Casual Resser Collector Looking for Advice from Vets

[Zalinian]

Howdy!

I've been nit picking and collecting Malifaux models since 2018, and haven't had a chance to play beyond theory crafting in my own head. I took to just enjoying the models and Ressers were my favorite, although I have a fair bit of other factions (Neverborn/Bayou/Thunders).

I just convinced my D&D group, consisting of 11 players, to try some Wargames out and we all agreed to go to Malifaux. I've always wanted to play more competitively, but had a hard time finding groups. Now I figure I can use this to spring board myself into it and go play some games at other tournaments post-covid.

I am primarily interested in ressers, and have the following pieces in the attached screen shot.

I am looking for: pitfalls to avoid, which pieces I am missing, where is a good direction to go, what pieces were most fun to paint.

Thanks in advance!

If you'd like to know my other models in case that's needed, just let me know. I am very blind when it comes to anything Malifaux related, and don't know how much interacts in game.

Current Resurrectionists.pdf

[CateranLlama]

The only awkward things I can see are the Nurses, Doxies, Asura and the Punk Zombies.  All of them come in boxes with other models in 3E.  You'll have to buy a 2E Rafkin, or wind up with two sets of Nurses.  2E Dead Doxies or double buy Bete and the Dandies.  Asura's *always* going to have 5 Mindless Zombies in her box.  The Punk Zombies currently come with Molly, but her 2E box has Crooligans, which come with Archie in 3E, so either way that's going to be a double buy. 

You actually have two of Reva's other boxes' contents too.  Everything in her keyword except Wanyudo (who's in TT and a pain to collect but an amazingly little flighty  model) and Mourners (who are also in Seamus' keyword, but pretty bad).  She's not the strongest master atm, but you're well on your way to a complete keyword.

You also have all but one box of Yan Lo's stuff, and all but one of Von Schtook's stuff.  Von Schtook was crazy op and recently got a nerf, but I think he's still solid.  I don't know a thing about Yan Lo though.

And Seamus is pretty close to complete other than Mourners (which are bad) and Doxies, which are going to be awkward to buy, but are good models. 

You've also got a pretty good selection of versatile models.  Asura's going to be awkward, but she's not 100% necessary, though I like her.  You're actually really well placed for buying any other Master boxes you want to try out and just running with what you've got.

I loved painting the Drowned.  Actually, all of Jack's crew.  Lots of chances to play with odd lighting and put random things on flight stands. 

[Maniacal_cackle]

Reva wise, you've got some sweet stuff. She can go corpse theme (Bete Noire, Grave Golem, Bone pile, potentially Anna Lovelace), or a more general build with some burning (Draugr, shieldbearer, anna lovelace). Either build I think you can do with just the models you have.

Seamus loves his nurses, and you seem to have basically his whole keyword. His keyword is a bit weak, so you can also use the all star versatiles and out-of-keyword (OOK) models. So you should be able to build some good lists with him.

Von Schtook, I THINK you're one box away from completing the keyword (students of viscera + sinew)? If so, that's an easy completion of a very strong crew (even after the nerf).

For Yan Lo, again I think you're one box shy of completing the keyword (Chiaki + Sun Quiang + Komainu). So if you want to go that direction, once again a very strong crew (although the nerf hit it a bit).

Not sure about Jack Daw, but looks like you have everything that matters in his keyword so can easily play him.

Nicodem is a write-off because he is dead in this edition (has some optional rules if you really want to use him, though). The Punk Zombies/Rabble Risers are part of Molly's crew but not very useful. I'd just pretend those models don't exist in your collection, and you can pick up Molly's crew later if you'd like.

So pick some of the above crews to try out, and we can give more specific advice.

Painting: I personally think Reva's crew is very fun to paint, but they won't actually see the table much as the keyword is pretty weak. Like Seamus, she uses a lot of OOKs & Versatiles.

[Zalinian]

23 minutes ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

...you can also use the all star versatiles and out-of-keyword (OOK) models.

OOK? So the tags are important this edition? I thought they were just for general themes among pieces so you knew what Aesthetic they fit in and some oddball card rulings.

