Previews from last night

[wolfoman117]

perhaps the specials colette and lucius are going to be avalible at gencon? i hope so

[Tuesday]

I don't mean to come off that snarky, I just think practicality is a silly argument to make when you're dealing with Malifaux, and especially the Showgirls of all crews. Were there really so many people pining for their stage magician character model to look absolutely nothing like a stage magician?

Other models are representative of what their characters are and what they do. Colette's was, and now it is not. They took everything that made Colette visually different and interesting, the main draw for many of her players, and tossed it out the window. That's the problem here.

[Clement]

I don't mean to come off that snarky, I just think practicality is a silly argument to make when you're dealing with Malifaux, and especially the Showgirls of all crews. Were there really so many people pining for their stage magician character model to look absolutely nothing like a stage magician?

Other models are representative of what their characters are and what they do. Colette's was, and now it is not. That's the problem here.

She's a smuggler too. Her prior model said nothing about that. This one does very much so. I'll be more interested to see how the crew box comes out, since a lot of the showgirl art we've seen is big on strapless gowns and such. T'would be a shame of Colette was underdressed for her own ball, so to speak.

P.S. nothing on the spine ripping comment Tuesday? I put it in there just for you and your old Avatar Colette malidoodle.

[Poko]

 

Her prior model said nothing about that.

Probably because nothing in her actual gameplay was related to it. I'm sure McMourning makes fantastic hash brownies, but it's not pertinent to his rules nor his character design. Her being a smulggler was only a minor part of the lore. Something she did to support herself and her theater, not what defined her. What defined her character, at least in 1,5v was her magic, her showgirls' dedicattion to her and her willingness to go against the odds to keep her freedom.

[Bengt]

The new art doesn't say smuggler to me. If she had a top hat and a cane the more formal dress would work for a ring master type though.

 

A smuggler/cloak and dagger Colette would wear a catsuit.

[Math Mathonwy]

This is more what a smuggler would look like:

[mythicFOX]

Or possibly a steam-punk fishmonger. 

[DeleteAccount]

Probably because nothing in her actual gameplay was related to it. I'm sure McMourning makes fantastic hash brownies, but it's not pertinent to his rules nor his character design. Her being a smulggler was only a minor part of the lore. Something she did to support herself and her theater, not what defined her. What defined her character, at least in 1,5v was her magic, her showgirls' dedicattion to her and her willingness to go against the odds to keep her freedom.

This, so much this. When I read her card I see mentions of canes, hidden swords and bloody mechanical doves, nowhere do I see any reference to silence, stealth and transporting merchandise from her "ladyparts".

[Loveless]

The new art doesn't say smuggler to me. If she had a top hat and a cane the more formal dress would work for a ring master type though.

 

A smuggler/cloak and dagger Colette would wear a catsuit.

 

Colette the Smuggler, aka Steampunk Catwoman if made properly

 

Honestly adding a top hat instead of goggles and a cane to the M2E art would make her look like one hell of a ringmaster - and I would have been okay with that.

[Fetid Strumpet]

Agreed. When I first saw the picture I was like, that looks cool, I wonder who that is. The possibility that it was Colette never crossed my mind as an option. As Razhem mentioned, and as I was going to point out, her card and rules are absolutely littered with references to magic and performance. Her model should reflect that. If the smuggling angle was the way they wanted to go that should have been the focus of her card and rules, they weren't.

 

The artwork isn't bad. It just doesn't in anyway say Colette to me.

[Parker Barrows]

I prefer the older one, but the more I look at it, the more I think I could get used to it. It wasn't what I was expecting (googles for some reason, less dynamic than I was expecting, and less frills), but I think I can see myself playing it.

[MightyGodzilla]

If we painted up the new Colette deadish we'd have the new Molly!

[Duck21]

If we painted up the new Colette deadish we'd have the new Molly!

This dress would look great on Molly. 

[SurreyLee]

Just to add another option here, if wyrd were putting out a miss model, could this be miss take? It wouldn't be that hard to mock up a page in a book (artwork to throw) or even a play on "nightmare" edition. There is no love for sure on this mini so maybe it's all one big misdirection?

Would be funny.

[zFiend]

but the more I look at it, the more I think I could get used to it. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I think I can see myself playing it.

 

That's what she said.

[Norken]

I'm sorry, but I think she is just bad.  Someone flipped a black joker on the art direction.

 

Does she look like a centerpiece model?  The general expectation for miniatures games is that the 'leader' is an interesting centerpiece model.  It is pretty obvious that she looks rather plain to even be a henchmen or enforcer, much less a master.  Especially for a crew based around the concept of showgirls and stage magic, which is inherently supposed to be a spectacle.

 

Does it make any sense that the master of a crew based on the concept of showgirls and stage magic (that is: spectacle) is plain and subdued?

