New Strategies and Schemes! post them here

[Twisted Metal]

As DeusInnomen mentioned in the the "Is this game Dying" thread...

You know, I rather liked the call for more Strategies and Schemes. Why doesn't someone brainstorm some new ones? That'll keep us busy.

Well I think its a rather good idea. Post them here, try them out and share your play test results.

Ready...

Set...

Go...

[DeusInnomen]

Since it was my idea, it's only fair I add to the discussion, now isn't it? Here's a Scheme I've been thinking about trying out. This is conceptual and will clearly require testing and balancing.

Wanted for Questioning (Guild Only)

Someone in the opposing Crew has information the Guild needs. Disable them and bring them in!

Setup

Choose one of your opponent's non-Insignificant models.

Special

This scheme must be announced. Models in your crew in base contact with the chosen model may take a (2) Interact Action to conduct a Wp -> Wp Duel with the model. (This cannot be ignored by any talents or abilities.) The defending model gains a bonus to their Wp equal to their remaining Wounds. If successful, the model gains the Arrested modifier and is removed from play.

Victory

Score 1 VP at the end of the Encounter if the model was successfully Arrested.

Score +1 VP if the model was a Master or Henchman.

---

I'm still weighing the balance of this. My initial thought was that the Interact Action couldn't be taken until the target model had 1 Wd remaining, but part of me likes the riskiness of being able to try to Arrest while the model is still healthy. Requiring 2 APs to do the Arrest means you have to commit somebody to being deep in melee. This scheme can also easily be turned into a Story Encounter on its own.

[nix]

A while back I ran an event I called Minion Missions. It was a way to play Malifuax on a very very small scale, with no masters involved. These were the strategies for the game, but would work better in a full-size game as schemes:

Remove Evidence

A minor piece of evidence was left behind after a previous encounter. It is unlikely that this will be linked back to your faction, but the faction leadership has sent you out to make sure its not discovered. You do realize that bringing it back to the faction leadership would embarrass whoever left it behind and possibly improve your standing within the faction.

Deployment:

Your deployment zone is “Diagonal deployment”

Setup:

Place one 30mm objective marker completely within 12 inches of the opposite corner of the board from your deployment zone.

Special:

A model in your crew in base contact with the objective marker can make a (1) interact action to pick up the marker. While carrying the marker, a model in your crew can make a (1) interact action to destroy the marker if they are below half wounds. If a model is killed in melee while holding onto the marker, the marker passes to the killer. If a model is killed while not in melee, the marker drops onto the board at the location where the model died.

Victory:

Score 1 VP when a model in your crew picks up the marker.

Score +1 VP if at the end of the game the marker has been destroyed

Score +3 VP if at the end of the game the marker is not destroyed and the model holding the marker is within 3 inches of the corner of your deployment zone.

Score -2 VP if at the end of the game the Marker is held by an opposing crew or still on the board

The Plant

You are known within the faction as having light fingers. Faction leadership has decided to make use of this to have you plant some embarrassing documents with one of the other Malifaux factions. You have been sent to make sure these documents are deposited in the possession of the opposing factions minions.

Deployment:

Your deployment zone is “Standard deployment”

Special:

A model in your crew may make a (2) interact action while within 2” of the opposing crews minion. When this action is taken, you must make an opposed WK -> WP duel to avoid detection while planting the evidence.

Victory:

Score 1 VP for planting the evidence

Score +1 VP if you succeeded at the WK -> WP duel and were undetected

Score +2 VP if at the end of the game the model with the planted evidence is still alive

Score -2 VP if your crew was killed before turn 4

Mugging

Faction leadership has discovered that one of the opposing faction minions has been smuggling goods. It’s time to make an example, but things need to be kept quiet. Never the less, a brutal message must be sent, so your crew has been sent to deliver the message and retrieve the goods.

Deployment:

Your deployment zone is “Corners deployment”

Setup:

Choose one of your opponents minions and that model is given a 30mm objective.

