Post by Fadril Adren on Jul 29, 2015 16:47:14 GMT -5
LORE:
The world of Malifaux is thick with magical energies. Those newly arrived in the world often describe an electric feeling in the air, making the hairs on the back of their neck stand up. Almost all of Malifaux's residents develop some small ability to manipulate this energy, usually manifesting as minor magical talents. A small number will display noteworthy powers, powers that represent a threat to the Guild presence in Malifaux. These individuals have been labeled Arcanists, and the Guild expends significant resources in hunting these dangerous men and women, and have dedicated their Witch Hunter task force to eliminating this unpredictable rogue element.
The Witch Hunters have not proven very popular with the citizens of Malifaux. Each man and women is viewed with suspicion by the Guild, and even the most minor display of magical talent can result in unexpected midnight raids. It is unknown what happens to those taken by the Guild, but everyone has their theories, none of them very kind to the Guild. Occasionally, a fledgling Arcanist will succeed in driving off or evading the Witch Hunters. These cases always result in significant newspaper coverage, sparking the collective imaginations of every Malifaux citizen. These individuals are able to do what the common man cannot: spit in the eye of the Guild.
Of those few that rise to fame, their flames are often short-lived. There are very few options for someone on the run in Malifaux City. There are few places to hide, unless a person is willing to brave the wilds outside the city's walls. Hunted as they are, these individuals often run straight into the arms of the Union.
The Miners and Steamfitters Union is an organization that represents the interests of the labor class in Malifaux. While primarily concerned with the well-being of those that mine Soulstone, it also represents any ancillary professions, such as the steamfitters who operate and maintain the steam engines used to pump water from mines and the heavy machinery necessary for efficient mining. The Union maintains offices in several places throughout Malifaux and the surrounding towns. Unknown to the large majority of its members, these offices also serve as safe houses for runaway Arcanists.
Utilizing this network, the Arcanists are able to recruit new talent into a highly structured criminal organization. Behind the legitimate face of the Union is a society of professional criminals. This organization maintains a lucrative Soulstone smuggling operation and is responsible for several high profile raids on Guild property . New members are usually put to work on petty crimes, giving them an opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty to the organization.
Because the Union receives overwhelming public support and because Union officials and laborers are involved in almost every level of Malifaux business and industry, the Guild finds it extremely difficult to fight these criminals. The Guild struggles with strong negative public opinion while charismatic and daring Arcanists are viewed as folk heroes. Every successful heist is celebrated quietly in the saloons and union halls, away from the ears of the Guild. To the citizens of Malifaux, Arcanists are a modern day Robin Hood and his Merry Men. The reality, however, may be closer to an underground crime syndicate. To the Guild and those who believe their propaganda, the Arcanists are nothing more than terrorists.
In recent years, Arcanist activity has escalated dramatically. The scope of their operations has become ever more ambitious, and there are some who whisper that the entirety of the Northern Hills has fallen under their sway. Whether this is true or not, it is clear is that the Arcanist organization has established itself as a major power in Malifaux. To the people of Malifaux, the Arcanists represent the power to reclaim the fruits of their own labors from the tyranny of the Guild. The Arcanists' true agenda, however, seems to be profit and power.
TACTICA:
The Arcanists are a faction that revolves around the dual themes of magic and Constructs. Their masters are somewhat removed from one another, to the point where it might seem as if there was very little synergy between their various crews. In truth, the various parts of the Arcanist faction tend to work rather well with each other even if played without any regard to a master's theme, though they do tend to be a bit easier to manage when working with their thematic crews. There is a strong focus on card draw within the Arcanist faction, and when combined with their additional focus on scheme marker manipulation, it makes for a very strong and competitive faction.
The Arcanists are mostly comprised of a combination of Living and Construct models. Many of the Constructs are themed to specific Masters, but are still capable of pulling their own weight in other crews. In addition, the Arcanists have access to a few very expensive, very punishing Constructs that see frequent play due to their high damage, maneuverability, and durability.
MASTERS:
RAMOS -
Once in a generation, a person is born who has both the pure genius and the charisma to find himself with enough political sway to change the world. Doctor Victor Ramos, President of the Miners and Steamfitters Union is one such man. He is the mind behind the Hollow Marsh Pumping station, which has contributed greatly to the safety of Union miners. He has become a hero to the workers, protecting them not only from physical disasters, but also from the designs of the tyrannical Guild.
