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I'm just starting out myself and my daughter has expressed an interest in playing too. Can you give some tips on the best female led crew to start her with? Would need to be fairly straightforward to play so I'm thinking either mainly shooty or fighty rather than lots of abilities and casting etc.

FYI I'm thinking either Lucius or Nicodem for me but am still fairly open minded so any suggestions for a newbie would be welcome.

Thanks

Welcome to Dakka and to Malifaux!

The Guild's Lady Justice might be good. She's a fighter through and through, and comes with a fairly simple crew. The Judge is again a fighter but can do range and CC, as can the Death Marshalls. The Scales of Justice totem is a bit more about de/buffing, but as it's just the one model and its a simple +/- flip effect, it would be a good way to introduce the concept of synergy without requiring huge amounts of complex combos ect.

That, and it's a team of cowboy skeletons and a ninja. Who wouldn't go for that?

From Neverborn there's Lilith, Pandora and Zoraida.

Lilith is a fighter/support master that favours melee and movement tricks to get the upper hand.

Pandora is an enemy control master that focuses on playing around with enemy activation orders, punishing them for activating in certain orders and making them attack themselves.

Zoraida is a support/control master who does indirect damage and grants additional actions to her own crew with Obey.

Of those, I'd recommend Lilith. She's easy to get into but has depth with her various abilities, same as her crew. They're fast, fragile melee beaters but have tricks to add depth. Pandora is quite tricky to learn, especially if you're new. Don't have any experience with Zoraida.

The Viktorias would also be a good crew for her.

All female - Melee monsters, they slingshot across the board in short order and murder things. Are made of paper though..

Perdita Ortega is a cowgirl gunslinger, and she's about the most straight forward character in the game. She has immensely powerful guns, and that's about all she does.

Everyone else in her crew is all about helping her shoot things down.

Sort of surprised no one has mentioned her already when you've got straight-forward and girl as the requirements.



And she has the amazing grandma coming soon with a new model. Abuela.

I agree with Perdita, she would be an excellent master to begin with. The neverborn masters to be honest I would not recommend, too many special tricks and strategies to make them work properly if you want a simple beginners crew. The Guild female masters are pretty ok, Rasputina is quite alright (though Í don't know what changed in m2e). Victoria's are another good option indeed.

Most of the female masters are pretty good!

Mei Feng is fairly straight forward and gives lots of options being dual faction!

Lady Justice looks awesome and has great minions and henchman in her box.

Lilith has a variety of playstyles!

Sonnia and Rasputina do a lot of ranged damage!

The Viks can be quite squishy but kill stuff easy.

Misaki is a good assassin and works well away from her crew!

I'd say that choosing a Guild master would be your daughter's best bet. Three out of seven guild masters are female, and all three are bad ass, fairly straightforward to play (especially Perdita and Lady Justice), and are not especially sexualized.

Also, from a thematic stand point, Perdita is meant largely to fight the Neverborn (including Lucius) and Lady J is meant to fight the Resurrectionists (such as Nicodem), so those would make good battles based on what route you pick.

Thanks for all of the advice, really useful. I'm thinking either one of the two mentioned above or viktoria.

I'm a little confused about my choice now as well. I'm liking lynch and somer as wel as nicodem and lucius - did everyone have the same indecision when they started? Any thoughts on which of the four I'm thinking of would be best for a newbie?

I think most people have the same issue when they start. Dozens of masters have appealed to me from time to time. I think the best advice I could give is to pick either what appeals to you most on an aesthetic level, or to go with a master from the FACTION that most appeals to you (since you're going to end up with multiple masters anyway).

From that list you've given, I've only played Lynch and I would say he is definitely appropriate for a beginner. I would also add that Nicodem is not often recommended to new players, since his summoning ability encourages you to buy every freakin' model in the faction and a lot of people are turned off by that idea.

Paulie1976 wrote:
Thanks for all of the advice, really useful. I'm thinking either one of the two mentioned above or viktoria.

I'm a little confused about my choice now as well. I'm liking lynch and somer as wel as nicodem and lucius - did everyone have the same indecision when they started? Any thoughts on which of the four I'm thinking of would be best for a newbie?

I would highly recommend you avoid a heavy summoner in the beginning. To fully play Nicodem, you really require a lot of the extra undead minions and that's a lot of money.

Lynch works incredibly well with his theme. I'd just add on Depleted, Beckoners, and Mr. Tannen/Mr. Graves.

Som'er is a light summoner and he's very versatile. He works well with pigs too.

Lucius is very tricky to begin with, but not impossible.

Paulie1976 wrote:
did everyone have the same indecision when they started?

Yes. Malifaux is such a different game, with such a different pool of models/rules from any other game out there, that you won't have a grasp on it before you get your first crew. So go with whatever seems awesome to you. Some masters are harder to play effectively, yes, but you shouldn't let that be a huge factor. You're both beginners and you're both playing friendly games. It's not going to be a cut throat gaming environment (or maybe it is, I don't know you guys.)

