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.