Tale of Malifaux Bloggers Month 2 Purchases

Month one is over and done.  Onto purchases for this month!

For Month one I picked up the Bayou Boss box set ($36) and a box of Slop Haulers ($12).  I have $12 left over from this.

With Month two's $25, I have a total of $37 to spend.  I've selected:

Bayou Gremlins - $15.75

The more the merrier! So'mer is a total frat boy, he loves his bros.  Always handy, even without Lenny every Bayou Gremlin gets their one turn of glory.


Burt Jebsen - $8

This guy is nasty.  He's gone on a rampage in both games I've played him in.  With reckless he's lethal in combat.  With his Slippery ability I can keep him near a Bayou Gremlin or two to absorb any hits I don't want him to take.  Plus, with his defensive trigger, with a decent Ram or two, I can do a good amount of damage to anyone who misses me.

Pigapult - $22.50

What's not to love?  Flinging the newly created bros left and right is handy in many scheme pools.  Paired up with Lenny and the proper "Do it like dis!" from So'mer, I can summon out 2 piglets a turn for ammo!

This means I'm $9.25 over budget this month, which I will steal from next month's $25.


Got my first game in this month against Alex's Shenlong.  I lost 9-8.  Check out his sweet batrep!

http://malifaux.battle.directory/battle-report/ten-thunders-shenlong-vs-gremlins-so-mer-teeth-jones/view-full/104

A Day Late, but not a Dollar Short... #ToMB2 Month 1

Whew! I promise I actually finished painting in time!  Bases were finished in the meantime.

One last push to finish up this month's #ToMB2 #malifaux
— Marc Michaud (@themichaud) March 4, 2015

I got 3 games in with So'mer this month.

2 50 stones games just to learn the crew, and a 40 stone game last night in a 3 player game.  More on that later.


For the first game I played:
So'mer - 7 pool
-Family Tree
-Encouragement
-Pull My Finger
2x Skeeters
Lenny
-I'll Love it..
4x Bayou Gremlins
2x Slop Haulers
Johana

against

Lynch
-stuff
Huggy
2x Beckoners
3x Illuminated
2x Depleted
Doppleganger

Fun game, this was a totally learn-the-crew game.  We both were playing brand new to us crews.

I lost 5-3, with the key moment being a Black Joker when disengaging from a Depleted with a recklessing Bayou Gremlin to Deliver a Message (revealed) to Lynch.  I had a Red Joker in hand to cheat if necessary.

Key points:
Lenny reduces the Drunk and Reckless on the Bayou Gremlin to 1 dmg.
Lenny also just "burns a card" when taking horror duels, since if he fails he's immune to the paralyze.
So'mer draws cards when his gremlins explode.
Pull my finger isn't that great, very situational.
Skeeters, although Df7 are still fragile.


With those points in mind, I went into the second game.

Strategy: Reckoning. Schemes: Breakthrough, Protect Territory, Vendetta, Murder Protege. Deploy: Corner

So'mer - 4? pool
-Family Tree
-Encouragement
-Dirty Cheater
2x Skeeters
Lenny
-I'll Love it..
4x Bayou Gremlins
2x Slop Haulers
Burt Jebsen
-Dirty Cheater

(Burt isn't in my ToMB this month 1, but since this game took place in March and I'm buying him for month 2... I'm a dirty cheater!)

Perdita
-Trick Shooting
-Aura Ancestral
Enslaved Neph
Frank
-Diestro
-Wade In
Santiago
-Hair Trigger
Papa Loco
Nino
2x Latigo Pistoleros

I was playing against a newer player (his second game) this game, and knew he was taking Perdita.  In an ordinary game there is no way I'd play the So'mer Summoning Factory (tm) vs a declared Guild in Reckoning.  I also would take Protect Territory and Murder Protege, and focus on removing Francisco from the board.

So I didn't.  I took Vendetta from Burt to Frank, and Breakthrough.

My opponent set up his models in the stone wall, and looked intent on making me come to him.  Once again... normal game, I'm sitting put, collecting my territory points and summoning up a horde of gremlins.

So I ran at him instead, into the wall of firepower.

It turned out as expected.  I lost Gremlins in droves, but scored my 3 Breakthrough points and a Reckoning point.

