Leech Infestation

 A 50ss game of Malifaux

Strategy: Wedge Recover Evidence

Schemes: Scout the Rooftops, Frame Job, Reshape the Land

My list:

Rusty Alyce, Trigger Happy & 2x Hollow Waifs
Marlena Webster
Desolation Engine
Ashes and Dust
Hard Stop Herbert
2x Scavenger

Pool: 6

Opponent had:

Kastore, Fervent & 2x Urn Bearers
Gwyll
Leech King
Athorak
2x Cavern Nephilim
Blood Vessel
Giant Leech

Pool: 3

Turn 1: Amalgam picked Frame Job with Ashes and Dust, Returned took Scout the Rooftops

My first activation was to go and bait Frame Job with Ashes and Dust by scaling the model to a building in the middle, and slapping down a scheme marker that might work as a Scout the Rooftops marker. 

Neverborn wasn't too interested with the Ashes and Dust, until Kastore went to pick up a strategy marker nearby, and did some damage with a bonus action. 

Kastore took a severe enough beating from Desolation Engine that an Urnbearer lured him back to safety.

Leech King summoned a Giant Leech next to Ashes and Dust, which was eventually shot to pieces by Rusty Alyce.

Hard Stop Herbert picked up my strategy marker for this turn.

Late in the turn someone pushed Ashes and Dust away from the building. Cavern Nephilims and the hired Giant Leech scored two points from Scout the Rooftops.

And since there was a building in the middle, and deployment was Wedge, both players had easy time claiming the extra point from strategy.

It was a 4-4 opening for both players.

Turn 2: Amalgam picked Scout the Rooftops, Returned took Grave Robbing

After hired Giant Leech came to engage Rusty Alyce, A Hollow Waif went to drop a scheme marker four scouting and gave a soulstoned warning cry for Alyce, who was able to shoot the Giant Leech dead with one shot.

Desolation Engine charged Urnbearer and Leech King, leaving the Urnbearer with just one health remaining.

Most of Neverborn crew started relocating to the right after I had moved Ashes and Dust on the ramparts. There was also a Scavenger up there. Kastore came to beat up the minion, but didn't score a kill. In fact, Neverborn scored no kills this turn, which had them lose a strategy point this turn. However, damage done was prohibitively extensive. Scavenger was at three, Herbert at two and Ashes and Dust had lost half of their health as well.

Rusty Alyce had to walk, bonus and drop two schemes. Another Scavenger and the Hollow Waif had all placed enough markers to get two points from Scout the Rooftops, but then Leech King summoned a Giant Leech to Alyce, and the Giant Leech summoned a Giant Leech to Rusty Alyce. 

Oh well. 

Outcasts took the lead with 6-4.

Turn 3: Amalgam picked Detonate Charges, Returned took Make It Look Like an Accident

Returned had easy time doing Make It Look Like an Accident, when Urnbearer lured Scavenger from top of the ramparts, into her own hazardous aura, leaving him with just one health remaining - thus unable to activate without dying. Someone eventually did kill him though to get a strategy marker.

Kastore Murdered Hard Stop Herbert, and either him or Blood Vessel picked up the strategy.

Athorak was able to cleave a Hollow Waif dead with just one strike, although I don't remember who picked up the strategy. 

Desolation Engine charged the Urnbearer who had just one point left, and managed to kill her but it took all his action points. Scavenger had to shuffle round to come and pick it up, after which he was mauled by Leech King and a Cavern Nephilim. 

Another Hollow Waif picked up a strategy marker that had been left a turn before.

Marlena Webster charged a Leech on the building in the middle, killed it and picked strategy right away. So that was an intense turn with the strategy, but in the end both got a point.

Rusty Alyce shot random damage here and there. I should have focused solely on Athorak, but instead the bullets were spread between him and Leech King. She summoned an Abomination to Athorak, though. Unless I completely misremember, but I think she did five damage to Leech King and five damage to Athorak with just two hits. 

