Brilliance Laced Whiskey

Somehow it never occurred to me to post that people might not be aware of a boxing match bell ringing. Thanks, Adran. Another thing I feel stupid for not noticing is the Down With the Sickness upgrade from Silas. It comes from a song by Disturbed of the same name. Thanks to Danger Planet for that. Popcorn Turner pulls his name from Popcorn Sutton, a famous moonshiner. Thanks to Oktakunation from the Discord for that. The new Stab it Rabbit (Lone Samurai Easter alt) is going to remind a lot of western comic readers of Usagi Yojimbo comics. I'm guessing the Usagi portion of the name comes from Uesugi Kenshin, a powerful Daimyo from the Sengoku Jidai period. The Yojimbo portion of his name comes from Yojimbo, a movie from Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa was heavily inspired by John Ford Western Movies (and many of his Samurai movies feel straight up like westerns). Sergio Leone, a Italian director, basically copied the whole movie shot for shot with a Fistful of Dollars (the first of the Man With No Name Trilogy of movies). Clint Eastwood would go on to star and direct Unforgiven, on of the greatest deconstructions of a Western to ever exist. This led to Japanese remake of the movie starring Ken Watanabe. It's a vicious circle of Samurai and Cowboys! Squish and Squashes "Kissed by a Prince" is a reference to old western fairytales where a princess who is asleep/transformed must be kissed by their true love in order to wake up/transform back into themselves. Bookkeeper has an action called "Book Worm". This originally comes from worms that use to eat pages of books in libraries. It eventually came to mean someone who reads a lot of books. Linh Ly's ability, Jump off the page, is a reference to a story so well written, it's like the characters are real. They, jump off the page so to speak. Similarly, her Killer Late Fee's is a reference to turning in a library book late and getting charged for it. The new Alphonse Alt looks like he's read one too many Hulk comics. Today's longshot: The female drudge reminds me of the iconic American symbol, Rosie the Riveter.

Alright, you know the drill by now. K.O.T.O is named after a Japanese musical instrument called... koto. Thanks to Danger Planet for that one. Swine Twirler's are based on the bizarre marketing tactic of the Sign Twirler here in the United States. Hoochdini's "Hypno toad" trigger is based on the hypnotoad from Futurama. It's a toad that does exactly what it says on the tin, it hypnotizes you. Hopscotch's "Taste the Rainbow" is based on the Skittle's marketing quote "Taste the Rainbow". Skittles are multi-colored fruit flavored candy. Hopscotch also has Mithridatism. Mithridates was a Greek ruler who gave himself small amounts of poison in order to develop an immunity to it. Incidentally when the Romans came for him, he drank a bunch of his poison to kill himself but was immune due to his habits. Did I mention Habber-dasher's already? Either way they are named after haberdashery's. They were essentially clothing store's in the Old West. If it wasn't obvious, the Shadowlark and Blackbirds are named after... well birds. Arun Rajput, particularly the Rajput part, is based on a group of castes in India. It is often associated with Warriors. Similarly, his demise ability, "I didn't hear a bell" is a common phrase in western media. Typically it's when someone is getting beat up/knocked down in a fight, but they get back up saying the titular quote. It also makes me think of the South Park episode where Randy Marsh goes around picking fights at his son's baseball games. Suzaku is names after an Asian firebird. Kind of like a Phoenix. This whole time I've forgot about Wyrd trees. Wyrd is the Norse Goddess of Fate. There are also Wyrd Tree's that have spiritual powers. The Hog-Oil Salesman is based on the Snake Oil Salesman from the days of the Wild West. Snake oil in those days had many medicinal purposes. It was lucrative enough that many scammers began to flood the market. The term became associated with swindlers who would go from town to town selling false snake oil. Today's first longshot is the humble newsie #3. He resembles the stereotypical "Tiny Tim" from the Christmas Carol. Next longshot is Drumstick's "Falling Skies". It might be a reference to the Chicken Little tale where Chicken Little proclaims "The Sky is Falling!" It causes mass hysteria, when in reality there was no emergency.

