell the difference. If you use your cards 'un-laminated' then you're looking for as thin a gloss laminate as possible. The most likely lamination that I know of that a copy shop might carry is actually designed for laminating banners. Check with the shop though, this is a little outside of the scope of why they carry this lamination, and most stores will only stock one roll (to laminate the front side of a banner). You will need both sides of the card laminated, which will require 2 rolls. The other option is to check with any vendors they might work with that do lamination. They may have the option to laminate in very thin laminates through a more specialized vender who deals with lamination and finishing exclusively. You won't really have reliable (or economical) access to machine scoring but the back of a butter knife along the crease on a semi-soft surface (something like chipboard or a self healing cutting mat) with a good ruler should work. The score won't be as clean and deep as a machine score but it will cause the card to fold in the right place and minimize cracking. Even with all of the 'economical' tips, these cards are likely to be quite expensive on an individual level. Wyrd (I'm sure) prints thousands of these out per run and can pass those savings on to you. You'll be looking at a one off specialty production and will have to pay accordingly. Edit: I'll also add: The more cards you run at once (even if they're not all the same) the better your price per card is likely to be.
  7. One thing to consider about this advice. Malifaux is not a 1 Master = 1 Army sort of game. Most masters in each faction are perfectly capable of running most of the models in their faction effectively. Each game is going to change up the type of models you are going to play depending on both your and your opponents strategies and schemes. Having more models all in one faction is going to give you more options during each game you play. I (as a Neverborn player) am constantly mixing in models 'meant' for another neverborn master most of the games I play. I see the same thing when I play my two most common opponents (guild and Resurrectionists). That being said, if you're not afraid to stick a toe in each of the swimming pools and buy and play a few games with a master from each of the factions you may very well get a good feel for which faction you want to play.
  8. I thought this was the subforum for this debate. :Hiding_Puppet:
  9. I voted No. I love the joker mechanic. I have had more fun games because of the red and black jokers than I have had games ruined because of it. Some of the best memories I have of the game were caused by the jokers. Like the time my opponent's Punk Zombie one hitted my Mature Nephilim for the kill on it's slow to die action in a tight game that I 'should have won'. We still talk about it to this day. I caused a loss when we both thought I would win it by a tight margin, but I still remember that game kindly. On a second note, as primarily a Lilith player ( greatsword) the times I have cursed hard to wound because it denies me my auto 9+ damage on a cheated red joker flip vs the times I have seen it come out (even in my fishing trips with Collodi) In my experience the HTW argument is a lot more emotional than factual. Keeping your opponent from being able to cheat that game breaker is a much bigger deal than the off chance it will net them a rare card flip. HTW2 will keep you safe from Lilith with a red joker in her hand when nothing else will. All of that said, however, I can see how it could be frustrating in a tournament or competitive environment. I could accept a change to tournament only rules regarding the red joker. Limiting the swings of fate in that environment does make some sense. Edit: I would also like to add, in re: to the HTW issue... the times you see the red joker come up and kill your HTW model will vastly exceed the times your opponent will say "Gee, I would have been able to kill that model by charging it and cheating in a severe damage flip but decided not to do it because it had HTW and I wouldn't have been able to cheat damage". I know my Mature Nephilim struggles with this decision making problem every time he faces a model with HTW that's low on wounds. The problem I think with HTW is that it's benefits are largely invisible while it's weakness is highlighted dramatically every time it happens.
  10. The hardcopy of the online book has all of the 'censored' info in it. It's the most current rules manual available (and yes, it's to make you buy it... support the great guys at Wyrd, they deserve it!) it contains all of the rules you need to play. Sadly there is no digital version available, though I would like to see it. Between that, the v2 cards (which should come with all of the models now) and the living rules/faq on Malifaux.com you should have everything you need/want... except for all the great stories from the other 2 books.
