Malifaux Easter Scenarios

[iamarogue]

I'm going to be running an Easter-themed Malifaux tournament. I just saw the cute Easter gremlins come up on the site, but no scenarios. In fact, I've hunted across the internet and found no Easter-themed scenarios at all.

So I decided to write my own.

I will share these scenarios with you for two reasons.

1. Give me feedback! Test them out, see if they work, tell me how fun they are.

2. So poor lost souls like myself can find some last minute Easter scenarios.

Disclaimer: These scenarios have not been play-tested, so they could be horribly unbalanced.

Easter Egg Hunt: Easter Eggs are deadly. Destroy them before the children come out to play.

Easter Bunny Hunt: Kill that vile creature leaving all the Easter Eggs behind.

Pace Egging: Put on a three-act play to commemorate crossing the Breach.

Malifaux - Easter Egg Hunt.pdf

Malifaux - Easter Bunny Hunt.pdf

Malifaux - Pace Egging.pdf

Edited April 7, 2012 by iamarogue
Added 3rd Scenario

[the junkie]

Where is the Easter Bunny? I doubt he would allow the rampant destruction of his eggs to go unopposed.

[LordZombie]

Nice! I was really let down to see there have been no new story scenarios since Halloween 2010. I was hoping to see something every year. The scenarios in the upcoming con were close, but not quite the same thing.

[iamarogue]

Where is the Easter Bunny? I doubt he would allow the rampant destruction of his eggs to go unopposed.

That's one of the other two scenarios! Getting there...

[Hateful Darkblack]

My first advice would be to playtest it at least twice beforehand, because weird rules are sure to come up.

The PDF looks really nice. I like the format.

It seems like it's too easy to gain an egg. Every turn, every model will be taking an action to gain an egg counter, and then trying to destroy it. This just means that everyone hangs out in their deployment zone completing objects, which isn't what I think you want.

I'd suggest you can only gain an easter egg by interacting with one of the four terrain pieces in the middle. Drop the soulstone, scrap and corpse counters, and discards. Lower the egg destruction numbers for VP accordingly (Maybe 1 VP for one, 2 VP for two, 3 VP for four or more. And +1 VP for getting more.)

Other specifics:

Evil Egg: You don't specify how to choose a random target. Maybe every target within range flips and whoever gets the lowest flip is the target? Kinda like firing into melee?

Poison Egg: I think you mean that the person carrying the Egg gains a Poison Token, not Poison 1. Gaining Poison 1 means that you give someone a Poison Token when you hit them.

It looks like a really entertaining scenario idea, and I think it's got potential to be a lot of fun. But you definitely want to playtest first: no matter how well-designed, the first playtest (and often the second) will turn up a whole lot of unexpected problems.

---------- Post added at 12:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:41 PM ----------

ALSO! When this is playtested once or twice, do you mind if I link to this post in my Index of Story Encounters post?

[harbinger]

This is whats great about the Mali community. Someone asks for help/opinion and the egos left at the door and people trying to offer helpful insight. Bravo guys, its honor cheating fate with you all.

[iamarogue]

It seems like it's too easy to gain an egg. Every turn, every model will be taking an action to gain an egg counter, and then trying to destroy it. This just means that everyone hangs out in their deployment zone completing objects, which isn't what I think you want.

Yeah, I thought about that. To be honest, I'm tired of a lot of the story encounters looking the same (Halloween Trick or Treat, Christmas Caroling) - I ran tournaments that had both of those encounters for Halloween and Christmas respectively, so I wanted an Easter Egg Hunt to be slightly different, and not just in flavour.

I thought that the fact that the eggs are almost all bad would mitigate this to a certain extent - you have a 1/4 chance of exploding so you might want to spread out, you have a 1/4 chance of attacking a nearby target so you might want to be close to enemies.

Also, I'm assuming you're going to be taking two or three schemes, which are going to require you to interact in some way, whether it's visiting different parts of the board or actively killing enemy models.

Originally I wanted to allow anyone to dig in the dirt to find an Easter Egg but then I realized that was what Scavengers and Gravediggers did, so why bother making a new mechanic when an old one worked well? But I didn't want to privilege Resurrectionists and construct guys so I provided the other ways to get eggs.

I'll test my way out and let you know how it turns out.

Evil Egg: You don't specify how to choose a random target. Maybe every target within range flips and whoever gets the lowest flip is the target? Kinda like firing into melee?

Sure I did, it says "(determine which target as if shooting into melee, p44)"

Poison Egg: I think you mean that the person carrying the Egg gains a Poison Token, not Poison 1. Gaining Poison 1 means that you give someone a Poison Token when you hit them.

You are correct, my bad!

