Post by Fadril Adren on Jul 29, 2015 17:08:37 GMT -5
LORE:
Malifaux is ruled by the conflicting interests of powerful organizations. The Guild was the first to seize power in this world, establishing rigid and fascist laws that guarantee control over their precious Soulstones. Despite these laws, the Arcanists have managed to build a powerful resistance against that oppression and maintain a black market Soulstone smuggling ring. Concerned with the buried secrets of the past, the grim Resurrectionists loot the abandoned districts of the city of its treasures and wield terrible powers garnered from the grave. The agenda the nightmarish Neverborn is unknown, but their presence and influence are obvious in the terror they sow.
In between the plots and schemes of these factions, there are men and women who, for one reason or another, have turned their back on other affiliations to live a more roguish lifestyle. These scoundrels and mercenaries are collectively referred to as Outcasts, as many of them are forced to live out meager existences as petty crooks or hired guns.
A small few of these desperate folk have managed to demonstrate talents or skills sufficient to pull themselves from the gutter and exert their will upon the landscape of Malifaux. These individuals broker tenuous alliances to further their unique agendas and rely just as much on skilled negotiating as they do on martial prowess.
The primary powers of Malifaux respect the value of these lone-wolf Outcasts because the unique traits that have allowed them to flourish in independence can be put to their own uses. Their independence of Outcasts is a valuable commodity, providing plausible deniability to any faction fortunate enough to gain their services.
Money, however, isn't always the chief concern of these enterprising individuals. The Outcasts have varied and wide ranging goals; some seek only to expand their criminal endeavors, while others are more altruistic, wandering the streets of Malifaux to protect its citizens from the nightmares that haunt them. Others are at the very center of Malifaux City's corrupt politics, selling their service (and their secrets) to the highest bidder. They may work for Guild coin or Arcanist Soulstones, but the Outcasts are also purposeful in their acts, advancing their own goals even while technically in the employ of another.
TACTICA:
The Outcasts are a collection of models that don't really fit anywhere else, and as a result, their playstyles tend to vary drastically from one Master to the next. As a whole, the Faction has a fair number of ranged attacks which is balanced against some very good melee models. Many Outcasts are also Mercenaries, which allows them to be hired into the crews of other Factions at a slight increase in their cost.
The Outcasts tend to mostly use Living models, but a number of Masters can hire Undead into their crews as well, so it's not uncommon to see the Outcasts borrowing some Resurrectionist models from time to time. Because their Masters are so unique, many of the models are thematically built around supporting one Masters, which can make it difficult to get much use out of them in crews led by other Masters. Most every model with the Mercenary Characteristic is generically good, however, making them solid additions to just about any crew.
MASTERS:
VIKTORIA of ASHES -
There is a lure within Malifaux that inevitably draws certain people to the city. Some go because of the power that can be gleaned from the Soulstones, others to find lost information. Viktoria went because she received a message from one of her contacts suggesting that there was a treasure greater than any she had sought before. Already a seasoned adventurer and treasure hunter, it was too good an offer to refuse.
Heading to the great city, Viktoria quickly found herself in the middle of a web of conflicting plots and powerful players. Part of a Neverborn scheme left her with a perfect double – a doppelganger. Though they dress differently, and the real Viktoria carries the storied Masamune, many cannot tell the two apart. They bonded as sisters and have been inseparable ever since.
While they are willing to hire themselves out as mercenaries, their real goal is to find artifacts which they can sell Earthside or within the city proper for profit. The land is scattered with artifacts from the first settlement just waiting for someone to come in and take them. The only thing stopping most people is the Neverborn natives. Luckily, the doppelganger provides insight and information on what is in the area and how to best fight or avoid them, giving Viktoria an edge on any competition. This secret is carefully held between them and a few others who happened to learn the truth, allowing the mystery of the 'sisters' to gain more and more momentum among the public.
