A Promotion

 Two 50ss games of Malifaux.

Game 1:

Strategy: Standard Plant Explosives

Schemes: Harness the Leyline, Make It Look Like an Accident, Leave Your Mark

My list:

Jack Daw, Ensouled & Jaakuna Ubume
Montresor
Kari Zotiko
Batsch & Amalie
Ferryman
Crooked Man
2x Drowned
2x Dapperling

Pool: 1

Opponent had:

Lucas McCabe, Tomb Delver & 2x Cryptologists
Sidir Alchibal
Desper LaRaux
2x Rough Rider
2x Ruffian
Huckster
Hopeful Prospect

Pool: 3

Turn 1: Tormented Makes It Look Like an Accident, Wastrels are going to Leave Their Mark

With some help from Montresor, Drowned went to place a strategy marker past the centerline near the left board edge. Dapperling was there for emotional support.

Montresor also gave a walk for the Ferryman. 

To the right table edge, Drowned placed a scheme to be a homing beacon for Crooked Man. Dapperling just walked and prepared a shield. Jaakuna, who had been deployed along with them, lured Hopeful Prospector off a cliff for accident reveal party. 

Finally Batsch & Amalie pushed Ferryman forward, who dropped its explosive, bonus charged Hopeful Prospect and beat down his hopes of living.

A big fight ensued at the center. Jack Daw was teasing Sidir with waterlogged upgrades. Kari summoned a Drowned to Sidir, and Crooked Man took out one of enemy scheme markers with its greed. It looked like enemy had Leave Your Mark, so Jack Daw had placed one scheme marker to deny points.

Sidir and multiple other models as well were able to kill Ferryman, though.

Tormented took two from scheme and strategy, while Wastrels got one point from their mark.

Turn 2: Tormented attempts Breakthrough, Wastrels are going to Take the Highground

Sidir was able to get more than 2" away from my models. He started shooting Jack Daw, and dealt in nasty damage, which was patched up by Kari as much as possible. 

Wastrels cut up the slack with planting explosives. A Ruffian, Desper, Cryptologist and Lucas McCabe all spam explosives on a whim.

I had been placing scheme markers as inconspicuously as possible until Jack Daw made his big move. I had been carefully saving up for this moment - opponent would still have one model left to activate when Jack Daw bonus moved to enemy deployment, dropped scheme and charged back... and managed to kill the only model left to activate. Tormented continue being tormented.

Worse still, my crew was pushing towards enemy deployment zone with explosive tokens. As a result, opponent was able to take the lead in planting explosives. Fortunately one of their Rough Riders were too close to deployment, so Wastrels got only one point from Take the Highground. But this tied the scores to 3-3.

Turn 3: Tormented finishes Breakthrough, Wastrels are going to Search the Area

Sidir started blasting around with his machine gun. Crooked Man died, summoned Drowned died, hired Drowned from the left died. Not all of them went down by Sidir, but most of them did. However, no-one tried to deny Breakthrough, so Tormented claimed two points from that.

Jack Daw picked up a neutral marker, placed it to enemy deployment and went to bother Sidir.

Lucas single-handedly placed all the required markers for Search the Area, and there was little I could do to prevent that.

My investment from last turn paid off, when I was able to get both the bonus points from strategy, and had six to five advantage with strategy markers.

Scores went 7-5.

Turn 4: Tormented Assassinates Sidir, Wastrels push for final Breakthrough

We did not play for the entirety of the turn. Jack Daw slams an upgrade to Sidir, and lands a Red Joker on him that ticks him down to one health, thanks to hard-to-kill. Bonus action automatic damage finishes the target. 

We did take a few activations past that, but eventually it was apparent that McCabe wouldn't be able to score full scheme and full strategy points for a draw.

So about a 9-10 against 7-8 victory.

