I believe this was my 4th game of Malifaux (2nd against someone who new the rules).
It was a 30 ss game
My Crew
Perdita 2 SS cache
Nino
Abuela
Francisco
Santiago
Death Marshall
Flipped Strategy: Claim Jump
Chose Schemes: Breakthrough and Stake a claim
Ian's Crew
Von Schill (4 SS cache included)
2 x Freikorpsman 2x4ss
Freikorps Trapper 6ss
Freikorps Specialist 5ss
Freikorps Librarian 7ss
Total 26ss
Then added an additional 4ss (bringing total cache to 8ss) for 30 pts. ( I later discovered henchman can't do this). Page 71 of the rules manual " A henchman-led crew's maximum starting Soulstone pool is equal to its henchman resource bonus" (which is 4 for Von Schill)
Flipped Strategy; Treasure Hunt
Chose schemes; Holdout & Eye for an Eye
This battle report was written from memory on the train to work several days after the battle so may not be completely accurate. I hope to take notes and photos in future reports.
After some very kind tactic advise from Ian the game began.
I planned to use Nino to keep an eye on the treasure counter Von Schill was desperate to posses while providing cover for my crew who would stake their claim on the fence Perdita had decided was of vital importance to the family, perhaps beacuse she planned to make a claim jump on the land the fence bordered.
Perdita and Abuela would support nino while the death Marshall, francisco and Santiago would sneek up the flank and prepare to storm the claims in the last turn. Santiago would run into the enemy deployment to get extra victory points if he felt so inclined.
The Coffin trick.
Abuela, still shaken from the terrible nightmare she experienced only a short few hours earlier, crosses the ditch the family are gathered in on the outskirts of town and sits next to the Death Marshall. The nightmare is rapidly fading from her mind, however, the feeling of dread it has left, she fears, will never fade.
The little of the nightmare she remembers is disjointed and foggy, the burning red eyes of the five Doberman dogs, however, are not. Neither is that bloody fence and the land it surrounds that Perdita has become obsessed with. Perdita wont admit it but Abuela suspects she has also been experiencing restless nights. She sure was quick to put that rabid dog out of it misery two days ago.
What is unclear from Abuela's nightmare and the reason for her unrest were the four mounds next to the fence. The Dobermans seemed to be digging something up, or were they burying something?
Her mind snaps back when the Death Marshall calls her name. Although a new member to the crew the Death Marshall had proven herself to be a cool head in battle. Shame she had made all the men in the family lose theirs. She sure was a looker, if you were into coffin carrying death obsessed types.
"Explain that coffin trick of yours to Santiago one more time. Santiago! This time look at her eyes when she explains it. Its vitally important you understand your part. The lives of all of us today could rely upon it. Oh, and Death Marshall, when your done come see me. I have an offer you can't refuse."
Turn 1
I win the initiative.
Abuela felt that before going into battle the Death Marshall (DM) should become part of the family, with little time to spare she casts shotgun wedding which fate and the DM accept. Everyone rejoices and loads their guns.
Von Schill gingerly moves his troops behind a wall to shouts of speech! speech! in the distance, Von Schill has chosen this wall because he knows the Ortegas love to let the lead fly.
The DM Francisco and Santiago move up the flank to prepare to make their moves for VP towards the end of the game.
A friekorpsmann breaks ranks and makes a rush towards the treasure.
Perdita companions with and Obeys Nino to make a walk forward giving him a clear LOS to the Friekorpsmann.
Nino activates and shoots at the Friekorpsmann, gets trigger happy and kills him. With no one in range to shoot he holds his ground, goes into defensive stance with his sights trained on the treasure.
Turn 2
Ian wins initiative
With Nino momentarily distracted the Friekorps Specialist rushes round the corner of the church and grabs the treasure. VonScill and the librarian provide him with support. The Tracker keeps a keen eye on the situation providing cover from behind his wall.
Nino decides to finish rolling his cigarette and spares a moment to kill the librarian and injures Vonschill.
Perdita seeing Vonschill injured rushes out of cover to finish him off. However, VonSchill escapes with just another flesh wound from Perdita.
