Honeyed Rats

A friend visited me for a few of days. For starters we had a couple of games of Malifaux.

First game. Strategy: Turf War.

Kirai Ankoku + The Whisper & Ikiryo
Datsue Ba
Lost Love
2x Onryo
Gaki
2x Seishin
Shikome + Grave Spirit's Touch

Pool: 7

Schemes: Deliver A Message, Outflank

Opponent had:

Jakob Lynch & Hungering Darkness (Claim Jump)
Kitty Dumont
Mr. Tannen
Mr. Graves
3x Illuminated

Pool: 1

Schemes: Claim Jump, Outflank

Turn 1

We had an action packed game right from the start. Hungering Darkness, after being pushed by Kitty Dumont, went and interacted with the middle turf marker. Mr. Graves came to offer his bulky presence as emotional support.

Ikiryo charged Hungering Darkness and accomplished little. Shikome with upgrade, on the other hand, went for Mr. Graves and flipped a red joker on damage, cutting right through Mr. Graves's Hard to Kill.

Lost Love and Gaki interacted with turfs on my side, and two Illuminated did the same for enemy.

Kirai summoned a Shikome and fired & forgot it against an Illuminated.

Turn 2

Ten Thunders wins the initiative, which is unfortunate since Tanuki was able to heal Mr. Graves back to Hard to Kill threshold.

Shikome and Onryo die in the middle, while Ten Thunders only have to grieve the passing of Mr. Graves.

After enemy deals with the Shikome that was summoned last turn, Kirai summons another one which gets an extra Walk action from Datsue Ba. Enough for it to score Deliver A Message.

Gaki and Onryo place themselves to score Outflank. 

Scores go 3-1 for resurrectionists.

Turn 3

Summoned Shikome gives opponent a headache on the top-left quarter of the board. Eventually an Illuminated dislodges itself and manages to charge Kirai, who redirects one attack to Lost Love.

Kitty Dumont and an Illuminated tease Gaki, who survives. 

Opponent forces Kirai to activate before Hungering Darkness does, so she only summons a Shikome this turn. The one Illuminated who charged Kirai survived attacks from the master herself, the summoned Shikome, Datsue Ba and even a Seishin. Talk about wasted action points.

Then Hungering Darkness butchers Ikiryo. 

Ten Thunders scores Claim Jump and a strategy point, evening scores to 3-3.

Turn 4

Kitty finishes Gaki and speeds towards turf marker on bottom-left, that had earlier been neutralized. Illuminated closes in towards a turf marker on bottom-right.

And why not. I managed to get only one summoned Onryo even remotely close there.

But at least I had the numbers advantage on top, where Kirai had also summoned a new Ikiryo.

Datsue Ba gave walk action for both Ikiryo and Shikome, who then orchestrated a neutralizing of top-left turf marker and claiming it for Resurrectionists. 

Mr. Tannen charges Ikiryo, and due to some amazing flips he manages to shank the spirit down to two health remaining. 

Resurrectionists score their second strategy point, going 4-3 in their favor.

Turn 5

Ten Thunders won the initiative, and an Illuminated went and interacted with a turf marker on my table half. Kitty Dumont walked up the hill and interacted with the marker I had twice already neutered. And opponent had kept the center since turn 1, so strategy looked grim.

Shikome tried to tie up Lynch for other models to deliver a message to him. Lynch, however, disengaged and shot Ikiryo dead. But, most importantly, Lynch had now activated. If only Mr. Tannen wasn't engaging Onryo, who'd be able to place the required scheme marker for Deliver Message...

Datsue Ba charges Tannen. Manipulative foils her plans, but at least she manages to scare Hungering Darkness and give him -2 Mv. This way the beast was pretty much guaranteed to stay in the middle to score Claim Jump end condition.

Kirai moves closer and uses Spirit Barrage on Mr. Tannen and succeeds to kill him. Unfortunately I had wasted my last soulstone on giving this attack masks. Because now I wasn't able to summon an Urami to deny point for Claim Jump.

Game looked like a draw.

Then Onryo close to the Illuminated on my table half activates. It uses the adversary action on Illuminated and succeeds. Then it charges and does three points of damage.

So now it only needed a severe injury to finish the Ten Thunders minion. With two negative modifiers to damage flips I can guarantee it wasn't a severe injury. It was severe+1, neutralizing the strategy marker.