Zipp does remind me of Spaceman Spiff. I also think there is a bit of Zapp Brannigan from Futurama, but that could just be me seeing what I want to see. According to Defective Dice, Bashe is named after a Chinese giant alligator that could eat Elephants. The Black Spot upgrade is a reference to Treasure Island. A Black Spot marks a man for death. Host Ducat's demon umbrella is a reference to the kosa-obake, a Japanese oni. Fluffernutter is named after a sandwich consisting of bread, peanut butter, and marshmallow cream. Photon Cosmonaut on the Discord says the Hush box is a reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the episode called Hush. The Resurrectionists are partially named after the Resurrection Men. Resurrection Men were people who dug up dead bodies and sold them on the black market, typically to universities for study. Lastly we have Toast. Toast contains several Mad Max Fury Road references. Driving the model is a gremlin based on Furiosa, including her shaved head and robotic arm. On the back in red is guitar wielding the Doof Warrior, who was Immortan Joe's (the villain of Fury Road) equivalent of a Drummer Boy from wars long past. Think of the Drummer Boy's that would accompany men into battle. Today's longshot is Drumstick. Drumstick is vaguely reminiscent of the Road Warrior's (Mad Max 2) copter pilot. The same actor also shows up as a separate character in Beyond Thunderdome.

Erymanthean Boar pulls it's name from Greek Myth. In one of the labor's of Hercules, he had to capture the Erymanthean Boar and bring it to Myceanae. My buddy also thinks it pulls from the pig god from the start of Princess Mononoke, but I am less sure of that one. Gretchen Janus, head of the Explorers Society, pulls her last name from the Roman god Janus, who had two faces. Surveyor's have a trigger called Pythagorean Quake. Pythagorean is named after Greek Mathematician Pythagoras, who came up with, you guessed it, the Pythagorean Theorem. He is famously fond of triangles. In one of the older stories is Old Hob, who is getting an upcoming model. In the story, a name competition takes place where people get to decide the name of the corpse picker. One of the names is Plaguey McPlagueface. This is a reference an instance where the British Government decided to let the internet come up with the name for a research vessel. The internet, in it's infinite wisdom, selected the name Boaty McBoatface. Anya Lycarayen's last name comes from Licarayen, which means "Stone Flower" in Mapuche (South American tribe). Onto the longshots: The Rocketeer's likely pull their name from a comic of the same name. In the 90's, Disney made a movie of the Rocketeer. While he's clearly very distinct, the Captain also reminds me of the Rocketeer character. That is easily just by chance though. Ceddra reminds me of John Carpenters "The Thing". Could just be me though. Keep yourself at arms length from that one.

With Ashes we got tons of new references! Well, actually, most the ones I am posting today are about older things in the game. I have yet to comb over all the new cards. Nephilim are a Bible reference to what are considered to be giants. Their names translate as "The Fallen Ones". They were wiped out by God. Thank otakunationaz for this one on the Discord. Gwyll is named after the Welsh form of hag/witch. Pretty sure Aeslin is also Welsh/Celtic. Domingo Montoya's name is eerily similar to Inigo Montoya from the Princess Bride. Inigo is a legendary swordsman in search of the six fingered man who killed his father. Jesy Blue on the Discord also noticed Avel Ortega looks similar to American musician, Hank Williams Jr. The Bad Omen resembles the Jackal Anubis from Egyptian Mythology (god of funerary practices and guide of the underworld). But wait, there's more! His ability, Even Death May Die is a reference to an HP Lovecraft Quote: "That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die". Edit: I also forgot, but he also is reminiscent of the Wolf in Puss in Boots: the Last Wish. In the movie, a wolf personification of death is seeking to take the last of Puss in Boots nine lives. Speaking of HP Lovecraft, the Hungering Darkness and the Oblivion keyword are what might be called "Lovecraftian" in their design. Vernon and Welles have a trigger called "Rocket Man". This is likely a reference to Elton John's famous song of the same name. The name of Lulitu is considered to be a variation of the name Lilith. Lilith, for those who don't remember, is in some Abrahamic Faith's the first wife of Adam, the first man. She didn't want to submit to him and was banished from the Garden of Eden. The card for Mossbeard is finally out, and he is definitely holding a bottle that is a reference to Wilson, the volleyball befriended by Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway. Going through his triggers, one is called "This is for Rumsen", presumably because Rumsen is the Rum Bottle he drew the face on. Mr. Mordrake pulls his name from Edward Mordrake. Edward Mordrake is an urban legend about a child with a face growing on the backside of his head. Hard Stop Herbert has a trigger called 88 Miles an Hour. This is a reference to the Christopher Lloyd/Michael J Fox movie Back to the Future. In the movie, the scientist Doc Brown converts his Delorian car into a time machine. When the car hits 88 miles per hour it jumps through time. Hard Stop Herbet's name is also a reference to something, but I haven't quite figured out what it is yet. I am inclined to think Herby the Love Bug, a talking Volkswagen Beatle (car). Take that one with a dose of salt. Onto the longshots. Leech King seems to be a bit of a pun. Could be a reference to the Witch King (Lord of the Ring), or the Lich King from World of Warcraft. From the design of his mask, I am inclined to say the later. Another Longshot, Samael Hopkins might also be a reference to Anthony Hopkins, who played Vampire Hunter Van Hellsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula (as well as a billion other amazing characters).