What the common worker doesn't see, however, is the truth about the Union under Ramos's control. While he has been earning the love of the common man, he has also been earning a place in the back alleys and black markets of Malifaux, using the Union as a front for a far-reaching crime syndicate. Those who find themselves in the upper ranks are those who Ramos trusts most.
His greatest battles are fought in the political realm, finding a way to twist every attack the Guild makes back upon them, raising himself only higher in the minds of the union workers. Even for someone as smart as Ramos, however, physical combat cannot be completely avoided. Ramos often travels with a few of his constructs, dangerous spiders that cling to his enemies. If the fight is not going well, Ramos can use his strange connection to his creations to sacrifice them, causing a burst of electric energy that will damage even the strongest foes.
TACTICA:
Ramos is an all-around strong Arcanist Master. His defenses are good, his Attacks can cause havoc, his movement is decent, and he even has access to summoning. He doesn’t bring quite the bag of tricks that Marcus does, but everything that Ramos does is very solid. Many of Ramos’s Upgrades benefit nearby Constructs, so making sure your Ramos list has a few Constructs is usually a good idea.
With Armor +2, the Ability to heal when a nearby Construct dies, and an amazing Defense Trigger, Ramos is no easy model to take down. In addition to that, his Electrical Fire Attack Action is a great Attack to shoot into combat after you have locked the opponent down with some Steam Arachnids. Ramos’s general durability coupled with his great mid-range Attack and the ability to reposition with Magnetism makes him perfect to run the middle of the field, harassing the enemy where ever he is needed. Finally, his Summon the Swarm Action can summon up to three Steam Arachnids with a single AP!
Ramos’s Upgrades further augment his playstyle by adding some great Auras and healing Abilities which allow him to enhance nearby Constructs. This allows him to benefit his own Crew while harassing the enemy near the middle of the field. Also, he should rarely leave home without the Electric Summoning Upgrade, which gives him access to another summoning Action and more precious Scrap Markers. Ramos is a solid, all-around Master and he is a great starting point for any Arcanist collection.
RASPUTINA-
Many people come to Malifaux to find a new life, where they can earn Soulstones and make their dreams a reality. Others arrive under the watchful eye of the Guild to serve out a punishment for crimes committed Earthside. Rasputina arrived in such a manner, but quickly escaped from the labor camp she was consigned to and fled into the wilderness.
Where she went after her escape, how she managed to evade recovery, and when she met the being known only as December, no one knows. All anyone can say for certain is that she left the chain gang as a beautiful and strong willed woman and when she returned, she was still beautiful and strong willed but she also had the ability to control the weather, able to pull up a severe snow storm out of thin air. While the exact terms of her engagement with December has remained shrouded in mystery, it is clear that she has become a threat. While she is loosely associated with Miners and Steamfitters Union, it is always her own will which holds ahead of all others.
Such is her skill at controlling the weather that she can create objects and creatures by freezing water in the air and command them to her will, whether her goal is the destruction of an opponent or as a utility to aim her own chilling spells from a protected position. True winter is a terrifying time for her enemies because they can never be sure if the storm blowing in is natural or the only warning they will have before she descends upon them.
TACTICA:
Rasputina is an Arcanist Master who primarily focuses on casting spells from a distance. She may draw range and LoS through other friendly models with the Frozen Heart Ability, granting her a much greater reach on the board than most models. Because of this, her Crew will usually contain a fair number of Frozen Heart models, but there are plenty of other models in the Arcanist Faction which are a good choice for her as well.
The main damaging spell Rasputina will find herself using is December’s Curse. This Action has a decent twelve inch range, can produce blasts, and can be taken again with the Overpower Trigger. This makes Rasputina a fantastic Master to keep back and blast away with while her Crew accomplishes the objectives. However, shooting isn’t the only trick in her book, she can also hand out Armor to friendly models and Paralyze enemies.
Rasputina’s Upgrades grant her a number of great choices, such as the ability to put Ice Pillars in the enemy’s way, the ability to count the Black Joker as the Red Joker, and even the option to make targeting through her own models more efficient. Her biggest weakness is getting stuck into combat where she is unable to level her amazing ranged Attacks; however, she has the option to take the Armor of December Upgrade which will give her an easy way out of combat if she finds herself in that unfortunate situation. Ultimately, Rasputina is a Master with some amazing strengths and noticeable drawbacks, making her a fun tactical piece to put on the table.
