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The last week I've been looking around the nets on Malifaux M2E and how it is, as my FLGS has got some boxes on display for some time now, and I've seen a lot of good stuff - Pull My Finger is just as good for Malifaux as Battle College is for Warmahordes and 1D4chan for Warhammer 40K, but nowhere at all can I seem to find any explanation of the actual mechanics of the games. By now I know we use a poker deck of Rams, Masks, Crows and Tomes to determain how well everything in the game goes and is this games analogue to dice, Schemes and Strategies are the games important parts and a lot of the fluff have been gulped down (I do that, it fills the hungry historian within me who I will never truly release because I don't like books too much.

My problem is that I can't find even the smallest mention of the system itself. It's not like I need the full ruleset, I just need to know more of how it works to know if I want to invest in the game or not, and the 'net isn't making that part easy for me. Battle College and 1D4chan at least has vague explanations to the rules, Malifaux just... Doesn't.

So, can you experienced Breachsiders help me get through the Breach and into the game itself? Either by explaining it plain or lend some sort of link?

Any help would be appreciated!

How it works:

When two models interact (shooting, combat or spells ect) both sides flip a card from their deck and add the relevant stat. The highest total then wins the duel. However, both players have a 'hand' of cards they can 'cheat in' to replace a poor card. An example would be like this:

I have an Attack stat of 5 and flip a 9 for a total of 14. The enemy has a defence stat of 6 and flips a 10, for a total of 16. At this point, he's going to win, but I have a Queen in my hand (12). I Cheat this in and have a total of 17, so I win.

The next thing to note is that some attacks have 'triggers', which activate extra abilities if you flip a certain suite. In the above example, if the card I cheated in was a Ram and I have a trigger for extra damage on a Ram, extra damage is done.

You'll see references to Positive and Negative flips, which work as follows: a positive you flip two and pick the highest, negative you flip two and pick the lowest. Positive and Negative flips cancel out, so if you had two Negative and one Positive you treat it as just one Negative flip.

The last thing to know is Action Points. Basically, each Action has an AP cost, and most models have 2AP a turn, so do two actions usually. This can be two actions the same, like walk-walk, or two different ones like, walk-shoot or shoot-interact.

Hope that gives you some idea, for more I'll just point you to this set of great tutorials:
http://gmortschaotica.blogspot.co.uk/p/malifaux-tutorials-m2e.html

Thank you, that really helped be get a grasp of the system! I shouldn't be need much more now, other than to get some Crew... Ramos isn't a dick to the people, but Lady Justice is basically a female, blind murderer Batman... Decisions, decisions.

I have to say the Lady J crew is a great one. Almost every model in it is Hard to Kill (Negative flip on all damage!), and capable in shooting and CC. Justice herself can take on nearly anything in combat and has some very nice tricks. The Judge can even cast a spell to move the enemy for you, out of cover or into charge range ect. The Death Marshalls are some of the coolest models ever made for any game!

Yeah, read up on that - The thing is, gameplay is second to fluff to me. I want someone that I like the fluff of and can relate to, which is why I love both the Orks and Dark Eldar of 40K, for example: Orks are just fun and have a distinct connection between gameplay and fluff, as most models are exactly how the fluff potrays them, and Dark Eldar for how they manage to be so unpolluted, inrevokably freaking evil!

So, the fluff of Ramos is cool, but the models aren't that cool I find. I don't feel likem playing with constructs or with hordes and he does both, so that's maybe out of my league. I like "Lawful" types of factions, and the Guild is the epitome of that - Problem being that they lost the equally important "Good", just like the Imperium, and come out as dicks. The Ortega's are bros, but I don't like their fluff too much, and Sonia Criid is an enormous prick. McMourning is a Resser and therefor eeeewwwwww, Lucian doesn't have current models and can't fight a straight fight while also being Neverborn and I can't for the life of me find fluff on Hoffman.

Among other factions I've looked at Viktorias because of their pretty cool, zany fluff, but the models had scared me off because of how revealing and arguably degrading some of them are, Ironsides for the pretty cool artwork and the low-life-with-a-heart-of-gold-attitude and maybe, MAYBE Ophelia for her fluff and for redneck Orcoids.

