Old World Is g/On/e

 Played a game of Witcher: The Old World board game.

I played the Manticore school, while other Witchers were Griffon school, Bear school and Cirella who had travelled to past because of reasons.

Ciri was the underdog of the early game. Bear started fighting monsters early on thanks to some lucky stat ups from encounters, and Griffon seemed to steal all the quests the notice board, raking in upgrades as well.  Manticore kept low profile, just travelling around - even to Skellige - getting stat points wherever possible. Just as I was going to challenge Ciri to a duel, she also went to Skellige, robbing me of that option.

Instead, Manticore Witcher went to kill a Foglet. For some reason all the monsters were bunched up at top-right corner of the map. Drowner, Werewolf and even a Nekker had been there. Ciri had started ramping up her stats and victory trophies, while Griffon and Bear had got themselves involved in some Scoia'tael terrorism. 

Those damn other witchers even managed to wake up Dagon. Monsters started dropping like flies - Dagon included, by the Bear school witcher. 

After Manticore school witcher killed Drowner and was level four, thus closest to victory, Griffon witcher attempted to cause an accident to delay my progress. But it was a happy accident, Manticore witcher was victorious, although somewhat depleted in potions. 

So, I reached three trophies first by meditating on my specialty. However, after her slow start, Ciri had become the top contender. Bear and Griffon were only at two trophies. 

School of Manticore was in a hurry to prove themselves. There was a Penitent nearby for me to attack, but that thing was in Skellige and I didn't want to risk water routes especially when Dagon was still awake. Fortunately a Rock Troll spawned within walking distance.

I had my trump card with me that had really messed up Griffon's attack over Manticore. A +2 shield card with "take it back to hand" if it had red or yellow combo. I was quite confident that my stat-maxed and specialty meditated witcher with full arsenal of potions would kill that 19 health troll. 

Buuuut.... the first attack dealt around seven damage to me, and the discarded cards were some of my best. I did my best, and hoped the +2 shield I managed to combo would let me endure long enough. BOOM! Another seven points of damage or so. Soon enough Manticore witcher was humbled, and Ciri was free to win the game.

She was in the same space as Manticore witcher and the Rock Troll. However, looking at Manticore witcher's badly mauled, unconscious body, Ciri ditched the idea of winning by killing a monster and instead attacked Griffon witcher to claim victory.

It was a close fought duel. Ciri was able to deal immense amount of damage with her combos, but this exhausted her quickly, too. Griffon, too, was able to play like a five card combo - but that one had two take back cards involved. Soon enough neither witcher had cards in draw deck. Thanks to those armor providing take back cards Griffon was able to stave off Ciri, much to my amazement.

Yay! I had a second attempt at Rock Troll. And this time I had the first turn, and able to combo to my heart's extent. Again the troll did nasty initial damage, but remaining fight rounds were a lot more manageable and the beast was slain.

Victory!

I really liked the main card system of this game that elegantly reflects often neglected stamina in hero-centric systems. If you run around the board and initiate combat after trekking multiple locations, your first combat round is going to look sorry as you're out of breath. Making powerful combo attacks is also draining your survivability in combat faster than delivering quick, low effort blows. 

She Just Doesn't Care

 A 50ss game of Malifaux on Vassal.

Strategy: Flank Carve a Path

Schemes: Breakthrough, Hidden Martyrs, Secret Meetup, Public Demonstration, Catch and Release

My list:

Jack Daw, Ensouled & Lady Ligeia
Montresor
Jaakuna Ubume
Malifaux Child
Hanged
Crooked Man
2x Guilty

Pool: 5
Schemes: Hidden Martyrs (Guilties), Catch and Release (Hanged)

Opponent had:

Youko Hamasaki, Unseen & Chiyo
Bill Algren
Shojo
Kunoichi
2x Bunraku
Tanuki
2x Geisha

Pool: 4
Schemes: Hidden Martyrs (Geisha and Kunoichi), Secret Meetup (Crooked Man, somebody and building in top-left quarter) 

Turn 1:

Chiyo, a Geisha and Bunraku were delivering a strategy marker from top in such a manner that I instantly suspected Breakthrough. 

Jaakuna and Crooked Man were doing the same, but closer to middle, while the second strategy marker from Ten Thunders was also sitting in the center gathering of Youko, Kunoichi, Geisha, Shojo and Tanuki.

The middle gang would have likely killed Lady Ligeia already when Geisha lured her early in the turn. Montresor couldn't do much else than walk and watch an action for Lady, or risk losing Betrayal aura. Boring Conversation already had an effect, because Montresor kept yawning cards off my hand.

