Two Thursdays ago Joel and I got together to play Malifaux. Brian also showed up, but didn’t get a chance to play. I played my Neverborn (almost fully painted!) crew and he wanted to try something different:

My Crew:

• Pandora
• Baby Kade
• Candy
• Sorrows x3
• Convict Gunslinger
• 6 Soulstones
• Strategy: Treasure Hunt
• Schemes: Bodyguard, Hold-Out

Joel’s Crew:

• Marcus
• Sabertooth Cerberus
• Hoarcat Pride x3
• ? Soulstones
• Strategy: Treasure Hunt
• Schemes: Sabotage, Bodyguard ?

Deployment was Standard.

For terrain there were several trees, a few low walls, a forest and a CD-sized ruin subbing for Hazardous Terrain.

The game began with the Convict Gunslinger moving to get behind one of the low walls to use for future cover. Marcus and the Cerberus moved closer to the Gunslinger. Pandora and friends moved closer to the center with Pandora using the Pacify/push 4″ trick. It feels dirty using that ability, by the way. Next turn the Convict Gunslinger wasted the Cerberus through use of (2) Flurry and the Trigger Happy…trigger. The Hoarcat Prides tried moving in on Pandora and her buds, attempting Devour a couple of times, but failing (whew!). Eventually the Hoarcat Prides each fell to the power of Kade and/or Self Loathing. Marcus was all that was left. In an amazing flip of cards, one of the Sorrows was able to Paralyze him and the rest of the crew had their way with him. Candy picked up the treasure, but was unable to get it to their deployment zone. At the end, while figuring up VP, Joel said that the Scheme he had was Sabotage and the wall where the Gunslinger was standing was his objective. Joel said several times that he just doesn’t see how Marcus is good at all. Personally, I don’t know, but I do know that Candy and Kade both fear Hoarcat Prides and I fear the Cerberus pretty seriously.

This past Thursday, byt the time I showed up, Brian and Joel were finishing up their game with Perdita and her crew versus Joel’s Rasputina crew. Perdita and all the guns in the crew wiped out Joel’s crew to a man. I know Brian completed his Strategy, but I don’t know what other points were gained by either side.

Here are some pics of this game:

Terrain setup:

Joel’s deployment:

My deployment:

2nd turn immediately following the Convict Gunslinger killing the Sabertooth Cerberus:

5th turn, I think:

Brian offered to have Joel and I play after they finished. I played the identical crew I played the previous week. Joel, however, went back to Rasputina.

My Crew:

• Pandora
• Baby Kade
• Candy
• Sorrows x3
• Convict Gunslinger
• 7 Soulstones
• Strategy: Treasure Hunt
• Schemes: Kidnap, Hold-Out

Joel’s Crew:

• Rasputina
• Ice Gamin
• Hoarcat Pride x2
• Hans
• Sabertooth Cerberus
• 5 Soulstones
• Strategy: Treasure Hunt
• Schemes: Bodyguard, Sabotage

Deployment was Corners.

Terrain was mostly element terrain except for a forest and a CD-sized Ruin.

Since I was the winner for deployment, I deployed in the corner nearest the forest. I wanted to use it to gain cover from Hans and maybe slow folks down from charging. Most of the first few turs involved my crew moving into this forest and having Kade go around one side of it. The Convict Gunslinger moved toward the other side behind a tree. The Hoarcat Prides, Ice Gamin and Rasputina came down that same side while the Cerberus stood far enough away from the forest on the opposite side to look all menacing. Hans moved toward the center to get better shots. For quite a while it looked like the Cerberus and Kade were going to just stare each other down the whole game, but eventually the Cerberus decided to strike first. He moved in to Charge Pandora, but did only a few points of damage. Kade then Charged him in return to finish him off. The Hoarcat Prides moved up and took the treasure and tried to get back home with it as quickly as possible. The Ice Gamin fell to Pandora and Candy’s Self Loathing spells and Rasputina fell to the Gunslinger. Pandor and crew started moving to catch the Hoarcat Prides and eventually killed off the one with the treasure, where it dropped the treasure just outside the deployment zone. Pandora then finished off Hans, leaving Joel with the one Hoarcat Pride in the center at the end of turn 6. we called the game at that point. Neither of us got any points for the Strategy. He got no points for his two Schemes and Ionly pulled out 1 VP from Hold-Out, having forgotten that Kidnap requires the target to die to melee attacks, of which Pandora has few and has the possibility of killing the target with her ability where they take 1 Wd from failing Willpower Duels. Again, I felt dirty using the Pacify trick to move Pandora (yet forgot to push her when the opponent failed Wp Duels!), but looking at her 3″ Mv, I guess I don’t feel too bad about it. Another great game with Joel!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Right now, this is my absolute favorite game to play! The card mechanic and the characterful figures make it a blast to play.