McCabe start

[Spellscape]

Hi all

Can someone give me advice what is best to add to mcCabe starter to play standard games - I'm new to Malifaux gameplay

[Joel]

It depends what style you wish to play. If you want to sit back and shoot, add a drill sargent, guild austringers and a maybe riflemen

If you want some hitter try adding a warden or two instead, or maybe that always useful guild minion, witchling stalkers.

[Ryu]

Yup, just what Joel said. McCabe is a pretty versatile master, so you need to decide what kind of crew you want. Shooty? Ninja-y? Stabby? A mix?

Something cool I've been wanting to try for a while (note: pure theory at this point):

Open Spoiler

A cool trick with McCabe is to take the Drillsergeant + 3 Riflemen and the Badge of speed.

The sergeant gives a + flip on ranged strikes within 4". You then companion two of the riflemen and use their all actions. That's 6 shots with a positive twist - not much is living past that.

Then you activate McCabe and drag the riflemen up and sergeant (if you need) reactivate one of the riflemen then companion him with the last rifleman and do it again. If all goes right, that's 12 shots with a positive flip from 4 models (McCabe would still have 2 actions left so technically could get to 14 shots from 5 models).

A smart opponent would try and stop this bulletstorm from happening but with an 11" range and a 4" pull from McCabe that gives you a pretty generous threat of 15". It won't go off all the time, but when it does it will be glorious.

[Spellscape]

for now I've ordered Relic Hunters Box Set , THE WITCH HUNTERS - Sonnia Box Set, and 1.5 Rulebook + deck of cards

So I don't mind any strategy help. maybe it would be best to use simplest strategy for a start

Is it possible to buy models that would work for both starters (but not mandatory) ?

---------- Post added at 05:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------

Also wanted to ask about Terraclips - are they durable how many Streets and building sets needed for the standard sized table?

[Bazin]

For Terraclips, It really depends on how you're planning on building the terrain. If you plan to have everything connected and no table showing underneath, then you can probably do that with a box of Streets and Buildings of Malifaux plus 2-3 boxes of clips.

If you're just wanting to put up buildings around the table, a single Buildings box should get you there.

Now, for my McCabe crew, I just picked up the Lucius box and Riflemen. I think the pieces there will provide a variety of options that will be painful for my opponents.

Edited March 15, 2013 by Bazin

[Adran]

Thats a pretty good range of models to start with. I would play them, trying out the different models there for your crew before you decide what else you might want.

You can get a 3x3 board out of 2 packs of Terraclips. I have 1 streets and 1 buildings, and can manage 3-4 buildings on a street layout and you can't see the table beneath. it does use a lot of the small floor tiles and get a little fiddly but it is ceratinly do-able and produces a decent board for playing on. Streets and Sewers are probably better at Table covarage where as Buildings will add the most height to your board. I don't know what combination of the Dungeon rise stuff is wanted, but I think they cover a similar amount to Buildings.

Of course 1 set of buildings produces enough for 2-3 medium buildings with intersting play space inside, or 5-6 smaller buildings to use as scatter terrain.

[Jewomie]

With the Terraclips, don't forget the connectors. They do NOT come in the same box. you have to order them separately.

As a general rule, i find that you need about 2 boxes of connectors for each box of cards you get. You can do a 1 to 1 ratio, but you'll be cutting it close on some of the clips.

I LOVE the terraclips though. They look great for what they are, and they have been surprisingly durable. I tote them back and forth every weekend to my LGS and built my table in 18"x18" segments for easy storage on top the fridge.

Sadly, i can't help you much on the models. I was a bigger fan of the Lady J/Perdita side of the guild.

Good luck!

[Spellscape]

I know that mcCabe also works as Ten Thunders - how is that and how to use him this way?

[Ryu]

From my experience McCabe kind of just plays exactly the same in 10T. Though as 10T he can bring along Kang, which can be quite awesome. He can use some Torakage for swaps or ten thunders archers - but I'd rather use riflemen.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of using McCabe as a 10T model is the potential of an alphastrike companion chain, but this only applies to 10T models.

In all honesty I haven't used him as 10T or seen him ever used as 10T though. I might try and do that this weekend if I get a friendly in rather than the Adepticon practice that has been taking all my time (sadly I'm not going, but most of my opponents seem to be).

[micahwc]

With terraclips, I ordered 3 street sets. I really wish I had ordered a building set instead of the third street set. 2 sets of streets is more than enough to completely cover a 3x3, and probably enough for a 4x4. I have 2 sets of clips and it has been enough, but I don't clip every piece. 3 or 4 would be better.

[Agreen53]

I have found that with McCabe I really have to fight the urge to run McCabe out and fight on his own. In the 3 games I have run him in, he died all three times because he was unsupported. McCabe should avoid melee with melee models. Besides that build to the strategy.

[Spellscape]

Do I need latest book to use mounted models like McCabe?

[hippodruid]

Having the books isn't a bad thing. It can help give you an idea of which models you might want to include in a crew and what you'll be playing against. That said, I only own two of them and the rules manual. Do you need them? Not really, no. The stat cards come with the models, and the rules for play are centrally located (either in the Rules Manual or Malifaux 1.5 book).