Detonate Charges didn't take too much effort, so scores continued with a two point lead for Outcasts, 9-7.

Turn 4: Amalgam took Runic Binding, Returned took Breakthrough

Early enough I took the singular point from Runic Binding. 

Gwyll had put a scheme marker to Neverborn Deployment, and Blood Vessel put one on the centerline where I really couldn't reach it. 

Kastore wrecked Ashes and Dust. I was afraid that he might get a no-heal token, so I let the guy fall with the first strike. He also killed the Abomination that had been summoned. I ran Dust Storm to block the picking up of the strategy marker.

I don't quite remember how I killed the Giant Leech, but I wasn't able to pick up the strategy during the same activation. Cavern Nephilim ran to block picking it up.

Oh alright, that's the game we're playing. I ran Marlena Webster to block picking up the marker that Dust Storm was already protecting. Well, opponent still had Lure's available, so that's why.

Athorak went to place a scheme marker to my deployment, so Rusty Alyce ran right next to it.

Because of the hunger shenanigans Leech King was able to reach my deployment anyway to drop a Breakthrough marker.

Neither crews got strategy, but both go full points from their schemes. But that was just one for Outcasts, so the game ended in a narrow 10-9 victory for Rusty Alyce.

Rusty New Year

Two 50ss games of Malifaux 4th Edition.

Strategy: Corner Recover Evidence

Schemes: Public Demonstration, Scout the Rooftops, Reshape the Land

My list:

Rusty Alyce & 2x Hollow Waif
Marlena Webster
Ashes and Dust
Maurice
Vee
Scavenger
2x Abomination

Pool: 4

Opponent had:

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

Pool: 3

Turn 1: Amalgam picks Public Demonstration on Lynch, Honeypot picks Scout the Rooftops

I built up an awkward chain of activations to bring Rusty Alice to pick up the first strategy marker. I had placed it quite far to the left, well out of easy reach of both Amalgam and Honeypot models.

So in the end, Maurice tossed Ashes and Dust into mud for 2", and then Ashes and Dust went to drop a scheme marker for Alyce to jump into. Then all it took was a double walk and interact.

Honeypot had placed their marker closer to center, but terrain on my side blocked an easy denial of picking up that one. I had originally chosen Public Demonstration on Lynch based on his positioning - I thought he also might take a double walk and interact to pick up the evidence. However, I didn't take into account various abilities Honeypot had for additional movement. Instead plain Illuminated went to pick it up.

I didn't have any options to block Scout the Rooftops either. At least Honeypot wasn't fast enough to get the second point from scoutings.

After Illuminated had picked up strategy marker, I was sure Amalgam lost their scheme points this turn. However, Scavenger had advanced mid-field. He had shot the scoring Illuminated with shotgun without much of an effect. Although failure, this baited Lynch to eclipse himself closer and start hacking at Scavenger. I still had one Abomination left to activate, and it took a double walk to hug Lynch.

Both players scored strategy and one point from their schemes for a 2-2 tie.

Turn 2: Amalgam picks Detonate Charges, Honeypot picks Leave Your Mark

Amalgam minions were lit this turn. Scavenger and Abomination scared Lynch away after they brought him down to six health remaining or so. The second Abomination was able to kill the Illuminated that had picked up strategy last turn. 

After Lynch escaped, Hungering Darkness entered the brawl in his place, and got shot four points of damage from Hollow Waif thanks to a Red Joker.

Honeypot wasn't quite as adept at dishing out damage, but didn't fall much behind. Especially Maurice was a sorry punching bag, missing all of his attacks. At least he bled Injured all over enemy models while going down to four health remaining.

I was quite powerless to stop Honeypot from leaving their mark on the centerpoint, especially after Mr. Graves, Kitty and Illuminated spawned a total of four scheme markers there. Rusty Alyce could have gone and removed one of those, but instead she went to a terrain to place two scheme markers to it, thus scoring extra points from scenario.

