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.