Special:

A model in your crew may take a (1) Interact Action to make a melee strike against the opponent’s minion holding the objective. If this strike inflicts damage and the target is below half wounds, your model takes the objective.

Victory:

Score 1 VP when the opponent’s model is reduced to less than half wounds.

Score +1 VP if at the end of the game the objective is held by one of your minions

Score +2 VP if at the end of the game the model holding the marker is within 3 inches of the corner of your deployment zone.

Score -2 VP if at the end of the game the opponent’s minion holding the objective was killed by your crew

Gather Soul Stones

Faction Leadership has sent you out to pick-up Soul-Stones from a fairly safe pick-up point. Everything is was checked before hand, so this should be a straightforward task. This is Malifaux however, things can always go wrong.

Deployment:

Your deployment zone is “Standard deployment”

Setup:

Place 1 30mm objective in the center of the table

Special:

A model in your crew may take a (1) Interact Action while in base contact with the objective to pick up a single soul stone. Once a soul-stone is picked up, place a soul-stone marker with the model. While a model is holding 1 or more soul stones, it may take a (2) Interact Action to pick up an additional soul stone. Models holding 2 or more soul stones receive (+1) Fast. Soul Stones are dropped if the model holding them is killed and can be picked up by any other model with a (1) Interact Action.

Victory:

Score 1 VP per soul stone held by a model in your crew at the end of the game, up to 4.

Score -1 VP per soul stone held by a model in your opponent’s crew at the end of the game, up to 6.

[96p]

@Deus

How about, marking the model via an interact action and you get the points when you kill the model befor the end closing phase. +1VP for announcment as usual. (kinda like sabotage with models the other way around^^)

[DeusInnomen]

@Deus

How about, marking the model via an interact action and you get the points when you kill the model befor the end closing phase. +1VP for announcment as usual. (kinda like sabotage with models the other way around^^)

Ah, but that's the trick. Your orders are to Arrest, not Kill. That means you either have to beat them down a bit to make them have a harder time resisting arrest (literally, considering the duel flip) or take risks trying to arrest a healthy model.

Your suggestion makes me think of a one-two punch scheme, though:

Mark for Sniping

Setup

Secretly note a non-master, non-insignificant model in your opponent's Crew.

Special

A model engaged with the target model may take a (1) Interact Action to Mark the model.

Victory

Score 1 VP if a model other than the one who marked the target kills the target with a ranged Strike or Spell.

Announce: +1 VP.

[Vargas79]

Since it was my idea, it's only fair I add to the discussion, now isn't it? Here's a Scheme I've been thinking about trying out. This is conceptual and will clearly require testing and balancing.

Wanted for Questioning (Guild Only)

Someone in the opposing Crew has information the Guild needs. Disable them and bring them in!

Setup

Choose one of your opponent's non-Insignificant models.

Special

This scheme must be announced. Models in your crew in base contact with the chosen model may take a (2) Interact Action to conduct a Wp -> Wp Duel with the model. (This cannot be ignored by any talents or abilities.) The defending model gains a bonus to their Wp equal to their remaining Wounds. If successful, the model gains the Arrested modifier and is removed from play.

Victory

Score 1 VP at the end of the Encounter if the model was successfully Arrested.

Score +1 VP if the model was a Master or Henchman.

---

I'm still weighing the balance of this. My initial thought was that the Interact Action couldn't be taken until the target model had 1 Wd remaining, but part of me likes the riskiness of being able to try to Arrest while the model is still healthy. Requiring 2 APs to do the Arrest means you have to commit somebody to being deep in melee. This scheme can also easily be turned into a Story Encounter on its own.

Excellent concept. I'm keen to give this a go. I'm creating a narrative tree campaign and this would work very nicely.

Keep em coming!

