Sybaris

Rah they were back order on Gen Con sales. They look good enough to add on.

Not going to spoil anything, but the new book does shed some light on what might to happen with that pair of sisters.

As stated previously, i'd be keen to see the result of a genderswap on the twins.

I've never liked the Lelu models myself (both metal and current), and the lilitu didn't change that much in transition from metal to plastic.

They have the benefit of being interesting for many masters at once (broaden sales to more NB players, possibly).

Lilith or Titania would be great to see an alt of.

Lilith, i kind of agree that she always looked too human for my tastes. Sure she can take on a human form to infiltrate and cause chaos, but in front of her subjects...it feels weird to look like the enemy (reminds me of the "human" Cylons in Battlestar Galactica).

While i can see that part of her is along the lines of the forest (she always had a line of abilities and her avatar form related to nature), i feel that it's too close to Titania nowadays...i.e. they sort of overlap in some way when it comes to the wild. Lile the Waldegeist...they really blend in too well with titania's knights by now.

A more queenly Titania would be great, too (armored or majestic, just more regal).

lol that grootslang is huge, and so are Cyclops. What HT are they btw?

But i am impressed by Nekima, it's spot on. She is lowering herself too, so no problem with the size and all (with a suitable base it'll reach HT3) 

Since the times i am whining about it, i am soooo happy that this character gets a great model, finally!

As for base ideas, autumn leaves on the ground are a given and maybe a tree with a few dead ones still on it would fit best with her theme. She is the autumn queen after all.

The theme would extend to her knights, depending on the season they represent.

Has anyone been able to snatch a new Nekima from Wyrd at Gen Con? Can't wait to see a size comparison with the plastics.

At the very least, it's on the correct size for the character. That being said, i wouldn't be surprised if it looks better once we see a decently painted version of it. Plus using a more detailed base (insert or custom) can alter the whole feel of it.  The old metal was cool enough, very massive, but the face didn't have the best detail, and the limbs were very thin. The sword was better than any other though, but hey, you can probably still find it around.

I just ordered 2 of the new ones...can't wait to see if i am right or not about the looks once built properly. I've been so vocal about wanting a correctly sized Nekima that it'd be wrong not to support this

Something along the lines that Clockwork Fish has suggested would be quite interesting to me, in order to encourage (not enforce, nor needlessly strenghten) thematic lists. It's as if they added optional faction specific schemes, one per desired theme. This migh alleviate some issues that some lists face when certain scheme combinations arise.

 Examples have been given but there's really tons of interesting thematic schemes that could be devised, in addition to the current ones. If the schemes are balanced properly, then it will not remove anything from players who build lists without a theme, just allow thematic lists to be fielded more often.

It'd also be a way to see the Scion on the table more often.

Now how about reversing that. Instead of creating a wretch or scion from the enemy's dead model,  how about turning your own non-nephilim living models into hybrids?

Say, turning a Desperate Mercenary (aka captured slave)  into a bloodwretch is not too far-fetched, fluff wise. The encounter could merely push the tormented Mercenary over the edge.

Not sure what would be the requirement, but it could be if it kills an enemy model, you could spend a card to have it transform into a Blood wretchs (like the last step of that process), or a Scion (for an additional cost).

It sure would be in theme with Nekima (or more precisely, the Black Blood Shaman co.), although the balance of it all would need to be tested. Giving the bloodwretches an added way to appear on the table might make them more desireable if they had such connection with a crew.

That being said, it would have to be checked in case of domino-effects with Grow, Mature and Rapid Growth abilities/upgrades that could lead in multiple summons from the same kill. No idea if it would be any good down the road though. That upgrade would compete with The True Mother, as well.

I've never played with Changelings so i can't really say about those. However, i can say that the trio of blood worked for me well enough vs Rasputina.

Lilith, Nekima, Mature, BBS, 3 tots.  I understand your list would be more flexible though.