 

Will other players who don't already know the model by sight even be able to guess who is the master of the crew is by looking at them on the table?  Is this going to lead to the player being asked over and over and over: "which one is your master again?"

 

What do goggles have to do with showgirls or stage magicians?  What on her model has anything to do with showgirls or stage magic?

 

Is the answer to any of those questions a complete 180 from the answers to those questions of the MK1 version?  If so, why was it so important to make the change?

 

 

I don't think she looks remotely like a smuggler either.  Smugglers are expected to look like they've got swagger and flamboyance.  Her costume or posture doesn't exude the confidence that she is two steps ahead and smirking at the world.  She ain't no Han Solo.

[Clockwork_Fish]

These are the only pictures I can find, but I'm not so sure about that....

 

This is Cassandra's new art-- she looks about exactly the same (but actually with a plainer bodice) :

 

And I'm pretty sure this is a Performer.. (Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't seen it named anywhere) :

 

So yeah, I think they just turned the Flamboy-O-Meter way down for everybody, because apparently that's how things are going to be from now on. The glamorous magician/actress/showgirl crew can't be glamorous or frilly anymore because we want to seem dark and "realistic" instead~

 

I actually kinda like the new Colette (please don't kill me).

 

Yes, she could use a tophat, but fortunately I've got a few spares lying around for conversion purposes; maybe model her holding one in her right hand?

 

As for those who are using this one model as proof of how horribly realistic and grim Malifaux has become, I really don't understand you.  At all. 

 

Look at that new performer; it's more dynamic than the old model (what were the old ones doing?  oh right, standing there), and just as colourful.  Cassandra hasn't changed in any appreciable manner.  And heck, forget the showgirls, just look at

 

Teddy

Fuhatsu

Death Marshalls (speaking of flamboyant)

Willie

Ice Golem

The Ortegas

Cojo

The Dawn Serpent

Whiskey Golem

Nurses

Ronin

The Captain

Copycat Killer

and every Gremlin ever

 

I would love for somebody to tell me how any of those are 'grittier and more realistic.'  That argument is getting really old and seems to involve way too much selective memory. 

[Bengt]

What I don't understand is the argument that masters are immediately recognizable from all their bling or whatever. The majority of the masters are rather subdued, they are either the normal human in a bunch of monsters or one in a crowd of themed models. In the first case the leader do stand out, but certainly not because of flamboyance, it's because of their relative normalcy. I'm making this observation based on the M2E crew boxes, if you are only going by first edition models I guess you have a point, but you are also making the argument a year or two too late!

 

The known showgirl art seems do go in the direction of them in general being dressy and flamboyant while Colette is the formal manager.

[Poko]

Look at that new performer; it's more dynamic than the old model (what were the old ones doing?  oh right, standing there), and just as colourful.

She's not. She's standing on her tiptoes. Yes, there's more movement involved, but essentially it's the same pose...but on tiptoes. And her dress in the old art was bright blue. Now it's dark burgundy or purple and kinda washed out. So yes, more "gritty". And yes, Ice Golem did went from goofy Burtonesque monster to "generic elemental golem" designwise.

Edited August 3, 2014 by Rathnard
Inflammatory response removed

[nadmai]

Just to increase the perspective to Wyrd, as someone who didn't play 1st edition, I had no expectation of what this master was supposed to look like. I think she looks fine.

[Clockwork_Fish]

She's not. She's standing on her tiptoes. Yes, there's more movement involved, but essentially it's the same pose...but on tiptoes. And her dress in the old art was bright blue. Now it's dark burgundy or purple and kinda washed out. So yes, more "gritty". And yes, Ice Golem did went from goofy Burtonesque monster to "generic elemental golem" designwise.

 

Actually, she's dancing, not just 'standing on her tiptoes'.  That's like saying that Misaki and the plastic Rasputina are in essentially the same pose.  As for the colour, you don't have to paint her dark purple if you don't want.

 

With the ice golem, I'd say he went from lumpy and awkwardly posed to looking like a walking glacier, which I find is a better look.  If anything I thought the old version looked more generic.

 

As for what I like about the new Colette, while she is a stage magician, she's also the one running the show.  She choreographs everything, helps maintain the stage machinery, and is the one in charge, both on and off the stage.  Her new rules back that up; Prompt is easily her best spell, and Cabaret Choreography is an amazing corner case as well.  The new model looks like she's there to take charge, like someone interrupted her while she was working and now Colette's there to get everyone to stop screwing around.  And I kinda like that.

 

I agree that a hat would be nice though.  Fortunately it is a really easy fix.

 

Off all the new masters, Rasputina's model is my favourite.  Yes, it's not very dynamic, but that subtle turning up her collar against the cold move she's doing is far more evocative of what Rasputina is than, say her old alt sculpt (how a woman who is as slow as frozen molasses would be leaping through the air like that, I don't know).  Plastic minis allow for more realistic poses, proportions and details and sometimes you can show this off to best effect with subtlety than with something grand and over the top. 