He took Murder Protege and Vendetta from Perdita to Lenny (oops!) Lenny died to Perdita after slogging his way up the board.

Final score of 9-4.  I was able to help show him some tricks with his crew and tried to point out any obvious mistakes.

Key points:
Burt is awesome.
I need to watch Big Trouble in Little China
So'mer draws cards when a Gremlin near him dies
Skeeters are still fragile

With a couple games under my belt, I got together with Matt and Ed for Malifaux Monday.

We played a 3 player game of Headhunter.  Schemes: Breakthrough,Assassinate,Cursed Object,Deliver a Message. 

To ensure one of us wouldn't get ganged up on, we decided that the schemes must be declared against somebody.  For example, I took Cursed Object on Matt's Guild McCabe, and Breakthrough on Ed's Hamelin.

This meant I could only curse Matt's models, and I had to place schemes near Ed's deployment zone.

I took

So'mer

-Family Tree

-Dirty Cheater

Lenny

-I'll Love it..

Pigapult

Burt

-Dirty Cheater

2x Bayou Gremlin

Slop Hauler

Yeah, I'm still a dirty cheater.

This game went well, I only made a couple of errors.  Ed's Bishop charged Lenny and brought him down to 1 wound.  As it was the end of the turn, I had So'mer left.  I forgot Deliver a Message was in the pool.  With no cards higher than an 8 in my hand I charged in and hit Bishop down to 3 wounds.  This left So'mer in contact with the 3 AP Bishop.  Not a great move, since if I lost initiative or failed to kill Bishop, I would possibly be giving up 2 VP.   I would save Lenny, but I'm not sure if it would have truly mattered - his use was done by that point, and I didn't need him to score VPs.

I drew some more crap cards, but I had an 11 and a 6.  So'mer's Pig Prodder does 4 on a moderate, so I thought I could pull it off if I won initiative.  Ed flipped an 11, and I a 5.  I decided to stone for a re-flip and hit the 12.  

I focused and attacked Bishop.  His Df6 vs my Mi6, and he flipped a 13.  I had only a 8 and 9, so I missed.  My third swing hit the black joker, so Bishop survived.  He delivered a message with 2 AP, and killed Lenny with his third.  

My Bayou Gremlin also nearby finally finished Bishop off.

Ed and Matt beat up on each other, Burt ate a Wastrel, a Guild Hound, and a Rat King.  

I picked up 3 heads, dropped enough for 3 on Breakthrough, and cursed one of Matt's Wastrels 3 times in a row for 9 which was enough to secure the win!

In the next post I'll go over my next purchases for #ToMB month 2.  I wonder what sound a gremlin in a white tank top makes as he flies thru the bacon-y air...

Marine Engineering Officer

I've been interested in airbrushing miniatures for awhile now.  Looking at the beautiful work Angel Giraldez puts out, I preordered his soon to be released book on his techniques.  He's pioneering a lot of new ground with his methods.

Angel's style is basically using the airbrush for all basecoating, shading, and 80% of the highlighting.  He does only an edge highlight or two to bring some more definition to the detail.  He also uses pinpoint washes to add shading.  I've never been able to figure out how to use washes other than the "slop it on the whole area" approach, so I hope he goes into more detail in his book on that subject.

With that in mind I also purchased a new Badger Sotar 20/20 specifically to paint miniatures with.  My Iwata just doesn't have the fine detail that this brush can achieve.  It came highly recommended, and I see why now - it is phenomenal.  Trigger is smooth, it is easier to clean than my Iwata, and

After devouring various youtube videos, the Tom Schadle Icestorm tutorials, and anywhere Angel has posted tutorials, I set out to learn how to airbrush miniatures.

Here is my first attempt, a civilian model for Infinity the Game, the Marine Engineering Officer.

The blacklines are less rough in real life, I promise.  Overall it is about 80% airbrushed, all blacks and whites were done with it.  Blues, skin and hair were brush painted.  I also want to add a double yellow line on the base, as she is meant to be on asphalt and the base needs some more decoration.

