Newly discovered cache of soulstones...

[Cats Laughing]

Hello all,

New forum member here. Haven't actually played Malifaux, nor bought anything yet, but a friend loaned my his rulebook and I've seen minis in the FLGS and online and I'm quickly getting sucked in.

The background story is fun so far (I thought I would be more turned off by the 'horror' aspect), though I'm only halfway through the main rulebook.

The lack of dice is rather interesting to this long time gamer (since ~1991), and I wonder if I'll be able to play without at least fondling my dice between card flips...

On the other hand, it should be nice to not have to chase dice under the table, reroll cocked dice, or worry about dice interacting with painted minis in damaging ways (ie: chipping paint).

I'm thinking I'll end up playing Rasputina, since I really like the model, though I might go for more of a "crazy cat lady" theme by taking the kittens and tigers with her.

Anyway, looking forward to learning more about this game.

Quick question:

Reading the background stories makes me think there is a possibility for this game to 'follow' Warmachine/Hordes, by creating "epic" versions of current characters. Is that something that has been mentioned by the game designers as either a "yes we will", "absolutely not", "it could happen", or some other response?

[sithkhan]

Welcome to the gang, and congratulations on deciding to start the game!

I have never played Wanrmahordes, so cannot speak to the example you list. I can say that there is one example in the rulebooks of a character that has evolved; Hamelin. There is also a master that has two versions of sculpts; Pandora. If this is to be a pattern, supposition is that the third or fourth book will deal with the "leveled-up" Masters.

But I am positive someone will correct or clarify my poor explanation.

Again, welcome!

[Xango]

Hi and welcome, rasputina is great, good choice, i play against her all the time and allways hard to win.

[EricJ]

Hi and welcome! I think to date the game designers haven't mentioned much anything about doing something like "epic" caster.

But welcome to the forums, and glad to hear the game/fluff has been sucking you in, that's the goal

[DangerousBeans]

If you read the Rising Powers fluff then there's a whole mess of crap going on at the end which would heartily suggest that more than just a few masters will be going "epic" (although in Malifaux you don't go "epic" you become an "avatar form". Mmmmmmm, enticing!)

In fact, Pandora's already got a sculpt.

'Tina's great, and the Rising Powers December-centric models really make up for what she lacked in the first book. Although I can confidently say you'll be getting more than one crew. Sorry, but it's true.

[The Green Git]

Welcome! Like you I come from a dice background but have grown to love the card aspect of Malifaux.

Seems quaint and old fashioned to go back to dice now. :dontknow:

[Doctor Amos]

The cards actually feel very natural (although I sometimes suspect that dice may love me more). Rasputina is a very good starting box, as others have said, and adding a three-headed sabertooth or two is a prefered stategy (her crew tends towards the slow side). Also, as mentioned, there will be Avatars, although thier rules are still unknown.

As for the horror aspect, it competes with the cowboy/steampunk/magic/samurai/shinto/fantasy thing, so it all washes out well.

...with blood.

[Jonas Albrecht]

Welcome!

[Absolution Black]

Welcome to a fellow noob! Like you I am just taking my first tentative steps into this world, I only hope I can come out as sane as i went in! (though thats not saying much!)

[Cats Laughing]

Got to play my first game last night. Used the Rasputina box (no changes) vs a 25 stone Seamus crew.

Since I have gaming background back to the early 1990s, and piles of Necromunda and Warmachine/Hordes type skirmish games, I requested that we use full rules, rather than trying to draw me in slowly. I think the only thing we left out was terrain generation and special rules (since the table was already set when we got their and terrain special rules tend to be a bit much for even with a few games under your belt).

I flipped a claim jump strategy while Seamus got lucky a flipped a treasure hunt. We used schemes (which ended up being my downfall) and he picked Holdout and Bodyguard, while I (in all my newb-ness) picked Steal a Relic and Stake a Claim. He announced his, as he felt pretty confident in being able to complete his. I didn't and realized the mistake in this much later.

