Saturday, March 15, 2014

Malifaux, Interviews, Facebook, and a new Competition!

Quick Tip: This is quite a long, but snappy post, with a good pay-off at the end : )


Since the beginning of the year, I've been able to play four games of Malifaux. I've blogged about the experience of the first two games HERE. At the end of that post I suggested that my friend John Swann would likely steamroller me the next time we played.

Well, as luck would have it, I drew John in the very next gaming session we met. I told him about my blog post, we had a chuckle, and then jumped straight into the game.  I won't bore you all with the details of our McCabe vs Yan Lo game, but suffice it to say I was unpleasantly surprised by the abilities of the punk zombies. Basically like throwing a blender into a fish tank.

Anyway, I was also very worried about the abilities of his walking suit of samurai armor (not used as Izamu, but another nasty guy whose name escapes me right now). I was pleasantly surprised when his attacks against Sidir Alchibal (inspired no doubt by Captain Nemo) all missed, and my cards triggered his defensive response. Without even activating, my henchman (Sidir) had taken out John's "tank". The photo above shows the final result of the game. Five of my models stood ready to take down a wounded and lonely Yan Lo. I had developed a plan, learned more about my crew's skills, and had some lucky flips at the right times.

The photo below shows my casualties admiring the view from their tower.


Of course, that sweet taste of victory would not last long. At the following gaming session, as we had all played each other before, we drew cards to pair up. Lo and behold, I found myself across the table from John Swann again! My crew was exactly the same, John's was similar, but with a few important differences. Our table (below) had a few more LOS-blocking pieces of terrain too, something that would play an important role in my eventual downfall.


I tried to refine my plans, working with a slightly different grouping of models - surrounding McCabe with the Wastrels to try and keep him alive longer, and putting Sidir and the two Riflemen together for a solid base of fire. My initial net gun attacks worked incredibly well, paralyzing the focus of John's crew, Izamu (the real one this time).

John had learned, however, and even though I constantly gained the initiative each round, I was unable to neutralize the threat, and John slowly whittled down my crew until I was completely ineffectual.

Dave - 1, John -1.


So, on to the next portion of this mammoth post, the Interview.

As you may remember from this post earlier in the month, I have recently started my own business providing all manner of services to other businesses in the wargaming industry. In order to help me promote that business, Romeo Filip invited be to be the guest on the next 40KRadio podcast (out today, if I remember correctly). We chatted for a long time about various things, including some of the services I can provide, but of course it always comes back to toy soldiers.

We chatted about my recent dabbling in Malifaux, and out of the blue Romeo offers to send me a Battle Foam Malifaux bag (shown below) to give away in a promotional competition!


Obviously I said yes, so this is where we move into the Facebook and Competition section of the post.

Last night I launched my company Facebook page - Dave Taylor Miniatures. This morning I have put up a competition post. All you need to do to enter is one (or both) of these two things:

1. Go to the Dave Taylor Miniatures Facebook page, 'Like' the page, and leave a comment naming your favorite Malifaux model.

2. Come back here and leave a comment naming your favorite Malifaux model.

That's right, you don't have to go to Facebook if you don't go in for that sort of thing, but folks who do can basically get two entries into the competition. The competition will run from now until next Friday, March 21st, at 1pm EDST, when I will randomly select the winner from those who have liked and commented here and/or there. I'll announce the winner here and on my FB page and that person will have two days to get in touch. If they do, I'll ship them the case free of charge, and if they don't, I'll draw another winner.

I'll also randomly select a second winner and send them a "new in box" version of the model that seems to be fast becoming my nemesis - Izamu the Armor!


Have fun everyone!

Cheers
Dave

70 comments:

  1. A nice read. I've recently played my first game of M2E and enjoyed the experience thoroughly.
    Choosing just one Malifaux model is a challenge but I think it would have to be the jumping metal Death Marshal from 1st edition. I saw the artwork first, then then actual model and soon after that ordered my first box for the game.

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  2. Lord Chompy Bits is definitely my favorite, though there are a lot of great figures to pick from.