TACTICA:
Viktoria of Ashes is a member of the Outcast Faction. She, along with her “sister” Viktoria of Blood, are a package deal – if you take the one you can take the other for free. Combined, the Viktorias are the most brutal melee machines to be found in the game.
In one of the stories, the Viktorias are described as a “tornado of dismemberment.” Utilizing their Masamune blades, each sister packs a massive punch with high attack stats and damage. They subscribe to the philosophy that you only need to learn to take a punch if your first punch doesn’t drop them. Viktoria and her sister are not mindless killing machines, though. They are highly paid mercenaries because they are very adept in combat: they use tactics and synergies to get the most killing done. Each Viktoria has a buff that helps when they are close to each other, and one that helps when they are far from each other. This makes positioning them very important based on your ultimate goal.
The Viktorias have access to some powerful Upgrades. Mark of Shez’uul allows one of them to ignore almost all forms of defenses to ensure a swift kill. Synchronized Slaying lets them break activation order and both go one after the other. Sisters in Fury gives them each a damage boost, while Sisters in Spirit helps them move around the battlefield. These Upgrades will help ensure the enemies Viktoria wants dead, get dead.
JACK DAW -
No one forgets their first sight of the Hanging Tree. Everyone who crosses through the Breach can see it, where hanged men drift in the wind right in view from the train station. At the top of the Tree, beyond the reach of any man, hung Jack Daw. There are many legends of this mysterious corpse, which had been present since the reopening of the Breach.
The only thing certain is that Jack was not present in Malifaux during humanity's first time in the city. At first the legends merely dealt with his origins, wondering minds looking to explain the oddity. Since the incident at Kythera, however, the legends have taken a much darker turn.
One night, Jack went missing from his tree. This immediately prompted rumors and stories that filled every bar in the city. It didn't take long for the worry of the adults to infect the children, creating a haunting rhyme that became extremely popular for a time. It was around this time that the first stories from the Wastelands came back. Jack had been seen outside the city. At first the stories were of a simple specter, hanging on the edge of battlefields and watching. The stories quickly turned to talking about Jack leading a swarm of the dead, tearing apart towns in terrible fury.
Whatever drives Jack Daw to his rages, he takes them out on everyone nearby. He seems drawn to acts of betrayal, present at nearly every mutiny or insurrection of recent months. Towns have disappeared overnight, leaving behind only blood on the ground and burned buildings.
TACTICA:
Jack Daw is a member of the Outcast Faction. He is cursed to a life of torment as an undead Master, traveling Malifaux sharing his torment with those guilty of transgressions. Jack Daw likes to field Tormented models, as they benefit from some of his actions.
Unlike anyone else in the game, Jack Daw uses Upgrades offensively. He is able to use Cursed Upgrades by passing them off on his enemies via his attacks. These Upgrades inflict severe penalties on those that bear them, and they grant the Tormented characteristic. While Jack doesn’t do a lot of damage directly, by coupling his attacks with his curses, he is able to have a lot of battlefield control while wearing down his opponents. Coupled with various tricky plays, such as using Driven By Injustice to push Tormented models, Jack Daw is able to achieve various strategies and schemes well. To top it all off, his Oldest Magic ability provides a fairly solid defense against those that would do him wrong.
Jack Daw’s non-Cursed Upgrades provide him with some solid options. Twist and Turn gives him the ability to take the actions of a Tormented model, be it friend or enemy. Writhing Torment keeps Jack from getting locked down via combat or paralysis, while Betrayer provides extra incentive for models not to come after him directly. By taking advantage of these Upgrades, Jack Daw can have a huge impact on the battlefield in relatively subtle ways.
LEVITICUS -
Leveticus is the proprietor of Captivating Salvage and Logistics, a small shop in Malifaux City that offers a variety of services. He and his young companion, Alyce, have been staples of the city since the opening of the Breach. Whatever the job or item required, common wisdom holds that Leveticus is the man to talk to.
