Gorbad

And that's why Distract is one of my favourite schemes. It actually requires you to think and plan for how best to do it/counter it. A lot of the other schemes are fairly simple, but schemes as like Distract, Cursed Object, Take Prisoner and to a lesser degree Plant Explosives and Spring the Trap requires a little more finess. That you have things that aren't straight up kill this model or put markers here is part of what makes Malifaux fun and interesting, IMO. And in the end, it's only one scheme, representing 3 points. If you don't like it you don't have to pick it and you can just ignore it if your opponent have it, leave him to deal with not wanting to kill your models and go on to accomplish your own schemes and prevent him from getting VP from his other scheme/strategy.

It can be a tricky decision, but not always. But that's part of the fun of it I think. You also get people killing their own models to prevent giving away the VP, that's a way of dealing with it too. It all comes down to the exact situation on the table and what you think is best for you. If you made it easier to get rid of the decision would be much easier too but I'm not sure that would actually improve the game. And yes, out-activating is a big help on this, but at least in the current setup you can still score on it even if you are badly out-activated.

I really like Pandora, if I'm playing Neverborn its probably her. Since she is independent you can tailor her crew to do whatever the game demands. Been struggling working out what I'm supposed to use Zoraida for. Obey obviously, but I'm not really sure why I'd pick her over someone else. Lucius and Collodi will join the fold as soon as the plastics are out, both offers interesting play style challenges. Lots of buffing and/or control. Lilith is someone I've not gotten around to buy yet, but will probably be my one beatstick master. Leaving just Dreamer and Jacob that I don't really have any opinion on or intention to bring. But really I think what master to use is more about how you want to play and what you want to do rather than what master needs to go with what strategy/scheme. I think its perfectly viable with most masters to play everything with them and expect a high level of competence.

Don't overlook Jacob's models. Illuminated and Beckoners are both very good and synergies very well with Lucius being minions. I also think a sorrow could be quite interesting, Lucius allowing it to get into position to try and paralyse models easier than anyone else.

It doesn't always come up, in fact I've only done it once or twice, but having the ability is pretty good. It can be crucial in the right game.

To me the default arcanist range model is the December Acolyte. I can see that if you got a crew based around burning the Gunsmith might be a better option but as a generic self-contained choice I think the Acokyfte does a better job. I've been using him a bit with Ramos and that works quite well. Especially with From the Shadows because you can then out him a little forward and slow down the opponent giving you more time to get your spiders in the board.

I'd dispute you needing at least one Mannequin. I never bring any, at 4 SS for a insignificant peon I find I got better stuff to spend my soulstones on. They are useful, bit to me they are not that useful that I'll give up other models for them. Its a utility model that's really there to make other models in your crew slightly better. As for the Performers, now those I really like. They got a good, if short ranged, lure ability, but with really good triggers. They are Manipulative so have a little bit of passive defence. But most importantly they have two very useful scheme marker abilities. They can discard scheme markers at range and they got Don't Mind Me so they can interact while engages. In fact, Performers can be useful in a wide range of crews, both arcaniats and others depending on the scheme pool.

Sure, the model doesn't do much else( but way more than if paralyzed), but if its also not giving away vp its probably worth it. And if it isn't, well it can just choose to not remove the condition.

That's a matter of opinion I think. Being able to remove it while engaged basically just means that the advantage goes to the one who can out activate the other. This way smaller crews actually have a chance of succesfullly doing those schemes too.

And the things that are good against the Riders are good against Arcaniats in general, things like blast and pulses, conditions and to a lesser extend Wp. And if you can remove suits or prevent triggers that is very good as well. As well as lots of little attacks. Not that its easy, but the 'tech' needed against the riders aren't that specialised that it will be a waste against other models.

If the one trick that I can do is to do with scoring VP and winning the game I think I'll be okay. Preventing interacts is huge, as is being able to dictate where or how easily the enemy can get to certain sections of the board.

That's a very interesting crew. I can see how it would work. I already bring Howard because as you say he is extremely fast and hitting with Colette. And I've just been waiting for plastic versions of the Coryphee and Mech Rider to include them. I'm really tempted to proxy it soon though as it does look like a blast to play. I usually bring Angelica and an Acolyte as other standard models but I can see the appeal of harder models. Thanks for posting it up.

