DavicusPrime

I've only played against her once with an Ophelia crew... I have a great deal of respect for Lilith's capabilities. Best trick she pulled on me was using a Terror Tot to Tangle Shadows vs. Ophelia. Meaning she basically yanked Ophelia into base contact with herself and then plopped down a forest between herself and the rest of my gun line to slice and dice my master in peace. O, lasted a turn longer than I expected, but the whole rest of the game I was playing catch up. Lost by 1 VP, but it could have been worse. -DavicusPrime

I'm hoping the Brewmaster will be next for the same reason rgar stated. Also, I want a Whisky Golem! -DavicusPrime

I have had better success with Pere, but if I'm short on SS when hiring, he's the first one I drop from the list. You need to keep him out of harm's way until it's time to charge in and go up in a blaze of glory. Ophelia's movement tricks help a lot with that (Ooo... A girl, or jug rocket depending on situation) And Lenny and Pigapult can toss him into the middle of things too. But he's meant to be a cruise missile, not a support piece. I love Francois, Rami and Raphael in any Somer or Ophelia crew. The LaCroix tend to be good beat-sticks, which might be what you're looking for. But it sounds like Lenny is the better "support" enforcer. -DavicusPrime

I've only been able to use Ophelia once and it was after the FAQ. She got assassinated pretty quick so I wouldn't say that I've had enough experience to have a strong opinion on her upgrades. But I must say I found the Young LaCroix quite useful, even after O got shredded by Lilith. They spent the rest of the game blasting away at the terror tots to surprising effect. -DavicusPrime

That's pretty much what I do. I keep the models and spray cans in the house so they're room temp, go outside and spray in my shed then zip them into my bathroom and let them dry at room temp with the exhaust fan. It's worked very well. -DavicusPrime

I don't think it's all that important to make the art on the cards match every model. But it helps keep you straight on which model's info you're trying to record on each card. It's easy enough to mark the card so you know which model it belongs to. For Ramos' Steam Arachnids, I've made multiple copies of the cards, but due to the proliferation of them, it's sometimes easier to track the wounds with a marker next to the model. But back to the OP. The only reason I would suggest holding off on buying a metal starter box is if there is a henchman and/or totem that would normally be part of the new plastic set that doesn't exist in the metals (I can't actually think of any from first wave though, but a lot of the second wave ex-Henchman, now masters seem to have that problem). Case in point: My Kaeris Crew does not have the firestarter nor the new Totem that their new box set will probably include, because those models didn't exist prior to M2E. I haven't fully assembled and based all of the models I do have yet. So I expect that I'll probably just blue tack them to the bases to make them useable until the new plastics show up to replace them. -DavicusPrime

I'm stuck in limbo on some of my models for this same reason. I prefer the plastics in general (there's always exceptions) but I've already got all the M&SU and LaCroix crews in metal, and most of Kaeris' gang as well in metal. I've decided to fully model and paint Ramos and Ophelia, but Kaeris is likely to get replaced once the plastics turn up. The only model I really want out of the M&SU box is the new Joss and maybe the new Brass Arachnid, but I can't justify the cost of the box for just one or two of the models (if I didn't already have so many arachnids, I would be very tempted). I'm actually rather envious of the newbies as they don't have to deal with the temptation to re-purchase whole crews now that the shiny new models have started hitting the shelves. -DavicusPrime

Yes, indeed. Probably the most generous fellow I know. But then he also sees it as making me a more interesting opponent. So there's something in it for him. I haven't looked at the latest Fire Gamin stats but, IIRC, they inflict burning when they damage an opponent and when they die. So either they have to attack the Rail Golem or die in close proximity. Option 1 seems like a bad trade, but option 2 could be interesting if they "escort" the golem across the board and take fire... But methinks the opponent will be more apt to blast the golem before shooting the gamin. -DavicusPrime