New day new stuff. A changeling in European folklore is an offspring of a fairy/elf that disguises itself as a human child. There is also a movie with Angelina Jolie called Changeling. And here I am forgetting about stuff with my girl Molly. Lethe, from Lethe's Caress, is named after one of the Greek river's of the underworld. This river is the river of Forgetfulness, and if you drink from it, you will forget everything. Given her keyword is also "The Forgotten", I think this cultural reference speaks for itself. Let us not forget her ability called "fading" as well. Also on Molly is the Gorgon's Influence. A Gorgon in Greek myth is the creature type that Medusa is based on. Medusa, for those who don't know, is a women who thought herself more beautiful than a god, and was transformed into a women with snakes in her hair. A direct glimpse into her eyes would turn you to stone. Given all these references, I think she might be the Gorgon's chosen champion, she just probably... you know... forgot about it. With the new Ashes trailer we've glimpsed the names of a whole heap of new models. Let's start with the Six Armed Six Shooter. Dom on the discord noticed it was inspired by a puppet made by Andre Toulon during the second world war called, you guessed it, "The Six Armed Six Shooter". There is artwork of Ella Mae Chesterfield from TTB, and it loosely resembles famous trick shooter Annie Oakley. She was very famous back in the day and a star attraction of the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. One of the new models is called "Dapperlings". Swarmlord1231 on the discord mentioned that this is the name of a type of mushroom. Another listed model is the Syzgi Sisters. Syzgy tends to be two entities either in conjunction or opposition to one another. Lastly, there used to be a Ask A Gremlin segment in some of Wyrd's releases. In one, someone asks a Gremlin "What is best in life?" This reference is two-fold. It first is a reference to Arnold Schwarzenneger classic movie, Conan the Barbarian. The infamous response is an alleged quote from failed humanitarian, Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan conquered the largest amount of land by any single ruler in history.

Carrie and My Bloody Valentine. Don't forget Jigsaw holding him up. You can find more pop culture references here: Some of my guesses are wrong, but many of them are quite right!

It's that time again for more references. Sir Vantes "Escar... go!" Is a reference to the French delicacy, escargo. Escargo are snails dipped in Garlic. It's actually quite good, so don't knock it until you try it. I'm guessing the snail's name is "Escar". Phionia Gage's "the Hero we deserve" is likely a reference to Comissioner Gordon's impassioned talk about Batman in the Dark Knight. There is a special edition Waldo that has him on a Teddy Rug. This is a reference to the body attached to the sexiest mustache of all time, Burt Reynolds. There is a famous photo of him on a rug. One of the metal gamin had a head that reminds me of a Kroot from 40k. Alt Lenny Jones with his wrestling championship belt is based on John Cena holding his championship belt. Thanks to Jesy Blue on the Discord for that. It's not the first John Cena reference either, and hopefully not the last. The name Ephraim comes from one of the 12 Ancient Jewish Tribes of Israel. Onto some longshots: The cigar smoking Alp from 2nd edition reminds me of the cigar chomping Pip the Troll from Marvel Comics. Stupidest looking character ever, but hilariously entertaining. This could be by chance however. But... given the cigar, mace, and clothing style, I think there's a decent chance it's partially inspired by him. Speaking of poses I've sworn I've seen somewhere before, the alternate Bayou Gremlin might be an Elmer Fudd reference from Looney Tunes.

While Aunty Mel was whaling the entirety of my crew, I had plenty of time to ponder and realized the "Mel" portion of her name is in reference to Moby Dick's author, Herman Melville. You think with that being my favorite book, I would have been able to recognize that sooner.

