Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm looking at branching out when I get my tax back in June/July, I've decided to start Brushfire, and I'm keen to try Malifaux as well. I have two different masters in my sights, and I was wondering how they play, if they are really complex or quite straightforwards, and just genreal vibes of them.



is my first choice, and



is my second. It seems that Collodi is a bit more fiddly than Kaeris, but I could be misreading the brief bio/descrption thing on the Wyrd sight. So yeah, help? Thanks

First thing you should do is PM Alfndrate (jk).

Check out their pages on pullmyfinger, it's a wiki dedicated to Malifaux tactica, it'll give you a better run down than what's on Wyrd's site.

Comparing them to each other, I would go with Kaeris personally, as I like how she plays, though that is not to say Collodi plays terribly. Collodi relies on his dolls to be alive, and Kaeris relies on being able to reliably pass out burning tokens, so they both play differently from each other.

The other way to look at it is which faction has masters you like the look of, because in Kaeris's case, she works really well with Ramos, Mei Fang, and Rasputina. Collodi probably can work well with Pandora, Lillith and Lynch. I don't think he can work with Dreamer, but the crew creator says he can. Though it'd be interesting if you took Dreamer, Collodi, and 2 to 3 Teddy's... but it probably wouldn't be effective. I know for a fact that Collodi works amazingly well with Zoraida... to the point that they're one of if not the best combination in the game...

Ah I didn't understand, I thought that Kaeris herself was a leader, but it seems she isn't. Hrrrm I guess I like the sound of Arcanists (and the look of their masters) more than the Neverborn overall, so I'll probably be rolling with them, either Rasputina or Ramos.

 motyak wrote:
Ah I didn't understand, I thought that Kaeris herself was a leader, but it seems she isn't. Hrrrm I guess I like the sound of Arcanists (and the look of their masters) more than the Neverborn overall, so I'll probably be rolling with them, either Rasputina or Ramos.

Henchmen like Kaeris and Collodi can lead crews, they're just not masters like Tina or Ramos.

Something to also keep in mind: Kaeris has an alternate sculpt coming (hopefully) within the next year due to Arcanists winning the summer campaign last year. This will be a plastic sculpt, and will also probably be her new Master sculpt.

She's getting the bump from Henchman to Master in Malifaux 2nd Edition (as are all current Henchmen)

A mate of mine plays Ramos/Kaeris and the crew has plenty of options. Works really well.

I have no experience with the Neverborn but am looking to try them!

Ah thanks Alf, I'll probably go with Kaeris and Rasputina then, so that when she gets bumped I'll have 2 masters who are quite different (from my understanding Rasputina is quite slow, and uses ice, while Kaeris is fast, and uses fire). Now another query...is there an army builder available (a la Aleph Toolbox for infinity), or are the rules for models in the main rulebook, or only on their cards, or...you get it, not sure where else they could be but I'm sure there's another spot.

And thank's emperor's champion, I like Ramos and Rasputina about equal, but if Kaeris is getting master-i-fied (the technical term from this moment on, ha) then I'll probably go with Rasputina over Ramos, at least to start.

Malifaux.com has a free downloadable PDF of the rules manual, v2 stat cards for the book 1 masters and a crew creator.
Model rules are found in the stat card and in the book the model was in.

Cheers, big ears

edit: only after writing that did I notice how well that works with your avatar.

I don't know too much about Kaeris, but I do use Collodi and he is a very fast and fun crew to use.

He can really power up his dolls and turn small seemingly harmless models into a death by a thousand cuts killing machine.

He can reach most areas of the board very quickly - which can help for many strategieas and schemes - or he can avoid the opponent's crew or pick off stragglers.

It's also a really cool, creepy little crew, unlike most other wargames figures. The creepy fly in wedding dress Weaver Widow can join Collodi and help replenish his Wicked Dolls and even create a Teddy for more hitting power.

Stone, do you use him on his own or with zoraida?

 Alfndrate wrote:
Stone, do you use him on his own or with zoraida?

I only have Collodi, with WW, Stitched and a Teddy to be summoned. I don't dislike Zoraida but my cousin has her and I like to have different models and armies from my opponents

I'm not sure what Zoraida can offer the Collodi crew (I don't know rather than I don't think she can offer goodies), I will say that henchman crew selection seems to be limited - which is a good thing when learning a new game / crew, but a bad thing when you look to expand - although you can extend "upwards" into Masters.