COLETTE Du BOIS -
Colette Du Bois is the owner of the Star Theater and a master illusionist. She started as a lowly pickpocket, relying on grace and charm to make her way through the underbelly of the world. In Malifaux, she has risen to heights she never could have dreamed. She owns one of the most famous establishments this side of the Breach, has become rich beyond imagining, and has a troupe of girls she takes care of that she loves. However, Colette is well aware that her new dreams hide within them a cruel nightmare.
Night after night, Colette performs in front of crowds that contain the poor and the rich, including senior members of the Guild. Every performance she dances a razor's edge, astounding the audience with true magic disguised as mere sleight of hand. All it would take is one suspicious officer and her world would come crashing down.
With her fortune tied to the Arcanists and smuggling for them, her girls are constantly under threat of detection, or worse. The hidden paths back to Earth have become more dangerous as the sewers become filled with new terrors. No matter the danger, the Arcanists demand more from the girls of the Star Theater.
Despite this, Colette is thriving and managing to keep ahead of her enemies. It's stressful to keep the world paying attention to the wrong hand, but the magician in her loves the trick. So long as she can continue dazzling everyone, she can keep the freedoms she's earned for herself and her girls. It's a dangerous game that she plays, but she'd have it no other way.
TACTICA:
Colette is the Arcanist Master of deception. She is the owner of the Star Theater, and frequently brings her Showgirls along with her to the tabletop. Colette isn’t a Master to wade into the enemy killing everything she sees; she relies on misdirection, Scheme Marker manipulation, and using Prompt to get the other models in her Crew to do the dirty work.
Both Colette and the Showgirls that her Crews will likely favor are great at manipulating Scheme Markers and Soulstones. She excels at getting more Scheme Markers on the table as well as spending them for amazing effects. For example, if she is damaged, she can use the Now You See Me Trigger to discard a Scheme Marker and then teleport away. Also, don’t forget to use her Prompt Action to manipulate other friendly models! Because of Prompt it’s usually a good idea to have at least one heavy-hitter in the Crew, allowing Colette to sit back and make it dance for her.
Like all Masters, Colette has some great Upgrades which give her fun options. But the most notable is probably Cabaret Choreography which allows her to summon her Totem, the Mechanical Dove. Colette may have up to three Mechanical Doves on the table and they can be used as Scheme Markers when friendly Showgirls need them. They can also be sacrificed to give your models some awesome bonuses. All in all, Colette is a tricky but rewarding Master who excels at scoring VP, and VP wins games.
MARCUS -
Once a professor behind the safe walls of libraries and laboratories, Marcus’s studies often brought him out into the wilds. Studying the flora and fauna of Malifaux with a scientific eye, Marcus soon found himself understanding the wilderness on a deeper level. The world around him was not simply something to be catalogued and dissected; it was something to be experienced.
It was not long before the walls which had once made Marcus feel secure started to feel more like the confines of a prison. Abandoning the comforts of civilization, Marcus roamed the land and made his home in the wilderness. For the first time, Marcus felt freedom; freedom from an imprisonment he had not even been aware. Still a man of science, Marcus put his new-found freedom to good use. He experimented with ancient, bestial magics which spat in the eye of conventional scientific thinking about the natural world. The animals around him were his to commune with, his to command. Even his own flesh was not immune to the unbridled curiosity which had awoken within him. Marcus turned the primal energy in on himself, wearing away the ravages of time. Where once there was a man older than even Ramos, Marcus now has the strength of youth.
Using primal energies to his own ends Marcus found a sort of power that cannot be tapped without an impression being left behind. Marcus’s appearance is now more bestial than ever before. And, although he will come to the aid of the Arcanists when called, Marcus obeys only one law; the law of the wild. And in the wilds, only the strong are fit to rule.
TACTICA:
Marcus is a highly versatile Master and he is a part of the Arcanist Faction. He is capable of filling multiple roles, from getting up close and personal in combat, to supporting his Crew, to debuffing enemy models. He has many Actions and Abilities which specifically synergize with Beast models, and he can hire Beasts regardless of Faction, so expect Beasts to be the primary components of any Marcus Crew.
Many of Marcus’s Attack Actions are useful on either friendly or enemy models. Take Darzee’s Chaunt as an example, it makes a target beast more effective at attacking but more vulnerable to being attacked; this allows you to make use of it on friendly models before charging in, or on enemy models that you want to take down more quickly. Also, unlike many Masters, Marcus is equally capable of targeting an opponent’s Defense or Willpower, allowing him to adapt to whichever is the opponent’s weaker stat. He can also give enemy models the Beast Characteristic, making them more vulnerable to his Attacks.