More stuff! An Ahool is a cryptid in the form of either a flying bat or flying primate depending on who you ask. According to Makhina on the discord the two models on the special edition hanging tree are Wyrd's founders, Nathan and Eric. Harold Tull is likely named after Walter Tull, the first Black military officer in the British Military. The alternate Baby Cade is likely a subtle nod to the kids book "Where the Wild Things Are". His posture is similar to that of main character and monsters within the story. From Gencon we got a sneak peak at Sen. She has an ability called "Aces and Eights". This ability is another of many references to the infamous Dead Man's Hand. The Dead Man's Hand is the poker hand Wild Bill Hickok had when he was shot in the back and killed. The Aces and Eights were all allegedly clubs/spades. The fifth card is unknown. Edit: Forgot one. The Kurgan. Kurgan is a name, but it is also more than that. Cult classic movie Highlander had a villain called "The Kurgan", played by Clancy Brown. Clancy is probably more famous as the voice actor for the money grabbing Mr. Crabs in Spongebob.

Mr. Graves is no longer usable in Neverborn, as Jakob Lynch now strictly serves the 10 Thunders. Candy is one of the best models in the game, and is great in every single Neverborn list, even if you were to take a different master in the faction like Nekima. Angel Eyes just got a revamp, and is really powerful. However, being Neverborn, she is kind of the odd one out as the entire faction prefers close combat. The Doppleganger can mimic her actions for some decent Firepower. Do you have access to Tuco as well? He is also quite good as harassing and scheming. I think you can make a playable list with what you have, it will just have some holes in it. I am just not familiar enough with Nekima or Pandora to really comment on anything else. Barbaros is unusual in that he jumped ship from the Neverborn to Outcasts when Nekima overthrew Lilith. He is a shockingly powerful Henchmen, as if you take him as a Master you get the Outcast versatile models, and access to the Nephilim and new Returned Keywords. While Lilith is taking a nap this edition, I don't think most people would mind if you used her as a master. As far as the DMH Master's go, she has the least issues from a balancing standpoint. The DMH masters aren't subject to the Errata cycle, and can be quite overtuned when compared to other masters.

Newly announced models means new references: In the new Ezekiel box there are 5 gremlin mindless zombies. Each zombie corresponds with a horror icon. Holding up Ezekiel is Jigsaw, from the Saw movie franchise. The one with the cleaver stuck in him with the hockey mask is Jason from Friday the 13th. The one with the sweatshirt and claws is based on Freddie from Nightmare in Elm Street. The one wearing a face is likely Michael Myers from Halloween given the pose. It's also possible he's Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. However, given the knife and the posturing, it's more likely Michael Myers. The miner appears to be from My Bloody Valentine. Bucket head = Carrie, and the bucket of blood poured on her in the movie (thanks to Branden on the discord for that). And we have more Bloodborne references. The new joint Apex/Cadmus box comes with a model named Kainhease. That is one of the areas in the game based on the castle. The characters design is based on common hunter outfit in the game. And the "Prey Slain" is the wall of text you get when you beat a boss. But wait, there's more. Bloodborne is inspired by a French Movie called Brotherhood of the Wolf. It's a French kung fu movie with great character design (the threaded cane from Bloodborne is in it as well). The movie is inspired by the real life Beast of Gevaudan, which terrorized the French countryside. The box, Ferryman's Toll, seems to be a play on Charon, the Greek Ferryman of the dead. Coins would be placed on the eyes of the dead as payment for the Ferrymen to deliver them to the afterlife. I am also going to assume there is some Flying Dutchmen in there as well.

Got a few more! Daeva are named after negative Zoroastrian gods. Thanks to Defective Dice for that one. Sandeep's "With Our Powers Combined" is a reference to 90's environmental superhero Captain Planet. In the show, 5 kids are given rings representing the elements (Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, and Heart). When they combine the power of their rings, Captain Planet shows up to rid the world of pollution. Harris J-5's "Never Tell me the Odds" is a reference to Star Wars fan favorite hero, Han Solo. Han Solo makes a desperate attempt to escape the Empire Forces by fleeing into an asteroid belt, causing C3-PO to state their odds of survival, at which point Han Solo says his ever iconic "Never tell me the odds". Shashtar Vidya are references to Sikh warriors of the same name. Sandeep's Guru is a term used to refer to Indian wise men/teachers. The Good Boy Ullr is named after the Norse god of snow. The Crooked Man is based on a rhyme from James Orchard Hallwell. The term is also used to indicate someone is less than trustworthy. A couple of a longshots here, but next we got Barbaros and Hayreddin. The Ottoman Empire had an Admiral called Hayreddin Barbaros. Barbaros is the Turkish evolution of the Greek name Barbarosa. Hayreddin Barbaros roughly translates as "Faithful Red-Beard". Kudra's "From One, All", I believe is a reference to the Sikh belief that God is in all things, and the goal of life is to become "One" with the universe. But... I could be wrong on that.

