Ressers Vs Neverborn

[lexicanium]

So I dabbled in Malifaux in 1.5, back then I think Neverborn were considered a pretty top of the ranks kind of faction so I skipped them as I don't like to play the best faction in games. I amassed a considerable amount of Resser models including all masters apart from Tara and Yan. 

 

So coming back in 2.0, the supposed re-balancing of the game, it seems the Ressers are considerably better from what I remember, still don't get how it is right for Belles to be cast 8 on lure! So my question is this, in 2.0 which of the two factions would you say has the bigger advantage or is it relatively even in 2.0? IF it helps the masters I want to play are:

 

Ressers: Kirai, Seamus, Molly, Yan (once I get him).

Neverborn: Lilith, Collodi, Pandora (if she isn't still a NPE for the other player).

 

I think I like the masters of ressers more but I don't like their theme of summoning much, otherwise love their masters and some minions (mostly the more expensive like hanged and Bete Noire). On the Neverborn side of things I think Lilith is my favourite master in the whole game and I love Collodi too and a great deal of their minions etc. However those are the only two NB masters I am likely to play unless they made Pandora a lot less killjoy to play against (I just don't think punishing the other playing for wanting to target my models is fun).

[Dirial]

The two factions are relatively even, although they play vastly different.

 

Pandora is not the powerhouse she allegedly was in 1.5, but her play style still revolves around denial. I don't consider this a NPE, as Malifaux isn't a slug fest to begin with, so it's just something to adjust tactics to.

 

Ressers focus heavily on summoning. McM summons by doing things he does anyway, and Seamus only summons Belles from time to time, but all the others have very heavy summon focus, each with a different side dish: Yan Lo brings back his strong models, Kirai is a debuff-shooter, Molly is a general debuffer and Nicodem is a buffer. Broad strokes, of course.

[Fetid Strumpet]

At the moment, faction wise, considering all the masters that each faction has access to, all the factions are pretty well balanced against each other. In any game something is going to be on top for some amount of time, as it's impossible to 100% perfectly balance everything in a game as complicated as Malifaux.

 

You'll see bigger perceptions on individual masters being above or below the curve. However one of the very nice things about M2E is that the curve is MUCH closer in the variance between what is at the highest levels of the curve, and what is at the lower levels than last edition.

 

As far as I've seen there isn't an uncompetitive master.

 

As for who is actually on top... that has some divided opinions. There are a few notables who feel Ressers got the boost to the top this edition, not because their minions are better or more powerful than anyone else's, but because whereas last edition's rules structure pretty much only favored very fast, very hard hitting crews (IE Neverborn) the rules structure for gaining VP has shifted to more of a requirement to have continual presence on the board to gain points turn after turn, as well as a few must be around at the end of the game VP conditions. Because Ressers, overall, have more consistent access to summoning, this more attrition based rules structure favors them.

 

I personally see the argument but I don't necessarily agree with it, as every faction has access to decent summoning now. 

 

If you like Ressers but don't care much for summoning, then Tara, Yan Lo, and Seamus are going to be your main masters to focus on.

 

Tara can't summon without taking Karina, and giving Karina the new wave 2 upgrade for her. Yan Lo can't summon without buying a specific upgrade, and even then he can only resummon an ancestor he hired and that was killed. Seamus has a 0 to summon Belles, but that's all he can summon (Rotten Belles and Dead Doxies) at present, and if you take the Red Chapel Killer upgrade, I at least have found that summoning often gets put on the back burner to give Seamus more mobility.

 

Pandora is much of a muchness with other masters in the game now. She's still good, but nowhere near the NPE rage quit inducing master she was last edition. Collodi comes closer to how Pandora was last edition than Pandora does now. (He's a control based master who takes your AP away and then potentially gets to use the AP he left you for himself, and he's a summoner to boot) All the masters you mentioned are good.

[Durza]

Mcmourning is also not very summoning focused, he needs an upgrade, and its if something dies near him to poison, he gets a canine remains, and if he kills something with expunge, he gets a flesh construct. 

 

His main focus is on the poison mechanic, spreading it easily, making you take extra damage, making you take the damage more often, making you take all the poison at once and so on.

[Parker Barrows]

I solved my Rezzer vs Neverborn dilemma by playing both. I would go with Lilith and Yan Lo.

 

Lilith's Terror Tots are awesome scheme runners pretty much any other Neverborn can use. She herself is fairly independent and can use most stuff.

 

Yan Lo comes with some good stuff and his Ancestors can be compliment other crews quite well.

[lexicanium]

Thanks for the very informative replies everyone! I am still struggling to choose.

So it seems I can play yan-lo, seamus or mcmourning without summoning being a big part of my game plan. Cool to know.

I am massively upset to hear Collodi can be a NPE as he is my favourite master in terms of fluff and model, his manipulation play style appealed to me as well. Is it always the case or upgrade dependent?

On the flipside for NB I am really glad to hear Pandora isn't a drag anymore as I like her shenanigans. .

I am going to be playing against arcanists primarily; ramos, marcus and raspy mostly. Still finding it hard to choose but this discussion is really helpful in getting an idea of a good fit.

[Dirial]

When Fetid says "closer to 1.5 Pandora than Pandora is", he doesn't mean Collodi to be a NPE (at least not necessarily). Collodi is a fine Master, and while it may be frustrating for some people to lose control over some of their actions, being shot to pieces by Rasputina or Perdita isn't really any different. I have yet to encounter a NPE in 2.0 that isn't caused by the other player instead of the rules.

[Hateful Darkblack]

So far, the statistics of game results from tournaments seem to show that there isn't a toughest faction. They're all pretty well-balanced.

 

People who lose to a Resser Summoning Crew often end up feeling like it was more of a landslide, though, because of the way the summoned model count skyrockets if all goes well for a Resser Crew. I know I sure do.

[Dirial]

So far, the statistics of game results from tournaments seem to show that there isn't a toughest faction. They're all pretty well-balanced.

 

People who lose to a Resser Summoning Crew often end up feeling like it was more of a landslide, though, because of the way the summoned model count skyrockets if all goes well for a Resser Crew. I know I sure do.

 

Yeah, that's what I mean. If all goes well for the other side, every Master will feel very overpowered. That's not specific to any faction or Master, I think.

 

By now, we have seen an "overpowered" thread about nearly everyone.