OneLittleThunder

Any further updates or ETAs on when we may be able to order these models? EDIT: Well, that's answered now. 8-) Thanks!

"Ge' away from me wi' that thing, girl! Can ye nae see I'm tryin' to work here?"

Thanks!

Bump. These guys are still dual-faction Neverborn and 10 Thunders, right?

Remember that we don't know (or rather I don't know; play testers might, but they are under NDA) whether there are any more new Oni in book 4, which night significantly expand Asami's options. And while Lady J looks like a significant problem, I feel like Asami will be a lot of fun to take against Nicodem...

In my book, 10 Thunders Brothers are a go-to model because they are extremely versatile and hard to take out. Particularly with Lynch (where his control over Aces is a great boost), their (0) Dance of the Heavens can give them exceptional mobility/escapability, extra durability, the ability to lock down opponents over a huge area, or card draw. They can hunker down in Defensive mode and hold a point against almost any non-caster, or dart across the board and plant scheme markers like a champ. Their ability to protect your own scheme markers within 5" from enemy tampering is also quite valuable (and, as far as I know, unique in the game). Torakage are slightly faster and slightly better in combat, but they are also rather less durable, and I don't think their extra SS cost is worth it in most cases. Their ability to freely walk out of engagement range is situationally quite useful, and they do good work as scheme runners that can take out most other scheme runners. In most cases, though, I find 10TB to be more flexible as well as cheaper. With Lynch and Lust, they can also set up an impressive chain of card drawing, but I think that's mostly a gimmick. Low River Monks are a model that some folks swear by, but I've never gotten much out of them. They are cheap, pretty durable, and provide reliable condition removal; however, they cannot do any damage at all. If I was really starved for points, I might take one over a 10TB to hold a point, or swap one out for Chiaki if I need condition removal but need to save the stones. With a Shenlong crew and the Shadow Emissary, they can provide a reliable source for card draws by going Focused and then having the Emissary remove their condition each turn...it's a lot of AP, but 3 extra cards a turn has a lot to recommend it. Tengu are super-fast (especially in pairs), can help heal, and are good at scheme marker removal if you have the cards to spare. Unfortunately, they are also very fragile, so I haven't been taking them that often. Like you, I'm interested to see what Asami has to offer them. They also get a bit of a boost under Yan Lo thanks to the extra benefits he can offer Spirits.

Interesting, @Yvarre. I'd pick McCabe over Lynch for Collect the Bounty, primarily because Huggy is too easy to kill and, as a Henchman, represents a big chunk of Bounty points (possibly more than once, if you use the Rising Sun upgrade). McCabe's crew is mostly Minions who, with McCabe's help, tend to punch above their weight while still being worth only one BP when they die, so I think he's a better fit for CtB. Conversely, I'd pick Lynch over McCabe for Headhunter, since I think he's overall better at killing. Other than that, I think your picks are right on the money.

Say it again!

Correct. I knew what I meant, I just didn't type it right.

I'll be there the weeks of the 18th and 25th, Sunday through Thursday nights, so the Friday nights are out, but if there's a weeknight when someone might be looking for a game, I'm in!

Kang is a solid beater who adds a lot of value against specific crews (virtually all Ressers, some Arcanists, crews that rely on Horror checks). Yu is a utility piece who offers a lot of movement and scheme tricks. Depending on your opponent and the scheme pool, either or both can have a place...but as @tomjoadsays, his synergy with Shenlong is extremely strong, and he's probably the better choice if you can only take one and you're not sure which.

I use the Peasants most of the time with Shenlong, particularly if there's a need for Scheme markers in the game. They're also handy for handing out Focus to Katanaka Snipers and the like, and the summon can provide a little activation control. The Kamaitachi adds a lot of mobility (though Shenlong and company are usually not hurting in that department) and also some card draw. I'd probably take him over the Peasants in something like Reconnoiter/Interference, where the fact that he's Significant and can push stuff around is more likely to matter. Toshiro can summon either Ashigaru or Komainu in either faction; the hiring restrictions by faction only apply when hiring your crew, not when summoning. The only real way to get extra Scrap markers in 10T (outside a Mei Feng crew) is with the Obsidian Oni, who has a trigger on his ranged attack. I usually make sure I bring at least one Komainu or Rail Worker, so I can be sure I can recycle. 8-) I do see the problem - it sounds like you did about as well as you could with what you had available. Against summoners, it's often best to try to score your Scheme points as early as possible, before the activation deficit gets overwhelming - of course, that depends on the schemes available too. You guys might want to consider switching to the Gaining Grounds 2016 schemes - they're generally more balanced and (I think) more fun to play.