I expect some mental card counting going on just as part of any game that uses cards. But to make a big deal of it such that you've got to take notes seems like an over reach. Better to just play the game. I don't put much more thought into it beyond caring how many cards they've got left in their control hand and maybe whether or not their jokers have made an appearance yet. I like figuring probabilities and what not out, but my brain isn't up to doing it on the fly without slowing down the game. It gets worse later in game when one or both of you don't have many models left on the table. You'll barely get through a third of your deck before reshuffling. And you just don't know what cards they've been holding. -DavicusPrime

This thread has been very good for me too. I have Ramos and have been toying with getting the Rail Golem and Metal Gamin to test them out but have always seen them as being meant to boost Mei's Crew as they are are all Foundry types. As it turns out, my usual opponent has let slip that he's picked me up a Mei Feng Crew for X-Mas so I'll have even more reason to grab them next. Another thing the Metal Gamin have that I like is the magnetism ability that I've been liking on Ramos. If facing enemy constructs, it could be very useful. And their metal protection ability should be helpful keeping some of my other models alive longer. I can see myself using them in any of my Arcanist construct heavy lists. I'm really not sure how to use the Rail Golem at all. Without an easy way to inflict burning, it seems like it'll be spending the first couple turns building up before it can do a lot. I don't see it replacing Howie as my Enforcer of choice for Ramos. But for Mei or Kaeris, it might become a standard. -DavicusPrime

I liked the look of the plastiCraft stuff but I'm not currently planning on an old west style board. The pricing is pretty good. Right now I'm working on bayou terrain (when I actually get off my (_|_) and work on terrain, that is.) which pretty much means I'm making my own stuff. Po Boys has dropped hints that Victorian style terrain is his next project. I'm waiting to see that with much anticipation. -DavicusPrime

Greetings from Auburn, WA! I'm also an 40K ex-patriot who has migrated to Malifaux and X-Wing. I've been playing Malifaux for about a year but only get to play about every other month. So I don't have that much more experience then you. Currently running Ramos and Ophelia. Since M2E came out I've only had 1 game with Ophelia and 5 with Ramos. Where about the Seattle area are you at? We'll have to look into playing after the new year. -DavicusPrime

Greetings! I've been playing Malifaux for just over a year and am loving it. You've chosen a great time to enter the game with the spiffy new edition. 1 & 4) Three non-model things you need to start with: Get the M2E rules! Get a Deck of cards for each player. And get or make some round 30mm and 50mm markers. The 30mm markers are used all over the place in this game as a mechanic for completing schemes and strategies to marking resources left after a model is killed (corpses, scrap, etc.). The 50mm markers are most often used for weapons that include blast effects, but some models can create temporary terrain effects represented by 50mm markers too. Folks have put together art work you can print out to use... The pdf's in the post linked here I found very useful. Print them out on card or glue them to card (like I did) and you're set for very little cost. 2) Models: I would caution you against buying the older box sets. Only because they don't contain the same mix of models the new sets have (or will have when they finally get released). The new boxed sets come with a master, his/her totem and an associated henchman along with a few of their common enforcers and/or minions. The old boxed sets typically did not include the totem nor did they have the henchman. So you'll end up buying a boxed set plus a pair of blisters to get the totem and henchman that the new boxed sets tend to include. If the models you want aren't released yet, it looks like they're releasing the wave one boxed sets at a rate of two a month (every model in the rulebook is wave 1). So hopefully the wait won't be too long. Since you play Warmachine, I suspect that you'll have lots of models on 30mm bases that could be used to proxy a lot of the models in Malifaux. If none of the current M2E box sets strike your fancy, the card info in the rulebook and some proxies ought to cover you for the time being. If you have a solid idea as to which faction you want to start with, grabbing the appropriate arsenal deck would be a good start. Ten Thunders represents a bunch of infiltrators thus all of their masters are dual faction, meaning that they can be used as Ten Thunders or the other faction marked on their cards. Unless you are planning to go Gremlin, Ten thunders is going to add a 4th master to your pool, so grabbing their arsenal deck isn't a bad move either. Plus all of their boxed sets used the same design philosophy as the new M2E sets, so you'd be safe grabbing them now. 3) Terrain... Seconded! I was able to re-purpose all of my 40K terrain that wasn't overtly high-tech. I added a set each of Streets and Buildings of Malifaux to the mix to add malifaux'ish structures to my trees, hills and rocks and that covered us for the first year of playing malifaux. I've since started adding some more themed terrain elements to the existing stuff at my typically slow pace. Hope that helps. -DavicusPrime

