first purchase advice.

[tinfish]

Hey folks, thinking of picking this up sometime in January and struggling a little.

Found a nice starter lists PDF on this forum which helped a lot, so it made things a little easier.

I am wanting to get into the game and will need 2 "gangs"? the main rules, probs some other stuff Which is why I am posting here.

Considering the following to get started, although so many gangs appeal to me that I will no doubt branch out so I can buy all the models I like, for now I want a "starter set".

Thinking of picking up the following.

Main rules V2.

Mother of monsters

young cherub

Cherub

gang 2

torch and the blade

witchling handler

sonnia criid alternative model

First question, using the started guide it lists Sonnia Criid alternative model as a part of the starter suggestion, why would I need 2 of her? (there is a criid model in the starter box, who just looks different.)

Second Q, I assume I need some cards? Will 2 decks suffice?

Terrain I can deal with at a later date, I have enough for now.

Am I missing anything? Markers and the likes?

Cheers in advance.

I forgot a Q, if I am playing something like Flames of war, I look at an "army book" and it lets me decide what I want to buy, let's say a king tiger = so many points, can be used in "such and such a force".

I really have no clue at all how the heck I decide who can and can't be used in Malifaux.

I like the Nurses, the Ronin, some of the named characters and so on and so forth, it seems pretty hard to work out which models I could buy and use.

It is straightforward with some systems (dust = buy germans for the german force) here, I am without a clue lol.

Any pointers?

Edited December 24, 2013 by tinfish

[Argentbadger]

Welcome to the forums.

If you're just starting Malifaux without a community around you (which I suppose is the case if you need to start with two crews for different factions) then I'd recommend that you dispense with the additional blisters and simply buy the two boxed sets for whatever you fancy. Lilith and Sonnia both have plenty to recommend them and will probably keep you entertained for a long time in Malifuax if you enjoy the game.

As you're probably aware the game recently transitioned to a new rules edition so some information you find might relate to the previous version. If the pdf recommendation lists the Witchling Handler then this may now be out of date because at the time of writing the Handler is still undergoing beta testing (see the relevant subforum for the current rules which may or may not change).

If you play any other games then you are probably awash with spare bases of various sizes that you can use for counters and markers. Once you get going you might want to customise your markers (e.g. bodies on corpse markers etc) but most people locally are content to simply use blank bases.

You could theoretically use a normal poker deck of cards to get started (we certainly did) so long as you can differentiate the jokers. But the game play does get a lot easier if you use the fate decks as they have the correct suits listed to match the stat cards.

So my recommendation is to scale back your initial buy in to the M2E rulebook (big or little depending on how much you value the stories) and two crew boxes. If you find the cards easier then perhaps also add in a pair of fate decks. Then, once you play a few games, you can look at the other options and start expanding from there. That way if you decide that Malifaux isn't for you then you haven't spent so much on it. Personally, I really enjoy the game and quickly expanded from my initial purchase of the old Sonnia box.

Finally, if you go to Malifaux.com there is a crew creator application which can help to determine which miniatures are hirable by the various masters. There are a lot of dual faction miniatures and out-of-faction hiring rules spread across the game.

Good luck.

[DavicusPrime]

Argentbadger hit a lot of the main points. I'll see what I can add.

You build lists in this game by faction. You and your opponent pick the game size in soulstones (Translation: Soulstones = points). Then you declare the faction you'll be using. Then you randomly generate the strategy and schemes that will determine the winner (Think Mission and side missions). You, then, pick which master or henchman from your chosen faction to lead the crew (Master or Henchman depends on the size of the game) then you hire your crew from whithin the faction. Some models are dual faction which means either faction shown on their card can hire them, and some are mercenaries that can be hired by anyone but cost an extra soulstone if they're from outside your declared faction. You can only ever have a single master in your list, but there are no other restrictions by type.

For markers, you'll need 30mm and 50mm disks. There are folks who have made some nice art work that you can print onto card or on paper then glued to card (like I did) that you can find on the forum here. I've used a combination of extra 30mm bases and card markers with graphics from Ratty's token and marker pdfs. Scheme, Scrap and Corpse Markers are all 30mm, while blasts and Lilith's temporary terrain markers are all 50mm.

Start with any of the new Starter boxes and the main rulebook. I suggest the full rule book rather than the small one as it has all the rules for all the wave one models so you can see what's available to all the factions.

Hope that helps.

-DavicusPrime

[tinfish]

Thanks folks. As the rulebook lists some odds and ends I may well just drop the blisters then, would certainly make it a bit easier to cough up for the other odds and ends (card decks)

Should hopefully be able to work out from the rules which additions I require too.

I would have thought they would sell Malifaux specific markers, I can always use home made ones however.