Marcus has two Limited Upgrades: The God’s Domain, and The Trail Of The Gods. Each gives Marcus bonuses at the start of his Activation, and which of the two Limited Upgrades he chooses will greatly affect his playstyle, giving him even more flexibility. The Trail Of The Gods allows Marcus to deal more damage and make more Attacks, while The God’s Domain increases his Defense, makes him more accurate, and reduces the AP associated with Charging. Whichever way you choose to play Marcus, you will find him a flexible Master, capable of adapting to any situation.
IRONSIDES -
The daughter of escaped slaves, Toni Ironsides has risen far from her origins. After the Guild's execution of her mother, Toni saw the organization clearly for the first time. The Guild's decision to uphold the horrific local laws of its member countries in the name of stability led to her commitment to the Guild's destruction. For a time, Toni turned to underground fighting as a way to vent her anger. Eventually, she became part of Earthside resistance groups, which drew the attention of Viktor Ramos and resulted in her recruitment into the Arcanists. Because of Toni's love of learning, she found herself drawn to the company of the Oxfordian Mages on her arrival Breachside.
In Malifaux, Ironsides has two distinct roles for the Movement. She is a leader in the M&SU, acting as an enforcer on behalf of the Union as Ramos directs. When the Union is threatened, it is Ironsides who stirs the blood of the common man, calling them together against their enemies. The second purpose comes from her relationship with the Mages. As Ramos saw that partnership grow, he began to use Ironsides as a way to keep the Arcanists in check. When a Steamfitter goes rogue, Ironsides and the Mages track them down to eliminate them. She is not above deception, sometimes using Guild resources in clever traps to accomplish her task and harm her foes simultaneously.
For Toni, both tasks are acceptable. While Viktor Ramos is the Voice of the Arcanists, Toni Ironsides is its Fist. So long as the Guild is brought down, she will do whatever is necessary. What Ramos builds afterward matters little to her.
TACTICA:
Ironsides is the Arcanist brawler; she can take a hit and it doesn’t bother her. She has more Wounds than average and multiple ways to heal between the Adrenaline Condition and her Upgrades. Ironsides is a Master who wants to be in the thick of the fight, tying up enemy models while the rest of your Crew achieves victory. She grants bonuses to M&SU models with her Hand Picked Men Ability, so these models should be a strong consideration for any Crew she leads.
Ironsides can chain her Attacks into each other, using the Follow Through Trigger on her Brass Knuckles Attack to make an Uppercut and then back to Brass Knuckles. However, this all requires Adrenaline, which she only gains by being surrounded by enemies; Ironsides’ favorite place to be is surrounded by smaller enemy Minions. To get where she needs to be she can use her Rush ‘Em Tactical Action to reposition or force other models to come to her with You Lookin’ At Me. Also, don’t forget that You Lookin’ At Me can be used to reposition friendly models in a pinch. Ironsides may not kill every enemy that crosses her path, but she will keep them occupied and stay standing. If you keep enemy models from scoring those precious VP, you don’t always need to kill them. And every time they try to take a swing at Ironsides, they risk getting hit back with Good Shot, My Turn.
In terms of Upgrades, Ironsides has a number of options. Challenge The Crowd gives her bonuses to Defense while surrounded by enemies, which is exactly where she wants to be. Frontline Leadership is a key Upgrade, giving her another way to gain Adrenaline and giving her Come Get Some, which is an amazing zero Action that further helps her tie down enemies. Message From The Union allows her to hurl a flaming bottle at her enemies. Of course, there are more, but know that most of her Upgrades enhance her tarpit playstyle, but others allow for some other fun options. However you choose, Ironsides is going to be a tough Master to take down.
KAERIS -
Anasalea Kaeris is a study in contrasts. Earthside, she was a business troubleshooter, a lone wolf for hire by any number of organizations. She was controlled and studied in her dealings, known for her patience and neutrality. Coming to Malifaux, she has embraced a different road. In Malifaux, she is solely devoted to Viktor Ramos and the Arcanists, having finally picked a side. She has also sought after a new kind of power- that of magic.
When Kaeris first passed through the Breach, she became fascinated with the ease at which people used magic. Unlike the tight restrictions and limited power from Earth, Malifaux was nearly unlimited in its potential. As a condition to working for Ramos she chose him as her sole teacher in arcane knowledge. He agreed, but it was quickly apparent that no matter how she studied, she lacked the raw power needed to control her abilities. Ramos designed a Soulstone harness as a solution to this, but still she struggled.