I started off for the weirdest of reasons. I found a Bioshock Big Daddy model and wanted a game that I could use it in. I quickly found a guy using it as a part of a Leveticus crew and I loved the idea behind the Leveticus crew, so I made it into that too.
Starting to actually play Malifaux, I really liked Leveticus, but I tried a couple of crews from different factions and quickly found that the Arcanists were my type of people. But without playing some games, I would never have found that out.

I would say, as long as you stay away from Resurrectionists, your games are gonna be great. The thing about the ressers is that it's an awesome challenge to play against them once you start getting the game and once you've played a few different people, but as a beginner, they feel hopeless* to play against. Using all your power in a round to take down one enemy, only to see him instantly come back up is very demoralising. It just makes for games that aren't fun if you're playing as a beginner in a casual setting. That doesn't have to mean it's extremely powerful or that it can't be played around. Malifaux is very well balanced, but the feeling of hopelessness is not something that makes people want to keep playing if they are just beginning.

Yeah, I started with the idea of doing only Neverborn. I liked the horror aspect of them, and I really like each of the crews available. However, before I even had all of the crews for Neverborn, I wound up with So'mer and Brewmaster, planning on grabbing Ophelia and waiting eagerly for Mah Tucket. The Gremlins humorous, '2nd edition 40k Ork' style comical gameplay really won me over.

I'm planning on grabbing not only Colette, but also Dark Carnival putting me into Arcanist territory.

This fething game. it's so easy to get into a new crew.

Outcasts are kind of my thing, and the clock king, Leviticus, seems to fit what I'd envisage doing in a world like Malifaux, a tinkerer who takes whatever constructs he likes, can summon, but can also rip things apart when it gets up close and personal.

Of course in reality if I survived at all I'd be more like a Desperate Mercenary, or maybe a Convict Gunslinger, but we can dream, right?

That said, the three crews I'm working on at the moment are the Viktorias+Vanessa and Lazarus, Von Schill+Hannah and the Strongarm Suit, and Misaki+Malifaux Child+Killjoy+Ronin+Desperate Mercs (all in metal) for a "deny charge" crew. Of course all being Outcast I can mix and match.

The only Outcast Master I don't have a representation of (either in metal or plastic) is Tara, and I keep combing eBay for more constructs to stick with Leviticus. He is probably the worst Master in the game for your wallet, given how many units he has access to with Pariah of Iron and Pariah of Bone.


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I would suggest Misaki myself. As a dual faction Master she has a wide range of units who can run with her, but she's not really dependent on them.


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I suppose I should add, if there's a type of Master you want to play, but don't like their model, you can grab the Through the Breach box, either male or female, and make a model that fits what you want better but use the rules you like.

I don't know how, but I almost forgot about Ironsides. She's my current favourite of my Arcanists (until the Colette-box comes out,) so I'm not sure how that happened. She's a badass that punches people like a champ while escorting around mages.

 Purifier wrote:
I don't know how, but I almost forgot about Ironsides. She's my current favourite of my Arcanists (until the Colette-box comes out,) so I'm not sure how that happened. She's a badass that punches people like a champ while escorting around mages.

I've had a look at her, and seeing as she's all about building adrenaline and moving cautiously, I'd be hesitant to recommend her to a beginner.

Thanks for all the info guys. It seems that this more than any other game I've played really is 'horses for courses' and there are pro's and con's with most masters. I think I'm going to go for Viktoria for my daughter and Lynch for me, so any tips on playing these crews would be very welcome.

 thedarkavenger wrote:

 Purifier wrote:
I don't know how, but I almost forgot about Ironsides. She's my current favourite of my Arcanists (until the Colette-box comes out,) so I'm not sure how that happened. She's a badass that punches people like a champ while escorting around mages.

I've had a look at her, and seeing as she's all about building adrenaline and moving cautiously, I'd be hesitant to recommend her to a beginner.

But, but, but her box set comes with with a warhammer wielding rocketeer with a monocle and mustache!

(Actually I kind of agree with you, any master that relies on or heavily exploits a condition is probably not a great place to start.)

entropolous wrote:

 thedarkavenger wrote:

 Purifier wrote:
I don't know how, but I almost forgot about Ironsides. She's my current favourite of my Arcanists (until the Colette-box comes out,) so I'm not sure how that happened. She's a badass that punches people like a champ while escorting around mages.

I've had a look at her, and seeing as she's all about building adrenaline and moving cautiously, I'd be hesitant to recommend her to a beginner.

But, but, but her box set comes with with a warhammer wielding rocketeer with a monocle and mustache!

(Actually I kind of agree with you, any master that relies on or heavily exploits a condition is probably not a great place to start.)

You're a bit off on Ironsides. Like Yan Lo, Ironsides uses a condition that is useful and builds up over time, but it's not too difficult or essential.

