Crew Selection: The Four Pillars

[Doctor Amos]

(Wanted to post this in the intro forum where new players might see it more easily, but didn't seem appropriate. This is a revised tactica I created for a friend who was deciding between armies for another game. It remains valid. I often need myself to be reminded of its tennants.)

The Four Pillars: None is more important than any other unless the player choses to allow it to be. Each must be weighed to the needs of the player.

The Fluffy Bits: Do you like a given faction? A given master? Does thier story inflame your inner fantasy goober? Do you dream up fanfiction about them? Or, if not as driven as all that, do you at least not actively hate them as a group? Are the models pretty? Fluff is all of the story, the background, the parts of the game not related to direct mechanics (or covered by the other pilars). This pilar is important to your overall happiness. Don't ingore it. By the same token, don't make it your end-all and be-all, or your happiness will also suffer.

The Crunchy Bits: How a crew plays; the mechanics in game. This boils down to three sub-principles: What does it do, does it do it well, and do you want to do that? Figuring out what a Malifaux crew does is tricky. Collodi, Collette, Leveticus, Pandora; all are oddballs compared to normal mini play. You first need to see what it is they hope to do before you can accept or dismiss them. Secondly, do they do it well? Lady Justice is a good example. She is a strong melee master. However, she is a melee master in a shooting faction, and probably isn't even in the top three choppiest masters. If your end goal is stabbing things to death, you should give her pass. Lastly, do you even want to do what they plan on doing. Leveticus, for example: Die every turn-->???-->Profit. If you can't fill in the ???, then you don't need him. Many players might start with knowing what they want to do first (the cart leading the horse), but I recommend against it for Malifaux, as the game is a bit less straitforward than others.

The Shiny Bits: This pillar really blindsides people. Miniatures are real physical objects that require currency to aquire (gasp). I have a friend who half-built two different armies for two different games. Both times he forgot to look at what the actual models are, and based his force around a single unit type with 20-30 models... and which costs $10-25 USD a model. Fortunately Malifaux is more forgiving, but the point remains valid. Mostly for Malifaux come the issue of "What does this box need that it doesn't have" and "is the model actually out yet?" Crews like Lilith really, really want to have two or three extra clamshells before they're viable. Crews like Collette really, really want clamshells for models that don't exist yet. And worse still, some crews like Collodi don't exist at all. Also into this maelstrom, some models are only available in a starter box (very rare for this game, thank you). Do your research. It will pay off. Also attached to this pilar is how well-supported a faction is. Again, fortunately, this is not a problem in Malifaux.

The Metagame: Many people pay heed to this pillar without realizing they have done so. The simplest metaconsideration is this: In your play group, what are other people playing? Okay, now don't play that. It's bad form to play what someone else does. If your group is fairly large, and/or everyone already owns everything, don't worry about it as much. Secondly, consider what you might want to get against the people you are most likely to play against. If you are starting the game with a friend and they pick Pandora, think really, REALLY hard on if you want Perdida, or if another Guild crew wouldn't make you just as happy while also preserving thier happiness. Lastly, there is power level to consider. Unless you're a Spike player, this is usually less than relivent. However, if you plan on playing in tournies or leagues you might want to research a bit on how much people laugh at your master behind thier back.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Doctor Amos

[Jonas Albrecht]

The first and last pillars have always been the most important to me. My choices always consider the theme and story of a group before I choose them. Its the most sustaining aspect of a game for me.

Of course, I don't want to be the third person to be playing said faction, but since I don't really take mechanics into account, I'm usually lucky.

The third pillar is only important to me when the models are really terrible.

The second has never stopped me from choosing a group, or drawn me towards one.

[nilus]

I am much happier now that I have ignored the 4th Pillar. For years within my group we always tried to play different factions and I always felt trapped in a certain mold.