Game 2:

Strategy: Wedge Informants

Schemes: Harness the Leyline, Detonate Charges, Ensnare

My list:

Seamus AKA Sebastian & White Rabbit Co.
Madame Sybelle
Keepside Strangers
Mortimer
Batsch & Amalie
Dandy
2x Mourner

Pool: 3

Opponent had: 

Jakob Lynch, Dark Bet & Hungering Darkness
Gwyneth Maddox
Kitty Dumont
Mr. Tannen
Kara
2x Illuminated
Beckoner

Pool: 4

Turn 1: Both... uh, yeah.

What a weird mess of a turn.

Early on Gwyneth was catapulted to the hill near my deployment, which acted as a catalyst for some shenanigans.

First Keepside Strangers and Seamus activated, Seamus charging to Gwyneth, nearly killing her with Dead Dandy. She, however, did not die. Instead Honeypot poured all their attacks on Seamus, who in turn took a severe beating. 

Madame Sybelle tried to save Seamus by beckoning him to her... but then Jakob leaped to an Illuminated, took a walk and charged to Seamus. Redchapel master flipped a one. Lynch, on the other hand, flipped the Red Joker. Whoa. Lost master on turn one. 

Worse yet, opponent was able to control the majority of informants. 

And both had picked the easiest scheme on the roster, Detonate Charges. And both players failed to complete it. 

Honeypot scored a strategy point, and that's it.

Turn 2: Both kept their Detonate Charges

We moved on from the insanity of turn one... or did we? Madame Sybelle was promoted. She had crows in hand, so she gave concealment aura for White Rabbit Co, catching both Jakob Lynch and Gwyneth within the radius. One walk later Gwyneth died to knives in the dark, as she had two health remaining. 

Lynch and Hungering Darkness killed my second-in-command as well. 

Center was not looking good for Redchapel. But to be honest, it did not look good for Honeypot either - White Rabbit, Mourners and various other models had managed to land Slow on a bunch of enemy models. I don't think I have ever seen that much Slow on board. 

Both players were able to complete Detonate Charges for two points. Honeypot, however, continued to dominate the strategy, and got a 4-2 lead.

Turn 3: Redchapel chooses Runic Binding, Honeypot tries to rob graves.

It was a rough turn. Both crews pulled all tricks up their sleeve to remove enemy schemes and plant their own at the center-up strategy marker. I suspected opponent had Grave Robbing with strategy markers, so it was imperative for me to get those scheme markers off near my Mourner. And not only that, but have my third marker for Runic Binding.

In the end Redchapel was able to bind Kitty, Hungering Darkness and an Illuminated. And just as Redchapel was not able to remove the Ten Thunders scheme any longer and Mourner had fallen to one health remaining, she activated and ran the heck away from strategy marker.

Mortimer and Keepside Strangers were able to kill an Illuminated that was contesting a strategy marker near the Strangers. Both players had two strategy markers by when, and were contesting the center one with two models.

As my last activation Mourner flipped a lucky Masks on her melee attack against Hungering Darkness, bowling the monster off the center marker.

Suddenly Redchapel turned the tables around when Honeypot was not able to rob any graves, and lead the game with 5-4.

Turn 4: Redchapel Ensnares, Honeypot at least Leaves Their Mark

Last turn was intense as well. Redchapel got easy Ensnare off of Hungering Darkness. 

However, both Dead Dandy and White Rabbit Co. died before they were able to activate. This coupled with Batsch & Amalie deciding to Mushroom Cloud Mr. Tannen instead of walking to make placing scheme markers difficult at the center, as well as contesting the marker there cost Redchapel the game - there were not enough models to bring to center. 

Honeypot got double points from strategy, and also two points from Leave Your Mark.

So, Jakob Lynch won by the skin of their teeth with 8-7 in this exciting and weird game that just happened.

Summertime Yatzy's

 Yeah, five player yatzy's and three player yatzy's. 

There was a game when my dice were on fire. Not a single dash in any column, and multiple four-of-a-kind's.