Still nosing around UK stores to see who, will be best to buy Malifaux from, although Wayland seem to have a fair amount of stock. Untill the v2 book is released, I won' be buying anything. Looks like mid to late Jan for that one anyway.

Cheers for the feedback.

Oh, I will want the full book btw, seems a bit pointless diving into a hobby and skipping the whole "why this game exists" bit

[Vodkanought]

Hi if you are looking for somewhere to purchase in the UK I can highly reccomend either Simple Miniature Games(nice bloke) who I buy from at gaming conventions and who also have a warehouse and shop in Christchurch,Dorset(if thats near you) or for my online purchases between shows I use Dark Sphere who have a shop near Waterloo Station,London but also do online sales(handy as I have no shop anywhere near me).

I used Wayland for a couple of different purchases and wasn't impressed and haven't used them since and nor will again.

[tinfish]

Yeah wayland have had their probs, that said not many are quicker at shipping items marked as in stock, they got better with OOS stuff too.

I am up north, near newcastle. With the death of Model Zone I have 0 model/gaming stores of any kind anywhere near me, makes royal mails idiocy about shipping paints a real joy.. costs me £6 to have a pot of paint shipped these days lol

I will bookmark Dark Sphere, see what their stock levels are like.

[Vargas79]

I highly recommend Element Games - I've been using them since September and their prices are amongst the best, whilst their customer service is by far the best of the sites I've used.

[tinfish]

They do seem to have most stuff in stock, or "enroute" to being in stock.

Tempting to grab some odds and ends Friday, but it would mean settling for the little book, doesn't look like the big one will be out for a while.

[tinfish]

Ok, I settled on what I will buy as I got more than expected for my xmas bonus.

M2E rules manual (no clue when the big 2nd ed book comes out, will buy it when it does)

purple and gold card deck

Lady justice box set

Criid box set

Raspy box

Lillith box

(all are 2nd ed it would seem)

streets and buildings of malifaux would be next... if ever again they become available.

I noticed some Hired Swords, they look cool, are they not out yet?

Who uses/fields Beckoners? Also, if I did want them, am I looking at needing an Arsenal box aswell?

I am used to army books, Malifaux is therefore a tad confusing

[DavicusPrime]

It does take some getting used to, doesn't it? :-P

My usual opponent has the new Hired Swords Box, but he got it at Gencon so he has a bunch of stuff the rest of us have only recently been able to get.

Beckoners are Neverborn who can be hired by any of the other Neverborn masters or Jakob Lynch who is a Ten Thunders Master.

Arsenal boxes are useful for getting the generic upgrade cards for a faction and for getting the M2E cards for any of the older models you might already have. You can theoretically just photocopy the cards out of the rulebook and put the copy into a card sleeve so you can use dry erase markers, but it's annoying. On the flip side, since you're just getting into the game, you'll have less need for the arsenal decks than us established folks.

What I've been finding is that buying the decks and new models, you're going to end up with multiple copies of cards you only need one of. But that seems to be par for the course. My usual opponent and I have ended up spliting arsenal boxes since we have masters in the same factions. Then we've photocopied the generics so we both have a copy.

-DavicusPrime

[Mike3838]

A Beckoner is nice with Lilith to Lure models into range of the Nephilim - they get free attacks when someone is pulled close.

Their rules are in the main M2E rulebook (expected release end-Jan) but if you want stat cards got them you'll need the Neverborn arsenal deck.

---------- Post added at 07:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:04 PM ----------

Hired swords is the Viktorias (Outcasts) box. It should be in the shops already

[tinfish]

I found the hired swords now thanks, oddly I was looking for them in the shop here and didn't find them. Maybe the search function is being difficult.

Humm.. need to drop a box to buy them lol, difficult choice. Guess poor old Raspy will have to wait.

The idea I have so far is to order most of the stuff 2morro (card decks are due with the store I will use, so hopefully I won't be waiting too long, everything else is in stock)

get the rules and minies, spend time learning the game.

later on I will grab the big rule book for the fluff (I think it is important outside of something like WWII gaming) and grab a blister or two for each of my factions, once I know what I am doing, I will know how to expand the 4 sets I am buying to bring them all to a similar point value, I imagine that out of the box there are some differences.

I realise 2 boxes I am buying are from the same faction, thing is I like Criid and the lady Justice box has some of the best models I have seen, so I will find a way to cope, it will however at least allow me to mix and match from that specific faction.

Lillith is just too cool a model to skip out on for now, will no doubt grab more faction boxes at some point (I don't mind paying "fair" prices for things, since dropping out of a stupid hobby, I have never had so much fun exploring other things FoW, Dust, Mansions of Madness, Bolt Action, and now Malifaux.)

For now I just want to avoid grabbing V1 boxes with V1 cards and suffering extra confusion ontop of the learning process, very unique game is Malifaux, it is making my head spin.