While practicing in the forges one day, Kaeris made a breakthrough. While all magic in Malifaux draws from the aether, there are many methods to using it. Ramos' power is one that is structured and ordered like the constructs he works on. Her power, however, was not something to control. One does not seek to stop and order a wildfire, after all, but redirect the flames by embracing their existence. She let go of any attempt to control and let the aether flow through her as a river. Fire burst from her hands with little effort as she finally understood the paradox.
Control is an illusion.
TACTICA:
Kaeris is a highly mobile Arcanist Master who delights in incinerating her enemies using the Burning Condition. She stays near the edges of the main fight, darting in and out and pouncing on any weakness that she sees. Because she manipulates the Burning Condition so well any Minions who also make use of Burning, such as Fire Gamin and Gunsmiths, will be excellent choices for her Crew.
Kaeris’ main Attack is Flaming Halo, which allows her to spread Burning throughout the battlefield. Once everything is on fire, she can take advantage of the flames in a number of ways. Immolate is a great Attack that gets better when the target is already Burning, Accelerant allows her to deal damage to all of the models near her who have Burning, and Truth In Flame allows her to remove Burning from models near her in order to draw cards. Once Kaeris has set everything on fire, her options really open up!
There are two Limited Upgrades for Kaeris to choose from, which will significantly change her playstyle depending on which way she goes. Grab And Drop gives her a zero Action which allows her to fly into the sky with her enemies and then send them plummeting to their deaths; it also allows friendly models near her who are Burning to gain Flight. On the other hand, the Purifying Flame Limited Upgrade allows any friendly model near her which would suffer damage due to Burning to heal the damage instead, allowing her Attacks to be used to heal her own Crew. It also allows her to place Pyre Markers (pillars of flame) on the table in order to thwart the movements of enemy models. Although those are the two main choices, Kaeris has a number of fun Upgrades which insure that she is a diverse and interesting Master to play.
MEI FENG -
Full of fire before she came to Malifaux, Mei Feng found herself with an even closer affinity for the element after passing through the Breach. Strangely, it was not the elemental fires that fuel many Guild or Arcanist creations that called to her, but rather the blazing heat of the forges. It was the fire of creation and, through it, Mei discovered that she could heat metal and bend it to her will, creating constructs with the grace of a tiger but skin as hard as steel.
With this ability, it is little wonder that she found herself working on Malifaux's new rail lines and quickly in charge of her own crew. Between her natural charisma and her ability to offer mechanical replacement parts at a lower premium than the Guild, she has quickly found her way into the hearts of the other Union workers. Ramos took longer to convince, but she is now an established Miners and Steamfitters Union member. With her natural skill and her various constructs, Mei can speed up the construction of the rail line or slow it down based on what the Oyabun of the Ten Thunders requires of her.
Her relationship with the Oyabun is tenuous. She knows that once she has proven herself to be less than useful, he will dispose of her, but while her own ambitions are not directly tied to the path of the Ten Thunders, it is through their will that she is even in Malifaux.
TACTICA:
Mei Feng belongs to both the Ten Thunders and the Arcanist Factions. She is a fast combatant, focusing on combinations of actions to really allow her to shine. Mei can bring Foundry models from any Faction, and she tends to prefer to work with Constructs.
The Unstoppable Industry ability may best describe Mei. This ability makes her immune to Slow and Paralyzed, making sure she’s always performing to the best of her abilities. Her many actions continue the trend of her unstoppable nature. Railwalker allows her to move to Scrap Markers or friendly Constructs, making sure Mei stays near the action. Vent Steam helps keep her and those around her safe from outside influence while her Tiger’s Claw and Jackhammer kick lay waste to the enemy. Coupled with her Armor and a trigger to gain more, Mei begins to embody Unstoppable Industry.
Mei has numerous Upgrades to choose from. The majority of her Upgrades add triggers to her attack actions, allowing her to easily gain additional benefit from her actions. This helps Mei become a combination based Master, chaining one move into another and ending up just where she needs to be. One of her iconic Upgrades are the Seismic Claws. This one point Upgrade gives her two triggers on her Tiger Claw attack, each on a different suit. Both these triggers allow her to take an additional attack action without spending AP, allowing Mei to deal out massive amounts of damage.