  11. Laminating is a large part of what I do for a living. All of the advice so far has been spot on. Here's a few pro tips (some of this will rehash previous posts with some additional explanations). 1) Most laminating machines have both 'heat on' and a 'rollers on' switches. As the laminator heats up the points of contact between the two rollers heat faster than the rest of the rollers if they are not moving. This is one of the most common causes of bubbling (or just bad, uneven laminating). Turn the 'rollers on' switch on a few minutes prior to sending the laminate through to allow the temperature of the rollers to even out across the whole surface of the rollers. 2) If the laminator (and associated laminate) has a carrier sheet (usually a piece of treated, folded cardstock) and associated setting use it. The carrier sheet will help to evenly distribute the heat, but is typically run at a higher temperature. This will help avoid bubbling and also reduce the chance of laminate adhesive oozing out onto the rollers and slowly damaging your laminator. 3) After the laminate has passed through your laminator, immediately (and carefully), remove it to a cool flat surface to cool. While the laminate is hot any kind of curl or distortion in it will set into place as it cools. This can sometimes be fixed by running it back through the laminator, but occasionally this only minimizes the damage without fixing it. 4) Oh, and always send the laminate through 'sealed edge' first (even if it means not sending the carrier through folded edge first). You want somewhere for the air to escape for one, but if the sheet is misaligned you can also get nasty wrinkles in the laminate if you don't. Hope this helps. P.S. I do a fair amount of 'pouch laminating' but for the most part I work on the roll fed 61" commercial GBC laminators. In my experience GBC makes great products from little, cheap pouch laminators and laminates, to crazy laminate and mount all in one at the same time multiple roll monstrosities I can only dream about. (no I don't work for GBC) ;P But in my experience spring for the extra to buy the GBC pouches for your GBC laminator... you'll be happy you did. -- edit -- In addition: Bubbling is often (but not always) a sign of the laminate getting too hot. The post about running a piece of chipboard through before sending your cards through is not a bad idea. If the laminator has a temperature gauge do check to make sure it's not too hot. Symptoms of a too cool laminator is what we call 'silvering' where parts of the laminate will stay translucent giving a foggy impression over part of the laminated item. Unfortunately there are very few solutions to both problems... laminating is kind of a get it right the first time business.
  12. Just a note about potential bias: I'm exclusively a Neverborn player. The Neverborn, in general, are the 'fast and strong' faction as a whole which seems to fit how I like to play. You might consider them to fit your playstyle. That said, however, if you like the models and fluff of the Arcanists more (and I think a major portion of choosing a faction should be about liking the models and fluff) you should consider Collette. She's a very mobile master that, in my games against her, has seemed to play much more of the mobile precision striking, hit and run style that I'm used to with my Neverborn crews. If I were to branch out of my faction I think she'd be the first master I'd pick up. I think her fluff is great... A troupe of showgirls with clockwork dancers and mannequins, what's not to like? She's fairly cheap to field a competitive list with, (her boxed set, a couple of clockwork doves, and a blister (if you magnetize them) or two (if you don't) of the Coryphee and you're good to go (I think... Neverborn player after all). I can't speak to how she works with Kaeris. I'll have to let an Arcanist player let you know about that. What I know about Kaeris: In my games against her she's seemed to be more of the gunline/hold my ground and let them come to me type master. That may be just how my local opponent plays her though, so again I'll have to differ to the Arcanist players for more info.
  13. I think (1) might be the way to go. I agree that (2) 'wounding the model' goes against the whole fluff of the situation... I want the 'picked model' to not be the target of attacks by the player that takes the scheme... I think it should have 'carte blanche' for that model against the player who takes the scheme. Maybe we just figure out the Strats and other Schemes that might break it and disallow them for the scheme. We just have to be careful to not make it a scheme no one would take instead of a scheme everyone would take.
  14. True, however: It would be the first time that I know of that a single model could kill an entire opposing crew by casting 1 (1) action repeatedly (multiple times per crew) up to 4 (or more) times (per turn) with a properly set up crew (Zoraida + Doppleganger). (Well, since the Nekima/Lilitu chain and it's huge Double Take potential)... If this is the case it leads to extreme exploitation (with my #2 crew Z + DG) in which case I'm all for it (for very evil reasons)... but I just don't see that being the case. The Nekima/Lilitu chain was ruled as NOT RAI. I can't see this as being ruled RAI. I am therefore assuming that some kind of Strike associated with the Charge is required for the sacrifice is part of the RAI. (Not just for the obvious exploit, but for rule simplification). It would just be too powerful to let a model sacrifice any model that didn't get it's guess of range to its intended target exactly right to be sacrificed for that mistake. (Wyrd has made mention that the whole no pre-measuring rule is for speed and not to punish players for their depth perception). I really think that the 'Strike' portion of the Charge is required for the model in question to 'do no damage'. The movement portion of the Charge has no potential to either 'do damage' or 'do no damage'... it simply doesn't have any damage potential (like a Walk).