Anyway.. Revised set and the one I added to the cart and will be buying

rules/lite, 2 card decks

mother of monsters

torch and blade

hired swords

lady justice

spending a bit more than I planned, but it ought to last me a while.

Choice of models is pretty much down to "ooh, pretty!".

[tinfish]

Ok, waiting on one deck of cards but got the rest. Taelor will have to do without her belt it seems, that flew away during assembly

Love the models, if not the assembly, I expected these to be larger for some reason. Seem on par with 28mm.

Slowly (very) getting the grasp of the rules, a step by step guide with examples would help in this hobby, it tends to be par for the course with games these days, surprised I can't find one for Malifaux.

Took me nigh on 14minutes to work out why some cards didn't have numbers, I guess those are the 1's.

[Mike3838]

Try this series of blog posts for a step by step walk through of one of the key mechanics:

http://gmortschaotica.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/m2e-for-beginners-basic-opposed-duel.html

Some of the assembly can be fiddly indeed. Good to hear you got the important bits stuck on there though!

[tinfish]

Just what I was looking for, thanks!

This game makes me feel like I never played any game of any kind before, maybe it's the cards lol. Looking forward to the big book hitting the shelves over here now, interested in the background info.

I like the look of ME2 models compared to Me1, guess I chose the right time to enter.

[Titcher]

Hi tinfish, where are you. It might be good to contact your local henchman (experienced player in your area who can show you the basics) and run through a game with them

[tinfish]

Outside Newcastle (UK) I think theres bonly one gaming group round these parts and it clashes with work (evenings).

[tinfish]

Quick daft Q, just an example.

Sam Hopkins decides to use his Huntin' tools to hit Vick of Ashes. I cough up one action. She is within 1" range.

I decide to drop a soulstone to add a plus to my flip.

As there is no TN it is an opposed duel.

I flip 2 cards ( I bought the second with my soulstone)

First is a 4 Ram, second is a 13 Ram, she flips a 7 Ram.

I add 6 to my score of 13 and score 19 (Highest card so I chose it)

She adds 5 to her score of 7 and scores 12

I win by 7

As this is "opposed" the rules on page 52 (mini book) take effect.

There is therefore no modifier on the flip for damage.

I pull a Crow 9 for Moderate damage and inflict 4 wounds on Vick.

Now I am not sure I am understanding the rules so far, I hope so lol.

Here however is where my problem lies.

Trigger is a Ram (Critical Strike).

For each Ram in the duel total the trigger does something, easy enough.

Confusing lies here, what is my final duel total? his MI has a Ram, so there is one. I drew 2 Rams, however I chose to use only one card, so is that one or two Rams?

She drew a Ram, do I include that? Or only my own.

Not sure if I get 2, 3, or even 4 Rams in the final duel total.

I will suss it out, got a day off work and finished assembling everything (Vick and Lady J sets I am releived to be done with lol)

I don't mind being pointed to a page number if something is too tiresome to explain (or against board rules).

Cheers.

Btw, the fact that having a Ram in a stat means you get to include that as part of your duel for any triggers is something I found out via a website, so I could have it wrong, guess I haven't reached that page in the rulebook yet, or missunderstood it.

[Mike3838]

Your Duel total includes any suits from your chosen card, as well as any suits built into your stat.

Hopkins' total is therefore 19 Ram Ram

Vik's total is 12 Ram

You can use your two Rams to activate the critical strike Trigger and add +2 to your damage.

The Ram that is in Vik's Duel total can be used by her for any Df triggers she might have (I don't think she has any though). Sam can't use the suits on the enemy Duel total.

The low Ram that Sam flipped but didn't choose to use, goes straight into the discard pile when you choose not to use it.

[tinfish]

Thanks!

[tinfish]

Well, on track so far.

Finding it hard to work out what belongs to Me2 on this site, for some odd reason things like Pandora and the Viks are missing from here.

Been browsing element games, but you end up looking for a little ME2 sticker on a thumbnail, so not ideal lol.

so far I have

rules

2 fate decks

Sonnia Criids crew

Lady J's crew

Lilith's crew

Vik's crew

Misakai's crew

Oiran and Beckoners.

Will be looking at Seamus, Pandora and Rasputina and keeping an eye on new stuff come March or so, obviously will need some faction decks for upgrades if nothing else.

Managed to eventually get the last set assembled, despite being left with a spare thing that looks like a small fan and a pair of Nunchuks. Never did find any assembly instructions lol.

Seem to be getting a grasp of the rules too, roll on March when I can buy some more stuff.

[Joel]

You could check out my blog - I've got a faction breakdown of every master which includes detail of which wave they are in

Joelfaux.blogspot.com

[tinfish]

cheers