Skin is Cork Brown, Flat Earth wash, Cork > Medium > Sunny Skintone

Things learned: Liquid mask is best applied thickly so it is able to be removed easily.  Silly putty can also be used for masking - note to self to pick some up.

Black is very easy to over highlight, shadows and midtones of black is black.  Only the highlights are brighter than the black.

Applying pinwashes is easier over a gloss coat.

I've decided to airbrush all of my new Gremlins for ToMB as well!  Here goes nothing...

Templecon 2015 Gaining Grounds Writeup

First Game.

Lady Justice -- 5 Pool
 +Badge of Office [2]
 +Last Stand [1]

Death Marshal [6]
Francisco Ortega [8]
 +Hermanos de Armas [1]
 +Wade In [1]
Guild Hound [3]
Guild Hound [3]
Guild Pathfinder [6]
Guild Austringer [6]
The Judge [9]
 +Plant Evidence [1]
 +Unrelenting Leader [2]

Standard Deployment, Extraction, Breakthrough, Assassinate

Vs

Von Schill
Librarian
2x Convict Gunslinger
 - Oathkeeper
Lazarus
Strongarm Suit

LITS, Breakthrough

Played my only solid game of the tournament this round.  Other schemes were not good, and with enough effort Assassinate on VS is doable.  I couldn't get at his Librarian so VS ate 3 charges from LJ and 2 from Frank before going down.

He didn't realize VS should have jetpacked out of there after I threw my entire crew at him, basically revealing my Assassinate.

9-7 win, getting my 3 from both strats and 3 from the strat.  I pulled 1 of his 4 LITS markers off the center with a DM double walk - Austringer deliver orders tag-team on the last turn.

-------------------------------------

Dr. Douglas McMourning -- 5 Pool
 +Evidence Tampering [2]
 +On the Clock [1]
 +Plastic Surgery [1]

Brutal Effigy [4]
Francisco Ortega [8]
 +Hermanos de Armas [1]
 +Wade In [1]
Nurse [5]
Sidir Alchibal [9]
 +Promises [1]
The Judge [9]
 +Unrelenting Leader [2]
Witchling Stalker [5]

Corner deployment, Reckoning, LITS, Frame for Murder (Effigy)

vs.

Perdita
Enslaved Neph
Pale Rider
- LLC
Francisco
- Wade In, LLC?
Papa Loco
Pistolero

Bodyguard (Pale Rider), something else

Jonah is an excellent and tough player.  He took a clever crew, I'm now just realizing that the Pistolero may have been added as a decoy Frame for Murder and to finish off any FFM targets I may have chosen to deny me VPs.  With Bodyguard in the pool and a LLC on the Pale Rider I knew he was the bodyguard, but I couldn't get at him.

In the end I got Papa Loco'd, terrain was setup in such a way he would have hard cover against any shooting from me and I wouldn't have the same.  With that in mind I had to bumrush him with my deathball, and Papa Loco is the anti-deathball.  He moved into my lines after I had activated my entire deathball, and I knew that was game over.  Tabled on Turn 3.  10-1 loss.

-------------------------------------

Lady Justice -- 7 Pool
 +Badge of Office [2]
 +Last Stand [1]

Brutal Effigy [4]
Francisco Ortega [8]
 +Hermanos de Armas [1]
 +Wade In [1]
Guild Austringer [6]
Hunter [7]
Guild Hound [3]
Guild Hound [3]
The Judge [9]
 +Unrelenting Leader [2]

Standard Deployment, Headhunter, Breakthrough, Distract

vs.

McM
Seb
Chihuahua
Nino
Francisco
Lone Marshal
Watcher

Breakthrough, something else

Game got off to a good start with a focused shot from the Austringer pipping a very well hidden Nino for 4.  Nino was dead on top of 2 with another Austringer shot.  This meant I was OK to do Headhunter, since the deny of Interacts is SO powerful.   A counter-deployed Lone Marshal eradicated my Guild Hounds which I fully expected.  He left Frank exposed and I was in position to charge LJ into him, sacrificing the Judge to tie up McM.  I lost initiative to his 8? with a 3 and a reflip with a stone's 6, and Frank was able to get Finesse up.

