Name of the Game

[Chase]

My goal here is to find what the strongest side of this game will be. I enjoy competitive gaming with a few friends and I want to see what people think the "goal" will be with list building. For example, do you want to focus on casting, combat, movement, ect.

So after a few games and reading the rule book over and over, I feel the game is balanced. However I think there are some lists that will have a hard time against 1 specific list (that adds fun and balance in a competitive setting).

I've noticed some similarity's to TCG's too. There appears to be lots of synergy with lists. Seems most lists will benefit from keeping their force close together. Which compliments abilities.

In the game though this makes for a bizarre style of play (my opinion). If both gangs want to stay close to friendly models someone has to give in and rush with 1 model, hopefully that model will do some damage and then end it's activation. Then it's your activation and my model is in or close to your 'group' and you get to potentially pummel my model. I use the word 'pummel' b/c at this point I've given you choice. The choice to activate a bunch of companions and multiple models attack mine, or have a bunch of different abilities in range.

In the example above there are a bunch of arguments if my point was "this game is defense and there is no point to leave your circle of love." The point is this game seems super balanced. If I run that 1 model in it could be bait, it could be a suicide bomber, or it could be me distracting you so I get more time.

Add objectives (thank you game writers for not making them an after thought, I mean how cool is it I get to announce what I'm doing to my opponent to get more VP) and it makes it all the more complicated.

SO, *breathes* in summation what do you think are the strong points of this game. Min / Maxing, Synergy, throwing my nicely painted models at my opponent?!

[nebiros]

I think that game balance is the game's strongest point. I have found myself looking through the book, trying to figure out the best models to put together, and realizing how little it seems to matter. The greatest thing about this game, in my opinion, is that I can choose the crew with the best looking models or most interesting fluff and I can play those crews thematically or not. In the end, I keep finding that I have the freedom to choose the crew I want without feeling like the rules are going to punish my choice.

[Angus Khan]

Personally, I prefer themed lists over min/maxed lists... but that's just me. The great thing about Malifaux (IMHO) is that their isn't a single crew/list which is more powerful than all the others. (I think you nailed it though when you said individual lists do perform better against other individual lists.) The only real way, then, to build a min/maxed list is to know what you're opponent is fielding and work to counter that. (opponent playing Res, use Lady J, etc...) From there, it all falls into tactics while playing. Except for the occasional lucky break, the winner of a game is usually the better player. i.e. the player which uses his crew's individual abilities better than his opponent.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that min/maxing doesn't come from the list building, but instead how you use the list itself. Find a list you like and think is competitive and practice with it/modify it until you strike a perfect synergy between models that works for you. (I expect many tournaments to be like this, people who have perfected how to use their particular list, rather than the list itself.)

[Magno]

The largest game I've played so far is 30ss. I want to play a larger game (50ss Brawl) to see what double starter or bringing in the better models will play like. It seems that the game will get pretty slow compared to the 25ss games. Plus, the SoulStone cost for some of those models are 8 and 9 so bringing 4 of t hem against 8 or 9 of the 'grunts' has a lot of balance IMO because there is lots of room to nickel and dime elite crews but not making those high point models seem too expensive. There isn't a lot of bait and rush in the game, since Ressurectionists in principal don't particularly care if they die. A lot of other models cause damage when they die.

Power gaming is gonna come down to finding the bargain priced units, since its hard to pull off the retarded combos ala Warmachine since the game is alternate model activation and when you do activate multpile models, it usually has to be in a specific order ala (companion).

So it comes down almost to thematic match-ups.

[Chase]

Yeah I payed last nigh and it 's seeming more and more like a game of chess. The list's are all fairly balanced, the you go I go turn set up, and you really have to be good on the fields and not at list building.

Any thoughts on how a tourney would run? I was thinking either play the same opponent a hand full of times and then advance. Or make a 40ss list that breaks rules (unique, ect) and then play against your opponent with a 35ss game. So basically you have 5ss of alternates.

[AoM]

Wyrd's already got the tournament format roughed out. it will probably be tweaked a bit from what was shown at gen Con, but it should be following the same general principals.

1) both players play the same Strategy.

2) players may pick X number of schemes.

3) bring 2 legal lists for your faction. when you reach the "Hire Crews" step, choose which list you're going to run.