I think you should never be pressured to not play a faction just because a bunch of other people are playing that one. Then again YMMV

[Cats Laughing]

Nice post. I was wondering if you would be okay with me cut-n-pasting it to a local forum? (of course with link to here and credits to you <is "Doctor Amos" okay, or would you prefer another name be used?>)

I do somewhat agree with Nilus on the 4th pillar, but it is nice if the group has variety. One of my biggest annoyances with a certain game is that everyone (and their little brother) plays Marines... That said, your write up does say that each player can give importance or lack thereof to each pillar as they see fit.

I personally fall into the:

Fluffy Bits <strongest>

-I've always found the storyline and actual look of the models to be most important. As much as I love LCB/Dreamer rules and models, the other nightmares not so much... Will probably stick with Rasputina for this reason, especially after reading the Wyrd Chronicles and main rule book stories. Oh, and I love fuzzy hats.

Crunchy Bits ~= Meta Bits

-play style and what my opponents will bring are occasionally quite intertwined, and at other times completely separate issues. Picked Menoth in the other game, originally, partially because they were a counter faction to one of my local rivals. Of course, I also play Legion and completely don't care what my opponent might bring when I pull them out.

Shiny Bits <weakest factor>

-Recently Shiny Bits have been more about even playing a certain game system or not, rather than the actual choice of armies/factions/models I end up purchasing. Love Malifaux for it's current "Teddy at $18 appears to be the most expensive individual model" and "most models are ~$1 per stone and locally games are ~25-40 stones, so I'm looking at a ~$25-40 investment in models..." factors. As opposed to "look I just spend ~$40 on one ~50pt model in a game played at ~2000pts a game levels..."

Anyway, interesting write up. I new players may not need to actually read it before starting, but it might help them understand why they did what they did when starting and might also help them when they continue their growth in gaming.

[EricJ]

nice write up, I think there is actually a lot of wisdom here.

[Uncle]

Gotta admit, I think you're missing one thing here, although it may be thrown into either the first or third pillar.

How pretty is your force?

Armies (or crews, in this case) are made and broken on how the models look, in my opinion. If they're not aesthetically pleasing to me, well, I don't see the point in painting them, and I refuse to play with unpainted models. Therefore, for me to place a particular list, it has to fit the following:

-The background has to be coherent.

-It has to be relatively effective.

-It should be affordable, but my definition is unlikely to be someone else's.

-It needs to work locally, since I am unlikely to play in a major tournament.

-I have to like how it looks.

[lululu_42]

Fluffy and shiny is what powers my choice's dont care much for the number crunching but I do look into the meta and avoid. Though Malifaux is small in my area.

[Dumb Luck]

The fluffy pillar is nearly always the first for me, hence why I picked Gremlins to start. However the crunchy pillar swiftly follows - regardless of how much I like the fluff/models of a faction, I still want them to perform decent on the tabletop.

[oozeboss]

This is a liter...er...errrr...

(oopsie boopsie - let's start again.)

This is a literate and articulate piece that should be stickied somewhere bleeding obvious in order for it to be easily found by precisely the readership for which its author intended. Sometimes the most obvious elements are the easiest to miss (the ole "can't see the woods for the trees" caper), and I think this so perfectly clarifies the elements of motivation & thus would be an ideal first course in the banquet of food for thought that is this game.

I almost inevitably fall in to the 1st ('fluffy bunny of doom') and 3rd ('live fast, die young & have a good looking corpse') categories, but also regularly slide into the 4th category ('follow the beat of your own drum') as well.

My present focus on The Dreamer certainly bears no correlation to Category 2, and if anything appears even more intense as my run of insipid performances continues to multiply.

(Is that Category 2a - "thank you sir, may I have another?"?)

:elefant::elefant::elefant::elefant::elefant:

[Doctor Amos]

@CatsLaughing

Don't mind at all. It is intended to be used.

@JPRoth

Factors such as model prettiness generally fall into fluffy bits (it's a Vorthos thing). I'll edit it to include that.

[mythicFOX]

It's Timmy, Jony, Spike all over again

Good work mate.

