Waldo's Weekly - Eat to live. Don't live to eat.

[Hobby Wyrd]

Hey Wyrdos!

This week, we’ve been hunkering down and trying to keep warm. Winter’s been chillier than usual- even Waldo’s traded in his usual chaotic antics for an electric blanket. While we ration out cocoa, let’s take a look at someone who could be responsible for this change in weather…

While designing the Sightless Snow and Ceddra models, we were inspired by the Replace mechanic that Ferdinand Vogel and the Beast Within share. This back-and-forth swap is rarely seen in Malifaux, so we felt it was time to expand upon it.

Designing a shapechanger that straddles two Keywords provided challenges that a single Keyword shapechanger like Vogel did not have. A form focused heavily on Ice Pillars would feel out of place in Chimera, and a form focused on Mutation Upgrades wouldn’t synergize all that well with December. To bridge this gap we did two things: we gave Aspect of the Beast to both models, and we created new Actions and Abilities that are similar to existing ones, but with wider access to show off their dual Keyword nature.

Adding Aspect of the Beast to both models is one of those small additions that makes a lot of table sense. From their initial conception, we wanted one of the models to have Aspect of the Beast as Marcus really likes his Crew to have easy access to Upgrades. During testing we realized that if only one model had Aspect of the Beast, it meant a player always began the game in that form, since deploying in the other form meant missing out on an Upgrade. We wanted players to start the game with whatever form they desired, rather than being pushed in one direction by Aspect of the Beast.

Creating New Actions and Abilities was also integral in making the Replace a viable choice rather than having a form be specialized to each Keyword. Ceddra’s Call of the Mountains is based on Call of the Wild and Sightless Snow’s Primal Runes is the Frozen Runes Action with different effects and restrictions. These new versions allow Ceddra and Sightless Snow to play in either Keyword equally instead of feeling like they’re missing an Action in one Keyword. 

Speaking of new twists to existing Abilities, the Shapechange Ability that Ceddra and Sightless Snow share has a major difference when compared to Ferdinand Vogel; while this Shapechange follows the same Shapechange (x) format of Vogel’s, the result is slightly different. When Vogel uses Shapechange, he Heals and Replaces, which is a nod to the regenerative nature of were-beasts. Ceddra/Sightless Snow on the other hand are creatures of Ice, so they Create an Ice Pillar before switching forms.  

Sightless Snow (no relation to Snow Storm!) walks Malifaux’s mountains, a primordial whose former role as a healer was torn away by the earliest followers of December’s cult. To survive, the woman made an impossible choice…

Channeling the magical side of the transformation Sightless Snow is a scalpel to Ceddra’s hammer. She trades some survivability and raw damage output for versatility. Keeper of the Peak may have a shorter range than Ice Mirror, but being able to draw range from Beasts in addition to Ice Pillars means you should always have a Breath of Frost target. Primal Runes allows Sightless Snow to Drop Scheme Markers, Push out of engagement or clog a board with Ice Pillars.

In December

In December Sightless Snow behaves a bit like a Silent One crossed with a Cyclops. Staying just out of the main conflict she uses Ice Pillars to Drop Scheme Markers to score, or blast people with frost. While she’s not as mobile as Ceddra, the ability to Push toward Ice Pillars with Primal Runes will keep her out of engagement.

In Chimera

In Chimera Sightless Snow fills two holes: she is a ranged threat and she has Scheming options. Drawing range from a friendly Beast on the front line and landing a Coordinated Attack Trigger can be deadly. Similarly, as Beasts will be all over the board, being able to Drop Scheme Markers next to them will be critical in scoring Schemes that require multiple Scheme Markers.

Once a beautiful white stag gifted to Sightless Snow by Malifaux itself, Ceddra now shares her body and soul. When their hunger grows, the stag emerges to feed.

Don’t let Ceddra’s cute stag form fool you! He is an immortal monster as shown by Demise (Eternal) and Savage Bite. Ceddra’s threat is clear and present. Between Mv 6, Onward, and a min 3 damage track, he speeds around the battlefield killing and eating whomever he wishes. But he’s more than a savage beast. Call of the Mountain allows him to switch into a support role when necessary, moving friendly December or Beast models around the board.

In December

In December Ceddra allows you to vary your build from ‘creatures of ice’ to ‘savage beasts’ as swapping out Snowstorm for Ceddra means you’re not sacrificing damage output or friendly model movement. Ceddra’s Dismember Trigger also allows him to Drop more Corpse Markers on the board for December models to feast upon. Since Unimpeded and Onward allows Ceddra to keep up with the Leaping Blessed of December, Ceddra makes a good replacement or companion piece for her.

In Chimera

In Chimera Ceddra functions more as a pack leader. The built-in Flames of Change Trigger on Call of the Mountain allows him to support Marcus, Alpha’s Pack Leader Ability. With a free Upgrade after deployment and Demise (Eternal), Ceddra is a sturdy option to replace a Cerberus or other beater within Chimera Crews. He can also take some pressure off of Myranda with a second Flames of Change vector.

That’s all for this week, Wyrdos. Will Sightless Snow and Ceddra be showing up in your games this winter? Let us know what you think of these two souls in one body in the comments!