The other Onryo interacted close to Lynch, and scores went 5-4 for Resurrectionists. And all thanks to this one lucky Red Joker.

So. In the end opponent had killed two Shikomes, two Ikiryos, two Seishin, one Gaki and one Onryo. Eighty percent of my starting number.

Second game. Strategy: Corrupted Idols. Corner Deployment.

Hamelin & 3x Stolen
Nix
Mad Dog Brackett + Wanted Criminal
2x Rat Catcher
Rat King
2x Malifaux Rat

Pool: 6

Schemes: Ouflank, Harness Ley Lines

Opponent the same list as earlier, except for chosen schemes of course.

Jakob Lynch & Hungering Darkness (Claim Jump)
Kitty Dumont
Mr. Tannen
Mr. Graves
3x Illuminated

Pool: 1

Schemes: Breakthrough, Harness Ley Lines

Turn 1

Pretty much only positioning happening here, as the crews are so far between, and all of the strategic points are also on the middle line. Hamelin had a nasty bottleneck with difficult terrain, but at least the rats jumped easily over with Rat Catcher and Unclean Influence.

Turn 2

Kitty throws a corrupted idol on my side of the board to a position I can't possibly reach. But I try to make the enemy models (Kitty, Mr. Graves, Illuminated) to at least pay for their actions. Focused Mad Dog Brackett and charges, toting his Chesterfield Shotgun. I even spend a soulstone to get extra blast markers. Nope. Nothing.

And second action, nothing. At least he blew up some destructible terrain. Woo hoo. Thirteen soulstones well spent.

Lynch shoots Hungering Darkness into melee with Mad Dog Brackett, which forces Hamelin to activate before Darkness does. He lures the incorporeal monster nearby, advances and then charges the beast just to save Private Brackett.

A Rat Catcher runs into base contact with the idol on top-left, but is unable to throw it anywhere.

Ten Thunders score strategy, Outcasts nothing. 

Turn 3 

Nix lodges itself within range of Kitty, Illuminated and Mr. Graves.

Lynch shoots Hungering Darkness into melee with Mad Dog again, and again Hamelin lures it away from melee with Mad Dog to melee with himself. "I guess", thought Hungering Darkness and began to maul Hamelin, taking some half of his hit boxes away.

Rat King gnaws at a scheme marker and walks to the strategy marker Kitty threw on second turn to lob it back to the side it belong. Rat Catcher on top-left throws another marker on Ten Thunders' side, and puts also a scheme marker. Malifaux Rats that had been accompanying him tried to slow down the Illuminated.

Despite Mr. Graves, Lynch and even Tanuki attacking Mad Dog Brackett, the bandit didn't go down. Well, he was at one hit point remaining and had spend two thirds of my saved up soulstones... 

Outcasts score a strategy point.

Turn 4 

Mad Dog dies this turn, and so does Nix, but I believe the doggie bought his points back by wasting a lost of action points from opponent. Sweet Taste of Failure is rather infuriating rule, at least for the opponent.

Hamelin decides to try and save the "flanks" so to say, and engaged Lynch, Mr. Tannen and lured Hungering Darkness into melee with him. And strangely enough, Hamelin endured. 

Round had relatively few attacks going on, because both players were laying scheme markers down like it's the end of days. (Although... Why would you lay down scheme markers during end of days?)

Both players score a strategy point and Harness Ley Lines.

Turn 5 

With toil and trouble Ten Thunders remove all of Hamelin and all of his children from the board. My Rat King scurried to table corner bottom-right, as it wasn't feeling exactly safe with its one hit point remaining.

Rat Catcher on top had to disengage from Illuminated, and succeeded eventually and reached that hallowed 3" from the corner edge to score Outflank.

Opponent didn't have the action points to deal with these two, because he wanted to secure end condition of Harness Ley Lines.

Which he did. 

There it is. 

First draw of my history with Malifaux. Scores went 4-4. Outcasts had killed zero models from Ten Thunders, while Ten Thunders had removed all but two Rat Catchers and a Rat King. 

That Particular Effect

 I suppose I'm liable to report this in. For I had three rounds of a game of... Domino. Double 9 set to boot, with 55 slabs.