Search the Charges

 A 50ss game of Malifaux 4th edition

Strategy: Corner Boundary Dispute

Schemes: Frame Job, Leaver Your Mark, Breakthrough

My list:

(Really) Rusty Alyce, Rider Remade & Soul Battery
Marlena Webster
Hard Stop Herbert
Vee
Midnight Stalker
Scavenger
Prospector
2x Necropunk

Pool: 5

Opponent had:

Kastore, Awakened & Marathine
Barbaros
Leech King
Gwyll
White Eyes
Cavern Nephilim
Blood Vessel

Pool: 4

Turn 1: Amalgam picks Frame Job on Midnight Stalker, Returned are going to Leave Your Mark

Necropunks and assorted aides began delivering strategy markers from left and right. White Eyes and Blood Vessel did the same on the opposing side. 

Vee inspected Marlena and Midnight Stalker, and then Midnight Stalker made his gambit of leaping, walking and interacting a scheme marker to center point. Fortunately opponent thought it was Leave Your Mark and brought Barbaros in to attack him. Fortunately I had the cards to tie the score, and Midnight Stalker only lost half of his health with one attack + hunger token. 

Prospector went to move Midnight Stalker a bit towards safety, but Marathine was able to get to him just fine. He did not die, but was left with two health remaining. 

Outcasts got two strategy markers past the centerline, one of which was guarded by Rusty Alyce. Opponent had as well. Frame Job had given two points for Outcasts, while Returned took one point from Leave Your Mark for a 3-2 lead for Rusty Alyce.

Turn 2: Amalgam Public Demonstration on Barbaros Returned wants to Take the Highground

Kastore stunned Rusty Alyce. The token was removed by Vee, but she was standing on the same platform as the Prospector. This gave ample targets for Barbaros, who walked to scale terrain to beat and bonus action Vee to death. Oh well. At least Barbaros was now in place, with a scheme marker next to him.

Marathine failed to kill Midnight Stalker, although Stalker was brought down to one health remaining. 

Leech King summoned a Giant Leech to Midnight Stalker. He had to activate before he died, so he leaped on top of building to place a scheme marker, and then turned the Giant Leech into a fancy gucci bag with Work of Art. 

White Eyes and Cavern Nephilim took two terrain pieces for Take the Highground. White Eyes yeeted third strategy marker past center line.

Necropunk and Prospector stood near Barbaros, preparing a Shielded. Prospector even managed to poke in a point of damage to Barbaros. Yay. 

A whole throng of Amalgam models climbed on the big terrain piece to the left. Marlena, Scavenger and Necropunk all went there. Action points weren't quite enough to get ahead in strategy, but at least Scavenger was able to secure a strategy point for Outcasts as well, and the Necropunk was guarding an enemy strategy marker. 

Rusty Alyce started to deliver a strategy marker towards enemy deployment zone.

Blood Vessel failed to jump to Gwyll with a Black Joker, which essentially robbed Neverborn a point.

Both took a point from strategy, but schemes went two for Outcasts and one for Neverborn, so Rusty Alyce  took a further 6-4 lead. 

Turn 3: Amalgam... uh... Detonates Charges. Returned... umm... Search the Area

Neverborn was in a nasty catch-22 at the start of turn - either they go to guard one of their strategy marker to the left and leave Midnight Stalker alive to go and throw enemy strategy marker to the right away, or kill Midnight Stalker and leave Necropunk to throw a strategy marker to the left away and leap to guard it. They killed Midnight Stalke


r, which was probably for the best. 

Third turn turned out to be a race to deny Search the Area that seemed to be forming around the gallows near the center. Since Outcasts had more models, both expendable and otherwise, they were able to shove enough models to block Search the Area in it's entirety. However, this came at the cost of me completely forgetting about Detonate Charges, so neither player received any points from schemes.

Hard Stop Herbert was tickled to death by ping damage points.

However, during all these scheme failings, Outcasts were able to take the lead in strategy for a 7-4 lead.

Turn 4: Amalgam tries Runic Binding

Thanks to my blunder with Detonate Charges we played for a few activations. But when Amalgam was able to get two points from Runic Binding, we called it a game since there was no longer even a remote chance for a draw.