I figured D5 vs MI 7 is still a winnable fight for LJ even on neg flips and charged anyway.  I flipped OK on the first AP and he had a high card to make me miss.  Stoning for a positive, he cheated the RJ and I did as well.  I got 4 through, he stoned 3 away.  I missed on the third attack, and I knew Frank would survive.  Gotta kill him with shooting.   He's too good in melee.

I fully intended on using Frank to grab clone-Frank's head, pulling Judge out of melee with McM and popping a shot at Seb, but now that clone-Frank is alive I decided he too should charge.

2 misses later, 1 more huge mistake made.  Judge takes McM to the face and is down to his HtK.  He runs the Chihuahua in range of LJ, Frank, and the Effigy and moves Seb into place for the easiest 6 damage you'll ever do. That is basically game as I lose Justice to Frank after losing init again.

10-1 loss.

--------------------------------------

Sonnia -- 6 Pool
 +Cherufe's Imprint [1]
 +Reincarnation [1]

Guild Austringer [6]
Guild Pathfinder [6]
Hunter [7]
Samael Hopkins [9]
 +Witch Hunt [2]
Witchling Handler [8]
 +Disrupt Magic [2]
Witchling Stalker [5]

Flank Deployment, Reconnoiter, Breakthrough, Vendetta from Austringer to an Illuminated.  Should have chosen a Beckoner!!!

vs.
Lynch
Huggy
2x Beckoner
3x Illuminated

Unrevealed Take Prisoner, something else.

Very discouraged after playing 2 bad games in a row, I faced off against Lynch.  Never played against him.

Deployed my Pathfinder in a corner, who faces off against a Beckoner+Illuminated combo.  Beckoner walks, lures Illuminated, who double walks towards the Pathfinder meant he's basically in combat T1.  A focused shot misses, and his fate is sealed (I think).  Austringer nabs me a point for Vendetta.

I'm just now realizing that Final Debt requires the target to have Brilliance, and none of the models I lost to it (Sam, Hunter, Austringer) had Brilliance.  Oh well!

The Sonnia Stalker Factory gets moving as Sam lights the second Beckoner on fire and takes a shot.  End of turn the Beckoner dies and I get a stalker in base with an Illumninated.  His third Illuminated engages Sonnia.  I made a huge mistake as I moved up my firing line onto the Recon line which means I get zilch for the strategy basically all game.

Regardless, I'm winning the war of attrition and figure I can clean up a couple of Illuminated with Sonnia, Sam, the Handler, Hunter, and a couple of Stalkers.  Somehow I don't and only get 2 Stalkers through on turn 5 to drop a couple of schemes for Breakthrough.

Illuminated is just tying up my Pathfinder, and killing the traps I'm summoning in.  I realize this on T3 and note he must have Take Prisoner.  I have activation control and am able to save a high card on T5 to prevent his Take Prisoner.

A series of bad plays sees me losing 7-3.  By game end I have 2x as many models as him and I still only get 1 point for Recon.



Just a discouraging tournament of mistake after mistake.  I finish 17th out of 20th going 1-3-0.

I still have an aversion to playing Perdita - I think it is because I've been on the other side of the board and it isn't great fun to take your models off the table.  Need to get some games in with her and realize in a tournament setting playing powerful, reliable models is what you do.

In good news I'm finally getting the hang of McM, and I look forward to not playing with Francisco or the Judge for awhile.  I took Unrelenting Leader every game and never used it once, so that will go back on the pile.  I was thrilled with it after I used to to great effect with Frank, but I'm too focused on setting up the combo and don't do anything with the Judge.  He's still a good combat model, he has a defacto 3/5/6 Mi 6 sword, and his gun is OK.

Really, I just need to think more tactically, focus on VPs and prevent my opponent from scoring.  Realize that I need more shooting, and if I need to have the Judge be dedicated to killing a Watcher who is going to do Breakthrough, that is 100% OK.

I want to play more Malifaux.

Tale of Malifaux Bloggers - Pt 1

Hey all!

This is the start of my Tale of Malifaux Bloggers series in which I'll be assembling, painting, and learning how to play...

Gremlins!

For those of you not familiar with this format, it is detailed here: http://malibros.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/tomb-2-tomb-harder.html

Thanks to Ben for running this!


