Make It an Accident

 A 50ss game of Malifaux on Vassal.

Strategy: Wedge Informants

Schemes: Ensnare, Take the Highground, Harness the Leyline

My list:

Molly, Chaotic Conductor & Noxious Nephilim
Archie
Keepside Strangers
Carrion Fate Emissary
Rabble Riser
Night Terror
2x Crooligan

Pool: 4

Opponent had:

Lynch, Wild Card & Hungering Darkness
Gwyneth Maddox
Kara
Koji
Mr. Tannen
2x Illuminated
Beckoner

Pool: 4

Turn 1: Both crews pick Take the Highground

Honeypot had a bit easier time fulfilling their scheme, as they had a bit more options to leap on near their deployment zone. It wasn't exactly tough for Forgotten either, as they had such a repertoire of movement tricks. Carrion Fate flied a Crooligan on top of building on the right, and the same happened with another Crooligan and Noxious Nephilim to the left. Third piece was taking a charge at an Illuminated contesting center-right strategy marker and swinging the minion a couple of times before leapin on top of a rock.

Another Illuminated to the left and Koji had two terrain pieces, and near the centerpoint Kara and Hungering Darkness were holding a flooded building for their scheme.

Molly went parading on a tent near center, too. I thought that her unusual defense ability would work wonders on such a small platform, and I needed someone to place markers for Ensnare, as well as bait Honeypot uniques nearby.

Scores went 3-3.

Turn 2: Forgotten picks Ensnare, Honeypot picks Make It Look Like an Accident.

Hungering Darkness charges Keepside Strangers and nearly kills them. A Crooligan from left discarded a card to leap to Keepside Strangers, dropped a scheme next to Hungering Darkness and went to engage the thing. Keepside Strangers had already spawned one scheme marker last turn for a possible Breakthrough at one point or another.

Crooligan messed up Honeypot's scheme big time, since they were planning on throwing a kid off a window. Just a little too late Honeypot realized that the second Crooligan on top of building had Shielded. 

Forgotten got their Ensnare soon enough, as Gwyneth charged in to kill Night Terror. Turns out Night Terrors are garbage players at card games, because Gwyneth had no trouble card sharking the minion dead. However, Illuminated ones seem equally as bad at playing with ice cream, as Archie was able to pummel the guy to mist. 

Lynch nearly killed Carrion Emissary, damaging it down to two health remaining. It flied away, scared of gambling any more and instead placed two scheme markers while also contesting center-right strategy marker.

Beckoner walked to contest the same marker, tying the control. She was able to lure Crooligan off the building, but no-one believed it was an accident since the kid was shielded.

Now defenestrated Crooligan went to control bottom-right strategy marker.

Rabble Riser and Noxious Nephilim squabbled with Koji and Illuminated, neither side making much of a progress.

In the center Kara tried the only possible action for Honeypot to score their scheme, and attacked Molly. Attack hit, but didn't score Rams.

Molly was Forgotten's last model to activate, and she slapped Kara off from kitchen counter with parade baton. She had to use two Parade Routes on Crooligan to get it to contest strategy marker in the center.

Forgotten took the lead with 6-4.

Turn 3: Forgotten picks Reshape the Land with schemes, Honeypot attempts Breakthrough.

Gwyneth finishes Carrion Emissary before it is able to activate. Archie makes a tit-for-tat exchange with Beckoner, killing her before she activates.

Koji and Illuminated to the left nearly kill Rabble Riser. In fact they would have if it wasn't for a lucky Rams during Rabble Riser's attack when he was still at one health remaining.

Fortunately I was reading around opponent's cards, and noticed Illuminated's "Don't Turn Your Back" in time - I had this grand plan of flying Noxious Nephilim and Rabble Riser to bluff Search the Area for a bit, but making the markers for Reshape the Land instead.

Molly had to spend her entire activation to walk on top of central building and parade the Nephilim out of Illuminated's engagement range.

Kara continued to attack Molly, making the cat even more distracted. 

A Crooligan moved to remove a scheme marker some Honeypot model had placed on my deployment zone. That was my attempt to deny Breakthrough. Unfortunately Honeypot had plenty of more activation by then, but at least it forced Hungering Darkness to scheme around.

