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I am currently building a misaki crew, witch is heavily based on giving 1 or more posistivrs to my flips usening recalled training as a back bone and starting point and proactivly abusing torakage/katanka snipers built in posituves .......crew list is as follows

Misaki
-recalled training
-stalking bisento
Izamu
-recalled training
Yamaziko
-smoke and shadows
2x torakage
2x katanaka snipers

Pls any tips will help

Honestly, without a breakdown of the strategy and available schemes, list building is mostly irrelevant. Here's an exercise I use with a new master to get me in the right frame of mind.

Find four ways to score in each strategy and Line in the Sand.
Find three ways to score with each scheme generated by a suit.
Find two ways to score for each scheme generated with a number.

It's some work, but a good way to get your head around a master.

From a general standpoint here's my thoughts:

Misaki tends to leave her crew alone. If you utilize her Stalk to gain extra walks out of her that along with her 3 AP for walking means she is going to go much faster than Izamu. Yamaziko has that free AP for walking as well, leaving Izamu pretty much alone to crawl up. He does have that free AP for melee making him slightly faster, but it will basically be him slugging along compared to the other two.

The two torakage are also fast, and will be zipping around with smoke and shadows. They can essentially act independently from the crew as a pair but would be held back if they decide to tag along Izamu.

The pair of snipers are yet another independent factor that don't move around much.

So essentially you have a lot of models who don't synergize too much and will most likely be very scattered from each other. In a situation where plant evidence or Reconnoiter comes up this can be a good thing, but against a crew who acts as one unit they can pick off each element without much counter attack.

Misaki tends to build lists like this as she likes to do her own thing, and Izamu is a good balance to her as she likes to have a tanky beatstick around. You may want to try Wastrels over Torakage if you're looking for mobility, as Misaki or Yamaziko can lay down a scheme marker then they can teleport to it. Then Yam won't need smoke/mirrors so much and save some points for either another model or SS.

Take my advice with a huge grain of salt, though. I'm essentially a noob at Malifaux. I started with Misaki and have limited experience with her. I've mostly found though that learning what works for you comes down to playing around with different models and seeing what you like best.

Well Ik I said the basic strat of my crew list was to optimise +s on my attack with yam's braced yari and the snipers I can make a very efficient kill zone or an area my opponent must tred carefully while misaki and izamu can clean up or handle other problem s or holes that arise during a match since the torakage can essentially work alone

Don't use a set crew for all schemes. It severely limits you.

For instance, I'd not use that crew in Squatter's RIghts or Recon. Not enough models.

Turf War? Maybe. Same with Reckoning.

Malifaux is all about building a crew for the game of the moment. It's good to try out ideas, but don't hamper yourself by doing so.

Onto list advice. It won't really work. Yamaziko is there to support a list that functions as a blob.

Misaki really needs support in the early game.

Izamu is good, but Ototo is a better choice. Hard to kill, Shove Aside and Enraged make him a powerful beatstick.

Torakage are solid all rounders.

Katanaka snipers work best when you have a crew that works well for the game in hand and free stones.

Well I kinda been using yam and izamu as a team with the snipers to make a solid area where I can move freely with the snipers range and the braced yari my oppents find it hard to jus rush at me and I understand you make the crew based on the game but at my local store we have to have a set 50ss list and a.. 25ss sidsideboard for tournaments I do usually switch tora age and snipers for oiran for a more scheme marker based game and switch to ototo for ssummoning based crews Cruz of his +2 dam against slowed oppents but I personally find izamu + recalled/ broken promises gives him more stay in power were I kinda use him to road block with 4 dam if you charge either a + to him on all dules or a - to all actions against him with his own armor make him a decient wall that can hit back while the snipers either soften enemies for him or misaki it clean up the ones misaki left behind with her next target trigger while I either use the tora or.. the oiran for my scheme drones

 shadowofasoul wrote:
Well I kinda been using yam and izamu as a team with the snipers to make a solid area where I can move freely with the snipers range and the braced yari my oppents find it hard to jus rush at me and I understand you make the crew based on the game but at my local store we have to have a set 50ss list and a.. 25ss sidsideboard for tournaments I do usually switch tora age and snipers for oiran for a more scheme marker based game and switch to ototo for ssummoning based crews Cruz of his +2 dam against slowed oppents but I personally find izamu + recalled/ broken promises gives him more stay in power were I kinda use him to road block with 4 dam if you charge either a + to him on all dules or a - to all actions against him with his own armor make him a decient wall that can hit back while the snipers either soften enemies for him or misaki it clean up the ones misaki left behind with her next target trigger while I either use the tora or.. the oiran for my scheme drones

That's kind of taking half the game away. You generate schemes and strategies, choose your crew, and choose schemes based on that.

