A 50ss game of Malifaux on Vassal.
Strategy: Wedge Cursed Objects
Scheme pool: Spread Them Out, Load 'Em Up, Set the Trap, Leave Your Mark, Public Demonstration
My list:
Hamelin, the Piper & 3x Chosen
Nix
Benny Wolcomb
Catalan Brawler
Hans
Obedient Wretch
Rat Catcher
Malifaux Rat
Pool: 5
Schemes: Set the Trap, Leave Your Mark
Opponent had:
Charles Hoffman & Mechanical Attendant
Melissa K.O.R.E
Guild Steward
Guardian
2x Hunter
2x Watcher
Pool: 3
Schemes: Spread Them Out, Load 'Em Up
Turn 1:
Hamelin starts to slowly build up Benny's rat machine with Rat Catcher and Obedient Wretch. I get a little anxious over the well-being of Hans, so Catalan Brawler walks to him and plants a scheme marker. So, instead of Hans, a Hunter attacks Catalan Brawler.
Another Hunter kept shooting without hitting anything, so northern portion of the turn was safe-ish.
A big blob of robotic menace is advancing in the middle. Mechanical Attendant, Hoffman, Melissa, Guardian and even Guild Steward were all there. I was especially afraid of Melissa, but Hans managed to shoot some slowness into her. But still, I couldn't do Rat King shenanigans before she had activated.
Hamelin had placed two more scheme markers with Obey via Obedient Wretch and Rat Catcher, so there were four scheme markers. Finally Melissa activated and shot Rat Catcher a bit. Bonus action grenades, however, did two damage to Obedient Wretch and Hamelin himself.
Both Watchers were almost hugging the table edges up and down, which kind of looked like Spread Them Out, or possibly Load 'Em Up.
Benny managed to do a Rat King just fine, and a Stolen threw up two damage in to Hunter that was engaged by Nix.
Turn 2:
Then came the second turn where nothing seemed to work. At least in some important places it felt the same for opponent. But not for the first activation, no.
Melissa opens salvo, and kills Rat Catcher and deals again two points in to Obedient Wretch and Hamelin with grenades.
Since Hunter was free to roam because of Deadly Pursuit movements, Nix re-engaged and didn't really achieve anything, except for a blight token with Drink Spirit.
Hunter jumps on Nix's chest and heaves him close to center point and starts shooting with great success. I was losing soulstones fast from just trying to keep Nix alive.
That Injured +1 from Pounce On Chest had me worrying for the safety of that dog, so Catalan Brawled walks and schemes for safety measure.
But then another Hunter manages to pounce on the dog's incorporeal chest, getting that Injured to +2. I'm ready to kiss Nix goodbye when even Hoffman joins the dog beating club, but miraculously Nix kept surviving. Sure, it took all good cards from my hand and 60% of my soulstones but still he was living up to his name as one of the more annoying pieces.
Hans took a double shot at Watcher on top that had spawned a scheme marker, but failed to kill. But no worries, Hamelin can always obey him for an extra shot.
Rat King had to charge Guardian to tie up enemy, and surely enough gnaws off three points of health from the Guardian as well as slowing it. Guild Steward and Guardian attacked Rat King, reducing it to only three health remaining.
But that Hunter, though. The one who already had five blight tokens. With it's low willpower of four it had already passed Wp attack stat 6 melee attack and Bleeding Disease from Nix. Obedient Wretch escaped the spot that had such forecast of shrapnel and used Bleeding Disease on the Hunter. Still, nope.
But then a line of kids started vomiting over Hunter, and every single of those spits hit the target, dealing one point of damage each, killing Hunter. Six out of seven damage points had come from children's stomach acids. Go figure. Damn shame the Hunter did not have Cursed Object, though.
I'm breaking turn order a little here, because Benny runs off to a Hill. He takes a shot at Watcher, missing it but still starting a chase sequence. Next turn Watcher walks to place a scheme marker, while Benny is running behind the robot bat, hitting it with a rat or something. Next turn Watcher disengages, moves as far away as possible. Benny eats the Watcher's scheme marker and continues the chase, all the while missing his attacks or doing just one one point of damage. This continued until the very last turn, where Benny finally dismantled the thing. But... I mean. Yeah, that just happened.
In the end, I didn't get strategy point this round. Hamelin just couldn't obey Hans even when he concentrated first. But at least with a soulstone he was able to interact with Melissa to get a scheme marker for Set the Trap.
Scores go 1-2 for Outcasts. Guild got strategy and Outcasts scored both schemes.
Turn 3:
Guild wins initiative and starts again beating poor Nix. Opponent seemed to have a ridiculously good hand, but fortunately mine wasn't too shabby either - at least I got the Red Joker. I managed to save Nix from Hoffman, but it took all of my good cards away again.
Nix activated to heal, and while his attacks did pretty much nothing (those Hunters were still winning against stat 6 attacks vs their wp 4), but at least he got enough going on that he survived the remaining Hunter.
Guardian mauled Catalan Brawler, bringing him down to two health remaining.
And Hans, oh, Hans... what to do with you. That's already four attacks against a weak four point minion without much of a result.
Watchers were spamming scheme markers, and Benny was doing the slapstick thing.
Melissa managed to kill Catalan Brawler, and Guild Steward and Mechanical Attendant healed whatever damage I could scratch on Melissa's armor.
It was looking real bad, but Obedient Wretch managed to land Analyze Weakness on Hunter, and even got in a Bleeding Disease. Stolen kids started doing what sixth graders do best and spat another Hunter dead.
I got a list with a sniper par excellence, a rough bodyguard and a merciless gangster, even a spectral ghost hound and none of them had done a thing. But a line of vomiting kids, yeah, Guild, watch out!
Guild caught me by surprise by revealing Load 'Em Up on scheme markers. I had not considered that your own scheme markers also count for that... Whoops.
Scores draw 3-3... or so we thought. Actually opponent could have also revealed Spread Them Out, but my initial reading of the scheme lead me to think that the six markers needed to be on board at the real end end of the turn.
Turn 4:
However, Hans finally lands a killing shot at a Watcher, securing a strategy point for Outcasts.
Benny does the slapstick thing.
Obedient Wretch tries to analyze Guardian's weaknesses, but doesn't find any. Kids stop doing damage but I can't really blame them. They've already done their part, and more.
Guardian smacks Rat King dead and charges Hamelin, hitting him down to three health.
Scores "go" 3-4 for Outcasts thanks to opponent not getting a Cursed Object token removed.
Turn 5:
Hoffman fails to kill Nix again. That dog has really soaked up some action points! At least eight from Charles, about as many from both Hunters as well as shots by Melissa. That is certainly an impact in the game even if Nix kept failing his attacks.
Until last turn, where Nix then started succeeding attacks. Guardian was at six health remaining and had six Blight tokens. Much to my astonishment, Nix passed to Bleeding Diseases against Guardian, killing it.
Benny finally kills the damn bat and yakety sax stops playing.
Since opponent was still playing for Spread Them Out, it became a race of activations for opponent not to lose models before getting a scheme marker placed out of Hamelin's line of sight. Mechanical Attendant managed, but both Guild Steward and Obedient Wretch fell to two passed Bleeding Diseases.
Hamelin removed Attendant's scheme marker and we called it a game.
And it was when I was writing this and double checking things, I noticed the scoring error.
Although game ended 4-5, I think it's fair to say it was a 5-5 draw because that point loss for Guild was on my conscience.
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