ALSO! When this is playtested once or twice, do you mind if I link to this post in my Index of Story Encounters post?

Sure!

[iamarogue]

Next up, the Easter Bunny Hunt! He's elusive.

This version was largely inspired from a discussion here: http://www.rm40k.com/forums/malifaux/malifuax-proxies/ so I can't claim credit for it all.

Also, I'm suspecting the Bunny himself will need a bit of tweaking. He was mostly borrowed from the Krampus and then hybridized with the discussion suggestions.

Malifaux - Easter Bunny Hunt.pdf

[Hateful Darkblack]

Easter Bunny Hunt: Another really interesting scenario! It's got a wonderful sense of menace, and I like the idea of stalking around hunting for a monster, who is turn turn hunting you back.

It feels a little bit like a combination of The Carver Strikes At Midnight and the Krampus.

It feels like this Strategy is pretty hard to achieve -- you're a lot more likely to get killed or permanently-paralyzed if you try. If I were playing in this scenario, I suspect I would just go for my Schemes and let the opposing play lose all their models trying and failing to pursue the objective. Or maybe I would just send in some Constructs or Nightmares (who are immune to Terrifying) to fill up holes and totally avoid trying to hunt the Easter Bunny.

Something I try to do, when writing a Story Encounter, is this: I think about what I want the play action to be like. And then I look at the rules written and I think about what I'd do to win a game with those rules. Ideally, those two things should be identical -- if they're not, I change the rules to make it so players will be rewarded for acting like I want them to act.

I think what you want is for characters to hunt the Easter Bunny cautiously, and make a strategic decision between filling holes and trying to gang up on a very powerful monster. Instead, it feels like what players would want to do is play only with models that are immune to Terrifying , fill in holes, and ignore all rules related to the Easter Bunny because your units will end up sacrificed, paralyzed, or dead if you even try.

Here's what I'd recommend: Remove the interact action to look for the Easter Bunny, and instead change the hole-filling interact action to a (1) Interact that does the following:

Black Joker: Surprised by the Rabbit! The Easter Bunny is placed in base contact with the active model and immediately attacks every model within range. The active model’s activation immediately ends.

1-5: The Rabbit arrives! The Easter Bunny is placed in base contact with the active model and attacks every model within range during the Start Closing Round.

6-10: The Rabbit is out! You fill the Bunny Hole and it is removed from the game.

11-13: The Rabbit is out, and had treasure! You fill the Bunny Hole and it is removed from the game. Gain one Soulstone.

Red Joker: Magic Carrot. The Easter Bunny is placed in based in base contact with any Bunny Hole of the active player’s choice, and the Easter Bunny gains Slow for its next activation.

Also, it would be nice to have some way to get rid of Sugar Tokens. Or just declare that they kill you on the third Sugar Token, since it's kind of annoying to have permanently-paralyzed models on the field.

Anyway, test it out! Again, once you've playtested a little, I'd love to index this one as well.

[sinpazzo]

Is the number of Easter bunnies one?

Easter bunny model base-size are 30mm?

Although I would like to exhibit the Japanese translation version of this scenario, OK?

I am going to perform a test play by 4/28-30.

Edited April 6, 2012 by sinpazzo

[LordZombie]

I have printed both of the scenarios and they will be playtested this Saturday! Report will be soon to follow.

[iamarogue]

I've been working on a scenario that has to do with nailing zombies to Easter Trees, but so far it has remained elusive, so sadly it probably won't be ready in time for this Easter.

Instead, I present my third Easter Scenario, Pace Egging. It's a bit of an obscure reference, unless you're British, so you can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pace_Egg_play

I admit this one is a bit of a last minute effort, and, because it's based on a play, it doesn't exactly have a clear objective. Eh, we'll see how it does.

Malifaux - Pace Egging.pdf

[iamarogue]

It feels like this Strategy is pretty hard to achieve -- you're a lot more likely to get killed or permanently-paralyzed if you try. If I were playing in this scenario, I suspect I would just go for my Schemes and let the opposing play lose all their models trying and failing to pursue the objective. Or maybe I would just send in some Constructs or Nightmares (who are immune to Terrifying) to fill up holes and totally avoid trying to hunt the Easter Bunny.

Very good point

Here's what I'd recommend: Remove the interact action to look for the Easter Bunny, and instead change the hole-filling interact action to a (1) Interact that does the following:

Black Joker: Surprised by the Rabbit! The Easter Bunny is placed in base contact with the active model and immediately attacks every model within range. The active model’s activation immediately ends.

1-5: The Rabbit arrives! The Easter Bunny is placed in base contact with the active model and attacks every model within range during the Start Closing Round.

6-10: The Rabbit is out! You fill the Bunny Hole and it is removed from the game.

