Malifaux Tournament Report: Wayland Games "Welcome to Malifaux"

So, back in January, I pottered down to Wayland Games for "Welcome to Malifaux", a 3 round tournament intended for beginners. It was 40SS (the game size) with a you only allowed to declare a single Master over the games, and you could only take models, either in your list or summoned, from a 60SS pool.

Game 1
Flank Deployment
Strategy: Reconnoitre
Scheme Pool: A Line in the Sand, Assassinate, Protect Territory, Plant Explosives, Spring Trap

My opponent, a fellow new player, declares that he's playing Guild. I discount Assassinate and Spring Trap as unnecessarily hard. I select a list of swarms of little puppets and changelings to hopefully run around and get lots of markers so he can't shoot everyone.

It turns out I'm facing Sonia, which means I'm at risk of having everything set on fire. I sent out a couple of sacrificial minions to stall her and clog up her table quarter, while solidly claiming two of my own.

In the end, I lure a couple of models to stand by scheme markers for plant explosives, have solidly protected my territory, and scored every available round for Reconnoitre. An 8-0 win and I'm now worried about wandering up the tables to get a thorough kicking by someone experienced...

Moment of the game
Having Collodi zap a poisoned Witchling Handler so it was slow and would use its action for him, and getting it so it was on it's last wound - it treacherously shot up it's colleague and an Executioner before expiring from poison!

Game 2
Corner Deployment
Strategy: Turf War
Scheme Pool: A Line in the Sand, Bodyguard, Distract, Power Ritual, Entourage

An experienced player. Playing Gremlins. And he has a magnificent hat. I'm proper for it. Turf War is a serious knock down fight in the middle, so I pick out Teddy and the Emissary. I'm pretty set on declaring Power Ritual (both easy and obvious) and going for Distract on the other one as I'm not convinced I'm not going to be beaten to tar and at least this way they'll have to spend actions un-Distracting themselves...

So, it's Mah, with Trixiebelle and two Rooster Riders. This is going to Proper Suck. He runs a Rooster Rider out to each corner for points - I send out some sacrificial puppets in the hope that one set make it (they do). The Emissary just won't die for a while with a mix of Collodi's healing and sitting in it's own dangerous terrain. Mah goes down after the Emissary gives her a surprise "lose all your conditions", but Trixie is an absolute pain. I manage to hold on pretty well in the centre for a while, getting three points there and the full allowance for Power Ritual after a Rooster Rider rushes back to help in a fight leaving some puppets unobserved. Nothing for distract - just nothing left to score it! Meanwhile, the Gremlins knock out full points so I go down to a 10-6 loss.

Moment of the game
Teddy jumps the Gremlin wrestler Mancha Roja and eats him "in one gulp". The badly wounded Teddy is then charged by a berserk Rooster Rider and is pecked to death by a chicken. At least with Gremlins you're always laughing...

Game 3
Corner Deployment
Strategy: Reckoning
Scheme Pool: A Line in the Sand, Bodyguard, Protect Territory, Frame for Murder, Plant Evidence

So, a fellow Neverborn opponent and a scheme that involves you killing your opponents models... This is going to be bloody! I go with Teddy and the Emissary again, and decide that setting Frame for Murder on Teddy will be an excellent idea, because if Teddy is in your face you'll be busy panicking about the killer teddybear and not thinking about giving up points. Protect Territory because I've done it before and I've got enough to worry about.

The survivors. It's pretty bloody. Turns out Lilith is really good at murdering stuff dead! Double that when she brought Nekima! The sole survivor scores a point for Protect Territory, I got a couple of points through Reckoning, and I get the full points for Frame for Murder... Final score ends up being 6-3 to me.

Moment of the game
The Frame for Murder. Nekima is up on a building because she can fly, and I sneak a Changeling off and drop a Scheme marker, apparently intent on getting markers and not paying her any attention despite the fact I just saw her move some massive amount the previous turn. Teddy is nearby, but not all that close...
Nekima takes the bait and swoops down - the Changeling dies a messy death. And then a Marionette helpfully pushes Teddy just a little bit closer... A brutal series of attacks follow, with Teddy Peek-a-boo-ing Nekima over hazardous terrain to get the kill, conveniently scraping the odd wound off him while I'm at it - and leaves him remarkably close to Lilith. After the brutal demonstration, she charges in and cuts him down to discover she's been set up!

Overall results

I was really pleased to come in overall fifth as someone who was only playing their third, fourth and fifth games at the event! There was a little mix up and I was included in with the veterans so I didn't get a certificate for placing as a newcomer, but I got a 'make up' certificate later.

So, I did well at the games, but its important to note that the community (many of whom I sort of know from twitter) were lovely and friendly, and very welcoming. It was pretty much the perfect tournament experience, and I'm keen to get more models assembled and painted up so I can make more tournaments!