Why arcanists?

[Ebonstar]

Hey guys,

I'm doing a bit of "research" on what people find appealing about arcanists, hence the question.

If you consider arcanists your "main" faction, please respond with your answers as to why.

A secondary question: Is your main attraction to arcanists based on just a particular master/crew, or are you interested in the faction as a whole?

Thanks in advance!

[ukrocky]

Honestly, because everyone said a certain master was weak (Ie, Marcus), then they said Tina and Ramos were weak too and I found I enjoyed playing with Marcus.

[Candi]

I am attracted to the madness that is Colette. The non-trivial, unique playstyle is something that really appeals to me, and that was a happy accident. I fell in love with the miniature range first, and was delightfully pleased when I came to discover what she could do.

Secondarily, my fiance has latched onto Raspy and so as a household we're Arcanists (she loves her style, is not a big fan of the goggles, but typically enjoys casters, enjoys blowing things up and loves ice themes. A trifecta if ever there was one).

[dsmiles]

Because they offered me cookies.

Seriously, though, I wanted at least one master and the henchman/woman from each faction. I ended up with all the Guild Masters, Kirai & Molly for Ressers, D/LCB & Collodi for Neverborn, all the Outcasts (except Gremlins), and Raspy, Ramos & Kaeris for Arcanists. I was initially only wanting Raspy as a straight-out-of-the-box master for demos, but ended up getting suckered into Ramos not too long after I bought Hoffman. I'm also considering Marcus, as I really like his new alternate sculpt.

[Backno]

For me it was a combo of aesthetic, fluff, and game play. The method I always have used for armies is 1) The army must have cool/interesting minis. As I have gotten better at painting this is now my number one. When I first looked at Malifaux I looked at every starter box knowing only the very basics of the fluff and waited for one of them to jump out at me. Ramos and Collette where the ones that did.

2) Does the army have an interesting group/clan/faction that I enjoy enough to build that style of army. For 40k it was the Goffs and building a horde army or Ultramarines because Cato Sicarius was a bad@ass as examples.

3) Does the army actually have a chance in the game. I refuse to play any army that puts me at a severe disadvantage from the start. I do not have the time or patience to grind out the 100's of games to be able to play a bottom tier army at a competitive level. Granted not a huge issue in Malifaux, but still take into consideration.

[Kadeton]

I started with Colette, because I loved how different her concept was from everything else I'd ever seen in a wargame. At the time, I really didn't much like the rest of the Arcanists.

As I've come to understand the mechanics of the game better, I've been getting more and more interested in the variety of play styles offered by the Arcanists, not to mention the implicit challenge of playing the "weakest" faction. I've just picked up Rasputina and I'll probably get Marcus next.

[GamerGaeth]

Because of all the factions, the Arcanists are the one that let you set up possibly the most combos when it comes to throwing down actions, triggering, setting up bonuses for another action for your next model, etc, etc, etc. Arcanists play with synergy, and I like playing with synergy.

Also, the creepy-looking Mannequins on the cover of Rising Powers are what got me interested in Malifaux in the first place. And then I found out that they belonged to the most logistics-crazy crew in the game (spoilers: I love movement hax and logistics in my armies).

And then Rasputina happened, and Kaeris, and Ramos, and yeah. I've really fallen in love with them.

And that isn't even beginning on the fluff - but I need to keep this short, as I am running out of battery power.

Suffice it to say, Arcanists are easily my favorite faction of all.

[Wolfgar]

Well, it may seem a bit naive but the Arcanists are the Good Guys in my book. I mean, I understand they are a criminal organization and probably no better than they have to be overall, but compared to just everyone else they seem the most sympathetic and the most in touch with just the common workers in Malifaux.

[Todd]

When my group started looking at Malifaux, I was attracted to Colette because I wanted to paint something "pretty" for a change. Not just a showpiece or one off model that would sit on my shelf, but an entire force that I could use in games. I felt like it would be a pleasant change of pace from all the square jaws, power armor, steam armor, monsters, and machines that I've collected over the years. And then I saw her rules...:clap:

Marcus has been on my "to buy" list for awhile. I've proxied him a few times and had fun playing him. Not so much for what he does, but what he let's me hire. I couldn't understand the Marcus hate when I first started coming here, and never really understood the Tier Marcus running gag. I just didn't see it. He has so many useful options available to him.

Until English Ivan gets rules, or Ramos gets revamped (I want to like him, he just sucks so hard), that'll be all the arcanists for me. I'm going to put my future time/resources into Outcasts.

[Ayezik]

I chose Arcanists because in all the other TT games I play, I chose factions that have the play style of "run in and bash things with your face" (more or less). I have been wanting to teach myself to play more ranged and caster based play now, so took up Raspy. I also love the snow theme that she has.

I was interested in Ramos because of his clockwork creations. But it looks like I will be keeping away from him until he get revamped. from lurking around the forums, everyone says he isn't very good.

[Backno]

I chose Arcanists because in all the other TT games I play, I chose factions that have the play style of "run in and bash things with your face" (more or less). I have been wanting to teach myself to play more ranged and caster based play now, so took up Raspy. I also love the snow theme that she has.

I was interested in Ramos because of his clockwork creations. But it looks like I will be keeping away from him until he get revamped. from lurking around the forums, everyone says he isn't very good.

