Halflingspy Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Hey all, brand new to the game, and on Thursday, will be getting my starter packs. I got two since I'm dragging my gaming groups into this, and so that way I have a spare army while I invest in this wholesale. Since I am starting up sort of a Malifaux group, I want to do it right, and be able to host games at my house. So, without further ado... -The two armies I'm getting are Colette and Lady Justice. Colette is just a beautiful set of models, and, I'm an Eldar player if you know what I mean - if I don't go for a crazy manipulation army, I'm not being myself. I've been told its stepping into the deep end perhaps too much. Lady Justice seems to be much more 'point and wail', but a bit more nuanced than Space Marines, thanks to minis like the Death Marshals and Judge. It will be a while until I get more minis, but to expand... -Collette, want to get a Coryphee duet to expand, as they seem to be worshipped around here, then probably some other arcanist heavy hitter, like steam arachnids (to build into Ramos eventually, two-master army) -Lady Justice, I really like the Austringer model, and I think Witchling Stalkers would be a great addition thanks to the anti-magic they bring to the squad -Outcasts, I want Johan and Hans to sub in and out as needed (Johan for Collette to be sure), and maybe a Misaki for a little more variety. -Rulebooks. I'm waiting, impatiently, for that new 15 dollar rulebook to come out. Or, is it absolutely necessary to get the thicker ones, especially for trying to set up a Malifaux group? -I have one fate deck so far, and I'm going to pick up a tube of plastic soul stones for my table at the house. Will I need more than 30 counters? Any other types at all? -Terrain... how much should I build or prepare for a 3x3 table, at the minimum? I'm not clear how much should be covered, how much should be area terrain, etc. Thank you kindly for all of the support ahead of time - I'm really excited about the game, but I feel like a caffeinated toddler who has been left to their own devices at the moment - need a way to devote this energy productively! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadaka Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) -The two armies I'm getting are Colette and Lady Justice. Colette is just a beautiful set of models, and, I'm an Eldar player if you know what I mean - if I don't go for a crazy manipulation army, I'm not being myself. Both of those sets play well out of the box. You will want to pick up doves first imho. Nothing wrong with going colette as a first set as long as you know your looking at a complex master and you may get your butt handed to you a few times as you learn it. Also keep in mind your first few games are going to take a bit so I would keep a few hours open for them. -Rulebooks. I'm waiting, impatiently, for that new 15 dollar rulebook to come out. Or, is it absolutely necessary to get the thicker ones, especially for trying to set up a Malifaux group? I would just wait it comes out this month. The Larger rule book has a lot of great fluff and stats for models you dont have. Nice thing is most of the stats are available on wyrd site as a PDF. Cards will have the current rules for these crews as long as lady J set gets v2 cards if not your local henchman or wyrd can replace them. -I have one fate deck so far, and I'm going to pick up a tube of plastic soul stones for my table at the house. Will I need more than 30 counters? Any other types at all? 30 is plenty. This game has a ton of different counters. I would look for a post by ratty his sig has a link to a amazing page with counters for everything you can imagine to print up. EDIT Link for rattys page http://nezumi.me.uk/Malifaux/ Rat man again thanks for the wonderfull page -Terrain... how much should I build or prepare for a 3x3 table, at the minimum? I'm not clear how much should be covered, how much should be area terrain, etc. Book one said about half the table should have some sort of terrain. So about a foot and a half sq would be good. Thank you kindly for all of the support ahead of time - I'm really excited about the game, but I feel like a caffeinated toddler who has been left to their own devices at the moment - need a way to devote this energy productively Edited February 16, 2011 by tadaka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Bigglesworth Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) Hey all, brand new to the game, and on Thursday, will be getting my starter packs. I got two since I'm dragging my gaming groups into this, and so that way I have a spare army while I invest in this wholesale. Since I am starting up sort of a Malifaux group, I want to do it right, and be able to host games at my house. So, without further ado... -The two armies I'm getting are Colette and Lady Justice. Colette is just a beautiful set of models, and, I'm an Eldar player if you know what I mean - if I don't go for a crazy manipulation army, I'm not being myself. I've been told its stepping into the deep end perhaps too much. Lady Justice seems to be much more 'point and wail', but a bit more nuanced than Space Marines, thanks to minis like the Death Marshals and Judge. It will be a while until I get more minis, but to expand... -Collette, want to get a Coryphee duet to expand, as they seem to be worshipped around here, then probably some other arcanist heavy hitter, like steam arachnids (to build into Ramos eventually, two-master army) Played against her twice have to say coryphee duet are impressive. -Lady Justice, I really like the Austringer model, and I think Witchling Stalkers would be a great addition thanks to the anti-magic they bring to the squad Austringer is a good choice, witchling stalkers come with Sonias box I would suggest buying that over a booster since you get more bang for your buck and Samuel Hopkins is brutal. Nino is great for range support and much more versatile then the austringer. Executioner is a good choice. But what is great Lady J's box set is pretty good even though it is only 19 ss but plays well at 25ss game. -Outcasts, I want Johan and Hans to sub in and out as needed (Johan for Collette to be sure), and maybe a Misaki for a little more