Sigil of Hell

 Had a 75 point game of Warmachine in Vassal.

My list:

Cryx

 Black Industries
Asphyxious the Hellbringer [+24]
- Deathripper [6]
- Inflictor [13]
- Leviathan [16]
- Slayer [10]
- Stalker [8]
Machine Wraith [2]
2x Pistol Wraith [0(5)]
Swamp Gobber River Raider [1]
Bile Thralls (min) [9]
Black Ogrun Ironmongers [6]
Mechanithralls (min) [6]
 - Brute Thrall (3) [0(6)]
Necrosurgeon & Stitch Thralls [4]
Soulhunters (max) [18]

Opponent:

Legion

Children of the Dragon

Rhyas, Sigil of Everblight [+30]

 - Archangel [35]

 - Seraph [14]

 - Typhon [20]

Annyssa Ryvaal [8]

Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]

Blighted Nyss Shepherd [1]

Blighted Nyss Warlord [0(5)]

Blighted Nyss Warlord [0(5)]

Forsaken [0(4)]

Blackfrost Shard [9]

Blighted Nyss Raptors (max) [18]

Scenario was Anarchy. 

I made the mistake of letting the house on my side of the board divide my forces. Seraph was able to shoot my Stalker dead, and Archangel shot a couple of good deviations, killing a Soulhunter and setting two on fire, and damaging Deathripper.

Turn 2

One of the Soulhunters burned to death. I spread them out on the circular zone so that opponent would have to bring at least something in to contest the zone. 

Deathripper positioned itself so that Asphyxious was able to arc Calamity on Seraph. I decided it would be my best interest to shoot Seraph with Leviathan instead of leaving all of my warjacks within charge range of Legion. Much to my surprise, Leviathan single-handedly shot the beast dead. I was planning on using Vociferon to finish the beast, but instead the solo went to my flag to possibly score it next turn.

Opponent used Rhyas's feat and fully closed in. Typhon tickled Inflictor with some sprays, after which Nyss Warlord charged Inflictor and did the feat jump to engage Deathripper and contest flag. 

Archangel then wrecked Inflictor and Deathripper. 

Anyssa shoots her prey, a Pistol Wraith, dead. Raptors charge Slayer and Leviathan, and considerably damage the Slayer. Leviathan not so much. Another Nyss Warlord finishes up the Slayer, and I'm left to deal with the situation that I just lost two heavies and arc node. Opponent scores a point from flag.

Turn 3

This is my ambush turn, and Mechanithralls are able to both run to contest enemy flag and remove both contesting Raptors. 

Bile Thralls remove remaining raptors as well as a Nyss Warlord. 

Asphyxious casts a spell to remove a Raptor in frond of him, and walks a bit forward to use his feat. He has only one focus, and I was almost expecting to lose because of this.

Leviathan shoots the Kiss of Lyliss trooper from Blackfrost Shard. Remaining Soulhunters charge the flag contesting Nyss Warlord and Archangel. Warlord dies, Archangel much less so.

Cryx scores two points, for 2-1. 

Legion has a bad turn, failing to kill any of the Brute Thralls. They do kill Vociferon and all but one Soulhunter. My scorers are dead or contested, so Legion evens the scoreboard with 2-2.

Turn 4

With 13 focus, Asphyxious casts Calamity on Archangel and Cloak of Ash on himself. He's in a vulnerable position, so I play it safe and camp five focus.

Bile Thralls remove Anyssa, and Mechanithralls aided by Bile Thralls melt the rest of the zone contesting Blackfrost Shard. 

Ironmonger and the last Soulhunter remove contestants from my flag, and Machine Wraith jumps in to get the point. Leviathan tries to shoot objective, but rolls only one shot which isn't enough.

But still, scores go 4-2 for Cryx.

Typhon failed at its activation terribly - it took all of the three sprays and even some melee attacks to destroy two mechanithralls and two brute thralls. Legion gets no-one to contest my circular zone, but Archangel clears zone on the right and contests my flag. Saeryn rushes to score a point from the zone, and scores go 5-3.

Turn 5

If I get three points this turn, I win. However, I decide to play the long game and secure two points and deny opponent from having any.

Asphyxious casts Calamity on Typhon, and Mechanithralls charge and soften the heavy beast a little. 

