Explaining Rules to Newbies

[wolpertinger_press]

What's happenin', all?

Seeking the expertise of veteran players. 

I'm introducing my weekly game night group players to Malifaux, and am seeking some advice on great, simple ways to explain "fiddly" rules. An example:

1. Ca 4(tomes); TN 14(tomes); Res. Df

They're getting caught up every time on the suit name in an attack action, and its mechanics. "Do we have to FLIP the tomes to succeed, or is it GIVEN to us?! Bargle, bargle, bargle..." I'm not sure I'm doing a fantastic job at explaining. I play Gremlins almost exclusively, and am guilty of knowing how MY faction works, but not studying up on anyone else's. :\

Anyone have some spare time to put this in the simplest terms that I might use to suck more people into the Breach?

 

[solkan]

Keep a copy of a model with Counterspell around and repeat "Malifaux giveth thee a suit so that others can taketh it away."  Or just chant Counterspell. 

Because part of it's "Why would they put a suit in the attribute and the target number, isn't that the same as not putting it on there at all?"  To which the answer is Counterspell and other abilities that remove suits from Ca values in actions.

 

[valhallan42nd]

"If you see a symbol in the ability score, you get it in addition to whatever you flip. The target number is what you need to succeed. If a suit is in the TN, the suit is required to succeed. It doesn't matter how you get the suits; it just matters that the TN is fulfilled in the end. Of course, if it's an opposed duel, you will need to defeat your opponent AND fulfill the TN to make it work."

[Adran]

Also the target number of an ability is always the same regardless of who is doing it. So every model that has leap had to reach the th of 10. They have ca stats such as 9 or 5. So what they need to achieve is different, but the target number is always the same. 

[AoS]

I don't consider myself a vet, but when I explain this game I do this:

- There are 5 turns.

- A turn is over when all miniatures have activated.

- After you activates a model and finish his activation, your opponent activates a model and then you ...

- When a model is activated it resolves some effects, then generate AP which you can use to take actions from the card. When a model cannot take more actions, the models activation is finished, (and it resolves some effects).

- After this I would explain the duels and the general actions. And they are ready to start playing, all the other rules can be explained while playing and that is much more visual for Newbies.

I really think you dont need to explain fiddly rules at the start, do it at the moment it happens while playing. That's my opinion
 

[wolpertinger_press]

8 minutes ago, solkan said:

Because part of it's "Why would they put a suit in the attribute and the target number, isn't that the same as not putting it on there at all?"  

 

EXACTLY. Thank you.

[wolpertinger_press]

Totally. It's the duel actions that seem to confuse them, and then they get annoyed because it slows the game down. I suppose that's a part of learning it, though!

[DrayZed]

Malifaux is essentially War (the card game) , on a table.

You flip a card, and add your acting model's value. Is it higher than your opponents (Or equal to, in most cases)? 
Congratulations! Your (Insert action here) probably happened.
Symbols beneath the actions are cool effects that happen if you get the suit. Try them all out, and see which works best in which scenario!

Finally, to explain  and, Is pretty straightforward, with  being choice and  being lowest. 

Hope this helps with explaining duels?