The cactus that decided a game

A 50ss game of Malifaux.

Strategy: Standard Break the Line

Schemes: Research Mission, Detonate Charges, Breakthrough, Bait &  Switch, Death Beds

My list:

Molly2 & Necrotic Machine
Archie
Noxious Nephilim
Forgotten Marshal
2x Crooligan
Gravedigger
Bone Pile

Stones: 3

Schemes: Detonate Charges, Breakthrough

Opponent had:

Pandora2 & Poltergeist
Klaus Norwood
Candy
Iggy
Hooded Rider
2x Sorrow

Stones: 7

Schemes: Detonate Charges, Breakthrough

Turn 1

Gravedigger used Blasphemous Ritual to put some focus over the blob of Necrotic Machine, Noxious Nephilim, Molly and Archie. I had deployed a Crooligan right next to strategy marker on left. Iggy came to tie up that flank, not doing much damage. Same happened on the right with another Crooligan and a Sorrow, except this time Crooligan took some damage and got Stunned. Pandora activated and summoned an Aversion, replacing the Slow with Fast.

Crooligan didn't want to take another beating from a three-AP model, so it teleported to Molly.

Forgotten Marshal summoned a Night Terror and took a shot against Poltergeist that was hanging around in the middle forest. For fun and profit the damage flip was Severe even with negatives. 

This was my first game I had Archie on board. He activated, took a parade, leaped to strategy marker, interacted and charged the Poltergeist dead. This was rather risky since Hooded Rider had not activated yet. 

Then I activate Molly, and move Archie even further to the Rider and interact with strategy marker again. I got so carried away doing these movement shenanigans that I actually brought Archie away from Molly's Remember the Lost aura. Well played. Fortunately opponent wasn't able to kill Archie. Noxious Nephilim used Bring It on Archie, but sadly only after Hooded Rider had activated. 

Candy somehow arrived in the middle of my crew, getting Noxious Nephilim, Molly, Croolihan and Necrotic Machine to that annoying aura of hers. Necrotic Machine tried to poke two Poisons on Candy to at least deny her triggers next turn. It got only one in, though.

Turn 2

Neverborn wins initiative, so it was time to say farewell for Archie. 

The Night Terror that was summoned earlier took a casual 8" move with Molly, walked and interacted to enemy deployment zone. Sorrow came to block my rather apparent attempt to get Breakthrough. Then Iggy somehow completely failed at its three AP activation to kill Crooligan. Crooligan slaps Iggy dead with just one attack, so it was still able to interact the marker to opponents side. 

Bone Pile buried itself.

Pandora nearly kills Gravedigger and turned it into a hazardous terrain. Then she brings another Poltergeist on board. Noxious Nephilim charges it for a couple points of damage.

Forgotten Marshal moves and interacts a strategy marker, plus summoned another Night Terror. Night Terror charged Hooded Rider and triggered "you're coming with me", bringing Rider further away from middle for no reason.

Crooligans and Aversions and Mollies, Klauses and whatnot were playing football in the middle with the end result of my having three marker past centerline, while Pandora was next to one strategy marker that was still on center line.

Molly had dropped a scheme marker near Candy, and Necrotic Machine scored me Detonate Charges on Candy with Ceaseless Advance. 

Score of 2-0 for Resurrectionists looked promising, although the actual situation on board was so-and-so.

Turn 3

Well, uh. 

Then I saw a turn that is probably one of the most devastating turns I have had to suffer in Malifaux.

Sorrow kills Night Terror in enemy deployment zone. Gravedigger and Necrotic Machine die to whatever, Necrotic Machine just from activating. A Crooligan tosses a strategy marker a bit, and another Crooligan teleports to Molly and charges Hooded Rider in an attempt to buy a chance for Bone Pile to appear nearby and go to score Breakthrough.

Then Hooded Rider activates and kills both Crooligans with just its bonus action. And game had looked so good just a while ago...

Noxious Nephilim kills Poltergeist and tries to tie Sorrow in melee.

So... Opponent scores Detonate Charges, Breakthrough and Strategy, and I had four models left. At least I got strategy and Breakthrough as well, so I was still in lead with 4-3.

Turn 4

My crew is overrun completely. Noxious Nephilim died to a freaking Sorrow. Forgotten Marshal is down to one health remaining. Molly dies, but only after she went to toss a strategy marker back to enemy side. 

Forgotten Marshal puts Hooded Rider into pine box just for giggles.

Bone Pile buries itself, so at the end of round I got only one model with one hit point on board. Not ideal.

Still, situation wasn't entirely hopeless. Opponent had failed to bring a second strategy marker to my side, and I still had three of those.

Scores: 5-3 for Resurrectionists.

Turn 5

Candy, Pandora and Sorrow lay like five scheme markers on my deployment area. 

Forgotten Marshal runs to a cactus and dies, so opponent wouldn't be able to score Detonate Charges. But I can't stop opponent from getting strategy markers to my side as I now only had one (1) model left.

Neverborn scores Breakthrough and strategy, and game ends in close fought draw 5-5.