I see why you like Izamu and Yamaziko. I really do. There are just far better choices that synergise with Misaki more. Like Ten Thunders Brothers, Illuminated, Beckoners/Oiran, Sidir, and Ototo.

List and sideboard for swapping isn't uncommon though, and still allows some tailoring to schemes. It also prevents one person showing up with a suitcase of models who can deal with anything while others with less struggle.

I personally like the more common (around here, it seems) 2 masters and 100ss worth of models myself, as it gives flexibility without a need for so many models.

While the game is obviously meant to be played with the suitcase of models style, these sort of limitations in organised groups are really there to balance it out for those with fewer models - as he said, he plays in a group, and that's a limitation they all follow.

Yea we don't really play that style of play lol my local gaming store plays with the set crew list sideboard so planning ahead of time is essential I guess we're still stuck in our 40k ways lmfaoo but like I said my main crew list was originated to optimise the additional +s nd to also gain control of important areas on the board via yam nd the snipers while that frees up misaki to work alone on the outside as the torakage but I do appreciate the tips tho I do loath the fact of once again carrying around a suitcase of models its like PTSD of my ork/grots overrun it was a pain to lug around

I don't think you need to impose restrictions in casual play. I've got a pretty substantial collection (almost everything for Guild), but I don't bring more than about twenty models with me. It's generally a couple of masters plus supporting models, enough to give me flexibility without having to carry my entire collection around. The only time it makes much of a difference is when you have someone who's just got into the game and only owns 50ss of models. Otherwise most masters don't need you to change a lot around to cope with whatever strategy and schemes you flip.

I've played in fixed master and restricted pool size tournaments and enjoyed them. They do help to encourage newer players, and that's never a bad thing.

That depends on how structured your casual play is and if they regularly take in newer players. For some, casual play is still semi-tournament structured. Personally I feel a game like Malifaux benefits from it simply due to the wealth of options owning more models opens up due to how and when lists are constructed.

While people who play often will build up a core of models they like to take with each master they run, it can be voerwhelming for a new player with a starter and another box or two to play against someone who can pull out a unit to accomplish whatever they want while they're limited to their few models.

I do think 50ss and a 25ss sideboard is a bit too restrictive though. Like I said, I like the 2 masters, 100ss pool style myself.

The whole point of the game is to choose models for a purpose, and not list at the start, so it takes away a fair bit if you use restrictions. For example, I'm playing So'mer and Orphelia a load right now, and trying to get them learned.

If I play Ophelia and am limited to just her box, then I'm really not much use if I don't draw a killy type scheme.

For beginners it's fine, just play some pre-arranged schemes that suit both crews, but for the proper experience you shouldn't be restricting players.

 thedarkavenger wrote:

Don't use a set crew for all schemes. It severely limits you.

 grrrfranky wrote:
I don't think you need to impose restrictions in casual play.

The Division Of Joy wrote:
The whole point of the game is to choose models for a purpose, and not list at the start, so it takes away a fair bit if you use restrictions.

Listen to all of these tips, because they're all poignant, relevant, and capture the biggest differences between Malifaux and most other tabletop games.

Malifaux is a game where you're playing and catering to specific missions, which ought to be generated randomly. If you were playtesting for a specific type of strategy it would be a different story, but making something like an "All Comers" list for Malifaux is self defeating, because it's highly unlikely that you'll have a crew that can perform well in every combination of Strategies and Schemes generated.

To be fair, most players have a core of models they use for a master, and then models they sub in for certain schemes and strategies.

Starting with a single list and playing the game, then looking at other units and how they might work for you, is a perfectly valid way to pick the game up.

Though doing this I generally advise to start with a starter crew box and just play some games first before you start getting into the gritty part of working out your core.