Then I figure out a clever way to destroy objective - Ironmonger with Dismantle is within charge range! Too bad that the damage roll isn't nearly enough. The objective is not my objective now, though.

But somehow Bile Thralls succeed to spray the enemy objective dead.

And Leviathan charges and does the same for Typhon.

Swamp Gobber River Raider runs to enemy flag, and Machine Wraith goes to contest enemy circular zone. Whoopsie. Did get three points anyway.

Gwendor the Thrice Cursed

 Burkstad does another lantern year. The year 20. 

We were thinking about hunting a level 2 Phoenix, but doing some quick math on our chances to wound a Toughness 12 monster had us quickly downgrade our hunt to a level 1 bird instead.

Level 1 hunt on year 20 is... less than optimal.

Vladimir, Mortis, Purvina and Gwendor equip themselves to catch a Phoenix, and the hunt phase quickly assures us that the choice to hunt a level 1 quarry was the correct one. Three quarters of the group decide to get themselves sick from sickening mess, and a -1 strength token would have had a drastic effect on our ability to wound Toughness 12. Gwendor on 8+ with her bow, Mortis on 6+ with Rib Blade, and Vladimir on 9+ with Scrap Sword. 

Hunt phase also places Lights in the Sky on the timeline for year 21, and Recurring Nightmare has two of our survivors halve their survival and one to lose them all. Mortis with his Insanity of 24 found a new crab friend from path of the insane - and then the Phoenix ambushes survivors.

And what a showdown it was.

First few rounds are a struggle-ish affair that depletes survivors of their already meager resources. Gwendor manages to break the Phoenix's beak, but the bird of prey has its revenge by killing all of Gwendor's future children.

And then Life Pattern comes up when survivors have done four wounds to the monster.

Considering we just had a permanent injury, had -1 strength tokens and a few bleed tokens to boot and Vladimir was already at zero survival ... why not let the Life Pattern kick in?

Refreshed, the fight began anew and survivors were doing damage consistently. Time Stop was a breeze. Soon, however, the Phoenix's true intentions behind Life Pattern were revealed. It pushed the "reset" button just to be able to kill all of Gwendor's future children again. 

Phoenix didn't seem to be especially aggressive, with all the Pitying Sighs, Ancient Stares, Ripples and Excrements, but last few cards left in the AI deck was the one that dooms it's target and causes 4 damage on 2+. 

When Age tokens started piling up, it became increasingly difficult to navigate through Rewind and Displacement locations. This ended up with Gwendor being last threat to wound on multiple occasions. 

Unable to escape his fate, Gwendor was ragdolled by the master of time and eventually had to take a severe injury. Which didn't combine well with his Death Mask, that gives -4 to severe injury rolls.

Location: waist. Result: 10 lowered to 6, which is... Destroyed Genitals. 

So. Gwendor had all of his children deleted from the future twice by this bird... and then it even mutilates Gwendor's physical genitalia. Seriously, Phoenix... what did Gwendor do to you? 

Showdown had been going on for a while now, and Purvina was just one disdain off from fading into nothingness. However, earlier in the fight she had one age token transformed into hunt xp, and received Transcended Masochist as her milestone. 

Well, at least she now had a way to generate survival.

Mortis in his rawhide armor spent about 20 points of survival throughout the fight, possibly even a little more. So that's a new record of sorts, at least for the unlucky survivors of Burkstad.

Finally Purvina deals the killing blow, and we got a total of 6 basic resources, 9 phoenix resources and 2 vermin resources from the fight. Impressive.

Lantern Year 21

Settlement event is Open Maw, and there were Lights in the Sky and Gorm Climate on the timeline. Once again settlement had to dismantle an innovation to protect their precious resources. Burkstad has lost at four innovations this way.

Five endeavors gave Burkstad Lantern Halberd, a successful shrine ritual, and finally Song of the Brave. Gorm Climate has terrorized us long enough!

Gwendor is struck by a column of light during Lights in the Sky, thus adding a total of +4 armor points to each location when he next departs for a hunt.

Mawilina took a trip to the Open Maw, and found two extra vermin resources and some courage.

Settlement develops Hours ring and Hollowpoint armor. 

Next quarry is most likely Gorm level 2.