I'm in total agreement there. Movement tricks are all situational. Knowing when and how to utilize them is where the tactical Knowwhats kicks in. -DavicusPrime

This is very true. You don't have to use a trigger though, so if you're trying to preserve your models for longer term goals, you might even forgo using dumb luck until you can restore their health (sacrilege, I know). This is much more of a problem with Ophelia as she can't summon replacements on her own. I really like the Young LaCroix for their utility for Ophelia and since they can pump out lots of fire power on their own. But the inability to interact was a limiter in the last game I played. I've come to see them as little more than an extension of Ophelia. I was forced to have Raphael and Francois be my primary objective grabbers, claiming squat markers and dropping scheme markers. On the flip side, Franc and Raph can claim/place then also protect the markers they claim/place. But if I had breakthrough or recon, some speedy little guys who are able to interact would have been very valuable. As for healing... It seems the trick in using Slop Haulers is getting them in place to be useful. Thankfully with M2E, their healing ability isn't a full action like it used to be, so he can reckless to move and then dole out the sloppy goodness. But even then, their lack of speed limits them. Two ways I've had the most luck are as follows: -For any crew, hold him a bit back from the engagement and let the wounded fall back to him so that they're all in place when it comes time for him to feed the piggies. Or even have him stand just in range of a couple engaged front liners and heal them as needed. -For an Ophelia crew, use Oooo... A girl and/or Jug Rocket to yank/toss him into the middle of the action to top off the lads. -DavicusPrime

This is why I've held off on picking up Somer. I'm going to need a second job to afford my new gremlin addiction. -DavicusPrime

Yes, to counting for VP. And No, to enemy Scheme Marker proximity mattering. The proximity to other friendly Scheme Markers only matters to the method through which they are placed. A normal interact action requires 4" of clearance between them (and the text in the book states friendly Scheme Markers). If a trait or action drops a scheme marker but doesn't state any restrictions, then the distance between the new marker and the existing marker(s) is irrelevant. Once placed, they would be valid for whatever Scheme/Strategy they apply to. -DavicusPrime

I've been a bit uncertain regarding how to utilize Ophelia's weapon upgrades with the Young LaCroix. The way I've been playing it is that since the "Discard this Upgrade" text is part of each of the Attack (1) weapon upgrade abilities, and the Young LaCroix text states that they may use those attack (1) abilities, I discard the upgrade following every shot. Am I playing it right? -DavicusPrime

I've only just played my first M2E game with Gremlins so I'm in a similar boat, only my boat is smaller. I Only have the contents of the Lacroix box, and a blister each of Young Lacroix and Slop Haulers. So for me there isn't much thinking required to build a 50 stone list. Use them all, add an assortment of Upgrades and call it good. Random crew selection thought: DO NOT spend your starting SS on weapon upgrades for Ophelia as she and the young can generate them consistently through out the game. Ophelia and the young were kind of a package deal. The Youths provided Big O her first assortment of weapons and otherwise moved with her the first turn. After that they would occasionally use her weapons to soften up things, but my experience with her was short as Lilith used her movement tricks to yank her into melee with herself and all but assassinated her second turn. After that the young became Rami's shootin buddies. The slop haulers work exactly the same as I remember them except the feed the piggies isn't a (Full) Action like it used to be, so you can use reckless to get where your buddies are to set off the healing. Kind of a nice usefulness bump. And as minions, they can complete objectives when their healing capabilities aren't in need. Rami needs to spend AP focusing to bring his rifle into full effect and can't ignore terrain anymore when he moves. But his ability to heal himself due to his personal stash of hooch made reckless not such a big risk. Francois seems a bit more potent than before and is probably the best melee model out of the Kin. I was able to keep the opposing henchman (Barbaros) tied up while the rest of my crew grabbed objectives. Raphael really was fun to use. His fueled by panic ability was great fun for being able to blow away a terror tot and Lilith. He died in the act, killing Lilith (dumb luck is a cruel mistress), but being able to toss out 3 AP worth of shooting without taking damage for getting the extra AP made that possible. Didn't get to use Pere though (we actually played a 35ss game so he and one of the Haulers got left behind). My biggest problem was not knowing what upgrades to pick. Pretty much all the Kin models are Enforcers so you can spread them around. I just haven't figured out what works well with whom. The slop haulers make the Quality Mash Liquor upgrade redundant. The one that gives you the ability to remove a condition was the only one that really made sense. -DavicusPrime

