Two new players - Building a Crew

[Aaron Lopez]

My FLGS doesn't have any Wyrd representation at all, and I am pretty certain that the nearest store that carries any Wyrd products is 3-4 hours away. There is a pretty active Warhammer/Age of Sigmar/Bloodbowl group here, but a fellow gamer and I are interested in Malifaux.

I am deciding on Basse or Wong for my core set, and the other guy is going with Misaki. Can someone point us in the direction of what we could add to the core boxes to make these crews tournament ready? What minis come in the core box, and what additions would you suggest. 

Both of us are going to learn to play and demo the product at our FLGS and, more than likely, at our gaming convention (SCARAB Gaming Convention) in January 2021.

 

Thanks

[muraki]

As a new player a great resource is the official crew builder app.  It'll have all the models with their stat cards for you to look at.

https://www.wyrd-games.net/m3e-crew-builder-app

In m3e masters have keywords and hiring from the keyword or versatiles tends to be cheaper than hiring out of keyword.  So searching your faction for your master's keyword (wizz-bang or frontier) is always a great place to start.

As for 'what boxes have the models I need' question.  The main malifaux page on wyrd's site is pretty good at helping there.  For example:

https://www.wyrd-games.net/basse

As you only really asked about 2 keywords it's easy to just pull as I've prolly looked at em too often.

Basse

• Basse core box
  • basse
  • bernedette
  • jonathan
  • 3 frontiersmen
• Trappers box
  • 1 trapper
  • 4 traps
• From above
  • 2 austringers
  • 3 raptors
• Primal Fury
  • Paul Crocket (and some models you cant play with in Guild / Explorers)

Wong

• Wong Core box
  • wong
  • olivia
  • alphonse
  • 3 lightning bugs
• creative taxidermy
  • 6 stuffed pigs
  • 2 taxidermist
• Gautreaux Bokor
  • 3 bokors
• Swine Cursed
  • 2 swine cursed
• Pig Trouble
  • Bert
  • Gracie (not in keyword but versatile)
• Pigapault
  • 1 pigapault
• when pigs fly
  • 3 flying piglets
  • merris (not in key)
• copycats
  • sammy
  • 3 out of keyword models (raphael, pere, rami)

Past that there's a host of versatile / out of key models you may like / want, but that depends on playstyle / etc.  Basse is in a bit of an odd position as he's dual with the (currently unreleased) faction so there may be stuff in that other faction you want to pick up (Rough Riders / The sand worm were shown and Rough Riders have a card in the app), but as they're not officially released yet (rough riders came in a nightmare box that the next time you'll be able to pick it up is black friday prolly) I'd proxy em for the time being rather than pay a scalper.

[muraki]

As for Misaki

• Misaki Core
  • Misaki
  • Shang
  • Ototo
  • 3 torakage
• Wokou Raiders
  • 3 wokou raiders
• Thunder Archers
  • 3 thudner archers
• Crime Syndicate
  • Yamaziko
  • 2 katakana snipers
  • 2 crime bosses
• Not released
  • Minako
  • Katashiros (not in key but minako can summon

[muraki]

One thing to note if you haven't played much malifaux, is that with the switch to m3e there's not many situations where you'll need to buy multiple boxes of models to reach your 'what you can field' limit.  And sculpts in each box are different so you don't need to mod them to help differentiation.  For instance Basse's box comes with 3 frontiersmen, that's the max you can bring in a game.  The only one on the list where that's not the case is the pathfinder box, that one comes with 1 pathfinder and 4 traps, and you can field 2 and 8 respectively.  So if you end up loving pathfinders you may end up wanting a second box (or a proxy model).

[Aaron Lopez]

1 hour ago, muraki said:

One thing to note if you haven't played much malifaux, is that with the switch to m3e there's not many situations where you'll need to buy multiple boxes of models to reach your 'what you can field' limit.  And sculpts in each box are different so you don't need to mod them to help differentiation.  For instance Basse's box comes with 3 frontiersmen, that's the max you can bring in a game.  The only one on the list where that's not the case is the pathfinder box, that one comes with 1 pathfinder and 4 traps, and you can field 2 and 8 respectively.  So if you end up loving pathfinders you may end up wanting a second box (or a proxy model).

Well.. neither of us have played ANY Malifaux at all! It's one of those games that I only see at Gen Con so it has never been high on my priority list of games to play until recently. I have been a fan of the models for years. This will be my first Miniatures game of any kind.

[Aaron Lopez]

Thanks for the help, Muraki! I'll be looking over the website and ordering appropriately. 