11-13: The Rabbit is out, and had treasure! You fill the Bunny Hole and it is removed from the game. Gain one Soulstone.

Red Joker: Magic Carrot. The Easter Bunny is placed in based in base contact with any Bunny Hole of the active player’s choice, and the Easter Bunny gains Slow for its next activation.

Thanks, I'll try something to that effect and let you know how it turns out.

Also, it would be nice to have some way to get rid of Sugar Tokens. Or just declare that they kill you on the third Sugar Token, since it's kind of annoying to have permanently-paralyzed models on the field.

I think I'll leave the Sugar Tokens as is for the current playtest. The easy way to not get Sugar Tokens is to damage the Easter Bunny, then you take damage instead. I doubt that a model is going to be sticking around for getting hit three different times by Egg Delivery, but we'll see what the playtest has to say.

PS. Testing all of these guys out Saturday, will post reports afterward.

---------- Post added at 11:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 PM ----------

Is the number of Easter bunnies one?

Yes

Easter bunny model base-size are 30mm?

Also yes, oops.

Although I would like to exhibit the Japanese translation version of this scenario, OK?

Sure, but like I said, it hasn't been playtested yet. I'll be putting up an edited version soon.

I am going to perform a test play by 4/28-30.

Awesome let me know how it goes

---------- Post added at 11:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 PM ----------

I have printed both of the scenarios and they will be playtested this Saturday! Report will be soon to follow.

Also let me know how it goes!

[iamarogue]

I didn't actually play, I was kind of refereeing.

Both games the players were hesitant at first, not really sure how the scenario was supposed to play. The Collodi player asked if he could just swarm a building and keep interacting, and I said yes but pointed out that he had a 50% chance of hurting the models closest to the active model (explosive egg or evil egg). After a poorly placed explosive egg, he realized that it might be a good idea to get closer to enemy models so he could explode on them.

I don't think there was significant use of using soulstones or control cards for gaining easter eggs, since there was so much terrain available. The armies did not engage immediately (as was foretold by TedPro) since there were many options available to get eggs and so round 1 several models already had eggs. But, all players said they liked it better than the Trick or Treat or Christmas Carrolling scenarios because they didn't have to record which terrain they had already visited.

The players all said they liked the scenario and enjoyed the silly types of eggs. Also, we ate real easter eggs whenever a player destroyed one. YAY!

The average points scored was 6 for each of four players (including schemes). I'm thinking this might be high, any suggestions for modification?

Game 1: Pandora vs. Leveticus

Advantage to Leveticus who doesn't mind dying a few times. In this game, Leveticus actually died 4 times and the player lamented not taking Leveticus' Master scheme.

Pandora's player pointed out that he could only get rid of lead eggs by using Teddy. I knew that it was going to be easier for some armies to get rid of the lead eggs than others. I figured for the weaker armies (like Collodi, Hamelin, Colette) you would basically give an unfortunate low-cost insignificant model the lead egg and just suffer. For example, Hamelin's rats are already slow and insignificant, Colette's manequins are also slow and insignificant. So you have a poor model that just kinda sucks for the game and dies at the end. In this player's case, he had Teddy running around and attacking all the lead eggs to get rid of them.

Pandora destroyed 5 eggs then gave up because Leveticus had a significant lead, I think he ended up with 8 or 9.

Both players said they enjoyed the scenario.

Final score: Pandora 5 - Leveticus 6

Game 2: Lady Justice vs. Collodi

Near the beginning, the Peacekeeper picked up an evil egg while just out of the deployment zone and started attacking all friendly models. Lady Justice also picked up an Evil Egg and killed the Executioner quite quickly.

Collodi's army tends to multiply (when he kills an enemy model he gets a new puppet), so it became increasingly easy for him to collect eggs. They were playing not as intended though, and Collodi's player would drop lead eggs and poison eggs, assuming simply that he just wouldn't get victory points for them. Lady Justice's player did the same, but I think Collodi benefited from this. So dropping Eggs wasn't supposed to be possible, but I need to reword the scenario to make sure that gets clarified.

It was actually Lady Justice's player who also pointed out that the lead eggs were too hard to kill - strange, because I thought it would be easier for an army like hers. So I guess I will reduce the hardness of the Lead Eggs.

Lady Justice ended up destroying 5 eggs, Collodi destroyed 12. Not surprising since Collodi has about a million models, the same thing would probably have happened with Hamelin or maybe Kirai.

Final score: Collodi 8 - Lady Justice 5

Edited April 7, 2012 by iamarogue

[*Jack*]

Just made up a large batch of egg shaped counters to use in the first scenario, will post pics when they're done

[iamarogue]

This one didn't go over as well. They looked at the scenario and said that it was weird. Also, the scenario took a long time. After 2 hours both tables were on turn 4.

