lost love tournament - crew selection, not much choice

So, I've finally done it, I've booked myself into the Lost Loves tournament next Sunday. A fine chance to make myself look like an idiot as it's been sooo long since I've played.  In addition I've probably only ever played few more than half a dozen games and most of those didn't get finished.  Still, am stoked to be in the running for the wooden spoon ;-).

Crew selection then.  In the end this has been taken out of my hands.  A requirement for crews to be at least base coated has left me with one option - Lady Justice.  More of my Perdita crew than I realised (basically all of it) would need building as well as base coating and as I already have already indicated everything I'd want (albeit only 3 models) for a Rasputina crew would also need building.  So, I've no idea where my paints are, I don't know where my files and scalpels are.. building and painting are out.  So it's Lady Justice for me.

lost love tournament - crew selection part 1, initial thoughts.

Well, this is new territory for me.  Selecting a crew for a tournament.

This is a fixed master tournament so one size must fit all.  I can select 25 ss from a pool created from a starter box and one extra minion type, i.e. contents of one extra blister or box, so can't take an infinite number of anything  just what comes in a blister, plus a Totem.  It's very much a case of finding something that's going to be OK against as many different opponents as possible, or take a crew more effective against specific crews and hope for the luck of the draw?

Additional rationale..

I need something simple, I'm not a fast player so I want a few pieces, preferably fairly straight forward ones so I don't bog myself and my opponent down with options.  Doppelganger for instance.. probably not a good idea - excuse me, what does he do? And what about that one?.. could take a while.

new year - new challenge

Hello Malifauxers, it's been a while.
Popped back to do a couple of things, firstly, a quick review of last years gaming resolutions & secondly, rather more excitedly, a quick announcement regarding a tournament I'm expecting to enter..

So, last years resolutions, how did I do?
Well, as you might expect, given I've had no gaming since April, not very well..

(c) Wyrd Miniatures

Play more - didn't happen.
Paint more - didn't happen.
Paint an entire crew - didn't happen.
Stick to buying Arcanists - well, I didn't buy anything else :-)
Buy Twisting Fates - Achieved, though I've still got some of it to read.
Paint better - a vague resolution at best, but not achieved due to lack of funding.

So, not a complete failure, but, well it was really wasn't it, after April I've just had no hobby time, no hobby facilities, not played any games.. It's just the way the world has worked.  I could have made time, but at the expense of time spent looking after and with my kids.  It's a no brainer, sorry Malifaux you'll have to wait.

Having said that..

new rule book - initial thoughts.

In amongst a post listing new releases over the next few months for Wyrd, Malifaux and Terraclips was an entry reading Malifaux 1.5 Core Rulebook.

New Malifaux 1.5 book (c) Wyrd Miniatrues

Given the recent errata and clarifications I would expect Malifaux 1.5 to be an amalgamation of the original book (for the fluff), the rules manual with errata and clarifications and all the latest stat cards.

This is good news, once again we'll have a single place to go for the rules.
It's interesting that Wyrd have  called it Malifaux 1.5. Enough of a change to warrant a new number but not a full version number change. i.e. We've moved it on but not changed it completely.

Unfortunately this will be the 3rd time I'd have bought these rules, assuming I do.

And, it's going to be a full sized rule book, not a rules manual sized cheap job.  So full sized price to match.

But it will mean that all you people out there that don't have a copy of the original Malifaux book will be able to get one at last.

So it's a mixed blessing really.  Applaud Wyrd all you like for attempting to standardise it's rule book and iron out inconsistencies and problems, but if I have to buy a new copy of the rules every year I've a feeling I may struggle to stay enthusiastic for much longer, my money spread thin enough as it is.

I wonder if they'll produce a Rules manual format version as well?

New Fate deck (c) Wyrd Miniatures

The other major implication of the release schedule is that there's no 'New' book, no book 4.  Certainly not before September at the earliest.  This will be a disappointment for many, but perhaps it's a good idea that there's a consolidation period, especially with a minor re-boot.  There are still Avatars to release and maybe they'll squeeze a few new figures into Malifaux 1,5?  Had heard rumour of a new faction, no idea if this is true or not, perhaps Malifaux 1.5 is a perfect excuse to introduce one?  However I feel this is unlikely, a new faction would need to be caught up through all 3 books and would unbalance book 1 if it had Avatars and such like in it.