Decent choices there, I completely understand waiting for alt Nekima ( i waited years for it!)...i wouldn't be surprised if the new one becomes more common on the tables over time than the "alt-barbaros" we currently have. 35$ is what i expected to pay for Nekima in the first place, anyway.

The Mature has a few things going for him compared to Nekima.

The most decisive one is that he is far less dependant on your control hand for effectiveness. He has an awesome  to hit and armor 1. With Wing Buffet and Charge Through, he can usually go where you want him to. Nekima will deplete your stones and hand if you let her. Basically, the Mature Is a complete package,  amd more reliable for the price you pay than Nekima, while she has more potential if you fuel her fire with more and more resources.

The Retribution's Eyes upgrade gives the Mature an optional specialization that is out of reach for Nekima. This gets especially interesting vs Armor +2 models.

To me this translates into the Mature being more suited to be sent flanking and killing scheme runners, allowing tots to break through and score schèmes unimpeded. Nekima is a centerfold...i mean she likes to be in the center, and take all the attention from everyone.

In the end, i've often taken both, and it worked well in conjunction with Lilith...as it gives 3 mobile and very violent beaters forcing the opponent to devide his resources or focus on one and let the other go unscathed...More often than not, they go to Nekima and Lilith, leaving the Mature as the least of evils...only to see it run amok on a flank and near the end of the game come back into the center for added chaos.

So i can defend the Mature, but i would be far less resourceful defending the Young.

Agreed entirely, the new model is on my list too. Don't underestimate her capacity with Titania, i've used her a few times and was surprised.

Since you have Lilith and Titania, might i suggest Nekima, as she works very well with both of those masters.

If you're seriously considering Young Nephilims and a Mature and a Black Blood Shaman...she is going to fit even better.

I'll use the current plastic issue as an alt Barbaros, probably (and name her Sybaris, while at it), although my favorite barbaros is the armored one for sure. The old Nekima was great imho, but her face wasn't so easy to bring out well. The new plastics are far better when it comes to conveying expression and often in terms of visage proportions.

The new model does bring Nekima closer to Lilith's style (clothes), too, and i think it's a good idea, as Lilith always stood out on her own with the fashion stuff. 

If it's large enough (like  a mature or ice golem), the hooves will provide enough surface to glue it up. Plastic is far lighter than metal so it won't be like the first edition one, which needed care or good modelling skills.

The new design is more "tense", i'd agree, especially compared to the current plastic one. I refuse to use the current one based on size alone, and i have no issues with the new offering. The wings are thick and massive, and so are the horns, but we're also talking of the oldest of known Nephilims so those horns had time to grow to epic proportions.  Clothing is curious for nephilim, i mean how does she put her coat on with those wings, or her tight pants with those hooves, but regardless, i'll assume that neverborn can alter their looks down to the clothing (does the new Core book for TTB help in that regard?).

One point i'll agree upon is the sword, i'll likely be switching the original "Horse-Long"  metal Lorelei blade onto this new one and see how it goes. Her pose does make it look very heavy, and she looks down on whoever is under her...which is fitting, again if she's taller than regular ht 2 folk. I'll probably get 2 of these just to let the modelling knife go wild on one and see what happens.

Finally, we're getting it...can't wait to lay my hands on the new model. Thanks Wyrd, it was a while, but if that's what it took...i hope it's larger than the current one, and i'll be finally at peace (lol)

I am not sure they even die of old age, actually...it is said that to Lilith, for example, time is but a resource to manage (immortal?). However they have a rather brutal society and death by violence is quite common obviously. Shamans, in particular, have a gruesome ending coming to them; their students/pupils ritually sacrifice them in order to become Shamans themselves. I don't think they precised the lenght of that cycle though. One of the quirks of that cycle is that it prevents Shamans from getting too old...and perhaps too powerful as well, so whoever thought about that had cleverly devised a way to control them. That's also what had inspired me about The Elder or the first,...as he would be the only really "old" shaman so to speak of.