Population: 10

Principles:
Protect the Young
Graves
Barbaric + Ultimate Weapon


Innovations:
Language
Hovel
Ammonia
Bed
Nigredo
Symposium
Lantern Oven
Paint
Family
Bloodletting
Inner Lantern
Cooking
Shrine
Drums
Momento Mori
Scrap Smelting

Nightmare Training

Song of the Brave


Locations:
Lantern Hoard
Bone Smith
Skinnery
Organ Grinder
Catarium
Gormchymist
Gormery
Weapon Crafter
Leather Worker
Skyreef Sanctuary

Plumery

Gear:
1x Cloth
3x Stone Noses
Full Rawhide Set
1x rawhide vest, 1x Rawhide Gloves, 1x Rawhide Headband
Gorment Boots
2x Skull Helm
Bone Dagger
Bone Darts
Rib Blade
Greater Gaxe
2x Leather Shield
Cat Eye Circlet
3x Monster Grease
Lucky Charm
Monster Tooth Necklace
Bandages
Catgut Bow + Claw Head Arrow + Hollowpoint Arrow
Full White Lion Suit
Scrap Sword
Flower Knight Badge
Cycloid helm + vest
Death Mask
Whisker Harp

Hours Ring

Lantern Halberd



Resources:
3x Monster Bone

2x monster hide
Skull
1x Broken Lantern

2x crab spider

1x lonely ant

1x nightmare tick

Sinew
2x Lion Claw
2x Great Cat Bones
4x Iron

3x small feathers

1x tail feathers

1x pustules (organ)

1x black skull

The oldest adversary

Had a 50 point game of Warmachine at the end of last month.

My list:

Cryx

Master Necrotech Mortenebra [+24]
 - Desecrator [14]
 - Harrower [16]
 - 2x Stalker [8]
Machine Wraith [2]
Misery Cage [2]
Bile Thralls (min) [9] - Skarlock Commander [3]
Cephalyx Overlords [8]
Necrosurgeon & Stitch Thralls [4]

Opponent:

Protectorate

High Exemplar Kreoss [+29]

 - Castigator [12]

 - Vanquisher [17]

Allegiant of the Order of the Fist [3]

High Paladin Dartan Vilmon [6]

Paladin of the Order of the Wall [4]

Vassal of Menoth [3]

Choir of Menoth (min) [4]

Daughters of the Flame [10]

Knights Exemplar [9]

Temple Flameguard (max) [11]

During mk2 Kreoss had been my opponent number one, with games against him more than some factions in their entirety. Curious that it took over one hundred games to face him in this edition. But here it was, the very first game of mk3 against High Exemplar Kreoss.

We had Mosh Pit scenario from main rulebook. Cryx started. Stalkers take both flanks and Bile Thralls start huddling into the middle. Machine Wraith enters mid-field as there doesn't seem to be that many magical weapons around. A lucky deviation puts scather template right in front of Temple Flameguards.

Daughters of the Flame had ran forward far enough for Harrower and Cephalyx Overlords to kill all but one of them. 

Paladin of the Wall managed to tie up some Bile Thralls with Righteous Vengeance and walk, getting to ARM 21 in the process, and the last Daughter removed one Cephalyx Overlord. Protectorate warjacks had been cautious because of Machine Wraith, but after their activations Kreoss got a Cleansing Fire off to kill the Wraith.

Now there were plenty of targets for Bile Thralls to purge over. But first Stalker needed to get rid off of the paladin that was engaging cryxian Thralls. Needed to roll 14 with three dice to kill the solo, and that's exactly what the dice came up.

Harrower triggered Overrun by killing some Knights Exemplar, and a Stalker advanced to make a leap attack against Kreoss. Didn't really do anything, but at least the warcaster was tied up now.

Vanquisher frees Kreoss, who then charges Harrower. Not killing the warjack left Kreoss in a terrible position - repairable Harrower and fully functional Desecrator, plus Mortenebra who hasn't used her feat yet were all staring at the protectorate warcaster with murder in their eyes. 

Stats!

 Some time ago my game count for Warmachine 3rd edition for the Cryx faction numbered a nice, round one hundred.

So let's break that down in numbers. Basics: 49 victories and 51 losses, so pretty even win rate on the surface.

Factions

Against other Warmachine factions that's 33 wins and 24 losses, which makes Hordes my tougher match-up with 16 wins and 26 losses.

