New player wants to jump in

[Zredden]

Okay guys, as the title suggests I'm seriously considering jumping into Malifaux. I don't have anyone to play against where I currently am but in the very near future I'll be moving back to the DC area and hopefully to more opponents :bigthumb:

So my first question is obviously: What all do I need to start with. Is the rulebook and a deck of cards plus one starter box enough to get me going? I'd imagine so but I want to double check!

Also, there is the question of which box to get. In games I tend to favor two things mostly: Speed and debuffing (or hexing or what-have-you). It seems like Zoraida would be a good choice for this (also how could I not love exclaiming "and now ol' saggy-bags moves over here"). How important is it to keep "in faction?" I'm not particularly interested in the other Neverborn masters. The other three that I find interesting are Rasputina, Marcus (though it seems I should save him until I've learned the game) and Kirai.

If building up a particular faction isn't a huge deal then I can just jump around but if it IS then that would certainly come into play on my decision.

Thanks for reading everyone. I look forward to your responses!

Zac

[tadaka]

Thats pritty much it. If you are going zoranda I highly recomend getting her vodoo doll as well. Other then that her crew is a nice starting point.

[Ratty]

Zorianda is quite nice as you can chose from a vast number of different models and your crew will still work. I also think she works rather nicely out of the Starter especially now Bad Juju has had a much needed stat boost.

If you are starting out and don't have a regular group who have 2 masters to run brawls I think it's not going to be an issue having a couple of crews from different factions, they won't be able to team up but you can lend them out and run demos.

I think both Rasputina and Marcus also run OKish out of the box. Marcus might need a couple of extra models as his assistant can shapeshift so you either need models for her new form or use the Cerberus for that and pick up a few more beasts to go with them. (Note the Slurids out of Zorianda's box work well with him (he can take beasts from any faction), so you could run them with both masters).

Kirai doesn't work well out of the box. You need to add at least a pack of Gaki and a pack of Seishin and to be absolutely honest I wouldn't run her without 2 packs of each.

[Iamwyrd]

Zoridia is alot of fun but hiring in faction is kinda huge. So if you like say Joss you can't bring him with zoridia. But what zoridia can bring out of faction is any model that has a Wp 4 or less. But for your other likes, kirai I would wait on as well she is very finesse. Marcus is fun but tuff to actually play because he isn't "awesome". Raspy is very fun and a very good caster. She is my second favorite master.

Glad another person is playing. And whatever you do, have fun.

[Rathnard]

When Zoraida gets a-mentioned, Rathnard comes a-calling.

If speed and debuffing is what you're after, then Zoraida would be perfect for you. She's one of the fastest Masters in the game and her abilities make her difficult to pin down and kill.

While she has great debuffing capabilities, I tend to think of it more as "screwing with your opponent". Her Hex spell is of limited use but Bewitch can seriously hamstring enemy models and make them so much easier to deal with. Crystal ball is nice for manipulating the deck but her best trick by far is Obey...particularly when you use her in conjunction with the coodoo doll to Obey enemy models from the other side of the board. I tell you, there's nothing quite as fun as forcing your opponents minions to start killing each other before they've even gotten in range of your crew.

Technically the book 2 encounter rules require you to select your Faction, flip for strategy and then select your master/crew, so having just Zoraida for your faction of choice does put you at a slight disadvantage in that respect. That said, the people in my area aren't nearly so formal about that part of the rules (usually by at least ignoring the 'choose faction' part and often just selecting their Master before flipping for strategy). Tournaments usually also require you to play the entire event with a single Master, so realistically you shouldn't need to be worried about having just one of the Neverborn Masters.

Zoraidas ability to take Wp4 living models from any faction gives her a great variety of minions to choose from. And the fact that her abilities will perfectly complement whatever crew she's paired with means that you've got alot of choice as to what her crew will look like and how they will play.

If you want to know more about Zoraida's playstyle and how best to use her, try this link.

Marcus is reportedly a difficult Master to use well. He's fast and can coordinate a good alpha-strike, but he tends to be decent at only one thing (eg. resiliance vs offense) at any one time. He's not terrible, but he probably needs practice to use well.