Santiago knowing he performs better when the blood flys he rushes forward to test the Trackers range. Closely followed by the DM and Franciso who are in throwing distance now to the objectives but the glint of the trackers snipe lens is clear in the early dawn light.
The tracker wounds Santiago but only to 5 wounds, not enough to make him mad, yet!
Turn 3
Ian wins the initiative
While Nino lights his Cigarette the Friekorps Specialist Jumps over the body of the librarian and escapes back around the corner of the church with the treasure.
Knowing Perdita has quick draw VonSchill orders a Friekorpsmann to charge perdita to remove this ability this round. Perdita unable to resits puts a bullet straight between the eyes of the charging friekorpsmann killing him before he made his first step.
VonSchill takes this opportunity to shoot perdita taking her down to 3 wounds.
The DM burys Franciso winks at Santiago who rushes into the enemy deployment zone.
Nino tries to support Perdita but cant get a clear shot at VonSchill so tries to take out the tracker and manages to injure him.
Turn 4
Ian wins the initiative (again!)
Vonschill seizes the initiative over the injured Perdita and kills her with a shot through the heart. If that wasn't enough he rushes around the corner and shoots an old lady, on inspecting the body its the infamous Abuela Ortega. Enraged the DM rushes forward to seek revenge for her new mother in law.
Turn 5
ian wins the initiative (again!)
Nino is killed by Von Schill. Out in the open the DM is killed by the Tracker. Instantly francisco is uburied right on top of the fence Perdita so desperately wanted. This also puts him within range of the claim jump.
Santiago sneaking around the rear through enemy territory kills the friekorpsmann specialist who drops the treasure.
Turn 6
I win initiative.
knowing Santiago is in the open Francisco tries to kill the Tracker while holding the family claims. However, once again the tracker keeps his head below the wall and avoids another ortega bullet.
Francisco is then injured by the tracker. VonSchill then puts a bullet through his fourth ortega heart of the morning. Francisco drops to the ground lifeless his blood spraying across the fence that the family so desperately wanted to claim.
Santiago seeing the death of franciso fails to see that if he were to pick up the treasure his family would have stolen it from Vonschill right under his nose in his deployment zone. instead he rushes forward to claim the bloody fence only and inch away from the claim jump.
Perdita
Flipped Strategy: Claim Jump FAIL
Chose Schemes: Breakthrough FAIL and Stake a claim COMPLETED
2/8
VonSchill
Flipped Strategy; Treasure Hunt PARTIALLY COMPLETED
Chose schemes; Holdout COMPLETED& Eye for an Eye COMPLETED
6/8
That bloody fence
VonSchill drags the dead Friekorps specialist from atop the briefcase and enters the code. The case clicks open revealing a tattered and dusty map. VonSchill scans the map trying to find the location he has been desperately seeking these past seven months moving from one contract to the next. The fools thought they were using him. Instantly he recognises key landmarks on the map, a town with a ditch to the east, a church, a fence and by the fence...
"Sir! There has been an accident.We were burying the Ortegas by the fence as you ordered when..."
"Unt you found something right?"
"Ya, unt the..."
"Let me guess. The Ortega bodies have vanished."
Lessons learned.
First of all this was a great game and I hope the write up reflects that. I got off some really nice triggers and some early kills that were very pleasing.
Looking back I shouldn't have rushed the DM forward when Abuela died I should have kept her on mission and out of range of the tracker.
Nino performed brilliantly. I feel Perdita and Abuela supporting roles were hampered by my continuing failures to obey him. I now realise that Vonschill was overpowered by four more soul stones than he was allowed. I believe this was why he was the killing machine that he was. Ian soulstoned several flips ensuring he hit and wounded.
Santiago performed well. next time I may shoot him myself to get him below 5 wounds.
During the game Ian discovered he had 60 cards instead of 54! this was very amusing. It turned out that some of his sons cards had got mixed in with his. much ribbing from the other club members ensued.
A big thanks to Ian for helping me through this game. I understand it took much longer than it should have done. Several people came up asking if we had started a second game. thanks for your patience Ian.
Also many thanks to Mythicfox our in house henchman we bombarded with rule questions. He was very patient with us. In retrospect I see trying to play his own games of malifaux while being interrogated by a newbie was probably getting a little tedious. If it was he didn't let it show.
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