Oh damn, they cost more. Great to know LOL.

My admission is that I only played about 5 rounds total with Reva, Emissary, Zombies, and Bete in mid 2019 then covid. So I have no actual idea what is good, or a strong grasp on the rule system as it is.

41 minutes ago, CateranLlama said:

 

I loved painting the Drowned.  Actually, all of Jack's crew.  Lots of chances to play with odd lighting and put random things on flight stands. 

I LOVED painting the Hanged. Really swell pieces.

And yeah, it has been really awkward going from 2e into 3e with the pieces I had. There is a lot of doubling up and gentle piece shifts that make it very awkward. I already have 10x Mindless dead, and if I want Asura, then I would have 15.... I only wanted 10 Zombies for my horde.

23 minutes ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Reva wise, you've got some sweet stuff. She can go corpse theme (Bete Noire, Grave Golem, Bone pile, potentially Anna Lovelace), or a more general build with some burning (Draugr, shieldbearer, anna lovelace). Either build I think you can do with just the models you have.

...

Von Schtook, I THINK you're one box away from completing the keyword (students of viscera + sinew)? If so, that's an easy completion of a very strong crew (even after the nerf).

For Yan Lo, again I think you're one box shy of completing the keyword (Chiaki + Sun Quiang + Komainu). So if you want to go that direction, once again a very strong crew (although the nerf hit it a bit).

....

Painting: I personally think Reva's crew is very fun to paint, but they won't actually see the table much as the keyword is pretty weak. Like Seamus, she uses a lot of OOKs & Versatiles.

I loved spamming corpses with 2e Reva! I snagged pieces that were good for her in 2e, then just snagged most her keyword for this one. Mourners are next on my list because they are cheap and put me really close to finishing Reva AND Seamus. Reva was my first paint job, and I had to go back recently and re paint her because I used ENAMEL CAR MODEL paint for her and Vincent before I discovered greater and better things. LOL

 

Would you say the last Wan Lo Box and last Von Schtook Box I need for the keywords are very impactful for the crew? I really like Study Group and plan to snag those at some point, but I can prioritize them if they are considered a key model.

I know my Gaming Group that is getting into malifaux don't have a lot to deal with Corpse Markers, and that can get interesting until the Bayou player learns about Lucky Emissary charging them down.

[Maniacal_cackle]

1 minute ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

OOK? So the tags are important this edition? I thought they were just for general themes among pieces so you knew what Aesthetic they fit in and some oddball card rulings.

Oh damn, they cost more. Great to know LOL.

Yeah, it can make a big difference xD  Some events also have extra restrictions on OOK models, but it depends on the tournament style.

2 minutes ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

I loved spamming corpses with 2e Reva! I snagged pieces that were good for her in 2e, then just snagged most her keyword for this one. Mourners are next on my list because they are cheap and put me really close to finishing Reva AND Seamus. Reva was my first paint job, and I had to go back recently and re paint her because I used ENAMEL CAR MODEL paint for her and Vincent before I discovered greater and better things. LOL

I know my Gaming Group that is getting into malifaux don't have a lot to deal with Corpse Markers, and that can get interesting until the Bayou player learns about Lucky Emissary charging them down.

Lol, yeah, I tend not to declare Reva into Bayou. You can make it work, but they have half the marker removal in the game packed into their faction xD

2 minutes ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

Would you say the last Wan Lo Box and last Von Schtook Box I need for the keywords are very impactful for the crew? I really like Study Group and plan to snag those at some point, but I can prioritize them if they are considered a key model.

I'm not 100% sure since the nerfs, but...

Students of viscera are so good I use them out of keyword. 100% necessary for the keyword, I think (plus as a summoner it is good for him to have all the tools in the toolbox).

Yan Lo, I think really Chiaki is the only MUST have from that box. And even then, the combos you can do with her were the targets of the nerf, so you can probably have like 80-90% power without her. I don't play the crew yet, so very rough guess.