Especially Skorne seems to kick my butt more often than not with only 4 wins and 7 losses.

Trollbloods are #1 faction I've played against with 16 games. 

Second place is for Protectorate with 15 games, and Cryx for the third place with 14 games.

Game size

10 pts: 11 games, 8 wins 3 losses.
25 pts: 4 games, 3 wins 1 loss
50 pts: 20 games, 13 wins, 7 losses
75 pts:  65 games, 25 wins, 40 losses

I suppose the distribution is not that surprising, considering 75 points is the standard tournament size, and competition is at it's toughest there. Also, 75 points tends to mean practicing tournament lists, too.

Warcasters

Deneghra3 is my most often used warcaster with 20 games. Nine victories, eleven losses. 
Next is Scaverous with 19 games, 11 victories and 8 losses.
Goreshade1 has 13 games, Asphyxious3 has 12 games and Mortenebra1 has 11 games. 
Then there is a drop in the games with remaining warcasters. Aiakos2 has only seven games, Asphyxious2 and Venethrax have five, Deneghra2 has four and the rest are one or two games each.

Models

These numbers are the most useless ones when removed from their context, so they're my favorite!

Light warjacks offer no surprises. Deathrippers have been present in 39 games, which includes six games where I had two of them. Nightwretch comes in second with 27 games.

Stalkers have been used in 23 games, where 9 has seen two of them. Both Defilers and Ripjaws sit at 16 games, and to no-one's surprise least used bonejack is the Helldiver. But still it's been present in 11 games, and on two occasions I've used all three of them. And twice there have been two on board.

Heavy warjacks, on the other hand, give a shocking anomaly right from the start. Most used helljack is the Corruptor with 36 games. There was a time when I always had it with Deneghra3 for surprise channeling. I don't remember I ever actually used the channeling ability, though...

Reaper was included in 29 lists, and Slayer in 21 where it was a double choice in five games. Relatively interesting to note that all the three "prime" helljacks are also the most often picked for me.

Leviathan sports in with 21 games and is closely followed by Erebus with 20. 

Seether and Inflictor both have been used 19 times.

Nightmare 17, Malice and Harrower 15. 

Least used heavy warjack is the Desecrator with 14 games. Which isn't that bad, but I have this tendency to try and use all of my models at least once in a while. 

With colossal warjacks, by far the least used model is the Kraken with 16 games. That's my only colossal, though. Har har.

Units betray my most used theme, I suppose. In a whopping 37 games Mechanithralls were included, and on 36 times of those they were accompanied by Brute Thralls. Favorite Brute counts was 2, with 26 occasions.

Then we have 31 games with Bile Thralls. Skarlock Overseer was included only 13 times.

Necrosurgeon accompanied thralls in 27 games, and Soulhunters have made an appearance 23 times. 

Withershadow Combine has been in 28 lists, so it's the 3rd most used unit I have.

Although a relatively new investment for me, Black Ogrun Ironmongers have been in my lists 18 times. But they work in multiple themes and offer great support for warjacks, which I have a tendency to use far more than in your average Cryx list.

Scourge of the Broken Coast dominates next, with 17 uses of Satyxis Raiders (who were led by Sea Witch a total of sixteen times), and even Black Ogrun Boarding Party has been involved in action 14 times. 

Dark Host is very much underrepresented in my choice of themes mostly because I own only a single unit of Bane Warriors and that's it. Hard to make a functioning list with that only. But nonetheless, they've been around for 16 times, and have had the command attachment 13 times.

Least used unit is Cephalyx Overseers with only 9 games.

Solos have also a statistical anomaly in the form of Soul Trapper, who has been in over half of my games. Sure, they're a one point filler, but 22 times I've had two of them. I guess I really like my soul trappers.

Next in line is the Warwitch Siren, who has been present in exactly half of the games. Ten times I've used them both.

Necrotechs were in 48 lists, with three times two of them huddling around. When you combine these numbers with Iron Mongers, it's exactly 2/3 of my games where I've had warjack repairers. That's a trend, I'd say. Of course I don't know how much other people bring these options, but 66% seems... a lot.

Pistol Wraiths have been in 44 games, where 18 times they've been at full allowance. It's obvious where these numbers come from. Theme bonus from Black Industries and it's predecessor.

