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.