[Zalinian]

I also have Zoraida Core Box, Silurids, Bokors, Somer Core box, every Obliteration keyword, 2e Lilith core, Nekima core, Lelu/Lilitu, Changeling, 2e Dreamer Core, Insidious Madness box, Rasputina 2e core, Ten Peaks, Arcane Emissary, Misaki Core, and Perdita Core

In the off chance there is something there that is worth focusing on, but I MUCH prefer resser models and enjoyed those more.

[Maniacal_cackle]

4 minutes ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

I also have Zoraida Core Box, Silurids, Bokors, Somer Core box, every Obliteration keyword, 2e Lilith core, Nekima core, Lelu/Lilitu, Changeling, 2e Dreamer Core, Insidious Madness box, Rasputina 2e core, Ten Peaks, Arcane Emissary, Misaki Core, and Perdita Core

In the off chance there is something there that is worth focusing on, but I MUCH prefer resser models and enjoyed those more.

You have much more workable stuff in Ressers, I think (for example, with Dreamer you'd have to double up on daydreams and madness to complete the keyword).

So stick with us!

[Zalinian]

3 minutes ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Students of viscera are so good I use them out of keyword. 100% necessary for the keyword, I think (plus as a summoner it is good for him to have all the tools in the toolbox).

Yan Lo, I think really Chiaki is the only MUST have from that box. And even then, the combos you can do with her were the targets of the nerf, so you can probably have like 80-90% power without her. I don't play the crew yet, so very rough guess.

Damn! I read through Viscera and they seemed BONKERS on paper. I think that's my next snag then, I LOVE the transmortis Models, they are my second favorite behind Emissary (I just like the wide wings...) I like Ressers most because I feel their models are very unique, and the undead Aesthetic vibes since I was a D2 Necromancer fan boy. I've avoided Molly because a lot of her pieces are just generic spooky child, and those didn't vibe with me as much as necropunk metal/flesh!

[Maniacal_cackle]

13 minutes ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

Damn! I read through Viscera and they seemed BONKERS on paper. I think that's my next snag then, I LOVE the transmortis Models, they are my second favorite behind Emissary (I just like the wide wings...) I like Ressers most because I feel their models are very unique, and the undead Aesthetic vibes since I was a D2 Necromancer fan boy. I've avoided Molly because a lot of her pieces are just generic spooky child, and those didn't vibe with me as much as necropunk metal/flesh!

Most people don't rate Molly (and she is incredibly hard to play), so you're probably fine to skip her

[Zalinian]

1 minute ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Most people don't rate Molly (and she is incredibly hard to play), so you're probably fine to skip her

I also see, scrolling the forum tonight,, you are on a lot of the threads like the tournament one, I think. Thanks for taking the time to chat. I saw one where you said you have a lot of Reva games. How is Reva RN? She was my first so I am biased. Lol.

Also, you seemed versed in the Schtook, and he interests me a bit more than Yan Lo, however I do really enjoy Yan Los pieces from what I've read and painted of them. How are your Schtook and Reva match ups? What are counter plays to look out for, potential answers, and what is the mainline for them you envision?

I am getting pretty hyped to finally dive into playing malifaux. Covid had me sad because I just started to get into it and the shops closed, but with things opening up again I'm ready.

I've had to channel my War Mini acumen into Chess, the grandfather of War Minis, and finish getting that 2300 rating I've been working on for a while. Debating openings and mainline shakeup is some of my FAVORITE things, and I am just trying to soak up information so I can be a stronger contributor in the future.

[Maniacal_cackle]

12 minutes ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

I also see, scrolling the forum tonight,, you are on a lot of the threads like the tournament one, I think. Thanks for taking the time to chat. I saw one where you said you have a lot of Reva games. How is Reva RN? She was my first so I am biased. Lol.

Also, you seemed versed in the Schtook, and he interests me a bit more than Yan Lo, however I do really enjoy Yan Los pieces from what I've read and painted of them. How are your Schtook and Reva match ups? What are counter plays to look out for, potential answers, and what is the mainline for them you envision?

I am getting pretty hyped to finally dive into playing malifaux. Covid had me sad because I just started to get into it and the shops closed, but with things opening up again I'm ready.

I'm a great Molly player, but I don't really know what I'm talking about when it comes to any other crew. I'm just enthusiastic 😜

That said...

