paradoxstorm

The rattler looks awesome to me. Would be a delight to see it on the table.

Also give folks an idea of where in the world you are--If you are in the U.S. add Amazon to your shopping search.

I sneak over to to the showcase sub-forum to see amazing stuff and get ideas.

VN...lot of work in that project. Someday I may get ambitious and tackle something half as involved.

Least used are very likely those that haven't been available due to limited release, such as Tara, not yet release, such as Ironsides, or that have been hard to get because the metal sets are basically gone and the plastics aren't available yet. I'm still pretty new, but I would say that the only "bad" masters are the ones you don't enjoy playing. From what I have seen every master has a fan club out there and they can all be played successfully. But they do have different play styles. Some command from the rear while others charge in. Some are straight up shooty and others are more scheming. If you prefer one play style but pick a master with a different play style you are going to hate them (and likely lose a lot). I read a lot on these forums, but it wasn't until I sat down and read through the descriptions of the masters in the large rule books that I really found the first master that appealed to me.

FWIW I am starting with Rasputina and having a good time with her. I like metal, so I had to get arsenal decks. I bought December Acolytes, Blessed of December, and I have proxy Silent Ones. That gives me enough models for a bit of variety.

Interesting idea...ordered a couple off of ebay to give 'em a try.

No idea which matches up better, I just like Arcanists a lot better than Rezzers, so I choose Marcus. But you could always buy both--both have fans. Go with the box set of both and try out both crews to see what you like playing. Start building out whichever appeals to you and use the other for trading or maybe your wife will find she likes the one you don't. Or flip a coin, heads Marcus, tails Seamus, and give it a try. If you love whoever you get, keep going in that faction. If you find they're not really for you, go back and buy the other.

TY---Sounds like I got the size right, but should be looking at something softer than I thought. I'll definitely find a soft or medium set to get me started. (I think there is medium set for cheap right now, so maybe I can start there and see how it goes.)

That's what happened to me -- mostly from reading the descriptions of the masters. Went from ressers to Arcanists. Make sure to share with your wife so she can see what she likes. And add Crossroads to your list--it has model info on the wave 2 model releases. I'm currently playing Rasputina and have added Blessed of December, December Acolytes, and proxies for silent ones to the box set. She's been easy enough for my newbie brain to handle while I learn the game mechanics and there is some depth to her that I have yet to explore. But my sense is that most of the masters can be described that way, so I would read the fluff and pick a couple of masters you like the sound of and see who has box sets available. If you buy a metal starter set or decide to proxy a crew for which the models aren't out yet, you'll definitely want the appropriate arsenal decks. Handy, but not required, would be a schemes and strategies deck. All of them are printed in the rule book, but having the cards is just nice.

Been looking into these, but apparently in all the wrong places 'cause I can't seem to find much info related to miniature modeling. What I have seen tells me the silicone clay shapers come in sizes and firmnesses. I am guessing size 0 for miniatures. I was thinking "firm" rather than "medium" or "soft" but I am not at all sure. I don't plan any major conversions, just looking to get gaps filled and blended into the rest of the model. Would size 0 firm be my friend or should I do something different?

VN. I hope to do half as well. What did she use for the snow?

I had some models that were based when I got them and wobbly from tabs going down too far--I took a dremel grinder to them--they don't wobble any more.

I've just run into this problem. I bought a collection, including two coryphee, one assembled, one not. I could swear that when I opened the shipment and found the coryphee there were two arms for each model--now there is a total of three I'll look through my stuff more carefully, but if I don't find the missing arm I am thinking I may need to look at learning how to make better use of green stuff. Here's what I think I will be doing (corrections welcomed) using some pinning wire create a skeleton arm. Then using green stuff, cover the skeleton and shape the green stuff until it looks as much like a coryphee arm as my limited modeling skills will allow. Dry, attach, prime and paint as normal. Does that sound like I am on the right track?

Shelves sounds interesting. So maybe a 6" deep shelf that sits below the board?

Some good thoughts. Sadly the MDF I am using is 1/4" so I won't be routering. But I like the idea of propping the cards up with some sort of card holder. I should be able to put together something that will work at least well enough to give it a try. I hadn't considered the 5'x3' sideways...I will have to measure and see if it will fit. I think it will. Might even be better with stuff off to the side. I did cut down the second board, so now I have one 3'x3' and one 3'x4' to work on. Thanks for the thoughts.

So I found a scrap of MDF in my garage that, after cutting, gave me 2--3' x 4' table-toppers for Malifuax. My original plan was to leave a 6" player materials area at each end for cards, damage counters, and other paraphernalia of game play. My limited experience so far suggests that the 6" area really isn't enough space for all my stuff during game play, which has me wondering: 1) should I just cut the board down to 3'x3' and find some other way to manage cards and stuff? 2) should I get more lumber and cut out a 5'x3' piece giving me a foot at each end for stuff? 3) something else I haven't thought of yet? Add'l info--I am planning the first board as a table topper for my basement so it won't need to travel. Different, but related question: I plan to make the topper reversible with a different scene on each side and am planning to use some sort of finish to help keep the paint in good condition. Is there something that will work better than varnish? Thanks

The fate decks occasionally show up on ebay, although increasingly as a part of a larger collection rather than as an individual item to purchase. Although they are getting a lot less common. I have not seen the scheme decks anywhere.

