LeperColony

We've resumed live play of Malifaux at Lost Planet Games in Torrance: Wednesday, 6 pm Saturday, 1 pm 2711 Plaza Del Amo, Unit 511 Torrance, California 90503 Anyone of any experience level is welcome! If you're an old pro, come by and play. If you're just through the breach, we can teach the game and provide all materials.

I tried clearing my cache/storage and while it did fix the stuck issue, now I can't log in. I'll PM you my account info, but basically it wouldn't accept my info, then I reset my password, and now it says there's no such account when I try to log in. But when I try to register, it says there's already an account with that email. Circular errors like that are somehow particularly frustrating.

While there is of course room for disagreement, this sounds like it may be more particular to your personal experience. The entire industry is based on free measurements relative to the table, even in games where the measurements themselves are pre-set (games with range sticks, like Marvel or Star Wars). I think an approach of general charity to both players and clear communication is the better method of avoid or resolve ambiguities, as opposed to attempting the overlaying of a grid (with or without potential sub-grids).

Don't forget Patrol 4, who was previously Mounted Guard 2 (summoned), died and replaced, but retained the summoning token...

From a balance standpoint I don't know if the change is bad. I do think it makes towards/away more complicated to resolve and much more difficult to account for in terms of what might occur, but that's the nature of the game. I'm not sure this change was necessary, but it is here.

I can tell you what we did in Los Angeles to start up a meta. Can't guarantee it'll work for you, so take it for what it's worth. 1. Find a public place to play. Preferably a Friendly Local Game Store that carries (or is willing to carry) the game. There's nothing wrong with hosting at a private residence, but you don't get foot traffic there. If you can make a FLGS owner an ally, for instance by being nice, cleaning up after yourself, bringing people in (preferably who buy stuff) it will really help. If they are willing to carry some product, that could do a lot to generate interest. Many people are drawn to Malifaux by the strong visuals. 2. Get a few demo crews, paint them up and get to work on making terrain for a board. It's shallow to say, but appearances matter. 3. For the demo games, I very much suggest core box v core box. I am not a fan of alternate game modes like Henchman Hardcore, because masters are a huge part of the game, and I think niche game modes for a niche game are questionable at best. You want straight forward crews of approximately the same value. We also give each side three soulstones, to teach what they do. Basse v McMourning might not be a bad way to start. Basically, any crews that are based on fighting, don't have summons as a core mechanic, and aren't based around combos. Basse is particularly nice because his crew simplifies terrain quite a bit and all his models have bonus actions, which is useful for teaching the habit of bonus actions. Ultimately you'll find the crews that work best for you. I suggest fixed killy strat (we use Public Enemies) and fixed, public knowledge schemes (we use Assassinate and Spread them Out). 4. Although physical tokens and markers are not necessary, I recommend them because they are easier for beginners and also they are quite visual. Likewise, don't rely on the app for things like unit cards. Having the Strategy and Scheme Cards printed out for each player, along with the rules reference card (again for each player) will make it more simple as well. Again, appearances matter and you're trying to create a memorable experience that makes people want to repeat it. 5. While on that subject, make sure you yourself are presentable. Take extra effort with personal care, since you'll be in close contact with people for a few hours. Invest in those breath strips. 6. Make your schedule known and consistent. Commit to it. Understand that, especially as you're building up, it means a lot of sitting alone scrolling on your phone. But giving people the confidence that you will be there day X and time Y really helps. 7. Once you've got people started, try to improve community interaction by extending activity beyond just games. If your store has a discord, see if they will make a Malifaux channel and invite players to join. If they don't have one, make one! Point interested people to other Malifaux media. There's a ton of good podcasts right now, some active youtube channels, these forums, other discords, etc. 8. Understand if you start the meta, you will probably become the de-facto authority. That means making the extra effort to learn the rules, and researching the situations that come up during games to find resolutions. You'll have to be referee, babysitter, and cheerleader. 9. I have social anxiety issues, so I understand this is not easy for everyone, but if you're comfortable, be proactive in offering demos to people in the store. Especially if you've established a schedule, after you've been in a few times, the regulars may be receptive to trying the game. 10. Find out what it is about the game that interests you most, and try to find ways to share that. People respond to authentic enthusiasm. If you've got some buddies you can coerce into trying the game, that may be a good starting point but also, activity breeds activity. If you can show games get played, fence sitters are more likely to give it a go.

I'd like to see some schemes that make use of keywords. Like a version of breakthrough based on having two or more keyworded minions in your opponent's deployment zone.

I think it should be a phrenologist, probably a negative condition or upgrade themed model.

