Abandoned Showgirl

 A 50ss game of Malifaux 4th edition.

Strategy: Standard Boundary Dispute

Schemes: Public Demonstration, Ensnare, Reshape the Land

My list:

Molly, Harbinger & Necrotic Construct
Archie
Philip & The Nanny
Forgotten Marshal
Night Terror
2x Rabble Riser
Crooligan

Pool: 3

Opponent had:

Colette du Bois, Star of the Show & 3x Mechanical Doves
Cassandra Felton
Shadowlark
Irena Keene
Altus Keene
Blackbird
2x Showgirl

Pool: 2

Turn 1: Forgotten picks Public Demonstration on Irena, Performers performed Ensnare.

Showgirls were delivering strategy markers as effectively as you'd expect. On the left, Archie went and charged one of the showgirls, which didn't amount to much. My initial reasoning was to stall one of the enemy strategy markers, but charging and engaging models that can interact in melee is not cost-effective. Especially when Archie went to engage a cost five model that had already placed one scheme marker. Yeah, I was offering Ensnare almost on a silver plate. Altus went to place the second required marker, but Molly forced him to interact it away right next.

However, Cassanda took a Shadowlark leap and charged Archie, punching him down to four or five health remaining. When her activation ended, she copied a scheme marker. I didn't try to deny Ensnare any longer. 

Instead, I was a little worried that opponent was delaying Irena's activation. Forgotten Marshal had been my first activation, and it interacted strategy forward, copied Night Terror's leap and went in contact with the strategy. Peacekeeper failed to keep peace. 

Eventually Colette activated and Presto-delivered Forgotten Marshal way past centerline for Irena to charge. Which she did, and savagely injured the marshal. However, that way at least I was able to get a point from Public Demonstration, and even soften up the sister a little with pattycakes. Crooligan and Night Terror went near her.

Both crews got two strategy markers past centerline. Performers got two points from Ensnare, Forgotten got one from Public Demonstration, so Arcanists took the lead with 3-2.

Turn 2: Forgotten takes Assassinate on Irena, Performers took Frame Job with Shadowlark

Archie leaped and rush-charged Irena with that insane 3" melee tentacle. Damage was decent, and first point was scored. Unfortunately Molly was unable to finish Irena, so she mutilated Forgotten Marshal down to one health, and killed Crooligan with just one hit. Necrotic Machine came to heal him and Archie, before finally Night Terror was able to secure the second scheme point with two subsonic screeches.

I forgot who dealt the damage and Abandoned token, but Showgirl to the right went to move a strategy marker past centerline. Rabble Riser had thrown that marker back so far that the Showgirl was forgotten and died to abandonment.

Other Showgirl, a Mechanical Dove and Shadowlark tried to kill the second Rabble Riser while delivering strategy markers, and nearly did so. The Riser was down to one health remaining. Ten of masks was my last card in hand, though, so he was able to dislodge from Mechanical Dove and Shadowlark to go and even out the strategy marker count.

Philip and Nanny did shenanigans. They charged Shadowlark and scored a lucky masks, pushing through the trio of performers with prams. They were then able to interact one Performer strategy back to their side, and Rambling Man right to it. I just wonder... why didn't I walk?

Unfortunately opponent had Frame Job with Shadowlark, so Arcanists secured a point.

Cassanda just sliced and diced Philip & Nanny to a forgotten level of success.

Against all odds Forgotten Marshal survived with one health remaining, and even Archie was still standing. Scores even tied at 5-5.

Turn 3: Forgotten takes Scout the Rooftops, Performers went avant garde with Public Demonstration

I did a pretty good job at delivering one of my strategy markers and one Arcanist strategy marker to enemy deployment, with one more Resurrectionists strategy within one interact. This did take Molly, Nighterror and the Rabble Riser who had one health. Molly found a clue from top of terrain. That meddling Altus went to investigate, blocking one scheme marker from Scout the Rooftops. 

Still alive Showgirl beautifully killed Rabble Riser by beckoning Philip & Nanny to rush those prams to backstage. Blackbird finished Forgotten Marshal.

Archie that had been yeeted almost to my deployment zone went to place a scheme marker for Scout the Rooftops, and so did Philip & Nanny. 

This was opponent second game of fourth edition, so he goofed up Public Demonstration. He had picked Night Terror, which is already illegal, and tried to score with Mechanical Dove and Blackbird. Whoops, happens. 

This was my... what? Twenty-sixth game of fourth edition? During end phase I was somehow thinking that I had already secured two points from Scout the Rooftops, so I was free to spend soulstone with Necrotic Construct to rob myself a point by running off the building, and taking a walk to guard enemy strategy marker.

Resurrectionists had been able to claw out strategy for this turn, and... one (1) point from Scout the Rooftops as well. A 7-5 lead for Resurrectionists.

Turn 4: Dispute over, everyone just detonates charges

In the end, I got two of my strategy markers to enemy deployment, while Arcanists got only one strategy to my deployment. However, thanks to interacting while ignoring my models standing next to their strategy markers, Performers managed to get their other two markers past the centerline. At least Philip & Nanny had been able to body block Cassandra from getting to a position to push a second marker to my deployment.

