Which Faction Should I look into?

[Zenjoy]

Hey all. Semi-XP'd Malifaux player here. I sold off a lot of my Malifaux stuff and there is more I'm likely going to move again, but recently I've started to get interested in it again. But instead of diving in headfirst I wanted to get some people's opinion on what I should be going for.

To help you advise me, here are some things I know about me and what I'm wanting:

 

1) I'm looking more for faction than a specific master. I recognize that you choose your leader after the schemes are declared, but declare you faction before seeing the schemes. Thus my priority is on choosing which of the 7 forces I should invest and commit to (and I'll suss out my masters from there).

2) I like mechanics over model appearance. If the model plays well, their visual can be overlooked (or modified to look better  ). So my focus is on gameplay over visual appeal.

3) I like factions that lend towards counter-play; observing the enemy and then responding and/or outmaneuvering. Aka: I prefer knowledge and even mindgames over brute force (I will likely tend to enjoy leaving my schemes unrevealed as much as possible).

4) Supportive of no.3 - I do have a preference to hordes, and quantity over quality (as it allows me to activate my expendables first to see where my enemy is going, then mannuver my big gun/s to counter play). My crew will likely lean towards a 60-75% quantity force, with the remaining 25-40% being quality.

5) Supportive of no. 4, I personally like models that are thematically recyclable (e.g.: constructs, undead, vermin, numerous and faceless gremlins who are fated to kill themselves anyhow, drug abusers who would love to be put out of their misery). Its sappy, I know, but I get emotionally attached to my innanimate minitures and I get grumpy when they die knowing I have to break the news to their innanimate families after the game has ended... yeah I'm weird like that... STOP JUDGING MEE!!!!  

 

Its a big choice and not one I want to take lightly, so I want to get opinions of people more experience than me on the advice they can offer. If anyone can, thankyou kindly

[Absolution Black]

Up until point 4 I was going to suggest Neverborn maybe.

I think you could go with Neverborn (Lilith) for point 5 or Collodi, The Dreamer perhaps.

Other more experienced people will probably give a better and more detailed reasoning for their choices, but I am on work time loL!

[Adran]

Points 3 4 and 5 do largely point towards summoning of models, it allows you your horde, yo can sometimes select the counter model to summon, and you don't mind something dying if you know you are just getting it back next turn. 

From a faction standpoint, you are looking at something the ressurectionists excell at. 3 of the masters have a wide range of models they can summon, letting you flood the board in activations, and tailoring your force on the fly to counter your opponents. And the other 4 can have some degree of Summoning in their list (I'm going to count Karina here for Tara)

 

The next best faction for this is probably Gremlins, with Sommer summoning bayou gremlins and piglets, and Ulix summoning warpigs and piglets. Close by are outcasts, as Hamelin and Leveticus both can summon cheap models to help activation control. 

Ramos and The dreamer can do similar but they are largely the only ones in their faction. 

 

But I think any faction can be chosen to meet points 1-4, and do well. 

 

[bertmac]

I think Gremlins would work for you!

Somer teeth with pigapult and recon is horrible.

[doombladez]

Hamelin would be good as a master. but Ressers are the most summoning-centric faction to the game, so that's the one I'd recommend for you. Mindless Undead creations fit your thematic requirement. 

[huntroll]

Ressers if you want to play a whole faction, otherwise Outcasts would be my other choice (with Hamelin, Jack Daw and maybe Leveticus).