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I seem to prefer PW to Malifaux... Huh...


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I started Malifaux in 2009, but didn't play a game till this year. So I've mostly been playing M2E, but I've been in contact with the game for awhile.

I've been playing Puppet Wars since the first private playtest, it got be back into proper gaming and remains my core game (only threatened by the future arrival of Arena Rex).

But as much as I loved PW, I always thought that Malifaux would surely be better, because it has more depth, more character, variety, etc. I've always defended PW, but even I thought it probably did just boil down to Malifaux Lite. Even if it didn't, as a player who holds character, themes and background above all else, it seemed clear that Malifaux would satisfy my creativity in ways PW never could.

But now I've had a good number of games of Malifaux, I I've realised just how different the two games are, and in doing that I've realised that I actually prefer Puppet Wars.

I don't really know where to begin, though i suppose I should start by saying this is not a negative post about Malifaux (certainly not of 2nd edition), but a positive one about Puppet Wars.

Recently I was explaining Malifaux to a player at my club, trying to tell them that Malifaux really isn't that complex (which it isn't). I told him that almost everything revolves around flipping a card, adding it to a stat then comparing it either with a TN or your opponent's total (cheating cards from your hand etc). But then of course there's the whole thing about working out the difference of a duel, finding out what the modifier is, then flipping for damage, before working that out too. Then I thought about PW, and how I just need to flip a number of cards equal to my Cb stat then pick one which is equal to or greater than the opponent's defence stat (possibly replaced by a card viz dodge). The way PW does it just felt so much smoother. I think less about creating Malifaux players now, and more about introduing them to PW.

Then when playing Malifaux I missed not being able to play as many cards from my hand as I wanted; choosing a value and stacking the suits. I know it would break triggers like Critical Strike, but in PW it just felt a lot less restrictive (more about managing your resources). And of course I rather liked having to use up the full deck before reshuffling, because with my luck it helps to have at least some idea of what to expect.

In Malifaux I'm always being out activated, whereas in PW there's only 5 per turn (with around 9 models per player), every player has the same toybox size and better yet, losing models actually gives me access to more resources (upgrades). Animation requirements also really help balance toyboxes and games. Whereas in Malifaux I'm always struggling with crew selection ("ooh it's too expensive, ooh it's cheap but it's too weak"), in PW a high AR model feels like a great gamble that will pay off one way or another (just not as great as you might think).

Of course many people would say PW is too simple, that the puppets are all the same. I mean they're saying it about M2E and it's still more complex that PW 1st edition. But unlike Malufaux, where losing models isn't nearly as rewarding (unless your a Rezzer I guess), I love the brutal nature of PW and the chess like element (which remains intact imo). I see puppets as tools that do one or two things with potential to do more, but I have be focussed and decisive with them, because either way they're not going to last long. A puppet may not be able to do as much a a model in Malifaux, but a puppet will always do one useful thing (even in death), whereas in Malifaux I can pay 12SS for something that proves absolutely useless (especially in death). Also getting slaughtered in PW isn't that bad, because at least it happens fast. I do love the way Schemes and stuff work in Malifaux, but losing is still losing.

As for the narrative elements I love so much, I can't really play Malifaux that way, because the rules always get in the way. I love the fluff, and I do enjoy the game, but I can always see the game's gears grinding away. With PW, there's less fluff, but still tons of character and atmosphere. Because of its simpler design, I can think of PW how I like, which happens to be a bit like Pokemon (Evil Baby Seamus: "Razorspine Rattler I choose you!")

I can't wait to buy a handful of Malifaux crews come Gencon, and I hope to play a lot more, even convert some players, but I'm just a little surprised that my loyalty to PW remains not only intact, but stronger now that I feel that it can actually stand up against Wyrd's flagship.

So no offence to Malifaux intended, I just felt it worth sharing, and I wonder if anyone else feels the same.

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I'm getting a nervous twitch waiting for unstitched to be released. As you say, I really enjoy the fast pace, the simple rules etc.

Don't get me wrong, I too really enjoy Malifaux (played my first game of 2nd ed last night, and it was fantastic), but there's something inherently laid back and "daft" about puppet wars, which really draws me in.

On a side note, in 2 recent Malifaux tournaments, I finished (at least) one of my games between 40 and 60 mins before the "end of the round"... perfect puppet wars playing time! Really can't wait for Unstitched. Also I may end up running Puppet wars Malifaux crews every now and then (now that proxies are allowed, and there're going to be faction decks for 2nd ed).

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