[paradox]

1. Justice is very direct and choppy. I disagree, sir. I find her very satisfyingly direct and smash-mouth. Her faction/box/extra bits as well.

Interesting take on pillars. I think one is important, as is two. 3 and 4 don't really matter so much. Release schedules fill out. Waiting a few montsh for a release is no bad thing. Now if it's a game like wargods and you're waiting years for any release period....

I've done the "we'll all play different factions" and it's fine if there are only a handful of people you play. If it's more than that, chances are no one cares. I certain don't give a fig what someone else thinks about my choice of faction/master/etc. I'm always happy to correct their thought process.

[Doctor Amos]

@Fox: And Vorthos!

@paradox: No one is doubting Lady J. But if she's your first master and all you want is choppy, you can do better. As for the faction fill-outs, you have obviously never played Necrons, Tau, Forces of the Imperium, Khemri, Ogres.... :rant

[Sebo]

The Fluffy Bits:

The Crunchy Bits:

The Shiny Bits:

The Metagame:

With Malifaux, fluff and how faction is played is the most important. I like Gremlins because of I really like their fluff, their appearance, and how they play (or rather how I play with them). While I have only used So'mer only once, I really like Ophelia's simple yet often hilarious play style. Also another benefit of playing gremlins and cutting out your own storage foam: they take up considerably less space.

Also another factor for me liking them is because they're the only faction I can bring myself to paint. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have big trouble painting humans, I find them boring. And while The Guild might fit my "distance-defensive" play style, I don't think I could bring myself to paint them. And I already own Ophelia, starting Ortega might be a little (very) redundant. Though right now I'm busy as hell with my school schedule, I plan to paint the 4 remaining piglets and Youngins' (Gretchin proxies) when the break comes around. But I think I won't be able to make my self paint my Litih/Zori... just can't.......

[paradox]

@Fox: And Vorthos!

@paradox: No one is doubting Lady J. But if she's your first master and all you want is choppy, you can do better. As for the faction fill-outs, you have obviously never played Necrons, Tau, Forces of the Imperium, Khemri, Ogres.... :rant

I owned a Tau army from their release into whatever edition followed. Had the whole jump in shoot mobile army. Also Nightlords and Nids. Undead (later VC in WFB) and daemons.

Melee is just more my thing. Lady J was my 1st master. Box is very hitty (with some shooting). Judge and J are melee goodness, executioner adds more cutty love.

I'm very happy there.

[deadboy]

With me it's shakes out this way:

Metagame (I don't want to be playing the same thing other people are)

Fluff (I like playing the "bad guys")

Shiny (From where I land with the restrictions of the first two I narrow it down)

Mechanics (I can usually make my choices work by just adjusting play style to work with the strengths of my choice)

In Malifaux I took the Neverborn because they were under represented and the bad guys. I've ALWAYS loved the allure of Lilith (first wife of Adam and mother of monsters). When I saw there was a Lil in Malifaux there was no doubt who I'd be playing. And as often happens, in choosing the bad guys, the rules often make the mechanics work out in my favor. The bad guys generally tend to work really well. Lilith did not disappoint me here.

[Ratty]

With me it's shakes out this way:

Fluff (I like playing the "bad guys")

So a Guild player then?

[Sliver Chocobo]

I go

shiny

Fluffy

And then crunchy

That's how I end with Lilith and I'm happy with that

[deadboy]

So a Guild player then?

Haha, well, that point of view is certainly not without merit. But if you ask the common resident of the city of Malifaux who they fear most it's not going to generally be the Guild.

:lilith

[Wodschow]

So a Guild player then?

Wouldn't every Faction qualify for this?

It's not like there's alot of people in Malifaux doing good deeds for nothing.

The only master I consider somewhat innocent is Hoffman, but I'm sure future fluff will show some less desirable sides of his aswell.

[Doctor Amos]

As a faction, the Guild are evil. Indeviduals, however, are not so tainted. Lady J, for instance, is pretty hardcore Good.