Von Schtook is a proactive, powerful crew. The crew is very durable and does a lot of damage, and is still pretty mobile even with the nerfs. Von Schtook executes his game plan and can be reasonably disruptive to the opponent's game plan (primarily from killing power). The crew isn't THAT flexible, and generally most of your lists will look pretty similar.

Reva is also a proactive, powerful crew.  Her keyword itself is pretty weak, but she herself is an absolute monster - probably the most deadly of any of the Resser masters. She wreaks absolute havoc with her positive flips and 3/4/5 damage track at tremendous range. The crew itself can build in a variety of ways (I like a corpse-themed scheme-y approach). But all her builds share some common weaknesses (condition disruption, marker removal, etc). The corpse-theme also is weak to Guild and Outcasts (due to their anti-bury tech).

16 minutes ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

I've had to channel my War Mini acumen into Chess, the grandfather of War Minis, and finish getting that 2300 rating I've been working on for a while. Debating openings and mainline shakeup is some of my FAVORITE things, and I am just trying to soak up information so I can be a stronger contributor in the future.

Haha, maybe I should recommend Molly a little bit. Every game is a tricky dance of analysing what the opponent's game plan is likely to be, then building your own crew and game plan to negate their plan.

While the two listed above are proactive, Molly is very reactive. Everything she does is about shutting down the opponent. I commonly win games by only one point with her, but those games often feel very inevitable.

[Regelridderen]

Best advice is to get a full keyword of what makes you want to paint the most and play a dozen games with them. As you then learn the game you might learn that there are other aspects of it that steers your enthusiasm.

As you get started. Your first handful of games will be better off if you look up the Henchman Hardcore rules. It is a simplified version - in the sense that both players are limited to four models, and that you share objectives, which makes the game faster, so you can get some reps in and a good understanding of the mechanics before you layer on complexity.

[Graf]

Since Transmortis catched your eye, I might be able to add to this topic. I wasn't able to play games with him since the last errata, which changed his crew a lot. I wrote a guide pre-nerf and a lot isn't viable anymore (Undergrads, Valedictorian and Necropunks changed the most). You can find a link in the pinned threads. I might update it shortly so far to at least delete everything that not in the game anymore.

Therefore I'm careful with statements regarding tournament level play, but for casual...

You can definitly start to play the crew with what you have. In my (theoretical) opinion Students of Viscera are much more important than before, but I assume your gaming group won't play with finely tuned crews for a while, so it shouldn't be an issue. Might even be better not to steamroll them early on xD.

[Maniacal_cackle]

xD I agree with Graf. To a degree it is better to start on roughly the same level as everyone else.

Luck is a relatively small factor in Malifaux, and if you're better than others you might win 9 times out of 10 against them (or even 10 times out of 10).

So better to not go too hard at first 😜

[Graf]

4 hours ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

So better to not go too hard at first 😜

Random game theory info: Rats need to win ~1/3 of play fights or they will stop playing with an overpowering rat. Humans have a few more factors to consider (group pressure for example) but at its core is seems (data isn't solid enough yet to make sure statements) to be roughly the same.

 

@Tristen Maetzold You propably already know this, but if your gaming group is more of a RPG group, they might (also) be interested in the Malifaux RPG. I haven't tried it myself (I'm more of a pbta guy in the RPG genre), but skimmed the rulebook. I think it could work as an alternative system for DnD players and maybe it helps to make them more interested in the setting and TT wargame as well. I certainly enjoyed listening to the (free) podcast stories, when I started to play Malifaux.

 

Edit: Looking at your list... You also already can play Jack Daw. Drowned from the Undertow box are good additions, but since I prefer a bit more mobility anyway, I hardly ever play them, despite owning them. I started with his core box + 2 Hanged, which you already own, and was happy with it for a while. My most worthwhile additions were the Dead Outlaws and Bone Piles, but even they weren't necessary at the beginning. He can be a bit complex and oppressive for opponents, so for new players it may be good that he's not a master you want to play in every game/scheme pool.