 

It's not about 'gritty realism', it's just that sometimes less is more.  My two cents.

[Maogrim]

Good evening. Usually I'm not that much of a regular on these boards, but I figured it's about Ms Du Bois and so I couldn't quite stop myself from going through all twelve pages and comment on this as well.

Okay, when I first got in touch with Malifaux, I just swas some pics on a miniature retailer's site. What struck me as awesome were three things: Teddy (D'uh), Rasputina, and the lable 'Cult of December'. Sounded awesome, thought about getting a mini or two, went on. Then I came across Malifaux as a game on a German tabletop gaming forum, where I had the opportunity to look through short introductory texts about the style and gameplay of the different masters. I litterally fell in love with four masters, Rasputina, KIrai, Hamelin and Colette, and it took a rather long and hard process of decision-making untill I was finally able to choose the one that truly stole my heart.

Although I wasn't really sucessful with Colette, I still think she and her Showgirls are one of the most interesting and flavourful available factions in the whole world of tabletop skirmishers. They are flashy, flamboyant, cunning and downright magical and deceiving. And, to all who make the claim for being practical and dressing like a smuggler...Well...How would you describe Colette and the Showgirls to those who don't know the game? "You know, she's an illusionist, a flashy stage magician, you know, lke in 'Prestige', and her crew consists of beautiful and attractive dancers and performers, who work with seduction and magic tricks and stuff!....They just don't look that way, because it wouldn't be practical."

What's the point in creating a flashy, glammery, blingy background for a playable faction, if it's not represented by the actual minis? Imagine all the Space Marine chapters using camouflage colours on their armour, and all the sergeants, capatins and heroes actually putting on helmets and using guns instead of chainswords and the like. Sure, it'd make sense, but a certain kind of appealing cheesiness woud get lost. And if we wanted a more realistic game with more realistic characters, we'd probably play historical tabletop games...

And, just as a sidenote: when I saw the picture without the name on top of it, I was really puzzled because I had no idea who she was supposed to be. I had high hopes for the new models after crews like the MSU, Claw and Fang, No Shelter Here, or Hired Swords. I figured some models might be disappointing. I'm just sad it had to be Colette.

PS: I do like some cheesecake once in a while, if it's not bordering on actual nudity...Marcus is wearing less than his ME1 incarnation.

[Da Git]

Whilst I also quite like the artwork for the "new" Colette and found this snippet on Pg29 of Rising Powers:

 

 

In the early morning, the theatre was empty, but Mis DuBois and her girls were not idle.  Colette toiled in the dim light backstage.  She'd long abandoned the silk lace and feathers of her costume and was instead drressed in soft leather boots, denim pants, and a man's work shirt.

 

So even in the fluff, Colette wear's appropriate clothing for what needs doing.

 

That said, I pretty much agree with everything Maogrim said above.  I love the original art and what they brought not just to Malifaux, but the world of miniature games.  A burlesque Showgirl crew.  What could be cooler? 

It was that that originally got me into the game (although having a Japanese girlfriend at the time, I naively choose Kirai as I foolishly though it might entice her {Idiot!}) and have just baught a full crew off ebay whislt I still can.

 

So my thoughts are rather mixed, like the new stuff, will really miss the old stuff.  That said, I look forward to seeing what the whole crew looks like together.

[Ravenx2000]

I wonder what they thought when they said we'll ok this art direction with this one. I mean it's so far off of what the original vibe and idea of the model seemed to be. Makes me worry also about the others models considering colette and how it will end up for those. Cause how odd will it look to have a steam goggled master with a imo standard steampunk dress and tbh nothing notable about the model or "i am a master" thing let alone colette, standing next to a showgirl. Who does "maybe" have the dress and everything what supposed to go with it. Shame to dial down or change so much for no reason whatsoever. Maybe a good candidate for a nightmare box or something. Luckily i got hold of the old models.

[ehren37]

 

 

 

So even in the fluff, Colette wear's appropriate clothing for what needs doing.

 

 

The miniature should represent an iconic snapshot of the core of the character, not some generic outfit they wore one time to escape notice. Its not like McMourning literally walks around with a severed head on a plate at all time.  The core of Colette is pizzazz, and this art doesn't really reflect that. 

 

In general, I find the female plastic masters lacking the real charm or character of the metal versions anyways. Weaker undercuts and the lack of any exaggeration in the sculpting really hurts them when you view them on the table as opposed to blown up on a monitor. Particularly when they tend to have the same generic closed mouth/blank stare face (see Rasputina, Lillith, Pandora, Tara, Taelor, etc).  And its not like they cant do it - the plastic male masters, save perhaps Lynch, are great! I've generally upgraded everything but my female masters to plastic. A pity, I was hoping to break that trend.