Ironsides is all about finding the right brawl. You throw her into a couple enemy models (never send her after just one, she's not Misaki) and she beats them down, builds up adrenaline, and beats them down harder.

If you can't find a fight for her to jump into, make one. Mouse, Ironsides's abilities You Lookin at Me? and Rush 'Em, and the infuriating Captain's Airburst all have ways to push models around and make things happen.

Ironsides is a fantastic master and pretty easy to get started with, especially if you also like Kaeris (who will be out at Gencon unless there's a production issue) and Ramos. That's a very powerful trio of masters that covers most of the bases.


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Paulie1976 wrote:
Thanks for all the info guys. It seems that this more than any other game I've played really is 'horses for courses' and there are pro's and con's with most masters. I think I'm going to go for Viktoria for my daughter and Lynch for me, so any tips on playing these crews would be very welcome.

t

I should be wrapping up the masters section of the new basic guide tonight (it should be pinned when it's done and anybody is welcome to add to it).

For Viktoria, Vanessa, Lazarus, and Convict Gunslingers are great buys. The Malifaux Child is very nice and can cast the synergy spells that Master Vik carries to save her AP. A very common tactic is to hand out fast with the Student of Conflict, run Master Vik up, teleport Henchman Vik, then Henchman Vik just goes and murders things.

For Lynch, as I said before, Beckoners are absolutely fantastic, as are Depleted, Mr. Tannen, and Mr. Graves. Lynch also likes Terror Tots if you go the Neverborn route, Thunder Archers if you go the Ten Thunders route, and basically anything that likes to discard a card (whenever a 1 is discarded during a friendly model's activation, if that model wasn't Lynch, you put that 1 back in your hand).

The good Doctor has the right idea about Ironsides.
Sure, she has a stacking buff, but that stacking buff stacks as she throws herself into the fray. And she can take a beating.

You don't so much manage it as you unleash it.

Paulie1976 wrote:
Thanks for all the info guys. It seems that this more than any other game I've played really is 'horses for courses' and there are pro's and con's with most masters. I think I'm going to go for Viktoria for my daughter and Lynch for me, so any tips on playing these crews would be very welcome.

Both are good beginner boxes, and Lynch was my first master. He's still my go to murder machine. I do think Lynch's crew is the more powerful of the two. Illuminated would be a good buy at 8 points, at 7 they are just insane for how much damage they can pump out. I always run at least 2 of these guys if any of my strats/schemes involve killing things. I recommend pairing them with 1 beckoner and a doppelganger. I say a doppelganger over a 2nd beckoner, as the dopp has superior survivability and can copy the Despicable Promises ability, the only real reason to bring a beckoner to begin with.

Tannen feels overcosted for how squishy and slow he is, and has a bit of anti-synergy with "So What Brings You To These Parts?" being best if used early, but his only real defense being Manipulative. Graves has also generally left me wondering why I don't just pay 1 point less and get an illuminated, but the ability to drag your own troops around with "Show you the Door" can be great depending on scenario and board. In general, I would hold off on purchasing the pair.

I've been playing around with Gupps as scheme runners over Terror Tots. Once you get the ace of Masks, you can keep it all game if desired with Lynch's "Ace in the Hole" ability, so they can always leap. Unfortunately I believe they are out of print, so may be hard to track down until their new plastic version is released.

Depleted have their niche. They can glom into a real threat and potentially prevent it from moving with their disengaging strikes. It's worth mentioning that while insignificant, they aren't peons, so can still help score victory points in some scenarios.

Does anyone know why it's so difficult to get hold of the Hired Swords crew box at the moment, is it out of production?

Hi Paulie,

Apparently someone dropped the mould used for it. However element games have it in stock on ebay for a decent price last I checked.

How about something more her size?
Creepy kids with an undead/whatever little girl master?

Oh. I bet someone is trouble for dropping that. Typical that it happens when I want to pick one up - saw one on eBay for about £3,000

Hired Swords is one of their most popular sellers, and because they aren't a huge company, they have a hard time, on occasion, keeping the biggest sellers in stock. If you can't find it anywhere now, just know that it will be back eventually. If you would rather not wait a month or three, Lady Justice does still fit the bill of "woman with huge sword who is very good at slicing men to bits."

I'm thinking of Lady J as an alternative. The added benefit with hired swords is that the whole crew is female. I'm need to keep my daughter happy so I have an opponent available whenever I want

Misaki can be built into a full female squad, but not with the models that come in her box set unfortunately. She can also lead Ronin if you go Outcasts, or Oiran if you go Ten Thunders.

Going for Lynch and Perdita now - largely due to lack of availability of the viks. Any tips on playing them would be great. Thanks

For all you Guild players out there, if you get the Relic Hunters box, Miss Anne Thorpe (the Gencon LE figure), counts as a wastrel and can either sub in or be added to McCabe's crew.