  15. This really looks like one of those semantics issues arguments, but here goes... My interpretation (and perhaps a clarification of what Vmag is trying to say here) is this: You announce a charge and spend the AP. You now initiate the charge action, which first has you move your Cg toward the model. You then check to see if it's in melee range, if it is you make a strike. If it is not you immediately end the Charge action. If you immediately end the charge action (because you were not in range) you are not actually resolving the Charge. You end it before the complete Charge action happens (which includes a strike). Yes, you got your movement, but you broke the chain of events that make a complete charge (including the strike and the associated damage resolution steps). Therefor you're not doing damage, but you're not not doing damage since with the end of the action damage was never a possibility.
  16. I thought it was a fun and different scheme idea and wanted to share it. I honestly love that (even if it never works out this way) schemes and strategies are the only really important thing in the game and that it's possible to win a game without killing any enemy models. Honestly I hadn't put too much thought into how balanced it might be. I just am not that experienced in the game to get a good overview of how crews I haven't played or played against might exploit this. That is the reason I brought it to the forums. I do tend to agree with Mr. Bigglesworth that it's not as unbalancing as you make it out to be since it gives your opponent free reign with what is presumably a very powerful model. This model is free to go and deny you any other vp you might be getting and work toward accomplishing their own strategies and schemes. But after some thought I can see how deliberate exploitation could be a problem. Any ideas on how to make it less exploitable?
  17. Mr. Bigglesworth, thanks, I hadn't thought about the sacrifice thing. I think all the abilities that remove models from the game are kills or sacrifices, but if you know of one that isn't I'd like to hear it, and then the fun comes in of how to word it so the offending model can't do it! :Stuck_Puppet: Vmag: I thought the exact same thing but decided no one would want to take the scheme if you not only had to let your opponents highest SS model live through the whole game but also had to damage it but not kill it. I just imagined flipping a Red Joker on a damage flip you were just trying to injure it with and being forced to cheat the flip down or lose the VP and the thought just made me sad. I also thought fluff-wise the whole 'why aren't they attacking me?' or even better every other model's 'why aren't they attacking him/her/it?' angle was better than the bully one. For example: If I was an Arcanist and the Guild showed up and started killing everyone but one specific guy, it would be hard not to question that guys loyalty.
  18. A little history: I was testing a new list for my Lilith crew for slaughter against a friend. He had just assembled his brand new shiny Witchling Handler and was playing her for the first time... unfortunately this wasn't really a friendly game as I was testing a list for competition. I immediately moved the Cherub up to range for a transpose and transposed Lilith with one of her Stalkers and proceeded to kill both her and her 2 other stalkers (she was his highest point model that was vulnerable). Since I was playing a friend, friendly game or not, I felt kinda bad killing his shiny new model before he got to do anything but move her. I resolved to let her free reign in our next match, even if it cost me the game. Friends are more important than a win after all. That got me thinking though, something along those lines would make an excellent scheme. What if for some reason your master wanted to make sure their opponents minion survived the encounter? Here's the new scheme idea: Undermine Confidence: Sometimes it's better to let an enemy live with their failure. Special: Secretly note your opponent's Minion with the highest Soulstone Cost. If there is a tie for highest Soulstone Cost, secretly select and note one of the tied models. Victory Score 1 VP: If the noted Minion is not killed or sacrificed by any model controlled by you. Announce: +1 VP. This might be a tough one for more the more kill oriented crews, but with the specified 'killed by any model controlled by you' you'd still be able to debuff the model to your hearts content. I think it would be a very interesting play dynamic, announced or not, since an opponent might easily guess that you're avoiding one of their models and press that advantage. I also think it could be a good tool for teaching new players since it gives you a good reason to avoid a key model without 'throwing the game'. I'm open to CC and suggestions.