I recommend asking on the discord for the other masters. There are very knowledgeable people there under the various Factions. The link to the discord is under the Community section of Wyrds main web page.

The only one I can speak of to with any degree of authority (and even that is debatable) is Mah Tucket. She has two routes she can go down. Mechanized, and non-mechanized. The core box gets you started on the non-mechanized path, so let's go with that. I would recommend the Rooster Riders for beginners to the game. High mobility, decent gun, and are murder machines in close combat. Very straightforward and simple to use. If the player using Mah fancies themselves a little more savvy, I would pick the Wierd Science box with the Test Subjects and Big Brain Brin instead. Brin is absolutely stellar, and is taken in many Bayou lists that aren't even Mah Tuckets. Everything on that card is good, if not great. He can filter out cards and act as a tarpit that even the heftiest of beaters can't get away from. His fast action can be used to give a minion an action, and in the case of test subjects it won't kill them even if they don't pay the price of removing a scheme marker (as they can only be killed by reducing their HP to 0). Then you have the test subjects, who are a bargin for 4 points. 6 hitpoints, significant, armor 1, and only 4 points. They also have some funky shenanigans like an opponent trying to push them off of a strategy point, but instead it gives them a free charge action. I can make some educated guesses based on what I know of the other teams, but I am by no means an expert on them.

From my recent experience, Elite seems to have trouble not scoring. They can score several schemes and strats with relative ease. I've even predicted what schemes my opponent was taking and I was unable to stop them. I guess Lucius got tired of people bad mouthing him and is showing them what for. Nellie also seems really good, but I think that goes without saying. The new GG may as well have been made for her. Like you said, Hoffman will always be good. He has surprisingly good mobility, and tools for nearly any situation. Toss, models with laugh off, hunters, and watchers. If there is a certain strategy or scheme, his team can make it work. One of my friends favorite teams is the Family, but I haven't faced them yet in GG4, but I don't think they will fair nearly as well as those listed above as murder is primarily what they are good at.

I didn't even consider Rusty. Her ignoring hard to wound makes her a solid Rider killer. Get some focus on her, with 3 shots, min 3, ignoring hard to wound is enough to give any rider a pause for though lt. The peacekeepers aren't a sure bet against Levi with all his irreducible damage. My first game with Levi he took out a peacekeeper and pre nerf Hoff 2 out singlehandedly. False Witnesses are great for the new GG. If ensnare is on the schemes list, they can all but guarantee it with False Claim. Edit: I guess I already mentioned that. You've gotten me to thoroughly check out Nellie. I got to say, she seems right up my alley in terms of playstyle.

Doling out conditions is good. Nellie obviously excels in this field. Levi isn't the speediest of crews, minus Ashes and Dust, and he will want to get in your face punch you. His murder is almost unparalleled and likes to deny your abilities to heal. Avoid fights as if, well, as if you are Nellie. The ranged stagger and slow abilities are your friend. Get stunned on Levi himself, as he is a freight train of damage, and that is only increased with his triggers. Even if you get off stunned, he gives himself auto focus and will always be a threat. Scavs are a problem too. They have tools for the job, give out focus to his best models, with some other bonuses. Even there basic gun with blasts can be bad if your crew is tight knit. I recommend movement abilities to get your models out of Dodge. If you get ensnare, False Witnesses can almost guarantee you 1 victory point. Go for schemey schemes. Sadly, I am not familiar enough with Nellie to provide other advice. I haven't played my Four Horsemen Levi list yet, but conditions (especially stunned), greatly diminish the crews power as the Horsemen are top tier models. They absolutely need their triggers.

Lady Legia is a reference to the Edgar Allan Poe story Legeia. Similarly Montressor is the name of the narrator in the Cask of Amontillado, another Poe tale. I'm sure there are more Poe references afoot. This also a reminder to read Poe, his stuff is top notch. This post is a little bare, so I'll throw in another long shot. The Hodgepodge Emissary's "Pretty Floral Bonnet" upgrade is possibly a reference to Firefly, a show about space cowboys. In it, the captain of the Serenity, Mal, disguises himself as a woman and says "By my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you". It's probably the most famous quote from the show.