Summary: needs some reworking, or scrapping altogether. I thought that lots of close quarters fighting on the stage would happen, but the terrain got in the way. Also, the objectives and victory point conditions were weird.

One player stated that this was his favourite scenario, (Lady Justice) even though he lost, because the other two were familiar and he had never played anything like it before. I liked that the scenario changed depending on the round, so "it makes you strategize where to put your guys a little more." So maybe this scenario's not a write-off.

Game 1: Pandora vs. Collodi

This table placed a big forest in the middle of the audience (I suppose I should clarify terrain a bit) and then complained that it was too hard to move from the audience to the stage to the bar. Pandora was a bit screwed because she needed LoS but didn't have it (forest), and Collodi's dolls could just teleport next to Collodi, wherever he was. So that didn't work very well.

On turn 4, Collodi's player had his dolls attack Collodi since time was running out and he wasn't dead yet. So that probably didn't work as intended.

I should also state that the Pandora player is usually very good, despite now having lost both games.

Final score: Collodi 7 - Pandora 1

Game 2: Leveticus vs. Lady Justice

This one worked much better. The terrain had set up some walls (in the white area on the map) basically forcing the models to funnel from the deployment zone into the audience. That meant that the crews were close together and fought as intended. There was a lack of fighting on the stage, but Lady Justice was in melee and doing some devastation, killing the Ashes & Dust on turn 2.

I had thought that Leveticus might have an advantage on this scenario with the whole having to die and come back to life thing, and it is true, he got that victory point no problem.

Both opponents took Hold Out, which, combined with the bar area, made those schemes very easy to achieve.

Final score: Leveticus 7 - Lady Justice 3

---------- Post added at 04:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:30 PM ----------

Playtest Report: Easter Bunny Hunt

I hoped the Easter Bunny would last longer. Both tables the Easter Bunny died very quickly. We debated - increase armor? wounds? defense? One player suggested making the Easter Bunny permanent Harmless - which is a great idea, why didn't I think of that? So we suggested giving the bunny Harmless and Defense 8.

Game 1: Collodi vs. Leveticus

One of the dolls found the Easter Bunny on his half of the table during Turn 1. All of the dolls swarmed the poor bunny, who died by a thousand cuts. Having a high armor does not save you from a million attacks.

I can't say I'm surprised that this one was over so soon, since they were constructs versus constructs and therefore immune to Morale duels. It would have been the case too with Seamus, Ramos, C. Hoffman, McMourning, etc.

I had edited the scenario using TedPro's suggestions and realized that I had not written down what to do if the Easter Bunny was dead and there were still Bunny Holes! So I had to clarify, need that in an edit.

After the Bunny died, Collodi's crew was able to sweep across the board, filling in all Bunny Holes except for the one that Leveticus' crew managed. With 3 VP to 1 VP, the scenario was over quickly and they worked just on their schemes.

Leveticus succeeded at Grudge but failed at Bodyguard - he actually got tabled by Collodi. Collodi succeeded at Breakthrough and Grudge.

Final score: Collodi 8 - Leveticus 2

PS. The Collodi player is very good and usually wins tournaments.

Game 2: Pandora vs. Lady Justice

Pandora found the Easter Bunny in the middle of the table (for some reason, they put it in the middle of a pond, apparently it was an aquatic Easter Bunny). After missing two models, the bunny gave one of Pandora's crew a sugar token, making it nimble. Then Lady Justice charged it and killed it in one hit.

This was disappointing for me, because I thought Pandora would have lots of fun with enemy models failing their morale duels when approaching the Bunny Holes.

Pandora's guys were able to fill in most of the Bunny Holes, winning 2VP versus Lady Justice's 3VP. Like the first game, the scenario was over and it was just up to schemes.

This one was actually really close. Pandora ended up getting both her schemes and shutting down one of Lady Justice's schemes, winning overall.

Final score: Pandora 6 - Lady Justice 5

Edited April 7, 2012 by iamarogue

[Ozz]

Ohhh how justice and the vicks would love to play that third scenario (pace egging) I have to say that last one sounds very odd, but to me like the most fun

[Hateful Darkblack]

Awesome, iamarogue! This looks really fun. I'm super glad you playtested. It sounds like it was awesome!

I love Pace Egging and want to try it soon.

One question: When do the Masters on stage gain the Undead, etc. traits? And how long do they last?

And a suggestion for Easter Bunny: If the Easter Bunny is too easy to kill quickly, maybe give the Easter Bunny Hard to Kill and Regeneration 1?

Do you have any more edits planned? If not, mind if I link to this excellent thread?