The issue I have with a lot of these "Cadmus is beatable" conjectures is that the mere fact that they're not invincible isn't a strong case for them being balanced. ES mechanics, as a faction, are characterized by high efficiency and limited counter-play. Cadmus embodies both of these, as does DUA. That kind of dynamic is going to be strong in Malifaux, just because of the kind of game it is and what you're trying to achieve. But what makes those two keywords really stand out is what they are able to do with the efficiency and lack of counter-play. I agree with @Maniacal_cackle and @Adran that a single player's games, no matter how well played or how prolific, can itself definitively establish a keyword's power level. However. what I do find noteworthy in this thread is that @Plaag is supplying all the information it should take to beat him. He's showing exactly what he is going to take, exactly what he is going to do, and often the order in which he does it, and it's still working. What's more, the people who are asserting either Cadmus is balanced, or only a little overtuned, or fundamentally the same as existing S-tiers, are much less eager to actually play games than the people on the other side of the issue. While not dispositive, that is also not encouraging. Of course, we all know perfect balance is impossible, and there are already above-the-curve models. Is a Cadmus crew fundamentally different from the other S-tier options that already exist? I'm not a top competitive player, so I can't really say. But I do think it is another significant point that several of the top tier competitive players do seem to think so, and those who don't aren't lining up to take @Plaag on.

I think the full crew is at their best when the strats and schemes encourage grouping, and they are at their worst when Catch and Release and Assassinate are both in the pool. They don't have a lot of movement tricks, so Symbols is a struggle for them, and as they're an attritional crew, it can be difficult to overcome the defenses of a really first tier model. The crew also struggles with condition removal. Getting your sin engine going quickly and efficiently is critical.

I've played 6-7 games with the CR7, so while I make no claims of expertise or skill, I can relate what I've done. I always take the full band. It's not necessary, certainly, and I don't think anyone can claim you aren't a Crossroads crew with 3 of them only, but for me the fun is taking all seven. If I were to drop one, I think Greed is the most situational. If you aren't facing a lot of upgrades and soulstone users, her powers are mediocre. Gluttony would be next on the chopping block, if the pool isn't schemey and the opponent isn't a marker maker. I'd have Lust higher up on the junk list, except she is giving you your sole movement tricks other than Wrath's Lure, and Distracted can really help keep your models alive. In my opinion, she's a very important piece for the crew, but difficult to use.

We need to see Cadmus v Collodi

Played my first game with GH, and I feel like I might be missing something in regards to Reinforcement tokens. Many GH models have ways to use them, but actually generating them is much harder. Am I supposed to spend turn 1 doing a bunch of token generation orders, then go in swinging turn 2? Or is there an engine I'm missing?

Also keep in mind that under the rules, it's not at all clear if blocking terrain actually stops the sight line, so while you can't establish LoS from a blocked line, if a blocked line subsequently enters conceal terrain, the target can gain conceal.

I think the answer is to remove the card cost for using it, and instead make it Once per Turn or Once per Activation, whichever makes more sense (probably OpT). Then, I also feel giving her a trigger like Maim or Drain Magic would help add to her as a resource gap closer.

So first, there are summons that don't require cards (McMourning, Benny, Reva, Ashes and Dust, etc), summons that are opportunistic and so may or may not have involved pre-planning (on kill summons, for instance), summons that don't require suits or the suits are built in/personally generatable (Nexus, English Ivan, The Sow, etc). Now, I realize you're mostly thinking in the mold of main-line high TN+suit summoners like Dreamer, and that's fair. But there are many more summoning paradigms out there, and there's a spectrum of resource dependence. Whereas Taelor's WtM is always a card cost. So citing the summoner's cost as "1. an Action 2. A high card from their hand 3. A Stone." is too simplistic of a model for discussing efficiency vis-a-vis Taelor and summoners. That's my point. You listed it as an unambiguous efficiency bonus, whereas I did not list it as a negative. And as we've seen, it's not an unambiguous benefit. From a developmental standpoint, it should probably be regarded as efficiency-neutral, because there are so many variables that the final result is difficult, if not impossible, to model. However, the variables themselves are significant. The fact is, neither player has total control over where she ends up, but your opponent has more influence over Taelor's location than her controller. As a result, the better your opponent, the more likely they can find a location that is at least neutral, if not deleterious. This is an incorrect assertion as it refers to the place, because the place is not the entirety of WtM. One may conclude that the attack's benefits equalize a negative place. The place would then remain negative, even if overall WtM were neutral or even positive. This is the fundamental difference in our analysis. I'm saying WtM is always a resource drain that offers the exchange of a card for an attack and, taken together with the other consequences of the ability, could be but isn't necessarily efficiency positive (or even neutral). You asserted that WtM is an efficiency gain because a single card is giving you an attack, movement, and engagement. But neither the movement nor the engagement can be assumed to be positive. And further, you asserted that it's a relative efficiency gain because your opponent has spent more to summon than you did to respond, and as we've seen, that's also not supported by a wider look.

