It just had to come, vol II

 Had another game of Malifaux on Vassal.

Strategy: Symbols of Authority with Corner deployment. Scheme pool: Let Them Bleed, Spread Them Out, Bait and Switch, Research Mission, Death Beds

My list was:

Kirai & Ikiryo
Datsue Ba with Grave Spirit Touch
Lost Love
2x Shikome
Crooligan
3x Seishin
Mindless Zombie

Stones: 7

Schemes: Let Them Bleed, Spread Them Out

Opponent had:

Lucius Mattheson & Scribe
Agent 46 with Inhuman Reflexes
Hooded Rider
Investigator
False Witness
Guild Lawyer
Changeling

Stones: 6

Schemes: Bait and Switch, Spread Them Out

Turn 1:

I had originally planned to play Seamus, but the map looked terrific for some incorporeal action.

Datsue Ba turns Mindless Zombie into Focused +1 for everyone but herself, walks once and concentrates herself. 

I get completely lost in who activates when in the enemy team, since everyone is using Obey (or the equivalent) on everyone. Hooded Rider rides with Agent 46 and arrives in middle-north of the board, and takes a walk nearer middle. 

Investigator and False Witness had been walked to the middle, too, and since I didn't know what to expect I charged a summoned Goryo into those two. Ikiryo charges Hooded Rider after being moved around by Seishin. Neither Goryo or Ikiryo score any damage.

Investigator and False Witness are freed from Goryo with some scheme shenanigans, and Investigator charges Ikiryo and garrotes her down to one wound remaining. 

Both Shikomes were guided by Seishins. One went west, ending up past middle line. The other Shikome managed to interact a scheme marker on to enemy table side. However, that brought her within charge range of Agent 46, and as a result she was brought down to three remaining.

Turn 2:

Ikiryo activates first because I supposed she'd disappear next. But killing her didn't interest Investigator or Hooded Rider (who failed his Ride With Me)

Kirai summoned another Goryo, and together the goryos brough Investigator, False Witness, Changeling and Guild Lawyer to one or two hit points remaining. Most of their attacks certainly missed, but Violent Ghosts didn't need to hit in the first place.

Crooligan in south-west did a scheme marker, and Shikome that was flapping around in there too dropped another marker and charged False Witness that had strayed to middle line.

Agent 46 kills my Shikome and removes the scheme marker she put up. Datsue Ba is guided by Seishins to charge Agent 46, and then I need to make a decision to either score strategy or Spread Them Out this turn. I choose strategy, and Lost Love teleports to Datsue Ba, walks and interacts an enemy strategy marker. 

Then it becomes apparent why Ikiryo had been spared. Neverborn reveals Bait and Switch. Resurrectionists take a point of strategy for 1-1 scores.

Turn 3:

Enemy is busy removing Goryos, and one of them is indeed removed by the blob of Lucius, Hooded Rider, Lawyers and whatnot, while the other one remained. But the other one... well, I suppose this day had to come eventually. I'm sure opponent could have killed the Goryo later in turn, but it would have taken additional resources if not for one black joker. Or two black jokers, to be precise. We both flip black joker, and as enemy had higher stat than my defense... it was a definite loss for Goryo.

I didn't have high enough card in my hand to re-summon another, so I had to take Drowned instead to deal with an escaped Investigator. Kirai also uses Spirit Barrage on False Witness, killing her. 

Moonlight charge killed Ikiryo and put my remaining Shikome down to one hit point remaining, but this didn't stop it from scoring another point of Symbols of Authority, with the aid of Seishins. 

Datsue Ba and Agent 47 duke it out, with Datsue gaining the upper hand by leaving the enemy henchman with three hit points. This had cost me plenty of soulstones, though, as I needed to spam Ram suit to prevent Agent from blocking damage with soulstones.

Lost Love drops a scheme and walks nearer another enemy Symbol. But it was a long way for Mv4 model.

However... Resurrectionists got another point of strategy, Spread Them Out and even Let Them Bleed in one fell go. Scores were now 4-1 for Resurrectionists. 

Turn 4:

To try to deny opponent from scoring Bait & Switch, Shikome charged a Guild Lawyer that had been sitting in enemy deployment zone with one hit point remaining. Didn't succeed, though. Hooded Rider fails to kill my contesting minion, but manages to ruin Lost Love's plans to score third point from strategy.

Changeling finishes Shikome with Shikome's own menacing talons. 