I own the vast majority of the Guild faction and have been wanting a change of pace.  I'm getting the hang of how to play Malifaux now.  Model interaction in your crew is KEY and I'd like to take crews that let me exploit this to the max.  The Guild has some good combos, but nothing like some other factions.  I also have never played a true summoning master (Sonnia doesn't count!)

I'd like something sneakier, more combo based.  Something with summoning and big, swingy damage.

Something small, green, and drunk.

Given the groan I have every time my opponent declares Gremlins, I decided that if I can't beat 'em, I'll join 'em.

Initially, the first tactic I see is to use Lenny to give all nearby models Rams  This allows any Bayou Gremlin nearby to trigger Dumb Luck when they shoot.  Although this damages them, with So'mer pumping out new bros as often as possible it should be effective.

I also LOVE having cheap and useful 3 stone minions who can be useful by themselves.  It isn't something the Guild really has.  I'm also looking forward to competing in the activation game (read: I might be out-activating my opponents!)

The Bayou Boss box from an Ebay seller was $36 with free shipping.   Here is my initial list.

Somer Teeth Jones -- 7 Pool

 +Encouragement [2]

 +Family Tree [2]

 +Quality Mash Liquor [2]

Skeeter X 2 [4]

Bayou Gremlin [3]

Bayou Gremlin [3]

Bayou Gremlin [3]

Bayou Gremlin [3]

Lenny [9]

 +I'll Love it and Pet it... [1]

35 stones total.

This leaves me $24 for the month.  Another box of Bayou Gremlins is $15.75 from Miniature Market which should allow So'mer to summon with wild abandon.  With some Slop Haulers ($12) to heal, this should be pretty effective.

I can also head down the Piglet route and grab a box of Piglets ($13.50) and a Hog Whisperer ($12).

Either way I'll be over my budget, so I may settle for the Gremlin wave 1 deck ($6) and the Slop Haulers and not bite off too much.  I still have Guild to paint for Templecon!

This leaves me with $6 to carry over to next month.

In the next #ToMB2 post, I'll be assembling and basing up my crew.  I'm going to head down the now standard "cork bases" route, with some water effects around the cork rocks.

Crackin' on with the Painting... Pt2

Painted up Sidir tonight! 

Along with pictures of the Executioners and the Brutal Effigy.

Painting Tracker:

Brutal Effigy - Done!
2 Guild Hounds - Done!
2x Hunter - Done!
2x Watchers - Done!
Scales of Justice - Done!
Latigo Pistolero - Done!
Sidir - Done!

Lawyer - No progress

Abuela - No progress
Enslaved Nephelim - No progress

"Proxy" Witchling Handler - No progress
Exorcist - No progress

Performer - Assembled and based
Zombie Chihuahua - Assembled and based

Peacekeeper - Still not gonna happen.

Also managed to get a "few" more models basecoated.

Crackin' on with the Painting... Pt1

Was a productive weekend painting.  Got a solid 5-6 hours in.

I finished, pictured:
2 Watchers
2 Hunters
2 Guild Hounds
Scales of Justice
Latigo Pistolero

Also finished but not pictured:
2 Executioners
Brutal Effigy

Keeping track from last post...

Brutal Effigy - Done!
2 Guild Hounds - Done!
2x Hunter - Done!
2x Watchers - Done!
Scales of Justice - Done!
Latigo Pistolero - Done!

Sidir - No progress
Performer - Delivered to the house today
Lawyer - No progress
Zombie Chihuahua - Delivered to the house today, since I lost my plastic one :(
"Proxy" Witchling Handler - No progress
Exorcist - No progress
Abuela - No progress
Enslaved Nephelim - No progress (added)

Peacekeeper - Not gonna happen.

8 to go!  2 weeks to paint left.

Also played two games against Ian, both losses.  Got curbstomped by the "Von Schill All-Stars" in Extraction and lost 10-4 or 5 to Dreamer in Headhunter.

I played
McM - 6 Cache
+On the Clock
+Plastic Surg
+Evidence Tampering
Seb
Executioner
Performer
Lawyer
Hunter
Brutal Effigy
Nurse

Don't think the poison build is for me.  Too fragile.  Seb is fairly slow and if he dies, it is really only McM who can deal the damage.

