Sorry for the double post, but I felt like this needed to be said...
Alpha strikes don't really work in Malifaux, they had a limited run of success with Ratjoy because of the out activation aspect...
The issue is, alpha strikes work GREAT against newer players, or players that don't have the knowledge to stop them easily. Newer players will find a fun little combination (like Miranda/Marcus) and try to alpha strike you all day. They stop when you teach them that they are now losing because of it...
By the time you hit national tournaments, you don't see this tactic as often because it's a gamble that rarely pays off at higher levels and not worth the soulstone investment.
(Except Ratjoy, because it was a 6SS investment aside from Killjoy).