Agent 46 places a scheme marker on my side of the board and charges Datsue Ba. Without a soulstone Datsue lucks out with a ram suit and kills Agent 46. Lost Love teleports to Datsue, walks and interacts a marker.

The Scribe removes my last remaining Goryo, so it was time to summon a new one to tie up Lucius. Additionally Kirai put a scheme marker on the middle line.

Drowned fails to kill Investigator, but a random charging Seishin did not. What's this? Scribes and Seishins doing the heavy lifting?

No points were scored on turn four.

Turn 5:

I secured enough strategy markers on board to make Spread Them Out end condition infallible. We didn't play all the activations as the situation was clear. Neverborn scored another point of Bait and Switch, while Resurrectionists got both Let Them Bleed and Spread Them Out.

Game ended 6-4 for Resurrectionists.

The Draw

 Had a 50 soul stone game of Malifaux on Vassal.

Strategy was Break the Line with flank deployment. Scheme pool: Vendetta, Breakthrough, Spread Them Out, Catch & Release, Bait & Switch

My list was:

Dr. McMourning with Killer Instinct & Zombie Chihuahua
Sebastian
Rogue Necromancy
Kentauroi (Catch & Release)
Flesh Construct
Nurse
Guild Autopsy

Stones: 4

Schemes: Catch & Release, Spread Them Out

Opponent had:

Jakob Lynch & Hungering Darkness
Kitty Dumont
Mr. Graves
Mr. Tannen
3x Illuminated (one of which has vendetta on Flesh Construct)
Tanuki

Stones: 1

Schemes: Vendetta, Breakthrough

Turn 1:

Sebastian lobs some formaldehyde on Resurrectionist models in top.

Kentauroi rides with guild autopsy and lobs a strategy marker to opponent's side but within its melee range. That might have been fancy, but Lynch manages to shoot Hungering Darkness to the horse beast. Fortune smiled at me (not sure if in a mocking manner) and Kentauroi was left with one wound remaining after the onslaught of Jakob's totem. So my Catch & Release target didn't disappear on the first round.

Guild Autopsy runs in forest as far as possible towards strategy marker in top-left corner. It's a long way though since it's a big forest...

Dr. McMourning comes to assist Kentauroi but doesn't actually do much just yet.

Flesh Construct takes a double walk and interacts a scheme marker in the middle of board.

Below, Nurse pulls Rogue Necromancy here & there with painkillers, after which Rogue ambushes, walks and throws strategy marker to the opponent's side.

Rogue Necromancy, Nurse and Zombie Chihuahua are opposed by two of the Illuminated and Mr. Tannen. One of the Illuminated threw back the strategy marker that Rogue Necromancy had interacted with.

Mr. Graves and one Illuminated struggle through forest. Kitty comes to top-left quarter near Hungering Darkness and Kentauroi.

Turn 2:

Resurrectionists win initiative, and I put it on my priority list to run as far as possible with Kentauroi. It does Ride with me on McMourning and runs into bushes. Guild Autopsy puts a scheme marker top-left.

Kitty Dumont comes to interact with strategy marker that Dr. McMourning was guarding. Flesh Construct - instead of charging Mr. Tannen came to throw the marker right back.

Illuminated and Mr. Graves come to middle board to harass Sebastian, who had tried to poison those two. 

Lynch shoots McMourning around a bit with a large trout, and McMourning decides to activate next to remove Hungering Darkness from board. But the beast goes down to two points remaining because one attack fails to connect. Hungering Darkness botches its activation and does minimum damage in to McMourning, but does heal back to seven.

Below, an Illuminated murders Zombie Chihuahua. Rude. 

Mr. Tannen had activated Boring Conversation, which ruined Rogue Necromancy's activation. Well, it did bite one of the Illuminated down to two wounds, but considering it essentially had three attacks thanks to Pouncing Leap, that's not very impressive.

The other Illuminated succeeds in delivering strategy marker to my side of the board.

Score goes 1-1 from strategies.

Turn 3:

McMourning finally removes Hungering Darkness. Guild Autopsy throws a strategy marker to Ten Thunders territory.

Mr. Graves pays back by killing poor Sebastian. Flesh Construct comes to handle the situation in the middle, and deals respectable damage to Mr. Graves - down to two hit points, plus poison.

Illuminated then attacks Flesh Construct, damages, and reveals Vendetta. Now that Flesh Construct had activated, Kitty interacted with strategy marker and brought it to my side.