Both players scored full schemes and strategy for 9-7 lead for Forgotten.

Turn 4: Honeypot picks Assassinate on Molly

Noxious Nephilim tried to remove Koji from equation to get one strategy marker for Forgotten. Both of his attacks needed to hit, but the first one failed already unless I spent a thirteen from my hand - which I did. But second attack missed as expected.

Lynch scores one point from Assassinate, and also gives Molly slow. She had three health remaining. She had to activate next, and went over the central building to take a charge at Koji. Koji died, but so did Molly when Illuminated activated. 

Opponent was able to kill Keepside Strangers and Crooligan effortlessly. I still had one chance to tie the game - Archie pushing both Gwyneth and Mr. Tannen away from their respective strategy markers. Attacks hit well enough, but no masks were scored in any of the cases. Since it was double point round, Honeypot claimed a 11-9 victory.

Worst Pinata Indeed

 A 50ss game of Malifaux 4th edition.

Strategy: Flank Collapsing Mines

Schemes: Assassinate, Breakthrough, Frame Job

My list:

McMourning, Insanitary & Corpse Curator
Sebastian
Rogue Necromancy
Rafkin
Kentauroi
2x Flesh Construct
2x Little Gasser

Pool: 4
Starting scheme: Breakthrough

Opponent had:

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

Pool: 3
Starting Scheme: Frame Job on an Illuminated

Turn 1:

Well, I enjoyed grafting immensely. They're a fun, unique-feeling mechanic. Based just on one games for both titles, the crew upgrade system works really well in changing the entire crew. 

McMourning flipped top-right strategy marker to Resurrectionists, grafted two Flesh Constructs and end-of-activation graft went to Sebastian. One Flesh Construct lobbed a scheme marker 4" into deployment zone (with by Corpse Curator I think), walked and charged to Mr. Tannen at bottom-right strategy marker and tossed off his graft again as a scheme marker - to centerline, this time.

Mr. Tannen and Mr. Graves were both guarding the strategy marker, so Flesh Construct needed some real muscle to deal with the pair. Little Gasser flew in as a reinforcement.

Okay, Rogue Necromancy was on the lower half of my flank, but that one had... plans. Namely, the plan was to wait threatening models to activate, then take a double leap and an interact to drop a scheme marker to enemy deployment. Sure, that cost me two soulstones, but yikes that mobility is, again, utterly crazy. 

Honeypot wake up to the situation a tad too late, and Resurrectionists were able to score double Breakthrough.. An Illuminated eventually came to challenge Rogue, but points were already scored.

Center, though.

Lynch and Illuminated went together to the centerpoint, flipping the marker there for Ten Thunders. I decided to use Sebastian's graft to leap between Lynch and Illuminated, poisoning them. He injured Illuminated somewhat - enough that opponent revealed Frame Job. Oh well.

Soon after there were Gwyneth and Kitty at the center too. After they were done, Sebastian was still alive, but only barely. Two health. That was not ideal for a Big Gasser explosion, so the little guy that Sebastian had sawed off of Illuminated exploded, catching only Illuminated in radius. Instead of Sebastian, Illuminated, Kitty, Gwyneth and Lynch.

Illuminated died to the blast, after having been dealt damage by medically experimenting Rafkin. Flesh Construct was able to leap, walk and flip center strategy marker back to neutral.

Kentauroi was going to top-left, flipping the marker to Resurrectionists. However, Beckoner and Hungering Darkness walked to dominate the place, neutralizing the mine.

Scores went 3-2 for Resurrectionists, which meant top-right mine collapsed right away.

Turn 2:

After breaking through, McMourning found it imperative to take the high ground. Which probably wouldn't be too hard, provided Rogue Necromancy was already on one that was way past centerline.

Starting from bottom, Flesh Construct failed to land a hit on Mr. Tannen, and decided to screw the attempt and prepared Shielded for himself. I thought survival would be the best option here to contest strategy marker, but yeah, there was this Delirium thing that walked Flesh Construct effortlessly away with very first action Mr. Graves directed at it.

I don't quite remember what Mr. Tannen did, I suppose his actions weren't that successful then. One of them was to drop a scheme marker on centerline. Delirium triggered though, this time on Rogue Necromancy, falling the beast from top of terrain.