[Paddywhack]

12 hours ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Yan Lo, I think really Chiaki is the only MUST have from that box. And even then, the combos you can do with her were the targets of the nerf, so you can probably have like 80-90% power without her. I don't play the crew yet, so very rough guess.

I'd say get that box. Chiaki is still great as handing out reliquaries before the model dies and lets you really increase the impact of the crew. I don't think you need her to be successful, but she can bring a lot of support with moves and condition removal. Using her to remove Focus and give Slow to an enemy is brutal. 

Komainu are really a must - once you give them a Reliquary they are on plus flips and Mv7 - take them as Resurrs and give them GST and you've got a model with Terrifying 11, Armor 2, Pluses on all Duels, and Mv 7. With the changes to his resummon action I'm having a hard time using Gokudo anymore honestly. They are very fragile and since you can't resummon until T3, they have to hang back and avoid getting killed before you can make use of them. Komainu take a lot more to get rid of, especially once you get a Reliquary on them. 

Sun Quiang's nerfs did kind of kill him for me. Especially as Toshiro has a heal and is arguably more useful overall. But try Sun Quiang out and see if he works for you. 

[Zalinian]

11 hours ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

While the two listed above are proactive, Molly is very reactive. Everything she does is about shutting down the opponent. I commonly win games by only one point with her, but those games often feel very inevitable.

I usually follow aggressive and proactive lines w/e I play White/Black unless I am against a significantly higher rated opponent, so I am unsure how much I would enjoy a very reactive style, sadly, but I am more than willing to give it a shot in Wargames to see how it feels. I played 2e Corpse Reva total balls to the walls: The Upgrade for aggressive cross the map starting corpse candle, then I used that, Bete, Reva to obliterate a Henchmen while Carrion Emissary and pumped out some early mindless zombies to tie them up while the rest schemed. I was not a fan at how glass cannon it actually was, though, but I like to force openings and position the other player has to answer.

How is Molly, Schtook, Daw at Scheme Running? I had, and see that Reva was fairly slow to scheme when I used her in combat: Her movement tricks were limited and I needed her actions available to dissuade enemy movement down firing lanes, so I played against a Nicodem that spammed a few Necropunks and they rolled me in schemes. Molly seems like she has a LOT of bases covered in her kit, but she herself does not have a delete button: Reactivates, Distracts, and focus; Things that I with my limited knowledge see as the core foundations of ruling the action economy. It does seem interesting.
 

10 hours ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

xD I agree with Graf. To a degree it is better to start on roughly the same level as everyone else.

Luck is a relatively small factor in Malifaux, and if you're better than others you might win 9 times out of 10 against them (or even 10 times out of 10).

So better to not go too hard at first 😜

 

6 hours ago, Graf said:

Random game theory info: Rats need to win ~1/3 of play fights or they will stop playing with an overpowering rat. Humans have a few more factors to consider (group pressure for example) but at its core is seems (data isn't solid enough yet to make sure statements) to be roughly the same.

 

@Tristen Maetzold You propably already know this, but if your gaming group is more of a RPG group, they might (also) be interested in the Malifaux RPG. I haven't tried it myself (I'm more of a pbta guy in the RPG genre), but skimmed the rulebook. I think it could work as an alternative system for DnD players and maybe it helps to make them more interested in the setting and TT wargame as well. I certainly enjoyed listening to the (free) podcast stories, when I started to play Malifaux.

 

Edit: Looking at your list... You also already can play Jack Daw. Drowned from the Undertow box are good additions, but since I prefer a bit more mobility anyway, I hardly ever play them, despite owning them. I started with his core box + 2 Hanged, which you already own, and was happy with it for a while. My most worthwhile additions were the Dead Outlaws and Bone Piles, but even they weren't necessary at the beginning. He can be a bit complex and oppressive for opponents, so for new players it may be good that he's not a master you want to play in every game/scheme pool.

Yeah, I am trying to be personally careful with picking crews that feel like they directly counter the boxes my friends have. My friends all have 1 core box, and 2 expansion boxes for that masters keyword. The friend with the, imo, strongest crew grabbed Zoraida box, Silurid, Bokors, Adze/Willo. So I am using proxy pieces for them so they have access to whatever they want in, but the house rule is all proxies cost 1ss more. This let's our table have access to whatever they may want to try, but gives them an in game reason to still collect and play their own pieces.

