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Hey folks, I'm here searching for a general consensus on the game and I've got a few questions?!

I used to play quite a lot of 40K many moons ago, and well now I'm having my hobby heart strings tugged once again. Unfortunately I no longer have the time or desire to pursue a life absorbing hobby such as 40K... a minimum 2 hour game length.... £300 barrier to entry.... a barrage of constantly changing rule sets, well it's just not what I'm looking for.

So I've always admired the Malifaux models, the sculpts are genuinely beautiful and well needless to say I'm an avid steam-punk fan.

So I thought i'd take a looking to the world of Malifaux, would I be able to start playing after painting just a few mini's?

What is the cost to entry?

Is the game difficult to pick up? (you can use 40K/Fantasy for context)

How long does a game usually take?

Lastly I've been browsing the models online and couldn't find a specific 'starter box' is there one?

Any and all answers would be brilliant!

Cheers guy's

malifaux is a great game, its got great depth and the victorian lovecraftian feel is awsome!!
each crew box is a starter set, and is all you really need to start playing, that and the rulebook, the mini rulebook is cheap and a fate deck or poker deck, so the entry to malifaux is less than 3 times cheaper than warhammer!

its a pretty easy game to understand, if you have played any mini game your half way there in the rules for any other game i feel, it takes alittle time to get used to using cards instead of dice, but its alot more fluid and works really well

a starter box game is like half hour to an hour, but if ur like me and chat and stuff around heaps it will take longer lol

the minis are beutifully designed and you really see the charecter in them, its maybe one of my favourite games out of the dozen i play, requires abit of tactical thinking but its light hearted enough, not as unforgiving as warmahordes but still requires abit of synergy as the master is the lynchpin of many crews but doesnt always require them to be alive to win a game, unless your a necromancer inwhich case he needs to be on the table to keep the undead monstrosities walking.

hope this helps

The cost to entry is quite low, if you want it to be. Under $100 (or, I don't know...£65). That should cover the mini rulebook, a starter box, and then a couple other models to bring your crew up to 50ss (which is the level the game is balanced for and commonly played at). You will be tempted to spend much more, because the models are freakin' great, but that's enough to start.

The game is easy to pick up, but also is very complex. The card flipping mechanic really can take a lot to get used to. However, the plus side of the complexity of the rules is that THEY MAKE SENSE. Unlike other games, the rules are clearly worded in, like, 99% of cases. If you have a question, a reading of the relevant rule will almost always lead you to the correct answer.

Games, unfortunately, do take a very long time to play. Even though most crews will have fewer than 10 models, the truth is that most models, even the cheapest ones, can do SO MUCH every turn that the game ends up taking about as long as a 1500 point 40K game.

Malifaux is very likely the best designed minis game I've seen, so I would definitely say it's a wise investment of your gaming budget.

 tomjoad wrote:
about as long as a 1500 point 40K game.

While I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, it is true that it takes longer than you'd think.
Models don't just have shoot and melee as their only options. Everyone has unique and fun skills that make every match-up hard to predict.

It's a great game to get into if you have an opponent or two that you will reliably be able to get games against.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 xbenblasterx wrote:

Lastly I've been browsing the models online and couldn't find a specific 'starter box' is there one?[/b]

Every crew box is a 1 player starter box. There is no 2 player starter box, which I suppose is a slight miss by Wyrd, but you can just pick up two crew boxes.

You should try to start inside a Faction that fits what you think is awesome, as you will probably want to expand within that faction (you don't have to though. You are never forced to do anything in Malifaux.)

You've got:

1) The Guild
These guys mostly have very powerful, but straight forward shooting.

2) The Arcanists
These are people that practice unlawful magic. A lot of nifty tricks is there schtick. Like misdirection and magic channeled through minions.

3) Resurrectionists
ZOMBIES! Their trick is that when you kill them, they tend to come right back.

4) Neverborn
These guys are the weird ghosts and nightmares. Their tricks are very varied with things like mind control.

5) Bayou Gremlins
They're sort of like goblins. And Skaven weaponry.

6) Ten Thunders
These are all an Asian style people, they are highly mobile and the masters tend to have destructive melee range combat.