Thanks to his Avatar you no longer have to wait .

[Dr Poxo]

Well I started with Colette for couple reasons. I came from 40k playing Orkz and Necrons so I wanted something visually different to a point and I have always enjoyed illusionist type characters. I also started with because I was constantly told she had a steep learning curve and I wanted take that challenge. Something tells me I did because I have really only lost once using her within my local play group.

From there it is not really that I play Arcanists more then I play M&SU. Maybe it's that anarchist me to fight the oppression of the Guild. That and I love the various robots and constructs of the setting and they happen to have the largest numbers.

[Jewomie]

The regular sculpt for Ramos is one of (if not THE) best models in the game. i just think he's both simple and super stylish. i am a big fan. lol. marcus too.

for me one of the interesting things about the arcanists is the unit choices. they have a really diverse selection of masters and have a bunch of synergy with the units that are "supposed" to go together. But unlike some other factions, they even benifit from careful choices of hiring odd units into your crew. Ramos + Ice gamin oddly useful. Cerberus with Colette was kind of hilarious if not suprisingly good. Hoarcats... always a riot.

while they don't seem to be the strongest faction, hit for hit, spell for spell, i win more games with them than the others. sure, my lillith or lady j crews are capable of clearing a table, but my Ramos, Colette, Kaeris, and even Marcus crews can complete objectives and win VP better than any one else i play.

I could just be how i play them compaired to the others, but i really feel like they are better at the strategies, and with so many having armor or just being generally hard to kill off, they make defensive games a lot easier. (i take hold out 75% of the time and just keep the SS miner or Mole Men close to my deployment zone and BAM 2 vp for me.)

[Tuesday]

I have to admit on my part it was kind of a knee-jerk reaction to seeing the Showgirls. I like magic, I like pretty models, I like to play female characters in games. I would be a Sonnia player if Colette had been just a bit slower in appearing on the scene.

But after learning more about the faction itself, both in fluff and gameplay style, I've never regretted the decision. I like the fact that they're either unaffiliated, rebellious folk heroes, or a dangerous organized crime network, and in some instances both. "The Man's trying to take away our magic! ..Well, good luck." I also like a more ranged, goal-based (rather than kill-everything) play style. In games I gravitate toward the classes/crews/whatever that can sort of stay back from the fighting and do what they need to do without getting too messy.

And the learning curve that came from using the Showgirls as my main crew just made the eventual success that much more fun. They're difficult, but the payoff is great. The Arcanists are great.

[KamikaZ]

I like models that look stylish and cool considering games like 40k that are heavily squad based you get utterly sick of painting the same model over and over again in the same colours individualism is not its strong point, originally I was drawn to raspy as I feel some kind of natural affinity towards water as an element and ice is just awesome, however my first crew I brought was the viks love the models but when I finally played them I was disappointed by the sheer need to smash face.....

Now all i play is Raspy her fluff is awesome and she just fits with the whole steampunk look and feel that ramos brings to the arcanists as malifaux is based on the need to control magic and soulstones as well as liberating them from the guild and its laws they really appealed to me.....

[FancyZergling]

Well they arn't my main faction, but if they where it would be because they look awesome and just have an overall fun feel. I just can't but help cross them over with the musical Chicago XD. When I play my Showgirls hit the table I want to turn on "Razzle Dazzle" or "He Had it Commin'" or "Roxy". When I play Raspy I think of "All That Jazz," when I see my friends Ramos I think of "They Both Reached for the Gun" and "I Only Do it For the Love". As for Marcus I just think of "When You're Good to Mama" or "Mr. Cellophane"

[A_Hamster]

It was the figures that sold me, the fluff came later. First it was seeing Ramos and his Steampunk contraptions, and so I thought, "Cool! I'll play him as my first Master!" Then I went to the next page and saw Rasputina and really loved her sculpt. So she was my first master, and Ramos my second.

After reading more of the fluff, I like the Arcanists in general because they are "stick it to the MAN!", and the more I read of the Guild, the more disgusted I am. Some one has stop the Guild. Yes, the Arcanists have dirty hands too, and they aren't completely altrusitic, but they ain't as bad as the Guild.

[the imp]

I actually bought Rasputina's box set as an auxiliary to So'mer Teeth, which I intended to be my primary. I really enjoyed painting her crew and then I really enjoyed her play style, and the rest is history. I only play So'mer when I demo, so I don't utterly annihilate new players.

[von Clausewitz]

This thread has been closed for inciting rebellion against the Guild by order of Lucius Mattheson, Governor's Secretary.

[Fetid Strumpet]

Seamus has been by, this thread is hereby resurrected, however all talk must now center on the performers of the star theatre, and how splendid they will look as beautiful belles.

[Tuesday]

Ramos is organizing the movement of the thread to a secure location. Restrictions are no longer in place, though it is preferred we keep discussion to The Cause and how best to pursue it.

Also, has anyone seen Cherie lately..? Colette is concerned.

[Ayezik]

I like models that look stylish and cool considering games like 40k that are heavily squad based you get utterly sick of painting the same model over and over again in the same colours individualism is not its strong point...

This is exactly why I started Malifaux in general. but Arcanists were the first faction that caught my eye. The originality and uniqueness of each model in Malifaux is great.