What few know, however, is that Leveticus is a man of unique magical talents. For those limited few he trusts, he is an unparalleled source of arcane knowledge and items. His mechanical leg, and Alyce's prosthetic arm, are both his own design which rival the work of even Viktor Ramos.
Leveticus has discovered a way to cheat death itself. Combining ancient necromantic texts with modern theories, he has made a link between his soul and dead husks he calls Hollow Waifs. So long as a Waif is nearby, Leveticus can return to life. This is not without cost, as he remembers each death clearly. The memories take their toll, slowly eroding the edges of his mind. Young Alyce is a lifeline for him, always able to ground the necromancer after a difficult return from the aether.
According to the witch, Zoraida, Leveticus is positioned at the center of Fate's design. While the exact details are uncertain, he is one of the lynchpins upon which the destiny of all Malifaux turns. He awaits the future with stoic determination, holding close to Alyce and his allies. If there is to be a new war with the Tyrants, they will find Leveticus prepared to lead the charge to the end of the world.
TACTICA:
Leveticus is a member of the Outcast Faction. He is a master of steam technology and necromancy, combining them both into powerful abominations to do his bidding. Leveticus has the largest hiring pool in the game, able to choose both Undead and Constructs as potentials for his army of entropy.
Most Masters care about dying, but Leveticus doesn’t really mind. By utilizing his totems the Hollow Waifs, Leveticus is able to return to life at the end of the turn even if he was killed. This allows him to play differently than many Masters, taking chances with his own life while protecting his totems. By channeling his lifeforce, Leveticus is able to bring extra power to his actions. Able to move quickly and dish out large amounts of damage, Leveticus can unmake his opponents and slowly turn them into his own army. Leveticus’ biggest concern is ensuring that the rest of his Crew is able to properly support him, as he needs them to stay in the fight… despite his continued deaths.
Leveticus has two limited Upgrades, both of which influence his hiring pool. Pariah of Bone and Pariah of Iron cannot both be taken at once, and they give him access to Undead or Constructs, respectively. Outside of these, Leveticus’ two remaining core Upgrades provide him with more flexibility. To the Earth Return is a trigger on his Unmaking action that helps kill the most powerful enemies. From Ash gives him the opportunity to turn his fallen enemies or allies into Steam Abominations, ready to continue the fight for his cause.
HAMELIN -
Eons ago, Plague was a preeminent alchemist in Malifaux, well respected in his field of study. He developed a fascination with decay and aging, focusing his research on the manipulation of both. A tragic accident during an experiment involving the aether and a plague rampaging through Malifaux City nearly killed him. Drowning in his own blood, the alchemist tapped into the aether desperately. Screaming in agony, his eyes closed. The next day, Plague's eyes opened.
Few records remain from the years of the Tyrants of Malifaux. The only certain thing is that they were locked away, trapped because they could not be killed. Plague slept millennia in the necropolis deep below Malifaux City. He was awoken by Hamelin the Rat Catcher, a pitiful bully on the run from the Guild. Hamelin's death was messy and horrific, reminiscent of Plague's first rebirth. Immediately, the Tyrant went after His ultimate goal, only to be prevented by Kirai Ankoku who shattered His physical form. It took months, but Plague eventually reformed Himself. Now, He acts more slowly to ensure His victory in the long run, searching for a new method of ascension into the aether- and the acquisition of true immortality.
Plague is the most aggressive of the active Tyrants. He holds to a strange view, that all of the Tyrants are playing a great game, one which is only worth playing because existence itself is the gamble. While His first attempt at ascension, harnessing the power of the Red Cage, failed miserably, He has discovered new methods to try. With everything on the line, He refuses to admit defeat.
TACTICA:
Hamelin is a member of the Outcast Faction. He is the bringing of plague, leading swarms of rats and bewitched children to do his bidding. While Hamelin works well with any models, he will always end up with a few Rats, Rat Kings, or Rat Catchers due to his playstyle.