Vee is amazing model to spawn a bunch of scheme markers, too. Her and Marlena were able to score Detonate Charges for two points from Hungering Darkness.

Both players scored strategy, but Amalgam did it twice. Both crews got two from scheme, so Amalgam got the lead at 6-5.

Turn 3: Amalgam picks Grave Robbing, Honeypot picks Take the Highground

With great trouble Amalgam was eventually able to score Grave Robbing reveal from Hungering Darkness. Ashes and Dust was able to pick one enemy remains for the second point, but Mr. Tannen used his invisible hand to turn another remains into a scheme marker. So I needed to kill one more model for two points from scheme. I certainly tried, but Mr. Graves was too difficult to take down with the models I still had left to activate.

Oh well. At least Rusty Alyce was able to royally screw Honeypot by taking a walk to contest bridge terrain that was controlled by Kitty Dumont. She took a shoot at Beckoner to summon Abomination, and shoved Kitty off the bridge for good measure anyway.

Mr. Tannen had one terrain for Take the Highground, but the summoned Abomination was now contesting the second piece Honeypot had.

Illuminated was able to take a double walk to scale on the hill, but would have needed to also succeed in his bonus action, since you have to go 100% supported with scale terrain. This action failed when opponent didn't have any cards in hand, which robbed Honeypot scheme points this turn.

Honeypot did manage to claw strategy point from Maurice, though. Hungering Darkness gave the point for Amalgam, so Alyce's lead grew to 8-6.

Turn 4: Amalgam picks Runic Binding, Honeypot picks Make It Look Like an Accident

Mr. Graves was able to fell a Hollow Waif from top of terrain, but she was left alive with two health remaining or so. To deny Make It Look Like an Accident, she tried to hide behind the same building she had stood on. Lynch did some odd shenanigans with eclipses and whatnot, and went to kill her anyway.

Vee had managed to craft a perfect Runic Binding if Lynch had stayed in place. I was weighing if I should reveal the scheme for just one point now that Honeypot had surely secured two. In the end I decided to take the one point as I was ahead in points anyway.

Various models were able to kill the summoned Abomination. Rusty Alyce attempted a hail mary set of perfect actions. First, she needed to shoot Beckoner dead with one shot, then Scrounge to Abomination's corpse to touch both Abomination's strategy marker and pick up Beckoner's strategy. She managed just that, and we called it a game. Game ended in 10-8 victory for Rusty Alyce. At best Lynch could have narrowed it down to 10-9.

Game 2:

Strategy: Flank Boundary Dispute

Schemes: Detonate Charges, Harness Ley Lines, Public Demonstration

My list:

Rusty Alyce, Rider Remade & Soul Battery
Marlena Webster
Vee
Hard Stop Herbert
Scavenger
Abomination
Necropunk
Angel Eyes
2x Bloodwretch

Pool: 3

Opponent had:

Hoffman, Steel Sculptor & Mechanical Attendant
Peacekeeper
Melissa KORE
2x Hunter
Warden
2x Watcher

Pool: 4

Turn 1: Amalgam: Public Demonstration on Peacekeeper. Augmented: Public Demonstration on Hard Stop Herbert.

Early on Vee pushed Alyce and Marlena a wee bit forward. That was the first mistake. 

Hoffman gave Melissa fast and extra walk, so she got into position to blast Rusty Alyce four times, hitting with each shot. Each shot dealt two damage. 

I had a bunch of 13's on my hand, so Marlena Webster took a walk and shot Melissa with her healing shot, but only managed to heal two points from Alyce.

And then Peacekeeper walked and used Wrecking Ball to charge Marlena. Fortunately it did only three damage or so, but this left Marlena a prime target for assassination next turn.