Rogue and Illuminated duked it out, neither managing to do anything useful to either. But Rogue Necromancy did leap back to the tent. 

In the center Sebastian died in two attacks by Gwyneth.

Rafkin did shenanigans, charging Flesh Construct and giving it poison and pushing Rafkin himself to engage Gwyneth and Kitty. All of the enemy models there had poison token, so Cloud of Fumes looked real nice right there.

I guess it could have been nice if enemy did any attacks. Which they didn't. Lynch may have attempted something, but the important bits were Lynch and Gwyneth dropping schemes on the centerline late in the turn. 

McMourning was throwing grafts left and right, and was doing so from top of a Sz3 tower. What a sight it must have been. Because of those Flesh Construct had been able to leap and interact with center vault, tagging it for Resurrectionists. 

On top Kentauroi flipped strategy marker back to green team and charged Hungering Darkness. It managed to deal respectable damage in to the totem before being obliterated by the target. Neutral marker, again. And now I had only Little Gasser contesting top-left quarter. 

That was until Beckoner flipped top-left marker for Ten Thunders and touched Little Gasser dead. Well it exploded sure enough.

Looked like I would need to sacrifice Corpse Curator to score strategy this turn. It attempted Control Graft on itself to make a free leap to top-left marker and yeah, it was no other than Black Joker that turned up. Such is the price of greed - should have just ditched that graft and double interact the strategy marker. 

Instead, Curator did graft control to Rafkin, who did a sepsis on Gwyneth. 

At least scores evened out to 5-5, so no more mines went missing. Ten Thunders had scored strategy and double Harness Ley Lines. Although now as I'm writing this I see that the scheme markers needed to have no enemy models within 2", but yeah, new rules and all that.

Turn 3: MURDER

McMourning had a breakthrough, and now he had the high ground. Time to assassinate Kitty. I even had the first activation. Rafkin used graft token to leap to Kitty, tagging Gwyneth again with poison. Flesh Construct also took a dose, but Rafkin tried to remedy that with a couple medical procedures performed on Kitty Dumont. Only one of them was a success, though, so Kitty was left with one health and Poison in hazardous terrain. Since crows came up during the procedure that hit, there was also a Little Gasser now. 

Lynch blasted Rafkin off the table with  a couple of Ante Up's, and had actions to spare to kill Flesh Construct too. 

Little Gasser exploded all over Gwyneth and Kitty, killing my assassination target, after which Mr. Graves removed the second Flesh Construct. 

Enraged at the destruction of all of his creations, McMourning climbed down from his high ground, charged Gwyneth and killed her. 

So many people dying. Let's have a breather. Hungering Darkness heals for a bit and takes a double walk to get on top of McMourning's earlier tower.

... and the killing continued. Corpse Curator gave itself a leap next to Beckoner, killed her with Ancient Injectors and flipped strategy marker to neutral. 

Whoa. Six models just gone like that. Or seven if we count the Little Gasser, and of course we do.

But finally the killing ended. Not for lack of trying, though. Rogue Necromancy wanted to leap to enemy strategy marker bottom-left, but since it would not have been able to interact at all, it instead tried to eat the Illuminated. Only one bit hit, but at least it delivered poison so that during end phase Illuminated was at one health remaining.

Mr. Tannen walked on top of a tent thing in bottom-right corner, and thus claiming double points from Take the High Ground. Resurrectionists got no strategy because of Don't Turn Your Back, so the scores went 8-6 for Ten Thunders, which prompted another mine collapse next to Mr. Graves.

Turn 4:

Mr. Graves attempted valiantly to go and mess up McMourning's activations, but that just wasn't enough. Graft tokens proved too versatile, and last turn's carnage too great. Resurrectionists were able to secure all three remaining strategy markers, and game ended in a  8-8 draw.

Second game thoughts? Well McMourning's crew cards certainly make a difference in play styles, which is great. But as of now the graft tokens do seem a little too versatile, but their concept is awesome. 

Honeypot as an adversary didn't feel like the Honeypot I used to know. Maybe they have lost some crew identity, as Gwyneth seemed to be the only model that actually affected the deck. But still, this was an interesting and hard fought game nonetheless.