Noob Malifaux PRIMER: Full combat duel walkthrough

[nerdelemental]

The game of Malifaux introduces a complete departure from a dice based game system and now uses a standard deck of cards (well, artistically modified original versions are available from Wyrd, but it's still a standard deck!) to determine the variable outcome.

Therefore there's a learning curve to get used to and a completely new way to think of the odds. Where two six sided dice might average 7 and as the numbers go up and down away from that average they become less and less likely to show up, giving each player a sense of the odds to achieve his goals ("if I need a 9 to show up I'm not sure I should go for it now..."). Here, the odds of drawing any single card for its value is more or less 1 out of 13 but each number is equally likely to show up (my 2's will show up just as often as my Kings [13]).

So, instead of working the odds of a number showing up on 2 or more d6, here you get different resources to Control Fate and actually tweak the numbers more to what you really need at the time you really need it. So, if you have the Fate Deck where you flip your initial combat duels (think of that kid card game: WAR), at the beginning of each turn each player draws 6 cards (7 for brawls) and this becomes your Control Hand - your most valuable resource as this offers the cards you can use to replace whatever Fate deals you (get it: from the Fate Deck? Clever, huh?).

[edit: for the following combat example, every card I flip will be marked in purple and every card you flip will be marked in red]

In this pretend duel we'll have my Neverborn Lilith master begin her activation and I'm holding a hand of 12 ram, 10 raven, 9 ram, 8 mask, 4 tome, and 2 ram. Pretty decent. She looks across the field and could likely charge your Judge or a Deathmarshal, and could very likely just walk and strike your totem. She opts for a charge on your Judge for 2 action points, measures the distance and moves in a straight line so that she's slightly off to the side of him but 9" from where she began, and ends up with 1.5" between her and the him and within her 2" greatsword reach.

You don't tell me that you're holding a good hand with your 13 ram, 13 tome, 11 tome, and 8 ram.

I flip a 6 raven for an initial total of 13 mask/raven (masks are built into her Cb stat so it's added to every attack automatically). You flip a 9 Ram so your defense total is 14 ram (no built-in suit). I intend to hit you but I'm currently losing so I'll have to Cheat Fate and decide to use that 12 ram right now so I discard the 6 raven and my total's at 19 ram/mask. Even if you had the Red Joker (value 14) I'd win (you'd have a 19 and ties goe to attacker).

You consider your options and study the totals. Because how well a model succeeds will dictate how well or poor the attack is, the number of cards you draw for damage is affected in what's called a Twist of Fate (page 33). The differences are gauged in increments of 5 (a standard concept of the cards - once you get down the idea that 1-5 is weak, 6-10 is moderate, and 11+ severe, you'll have the card mechanic clicking easily!). When calculating the "to hit" value, the difference between my combat total and your defense total determines whether my damage flip will receive positive or negative fate - positive means drawing extra cards and choosing which to use while negative fate means drawing additional cards and taking the lowest value. Consulting the chart on page 55 or in the very back of the book, a difference in value of 1-5 provides :mali-fate on the damage flip. However, my charge provides a :mali+fate and the description of my Greatsword provides an additional :mali+fate. You remind me that the Judge is Hard to Wound though which provides another :mali-fate. So I'm at a neutral damage flip of only one card even though I thought Lilith was a walking blender of death and usually when she charges something it's obliterated. I flip my single stupid card and it's an Ace. Figures. However, since the damage flip is not a Negative Fate Twist I'm allowed to cheat it. I drop the 9 ram from my hand to replace the 1 and inflict moderate damage off of my 3/4/6 sword. Your Judge takes the 4 leaving him at 5 wounds.

Lilith is still +1 Ap from Fast. In order to kill the bastard she'd need to not only hit, but also somehow inflict severe damage. She considers casting the (1)Ap spell Transposition to teleport away but decides to just attack him. It's how she rolls. She flips a 10 tome. you flip an 8 raven. I'm at 17 tome/mask to your 13 raven. The real triumph for me is that I'm initially winning. Cheating is done first by the losing side, so I'll know exactly what I must do to succeed as it can't go back to you once you finish. So, you decide to give it everything you've got to protect the Judge and you cheat that 8raven away by placing the 13 tome in the midst of the fun. You're at 18 tome. Back to me. I cheat by playing the 8 mask into the battle lowering my total to 15 mask/mask. Why? Well, she's got a plan, and if it succeeds she'll have the two Masks in the combat duel needed to set off her combat trigger. So how will she succeed? I have soulstones and Masters know how to use them. Say she's got 3 soul stones. She permanently discards one and will now draw an additional card from her fate deck and add it to the total. She flips a 4 ram bringing her total to 19 mask/mask/ram. I succeed but only by 1, so my damage flip is at :mali-fate. Your Hard to Wound 1 adds another :mali-fate. My Greatsword cancels one of those negatives by adding its :mali+fate. So I flip 2 cards and take the lowest and won't be able to cheat it because the flip is at negative twist. Fate smiles, though, as I flip a 13 raven and 11 raven, thus inflicted severe damage of 6. Your Judge dies.