Gothic (as long as it's not overloaded with skulls/GW) should work fine. Remember that Malifaux isn't build by Victorian humans so anything you want can work really. Markets is a personal choice. There are companies that will make you very nice laser cut acrylic or wood counters, there are a couple of files you can download and print out nice looking markers to glue on 30mm bases or you can custom make them yourself. Especially for scheme markers I quite like using reading bases of the style of my crew or something similarly suitable. And corpse and scrap counters can easily be made both with resin bases or with suitable biya you got around.

Oh, I really want a Johana model. That art looks a whole lot better than the art for Johan. However, as far as I know there isn't really a local store around here that sells Malifaux so not quite sure how I'd go about doing that. I guess I'll either have to ask around and see if other people can find a box I'm interested in with a Johana model inside and have them send it to me, or wait for them to start appearing on eBay or similar

The nice thing about taking Myranda is that you don't need to make that choice before you see the beginning of the game. The Cerberus is a good default choice, but then so is the Blessed, I quite like that one with Colette for instance as she wants masks as well. And truthfully, she doesn't really care that much if it's a showgirl or not. She just wants good models. So the flexibility that Myranda offers of letting you see your opponents crew and set-up is not bad. And if you wanted to be really mean you can Prompt and Reactivate Myranda to get effectively 5+ APs worth out of her in turn one and then turn into a beast. Letting you deploy a beast pretty much where ever you want, with the flexibility to choose what beast that is after the game have started.

I think there is a difference between how you would use her in a Marcus crew and a non-Marcus crew. Marcus probably wants to keep her around for longer, but any non-Marcus crew can easily hire her and then sacrifice her turn one to get a beast and some additional movement, activation, cards, whatever. Yes, you lose out on being able to give the beast she turns into an upgrade, but that's only a consideration if you were planning on doing that in the first place. And if you feel that having X upgrade on Y beast is going to be important you can of course always do that. Most of the time I probably won't bother with the upgrade anyway so I lose out on nothing. Not that Miranda is a bad model at all, she is pretty good. But in a non-Marcus/Beast list you will probably get more utility out of the beast than you will of Miranda so buying Miranda first is basically just an upgrade to the beast. Gives it some additional movement turn 1.

But tweeting established members of the community and having them retweet you is a fast way of getting the wider malifaux community to follow you and that would allow you to find games a lot easier.

You also got a model like the captain that can push models around. And there are no reason why someone like Angelica couldn't make an appearance in many different crews. To me, out of activation movement is one of the things that Arcanists do.

I went for blue for the sorrows, and carried it over to the Insidious Madness and the Dobbleganger. It looks particularly effective on the Dobbleganger as a contrast to her fully formed skin.

The black filled circle is an aura, and so an effect that's always on and includes the model it originates from. The other is a pulse, it affects models that are in it the moment it's activated, but isn't a persistent effect and doesn't include the model it originates from. Also remember you need LoS to the model to be affected by both auras and pulses.

Don't forget models like Howard who have a Mon damage of 4. He doesn't really care what the damage flip is. And for Flesh Constructs try Performers and their Sip of Wine trigger. Deals lots of damage and removes the poison.

The twins are tricky to get use out of. I think Lilitu is fine, her 4" engagement range can be used for interesting things, she got a good lure, etc. I've not really been able to use Lelu to anything impressive when I've tried him. I'm also thinking that often times they work better as individuals than as a pair. You lose the additional healing, but don't have to suffer the condition bleed either.

You might want to get an arsenal deck anyway, as it includes the generic upgrade cards as well. And although they are in the rulebook, it might be handy to have the cards for them. Certainly not essential, but could be handy.

I was just going to say that. I've seen first hand how effective that can be. Having both up front is very brutal as they can easily devastate anything they might come across and while one can be "easily" managed two is a lot harder.

One option is to bring your own summoner who can make use of the corpse counters. I believe the widow weaver can do this. You also get models like the Friekorps Specialist that can remove corpse counters, but it's not a very common ability unless you need them for something yourself. There is of course also the option of bringing models that doesn't leave corpse counters if they die. Only living and undead models generate corpse counters, so if you can find models that are neither that will limit the number too. Sacrifice effects work towards this too. And don't forget things like putting pressure on the summoner, if they are busy defending themselves they might not have the cards to summon anything important at all.