On to the game:

Don't remember much about the first turn initiatives, though he did a slingshot type move with his Mama-san and one of his zombie hookers, to put her on the treasure hunt counter. I mostly ran (two walk moves) though I was able to move Rasputina up and ice mirror a pair of my blast causing spells onto the zombie hooker holding the treasure, and with some nice flips on my damage I killed her (with a bit of overkill due to the aura damage boost from the ice gamins). I did, however make my first mistake (though it was only a mistake in hindsight). The first spell cast did 4 damage (though with my damage buff, it should have done 5), leaving the Belle with 4 more wounds, according to my opponent (should have been 3 wounds, oh well). Because she was only half dead, when I did my second spell's casting flip, I cheated with a card that would give me an overpower trigger for another free cast. However, she was the only target and the second cast killed her, so I wasted the overpower free spell...

Having fairly easily killed his first attempt at grabbing the treasure, Seamus then pulled his big movement trick and brought basically everyone to the middle of the table and grabbed the treasure himself. That of course left him and his crew in the middle of the table, with mine slowly racing up. With basically his whole crew having activated at once via some weird chain companion thing, my crew then got to do it's thing basically all at once. Being to far away to charge in, I walked up a bit, shot things a bit, killed the Mama-san (can remember her name) and would have launched a nice Curse to the face (Red Joker in my hand for cheating damage) except I flipped the Black Joker on the cast grrrrr (then I also forgot to draw my extra control cards...)

The next turn saw Seamus run away like a little girl, while the Belles attempted to hold me back. Rasputina actually got to go first and tried to cap Seamus with a few Curse bombs, but I flipped the Black Joker again (damage this time, forgot control card draw again...) and he got away. I even burnt soulstones on this attempt to no avail (well, 5 wounds on Seamus, but hardly enough). Ended up having to move in with the Gamins and Golem. Found out that charging was decent (for getting past hard to kill), but still all the Belles were alive after all my Gamins went and while one Belle was almost dead (and another injured), so were two of my Gamins. So the Golem walked up and whack a Gamin in the back, setting off a chain reaction bomb that killed both Gamins and two Belles.

Now it was down to Seamus, a damaged Belle, a mostly fine Copycat killer against Rasputina, a Golem and Gamin, all basically fresh. Seamus ran for his table corner, while the Copycat killer took a shot at my Golem. The Golem then killed the Belle while Rasputina killed the Copycat killer (again with the overkill...) and my Gamin took off running (waddling) after Seamus.

Turns 5 - 6 I spent running Rasputina and a Gamin towards Seamus's control area, while he hid in the corner. Realizing he was too slow to help, the Golem peeled off to grab my Claim jump objective.

Flipped an 11, got to play turn 7. Seamus took two walks up and tried to shoot my Gamin before he could walk into his deployment area. Was out of range. My Gamin needed to walk twice just to reach his deployment, so no attacks. Rasputina walked twice and threw down Ice pillars to keep the Gamin alive and hope for an 8th turn.

Flipped a 2.

Final VP was 6 for Seamus (Bodyguard and Treasure Hunt) to 4 for Rasputina (Claim Jump), so a loss by 2 VPs due (slightly) to some bad luck on flips and (mostly) to bad scheme selection...

I had a lot of fun though, and learned about some of the intricacies of the control hand, cheating fate, spending soul stones, and triggers. Was a little disappointed in being unable to catch Seamus (though that only reinforces my current plans to go in the crazy cat lady direction). Was pretty happy with the damage output under the bite of winter buff.

Fun through and through.

I think my wallet is going to hate this game. (though so far it does appear cheaper than WM/H which is cheaper than 40k/WHFB, so I guess it's not such a bad thing)

Edited December 7, 2010 by Cats Laughing
minor number edits

[Carcosannoble]

That sounds like a lot of fun, and was certainly in character for dear old Seamus. As they say, failure is the best teacher.

[Xango]

The more you play, more you understand your master and combos start popping on your mind