However, that left Resurrectionists only getting two scheme markers for Detonate Charges, while Performers had, like, all five. 

It was a narrow 10-9 victory for Molly.

Coughing in the audience

 Strategy: Wedge Recover Evidence

Schemes: Ensnare, Take the Highground, Harness the Leyline

My list:

Hamelin, Piper & Benny
Nix
Fumigator
Tunnel Rats
Ratcatcher
2x Stolen
2x Prospector

Pool: 3

Opponent had:

Colette, Star of the Show & 3x Mechanical Doves
Shadowlark
Cassandra Felton
Blackbird
2x Showgirl
Altus Keene
Irena Keene

Pool: 2

Turn 1: Plague picked Take the Highground, Performers attempted Ensnare

Plague started and got strategy point with Tunnel Rats. 

Colette walked, Sleighed a decoy marker near Tunnel Rats and bedazzled them twice, drawing up secrets with both.

Hamelin walked, gave a walk for Tunnel Rats to get out of likely Ensnare, summoned rats and moved rats and Nix with Piper's Dance.

Irena walked, charged a Malifaux Rat and blasted away one of the earlier scheme markers.

Benny summoned rats and resupplied.

A Mechanical Dove walked and charged and killed Tunnel Rats with crow trigger.

Fumigator took a double walk to stand next to deployed enemy strategy marker. Caustic Mist summoned a new Tunnel Rats and did damage to Colette, and we erroneously (I think?) delivered Shadowlark to Fumigator. Wordening could use some clarification. I would've considered "attack" to refer to attack action, but opponent intuitively associated damage to attacks. 

Showgirl walked to beckon Shadowlark closer, but quickly regretted that because of hazardous. 

Rat Catcher double-walked on top of terrain and summoned a couple of rats.

I tried to stall with Malifaux Rats, but opponent just activated Mechanical Doves 

And then Shadowlark went to town with Fumigator, leaving it to one or two health remaining. 

Stolen took a double walk to enemy strategy marker and summoned a couple of Malifaux Rats. 

Altus zapped a couple of Malifaux Rats with arced Shatter Illusions.

Last Stolen and a Prospector didn't do very meaningful activations, but another Prospector went to control the Highground.

A Showgirl and Cassandra go to Keene siblings. 

Nix ran on top of terrain inside enemy deployment for scheme.

Performers failed to score points. Plague got two.

Turn 2: Plague picked Search the Area, Performers took Reshape the Land on Decoy markers.

Shadowlark, Colette and Blackbird kills a Stolen, played whack-a-rat and seriously damaged Tunnel Rats, as well as picked up strategy. After Irena picked up another strategy, I didn't even bother for this round.

Hamelin and Benny summoned quite a few rats that were eventually cleared out by Altus and Mechanical Doves. Hamelin managed to black joker Haunting Melody on Nix, which was especially bad for Search the Area. 

Tunnel Rats moved and escaped the venue by walking and using Secret Passage to drop a scheme marker for Search the Area now that 

Cassandra and Showgirl were beating Benny, who summoned more rats. Benny was able to damage Showgirl down to one remaining, but Altus was able to heal her back to full.

Shadowlark and Colette put down the required decoy markers for Reshape the Land one pointer.

Nix placed two schemes for Search the Area, which Plague scored with one point thanks to Hamelin's black joker.

Plague got a point from scheme, while Performers got a point from strategy as well as one from their scheme for a 3-2 lead for Plague.

Turn 3: Plague picks Breakthrough, Performers took Public Demonstration.

For strategy extra point, Tunnel Rats dropped a scheme with trigger before being killed by Mechanical Dove... again. 

It shouldn't have been that hard, but it took Prospector, Benny, Stolen AND Hamelin to kill one Showgirl. And it happened at a good point too, because opponent could have revealed  Public Demonstration. Benny got tome trigger from his rat summons, and planted it on the centerline. With the marker that Prospector dropped last turn, Plague was able to score two points from Breakthrough.

Fortunately opponent wasn't that effective with attacks, either. I lost only Rat Catcher, second Stolen and the Tunnel Rats, plus every rat my crew was able to summon. 

In three turns I had managed to kill a Showgirl. Strategy was not looking good.

But, Plague did manage to get the extra points for Recover Evidence, and two for Breakthrough. Performers also got the extra evidence point as well as regular point, but Public Demonstration failed. Scores went 6-4, so chances were it wouldn't matter that much that I was so far behind on attrition.

Turn 4: Plague picks Frame Job, Performer picks Detonate Charges

Plague managed to kill the other Showgirl, too, and Hamelin picked up both strategy markers. 

I also had the opportunity to bluff each possible scheme with my first move - moving with Prospector's bonus, dropping a scheme and charging Cassandra Felton. This could be Frame Job, build up for Assassinate as Cassandra was barely above half of her health, or even Public Demonstration since Prospector was a minion.

Irena came to butcher up the Prospector, netting Plague two Frame Job points.

Arcanists managed to get just two scheme markers to Benny Wolcomb, but they also picked up two strategy markers.

Game ended in a 9-6 victory for Plague.