I'm hearing that there might be some 'Faux at the Portal in Bethlehem...and that @MonroeZombie might be the person to ask about that. EDIT: Looks like the usual Malifaux night is every other Friday, at which point I will be on a plane. Boo!

Disagree...but that's the nature of the business.

But what about the poor Lynch players?

Interesting, though a little too post-apocalypse for my taste. The sculpts are gorgeous, just not my style. I'm intrigued that you changed the box contents, though I think it works in this case - Mounted Guard are a natural fit for McCabe, and we do have a relatively new alternative Wastrel in Miss Anne. I feel like the Wastrels should be available in a separate box, though...

Trip cancelled at the last minute. Hope to catch you folks next time!

I'm by no means an expert against Kirai (or indeed with any part of Malifaux), but I will share one thing I've learned that is valuable against Kirai in particular: Don't attack things just for the sake of attacking things. Against Kirai in particular, this keeps Ikiryo - one of Kirai's main advantages - entirely off the board. Since none of the schemes you took require killing things, this might have been a good game to try a non-violent (well, less-violent) approach, at least within Ikiryo range. Remember also that you only need two models to count for Turf War; make them durable ones and maybe add a third for backup, but let the rest of your crew spread out and work on schemes and go after his scheme runners. If the summoning is a real issue for you, consider hiring Taelor; while she will almost certainly wind up with Ikiryo in her face before long, her Welcome to Malifaux ability can really limit a summoner's capabilities, particularly with Make Them Suffer in play. If the summons are too far away for Taelor to charge, that means they probably need to spend some AP to get where the action is. And frankly, a Relic Hammer is never a bad thing to have on your side! And if Kirai's mobility is getting you down, you might want to take a look at another mercenary, Anna Lovelace. Her 8" aura more or less shuts down Swirling Spirits over a big chunk of the board, and Anna herself is pretty durable and puts out reliable, if not overwhelming, damage. Also, one rules point: the Kamaitachi is a Totem, so you can't have both it and the Peasant(s) in the same crew.

The only time I can recall bringing more than one Katanaka Sniper was a "perfect storm" game where the setup was something like: Corner deployment, Squatter's Rights, with Inspection in the scheme pool. The Snipers deployed next to the outermost Squat markers and could spend their first turns firing, then flip a marker and move back to the Inspection zone on turn 2. Good times...

LOVE IT. That is all.

Usually once or twice a game the opponent will try to do a push or place and then realize (or be reminded) that Anna prevents it. But I regularly hear them grumble about her preventing something they want to do, so I think her aura is pretty frequently a factor. Obviously, it depends on the crew; Masters like Lilith and Kirai, as well as Guild crews relying on Austringers, hate her. A shooty crew like Ophelia or Rasputina doesn't care so much. And as @tomjoad points out, a lot of 10T Masters find her particularly restrictive, in 10T or their native faction.

I'm going to be in Allentown for work for two weeks at the end of July, and was wondering if there were any local players/stores/game nights where I could get my Malifaux on. Anybody?

Keep in mind that an enemy Anna will prevent you from pushing/placing your own models, but does nothing to protect the opponent's models. Set up a kill box and then use Sensei Yu/Beckoner/Oiran/Performer/Huggy/etc. to pull Anna into it, and her power is much less relevant. I think the only 10T master whose style she'll really cramp is Yan Lo, but it shouldn't be disastrous. I will say that I hire her pretty often myself, especially in scenarios like Turf War/Interference, and haven't regretted it yet. Her damage isn't huge, but is very reliable, and she's quite durable, with access to a lot of good triggers.

@Rathnard and @Lakshman have pretty much covered all the suggestions I'd have made - good advice all around.

Well, the Guild is getting a Nightmare crew this year...hmmm....