I will say again, Collodi can be a really fun Henchman to play, he can ping pong around the table, bring much of his crew to him from around the table, and turn those harmless little puppets into little monsters.

Well it's been decided. My local store had Kaeris and not Collodi, and my ability to resist impulse buys is weak. So Kaeris it is. I'll probably run her without a master (can I do that?) until v2 hits and she becomes a master in her own right. Now to build a crew around her...

Edit: damn its a nice model. I'm happy with my choice

stonegiant wrote:I'm not sure what Zoraida can offer the Collodi crew (I don't know rather than I don't think she can offer goodies), I will say that henchman crew selection seems to be limited - which is a good thing when learning a new game / crew, but a bad thing when you look to expand - although you can extend "upwards" into Masters.

Zoraida and Collodi are currently the strongest combination in the game. You run a Zoraida crew, but you hire the models you'd need for a Collodi crew. So it'll look something like this:
Zoraida, Collodi, Dolls, and Brutal Effigy


Zoraida, Collodi, Widow Weaver, Dolls


So with those two lists, you've got a all of the makings of a Collodi Crew, but Zoraida is your master. What this does is give you all of Zoraida's tools (which can help Collodi) such as summoning her "totem" the Voodoo Doll which can conduit to nasty pieces in your opponent's crew which poisons them, and allows you to cast Zoraida's spells on them without line of sight. Zoraida is just as fast, if not faster than Collodi, she can spend 2 action points to summon a Wicked Doll (though you often don't want her doing this). On the other hand, you've got all of the fancy tricks that Collodi can do (which as a Collodi player you would know). His buffs to dolls are simply awesome, and putting them into truly scary things like Stitched Togethers or Teddys (the only dolls more than 4ss). And Henchmen simply have a smaller hiring pool because they don't have the same clout as a Master, which to me at least makes loads of sense. Granted you can get around the hiring restrictions simply by doing what I did above and taking Zoraida as your master.

motyak wrote:Well it's been decided. My local store had Kaeris and not Collodi, and my ability to resist impulse buys is weak. So Kaeris it is. I'll probably run her without a master (can I do that?) until v2 hits and she becomes a master in her own right. Now to build a crew around her...

Edit: damn its a nice model. I'm happy with my choice

I would first tell you to check out this link here. That page has plenty of information on Kaeris, and wrapping your head around your new crew . And Henchmen can run crews without a master. When you have a Henchman running a crew, you take their Henchmen rating (It'll be under their name) and add that number to your available soulstones with which you can hire models. So in a 35soulstone game (average game size), Kaeris has a Henchman rating of 5. So she gets 40 soulstones with which she can hire models if she so chooses. So you hire your crew like normal. When you get down to those last 5 soulstones, you can save them and have them added to your starting Soulstone Pool, or spend them on more models.

Masters have what is called a Soulstone Cache, where they have a set number of soulstones that they start the game with (these cannot be spent). Any left over soulstones are added to this cache to a maximum of 8 in scraps or 10 in brawls. Henchmen can only ever start with a maximum number of soulstones equal to their Henchman Rating (so Kaeris can have up to a maximum of 5 soulstones if she leads a crew).

I've played Collodi and Zoriada both together and separately for almost a year exclusively. Collodi zips around the table like a madman! most objectives can be achieved turn one with Collodi. Reclaim Malifaux is a good one for him. you can get Marionettes having up to 5 attacks in one activation making their 1/2/4 flips worthwhile and pretty devastating. wicked dolls can get up to 4 in a turn, and put out poison. you can focus on big models to bring them down fairly effectively.

also I have a grudge against Kaeris because I tried real hard to get the summer league won for a new Collodi. we had it right up to the last week and stupid Arcanists snuck in and took it. I'm not bitter, I swear! lol.

I currently have the Kaeris box set and I think shes a wonderful set as it is very fun to play imo.

Also Kaeris is getting a new sculpt? or is Kaeris becoming a new master with a new sculpt?

Technically she was supposed to get a new sculpt due to Arcanists winning the summer campaign last summer.

She is getting a new sculpt as are many others like Rasputin, the Viks, etc... I think Wyrd is going to pass of her new master sculpt off as her "you won the campaign" alt sculpt.