Ah, I keep forgetting the Department of Ungentlemanly Affairs. While Ivan may not be English, his organization has the single most British name in existence. It's named after the British WW2 organization called Deparment of Ungentlemanly Warfare. I was listening to T&G productions, and apparently Trixibelle is based on a Pamela Anderson poster. There's probably also a solid dose of Daisy Duke from the Dukes of Hazard. The Exorcist model resembles a Puritan. Puritans were rather common in the early days of America, and were famously strict religious zealots notorious for Witch Hunting. It's why many Witch Hunters in fiction have that design mostly identifiable by the hat. The Scales of Justice seem obvious enough. The idea of the Scales dates back to Egyptian mythology where Anubis weighs a person's heart in the afterlife. The Copycat Killer is a Leprechaun. Seamus also has serious mad hatter vibes, but that could just be me. Couple of long shots. Charles Hoffman possibly pulls his rather common first name from Charles Babbage, the father of computing. Whenever I see a Death Marshall I also see Marvel character Ghost Rider. That is by no means a bad thing.

Update on Maxine Agassiz (thanks again to Danger Planet). I though she was based on Louis Agassiz, but it was his son, Alexander Agassiz. He was mining engineer who had a massive mining engine called the Superior. The new Cayce Jones model is based on Casey Jones, a conductor killed in a train on train collision (thanks to Doc/Attus on the discord for that). The newly announced Hoochdini is loosely inspired by real life magician Houdini, a man who could escape just about anything. Apart from death. The new Rotten Harvest is heavily inspired by Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and the Mel Brooks Movie Young Frankenstein. Similarly, there is another one that appears to be inspired by the movie Hocus Pocus. One of the new artwork pieces for Ashes of Malifaux shows a character holding something that closely resembles the Volleyball named Wilson from the Tom Hanks movie "Castaway". More Crossroads Seven stuff. The Crossroads is popular in American folk music, where a musician meets the devil and sells their soul to be able to play "enter instrument here". They meet the devil at the Crossroads, which is both physical and metaphorical. Doc on the discord says Envy is based on Paul Shaffer, a musician famous for their work on the David Letterman Show. One of the Nightmare Edition Molly Pirates resembles a skeleton Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. Nightmare Jedza's model looks a lot like the scythe wielding Martyr Logarious from Bloodborne.

Beckoners are quite good at it! Very nice for additional Huggy bashing!

Okay, a few more. Danger Planet pointed out that Ulix (and his dog Penelope) are subtle nods to the Odyssey of Greek myth. Also, the sow has a striking resemblance to to the Cerberus. The UnSeelie Engine resembles Atlas holding up the World, again of Greek Myth. Another Danger Planet special is Jedza, which is Polish for old hag/witch. So'mer Teeth Jones name is a reference to the term "Summer Teeth". It is a term associated with kids who go out and play during the summer, often knocking out their front Teeth, hence So'mer Teeth. A subtle pun, Moon Shinobi is a play on Moonshiner. The Viks prized Masamune sword is a reference to the Honjo Masamune. It was a sword passed down from Shogun to Shogun, and was turned over to the US during the disarmament of Japan after World War 2. The person who claimed the sword used a fake name, and the sword remains missing. It was potentially even melted down. Jack Daw's name is a reference to a bird often associated with death. Corvus Rook is an interesting one. Like Daw, both his name's has to do with birds. This is potentially a James Bond reference. How? Well, English Ivan is sort of the James Bond of the Malifaux universe, and James Bond himself was named after an American Ornithologist named James Bond. An Ornithologist is someone who studies birds. It's it a bit of a stretch? Sure. Is it plausible due to Ivan's James Bond-ness? Also sure. We are back at the Brocken Spectre. In Germany there is a mountain called Brocken. There is a curious effect in the region referred to as the Brocken Spectre. It's when some ones shadowy silhouette appears extra large with a bright halo near the person's head. It's a cool sight to behold, so be sure to Google that one. My hat is off to the designers that made the model reflect the phenomena. This one... could be a bit of a stretch. Jakob Lynch looks just like Mr. Dark from the movie Something Wicked This Way Comes, though I have to say that could easily be by chance. Mr. Dark is played the always reliable Jonathan Pryce. In the story he prey's on people's desires and enslaves them. The movie also has someone turning into a withered husk, another potential coincidence. It also has one of the coolest movie posters I've ever seen.

Sorry, life caught up with me hard (both work and personal) when I thought I was going to be able to commit more time to it. I'll get to it, I promise, it could just be a little longer than anticipated... I must apologize.

Reserved for Card Hand/Ability/Trigger list (I like to sort things out by groups. Ie Healing, friendly auras, enemy only auras, movement tricks, discards, card draw, etc) effects. I like to play to my hand and having some sort of ability priority list.