But, Guilty, Hanged Montresor and Lady Ligeia were bringing one of my strategy markers from bottom side and the two minions even managed to push it to centerline. Bill Algren, however, came to end such a folly with his stoic posture. A Bunraku was a little bit farther, but close enough to act as his aide. 

Jack Daw was going to center too with Malifaux Child and another Guilty. Jack Daw dealt a couple of damage points to Geisha that were promptly healed by Tanuki. She wouldn't even share Guilty's guilt. 

Turn 2:

Chiyo ran past centerline, and Geisha and a Bunraku pushed strategy marker to the totem. That ball was now way out of my reach. 

Jaakuna pushed my strategy marker past centerline, activated Drowning Aura and moved to keep the marker inside her aura. 

A Guilty had charged into the thick of action, engaging Kunoichi, Youko, Shojo and whatnot. I started to get really worried when Shojo gave him five poison. before activating Boring Conversation... Losing martyr to a bottle of wine wouldn't be... ideal. 

I don't quite remember what Montresor did other than walk within 6" of the majority of Ten Thunders' models. Chances are he listened some boring conversations, and was suddenly slowed by Geisha's sharp wit.

Crooked Man managed to stagger Guilty, Youko and Kunoichi. It's just that Kunoichi didn't care about that with her nihilistic tendencies. Oh, I would make her care! Crooked Man also activated Malifaux Mining Law with crows trigger.

First, Malifaux Child drew Geisha, Youko, Shojo and Kunoichi in. Well, make that Geisha only. Kunoichi still refused to care.

Jack Daw used Draw Them In on Montresor, even bought a Rams with a soulstone. And yet Kunoichi refused to even twitch her eye. Apparently Shojo was her uncaring drinking buddy, since she also passed every and all movement tests.

Alright, Kunoichi. You win this round of nihilism. At least Geisha fell a little easier with one inaudible whisper. And Youko just took two damage in just because her soul was not quiet. Oh wait... but how's that possible when she isn't keyword Tormented? 

Well, that's because I'm not advancing chronologically. Fortunately Kunoichi failed to kill the Guilty, so Youko had to finish the job. And she did, gaining Punish the Wicked upgrade in the process.

At the bottom of things, another Guilty had walked forward to kick my strategy marker back to my side of the table. I didn't believe I would be able to push through Bill and Bunraku, and they might very well start kicking the marker to bottom-right corner where it would be quite out of reach.

However... now I had my second Hidden Martyr in the charge lane of Bill Algren, who would kill the thing with two minimum damages. Hanged had to come to rescue. It walked and managed to land Forbidden Knowledge on him, and even stagger Bill with an attack.

Bill hit Hanged a couple of times, and it spent soulstones to block a total of five damage. Bill pushed Hanged out of Catch and Release range, but thankfully opponent had not removed the upgrade, and I was able to push Bill back to scoring range.

One Guilty dead, another still living. That's Hidden Martyrs for me. However, the Geisha was also a martyr along with Kunoichi. Both players scored strategy, so it was 2-3 lead for Outcasts.

Turn 3:

If last turn had been intense, this was even more so. 

Bill Algren, who had healed to full and gained Fast mauled my Catch and Release model horrendously. All three attacks hit, and one even scored Red Joker on damage. Last attack hit when Hanged had one health remaining. However... Red wasn't the only joker on damage flips that this activation saw. It's a miracle!

Hanged didn't wait for Bunraku to come and finish what Bill couldn't. It teleported away by giving Guilty the Forbidden Knowledge, cheating in Black Joker for masks. It kicked strategy marker behind Montresor and ran as fast as it could. Which isn't a lot with Move 4. 

Opponent didn't give me time to do movement shenanigans with my various models. Bunraku walked, used bonus action and charged Hanged, killing it. It looks like Hanged was... Caught and released.

Bunraku and Chiyo pushed a strategy marker to my deployment zone. 

Jaakuna did the same and activated Drowning Aura. But the aura wasn't enough to deter Geisha from pushing my marker outside of enemy deployment. 

Meanwhile, I had created an absolute hell for opponent to navigate. Crooked Man had two scheme markers in the thick of enemy blob of models, all hazardous terrain. Moreover, Jack Daw had walked, pushed my strategy marker past centerline and landed 3" aura of hazardous terrain on Shojo. 

Opponent had no cards left in hand, so if I was going to stagger Kunoichi, it would have to happen now. Malifaux Child went to use Draw Them In (unfortunately without rams) to get her that. Youko failed, Tanuki failed. But guess who two didn't fail? Yeah. Still no stagger on Kunoichi. 