Describing Hamelin is no easy task. This piper is able to lure models to him via the Pipes action, drawing many into his sphere of influence. While there, abilities like Nihilism and Lure of Emptiness help ensure that Hamelin will remain alive and free to do as he pleases. With his victims in his clutches, he uses his Black Staff to give the Blighted Condition to his enemies which slowly ticks up over time. With a well-timed use of Bleeding Disease, Hamelin is able to finish off those who have succumb to their sickness. During all this, the Voracious Rats ability will ensure that those that die near him continue to produce Rats, making sure that Hamelin is the master of attrition.
Hamelin can take advantage of numerous upgrades to improve his sphere of influence. The Plague ensures that, once sickened, enemies cannot get better. The Piper prevents others from charging him while giving him access to Obey, further bewitching others to do his bidding. Sewer King allows for the sacrifice of his own Crew to draw cards, and Tools of the Tyrant gives him extra triggers for his Black Staff. Combining his Upgrades with his core abilities and favored Crew, Hamelin makes a strong contender for the best control Master in the game.
VON SCHILL -
When there is a task that needs to be done, few groups are more versatile and trustworthy than Von Schill's Freikorps. Earthside, Von Schill made a name for himself as a brave soldier, showing an uncanny ability to read his enemy and place his team members in key positions. That was a skill he meant to transfer to his career Breachside. In the first days after the Breach reopened, he proved to be an invaluable asset to the Guild, exterminating several Neverborn single handedly.
Destined for leadership within the Guild, Von Schill made an enemy of the one person who could send his career into the dirt: the Governor-General. It was a minor conflict of personalities, but they disagreed on several major points of security, and as a minor member of the military, Von Schill was on the losing end of every argument. He tendered his resignation within a few days of their meeting.
As a loner, Von Schill could have decided to lend out his services to settlers heading out into the Badlands, but he was too ambitious to be a gun for hire. Instead, he found a base just outside of the Guild's control and began to build a team of mercenaries called the Friekorps. With his experience and a singular deal with the Miners and Steamfitters Union, they are the most capable hired guns to be found this side of the Breach. The first few members were those who also disagreed with the Governor-General's plans for the city, but, once they were established, specialists and soldiers alike found kinship within the Freikorps' compound.
TACTICA:
Von Schill is a member of the Outcast Faction. He is somewhat of a generalist with a focus on combat. He leads the Freikorps, an elite group of mercenaries that have the tools needed to get the job done. While he can work well with anyone, he as some subtle synergies with his mercenary band.
Playing Von Schill reveals a very reliable Master. He has solid stats with the ability to attack in melee or at range. His damage is solid, as is his mobility. Coupled with his Armor and other defenses, there isn’t a fight he’s likely to shy away from. He is the sort of hammer that turns everything into a nail.
On the battlefield, Von Schill will help shore up the fight wherever it’s needed. Abilities like Augmented Jump allow him to charge out of combat. Flavorful abilities like Finish the Cur help him finish off the wounded, revealing the discipline behind this military leader.
Von Schill has numerous interesting Upgrades available to him. Paid in Blood allows him to start outside of his own deployment zone, giving him the opportunity to get into the best position. Hard & Relentless allows him to ignore Horror duels, with the potential to allow friendly models to do the same. Engage At Will supports friendly models by giving them the opportunity to take two (0) actions in a turn. The Shirt Comes Off allows him to stop playing around: he heals and enemies all must perform a Horror Duel. All of these Upgrades allow him to change how he plays and bring new opportunities to bring the hammer of Von Schill down on your opponent.
TARA -
Orphaned at a young age, Tara had to learn to survive on her own. She never knew exactly what it was that killed her parents, but she learned to survive. Eventually, she found that the skills she had learned could be useful: first as a guide making small money, then as a gun for hire. Killing came to her as easily as breathing. It was a small step to take her skills to Malifaux, where the dangerous country promised only profits for the young woman.
After briefly considering the Freikorps, Tara decided to strike out on her own, gaining a reputation for her uncanny ability to sense when Neverborn were around – and then being able to dispose of them quickly. Then she met Obliteration.
