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I'm working on my first Malifaux crew. I've got the five piece Ortega set and an Austringer. My plan for now is to add the Judge, Abuela Ortega, and an Enslaved Nephilim.

My first total noob question is: Aside from the "mini" Rules Manual, what books do I need to buy? Since each model comes with a card, do I have to buy the expansion rulebooks? Is there anything that I will miss if I don't buy them?

Second total noob question: I really like the idea of Mercenaries, because I like the idea of having a Crew with a lot of variety. Is it wise to invest in Mercenaries? Or is it a waste of my SS?

I was looking at getting a Melee-centric model such as Ama No Zako or Taelor to balance the Ortega's emphasis on Ranged combat. I also like the idea of having Hamelin around as a support/utility model, and to buy those other little minis that I think are "cool" but not normally available to the guild. Are these decent figures to add? Or can I get more bang for my buck somewhere else?

- Solo Sam

You technically don't need any of the books since the models all come with cards. With that said, be wary that Malifaux 2nd ed is being released in October, so some of your models and cards will be changing.

Mercenaries are not a stable faction on their own, unless you're using the Viks simply because mercs are outcasts for the most part. But I'm finding myself using them in more lists, because they can provide alternatives. My Pandora crew uses Sue, I've seen desperate mercs used in Lillith crews. A waste of SS? not really, but it's personal preference.

I would suggest maybe looking in faction first to cover weaknesses in your crew or to help achieve your schemes. Personally I would think more along the lines of a,Guardian for Santiago, maybe a couple of Watchers & or Wardens for objective grabbing.
You really don't need any of the rulebooks accept the mini one & with 2nd edition coming around they will become pointless rulewise, but you would be missing out on some rather good fluff.

the concept of adding a "beatstick" or tank to the Ortegas is nice, though I don't think you can find a better/cheaper one as a Merc than from your own faction.

Taelor is pretty nice, but as tough as she is, things like the Guardian are tougher and cheaper. The nice thing is she can hit like a ton of bricks as well.

One nice concept is using Abuela Ortega and then "Shotgun Wedding" in another model to have the Family Characteristic.... She also offers limited healing and honestly Taelor with healing would be pretty nice. Couple in Abuela's manners ability that circumstantially speeds up your models and I think maybe it's a nice fit for you to try?

In the end, give it a try and see what you think. The neat thing about Malifaux is player styles can really vary and as long as you stick to your strategy and schemes and work some types of combinations, you usually won't go wrong.

Can't go wrong with Taelor! Fairly relisilant for a living human which helps her get where she wants to be, which is combat! Also helps she has a 3" melee range!

As someone who plays the Guild exclusively (at least, these days), I'm not a particularly big fan of Abuella. While her Shotgun Wedding has potential for some alpha strike shenanigans, her cost doesn't really justify that benefit.

Furthermore, her healing flip is a (1) action, rather than a 0, and she's not exactly limber, meaning she'll struggle to keep up with the rest of the crew if you're on the move. She has a mask 'baked into her cast', as I recall, but the Enslaved Neplim is almost as good (also has a mask, though lower cast, but only costs 2 stones instead of her... what, 7?)

An Austringer is a good start. If you're willing to branch out into other crews, Hoffman's box set isn't bad. The Hoffball can be fun to play, and while the Hunter isn't great for its cost, the Guardian and Watcher are excellent figures, meaning that (at least whenever I look it up) you end up buying the box for those 3 and essentially get the Hunter 'for free' versus buying them individually.

So my suggestions are the Enslaved Nephlim, a Guardian (in a box or solo) and perhaps the Brutal Effigy (if you want an option to run with other than her totem; as an Object it's incredibly hard to kill, only costs 4 stones, and has a (0) healing flip). If you're looking for melee range killing power, an Executioner isn't a bad idea. A little pricey and in dire need of Melee Expert (though they kind of fix his issue with the change to charges in 2.0 it seems) as it is, but combine him with the Nephlim to Obey him into charging a target and he can just start wrecking things. Against crews with lots of piddly little minions, he can become a terror as he heals up whenever he offs an enemy figure.

But I do agree with others, might want to hold off on the mercs, as the Guild offers significant options in-faction that can often deliver similar or better results for an equal or lesser (ss) cost. If anything, Desperate Mercs are pretty solid; cheap (flat 2 stones, no merc premium unless you want them to stick around past turn 3, and if you have stones to spare and absolutely need Significant figures, can even make them lose Insignificant with an additional stone), decent ranged figures and you can even get a little reckless with them offensively (or just throw them in the way of something big to mess with your opponent) if you don't really care if they stick around. Though admittedly, I'm more prone to using them with Sonnia.