Rasputina is one of the slowest masters in the game, but she makes up for it with some excellent ranged magic attacks that can be cast through her own minions (thiunk arc nodes in warmachine), and the fact that she creates ice pillars for blocking line of sight. Her usual minions are tough and explode when they die, which makes them a tricky proposition for your opponent to deal with. As a starting Master she's great, but it can be easy to get carried away with her offensive power and forget that she actually needs to acheive strategies to win the game (which is where her slow speed becomes an issue).

Edited October 29, 2010 by Rathnard

[Csonti]

... especially now Bad Juju has had a much needed stat boost.

Hm? What kind of stat boost are you talking about?

[Rathnard]

Hm? What kind of stat boost are you talking about?

It's on another thread somewhere, but apparently on his V2 card he's got Hard to wound 2 and Returning him to play via eternal now costs 1 soulstone.

[MrNybbles]

So my first question is obviously: What all do I need to start with. Is the rulebook and a deck of cards plus one starter box enough to get me going? I'd imagine so but I want to double check!

Technically only a Master or Henchman is required for models, but that would be a boring game. The starter boxes do save you a few dollars over buying the models individually. I have a friend who individually bought almost all the models in the Seamus starter box except for Sybelle because she reminded him of his ex-wife. He's going to proxy Bete Noire for Sybelle.

You could also use a regular deck of poker cards with two jokers (or a joker and a warranty card with the same back). The rulebook has a list of how to translate the suits. I recommend the pupped decks over the fate decks mostly because they have something on them to protect them from wear and tear. I would like to see new fate decks made the same way.

Also, there is the question of which box to get. In games I tend to favor two things mostly: Speed and debuffing (or hexing or what-have-you). It seems like Zoraida would be a good choice for this (also how could I not love exclaiming "and now ol' saggy-bags moves over here").

There is a lot of favoring of Zoraida here and the Neverborn will eventually get Collodi, a Henchman who also has a thing for Dolls.

In a Brawl you could always hire Zoraida and give up the other master for 10ss and hire Collodi as her Henchman. He isn't out yet, but worth considering for the future.

If you do go for Zoraida then make sure to also get her Voodoo Doll totem. Totems never come in starter boxes and her's is good to have.

[Zredden]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! I think I'll definitely be getting the saggy bags box then. Maybe pick up Rasputina to coerce friends into learning the game with me.

Zac

[Bas1]

You could also use a regular deck of poker cards with two jokers (or a joker and a warranty card with the same back). The rulebook has a list of how to translate the suits. I recommend the pupped decks over the fate decks mostly because they have something on them to protect them from wear and tear. I would like to see new fate decks made the same way.

It also protects them from having alcohol spilled on them!

[the imp]

Of the one's you've mentioned, Marcus might be the best choice for your alternate crew; if you're still looking for a good set to sucker other people into the game with. He's supposed to be relatively straightforward while the others rely on less intuitive and more complicated strategies to be effective.

[oozeboss]

Welcome to the wondrous wyrdness of Malifaux ... and especially to the mind warping wonderfulness that are the NEVERBORN ... and even more so to the sordid, scintillating sickness of Hag Lurrrve!

Speaking as somebody basically setting out along almost the same twisted track as yourself right now, I heartily recommend checking out anything written in the kinky pink script, or which has a trio of flying My Little Ponies in the sig (Brother Rathnard's treatises are a revelation - despite him being what we Australians call a "Sandgroper" :aetsch:*).

And having brought my Zoraida box home last night (+ Voodoo Doll), I can vouch that it is a definite case of Hag Lurrrve!

(* so called because he lives in the state of Western Australia, the emblem for which is a swan - to allay any hint of anything more seriously deviant)

(... although the kinky pink is a worry)

(... and Air My Little Pony is definitely just plain wyrd)

:afraid:

:tomato:

:hahaha:

[Xango]

what a great choice you made, zoraida is by far my favorite master, voodo doll is a must, and i am waiting to buy stitch together for her, and remember my moto... zoraida`s boobs=frightened opponent.