I, on the other hand am in the U.S. so shipping would be less of an issue and I probably shouldn't, but if I can find one....

Bump and a quick note to encourage anyone in the Sioux Falls region to stop by. The crew at UBG is pretty friendly and helpful.

On the first question you are looking at different factions than I am, so I am not really sure what to tell you. The second question is easier. Malifaux 2e has been introduced in two waves. Wave 1 was included in the large rulebook which has fluff, rules, and information on the 2e stats for wave 1 models. Crossroads has fluff and 2e model stats for wave 2 models.

Ah, well, then. Depending on your personal style, either both the big rule book and Crossroads OR the rules manual and a bunch of arsenal decks should be on your short list. Either will give you access to model stats so that you can think about crew building and purchases for round 2*. I like the books 'cause they are a more convenient format for looking at lots of model options without having to sort through cards. Eventually you'll want the arsenal decks for every faction you play and they are convenient if you want to focus just on the models you currently posses--stick the stat cards in your pocket and study them on the bus or during work breaks. Also, if you buy metal models you'll get the old (wrong) stat cards for your models. I chose books and a couple of arsenal decks to start, although I eventually ended up buying all of the above. *Yes, there will be a round 2. What really sells me on the books is that when I was introduced to the game is was a friend letting me play his rezzers. I started down the path of building rezzers (and goblins) but wasn't really "feeling it." I also had thoughts of playing Guild, but never really got excited about it. When I spent some time with the rule book, reading the faction fluff and model fluff/stats, I found that my factions were Arcanists and Outcasts--several models that, from looking at the boxes, I had no interest in suddenly have become the focus of my efforts and acquisitions. Back to your list. Two masters within a single faction gives you value in that either master can hire the other's models so you get a lot of play value fairly quickly although you won't have a really synergistic crew to start. Three masters in three different factions gives you lots of options for play style and experimentation while you learn what you like and you can buy models that are synergistic with the master/crew. There really is no wrong choice here, it comes down to building a couple of internally consistent crews versus building a single faction. 6 starter boxes gives you 6 masters (two for each of three factions) and lots of models to get started with. The expense is only slightly higher than if you buy 3 masters and a couple boxes of support models for each. If you go the three masters route you've already gotten better advice from others about support models than I am going to be able to give you, so I won't try. The fastest way to create counters and markers is with the colored bases. Not terribly expensive so add a couple to your list. You may choose to decorate them, or go in a completely different direction later, but to start, even a "naked" colored base looks nicer than cardboard cut outs. Final thought (from me), my local game store is far away, but they do not directly charge shipping if I place an order with them and pick it up in the store. (Shipping is recovered through their wholesale to retail mark-up.) If you routinely travel to a place that has a game store you might be able to do the same.

Pick one of the three crews you've mentioned to get you started. Get the plastic version so that you get the wave 2 cards for the models you have. (In the U.S. going with the metal models and the wave 1 arsenal deck is a cost effective option, but not sure how that would work for you in Norway.) If you can afford it the big rule book is nice because it has the first wave of models for 2e information. I like being able to browse and think about models before committing to buying them. It also saves you the cost of an arsenal deck for the time being. If you can't afford the big rule book, the small manual is a must. Too many things going on to try playing without a copy of the rules. Going this route makes buying a wave 1 arsenal deck for your first faction more attractive. You can play with normal playing cards, but I would put a fate deck on the list because it is much easier to learn when you don't need to convert from hearts and diamonds to whatever the Malifaux suits are. From there it depends on how handy you are and how willing you are to put in some time and effort. You can purchase extra bases to use as markers, or you can save money cutting some out of cardboard until you can afford/make better. A schemes and strategy deck is really nice to have, but if you have pen and paper you can just copy what you need from the rule book. Additional models can be proxied with something as simple as an appropriate sized base with the name written on the base and a handwritten stat card copied from the large rule book (or actual card from an arsenal deck). The base could even be cut out of cardboard. So, really, if you are on a tight budget you don't need to buy much to get started. Just be prepared to cut some circles out of cardboard and write out stuff you'll want to reference during the course of the game.

Thanks for the feedback, it is pretty reassuring. Sounds like I am not alone, and more importantly, not completely inadequate at model building. I have a couple of models where no matter what I do during the dry fitting stages there are clearly going to be gaps. But most of the time I am not noticing the problems till after I prime--and they seem fairly minor. I'll start working on those with the liquid green stuff I picked up a recently and work on the bigger problems once I get some sculpting tools ordered. So I guess one more question--can I green stuff over the top of primer? (Hope so. I've already ordered brush on primer for touching up after green stuff.)

So I have been getting models assembled and primed before winter sets in. Once primed I've noticed a lot of joints that are not quite properly fitted so I know I need to go back and greenstuff the joints so they will look right after painting. The issue is that I felt I was doing something wrong if 1/3 to 1/2 of my models needed greenstuff to clean up joints. A photo over in the showcase of an unpainted model got me thinking that maybe I'm not so terrible. Maybe greenstuff use is pretty common. So I guess my question is: How much greenstuff use to clean up models is "normal?" Of my larger models I think most of those I have assembled will need a bit of greenstuff. With smaller models I'm guessing more like 1 in 5 will need a bit of greenstuff. Am I doing okay?