Below, and Illuminated comes to engage Nurse. Nurse says no, and pulls herself here & there with painkillers. She then walks and interacts with strategy marker. Remaining Illuminated charges Nurse through hazardous terrain, but fails to kill.

Mr. Tannen and Rogue Necromancy were generally useless.

As last activation, Kentauroi charges Kitty Dumont and scores Catch & Release.

Both players score strategy, Ten Thunders got Vendetta and Resurrectionists Catch & Release for 3-3.

Turn 4:

Mr. Graves kills Flesh Construct and puts up Keeping the Peace. Not wanting to risk it, Dr. McMourning walks into melee and brings the Vendetta scoring Illuminated down to one hit point. I giggled when I realized I could kill it with Black Blood from Mr. Graves. The attack hits nicely, so there was exactly one chance in the whole deck that Black Blood wouldn't kill Illuminated. And there it was, Black Joker.

Kentauroi takes a flight towards Ten Thunders deployment zone, dropping behind a scheme marker.

Illuminated attacks Nurse and brings her down to one hit point. Nurse then pulls herself here & there, walks and places another scheme marker.

Illuminated in the middle, however, brings McMourning down to two hit points remaining - which would've been four, of course, if there would have not been an unconvenient Black Joker.

Kitty Dumont charges McMourning and kills him with Unassuming Demeanor. Then she walks to my deployment zone and drops a scheme with bonus action.

Rogue Necromancy kills one Illuminated. Mr. Tannen does nothing. 

So... game had been rather even. This Ten Thunders scored Breakthrough and Resurrectionists had their Spread Them Out for scores of 4-4.

Turn 5

Guild Autopsy does a scheme marker, as does Kentauroi and runs to hug opponents deployment corner.

Below, Illuminated kills the Nurse, but Rogue Necromancy was able to interact a scheme marker and go engage Mr. Tannen.

Kitty Dumont walks, does interact for scheme and then drops another scheme with bonus action.

Illuminated in the middle walks to my deployment zone and slaps in a scheme marker.

Mr. Graves and Jakob Lynch attempt to bring one of the strategy markers 8" away from center line, but it doesn't work out.

Ten Thunders score Vendetta since Illuminated had been left alive against all odds, and Breakthrough.

Resurrectionists score Catch & Release since Kentauroi had been left alive against all odds, and Spread Them Out.

Final scores go 6-6.

The end is nigh

Shadowbrook and the nearby areas are nearing a total extinction of heroes, as our Touch of Evil campaign continues with one additional game via Tabletop Simulator. 

Game was Heinrich the Cartwright and Victor Danforth versus The Ghost Ship.

For once the shadow track took a slow and steady decline into darkness, which would have given heroes time to gear up. In theory, at least. As it turned out there were sporadic Ghost Pirate sprees, getting almost all of their counters on the map. Heroes needed to react to them, but the fights against those damnable pirates were awfully unlucky. 

Victor spent a whole lot of time in spewing out events, most of which were sub-par. 

Heinrich at least manages to find two pieces of cursed gold, and enough weapons and assorted gear to equal nine fight dice. Victor had cunning 6 and tools of science.

Suddenly shadow track was in its last stage to darkness, and heroes had to start the showdown way too early. Fortunately there was only one evil elder, although he did have the darkest secret.

Heroes had to assemble hunting party blindly, and we took Reverend Harding. And look at that. A second darkest secret, plus accompanied betrayal.

Ghost Ship had 32 wounds, and heroes managed to remove only thirteen out of them.

Good night, Heinrich and Victor.

Campaign Statistics:

Villains defeated: Spectral Horseman, Vampire, Siren, Bog Fiend, Volgovian Nutcracker, Delion Dryad, Scarecrow, Krampus, Sunken Seven, Gargoyle, Banshee, Reaper, Dreamweaver, Werewolf, Unspeakable Horror, Necromancer

Villains still to be defeated: 2, +2 investigation vs Shadow Witch

Heroes dead: Katarina the Outlaw, Frederic Leon Brother Marcus, Anne-Marie, Lucy Hanbrook, Harlow Morgan, Scarlet Shadow, Maria de la Rosa, Thomas the Courier, Adrianna, Valeria, Jack Fellows, Argot Blackwell, Inspector Cooke, Isabella von Took & Liliana, Lost Soul, Karl, Eliza, Dr. Edwards, Sara the Bright Witch, Heinrich Cartwright, Victor Danforth
Heroes remaining: 2

Stashed investigation: 3