What's in the box!!? - Arcanist Mei Feng

Mills, you look a little different...

New master, new box contents. Arcanist Feng is a completely different beast to Yan Lo, swapping out sheer durability and a static web a models for a more spread out team of scheme runners, solo beat sticks and a heap of burning to take advantage of. Lets go to check out the Rail system.

Mei Feng - Mei Feng actually has a number of choices when it comes to upgrade selection, the only auto-include is Seismic Claws for that sweet sweet combo action, then a (not very) tough choice of whether or not to use Arcane Reservoir; after that it's up to my opponent. If I suspect they're playing with incorporeal or ranged game, Vapormancy is a must and with the Vent Steam trigger making Ca & Sh actions that much harder. Marker manipulation? Thunderous Smash can lead a hand, deleting with ease all common markers, if it's a more lower end defense crew I'm facing, Price of Progress or Recharge Soulstone to take advantage of the situation and of course, the ever-present Instill Energy if I need a even more Ap. Lots of options but it makes for crucial decisions during the list building step, I can't take upgrades for the fun of it then find out they aren't being used whatsoever.

Emberling - Unlike push totems, Emberling won't feature in every list but as a Wk5 significant Incorporeal 3ss model, it has merit to scheme run if necessary. Depending on my opponent's models and their damage output, I could charge into a model (10" threat range) lay 0-4 burning on it then have Feng join in and get her +damage flip against them without having to spend her own trigger, end of turn via Stoke the Flames the burning deals damage and doesn't fall off.
Amazing if this actually happened but it's nice to think about if the situation comes up.
His Cool Down ability is far too costly but it's worth a blind flip if there's nothing else to do.

Kang - A model with mixed reactions. He is a tank to take down and hit's like one too but damn is he slow with average threat range and head of the Wk4 club. His Rousing Speech and The Worker's Champion buffs are the main reason I would take him, against horror duels, undead or constructs he's turns the regular model into a real threat... if he could just get up the board, which is why I take...

The Captain - If there's one crutch I have in Arcanists, it's this guy. Being able to increase my deployment zone by 5" for up to three models and generally assisting models afterwards makes The Captain a hard cut. If I'm already filling my ranks with 10ss-12ss he can stay at home but if I require speed over brawn, The Captain w/ Patron's Blessing is at my side.

Joss - Playing Arcanists? Give me two good reasons why you aren't packing Joss. He's got decent defenses, one of which grants him reactivate, an Axe which ignores all common barriers and a (2) action God Punch with 5/8/10 damage  that can paralyze and can turn dead targets into Mei Feng bounce pads (as well as being one himself). Such a good model and a hard cut when he doesn't fit a list (for some strange reason).

Howard Langston - Psst, if Frame for Murder is in the pool and I've hired Howard, he's the guy you have to kill to give me 2 or 3 vp. Tell no one.
Hank is unfortunately the model that does a lot but never survives the game. In the past I've used him as a scheme runner, as who the heck is going to mess with him but that's 12ss/13ss for a job that could be done by a model who's a third less expensive. Not this time round.
Terrifying (Living) 12 and Armor +1 are not wonderful buffers against an average def/wp but Nimble with Flurry are evil and having an easy Decapitate trigger going off with those three attacks is a model killer right there. In the future I need to pick and choose my targets and avoid using a quarter of my list as one scheme runner.

December Acolyte - From the Shadows with the ability to slow models and force discards is the primary reason I love bringing these guys so much. Their Smell Weakness is situational as if the Acolyte is on the table they are a massive target but when it comes into play against a target already in combat it turns that difficult to end model into a plate of instant mash potato. Lacks any synergy with Feng out of weakness smelling but when it offers this much to a crew, it doesn't need any.
Psst also a Frame for Murder choice...

Metal Garmin - Ouch These guys took a beating with errata, nonetheless, against a crew that can't deal with armor these guys can hold the fort quite well and against constructs they provide a basically unbeatable 2 damage snipe attack through Magnetism (16" - 24" threat range). One of the most famous members of the Wk4 clubhouse, so again, it limits my choices when list-building. They've changed from an auto-include to a defensive model protector and that's fine, their job has changed drastically yes but they still have a place in my lists and for rail-walking purposes they're golden.

Take it away!

Moleman - What another non-construct!?
I like Molemen for their sheer fanatical dedication to solely one thing: The Mole Train! A pair of leap-frogging Molemen can cover a field in scheme markers and only long ranged armor busters can deal with it. Keep them out of the action and watch the markers hit the floor. Only really helpful for Breakthrough, Plant Explosive/Evidence and Protect Territory though, otherwise they do 8ss worth of nothing. 

The Firestarter - His (most of the time) 3Ap and Flight makes him wonderfully mobile and if I really need an activated non-armored target to die at the end of the turn, pouring some tomes and soulstones on a model can almost always place a death mark on a model in question. Very fragile so I have to ensure he stays out of the way otherwise but for Vp gaining, this guy is a fantastic all-rounder for Arcanists.

