First battle - multiplayer!

[icarianmirror]

So, my two friends and I had our first ever Malifaux game tonight, and not being ones to shy away from a little over-complication, decided to just play a 3-way game. We set up on a standard 3x3 board, a half-abandoned city block, and each bought 25 soulstones. The crews were as follows:

Lilith (myself): Malifaux Cherub, Mature Nephilim, Young Nephilim, Terror Tot x2 (24ss) Strategy: Reconnoiter

Ramos: Brass Arachnid, Steamborg Executioner, Stempunk Arachnid Swarm, Steampunk Arachnid x1 (23ss) Strategy: Contain Power

Lady Justice: Scales of Justice, The Judge, Death Marshall x3 (21ss) Strategy: Destroy the Evidence

We decided to only pick strategies and ignore schemes, as this would be our first game. We also each had the maximum allotment of soulstones, to help ease mistakes. The board layout was a city block, bisected lengthways by a river. The river had 2 bridges, dividing the river into rough thirds. Various buildings (mostly cheap representations, as I had been slack on my terrain building) provided cover. Lady J and Ramos deployed in two of the corners on one side of the river, and Lilith in one corner on the opposite side. The 3 evidence markers for Lady J were placed one in each of Ramos and Lilith's deployment zone (henceforth 'DZ') and one in the middle of the bridge between those two zones.

So, after all that, here's the actual report. My apologies if I make a mistake, I was writing and playing at the same time:-)

Turn 1 - Initiative order Lilith, Lady Justice, Ramos.

A companion trio of Lilith, Cherub and the Mature activate and begin advancing on the unoccupied corner. Lady J, along with her scales, move onto the bridge that leads to the same quarter. Ramo's Steamborg advances onto the other bridge, heading for Lilith's deployment zone, while the Death Marshall trio and Ramo's Swarm and Arachnid move towards each other down a long street. Both of Lilith's tots, clearly being too stupid to know fear, try to sprint at the Steamborg and fail, settling for strolling towards it. The Brass Arachnid tries to reactivate the Steamborg, but fails. Ramos settle for salvaging a scrap counter, then making an Electrical Creation, which drifts along after the spiders. The Young Nephilim warily moves behind a building near the Steamborg's bridge, while the Judge tries and fails to arrest the Arachnid Swarm.

Turn 2 - Initiative order Lilith, Ramos, Lady Justice

Lilith's trio advances towards Lady J's bridge, and the totem tries to swap positions with the Guild leader, but isn't quite in range. Lilith throws an Illusionary Forest down between the two groups. The Steamborg stalks off the bridge, menacing the two Tots. One of the Death Marshalls takes a shot at the approaching swarm and strips two wounds from it, while the foremost Tot ducks around the approaching Borg and heads onto the bridge. The second Marshall wings the solitary Arachnid with an accurate shot, dealing one wound. Setting a trend for charging into poorly thought out combats, the Young Nephilim divebombs the 'Borg, managing to land 4 wounds. The solitary Arachnid runs at the two Death Marshalls that have activated and blows up, dealing both 2 damage. Lady J and the Judge move down off the bridge, keeping some distance between themselves and Lilith. The second Tot, deciding being near the Borg isn't worth it after all, starts running off after Lilith. The Arachnid Swarm charge the Death Marshalls, adding 3 more wounds to one, while the last Death Marshall heads off up the bridge to support Lady J.

Turn 3 - Initiative order Lilith, Lady Justice, Ramos

The Tot on the bridge heads on over, towards Ramos himself. The most wounded of the Death Marshalls casts Finish the Job, giving himself and his nearby partner a damage boost, then easily inflicits another 4 wounds on the Swarm. The Swarm proceeds to deny the Marshalls a victory by blowing itself up, killing the most wounded one and reducing the other to one wound. The remaining Marshall heads behind a nearby building, towards the river. Not one to be shown up, the 'Borg slaughters the Young Nephilim without a thought. Lilith and her companion group activate, and while the Cherub proves unable to swap itself for the Lady, Lilith is up to the task. A combined attack from her and the Mature reduce Lady J to only 2 wounds...only to have the Lady prove that weakened is far from dead, as she kills the Mature in a single round of combat. Ramos, watching as the other Masters accomplish his strategy for him, casually wipes the nearby Tot off the board with Electrical Fire, before making an Arachnid, which heads towards the wreckage of the Swarm. The Judge and the 3rd Death Marshall, finding the Cherub suddenly in their ranks, put two wounds on it after a furiously defending Cherub dodges most of the incoming blows. The last Tot slinks behind cover. At this stage, Lilith cannot accomplish her strategy.