[nilus]

Well for those who have not seen them

Here is my Adepticon Story Encounter

http://www.adepticon.org/wpfiles/2012/2012MalifauxStory.pdf

[DeusInnomen]

Excellent concept. I'm keen to give this a go. I'm creating a narrative tree campaign and this would work very nicely.

Keep em coming!

To convert "Wanted for Questioning" to a Story Encounter, make the following changes:

• Flip during setup to see who picks between the arresting side and the defending side, winner decides which side they are (reflip on a tie).
  
• Arrested becomes a condition as follows:
  * The model with Arrested gains Paralyzed and becomes Linked to the arresting model while affected by Arrested.
  * The arresting model has their speed reduced to 4/- while they are Linked to the arrested model. This speed cannot be increased by any means. (They're too busy dragging their prize to hustle!)
  
• The arresting model may take a (1) Interact Action to either drop the Linked effect or Link the arrested model to a different model.
  
• A model make take a (2) Interact Action to remove the Arrested condition from a model.
  

The new Victory conditions are as follows:

Arresting Crew

Score 2 VP if you successfully apply the Arrested condition to your target during the encounter.

Score +1 VP if the target still has the Arrested condition when the encounter ends.

Score +1 VP if the Arrested target is in your deployment zone.

Defending Crew

Score 2 VP if the target is not Arrested when the encounter ends.

Score +1 VP if the target had Arrested removed from it by one of your models.

Score +2 VP if the target never received the Arrested condition during the encounter.

(Yes, the third victory condition for the Defending Crew is +2. That ensures that if they have an absolute victory, they get a full 4 VP just like the Arresting Crew gets 4 VP if they arrest their target and pull them all the way to their deployment zone.)

Edited June 6, 2012 by DeusInnomen

[Mydnight]

To convert "Wanted for Questioning" to a Story Encounter, make the following changes:

• Flip during setup to see who picks between the arresting side and the defending side, winner decides which side they are (reflip on a tie).
  
• Arrested becomes a condition as follows:
  * The model with Arrested gains Paralyzed and becomes Linked to the arresting model while affected by Arrested.
  * The arresting model has their speed reduced to 4/- while they are Linked to the arrested model. This speed cannot be increased by any means. (They're too busy dragging their prize to hustle!)
  
• The arresting model may take a (1) Interact Action to either drop the Linked effect or Link the arrested model to a different model.
  
• A model make take a (2) Interact Action to remove the Arrested condition from a model.
  

The new Victory conditions are as follows:

Arresting Crew

Score 2 VP if you successfully apply the Arrested condition to your target during the encounter.

Score +1 VP if the target still has the Arrested condition when the encounter ends.

Score +1 VP if the Arrested target is in your deployment zone.

Defending Crew

Score 2 VP if the target is not Arrested when the encounter ends.

Score +1 VP if the target had Arrested removed from it by one of your models.

Score +2 VP if the target never received the Arrested condition during the encounter.

(Yes, the third victory condition for the Defending Crew is +2. That ensures that if they have an absolute victory, they get a full 4 VP just like the Arresting Crew gets 4 VP if they arrest their target and pull them all the way to their deployment zone.)

Some things to consider:

~ Perhaps changing your victory condition to include the model still being in play, otherwise you're opening the floor to someone squishing their own model for 4VP.

~ Do you choose a model in their crew or starting on the board?

~ What happens if a model becomes insignificant?

[DeusInnomen]

Some things to consider:

~ Perhaps changing your victory condition to include the model still being in play, otherwise you're opening the floor to someone squishing their own model for 4VP.

~ Do you choose a model in their crew or starting on the board?

~ What happens if a model becomes insignificant?

1. There needs to be a penalty somewhere if the arrest target gets blown away by either side. I'd probably weigh it as a loss of 2 VP if your Crew kills or sacrifices the arrest target. Not sure how to handle the problem of the target being buried.

2. A model in the Crew is the general way this is done, as I recall.

3. By the intent of the encounter, I'd say that shouldn't matter. I should probably reflect that by removing the "non-Insignificant" requirement.