7) Outcasts
These guys are all over the place. Very different champions, and while that's a lot of fun, unlike the other factions they can't really share minions between their crews, because they pretty much only mesh well with their own crew.

 xbenblasterx wrote:
Lastly I've been browsing the models online and couldn't find a specific 'starter box' is there one?

Not sure if this question was answered, peeps kept saying 'starter box' a lot, but they don't mean it like 40k, Fantasy or now WM/H have boxes with rules and two opposing forces of models in them. They're talking about crew boxes, those sets of six models that cost like $35-45 (USD) and are from the same faction, and often connected in other synergistic ways in game. As suggested, get yourself a crew box, another box or two of things in the same faction, a fate deck and the mini rule book and you'll be good for pretty big games.

I'm actually just getting into Malifaux myself too, and a month or so ago I decided to go with Ten Thunders after being pretty sure I was going with Neverborn Anyway, to start I ordered up:

Rail Crew (Mei Feng's box) + Rail Golem + Metal Gamin + Fate Deck (nabbed an old school version for cheap) + Mini-Rules

Which gives me 50ss in models without any upgrades, and a pretty smashy crew to get going with ...

... but then I started to get ahead of myself and bought Yin ... and Ten Thunders Bros ... and Ama No Zako ... and preordered the Brewmaster crew

And I have yet to build a single MF model, let alone play a game! I blame GeeDub for not telling me what's happening with Fantasy so I can spend my hobby moneys there

EDIT -- Ninja'd! Good stuff from Purifier

- Salvage

Just a slight add on (as everybody here has been spot on about the wonders of malifaux):

There is a Malifaux 2 player starter box that is set to come out at GenCon (it's been in the works and playtested for a while now). It'll be Guild vs. Neverborn, with 1 henchman (a corrupt Guild doctor running a psych ward and a human-nephilim woman), 1 enforcer (an assistant and the hybrid's sister), and 2 minions on each side, plus 2 fate decks, a tape measure, and a mini rule book.

To put what I'm about to say in some perspective I play Malifaux as an excuse to continue buying and painting the minis. I've tried 40k in fifth sixth edition Warmahordes just prior to Colosals and Malifaux. The only one I actively play is Malifaux with a casual attitude and as a fluffy player vs hardcore tourney players and we all enjoy our games.

As to your questions most crews I see at the standard level are 7-10 models ignoring summoning crews. A small game can be as few as 4 models without terrible unbalanceing.
Except for most Resurrectionists and posibly Dreamer a reasonably playable start for one person is: Crew box ($50) + fate deck ($10) + mini rulebook ($15) = leader, an elite, 3 grunts, and a minor support model and everything else you need for $75 MSRP. Dreamer may be playable out of the box but I'm not sure, however some masters realy want at least one more kit so they aren't hampperd by a lack of models. The only Crew box that I know is unplayable as-is is Kirai.

I had the basics down after I read the rules, wallowed through a game with a friend then played a small game with an experienced player. That said I still am learning lots and forgetting some basic things but I'd say I picked it up with a read through of the rules and a couple games. For play time at 50ss the games take about 2 hours at a relaxed pace, and for a tourney atmosphere about an hour and a half if it's close. That said it is a lot more involved of a game. I'd say both players need to be involved at least 75% of the time and the last 25% you are going to spend on movement and planing ahead.

The Dreamer is unplayable out of the box, both as punchy dreamer and summining dreamer.

IIRC, it clocks in at under 20ss, as you're only paying for Coppelius and the Alps. And you normally wouldn't pay for Alps, as they auto summon off some spells.

Even if you're not going for a summoning Dreamer, the starter box doesn't give you a whole lot. You're still going to have to buy a Teddy, the twins, a Widow Weaver, Insidious Madness and Stitched Togethers.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Dr. What wrote:
Just a slight add on (as everybody here has been spot on about the wonders of malifaux):

There is a Malifaux 2 player starter box that is set to come out at GenCon (it's been in the works and playtested for a while now). It'll be Guild vs. Neverborn, with 1 henchman (a corrupt Guild doctor running a psych ward and a human-nephilim woman), 1 enforcer (an assistant and the hybrid's sister), and 2 minions on each side, plus 2 fate decks, a tape measure, and a mini rule book.