Turn 4 - Initiative order Lilith, Ramos, Lady Justice

Lilith aims a vicious swing at Lady J, and is surprised when the defense swing is cheated lower- only to be soulstoned higher once again. Unable to beat the flip, Lilith misses, and recieves a riposte triggered off the lower cheat. 4 wounds vanish in one flick from Justice's blade. Lilith's second blow finally takes the tenacious master out of the fight, and gives Lilith a blood counter. The Neverborn master throws up a forest to deny the Steamborg a charge. The 'Borg, not deterred, moves into combat and swings, but is unable to hit. Meanwhile, the Death Marshall near the Judge finishes off the Cherub with ease. The remaining Tot takes Lilith's blood counter and becomes a Young. Ramos gains another scrap counter and makes one more Arachnid. While the heavily wounded Death Marshall moves into Ramos' DZ, the spiders move onto the bridge, following the Judge. The Judge himself, along with the Scales, move towards the Young.

Turn 5 - Initiative order Lilith, Lady Justice, Ramos (at least twice in this game, Lilith flipped Red Joker for initiative)

Lilith dispatches the Steamborg, and retreats towards the bridge near her DZ. The Marshall in Ramos' DZ makes it to the evidence counter in that area, but doesn't have the actions to activate it before Ramos burns him to a crisp. The Young charges the Judge, dealing 6 wounds, but is destroyed by the Judge's flurry immediately afterwards. The Brass Arachnid reactivates Ramos and moves to his side, while the remaining Death Marshall moves off the bridge and towards Lilith's DZ. Ramos moves to have LOS on Lilith, but fails to hit her with Electrical Fire. The two spiders follow the Death Marshall, climbing onto the bridge.

Turn 6 - Initiative order Ramos, Lilith, Lady Justice

Ramos lands the fire on Lilith, leaving her clinging to 2 wounds. She tries to charge him, but falls short, and tries to move out of LoS instead. The Death Marshall heads towards towards the evidence in Lilith's DZ. While the Judge follows, the Brass Arachnid reactivates Ramos, who moves, casts and incinerates Lilith - completing his strategy for 2 VP. The spiders cross the bridge.

Turn 7 - Initiative order Lady Justice, Ramos

The Marshall reaches the evidence in Lilith's DZ, but can't destroy it this turn. One of the spiders blows up near the Scales, dealing it 2 damage. The Judge moves next the the Marshall, while the Scales retreats from the remaining spider. Ramos and his Brass Arachnid move onto the bridge.

Turn 8 - Initiative order Lady Justice, Ramos

Judge moves near to the evidence marker at the middle of the bridge, but doesn't quite touch it, and the Brass Arachnid gives Ramos reactivate. The Death Marshall destroys the evidence he's touching. As the Scales moves near the Marshall, Ramos Fires the Judge to one wound, but even reactivating can't finish him off.

With that, the game ends. Ramos had the victory, with 2VP. Overall, we had a lot of fun, and will definitely be playing more in future^^

[Iamwyrd]

Great write up. One thing though, when a master is killed, all attatched totems are removed from the field as well. The only reason I bring this up is because on your turn six and seven, it was on the field when lady j was slaughtered (hehe) 2 turns before.

But other than that, you guys seem to have the concept down pat, especially making it a 3 way game on your first go at it. Mad props sir.

[libiss]

Ah don't we love the multi-player.....when your friends decided to make rules up anyways... :irked:

I have to deal with them any who.

Love the set up btw, and hope you guys enjoyed the game.

[icarianmirror]

Thanks for the comments guys:-D Yeah, the game was great overall, it definitely cemented Malifaux as my new wargame of choice. Cheers for the heads-up about the totems though, we'll remember that for next time^^ The really sad part is that we completely forgot Masters could burn stones to heal and prevent damage...and for initiative flips:-/ Ah well, always next time!

[libiss]

Hey leaning something new isn't bad. Everybody doesn't know everything about the game (pretty much unless you created it) lol