My playstyle is often straightforward but tactical - No blunderin' around with my boys. I pick fights when I can win, retreat or relocate when I cannot win, use every advantage and make sure I know my enemy so I can counter him properly. So, not too many shenigans and tricks (Pandora, Jacob Lynch, Leveticus). I like themed forces too and wouldn't take a model if I don't feel it fits.

No love for the Thunder? They are pretty neutral, but their fluff is very "honourable" so it might up your alley.

If you are looking for a good character I would argue that Mei Feng would suit that somewhat well. She uses constructs but a lot of hers are also human. From what I have read I would say shes is fits the lawful (in someways) and good (in some ways). She is an arcanist and a ten thunders but its pretty clear she really does care about the people that work under her. Heck she literally rebuilds them so they don't have to become indebted to the Guild (and thats a pretty nice thing to do considering no one else seems to help these poor people out). Yes she is part of a criminal organization that is the Ten Thunders but she really doesn't seem like she wants to be there so its more of a forced life choice and shes trying to make the best of it (but thats just the vibe I get from reading about her and her fluff).

You say you like Orks in 40k because you can relate to the fun side of them. That's what they've done with Gremlins. They've about the level of 2nd edition 40k Orks for silly fun.

Mathieu Raymond wrote:No love for the Thunder? They are pretty neutral, but their fluff is very "honourable" so it might up your alley.

ClockworkChaos wrote:If you are looking for a good character I would argue that Mei Feng would suit that somewhat well. She uses constructs but a lot of hers are also human. From what I have read I would say shes is fits the lawful (in someways) and good (in some ways). She is an arcanist and a ten thunders but its pretty clear she really does care about the people that work under her. Heck she literally rebuilds them so they don't have to become indebted to the Guild (and thats a pretty nice thing to do considering no one else seems to help these poor people out). Yes she is part of a criminal organization that is the Ten Thunders but she really doesn't seem like she wants to be there so its more of a forced life choice and shes trying to make the best of it (but thats just the vibe I get from reading about her and her fluff).

-Loki- wrote:You say you like Orks in 40k because you can relate to the fun side of them. That's what they've done with Gremlins. They've about the level of 2nd edition 40k Orks for silly fun.

You all catch the ball pretty well, but my problem is that eastern lore and fluff really isn't interesting. Shocking, I know, in a time of manga, anime and sushi that's weird, but I just don't feel it. Gremlins are fun and all too, but now that I have Orks I think that might be enough fun* for the time being. Thanks for your contributions though - They have been great!

I had catched a glimpse of Mei Feng the other day but I don't really know If I like Ten Thunders enough to take her - In that case, I'd rather go with, say, the Viktorias for their neutral stance in things, or maybe just Lady J, because at least some of the stuf she does is good for the people.

Or maybe I should just throw all my ideas out the window. When I started 40K I promised myself not to touch the Orks, because of how brutal and warlike the were, too, and look where I am now...

 The Wise Dane wrote:

Mathieu Raymond wrote:No love for the Thunder? They are pretty neutral, but their fluff is very "honourable" so it might up your alley.

ClockworkChaos wrote:If you are looking for a good character I would argue that Mei Feng would suit that somewhat well. She uses constructs but a lot of hers are also human. From what I have read I would say shes is fits the lawful (in someways) and good (in some ways). She is an arcanist and a ten thunders but its pretty clear she really does care about the people that work under her. Heck she literally rebuilds them so they don't have to become indebted to the Guild (and thats a pretty nice thing to do considering no one else seems to help these poor people out). Yes she is part of a criminal organization that is the Ten Thunders but she really doesn't seem like she wants to be there so its more of a forced life choice and shes trying to make the best of it (but thats just the vibe I get from reading about her and her fluff).

-Loki- wrote:You say you like Orks in 40k because you can relate to the fun side of them. That's what they've done with Gremlins. They've about the level of 2nd edition 40k Orks for silly fun.