This is excellent to know. I've got a friend who wants to get into the game with Guild. I'd happily throw in half for a fate deck and 4 unique Neverborn minis and give him the rulebook with the other half.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 xbenblasterx wrote:
So I thought i'd take a looking to the world of Malifaux, would I be able to start playing after painting just a few mini's?

I've bought quite a few minis, but I'm still playing with my initial starter box (Lilith), a Nephilim expansion box, and a Teddy. So far I haven't used anything outside of that, and I haven't felt I need to use other stuff. Knowing how to use a handful of minis well is, IMO, more important than having most of a faction available to you.

 xbenblasterx wrote:
What is the cost to entry?

As others have said - starter box, fate deck, mini rulebook, and a box or two of additional individuals for the faction. Less than $100au, and from what I hear, $75au. I personally suggest the big rulebook, but I love the fluff and art.

 xbenblasterx wrote:
Is the game difficult to pick up? (you can use 40K/Fantasy for context)

Extremely easy. I came from 40k (for nearly 20 years) into Infinity and Malifaux. Malifaux is by far the easiest to pick up. Simple mechanics that are well explained, but have oh so much tactical depth.

 xbenblasterx wrote:
How long does a game usually take?

I find this hard to answer because our games tend to drag on and on as we talk about random stuff.

I just started getting into Malifaux again myself, and I'm totally hooked. I just got some models to build and paint, and played my first game (for 2E) last Wednesday. The plastics are absolutely beautiful!

One thing I didn't see mentioned is crossover sets/Masters. For instance, McCabe from The Relic Hunters can work for Guild or 10 Thunders so you can crossover box sets for dual factions. Kinda cool way to make things versatile.

 Dez wrote:
I just started getting into Malifaux again myself, and I'm totally hooked. I just got some models to build and paint, and played my first game (for 2E) last Wednesday. The plastics are absolutely beautiful!

One thing I didn't see mentioned is crossover sets/Masters. For instance, McCabe from The Relic Hunters can work for Guild or 10 Thunders so you can crossover box sets for dual factions. Kinda cool way to make things versatile.

I'm curious about this as well.
For Christmas, me and my wife bought some Malifaux, I got the Masters of the Path and she got Body of Evidence. We also bought a few minions and such.
Am I correct that (since the boxes are duel faction) you have to choose one faction and expand on that? Exp. I bought only Ten thunders henchmen to add to my Masters of the path. I can't just get both arcanists and Ten Thunders dudes in the same crew, right?
I'm a little confused.

 MWHistorian wrote:

 Dez wrote:
I just started getting into Malifaux again myself, and I'm totally hooked. I just got some models to build and paint, and played my first game (for 2E) last Wednesday. The plastics are absolutely beautiful!

One thing I didn't see mentioned is crossover sets/Masters. For instance, McCabe from The Relic Hunters can work for Guild or 10 Thunders so you can crossover box sets for dual factions. Kinda cool way to make things versatile.

I'm curious about this as well.
For Christmas, me and my wife bought some Malifaux, I got the Masters of the Path and she got Body of Evidence. We also bought a few minions and such.
Am I correct that (since the boxes are duel faction) you have to choose one faction and expand on that? Exp. I bought only Ten thunders henchmen to add to my Masters of the path. I can't just get both arcanists and Ten Thunders dudes in the same crew, right?
I'm a little confused.

How it works in general is that you declare wich faction you will be playing, then you chose a master from that faction then you build the rest of the list from that faction's models.

Dual faction models can be taken in either faction (ex. declare Arcanists take Mei Feng or declare Ten Thunders and take Mei) and dual faction masters usually have some way of taking some thematic models from the faction you did not declare (ex. Mei Feng has an ability called ifiltrate which allows her to hire 4 foundry models regardless of faction)

There is also a charristic called Mercinary which allows anyone to hire them but if you declared a faction they aren't part of you pay an extra soulstone and you are limited to (if I remember correctly) 2 out of faction Mercinaries. For example 2 Orian can be hired for 6ss each by anybody but if you declared Ten Thunders you could take any number for 5ss each.