Youko makes a rather impactful activation when she pushed Shojo with hazardous aura away, and Kunoichi next to my strategy marker. Finally Kunoichi was staggered! Probably because there were no flips involved. Hidden Ledger left only trash cards on top of my deck when only Montresor was left to activate, and she even kicked Ten Thunders strategy marker to my side of the table. Sure, that was five points of damage in to her during her own activation, but whoa. 

Montresor, who had Slow, had his time to shine. I knew there were a two, four and six in the three cards from Hidden Ledger. 

Since opponent had no cards in hand, and I had one (a twelve), and Kunoichi was staggered, I figured Crooked Man had realistic chance of Earthquaking her even with a guaranteed "2" that was coming. Well, he didn't.

At least a blind Asphyxiation worked, but Kunoichi was still with three hit points remaining. Two after she activated and pushed my strategy marker past centerline. Catastrophy! Victory point, denied!

My another Guilty had earlier tried to charge Bunraku who had killed Hanged, but dealt in just one damage.

Outcasts are cast out from point scoring this turn, so it's a 3-3 tie.

Turn 4:

Ten Thunders won the initiative, and Geisha activated first to make Jaakuna slow, so she wouldn't be able to interact with strategy markers this round.

Montresor made his move next, bringing Kunoichi and Tanuki down to one health remaining. He tried to make an out-of-activation kill for a Guilty that was fighting with Bunraku, but managed to deal only one damage with two strikes. At least the puppet became staggered. 

I had been worried that Bill would have killed my second Guilty martyr, but instead he went to charge Montresor and pushed him over 6" away from Kunoichi. 

So, Jack Daw had to activate to use his bonus action to push Montresor closer to Kunoichi. He then made a melee attack against Youko and scored a Burst of Speed that collaterally damaged Tanuki dead. I was worried that Shojo would go to heal Kunoichi, so instead Jack Daw killed Kunoichi eventhough she was at one health remaining, thus dying when she activates. Youko was left with two health.

Situation looked devastating for Ten Thunders... but, then Shojo activated. By now opponent had no cards in hand, so Shojo was not able to rely on getting the triggers she wanted. Slurred Speech? Rams, which healed Youko for two. Biting Insult? Rams, which healed Youko for two. 

Youko then disengaged from Jack Daw and murdered Crooked Man who had not yet taken even a single point of damage with two strikes. Somehow it was no longer looking that strong of a position for Outcasts...

At least the Guilty didn't die to Bunraku's blades. However, it took both actions and the bonus action with crows for the trigger to kill that thing.

Malifaux Child was able to secure me my second victory point, but thanks to losing two action points in the form of unactivated Crooked Man, I wasn't able to deny opponent their third point.

Chiyo went to place a scheme marker on my deployment to scare me a little. 

Scores go 4-4.

Turn 5:

Jaakuna went to push my marker deep into enemy deployment zone. Montresor interacted twice with Ten Thunders strategy marker to make it impossible for opponent to score.

Shojo had put up Boring Conversation and walked and charged to engage Malifaux Child. 

Jack Daw tried to charge Bill Algren, but wasn't able to Slow him with two strikes. My plan had been to give Slow for Bill so he wouldn't be able to kill Guilty. Then, Malifaux Child needed to come and heal Guilty for at least two to score Hidden Martyrs end condition. However, Bill was able to bury naginata into my martyr. 

Bunraku went to kick my strategy marker to center line, so no strategy points for me or the opponent.

Chiyo was no longer able to secure end condition for Secret Meetup alone, so the game ended with the same score total as last round: 4-4 draw.

Anything But Doves!

 Whoops! I completely forget to push the publish button.  This game was played almost a week ago. A 50ss game of Malifaux.

Strategy: Wedge Cursed Objects

Schemes: Assassinate, Sabotage, Spread Them Out, In Your Face, Catch and Release

My list:

Molly the Chaotic Conductor & Necrotic Machine
Philip & Nanny
Archie
Noxious Nephilim
Rabble Riser
Night Terror
2x Crooligan

Pool: 5
Schemes: Spread Them Out, Catch and Release (Crooligan)

Opponent had:

Colette Du Bois & 3x Mechanical Doves
Carlos Vasquez
Cassandra Felton
Angelica Durand
Coryphee Duet
2x Showgirl
Mannequin

Pool: 1
Schemes: Sabotage (Forest on my side), Catch and Release (a Showgirl)

Turn 1:

I had Red Joker in my hand, as well as total of two 13's, a 12 and one or two 11's throughout the turn after Molly had put up Remember the Lost aura. This time around I remembered to draw cards when I passed with two or more.

But despite all that Archie died on first turn. A Red Joker on damage did its thing. 