You all catch the ball pretty well, but my problem is that eastern lore and fluff really isn't interesting. Shocking, I know, in a time of manga, anime and sushi that's weird, but I just don't feel it. Gremlins are fun and all too, but now that I have Orks I think that might be enough fun* for the time being. Thanks for your contributions though - They have been great!

I had catched a glimpse of Mei Feng the other day but I don't really know If I like Ten Thunders enough to take her - In that case, I'd rather go with, say, the Viktorias for their neutral stance in things, or maybe just Lady J, because at least some of the stuf she does is good for the people.

Or maybe I should just throw all my ideas out the window. When I started 40K I promised myself not to touch the Orks, because of how brutal and warlike the were, too, and look where I am now...

I would say to give stuff a try that you are unsure of. I mean I was in the same boat a little while ago (Heck the entire feel/genre mix of Malifaux seemed really sketch but then I took at closer look and now I love it). In the end I just dived in with the Lynch crew with no regrets. I too am not a huge fan of the Ten Thunders but oddly enough that makes me like the characters that are apart of it due to circumstances and not because they want to (Feng and Lynch- at least that's the way I read their fluff).

I was going to say you can always play me I fang as an arcanist. Essentially though there are no "good" guys in malifaux.

ClockworkChaos wrote:

 The Wise Dane wrote:

Mathieu Raymond wrote:No love for the Thunder? They are pretty neutral, but their fluff is very "honourable" so it might up your alley.

ClockworkChaos wrote:If you are looking for a good character I would argue that Mei Feng would suit that somewhat well. She uses constructs but a lot of hers are also human. From what I have read I would say shes is fits the lawful (in someways) and good (in some ways). She is an arcanist and a ten thunders but its pretty clear she really does care about the people that work under her. Heck she literally rebuilds them so they don't have to become indebted to the Guild (and thats a pretty nice thing to do considering no one else seems to help these poor people out). Yes she is part of a criminal organization that is the Ten Thunders but she really doesn't seem like she wants to be there so its more of a forced life choice and shes trying to make the best of it (but thats just the vibe I get from reading about her and her fluff).

-Loki- wrote:You say you like Orks in 40k because you can relate to the fun side of them. That's what they've done with Gremlins. They've about the level of 2nd edition 40k Orks for silly fun.

You all catch the ball pretty well, but my problem is that eastern lore and fluff really isn't interesting. Shocking, I know, in a time of manga, anime and sushi that's weird, but I just don't feel it. Gremlins are fun and all too, but now that I have Orks I think that might be enough fun* for the time being. Thanks for your contributions though - They have been great!

I had catched a glimpse of Mei Feng the other day but I don't really know If I like Ten Thunders enough to take her - In that case, I'd rather go with, say, the Viktorias for their neutral stance in things, or maybe just Lady J, because at least some of the stuf she does is good for the people.

Or maybe I should just throw all my ideas out the window. When I started 40K I promised myself not to touch the Orks, because of how brutal and warlike the were, too, and look where I am now...

I would say to give stuff a try that you are unsure of. I mean I was in the same boat a little while ago (Heck the entire feel/genre mix of Malifaux seemed really sketch but then I took at closer look and now I love it). In the end I just dived in with the Lynch crew with no regrets. I too am not a huge fan of the Ten Thunders but oddly enough that makes me like the characters that are apart of it due to circumstances and not because they want to (Feng and Lynch- at least that's the way I read their fluff).

What I've found great is that Malifaux covers so much and it all works. I was having a game on the weekend with my brother that had Chinese archers and kung fu masters accompanied by a huge, armoured undead warrior fighting demon-like Nephilim accomanied by a huge carnivorous teddy bear (who wound up having a titanic fight in the center of the board, with the Teddy throwing the other around like a plaything) and it absolutely worked. The silly and the serious and the cliche and the downright frightening all mesh so well in this game. You could have a bunch of drunken kung fu Gremlins accomanied by a walking keg monster leaking alcohol everywhere fighting monsters from your worst nightmare amongst western or victorian era buildings and it just works.

Breng77 wrote:
I was going to say you can always play me I fang as an arcanist. Essentially though there are no "good" guys in malifaux.

Yeah, that's basically it - Everyone are dicks and out for themselves in Malifaux, that's why people go to Malifaux, to get a slice of that delicious soulstone cake!

