Getting back into the game...

[Kuwanger23]

Hey guys,

I very briefly played Malifaux a few years back before 2E.  I have heard a lot of good things about the new edition and the models are amazing.  Problems I had before:

 

The game seemed grindy and slow paced.  

The game seemed to take more than an hour and sometimes well over for only having a few models and it being a skirmish game.  

Some masters seemed unbalanced.

 

Before we begin let me give you a short back ground of myself to give you an idea of my gaming experience.  I have been table top gaming for about 17 years and am a very competitive person.  I mainly play Warmachine/Hordes and that game will always be my main interest.  I also have played 40k and Fantasy for many years.  I run a lot of Warmachine/Hordes events in my area and attend many tournaments and cons all over the country.   

I am going to be getting a demo or three in the upcoming weeks to try this game out again.  The models draw me in.  I have recently played Relic Knights which also uses a card mechanic for its attacks and abilities and that game seems like a simpler version of this one.  Whether that is a good or bad thing I suppose is subjective.  

I am usually drawn to undead or bad guys in games. I play Warriors of Chaos and Vampire counts in Fantasy and Cryx in Warmachine.  But I do enjoy all model lines and do own several other armies and factions.  With this game being so easy to get into I can see myself collection multiple factions over time if I enjoy the flow of the game and its mechanics.  Of course I would always have a favorite faction and master.  That is kinda what I am trying to find in the first try rather than discover he/she or it 3 months down the line.  

 

I started with Resurrectionists when I played before.  I am not sure I got Nicodems play style back in the day and he seemed boring to me.  Though his model is what pulled me into the faction.  That and Kirai.  Never born had a lot of creepy models that drew me in as well.  But now that the entire line is being redone and the models are all amazing I find myself liking a bit of everything!  So the question is, what do I start with?  

I enjoy Melee more than shooting!  I do enjoy debuffing and casting.  And I really like things that are strong in melee whether they started that way or were buffed or my opponent was debuffed to make it that way.  I am open to most of the box sets and really like how most of them look.  Any suggestions?  

Thanks for taking the time to read through that intro.  

 

Dan  

[Math Mathonwy]

The game seemed grindy and slow paced.

There is a definite sense of urgency to the game nowadays with the turn limit and the Strategies and Schemes. Dallying is not encouraged and you can lose if you spend too much time killing the enemy and too little time achieving VP.

The game seemed to take more than an hour and sometimes well over for only having a few models and it being a skirmish game.

It does still take more than an hour but, then again, so do most skirmish games (Eden being an exception and Infinity can vary wildly but is quicker than Malifaux; Malifaux is more on par with Hell Dorado, Carnevale, Alkemy and such). Also, at first games are going to take time while you're not familiar with your or your opponent's models.

Some masters seemed unbalanced.

The balance is a lot better this time around. A lot better.

[bertmac]

Neverborn sound just up your street although not necessarily the "bad guys" as such they are almost completely melee based can buff troops or even grow them into bigger and better troop types! Lots of options from different masters for different play styles.

Slightly different is arcanists they have versatility and staying power marcus has lots of beasts to choose from which can be fast and hitty constructs who are durable and hitty but also the option to take a good ranged presence.

[mythicFOX]

The game seemed grindy and slow paced.

The game seemed to take more than an hour and sometimes well over for only having a few models and it being a skirmish game.

The thing to keep in mind with Malifaux is that although it's a skirmish game between around eight models per side it's a very deep game and so it's not necessarily any quicker to play than a full army game

 

That said due to the low variance (randomness) in the game skilled players are often able to 'see' the outcome of a game several turns ahead. At a recent event I shook hands with an opponent two moves into turn three (of a normally five turn game) where we both knew I'd lost by 3 points.

[Parker Barrows]

I would suggest considering Molly once her plastics come out (her plastics are almost certain to include the only way to get Phillip and the Nanny). She's an awesome debuffer and caster. She herself is not great for melee, but she gives her Black Blood, summons her undead/spirits into melee, and the Rezzers generally lack range. So, she's not a melee Master, but her crew definitely is.

[Kuwanger23]

Great replies all around!  I definitely see activations taking longer as you have generally more decisions to make and more actions to make per model than other games.  

So though I like all the models I think I am going to lean heavily towards Never Born or Resurectionists.  Though I am still going to look at other factions as well these model lines draw me in the most and summoning and smashing has always been my play style.  

 

Thanks for the great input guys!  

[Vermicious Knid]

If you go Ressurectionists as a beginning faction, I would look pretty hard at Seamus and McMorning. They both have badass models, fun undead legions, and seem to lean towards a fast, fun and agressive playstyle. Probably just what you are looking for