It could be, or it could be somewhere you don't want to go at all, and therefore be negative efficiency. Now, if you got to be the one in control of where the summoned model was placed, then you placed yourself, it'd be efficiency positive. But as it is, I think it has to be counted as efficiency neutral since there are times it'll be advantageous, times it won't matter much, and times where it will be disadvantageous. EDIT: I should also add that the place's efficiency probably diminishes as your opponent's skill increases. The better the opponent, the more likely they can find locations you don't want to go. So as a result, against better players, WtM's place is likely to trend neutral/disadvantageous, or it'll be such a bad spot that Taelor just won't use WtM.

There are many summons that do not require high cards, and you can't assume stone use. It's false to assume that the place is an increase in efficiency. You very well may not want Taelor to be where she has to go. For instance, suppose a summoner had an ability "after you summon a model, discard a card to place an enemy within 6 into base contact with the summoned model." We would probably count that as being quite powerful! And whether or not being engaged by Taelor is negative efficiency, efficiency neutral, or even potentially positive efficiency is so situational as to also not be something we can simply assume. The only unquestionable consequences are the discarded card being negative and the wound potential being positive. It's not an utter fail if it doesn't get an attack, if it forces the summons to go someplace suboptimal. In fact, there are going to be instances where you gain something for nothing because your opponent has to place the model in such a way where the summoned model has to use actions to move "up." That being said, I don't disagree that the ability's range makes it harder to use. Since many summons are also 6", I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to make WtM something like 8".

The problem with Welcome to Malifaux is that it's a resource drain solution to an efficiency problem. Part of what makes summoning so strong is the pressure additional AP places on an opponent. This is why even cheap minions can be difficult to deal with. They don't blow you off the table, but they run around and threaten to score points. By requiring a card discard to use Welcome to Malifaux, what should be a tool against summoning is actually increasing your rate of resource expenditure. And since a single attack is not likely to kill most models (unless you get lucky or can spend Focus, which is another resource...), what Welcome to Malifaux really offers is the ability to convert a card for one of the AP you'd otherwise have to use to kill the summoned model. If WtM were either Once per Activation or Once per Turn (and more likely this), it would obviously be better, but it would also be better suited to the task it is meant to perform. I also think giving her a trigger like Drain Magic or Maim would be good. Attacking the opponent's hand is always desirable, but also it could feed into her anti-summoning role because, in combination to WtM, it could attack the summoner's resource base.

I think Taelor is mostly in a good spot. If it were up to me, I'd change Welcome to Malifaux to be Once per Turn and remove the card cost, add an exorcism trigger to her hammer, and a trigger to her Bring It that allows friendly Mercenaries to not take the mandatory melee action. EDIT: Can't give her exorcism. Maybe Drain Magic.

"This trigger may be declared even if this action was generated by a trigger." -- cut to: Broken necks.

I think if it had a trigger to repeat the action, or to let the target nod back targeting the original nodder, then it would be solid.

The thing about going OOK with Frontier is you lose Home on the Range. So either you decide not to care about it, or you have to do something about the fact that someone is going to start 4-6" behind.

This topic comes up periodically on the forums, and when it does I ask myself what the underlying rationale is. Because while I think many people probably are against expanding the number or riders or increasing access to them, and I am too, I also am interested in what the motivation for the request is, and what we can learn about it. From what I can tell, these are possible motivations (which are not mutually exclusive): 1. All factions should have riders. I don't know anything in the lore that would reinforce this idea. Further, I believe most people would agree that it isn't desirable for all factions to be the same. Eliminating differences between the factions needs to come with some upside. 2. Riders are strong so it's not fair that some have them and others don't. To me, this is a balance issue and, if true, the answer isn't to increase the number of or access to riders, but rather to balance riders by nerfing them and/or buffing other models. 3. Riders serve specific role X, which can't be found in other factions (like ride with me and ruthless). Again, to me this is a balance issue, but slightly different because what is being asserted is that riders offer a package deal that is unfairly withheld from others. The solution here could be nerfing them and/or buffing others, or it could be that the factions which lack riders already have sufficient access to those abilities.

I do know there are some lists that hire a large amounts of traps. But they're not mine, so I can't tell you how well they work. When I've played Basse, I've hired a trap fairly regularly, and often but not always a second. The map plays a lot into it. If you can see spots where you can really gum up the works, it's worth it.