Coryphee - The Coryphee's movement is ridiculous. As scheme runners and sometimes more importantly: Scheme hunters, you can't ask for a faster model, this speed with their native +flips to their def6 with Armor makes them hard to take down in one hit and so long as they aren't in the thick of things, they do their intended role perfectly. This is to say nothing about the complete absurdity that is the Coryphee Duet but sometimes a 14ss model is a lot to ask out of a list unless it's going to win this game all by itself.

Gunsmith - With all this burning going around, the Gunsmiths have a field day of triggers, random as they may be and also the heavily overlooked defense from those same burning models. Successfully ignite a model and the Gunsmiths are shooting better at it and have double +flips to any retaliation against them, which normally gives Smiths Fast or piles on more burning. Having some more anti-armor/HTK tech to go alongside Joss is icing on the cake.

Mechanical Rider - Sometimes you just want marker based schemes won. Pro-terri, Breakthrough, Power Ritual, both Plants, you just want to say "Yes I've won them" and Mech Rider has a high chance of doing just that. With the new errata on Metal Garmin you can even summon more than one thing now, giving it much more options. Just gotta keep it out of the limelight until turn 3, otherwise it goes down pretty darn easily.

Johan - Condition removal is big, being able to end ALL of them from a 10" range is even better. A 4+ of rams isn't guaranteed every turn but it's a least a decent probability so if my models are rooted, poisoned, etc etc the M&SU Merc has my back. A member of the Wk4 club so it does limit my options if I require Johan but with Finish the Job, a Relic hammer and flurry so long as he's where he needs to be, he hits hard. 

Blessed of December - When possible, I always bring a leaping model in the box purely for times when Stake a Claim rears it's head or my regular scheme runners are likely to have their armor ignored. The shields to her wounds are almost non-existent but if needed she has a pretty mean attack that can heal so for backfield purposes she performs well.

Fire Garmin - Cheap, ranged burning with a melee that gives burning and a def trigger that gives burning and upon death, gives burning...
Damage is sub-standard but the Garmin aren't here for damage, they are here to set up the rest of the crew for burning goodness.

Wille - I have to be honest, I've never had luck with Wille the Demo man but that was due to who I was throwing him up against. Ideally I want him going against def5 or armored targets, as anyone else sort of chuckles at Wille's attempts at offense. His LOS ignoring attack Demo Charge is fine but going down to Sh4 kills it unless it's the very last activation or I just want to plink some cards out of the opponent's hand. Ranged attacks also drop him so he's going to be bunkered down at Sh4 anyway. sigh I want to try him out as the times I have seen across from me he's made an impact in the game so I think he just needs the right table.

Can't stay long, Mills says there's a club he wants to take me to, says he can't talk about it though. 

Have fun out there.

What's in the Box!!? - Ten Thunders Yan Lo

Settle down Mills

Whilst some may have the space or storage available to take their whole faction or even whole collection of Malifaux to their local gaming store, I personally only want to bring the minimum amount of what I'm playing at the time.
Think about a single master you play, then think about how many times in the last month that you've played with every single model that's available for that faction with that single master. It's a slim chance you're going to say everything, people have preferred lists, models that are staple to victory in some schemes and strategies and simply your favorite models to run with that master. Thus my reasoning, I like to travel light and I've only got one case with limited space. Here's currently what I'm bringing when playing the Master of the Paths:

Yan Lo - Hard to play a 50ss game without a master.

Soul Porter - I'm an advocate that totems aren't auto-includes for all masters, De La Soul Porter though is so useful from all angles that it would seem like madness to leave the little dude in the case, great movement, can push Tosh and Lo with no card flip, 3" melee range on his attack which triggers are beneficial to any casters in the crew and an emergency sacrifice if you have ever said to yourself "If only I had just one more Chi". Soul Porter is solid and there's never a game that I've never taken him in.

Toshiro - The one man minion buffing machine. Toshiro is a hard cut if I feel he doesn't suit the schemes or strategies but giving out +flips to melee attacks and passing out Fast or giving EVERYONE focus is just too good. That's not even talking about his summoning upgrade which can replace losses and give me more Ap to work with in the late game. Too good to not have.

Yamaziko - If I'm facing an opponent who is primarily using Wp as their main means for attack, Yama will see play. I have a soft spot for Yamaziko as I love the model and I love every letter printed on her card. It's her defense stat that lets her down which makes me hesitant to pay 7ss for nimble target practice but when she is facing those Wp focused crews, she's an unstoppable force of nature and nothing can touch her and then truly, she shines.

