Brutal Verbal Abuse

A 35ss game of Malifaux on Vassal. 

Strategy: Corner Plant Explosives

Schemes: Vendetta, Power Ritual, Outflank, Harness Ley Lines, Claim Jump

My list:

Madame Sybelle & Carrion Effigy
Flesh Construct
Dead Dandy
Dead Doxy
2x Rabble Riser
2x Mindless Zombie

Stones: 2
Schemes: Vendetta (Flesh Construct on Kabuki Warrior), Harness Ley Lines

Opponent had:

Youko Hamasaki & Chiyo
Bill Algren
Kabuki Warrior
2x Bunraku
Geisha

Stones: 2
Schemes: Power Ritual, Outflank

Turn 1:

The abundance of severe terrain made for poor choices on my part. Majority of my crew parked in one big clump in the middle, while Madame Sybelle was racing towards bottom-left. I also didn't really think much about the placement of my explosive tokens - Madame really should have taken two of them. 

Also Ten Thunders was struggling with the terrain, but at least they spread their crew more over the board. A lone Bunraku was coming to greet Madame Sybelle, Kabuki got stuck in enemy deployment zone and Youko, Bill and Chiyo had their own little bubble about six inches away from centerline. One Bunraku and Geisha looked like they were trying to reach top-right corner.

Turn 2:

Madame Sybelle places one explosive marker and a scheme marker within 3" of bottom-left corner. Bunraku got scared of her and backtracked a little. The other Bunraku took a double walk to top-right corner.

Rabble Riser went to place a scheme marker on the centerline and was then lured by Geisha closer so that Bill was able to beat it down to one health remaining.

Flesh Construct places a scheme on centerline and an explosive past it. Kabuki Warrior however manages to move the scheme off the line. Doxy runs to centerline and Effigy fails to heal Flesh Construct. 

But all was not lost - a Mindless Zombie ran near centerline and Dead Dandy turned it into Ten Thunders scheme marker. Thanks, Chiyo. 

Well, at least Ten Thunders wouldn't be drowning in pass tokens just yet.

Scores go 0-1 for Resurrectionists when Ten Thunders fail to bring any explosives to my side.

Turn 3:

A big melee happens in the middle. Bill kills Rabble Riser and interacts an explosive on my side. He challenges a second Rabble Riser who then cannot do much else than beat Bill - which it does rather well with a total of four damage through armor. Later in the round I was planning to score Ley Lines this round and I didn't want Bill to heal, so Carrion Effigy walked to bring some Aura of Decay for Bill.

Well, Youko tore Carrion Effigy to shreds with her cutting words. 

Dead Doxy walks Flesh Construct a little forward in the middle forest and seduces Bunraku and its unrequited love, Kabuki Warrior. Flesh Construct then charges Kabuki Warrior, not landing even a single hit thanks to opponent's cheats. That was rather annoying, but Kabuki Warrior giving Red Joker to Flesh Construct in damage flip was critical. 

For Kabuki's second attack I flipped Black Joker for Flesh Construct and was prepared to say goodbye to my two Vendetta points. Opponent hit, but evened out earlier Red Joker by flipping Black Joker to damage this time. Of course New Horizon succeeded and moved another scheme marker to a bad position for me. 

Madame Sybelle walked and interacted a scheme to centerline, and tried to save Flesh Construct by using Beckoning Call on Bunraku. Well, she failed to land Beckoning Call but miraculously both attacks by Bunraku missed Flesh Construct, too.

Dead Dandy fails to turn a corpse marker into scheme marker, which means no scheme reveals for me this turn. Good news? At least Bill wouldn't heal this round from revealed schemes. 

Bunraku on top-right interacts and places explosive marker.

Scores go 2-2 when both players score strategy and Ten Thunders reveals Power Ritual.

First two turns looked so good, but there were a few hardships too many this round so it all looked grim now.

Turn 4:

Ten Thunders won initiative, but activated Youko first, but I'll get to that later.

So I had one more chance of getting a point from Vendetta. Flesh Construct activated, concentrated and attacked Kabuki Warrior. Well look at that, Black Joker my old friend.

Bunraku kills Flesh Construct and engages Dead Doxy with bonus action. It dealt a couple points of damage before Madame Sybelle came forward and used I've Got Your Back on her. This secured me third point from strategy.

Bill Algren went to take a swing at Dead Dandy, and did something I'll get to later.

Mindless Zombie goes to hang around near center line followed by disengaging Dead Dandy. Kabuki Warrior kills Mindless Zombie.

Geisha lures another Bunraku away from top-right corner, and the puppet then runs near duel between Youko and Rabble Riser. 

But yeah, that Rabble Riser. I feel sorry for him. First Youko acts all nicely and offers him some Backroom Dealings, immediately followed by 3x Cutting Words. Bill Algren goes "Well aren't you a pathetic weakling if you can't fight me in a duel" before leaving the melee entirely. Chiyo misinforms nasty lies what Bill went to do with Rabble Riser's momma and ends with a biting insult how Rabble Riser's momma is dead. 

Poor Rabble Riser.

But Kabuki Warrior delayed Harness Ley Lines no longer, so scores go 3-4 for Resurrectionists with both players scoring strategy. 

Turn 5:

Youko continues to torment Rabble Riser with her cutting words, but the zombie murderer wants to get even with Bill. He disengages and tries to challenge Bill, failing at that. Bill then kills Rabble Riser, escalating to physical violence from the verbal abuse of last round.

Dead Dandy makes a scheme marker out of a corpse, but can't interact one because he was in melee with Kabuki Warrior. Kabuki - third time in this match - manages to dislodge my scheme marker.

Dead Doxy pushed Madame Sybelle out of the forest with Take By the Hand and interacted a scheme. But then a wild Bunraku appeared and it doing nothing at all was super effective. Had Madame been able to activate, she could have placed two more scheme markers for Harness Ley Lines end condition.

Chiyo places third explosive for Ten Thunders. Resurrectionists score no points this turn, so game ends in draw, 4-4.