Anyway, that's it for now, here's a link to the original post of Wyrds forums - Release schedule June 2012 - August 2012

p.s. New Fate Deck, in plastic.  See picture above :-)

errata & clarifications

Couple of weeks late with this, apologies, been away (effectively).
A while back, year, 18 months, can't rightly remember.  Wyrd published a new book.  The Rules Manual.  A compact, relatively cheap (indeed downloadable for free), version of the rules of Malifaux taken from Book 1, Rising Powers and the fairly extensive FAQ and Errata that existed.

The gaming world was a happy place, now we had a single location.  A place we could go for the definitive answer to rules questions.  No longer would we suffer as someone we gamed against claimed a rule as invalid because they hadn't read the FAQ, or it wasn't in the book.

Then, slowly, as is inevitable, it became obvious that valiant thought he attempt had been, a few things were still subject to interpretation.  A few rules still seemed overly powerful.

So, here again, once more we have Errata's and clarifications.
Not too many, and more Clarifications than changes, but never-the-less once more we're subject to a on-line, not in print rules scenario.
What a pity.
I guess it was unavoidable, it was a valiant attempt on Wyrd's part.

I do not know if these changes will find their way into a future release of the Rules manual.
For now, go here New Rules
 print them off and take them with you.
You'll find 3 pages of stuff.  Model specific Errata and clarifications, Core rules errata and clarifications and a FAQ.

The model changes are perhaps the most disappointing.  Some models have extensive changes which are not available on stat cards, or for which you'll have to arrange to purchase new stat cards, now or when they become available.  If you and your opponent are aware of this and have a print out of the changes then OK, it's a bit messy but at least you both know.  But what if your opponent isn't aware that Alps have had 5 errata against them and are now harmless?  They'll be well pleased when you tell them.
I suggest you check with any new opponents before you start a game so you're both singing from the same hymn sheet.  Might save some agro.

printing your own figures - a follow up

When I wrote of the possiblity of using 3d printers for printing your own figures I didn't realise how close we may be to this.  It seems some people are doing so already and sharing their designs.  Guess who doesn't like this?  Not that I blame them one bit.  It seems 3d printing may be a threat to the companies that make the games and figures we love.
Don't do this at home folks..

3D Printing, copyright violations.

malifaux in the bath

I'm a big fan of a good long hot bath.  Soaking away the aches and stresses of the day.  And what can be better than soaking in bath, with a glass of wine, a bowl of your favourite snacks (peanuts or Frazzles) and browsing through your favourite gaming books.  But, there's a problem..

(c) Wyrd Miniatures

The Rules manual, is, I find, just right for reading in the bath.  The other Malifaux books are not.  They are too large in format (risk of damp corners) and heavy.  I cannot lie in a bath and comfortably hold them long enough to read anything worthwhile..

This is a pity.  reading the rules manual is a worthwhile exercise, it is however, in some ways, the least interesting book for Malifaux with no fluff and no model details to read through planning your next build or  purchases.

So I'd love it if Wyrd would publish all it's books in both formats.  A wow, that looks awesome, check out the artwork, large format, and a cute, handy, I can read that in the bath format.
Would anyone else like to see Wyrd publish the other books in the small format as well?  I would almost certainly buy both, the large format for the pleasure of the artwork in a larger size, the smaller for convenience.  Perhaps, there should be a delay between publishing the different formats to encourage large book uptake, or maybe the small format should be editions of two books together or even fluff only, I'd buy that.

Still, it was nice to read something Malifaux related in the bath even if it was just reading through the description of each strategy.
I do sometimes read the wyrd forums on my phone, but I get nervous, I might drop it and then where would I be?  Especially as my macbook pro has just coughed it's last and bitten the dust :-(  No phone as well? argh!!

I guess I could read through the cards of figures I've bought, spend some time making sure I know them, or download and print off the pdf's that wyrd have published for the v2 cards, but you will be limited to only some of the models though and it's increasingly the case, I find, that when planning a crew I need to look through all the books.

Anyone else got any bath friendly Malifaux reading tips they could share?  I like a nice bath and reading as I relax is a wonderful thing, but reading rules is less relaxing.  I need something else..