Chiaki - Chiaki is Chiaki and Chiaki is the best. A hell of a useful model and if the opponent is using conditions a lot such as most Neverborn or Resurrectionists do, she can wipe out whole activations of work with a single 7 card. Facing down a lot of burning or poison? Chiaki has your back. Need Toshiro to be an even more boss summoner, Chiaki has your back. Do you need key models in your enemies crew to be slowed or insignificant? Chiaki has your back. Such a great model.

Yin, the Penangalan - Just because Yan Lo "works" with Ancestors (he doesn't) doesn't mean the ancestor models themselves are duds. Yin provides that all important addition to a team of un-killiables being extremely Ap intensive to take down. Yin being able to stop walk actions is mega, her Gnawing fears ensures Thunder Dance goes off as well as other Ca & Wp attacks in the crew, add to that her slow trigger on melee and you have what some see as a pain in the neck to overcome, especially with Yan Lo healing her up.

The Lone Swordsman - Facing a shooty crew, here's the man for the job. There's a lot in Malifaux that ignore armor but nothing that ignores bullet proof and having bullet proof +3 is insane in that regard. Making an average damage track 1/1/1 means this is a guy who can take some hits. When he's in combat, it's a good chance he can take some non-shooting hits with every trigger being useful as a way to take care of business. Not for every list but when he has his moment, it's glorious.

Bert Jebson - A versatile little Ht1 dude. 3ap on a non-master without a card flip is awesome, despite only average stats on his shooting, it is a great shoot action and can lead to a lot of damage if the card gods shine in your favor. I've used him for scheme running, shooting, hitting 3/4 minimum damage in melee and Crackerjack Timing is yet another way for Yan Lo's crew to drain your opponent's hand.

Pathfinder & Clockwork Traps - Need range support or a way to get back those equally annoying yet easily killed traps you've set. Say no more. He's no Sniper but with Yan Lo's Thunder Dance giving traps easy prey, Pathfinder can take models down with ease afterwards, just don't get him in range of the enemy, with so many models that are difficult to take down, having a 6Wd regular dude in the crosshairs is simply too tempting, especially being that he's just so good as his job of shooting and drawing a card a turn.

Torakage - My first scheme runners of choice for the time being until Tengu rear their heads onto the plastic scene. Give them a buddy to walk with or get in the enemies face and once again we have a model that's card intensive to put down. Stacking One in the crowd and Works best alone against a charge target is filth and ensures that low weak damage is not seen as often. I never have them in the front lines as a Wk6 model is wasted in large melees but as runners and hunters of other scheme runners, they are awesome.

Ronin - My second scheme runner of choice. Being a little easier to kill and being a stone expensive and 1wk slower than Torakage it purely depends on who I'm facing. If I'm against armor and a melee focused crew, the Ronin are a lot better than Torakage for their ability to flurry through armor when necessary or push out of combat for those all important last minute marker drops and giving enemy models "slow" if they want to get back into combat with them. Being able to ditch a model who is likely to die anyway for soul stones or cards makes for a model that's a hard sell to include but very effective in the right list.

Katanaka Sniper & Thunder Archers - I've grouped these two together because they serve similar roles depending on what the game is looking like. If I need additional damage and I plan for everyone to be engaged, I'll take the Archers for their Threading the Needle and Rapid fire. If the game is looking to be more spread out, I'll take the Snipers for their range and extra damage. Both are Ranged support that Yan Lo desperately needs and both do their jobs very well when used properly.

Punk Zombie - What's there to say about an angry undead samurai slicing you up with Ml6 +flip attacks with flurry and a wicked card deplete action. A poor walk and an average 8" threat range is Punk zombies only downfall but when he's in combat with Toshiro buffing him he's death incarnate, give him a group of enemies when he's fast and Slice and Dice will give your opponent headaches. just amazing.

Komainu and Ashigaru - Toshiro's summons. More often than not I will hire Komainu as their re-positioning and slow trigger is what I like to see in my models. Ashigaru I have purely as summons, they are okay but very card intensive and whilst you can get 6 attacks out of them potentially, it takes too many cards to make it worthwhile. As a summon though, they have a protective brace aura for anyone who actually wants to take on Toshiro and a Punk Zombie in melee and a decent Wk to do some last minute scheme running. Komainu are simply amazing for their Rst Wp attacks with slow and burning. Their guard the Soul is epic against a casting crew.

Shadow Effigy - Need a scheme marker pool won, LITS, Breakthrough, Protect Territory, Planting Explosives and Evidence and Springing Traps become a lot easier when your models drop them as a nothing action. It is expensive though, don't aim to activate Remember the Mission more than once a turn unless it's crucial to winning that sweet sweet Ap. A 10 card keeps models alive and accurate so you have to ask yourself how lucky you feel or if that 10 is discardable.
Keep the little dude out of the way but if you find yourself in 7" of someone with 2Wds trying to meddle with your markers, Precision Blade not needing to flip damage with Ml7 is so damn cool if you can get it off.

There you have it Mills, you now know what's in the box. What would you include? What would take out? let me know and have fun out there.