  19. One thing to note: Ratty has used the entirely reasonable A series of international paper sizes for his counter and card sheets. Unfortunately the good old US of A doesn't use this paper size scheme. Working in the print industry, I have noticed this creates certain problems. A4 size paper (8.27"x11.69") is slightly narrower and somewhat longer than our standard print size (8.5"x11"). This means that printing his sheets in America can create certain problems. If you want to print Ratty's counters on Cardstock you will have to print on 8.5"x14" (or Legal) stock (which most print shops won't carry in said size in cardstock, but some paper suppy companies will) or on 11"x17" (or Ledger, or Tabloid) stock (which most print shops charge double for, but do carry). You can either print on paper (and laminate for the added thickness to make a counter) or modify Ratty's files to fit American standards. You can modify his files in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator somewhat successfully to the American standard. Most print shops will ask you if you want to just 'Reduce to Fit' to the American size, but this will make make your 30 mm counters the wrong size so I would suggest against it. If you're watching Ratty, I have a mangled American version you could use, or you might consider making an American version yourself for us here in our backward, non-metric, country. :Confused_Puppet2:
  20. I was pretty sure that Brood Mother just got missed as you were trying to fit a lot into a time slot. I think I noticed it mostly because my favorite 'I want a challenge' scheme is Assassinate, and Companioning the totem to Transpose a model in melee range of both Lilith and a Mature Nephilim with the enemy Master, tearing at it with Lilith and then the Mature Nephilim is almost always 2vp. I almost always bring a BBS only when I have (or will soon grow) a Mature Nephilim. On the BBS note, two tricks I've picked up are: In a situation where you might be concerned about the Mature getting attacked after moving (usually 1st turn): BBS Blood Magic for 3 wounds (himself) to give the Mature Fast. Mature: Defensive Stance. Carry twice (6 inches ea.) despite the Wk penalty from defensive stance this works (AFaIK) since it's a spell and specifies 6" and not Wk. (With 4 Df Defensive Stance is only partially effective, but it's better than nothing). You can also usually keep the BBS hidden behind the base of the Mature Neph. Spill Black Blood Always do this in an odd number of wounds (Malifaux always rounds up so you save 1 Wd to your cost without losing any Wd on your target).
  21. I was surprised that there was no mention at all of 'Brood Mother' from Lilith. One activation from something like a Mature Nephilim or Nekima after Lilith's activation can be a game changer for me in the right circumstances. I can understand that they got excited about some of the more tricky things you can do with a Nephilim Lilith crew but it deserves mentioning. I think the thing about a grow list being cheesy is, as he said, a personal preference. In my experience, however, the Desperate Merc traditional grow list is highly situational. I have nothing (fluff, playstyle or otherwise) against killing your own crew for an effect, but the traditional grow list requires a very specific sequence of events to be worthwhile most of the time. While effective, I don't think most Lilith players (myself included) find it fun enough to do to offset the straightjacket of your first turn to pull off effectively except in very specific circumstances. The thing that I think is forgotten by non Lilith players about the grow list is just how effective Terror Tots can be, and how little is gained by immediately changing them out for Young Nephilim in the early parts of the game. Later in game it can be very valuable, but for the most part you will have obtained the blood counters somewhere else already without having had to spend the stones on the Desperate Mercs. On a side note: I play the Blackblood Shaman more frequently than it sounds like he does, but have yet to find myself in a situation to get off a Ritual Knife severe damage flip. I think everyone with the model secretly dreams of it, as I do, but have never seen it done. :Sad_Puppet2:
  22. It is a bit of overkill for experienced players, and I don't expect it from one, but I've found it really handy for explaining to new players how many cards they should flip. We do call things "Fate minus" or "Fate double minus" and the experienced player just flips the right number of cards, but that's not really different than "2 negative twists". Honestly, though, I find myself sort of auto doing it now that I've used it to show a few new players how to play.
  23. When calling it out we say "Fate" then "Minus" or "Plus" or "Double Minus" etc. When flipping cards we call it as we flip. 1st card is "Fate" then each additional card is "Plus" or "Minus" to the number of cards. Thus :-fate is "Fate (Flip Card) Minus (Flip Card) Minus (Flip Card). Makes it really easy to flip the right number of cards.
  24. Thanks I knew I was missing something
  25. This came up in a game tonight... Zoraida summoned a Voodoo doll, which nominated Nino with Conduit. Can the Voodoo doll cast Magical Extention to cast Obey on Zoraida, making Zoraida cast Obey on Nino, through Conduit, giving, in effect, Zoraida a new cast of Obey at her Ca with without range or LoS?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information