Machine Wraiths were in 23 games, and why not. They're cheap and useful models. I only have one of them, though.

Darragh Wrathe has ridden in 19 battles.

Blood Priestess, Satyxis Captain and Scrap Thralls have all been used in 13 games. Blood Priestess is one of the more recent purchases, and I expect to see the relative percentile go up when (if ever) I get to do a 200 game update on these numbers.

Axiara Wraithblade goes for the same, as she has only 12 games as of yet.

Bloat Thrall and Bane Lord Tartarus are also less often picked choices with 11 games both. Tartarus goes without saying, as I don't have the models for a proper Dark Host list.

Aiakos1 has 8 games, and I'd wager a guess most of them with Scaverous.

Skarlock has surprisingly few uses with only 7 uses. Theme lists and expanded support options have all but removed the former mainstay of Cryx. 

Misery Cage has been in 6 games, while Gerlak Slaughterborn in 5. But they're my newest models, so there's that.

And last... and least... who could have guessed that Iron Lich Overseer has been in 4 games? Though maybe this is somewhat surprising. I mean, it's not one or zero...

Wraith Engine has been on board 6 times, but I still haven't finished painting it, which explains this a little.

Mercenaries are few and far between because of the theme restrictions. Swamp Gobber River Raiders have the first place with 14 games. Before they were updated to cost only one point each, I had already used the package of three seven times.

Then we have Ragman, which surprises me a little. I don't remember him having been in my lists for a long, long time... and yet he has been picked 12 times.

Gorman makes sense with his 9 appearances.

Orin Midwinter has found his way into my lists 7 times, and Saxon Orrik 6. 

Madelyn Corbeau and Ogrun Bokur both sit at 5 games.

And last but not least comes Wrong Eye & Snapjaw. Somehow I've managed to fit them into my list only 3 times.

Hats Meet Again

 Had a 50ss game of Malifaux on Vassal. Strategy was Plant the Explosives with Corner deployment.

My list was:

Seamus + Copycat Killer
Madame Sybelle
Mortimer
Bete Noire
Dead Dandy
Rotten Belle
Dead Doxy
Gravedigger

Pool: 3

Schemes: Breakthrough, Detonate Charges

Opponent had:

Jakob Lynch + Hungering Darkness
Kitty Dumont
Mr. Tannen
Mr. Graves
2x Illuminated
2x The Depleted
Tanuki

Pool: 2

Schemes: Claim Jump, Breakthrough

Turn 1

Not much to mention of the first turn. Gravedigger gave Focused +1 for all of Resurrectionists sans Copycat Killer. Mortimer and Seamus plant scheme markers "just in case" if I'd get to use them for Detonate Charges.

Turn 2

Bete Noire plants a strategy marker in the top right quarter, and Lynch does the same for top left quarter. Lynch also shoots Bete Noire, who buries herself. Dead Doxy charges Lynch, which has Kitty manipulating Mr. Graves with her hair, and then Mr. Graves charges Doxy. 

I decide to take the long road to opponent's deployment zone with Gravedigger. I figure I should be able to reach it in time with equal to 16" inches of movement per turn. 

Rotten Belle and Seamus place the schemes required for Detonate Charges close to Hungering Darkness in the middle. Rotten Belle was also denying opponent from scoring Claim Jump... had the scheme been on Hungering Darkness. Opponent reveals how Mr. Tannen had crept within 2" of the centerpoint.

Both players score a scheme and a strategy point.

Turn 3

Seamus plants an explosive in the top right quarter and then takes a shot at Jakob Lynch, using Focused. Still it was a complex flip. Lynch had Concealment and Don't Bite the Hand, as well as Cover from Mr. Graves. Seamus had Redchapel Killer and focused, so it was a straight flip, which Seamus barely wins after cheating. Damage flip suffers from Cover and accuracy penalties, but none of it really mattered when Red Joker comes up. Lynch spends a soulstone to block a point of damage. Ouch.

Lynch then tries to remove Dead Doxy from board, but fails to do that. Doxy had a real chance of killing the enemy master, but botched the attempt. She only got two points in, bringing Lynch down to one hit point.