However, Peacekeeper was now in easy to reach position for Public Demonstration, and that was indeed what happened. Rusty Alyce jumped over a fence to get Peacekeeper within 6", and summoned two Abominations to the demonstration target before galloping away much like brave sir Robin.

Hard Stop Herbert and Bloodwretch were delivering a strategy marker to top, where it looked like Warden and Watcher would be the main adversaries. 

Another Watcher as well as Hunter were delivering two strategy markers towards bottom, where I had Scavenger and Bloodwretch.

I was able to present Augmented a dilemma to either score one point from Public Demonstration or one point from strategy, but not do both. They took the strategy.

Amalgam took the lead with 3-1, as their public demonstration was a SMASHING success.

Turn 2: Amalgam: Detonate Charges. Augmented: Assassinate on Marlena Webster

Peacekeeper started smashing Marlena as the first activation of the turn, scoring Assassinate both reveal and end condition instantly. It still had actions left to smash Necropunk in one hit.

I wanted to bring Rusty Alyce to middle, but Melissa's gatling gun had put the fear of god in Alyce. Both Abomination and even Bloodwretch went to engage Melissa. They were all dealt with easily enough, but Melissa wasn't able to blast everyone dead, as she had to scale on top of terrain to yeet my strategy marker back whence it came.

Angel Eyes took a shot at Watcher, who stumbled out of her reach with crew card shenanigans. The thing leaped to bully my strategy markers even more. Finally Scavenger was able to put an end to the Watcher's rampage over my precious little markers, and out of spite scrounged Watcher's corpse off from board. Which was a short-sighted mistake.

Vee was important model to score Detonate Charges, as she passed Secret Inspection checks left and right without cheats. This left Hard Stop Herbert able to walk, scale and interact Augmented strategy marker away, which in the end was the factor that forced Melissa's hand.

Lastly, Rusty Alyce charged Peacekeeper after detonating some charges, and managed to dish out five damage or so. However, she was now in a precarious position even if she had managed to heal up back to seven or so, and Augmented had the start next turn.

Only Hoffman scored strategy this turn, but Rusty Alyce got two scheme points easily enough.

Amalgam was still leading with 5-4.

Turn 3: Amalgam: Graverobbing. Augmented: Detonate Charges

... and this is where everything fell apart.

Although Peacekeeper failed to kill Rusty Alyce, she was equally unable to kill Peacekeeper. I had the option to run away with last action, but instead I was greedy and tried to finish the thing for graverobbing purposes. I didn't have the cards to secure that, so obviously it failed miserably, and now Alyce was sitting with two health remaining.

Hoffman healed Peacekeeper a little, charged and killed Rusty Alyce.

Peacekeeper was at three health remaining without Shielded. Abomination tried to claw it dead. I thought that if I a managed to land a total of two points and Injured to the robot, it'd die. But damage was only one, without Injured. So Mechanical Attendant just moved, schemed and healed Peacekeeper back to unfortunate amounts of health.

I still threw everything I got at Peacekeeper to score schemes, but killing took the effort of my entire remaining crew. The flips were absolutely miserable.

However, Scavenger was MVP of sorts. He took off from melee with Hunter, Scrounged to Guild scheme marker and shot the Peacekeeper dead. This gave me a point, and denied a point for Augmented. But the thing was, Scavenger was my second to last activation - it was impossible to get extra point from Graverobbing. And Augmented dominated the strategy markers, and most of the board so totally that we didn't continue the game even if Amalgam was still leading the scoreboard with 6-5.

Turn 4: Amalgam: Runic Binding. Augmented: Take the Highground.

Third turn was such a horrid spectacle that we did not play fourth turn. It was clear Augmented would get four points, while Amalgam had a minimum and maximum of one. 

Augmented won with something around 9-7.

Fun fact: I didn't receive Red Joker in any of my flips throughout the game. Not even in checks that essentially waste Red Joker. Same can't be said of the Black Joker, who certainly made an appearance every single turn.