Edit: back to topic, there should be 2 more upgrades for a properly fleshed out master, and perhaps 2 more Limited ones to give more choice on how she behaves. One of them should be relatively defensive (e.g. Drawing from the Blood: a sort of Blood Pustule that heals Nekima) to play with her healing ability, while the other ought to increase her odds in melee vs masters. There could be a Limited upgrade that allows her (with a cost) to prevent riposte-like abilities from triggering (this model cannot receive damage as a result of its attack actions for the rest of the turn).

As discussed via pms, here are the things i could find this morning, sadly it's just fluff for now and keep in mind that hybrids were not really a thing at the time :P. I'll try to find back the stats as they were in a xls document on a previous computer.

I like your ideas, and as stated before, one of the few things that would have to be tested thoroughly is Nekima's Cache. Since i've played her already with a cache of 0 and found her to my liking.

There's some bits of overalp between Morphran and The Elder in a way, they could be combined into one, but your direction with him might not be to define the "first shaman".

At the time the idea was that these would be "ancient nephilims", those who had remained "loyal" to Nekima back then, or simply didn't care or like Lilith. I am only posting this here as agreed, not to hijack your ideas  it's your thread after all.

The Elder

 Old beyond most lifespans, only Lilith and Nekima are assumed to be older than this creature. The Elder is a mature Nephilim that evolved in a unique way, becoming more and more secluded from its kin. Wise and cruel, he is seen as a councilor and a respected scholar related to events of days past. The Elder is one of the most powerful master of black blood magic known to Nephilim, and it is rumored that he is the founder of the cult that the Shaman serves even today. However, his physique leaves no doubt that his practice has warped the very nature of the aether wherever he goes.

Shriveled wings that hang in tatters above his horns, a perpetual shadow and smoke surround itshis twisted and crooked form. Red gleaming eyes pierce the cloud where his face was, the sight of the Elder is certainly an experience not too many cherish.

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From memory, his model would have powers that goes beyond the usual black blood. Part of the inspiration for him was the Balrog and the devil (flames, shadows, etc.).

It was to be quite slow, and unable to fly, and spread his ability

Fire in the Blood (the Elder could use black blood to spread around the fire condition)

Blood of Fire

Smoke and Shadows

Lord Drakul  (Dracula :P)

And i had started writing that stuff for kicks and giggles: we all know Malifaux draws inspiration from legends and tales, especially victorian stuff...and if Jack the Ripper could find some room, i wondered how Dracula could manifest. He could very well be an double faction Neverborn/Outcast henchman.

Lord Drakul is one of the higher ranking nobles of the Nephilim and amongst the most infamous. He and Lilith were always rivals in terms of ideology in a now distant past, but her power surpassed the noble so much that he operates alone mostly by now, especially since she took over the throne.

Yet he was one if not the first to be able to understand the human foe, so he proceeded to wreak havoc with their psyche. It is even likely that he managed to gain knowledge of them prior to the breach, though how this might have come to be, no one knows. To his credit, Lord Drakul is probably the most well known Nephilim outside the breach, having inspired tales of terror in so many ways that his legend has followed him ever since. Lilith also touched the imagination of humans outside the breach but not in the same way, and while she is an established commander, Lord Drakul is all about himself.

So much myth surrounds this being that no one really knows the true extent of his powers. He understood that by taking the guise of a human and drawing from their own weaknesses, one could terrify them even more when the real nature of a nephilim is revealed.  Cruel with a sense of vanity, mysterious with a sense of dramatism and humor uncommon to his kin, Lord Drakul uses his legend for both protection and extortion…for who would want to anger the Impaller itself?

More to come if i can find it.

Adding my voice here, could even be a sort of crossover with Malifaux, as the characters could be part of the "natives".

Always happy to hear about Nekima stuff. I haven't designed a full complement of upgrades though, as balancing those is always difficult and i have less time to test rules as i used to.

I'll send you some tidbits this week. 

Yeah here we have a house rule / campaign / thematic encounter that made it happen before the game so we don't have to use the clunky trigger every time.

If you want the most effective way, there was a thread about someone winning while doing the Birthright trigger.

That's actually what i do as well.