variety. Mercenaries are spendy in this game so I would suggest focusing more on models that are in each faction. Many people argue if there is a must merc then i would be the convict gunslinger. That seems to be the most commonly used merc the different LGS I have been to. Coming from 40k my self, I think your assessment of Collette and Lady J are fair, but it is also comparing apples to oranges. -Rulebooks. I'm waiting, impatiently, for that new 15 dollar rulebook to come out. Or, is it absolutely necessary to get the thicker ones, especially for trying to set up a Malifaux group? The current rulebooks provide the break down of all the models, the new rulebook will not, so if you will be the main source of Malifaux for your group they may want to be able to flip through the models to see what they do. On Tadaka's post the ones that are downloadable in PDF are only about 90% of book 1 nothing from book 2 -I have one fate deck so far, and I'm going to pick up a tube of plastic soul stones for my table at the house. Will I need more than 30 counters? Any other types at all? Fate decks especially the non-plastic are invaluable to starting groups since they will speed up the game. They show you weak moderate and severe damage right on the card along with the symbols. Reducing the need to look at the chart ever time will help get more people into the game. As for counters in the beginning no player is going to have more than 8, unless you are Collette but she will never have more than 8 after a turn so all in all 20 will likely do you fine. Flipping over the stat card for the model you activated is best way to mark which model has gone so you won't need a counter for activation. Laminate the cards or stick them in plastic sleeve so you can mark wounds down can also help tracking in the game. -Terrain... how much should I build or prepare for a 3x3 table, at the minimum? I'm not clear how much should be covered, how much should be area terrain, etc. 2-3 times more than 40k if it was played on a 3X3. Keep in mind this game revolves around very congested boards. This game does not favor clear firing lines like it does in 40k. Also there are tons of different settings that this game can take place in so diversity helps. Smaller scaled items help. The rules on terrain say that its height is rounded up to the next inch so if it is 2 1/4" this means it is providing 3 inch cover, so it helps to build your terrain with this in mind. Hardest part to remember with terrain in this game versus 40k is there is no true line of sight. Thank you kindly for all of the support ahead of time - I'm really excited about the game, but I feel like a caffeinated toddler who has been left to their own devices at the moment - need a way to devote this energy productively! Welcome to the game its a major blast. Hope this helps. Edited February 16, 2011 by Mr. Bigglesworth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProdigalPunk Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) As far as models go you seem to have the basics down pretty well. I am not sure how much you plan on spending, but I find buying box sets a better investment then individual models when given the option. So instead of buying Witchling Stalkers, the Criid boxset might be a better choice if you can afford to drop that much at once (also Sam Hopkins is a good add to a guild crew). Mercenary models are also always a good choice as you can fill gaps where they need to be filled all the more easily. Lady J is a great beginner master for sure. Colette might be hard to get a feel for right off the bat, but once you get her down she is a beast. The duet is pretty straight forward, and in my opinion one of the most broken models in the game, so that should help with your learning curve a bit. Do not get discouraged it you lose for a little while with her crew though. It will get better in time. Can not really comment on the new rulebook yet, might be all you need, but not really sure what is in it. A second deck of cards would be a good thing to have as soon as possible. You can play with regular cards, but it is much easier to use the Malifaux ones. I would not bother with soulstone tokens honestly. At my place we use dice instead. I even use dice for wounds, but my roommate likes to put a little tape over the card and use a dry erase marker. Terrain wise, on the 3 x 3 I would say three big terrain pieces would be good. 1 for the center and one per deployment zone, then maybe a could of small pieces spread about, shrubs and walls and the like. Edit: I forgot, I would also probably pick up some spare 30mm and 50mm bases if you can. the 30mm make good corpse/scrap/treasure counters, and the 50mm are needed for some scenarios and are good as blast markers. Edited February 16, 2011 by ProdigalPunk add Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WUWU Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 I'm still a newb myself, but since I've been reading up so much on Malifaux lately I can probably help you out a bit. -Rulebooks. I'm waiting, impatiently, for that new 15 dollar rulebook to come out. Or, is it absolutely necessary to get the thicker ones, especially for trying to set up a Malifaux group? -I have one fate deck so far, and I'm going to pick up a tube of plastic soul stones for my table at the house. Will I need more than 30 counters? Any other types at all? -Terrain... how much should I build or prepare for a 3x3 table, at the minimum? I'm not clear how much should be covered, how much should be area terrain, etc. -I've got mixed thoughts on the rulebook issue. They are both really nice quality items, fun to read for the fluff and the model rules, and they have great art. I ended up buying them both or these reasons. But the presentation of the rules is lacking somewhat, a lot of the game and model rules have changed or been clarified with errata since the printing. If you don't mind missing out on fluff wait for the new rulebook, and then if you are really into the game consider picking up Rising Power and the main rule boo, in that order, for story and model overview. -You wont need more than 10 or so counters per person for soulstones. I've been using a couple of dice. You'll probably want counters for Blasts and corpse/scrap