[ShinChan]

I would like to add that Wong's is a really cool but quite complicate crew.

It's not the crew that I would recommend to start, even tho is really funny to play once you know how. 

[Maniacal_cackle]

Malifaux has quite the learning curve. If you each get a core box + one other keyword box, you'll probably be able to play quite a few games to get the hang of the game.

You can jump in pretty quickly with 50 stones, but it may take 4+ hours if it is your first wargame.

Also dont forget to buy a fate deck each! And have some measuring tools and spare bases for corpses/strats/schemes/etc.

[D-solad0r]

For Misaki, I'd take Core and Archers. Cheaper and you have enough things to play around.

Minako's box would be better when released.

I would left Wokou Rider at the end. Samurai, Tanuki and Crime Boss are pretty useful before Wokou.

I haven't experience with the others sadly.

[Aaron Lopez]

On 9/19/2020 at 4:28 AM, Maniacal_cackle said:

Malifaux has quite the learning curve. If you each get a core box + one other keyword box, you'll probably be able to play quite a few games to get the hang of the game.

You can jump in pretty quickly with 50 stones, but it may take 4+ hours if it is your first wargame.

Also dont forget to buy a fate deck each! And have some measuring tools and spare bases for corpses/strats/schemes/etc.

Thanks! Do you have a suggestion for a "keyword box" to add to the Basse core box?

[Maniacal_cackle]

2 minutes ago, Aaron Lopez said:

Thanks! Do you have a suggestion for a "keyword box" to add to the Basse core box?

Depends - do you think it'll be for Guild or Explorer's Society?

I'll have some suggestions, but the best suggestions will come from the subforums for those factions.

[ShinChan]

2 minutes ago, Aaron Lopez said:

Thanks! Do you have a suggestion for a "keyword box" to add to the Basse core box?

The box with the Pathfinder and 2 Traps would be my first purchase for model in-keyword (it's called Trappers) 

You can check it here: https://www.wyrd-games.net/basse

[Aaron Lopez]

1 minute ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Depends - do you think it'll be for Guild or Explorer's Society?

I'll have some suggestions, but the best suggestions will come from the subforums for those factions.

For Guild right now. 

[Maniacal_cackle]

Just now, Aaron Lopez said:

For Guild right now. 

Shinchan's suggestion is probably a good one! Another consideration is just picking up some versatiles to round out the crew, like a Pale Rider. Pale Rider is pretty great in most Guild crews from what I hear (although it was nerfed recently).

Personally I find it more fun to start out in keyword, though, so something like a Trapper box and a From Above box would give you 45 soulstones. With upgrades and cache you'd be set, and you could play around with a few options. So would be a good way to start if you're just going for a crew that feels Frontier-y.

But also check the Guild forum, they'll have better advice! I don't play Guild.

[Aaron Lopez]

2 minutes ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Shinchan's suggestion is probably a good one! Another consideration is just picking up some versatiles to round out the crew, like a Pale Rider. Pale Rider is pretty great in most Guild crews from what I hear (although it was nerfed recently).

Personally I find it more fun to start out in keyword, though, so something like a Trapper box and a From Above box would give you 45 soulstones. With upgrades and cache you'd be set, and you could play around with a few options. So would be a good way to start if you're just going for a crew that feels Frontier-y.

But also check the Guild forum, they'll have better advice! I don't play Guild.

Thanks again for the suggestion. I'm just looking for something to learn with for the moment, as if I end up liking Malifaux (which I'm pretty sure I will!), I will add other crews/factions and such as I play. Hopefully, we can get some more people interested in it as well. If we learn it quick enough, we may also try to get something together for our gaming convention in January. The other guy is a really talented painter, so he wants to do some painting demos as well. I have been an RPG person since 1978 so miniatures games are going to be new for me. 

Based on your suggestion, I have ordered the Trapper box to add to the Basse core box I already ordered. I should receive them both by the weekend!

[Maniacal_cackle]

6 minutes ago, Aaron Lopez said:

Thanks again for the suggestion. I'm just looking for something to learn with for the moment, as if I end up liking Malifaux (which I'm pretty sure I will!), I will add other crews/factions and such as I play. Hopefully, we can get some more people interested in it as well. If we learn it quick enough, we may also try to get something together for our gaming convention in January. The other guy is a really talented painter, so he wants to do some painting demos as well. I have been an RPG person since 1978 so miniatures games are going to be new for me. 

Based on your suggestion, I have ordered the Trapper box to add to the Basse core box I already ordered. I should receive them both by the weekend!