Two things happen, though. I say, "I activate the trigger Bloody Fate because I had two masks in the combat total. I draw a control card." [i do]. I'd have to discard one if your model didn't die, but it does.

You then remind me of your Judge's Slow to Die where he gets to take a free 1Ap before going to the grave. You say, "I strike that bitch."

Great.

You flip and it's a 6 raven so you're at 12 raven/ram. I flip and it's a Black Joker. Value = 0 and it cannot be cheated - must be used. Mine's at 8 mask and the only way she can activate her defense trigger is if the Judge misses. I use a soul stone and hope for a miracle. Fate frowns upon me, though, as I draw a 3 ram bringing my total to 11 ram/mask. You smile. You say, "I'm cheating" and you drop the 13 ram and discard the 6 raven. Your total's at 19 ram/ram. Difference in attack value of 8 for an unmodified damage flip. You flip a 4 tome for damage which is weak. Since the damage flip isn't negative fate, though, you can cheat it. You smile. You cheat with the 11 tome still in your hand.

"Five damage, huh?" I say, sagely.

"No," you say. You had 2 rams in the combat total, thus activated your trigger Critial Strike that adds 1 damage for each ram in the combat total. So....7 damage to the Mother of Monsters leaving her at a whopping three.

I say, "Okay. I'm done. Go ahead."

Edited September 13, 2009 by nerdelemental

[AmishLuvah]

Excellent. Very thorough and helpful.

[Jestor]

Very excellent walkthrough man. I am loving your little "noob" series. Keep up the good work

[BodPud]

Nice work.

You don't tell me that you're holding a good hand with your 13 ram, 13 tome, 10 tome, and 8 ram.

So, you decide to give it everything you've got to protect the Judge and you cheat that 8raven away by placing the 13 tome in the midst of the fun.

You say, "I'm cheating" and you drop the 13 ram and discard the 6 raven. Your total's at 19 ram/ram. Difference in attack value of 8 for an unmodified damage flip.

You cheat with the 13 tome still in your hand. "Five damage, huh?"

Note. To many 13s cheated.

A little fix is needed.

For the last one you may use a 11 (instead of 10 in drawing hand - lets say: 13 ram, 13 tome, 11 tome, 8 ram, 3 mask.)

11 is good for the second case too ( so it could be 11 ram, 13 tome, 11 tome, 8 ram, 3 mask)

But ...

Judge's Cb value on my card is 5 :malirams (I cannot check a book), so in

You flip and it's a 6 raven so you're at 12 raven/ram.

we need a 7raven flip here or increase starting hand to: 12 ram, 13 tome, 11 tome, 8 ram, 3 mask. Edited September 13, 2009 by BodPud

[nerdelemental]

(without editing it first I wondered how many of the same card went through that duel )

I'll fix some numbers later!

Fixed per your suggestion, BodPud! And thanks. Good eye and quick analysis of my analysis. Impressive.

New problem, though: there's a typo in one place or another for the Judge's Cb stat. 6ram in my book, 5ram on my card.

Edited September 13, 2009 by nerdelemental

[Zee]

Good write up, I like the descriptions!

[BodPud]

Thanks nerdelemental, I like your colored stats, I see you used faction colors, nice.

New problem, though: there's a typo in one place or another for the Judge's Cb stat. 6ram in my book, 5ram on my card.

Someone has to make a decision ... I hope good decision

[nerdelemental]

(Go with 6 ram)

[Devilsquid]

Definitely helped put the combat into context. Looking forward to my rulebook arriving.

[AoM]

Nerd, I know you're old skool, but they turned into Crows when the book came out. the Ravens are only in Baltimore now. :malicrows is totally Crows now.

[nerdelemental]

It'll always be ravens to me.

I still decap (10), too, by the way!

Don't give up on the ones you love, Angel!