Only a few want to paint, but all of them want to assemble the pieces at least. 6 people are having me paint their boxes for about 10$ a box, so I can use that cash to fill the Malifaux wall with terrain, tokens, and more pieces. I hope, though, that they get into painting it themselves and that I don't simply act as a painting crutch, because to me painting is a big part of what drew me to the game, and lets me add personal touches to pieces.

Yeah, Jack Daw seems like a tar pit nightmare to deal with, and the mobility seems super nice.

How do you guys feel the errata effected some of the Resser pieces? I noticed the changes to focus and distract, and from the bit I saw trough schemes and stones I saw, pre the recent errata, that there was a lot of focus (lol) on pumping focus to Oblivion on some armies.

[Graf]

32 minutes ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

How is Molly, Schtook, Daw at Scheme Running?

How do you guys feel the errata effected some of the Resser pieces? I noticed the changes to focus and distract, and from the bit I saw trough schemes and stones I saw, pre the recent errata, that there was a lot of focus (lol) on pumping focus to Oblivion on some armies.

Molly is our best scheming master imho. Schtook came shortly behind, thanks to his crew's bonkers mobility and ability to drop schemes when they kill. Their mobility and the scheme dropping is reigned in post-nerf (also Necropunks, who were Ressers best scheme runners before), but I guess it's still above average. Tormented (Daw) is a killer crew, not a scheming crew. But if you pick models with mobility tricks (Hanged, Outlaws) he can do most schemes, except those that require A LOT of scheme tokens, imho. He will struggle a bit against strong anti-scheming when picking token schemes though, assuming he can't kill those models quickly.

Lacking post-errata games, I can't say for sure. Speaking carefully, I can say the limit to focus stacking doesn't bother me. I hardly ever stacked above focused 2, I either actually used my focus or had other things to do, like positioning or scheming. I think summoned models not being allowed to interact with strategy markers is a bigger deal, as most Ressers crews have some ability to summon. I guess it's better for the game's health overall, but I'll withold a more detailed opinion until I've gained more experience under GG2.

[Zalinian]

12 minutes ago, Graf said:

Molly is our best scheming master imho. Schtook came shortly behind, thanks to his crew's bonkers mobility and ability to drop schemes when they kill. Their mobility and the scheme dropping is reigned in post-nerf (also Necropunks, who were Ressers best scheme runners before), but I guess it's still above average. Tormented (Daw) is a killer crew, not a scheming crew. But if you pick models with mobility tricks (Hanged, Outlaws) he can do most schemes, except those that require A LOT of scheme tokens, imho. He will struggle a bit against strong anti-scheming when picking token schemes though, assuming he can't kill those models quickly.

Lacking post-errata games, I can't say for sure. Speaking carefully, I can say the limit to focus stacking doesn't bother me. I hardly ever stacked above focused 2, I either actually used my focus or had other things to do, like positioning or scheming. I think summoned models not being allowed to interact with strategy markers is a bigger deal, as most Ressers crews have some ability to summon. I guess it's better for the game's health overall, but I'll withold a more detailed opinion until I've gained more experience under GG2.

I looked through the forums and agree with the general sentiment regarding Necropunk. It feels like such a big cost. Assuming you don't cheat a severe card out for the leap suit, you are looking to split, on average, 2 leaps amongst all necropunks you decided to bring for the first portion of the game. It feels like such a heavy hit to anyone who liked running multiples. Summoning is interesting and I have no clue what tricks that change actually snuffs. For Molly is her Core Box/Crooligan the main focus? I think I have all the Resser versatiles other than Sloth and Grave Diggers. Is Call to Madness crucial?

