New player - Rule books

[naiconn1981]

Hi all,

I'm new to the game, want to pick up the M2E rulebook.  Will it be ok to just pick up the Crossroad(Expansion) book.  Will this cover all the core rules or do I still need to get the M2E book? 

The description in a lot of stores suggestion the Crossroad will be sufficient.

 

Thanks

[Phinn]

The bare minimum would be Malifaux 2E Rules Manual which contains only rules.

Malifaux 2E in addition to rules contains stories and cards and fluff of models from Wave 1.
Malifaux 2E Crossroads contains stories and cards and fluff of models from Wave 2.
Malifaux 2E Shifting Loyalties contains rules for Malifaux campaign, stories and cards and fluff of models from Wave 3.

[naiconn1981]

The bare minimum would be Malifaux 2E Rules Manual which contains only rules.

Malifaux 2E in addition to rules contains stories and cards and fluff of models from Wave 1.
Malifaux 2E Crossroads contains stories and cards and fluff of models from Wave 2.
Malifaux 2E Shifting Loyalties contains rules for Malifaux campaign, stories and cards and fluff of models from Wave 3.

Thanks for the repsonse.  I guess for me it would be better to get Crossroads?  The crew I'm thinking to start with are Outcast Von Schill (so I assume these are Wave2 models?). 

[Valdahaz]

Von Schill is (IIRC) a mix of wave 1 and 2 in the crew box. All the crews come with the cards containing the rules for the models in the box but for the game rules you would either need the small rule book (Rules manual) or the wave 1 book as linked by Phinn above.

The main benefit for the bigger books, Crossroads included, is that it contains all the stats for the models in that wave as well as background but to play the game you only need the rules manual.

[Phinn]

If you are not interested in fluff then you do not need neither Malifaux 2E nor Malifaux 2E Crossroads.

All you need to play is Malifaux 2E Rules Manual. All 2E models come with the cards you need. These are the cards which come in the Von Schill Box Set: GMorts Chaotica: Unboxing Malifaux - Von Schills 'Hired Guns' Starter Set. Von Schill is Wave 1 by the way (Malifaux 2E).
As you can see, there are even cards of the crew specific Upgrades. You would also need cards of General Upgrades - Upgrades that are Faction specific. You can find them in Generalist Upgrade Deck. Generalist Upgrade Deck contains cards of all General Upgrades of all Factions. Or you can photocopy them from Malifaux 2E and Malifaux 2E Crossroads.

[naiconn1981]

Thanks for the adice guys.  Defnitely interested in the fluff so the big books will be for me. 

[Phinn]

You are more then welcome

Lore from the first edition of Malifaux isn't being retold in the second one (starting with Malifaux 2E book), it continues. You have two options.
You can either purchase old books:

• Malifaux 1.5
• Malifaux - Rising Powers
• Malifaux - Twisting Fates
• Malifaux - Storm of Shadows

Or you can listen to Breachside Broadcast - official Wyrd podcast which "covers all things Wyrd". There is currently 18 episodes of Tales of Malifaux and the 18th one concludes the book Malifaux - Rising Powers.

Here is the link where you can download Wyrd Chronicles - a free online magazine that is released every other month and contains stories from the world of Malifaux, battle reports, photos of painted Wyrd Miniatures, painting tutorials, tactics, letters...
DriveThruRPG.com - Wyrd Miniatures - Wyrd Chronicles

Character entries of Masters (in addition to their Box Set and short tactica) can be found on Wyrd Website: Von Schill - Hired Guns.

[Dogmantra]

Just to be super clear: the only two books that contain the rules to play the game are the M2E Rules Manual and Malifaux 2E, so you will need at least one of those.

[still-young]

Yeah Crossroads doesn't have the rules for the game, you'll need either the first big book or the rules manual alongside crossroads. 

[naiconn1981]

Thanks again guys, much clear now as to what I need.