Good luck! For your first few games you probably don't need the full 50 stones anyway. I'd usually suggest learning like this:

• First game: Henchman + 3 minions a side (as long as soulstone costs are roughly even).
• Second game: Same as above, plus master & totem.
• Third game: whatever you feel comfortable with.

That's a pretty aggressive learning curve, and can be a bit much for some, but I find it is about right for most of our players locally.

[Aaron Lopez]

2 minutes ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Good luck! For your first few games you probably don't need the full 50 stones anyway. I'd usually suggest learning like this:

• First game: Henchman + 3 minions a side (as long as soulstone costs are roughly even).
• Second game: Same as above, plus master & totem.
• Third game: whatever you feel comfortable with.

That's a pretty aggressive learning curve, and can be a bit much for some, but I find it is about right for most of our players locally.

So, If I understand what you mean:

Game 1: Bernadette Basse or Jonathan Reichart  PLUS the Three Frontiersman (All from the Basse Core Box)

Game 2: Add Cornelius Basse & Totem (whatever the heck that is! lol!) to the group above.

Game 3: Have fun! Welcome to the money-pit (lol!)

[muraki]

Bernadette is the totem for basse.

In general a core box will include a master, totem, henchman and 3 minions.  There are some things that don't follow that rule but a lot do.

There's 4 types of models in malifaux

Masters - leaders + can use soulstones + get 3 ap a activation

Henchmen - almost masters can lead crews + can use soulstones

Enforcers - unique models who aren't enforcers

Minions - non unique models

Past that there's also totems. Totems are free to hire along with their master + you can't hire them outside of the associated master.  They may be henchmen, minions or enforcers.

So for a starter crew I'd say Jonathan + 3 frontiersmen... But try and get the total cost of all 4 similar to your opponents so one side doesn't steam roll the other.

[Maniacal_cackle]

Yeah, I'd shoot for Jonathan + 3 Frontiersman, then the full core box, then add whatever you like.

As long as soulstones are (roughly) balanced on each side. The games won't be perfect, but it'll be good enough to learn!

[Maniacal_cackle]

So that'll give you 25 stones for your first game. On Misaki's side, give her Ototo + 2-3 Torakage and it should be roughly right. 2 Torakage is 22 stones (bit of a disadvantage), and 3 would be 28 stones (bit of an advantage).

Won't be perfect but should be good enough to learn the game

[Aaron Lopez]

4 minutes ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

So that'll give you 25 stones for your first game. On Misaki's side, give her Ototo + 2-3 Torakage and it should be roughly right. 2 Torakage is 22 stones (bit of a disadvantage), and 3 would be 28 stones (bit of an advantage).

Won't be perfect but should be good enough to learn the game

Thanks again! I am looking forward to learning how to play! 

[Plaag]

On 9/18/2020 at 5:27 PM, Aaron Lopez said:

My FLGS doesn't have any Wyrd representation at all, and I am pretty certain that the nearest store that carries any Wyrd products is 3-4 hours away. There is a pretty active Warhammer/Age of Sigmar/Bloodbowl group here, but a fellow gamer and I are interested in Malifaux.

I am deciding on Basse or Wong for my core set, and the other guy is going with Misaki. Can someone point us in the direction of what we could add to the core boxes to make these crews tournament ready? What minis come in the core box, and what additions would you suggest. 

Both of us are going to learn to play and demo the product at our FLGS and, more than likely, at our gaming convention (SCARAB Gaming Convention) in January 2021.

 

Thanks

basse and wong are very weak, misaki needs ototo, minako, fuhatsu, desper, torakage, tanuki, based on situation

player with wong/basse need to understand that these masters are not competitive; from guild i could reccomend nelly/dashel and goblins zoraida/somer

[Adran]

44 minutes ago, Plaag said:

basse and wong are very weak, misaki needs ototo, minako, fuhatsu, desper, torakage, tanuki, based on situation

player with wong/basse need to understand that these masters are not competitive; from guild i could reccomend nelly/dashel and goblins zoraida/somer

Although Basse has been known to win at least 1 event, so even if you are right, the difference between competitive and not competitive is often smaller than the difference between a good player and an average player. 

[dannydb]

1 hour ago, Plaag said:

basse and wong are very weak, misaki needs ototo, minako, fuhatsu, desper, torakage, tanuki, based on situation

player with wong/basse need to understand that these masters are not competitive; from guild i could reccomend nelly/dashel and goblins zoraida/somer

Is it not just better for new players to play what they enjoy rather than giving a negative impression that the game is massively unbalanced?

yes basse and wong are prob lower down the power level, but at the end of the day this isn't 40k, a good player playing wong will beat a bad player playing colette