Obliteration invited her inside his prison and she claimed a piece of him, bringing him out into the world. At the crest of her power, when the world was standing before her, a sniper took aim and she was left for dead. It was only through the quick thinking of Karina, a woman she had also brought out of Obliteration's prison, that she was able to recover. It was not the recovery she was hoping for. Karina had raised Tara in death rather than healing her back to health. Either through Karina's skill or Tara's connection to Obliteration, she maintains complete autonomy from her master, able to act in death as she had in life.
TACTICA:
Tara is a member of the Outcast and the Resurrectionist Factions. She approaches the game very differently than most, using odd tactics and abilities to try to push the game in her favor. She can work well with virtually any Crew as her unique playstyle can benefit nearly everyone.
Time is Tara’s strength. With the ability to give out Fast, remove models temporarily from play (called burying), and gain Reactivate every turn, Tara has more control over AP than any other Master. Since she is capable of having 6 AP of her own, she can accomplish many tasks that other Masters might balk at. While her sword and her gun aren’t amazing attacks, they are solid enough that, coupled with her additional AP, she is able to put out the sort of damage that more combat focused Masters can.
Tara’s Upgrades begin taking her massive amount of AP and shaping it into a playstyle. Eternal Journey allows her to copy the action of a model she’s buried. Knowledge of Eternity gives her the ability to give out Fast and Slow or bury a friendly model. Obliteration Symbiote lets her unbury models and take control of them. Dead of Winter gives her more hiring options and debuffs enemies with fast. By selecting a few of these Upgrades and the pool of general Upgrades available to her as an Outcast or Resurrectionist, Tara is able to fit to the player’s style more precisely.
MISAKI -
As a child, Misaki lived in her father's shadow. It wasn't until he decided that she would be part of their first wave infiltrating Malifaux that she was able to come into her own. Already skilled at martial arts, her ability was increased greatly during the passage through the Breach, allowing her to defend herself with ease. Having entered under the guise of a Guild lifer, it was not easy to earn the respect needed to manage the Ten Thunders' affairs. Under her tutelage, those under her charge have become an elite team of fighters, working well in small groups and often able to overcome poor odds.
Misaki earned her father's respect and he granted her the title of First Lieutenant, giving her the power to act in his name as Oyabun. Misaki is constantly torn between doing things her own way and honoring her father and her family, between using the knowledge she has learned about Malifaux and obeying her leader's wishes. This conflict often brings father and daughter to disagree, though it is the elder's decisions which are typically carried out.
Her weapon of choice is the Bisento, a bladed polearm, which she manipulates smoothly despite its size. She is a master at keeping an opponent at arm’s length, and few can match her control over close combat.
TACTICA:
Misaki belongs to both the Ten Thunders and the Outcast Factions. She is a fast assassin, able to strike in unexpected locations and then escape before your opponent can react. She works well with any models, allowing for a lot of diversity, but she also has the ability to boost Last Blossom minions through an Upgrade.
The capability and power to fight in melee are certainly Misaki’s area, but her expertise is really about choosing the correct battle. One of her defining abilities is Diving Charge, which lets her charge models even when engaged, ignoring terrain and other models when she does so. Combined with her automatic trigger of Next Target on all her attacks, Misaki is capable of moving great distances while still getting her full 3 attacks. Used to her fullest extent, no enemy models will be safe from her bisento as she maneuvers around the battlefield in relative safety.
Misaki has two Limited Upgrades: Disguise and Stalking Bisento. They function differently, allowing Misaki to further highlight one of her playstyles. Disguise prevents her from being charged, allowing her to more safely move around the battlefield and pick her targets. Combined with the Deadly Dance action, she can avoid melee very easily. Stalking Bisento, on the other hand, increases her attack capabilities. With this Upgrade, she can Stalk an enemy model, allowing her to move when it does. Misaki receives multiple bonuses when attacking a model that has been stalked.