I suppose my next question should be: How deep of analysis do we have, as an accessible resource, of opening maneuvers? I'm thinking of putting together and running a bunch of mock Resser games and hunting for different strategies that can be pulled off on a general level that can be considered relatively universal opens for certain masters. I know there are opposing units that can provide pretty potent counterplay or strategies you must answer, but we can gather data on certain strategies that involve a small handful of units and success rates? Or is the scope of this task, when accounting for the potential schemes you may run into, so much to account for its barely worth it? I can imagine there must be some consistent opens hiding around. I am imagining a format such as 'If running Corners with (x, x, or x) strategies, and if the opponents deployment is missing (general mechanic), then this strategy can consistently succeed (x% of flips, or if you have y suits to cheat.), otherwise this reserved style has a x% success rate out of a 20 game sample size vs. (Insert Master.)' 

[Maniacal_cackle]

For molly, in 90% of games I use molly, totem, Archie, crooligan(s) and the rest is OOKs and versatiles. Sometimes I'll use Philip and/or a night terror.  Some people rate the forgotten marshal as well.

Edit: rogue necromancy is good too, but not necessary.

Opening maneuvers can vary. Both Reva and Von Schtook can have extremely typical first turn plays. Molly has a few things she does every turn 1, but the rest varies hugely.

[Maniacal_cackle]

Also Reva is surprisingly scheme-y, especially this season with two marker related schemes.

Bone piles and bete noire can teleport around the map, so I can usually get to wherever I need to score with Reva.

Also very good at leylines due to mobility.

[Graf]

4 hours ago, Tristen Maetzold said:

I suppose my next question should be: How deep of analysis do we have, as an accessible resource, of opening maneuvers? I'm thinking of putting together and running a bunch of mock Resser games and hunting for different strategies that can be pulled off on a general level that can be considered relatively universal opens for certain masters.

First: It might look like that on the forum sometimes (otherwise we could talk about hardly anything), but imho there are no universal openings in Malifaux. This is not chess.

Second: It's rare to find very concrete openings (pre-nerf Yan Lo was one). While, in theory, it's possible to create a giant list of moves/openings, there are SO many factors at play, it gets impractical to analyse too much. The necessary data for something like that would be staggering. The most you'll get in this direction is VERY general advice, that can be called "rough guidelines" at best, and sometimes crew-specific turn #1 openings, but even those aren't universal, not even with the intended crew. I think it's much more helpful to know a.) what's required to score points, b.) how do my list elements achieve that , c.) how do my opponent's list elements achieve that, d.) how can my opponent disrupt me and how can I disrupt him. From those elements you create a fitting tactic on the fly.

Third: As already mentioned, crews usually have a very general strategy they bring to the game. Setting them up for turn#2 is what usually happens, but that's not difficult to see most of the time and (productivly) breaking these obvious approaches is what often gives you an edge. But that can't be put into a rigid opening. Therefore guides are most helpful, when you only start with a crew and still need to nail down the basics. The more experienced you get, the more you'll ignore the "how to play" rules.

If you decided which master you want to start with, and I highly recommend picking one and sticking with the choice for at least a dozen games, we could give you better and specific advice on the crew's basic strategy.

[Zalinian]

2 hours ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

... Some people rate the forgotten marshal as well.

What is "Rate"? I also see terms like "Tarpit", "Beater", and "Engine" which are pretty explanatory, but some oddball terms I have never seen used.

@GrafI was pretty sure there wouldn't be to many certain opens. Mostly a way of gathering interesting best-practice data. Things like: When down in this position, a unit with (x) mechanic is much more valuable than (y) mechanic. So if your master has low tempo, it may be best practice to prioritize this strategy.

Anyways, I digress from my own topic lol. I can make a new thread someday to discuss more prolific strategies. I should keep to ask entry level questions here: Are there any pieces a newbie would be wise to avoid? I saw a fair amount of people mention Lampads aren't have alternatives in most scenarios that outperform them, or feel much smoother.

[Maniacal_cackle]

3 minutes ago, Zalinian said:

What is "Rate"? I also see terms like "Tarpit", "Beater", and "Engine" which are pretty explanatory, but some oddball terms I have never seen used.
.

Rate might be New Zealand slang.

I mean some people think the Forgotten Marshal is a good model (give it a good rating).

[Zalinian]

@Maniacal_cackle Darn Kiwis and their slang!