Madame Sybelle charges Tanuki and ties up the furry little guy as well as Hungering Darkness and Kitty Dumont. All three had explosive tokens. However, Mr. Tannen nullified that with delirium. Tanuki was then able to place a required strategy marker, and heal Jakob Lynch for three points.

Mortimer drops a strategy marker in lower left quarter. Bete Noire expels herself from a corpse made by Mortimer and charges Mr. Tannen, killing him.

Rotten Belle is engaged by an Illuminated. Both players score strategy.

Turn 4

Lynch has quite of a start when he disengages from melee and shoots Copycat Killer. With penalty flip to damage he does the same Seamus did a round earlier - Red Joker. And with last action point, he succumbs Dead Doxy to darkness. 

Madame Sybelle continues to tie up Kitty and Hungering Darkness. Kitty, however, just walks through her and kills Rotten Belle instead. Darkness flails at Sybelle ineffectually.

Tanuki takes a run towards my deployment zone.

Gravedigger and Dead Dandy manage to secure my Breakthrough, and Seamus plants an explosive to lower left quarter. Then he jumps 10" and shoots Kitty dead.

Mr. Graves drops a strategy marker about in the middle of board.

Resurrectionists reveal Breakthrough, and scores go 4-5 for ressers.

Turn 5

Tanuki walks to my deployment zone and drops a scheme. Lynch goes and picks up my strategy marker, which forces me to either gain strategy point or breakthrough end condition, but not both.

Hungering Darkness with last remaining enemy explosive token is unable to leave the melee in the middle, so Resurrectionists manage to win this match with points 5-6.

Who's a good boy? Nix is!

Had a 50ss game of Malifaux some time ago. Strategy was Public Enemies.

 My list:

Hamelin & The Lost
Nix
Obedient Wretch
Rat King
2x Wokou Raiders
4x Malifaux Rat

Pool: 4

Schemes: Catch and Release, Runic Binding

Opponent had:

Jakob Lynch & Hungering Darkness
Kitty Dumont
Mr. Tannen
Mr. Graves
3x Illuminated

Pool: 6

Schemes: Claim Jump, something

Turn 1

With corner deployment not much happened on the first turn. One Illuminated did come and use it's shockwave ability to brighten up some Malifaux Rats, but they miraculously passed their willpower checks. 

Turn 2

Second turn was a hectic brawl in the middle. Both players were doing their best in trying to kill that one model for bounty tokens. But the Illuminated in the middle defied all attacks. Rat King was under heavy fire from the Illuminated, but managed to not die. Plenty of rats did die, but they're Insignificant for strategies and schemes.

Hungering Darkness made Nix charge Hamelin, and the loyal spectral dog did three points of damage to it's master. Well, maybe it just tried to bite the Plague off from his loved owner's soul. Didn't pay off, though.

Fortunately Rat King as a last activation was able to get within 1" of Kitty Dumont, scoring one point from Catch & Release.

Turn 3 

Third turn was devastating for Ten Thunders. First, a Wokou Raider kills an unactivated Illuminated that was pushed into melee by Kitty. That's all terrifying checks passed, first attack doing five damage with critical damage trigger and last attack either moderate or weak damage, killing the minion.

Another already damaged Illuminated is killed by Hamelin with Bleeding Disease and Pustulent Tumors. 

Mr. Graves charges in to engage Nix, Hamelin and Rat King. Eventually Jakob killed the Rat King and got the bounties to score a strategy point. 

Mr. Graves died in the jaws of Nix and hands of Wokou Raider. 

Scores went 1-2 for Outcasts.

Turn 4 

On fourth turn last remaining Illuminated failed to kill Obedient Wretch who had come to middle of the board with scheming purposes. This particular Illuminated then ate a whole bunch of Outcast action points. Hamelin, Nix, Wokou Raider and all of the Stolen tried to score that kill. 

And, well, they kind of succeeded. Last Stolen to activated flipped a 13 on the duel, and opponent flipped Red Joker. He then cheated the Red Joker to fail, so that the Illuminated died to Stolen's minimum damage. And Stolen is Insignificant for strategies and schemes. Ech. 

Points went 1-4 for Outcasts, as they scored Runic Binding as well as second strategy point. 

We decide not to play the last round. Had Illuminated succeeded in killing the Wretch, Kitty could have scored Claim Jump and there would have still been a game to play. But it's a no when fate says so.