How did I miss this?! Thanks for the link! -DavicusPrime

I use a combo of ratty's token sets, printed and glued to card and blank 30mm bases. And the base inserts the terraclip sets are nice too. I like the card tokens the best because they allow models to stand on them without any placement issues. I've looked at the acrylic and wooden token sets folks have been selling but I'm not all that ready to spend as much as it costs to pick up a new master box worth of models to have some pretty objective markers. What I'd like to see is Ratty put together a new pdf with faction specific 30mm Scheme Markers for M2E. The existing markers he has should work for everything else we could need. -DavicusPrime

I'm not an expert but it sounds like belles are just what they're supposed to be. They're zombies which are supposed to be kinda hard to kill and can take damage that would drop the living pretty quick. They're supposed to be able to draw other models out with their special abilities and diminish their wariness (losing cards with their trigger) in order to make them easier targets for their master and his/her other assets. If you take bunches of them, you're going to really irritate your opponent. But they aren't going to be killing things so well on their own. And there are models out there than can tarpit them and eventually eliminate them. Off topic, but similar issue in my mind: Austringers seem to be the same thing. They're a sniper that uses an animal like a cruise missile to attack things out of LOS. They're supposed to be annoying and difficult to draw out. The range makes sense for the type of attack. These models don't seem to break the game to me, but they are effective for what they do and force an opponent to change things up to counter them. If I get to play against them more and can't sort it out, I may change my tune, but I'm not convinced yet that they need changing. -DavicusPrime

Got to play a couple more games last weekend, one at 50ss (Ramos vs. Rasputina) and 35ss (Ophelia vs. Lilith). I liked the 50ss game more than the 35ss, but the 35ss was meant to introduce my usual opponent's girlfriend to the game and neither of us have all that many models for the chosen factions/masters. Even with only 35 stones, the game still took us a couple hours to play and still drove out some fun tactical interplay. I'm not all the certain how a 25 stone game would work, but based on how the 35 worked out, I could see playing anywhere from 35 to 50 and be perfectly happy with the results. -DavicusPrime

I found things to be the same as Mythic said. I ran Bleeding edge on Joss which kept my spiders in pretty good shape so long as they hung around in the center of the board. But Howie was busy doing his own thing and Ramos didn't have many opportunities to cast his healing spell due to the lack of scrap counters. One game I played against Tara and she had Howie buried most of the game, so that kinda eliminated any healing opportunities. And playing against Sonnia, she was killing stuff so quick that you didn't have time to heal them anyway (tactical hint: don't keep spiders in groups when blasts are incoming). -DavicusPrime

I had the old model. But never really liked the sculpt. I saw the new art for him and wasn't all that enthused either nor did I want to buy the box to get a duplicate of everything I already own. So I cut off the right axe and cut the right elbow about 75% of the way through and bent the arm up then used greenstuff to make a mechanical arm over top of the original. I still have some work to do, and I haven't taken any pics yet though. So for me, it's not a proxy, but it is converted. I also have the old Johan and am bothered that his prominently displayed pistol has been eliminated from the character's stats. I used to run the two of these guys as a pair in 1.5. It's interesting to me how much they've changed such that their models really don't fit them anymore. I can't really think of any other characters that changed so significantly that the old models don't match the stats like these two. -DavicusPrime