counters. They are 50mm and 30mm, respectively, so you can always just use extra bases. -About half the board covered in terrain is good. You can do more or less, but more is probably better, and if it looks cool go for it. One thing to keep in mind, Malifaux encounters take place indoors and outdoors, in a wide range of settings. So the more variety of terrain you have the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mythicFOX Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 -Rulebooks. I'm waiting, impatiently, for that new 15 dollar rulebook to come out. Or, is it absolutely necessary to get the thicker ones, especially for trying to set up a Malifaux group? I don't think there's much of a need to own the books for playing. However when I demo they're one of the best tools getting new players hooked. Getting players to leaf through and see the amazing art/minis is the best hook. If you're setting up a group locally (as opposed to joining one) I'd recommend having at least one of the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karn987 Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 I don't think there's much of a need to own the books for playing. However when I demo they're one of the best tools getting new players hooked. Getting players to leaf through and see the amazing art/minis is the best hook. If you're setting up a group locally (as opposed to joining one) I'd recommend having at least one of the books. Eh I would say you should own your own books for playing. Unless money is really really tight, it shouldn't be much of an issue for everyone to pick up their own book. It's a great reference and allows people to look up anything they need when not in the presence of someone who owns one. All in all, I see little reason besides money to not own one =D But as to wait for the Rules Manual or not... remember the Rules manual will have all the rules in it... but no model stats or fluff. So if they want these (and they are worth it I think), they want to pick up the 2 books out right now. It's always a hard choice because the rules in those books are about to be obsoleted. So again, it comes down to money. If they can't afford to buy the books, then don't and hopefully save up enough to get them at a later date once you guys start playing. But the Rules manual is something I completely believe EVERY player should own a copy of. For what.. $15? I think there is no real excuse not to own one ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halflingspy Posted February 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Thanks for all of the responses! Its really helpful. On Terrain - I have a little warhammer terrain that I'm going to be using, but it seems like Malifaux uses a lot more free standing things - crumbling walls, fences, stand alone trees... 3 pieces of area terrain (a forest, a pond, a hill), and then 4-5 pieces of things like walls would be a good start? -The extra bases is something I didn't think about, but am now! the 50 mm double as blast markers? That'll be good to know about breathing fire... -On rulebooks, I know they are damn pretty, and I want to know the fluff, but starting out I just don't have the cash. I know some of the stat cards are online on a PDF, I might print some of them out to show people some of the other models as a stop-gap. That, and maybe I should pick up a third army for demonstrations sake. -On the army choices... I fully know I'm going to get beat around the table as Colette until I finally figure it out. Half my team doesn't have actual attacks? This is going to be fun. Lady Justice is just seems like a great starter army, period, and I like that these two groups seem to be more on the 'good guy' side of things, since I'm a little weird like that. I normally don't run 'evil' races or cards, but seems like tabletop gaming likes the whole 'everything is very dark shades of grey'. Maybe pick up a Neverborn set just so I have variety to show to people (Zoriedra perhaps? Get off her swamp!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissE Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 As you'll see, I'm also pretty new, but wanted to throw in my 2 cents. I'm inclined to agree with most of the previous comments on the rulebooks. But since you say cash is a consideration, maybe consider picking up the first one, just so you do have stories and background to show off? Like you, I like to play the "good guys" so backstory is important to me. For terrain, the last game I played, we used a ton. We did two forests and a sort of small arena-type thing in the middle, done up with four walls set in a square. For smaller pieces, we had 7 or 8 walls, columns, piles of crumbled stones, etc. It made the game more exciting, and (I think) a little more forgiving on me as a new player, knowing I could hide for a little bit while I figured out what I was doing Lady J is a blast. Period. When I demoed the game, though, I used So'mer Teeth, the gremlins, and some pigs, which I think appeals to a third sort of player, so might be fun to pick those guys up as a third army. Colette is tricky, Lady J is straight-forward...and the gremlins are ridiculous. Enjoy, and let us know how it goes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Bigglesworth Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 One comment on the terrain, is you can go to the battle report section and look at some of the peoples pictures of games to get ideas about what a common field of battle looks like. This might also help inspire some of the creations, if you like to make your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halflingspy Posted February 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 MissE, good to know I'm not alone in my approach to the game! I like the point you make about terrain, thanks. Also, while I am more drawn to Colette, you have me looking forward to lady J again! Mr. Bigglesworth, I'll have to check that out, thank you. Are there any 'how to' threads on making terrain from scratch? I haven't tried before. Also, I'm heading to PAX east in a month... Where would I post a thread on possible meet ups? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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