But McCabe is unique in that he's the only mounted model that can lose his mount in the course of play, either by choice or violence. Storm of Shadows contains rules for using him as the 10 Thunders faction and specific schemes and strategies that he can use. It can enhance his play, although it is not the beginning or end of it. The other mounted models appear in the other books and play much, much differently from McCabe.

[Agreen53]

The only thing that would be needed from the book for McCabe is the chart of what he can hire when ten thunders and the rules for wound allocation as that is different for McCabe than all other models.

[hippodruid]

That's true. I'd forgotten about the wound allocation rules, probably because I've only played him once.

[Spellscape]

Do I need some kind of special templates for Malifaux and the Guild - or only standard counters?

[Rameses]

Do I need some kind of special templates for Malifaux and the Guild - or only standard counters?

If you have Sonnia you'll need at least 2 50mm bases for Firewalls and Pyres (if you have the avatar)

With McCabe you'll need one 50mm base for the netgun when you're mounted.

[i_was_like_you]

I have found that with McCabe I really have to fight the urge to run McCabe out and fight on his own. In the 3 games I have run him in, he died all three times because he was unsupported. McCabe should avoid melee with melee models. Besides that build to the strategy.

Depends on the relics you take with him, your hand, and your flips. I rush him out there all the time, and haven't had him fall yet, in three player games. Ryusei and Seiezan both think McCabe's unfair like that.

Strange Metal Shirt and Invigorating Bridle have been an auto include so far. Apply up to three wds to the mount, then start taking some wds to McCabe himself. Use the (0) from bridle to heal up the mount (which, for some reason tends to flip severe heal 3s all the time), then McCabe can choose to heal himself for (1) Ap (whereas McCabe tends to only flip weak or moderate to heal 1 or 2...but he did red joker for me once), if needed.

To rush into melee, taking Glowing Saber for paired might also be a good idea. I also tend to abuse (2) Ride Down to Push him into or out of a sticky situation. And don't forget, he likes to be In The Thick Of It, gaining +1 df for each model he's engaged with after the first up to a +3 df. Df 8 is not shabby at all.

---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 PM ----------

If you have Sonnia you'll need at least 2 50mm bases for Firewalls and Pyres (if you have the avatar)

With McCabe you'll need one 50mm base for the netgun when you're mounted.

And keep one 50mm base set aside as a marker for McCabe's net gun. It'll let you slow a whole group after aiming at a weak df model in the wrong place.

[Spellscape]

Also waned to ask about markers - they are 30mm bases - do I need to make them at least 2 inches tall?

[Ryu]

Update: The rifleman spam strategy above works wonderfully. Like I said before, you're not going to get that off every turn but when you do...man it's insane. Almost killed two ice gamin on turn 1 this last game (got 1, the other escaped with 1,2 or 3 wounds I don't remember. It then hid most of the rest of the game).

Traps are also amazing. AMAZING.

[i_was_like_you]

Also waned to ask about markers - they are 30mm bases - do I need to make them at least 2 inches tall?

Not necessarily. Markers tend to be ht 0 unless otherwise stated. Flame / ice pillars tend to be ht 5, so 5 inches, instead of 2 inches.

---------- Post added at 12:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:13 AM ----------

Update: The rifleman spam strategy above works wonderfully. Like I said before, you're not going to get that off every turn but when you do...man it's insane. Almost killed two ice gamin on turn 1 this last game (got 1, the other escaped with 1,2 or 3 wounds I don't remember. It then hid most of the rest of the game).

Traps are also amazing. AMAZING.

Speaking of Traps, have we gotten an update of what the Pathfinder & Traps box will contain for $21.00? I'm hoping two Pathfinders & six Traps, as that's the only way we can get them, and they go to rare 6 with a Pathfinder or McCabe on the table.

Forgot to pick up Drill Sergeant from JAC Games after work tonight. Grabbed some washes, glanced at the 'Faux, coulda swore I needed something...I'll just have to remember when I go to pick up my Pathfinders, Vanessa, Gracie & Wong next week, so I can try this spam tactic.

[gally912]

Speaking of Traps, have we gotten an update of what the Pathfinder & Traps box will contain for $21.00? I'm hoping two Pathfinders & six Traps, as that's the only way we can get them, and they go to rare 6 with a Pathfinder or McCabe on the table.

One pathfinder, Four Traps

[i_was_like_you]

One pathfinder, Four Traps

Do you have a link that supports this? Because that would be lame for $21. And it'd be one more thing to add to the thread on piecing out models on ebay. "Bought two pathfinders, have two extra traps for sale." Are there going to be two separate boxes with two separate sculpts, a la Austringers?

Found it:

http://www.frpgames.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=91859#.UUVtgLtZ7ms

Still lame for the price. No second sculpt. Two traps short with one one or two traps too many with two. No stat cards likely in the shop, as they haven't been updated on there in, well, years, considering book 3 models are still awol.

Edited March 17, 2013 by i_was_like_you

[Spellscape]

Are Guild Hounds good for McCabe and Criid?

[Guardian]

Definitely!