I had deployed one Crooligan near each point where centerline meets table edge. Molly, Noxious Nephilim and Philip and the Nanny were all benefiting from Night Terror's concealment aura in the bottom-right quarter. Rabble Riser had to take a long walk from behind the walls thanks to bad deployment and me not wanting to activate Necrotic Machine just yet. So he was in the bottom-left quarter not doing anything useful. 

Performers had more or less even line up going towards center, with both Showgirls, Angelica, Mannequin and Colette with assorted pigeons in top-right quarter, and both henchmen and some birds nearby in the top.left quarter. And the odd Coryphee Duet, of course, scissoring ornamental rows of Christmas elves out of Archie's remains.

Turn 2:

Both Crooligans went to place scheme markers almost on the centerline, with my Catch & Release kid being behind a ruined house and a forest. But that didn't save her from a charging Mechanical Dove, who first managed to deal two points of damage with an attack, and then one more damage plus self detonation. Fun times. 

At least Coryphee Duet didn't make as horrifying activation as last turn, as it wasn't able to kill Night Terror. 

I wanted Remember the Lost early in the turn, and Molly had less than ideal activation, healing Night Terror and parading Coryphee Duet into pyre marker. 

Colette Presto-Changoed Showgirl and Philip & Nanny, using sword trick to bury the pram. Because the Showgirl had curse token, I wanted to score my strategy point from her. Noxious Nephilim charged and killed the girl with just one strike. Little did I know that the showgirl was opponent's Catch and Release target! 

Crooligan on the left had to endure murder doves, and indeed, even this time around some damage trickled in. Bewildered Philip & Nanny appeared from scheme marker on left and it drove over one of the doves. 

Rabble Riser had tried to challenge one of the doves, failing at that. Carlos did not fail in dealing damage to Rabble Riser twice, setting the zombie in flames. 

Performers had gathered in the middle. Encore called Coryphee Duet from pyre marker and Cassandra assisted the burns away. 

Last model to activate for me was Necrotic Machine. Seeing that opponent had no cards in hand, it walked past the pyre marker and charged Cassandra, delivering moderate damage. Then, as turn ended, it took the 2" push and free action to interact a scheme marker in the middle, thus netting me Spread Them Out.

Scores go 2-1 for Resurrectionists.

Turn 3:

Noxious Nephilim was Presto-Changoed and sword ticked off the board. Suddenly Molly was looking rather alone, being mostly just herself looking at Cassandra, Coryphee Duet, Angelica and Colette all easily within 5" of her.

Whoops, another Presto-Chango, and most of those models were in base contact with her. Cassandra and Mannequin were now deep behind my lines. 

Carlos killed unactivated Rabble Riser and Necrotic Machine in one activation, and Cassandra walked back to shuffle Coryphee Duet into a better position, and breathe some fire over Molly. Thankfully that one missed.

Night Terror had ran to offer its auras for the blob of Performers. Angelica tried to cane the bat away, but that champ continued enduring far more attacks than Archie did. 

Before Coryphee activated, Molly pushed herself away from melee by discarding a card and then charged Cassandra. I spent three of my soulstones, and it paid off - two hits with the baton sent Cassandra parading over a corpse, scheme and Mechanical Dove marker with irreducible damage trigger. Hooray, strategy point was secured now.

Mannequin went to place a scheme marker behind the forest in the center of bottom-right quarter. Looked like performers were going to sabotage my forest. 

Coryphee Duet and two murder doves did some four points of damage to Molly after Showgirl had lured Night Terror away, so at least that could have been a lot worse. 

Noxious Nephilim appeared on the centerline at left and charged a Mechanical Dove dead. He also planted a scheme marker, which something removed. Crooligan also placed a scheme and continued to hug left board edge. 

Scores go 3-3 when both get strategy and performers manage to sabotage my forest.

Turn 4:

Looks like I forgot to take a picture this turn. But the important bits were Night Terror and Molly failing to kill Angelica, who had curse token. Angelica parading two Mechanical Doves dead certainly was satisfying. Crooligan had to teleport to Angelica and finish her off - and finally, third strategy point was mine!

Losing Molly to Coryphee Duet was... inconvenient. 

Noxious Nephilim and Philip & Nanny try to attack Carlos, but don't do much. 

Both players get strategy for a 4-4 tie.

Turn 5:

Philip & Nanny had used deadly pursuit to move away from Carlos, planted a scheme and charged Carlos. 

Coryphee Duet kills both Night Terror and Crooligan, and we call it a game. I no longer had realistic chance of of scoring either Spread Them Out or strategy, while opponent got curse token from Crooligan and Sabotage had already been secured on turn three.

Scores go 4-6 for Colette and her troupe.