Maybe I'll just go for those I find to be coolest in general - As I mentioned, Dark Eldar is awesome because they care for civilians - Not in a good way of course, in the most horrible way possible, but it makes them so... Down to earth. Orks blow up planets for the lulz, the Imperium destroys entire sectors to gain a small foothold, all that ignores the common man/woman/alien/gripply thing. Dark Eldar has to hunt the weak and kill them in horrible ways, or they'll die - It helps that they enjoy it, too!

So, looking at this, Viktorias aren't bad. They are headhunters out to get wealthy and nothing else, so that's cool, or maybe Ramos, because, in the end, we are talking money! We might even mention Seamus for his nasty rep and pretty interesting playstyle!

That's why I started with Lilith. I like characters that care. She cares. About the Nephilim. She doesn't care about humanity, and wants them gone so her Nephilim can prosper again.

Lady Justice isn't a dick. She keeps the people safe!

It's just like the real world. There is no provable moral absolute. Factions serve their own interests.

I love the action/reaction mechanic. I read this late last night all hazy, and I left the tab up. It may have been said, but pick up the 2nd ed mini rulebook for dirt cheap, watch a couple intro batreps and the rest of the stuff will fall in place.

Just read some more lore on Viktorias - It's gonna be them. They are the right balance of interesting character-dynamics (One is the calm and stern, the other the playful and curious, and one of them is a non-evil Neverborn, which is great in my book), the other characters are cool too (I love the Student of Conflict and especially Taylor (Welcome to Malifaux Motherf****er!)) and their models are... Well, great, but maybe a bit too... Much for my taste. I like my models, and especially female ones at that, the same way I like my food - Tasteful. Then again, I hated Space Marines once, but you gotta start somewhere, right?

And, if I ever feel like expanding my list, I will now have loads of mercs to put into those lists, so that's a plus as well.

Now, the Viktorias. How do they play? From what Pull My Finger can tell me, they are highly mobile Hit and Run fighters, who excel in melee... Is it tough to keep both Vikorias alive? Should I focus on many or few upgrades (Many upgrades looks like it might become a nightmare of management, but if that's what I gotta do to keep my sisters on the field, I'll gladly do it.)? Are the Ronin good for this list, or should I expand my list later with other models instead?

Also, thanks for all your help - It's greatly appreciated!

Viks are like 2x half strength masters. Expect one of them to die, because at 7 (might be 8) wounds a piece they are fragile. Real glass cannons though, because you can absolutely wreck gak with them. And with 5AP between the two of them (vs 3AP for a regular master) they get to do a lot with their turn. There a couple of standard upgrades that go on the Viks that most people take (looking at you Sisters in Fury, Mark of Shez'uui).

Ronin are good, they've got flurry and you can't charge them, you can also sacrifice them to gain 2 soulstones (which is tactically handy sometimes). They also got decent attack and damage stats with great triggers on their melee attack. Taking 3 ronin may not be the best, but taking two in a Vik list almost always happens.

The Hired Swords (Vik plastic box) is great. You'll use most if not all of that box all of the time. It comes with the Viks, 3 Ronin, Taelor (a melee beast), and Student of Conflict (a great totem with Sister trait). Past that, get Vanessa. She's (Viktoria of)Ashes' little sister, a competent spellcaster and also has the Sister trait.

Past that go wild!!

My first game was using the Lilith box against my brother using the Hired Swords box. The Viks hurt if you let them get close - I stupidly let Vikktoria of Ashes get into melee with Lilith and got murdered). Taelor is a tank as well as beatstick - she held up Barbaros for I think 3 turns, and nearly killed him as well. I'm glad he didn't use the Student of Conflict properly (he wasn't using her buffs, just using her as a really weak melee fighter). He beat me soundly as it was.

Student's actually kind of hard to use because her buff is a two AP action. You want (I did anyways, the first few games) to use her first turn but if you do then you won't get to use it till turn 3 because you'll need to move her into position. Unless your crew is getting charged itself you want to double walk her into place so she's where you need her when the shiz'nit goes down.