New to Malifaux Hired Swords plus some

[TeleTroll]

Hello everyone,

so, I am new to Malifaux and just ordered:

1 x Outcasts Vanessa, Treasure Hunter

1 x Outcasts Hired Swords

1 x M2E Malifaux Rules Manual

1 x Outcasts Hans

1 x Outcasts Convict Gunslinger

1 x Outcasts Desperate Mercenary

1 x Malifaux Schemes and Strategies

Hoping it is a smart first buy. Comments and advice welcome.

[daniello_s]

Get proxy Winged Plague and Malifaux Child and you are ready to go.

[Trample]

The first two models I add after the Viktorias are a librarian and a Freikorps Trapper in most cases. You can get both in the Hired Guns box. The Viks like healing more than most, so that librarian becomes a huge addition to your crew. 

[Adran]

Welcome. 

You have a pretty good selection of models to build your crews from. 

I would suggest buying the general upgrades deck, as there are a lot of upgrades you will want to consider. (If you have other players locally you might be able to split it with them, as you'll only want the outcast section, at least for now). This will probably change your crews mlore than any other purchase for this price. 

Play a few games with what you have, and see how the games go. If you find the Viks are dying too fast, then the Libarian is a good option. The Child can also heal, or probably more commonly, cast the Ca actions that you have given to Vik of Ash with her upgrades. 

 If you find that you struggle to get enough scheme markers down, or are generally low on bodies, then you might want to look at winged plague. I would personally suggest Hodgepodge Effigy before them, and probably also void wretches, but there isn't a truely right answer.  But basically, try what you own, see where you are findign short falls, and we can easily suggest eitehr a model that forfills them, or ways that you might use what you already have to do it

[daniello_s]

1 hour ago, Trample said:

The first two models I add after the Viktorias are a librarian and a Freikorps Trapper in most cases. You can get both in the Hired Guns box. The Viks like healing more than most, so that librarian becomes a huge addition to your crew. 

Good advise.

[crimzzen]

Heya, welcome to the best faction! We pay better!  Based on your purchase I assume you are starting with the Viks?

My fairly standard Vik list is:

Outcasts

Viktoria Of Ashes -- 3ss pool
 +Sisters In Fury - 2ss

Malifaux Child - 2ss

Freikorps Librarian - 7ss

Freikorps Trapper - 6ss

Freikorps Trapper - 6ss

Hannah - 10ss
 +I Pay Better - 1ss

Lazarus - 10ss
 +Oathkeeper - 1ss

Viktoria Of Blood - 0ss
 +Oathkeeper - 1ss
 +Mark Of Shez'uul - 2ss

 

With Hannah being a float model.  She will either be Vanessa, Hannah, Taelor, Sue or whatever I particularly need for that game.  I also go back and forth on I pay better on hannah or oathkeeper on Vik of ashes.  I really like the 7th card Hannah brings and her ability to copy a heal or a Ca action.  Sometimes I even play a 1 or 2 SS cache.  You need to realize in this list that the Viks are largely expendable.  They're job is to either kill their big bad threat, whirlwind a bunch of stuff down, or make it very unpleasant to engage my gunline.  I typically don't spend stones on keeping them alive unless I think it will do enough that I can full heal them.  Typically I use SS to get the WW trigger.  I play it very offensively, taking table with the threat of my guns.  Using the snipers (get or convert 2, seriously) turn 1 to eliminate 2 five wound or less models if possible and Lazarus and the librarian as more ranged offense (and hannah if she steals the libby cast).  Hannah often prowls near the snipers keeping them safe and with her large engagement range and blast damage on attack she can clear most anything that tries to gum up my gunline.  Especially if she copies the childs "just like you" action to then cast fury and bump her personal dmg up (it is card intensive but options are always good).

 

The list is actually more resilient that it looks.  4 of the models are in freikorps suits giving them blast and pulse immunity, 5 of the models are armored, and I have potentially 4 heals in the list.  It makes it very hard to stick damage to the crew, especially if you can get your guns into cover.  The viks are the softest targets to the list (though they have reasonable def and ways to get plus flips) though I usually have them out of sight using oathkeeper to get charge vectors.

 

I still relatively new to the game, but the list has done well.  Usually you can make up quite an advantage in models by turn 3 and are free to complete schemes with near impunity.  The snipers are just so good.  With focus and a high card in hand for dmg, you can one shot most 5 wound models in the game.  I will also typically save my red jokers for these guys to nab something bigger.  They can make it very difficult for your opponent to get where they need to go if you are smart with your deployment.  We play heavy terrain tables at my club, but I can see them being just outrageous if you don't play enough.

 

Edit: The list is also reasonable vs spammy lists or summoners.  With blasts from the librarian, Hannah, and lazarus plus the Viks WW, you can mince a lot of models packed together quickly.

 

[Freman]

Mine is similar to Crimzzen

Vik of Ashes, fury, oathkeeper, survivalist (cache 4)

Vik of Blood, Shez'uul, oathkeeper

Malifaux Child

Vanessa

Lazarus, oathkeeper

Trapper

Trapper

Librarian

To fit in I Pay Better would be good, but the extra action Vanessa gives Lazarus can help with moving him around or getting off an extra shot without the risk that comes from Rusty Alyce's Burn Out. Rusty Alyce is my preferred henchman in most configurations.

[CapnBloodbeard]

It's not a bad start.  As others have said, the von Schill box set would be a great second addition - their models are great in many crew lists.

 

But failing that I think you've done well.  Convict Gunslinger is a great model.  I haven't really used desperate mercenaries but they're ok cheap minions.  Vanessa is good with Viks, though as you can see some people don't take her.

 

Malifaux Child would be another decent purchase, he's a great 2SS totem as an alternate to the student of conflict.  As you can see, a lot of people on here like another beatstick like Hannah or Lazarus.  

 

I'd play some games with your models before you worry too much about what else to buy.  But you might find that just buying the von Schill set will be your best 'bang for buck'.

Bishop is another decent melee beatstick.

 

I personally like Killjoy, but mainly if it's a real killy scheme/strat pool.  

[TeleTroll]

27 minutes ago, CapnBloodbeard said:

 But you might find that just buying the von Schill set will be your best 'bang for buck'.

9 hours ago, Adran said:

I would suggest buying the general upgrades deck, as there are a lot of upgrades you will want to consider. (If you have other players locally you might be able to split it with them, as you'll only want the outcast section, at least for now). This will probably change your crews mlore than any other purchase for this price. 

thanks for the advice so far. The upgrade deck is/was out of stock at the online store I shop at (we don't have an LGS here), so I will have to find a work around for this for the time being. I was going to get the Von Schill box, some of the reading I have done suggested that a few of these models would go well with the Viks - librarian as many have suggested - but this was out of stock as well.

Any ideas for a 25 or 35 starting Crew from what I have? including upgrades - I can try to find out the information for these.

thanks again for the advice so far