Low model count crews?

[aescarion]

Hello chaps! First post.

 

My local store carries a lot of Malifaux and there's plenty of interest in it, so I was hoping to buy in and start playing. I remember playing a demo a while back and thinking it was great.

 

I'm a miniatures painting nerd, which in my case means that I prefer to paint a small number of models well. Which factions/crews/whatever can be run as a low model count force? Malifaux looks like it has relatively small forces anyway but a handful of big powerful expensive guys would suit me better than a crew with lots of cheap henchmen.

 

Many thanks for any suggestions.

[AverageBoss]

Jacob Lynch  Box+ Beckoners + Doppelganger would give 7 small (30mm based) figures and 1 large (50mm) figure and give you a full 50 ss force.

 

Yan Lo Box + Toshiro + Izamu + Yin + something else (I prefer Ama No Zako) would a a small force of elite and very different models with a handful of Ashigaru to summon. (Start with Yan Lo, Soul Porter, Chiaki, Izamu, Toshiro, Yin, and the something else, summon the Ashigaru if needed.)

[Ausplosions]

The Yan Lo option is particularly effective.

[brdparker]

It's a taste and situation thing, I think, and (I'm under the impression that) any crew can function under most circumstances with several smaller buggers or a few larger buggers. I do tend to prefer fewer, more powerful models that I can focus my (card/SS) attention on, but that falls through when Reconnoiter shows up. In a general sense, I think the best crews have 2-4 "heavies" beefed up with upgrades and the rest smaller scheme runners. That's also just a playstyle, so feel it out.

[Omenbringer]

I think Rasputina with an elite crew can work though a low model count can be a bit of a handicap.

[Tuttleboy]

Anything not Gremlin. 

 

But seriously, take a look at Hoffman. He wants a couple Watchers and after that he tends to like more expensive models such as a Peacekeeper and Ryle and Langston and Joss with the right upgrade.

[Fetid Strumpet]

Perdita and her family are THE elite crew.

Perdita box and a watcher or two, or guild hounds will see you right.

[Omenbringer]

Perdita and her family are THE elite crew.

Ophelia might disagree with that statement a little bit.

[dgraz]

Ophelia might disagree with that statement a little bit.

She might........but she'd be WRONG!!!!! 

 

There is a measurement for this.

 

Ortega box with full Upgrades is 44 SS (with a Cache of only 2......so wasting one SS in a 50ss game).

 

Ophelia box with full Upgrades is 41 SS (with a Cache of 3.....so wasting 5).

 

Perdita WINS!!!

 

(Either way, one or two blisters will fill out either force)

 

I'm also a big fan of the Yan Lo option.

 

Though I will say that a small elite crew will not be effective in all situations. You're going to want to give yourself some options if winning means anything to you.

[Bengt]

It should be noted that a starting model count of 15 models would be a lot in Malifaux, around 8 is more normal. You would eventually want more models to vary up crew based on mission, but you can start playing most crews with 8 ish models. Even Gremlins won't have that many more unless they go out of their way to get the cheapest models available to them.

 

The main exception is some of the summoners that can need more; Nicodem and Kirai are the worst offenders I think. A couple of the others can summon but are also comfortable just fighting/buffing; Dreamer, Ramos, Molly, Somer falls in this category I think.

 

So any crew but the summoners is a small crew by the standard of most miniature games.

[bertmac]

Ramos with a rail golem and sabertooth cerberus added. Then just summon spiders in.

[Wence]

While it has a steep learning curve, the Pandora box with a Teddy is a quick 50SS crew that will probably even leave a Sorrow on the sidelines.

[MasterDisaster]

It's a shame it's not more widely available but Tara crews often come in at around 7ss. Often something like Tara, Killjoy, Bishop, couple of Wretches and a Death Marshall or two plus upgrades will easily flesh out a 50ss crew although with the new upgrades I'm seriously considering mixing this sort of crew up by going back to my beloved Nothing Beast and Karina who now seems like a blast!

[cdhay]

Just crews that don't summon tend to have the lowest model count. Like people have said Perdita and most of the guild masters are probably the most elite crews. Or perhaps the viks or von schill from outcasts

[jonahmaul]

I would just go with whatever you like the look of best, especially if you are a painter.  Most crews can be effective with just a handful of models, even summoning Masters don't need that many (though their effectiveness is diminished).  As others have pointed out though you might struggle with particular strats/schemes if you lack variety.  If you're just starting out you could agree with your gaming group to only play particular ones until you've learned the rules and got a bit more stuff though ('killy' ones like Reckoning, Make them Suffer, Assassinate etc. are all good for this purpose).

[Gorbad]

I'd like to offer up Colette as well. Because of Prompt she really enjoys having expensive powerful models in her crew because she can get so much more out of them. But really, any crew can be constructed to have a small model count. If you were to look at my crews, even 8 models would be a little on the high sides, I seem to tend to clock in at 6 or 7 pretty much regardless of what master I play.