Templecon Preperations

I'm breaking this down into two parts.  The first, what I need to do gaming-wise to not my butt stomped at the Gaining Grounds tournament.  The second, once I have a good idea of what I'll be running I'll need to paint it up.

Gaming
My first task is to learn how to use Perdita.  I started my Malifaux journey with Sonnia, and picked up the Latigo Posse box mostly for Frank.  Having a ranged killy master already I wanted to branch out into other playstyles before I learned how to play another master of the same type.  So I ventured down the LadyJ path, and then into McMourning.

Having played Sonnia she's more than just a straight damage dealer.  I find her strength to be in placing Witchlings where the opponent doesn't want them.  I'm trying to come at her from more of a control/support master side now that I'm not just trying to cast Flameburst 15 times a game.  She is my go-to Recon master.

I found that Sonnia has plenty of damage output, but I think Perdita can do the targeted model removal even better.  I also like her Neverborn matchup as I think there are going to be a lot of Dreamers running around.

My core crew will be something like:
Guild Crew - 50 - Scrap

Perdita Ortega -- 7 Pool
 +Aura Ancestral [1]
 +Trick Shooting [2]

Enslaved Nephilim [3]
Abuela Ortega [7] / Papa Loco?
Francisco Ortega [8]
 +Wade In [1]
Nino Ortega [7]
Santiago Ortega [7]

Plus another 10-12 stones of models depending on schemes.

I'd also like to get some more McMourning games in.  I've been playing the Guild Henchman list with him which looks like

Dr. Douglas McMourning -- 7 Pool
 +On the Clock [1]
 +Plant Evidence [1]
 +Plastic Surgery [1]

Brutal Effigy [4]
Francisco Ortega [8]
 +Wade In [1]
Nurse [5]
Sidir Alchibal [9]
 +Promises [1]
The Judge [9]
 +Unrelenting Leader [2]
Witchling Stalker [5]

I want to explore some of his poison based shenanigans.

Dr. Douglas McMourning -- 7 Pool
 +On the Clock [1]
 +Plant Evidence [1]
 +Plastic Surgery [1]

Zombie Chihuahua [2]
Guild Lawyer [6]
Performer [6]
Sebastian [7]
 +Unknowable Pain [1]
The Judge [9]

Plus another 16 stones of models.

Knowing me I'll probably abandon the Perdita plan altogether and play exclusively McMourning, but it is a start.

I'd like to go into Templecon with at least 2 masters solid.  Right now I feel good about McM and probably LadyJ.  Probably need another Sonnia game to get comfortable with her again.  I'd like to try her with Papa Loco, as that + on Damage flips is crazy.

This leaves my painting list:

Painting: Every Master

Brutal Effigy - Good with any Guild Master who wants to deal damage.
2 Guild Hounds - Scheme runners, I liked them in the Stake a Claim game I used them.
2x Hunter - Recon games
2x Watchers - I still haven't figured out how to do Stake a Claim with Guild.  Maybe they are the solution?
Peacekeeper? - I'm kind of missing a big, tough beater.  Executioners don't have the staying power for a Turf War.

McMourning Painting:
Sidir - Promises, baby!
Performer - "Lures" and poison shenanigans.
Lawyer - My executioners have died before doing anything in every game I've played.  Dropping a Hard to Wound on them sounds amazing.
Zombie Chihuahua - For a 2 stone model he seems to have some utility.  Might be worth a go.

Sonnia Painting
"Proxy" Witchling Handler - metal Sonnia conversion.  Conversion is done.  I think she will add a lot to my Sonnia crews and make the Witchlings even more dangerous.

LJ Painting
Scales of Justice - Never thought this model was any good, but as I've played LJ I seem to burn through my hand quite quickly.  3 Stones to draw 2 cards on his go might do the trick, and the Wp buff is nice too.
Exorcist? - Liked him in my LJ crew as more ranged support with the Marshal.

Perdita Painting
1 Latigo Pistolero - Typical minion for a Dita list.
Abuela - Shotgun looks very good.

So that's where I'm at.  I have about 3 weeks to get this all done, with 17 models to paint.