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  3. Great post Dave. I've been also enjoying play some Malifaux as it is a break from the conventional dice rolling war-games. My favorite mini is the Executioner (the Alternate version) But I almost changed my vote to match Viruk...the Jumping Death Marshal is very cool too!

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  4. I love seeing TerraClips used to make such an awesome table. And I know the pain of being 'rolled in Malifaux. The games get quicker, but my models seem to just die faster . . .
    And it's all about Seamus' Avatar for me - such an awesome mini!

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  5. aSomer with peaches.....so much bacon :)
    Good luck with the business

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  6. Seamus. Love all the incarnations of that model.

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  7. Ophelia the sexy Goblin. Nuff said.

    Good stuff Dave

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  8. It's difficult for me to pick just one favourite... Let's say original metal Teddy. He may be a bit flat when you look from the sides, but he's just so darn cool.

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  10. VIKTORIA the blood... congrats dave!

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  11. Great read. I am a huge fan of the look of the Gremlin Whiskey Golem.

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  12. I've been taking a look at a few miniature lines off the back of your posts here mate and I have to say, there are some great figure in the Malifaux range. While I don't play (as you know), from a purely appearance perspective I really like the samurai figure, the Guild have some cool models too - the executioner model is a particular favourite.

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  13. The Nothing Beast. Very happy to see more Malifaux content on your great blog Dave.

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  14. Great post! I have only recently started playing Malifaux as well. For a favoirte model, I would have to say the new plastic version of Samael Hopkins. I just love how he is fanning his revolver!

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  15. All this malifaux content has been drawing me toward it again. My favorite model has to be the 2E Razorspine Rattler. I like snakes, and it reminds my of the Kraken from Earthbound (an old SNES game from back in the day.)

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  16. Malifaux is fantastic. An increasingly large group of us gets together in the D.C.area to play every Monday night.

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  17. If I were to pick a favorite model, it would have to be the new scult of Samael Hopkins.

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  18. Big fan of all the Steam fitters, but especially the steamborg and rail golem

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  19. Excellent post, Mr Taylor. I've yet to get a game of Malifaux in but I'm looking forward to it. I plan on running Lilith and her crew but my favorite model would have to be Nicodem...The undertaker look is right out of a 1950's mad scientist movie!

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  20. I'm happy to see more folks playing Malifaux. I'm a big fan of the Nothing Beast, but all of Wyrd's Japanese inspired models are pretty cool.

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  21. I'd have to go with the Ice Golem (M2E version)

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  22. Izamu the armor. He single handedly got me into malifaux

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  23. Had to look through them all to make sure, Izamu the Armor.

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  24. Witchling Stalkers, once I'd seen them I knew I had to own them.

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  25. Teddy!!
    Enjoy my version here: http://www.das-bemalforum.de/showthread.php?t=10259&page=3

    hrld

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  26. May favorite used to be just in first Ramos sculpt, but I've gotta say the newer Izamu fig is aesthetically my new favorite :)

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  27. Sidir Alchibal, an awesome figure from an awesome box

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  28. Definitely a fan of the Wastrel with the bowler hat...

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  29. Howard Langston Steamborg Executioner

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  30. Gotta go with my gal Molly Squidpidge.

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  31. I wish I had more of a Malifaux community here. My favorite has to be Mei Feng

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  32. I'm in love the Katrina model, even if she is going to be a pain in the butt to paint

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  33. http://miniaturepaintingpages.com/ New painting forum here. Your blog is great.

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  34. The Peacekeeper for the Guild. Robots are always cool.

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  35. The humble Death Marshal is my favorite model. The poses of the plastic box ones are amazing and their versatility on the board with hard to wound, unimpeded walk of 5, pine box, and finish the job are so useful as a power piece in the game. That is why I have 7 fully painted ones and still am considering another box of 3.

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  36. definitely the nightmare lord chompy bits. I didn't even know about malifaux and had to have it.

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  37. Malifaux is a fantastic game, as I'm glad to see the Terraclips as I have an unopened box waiting to be used!

    There are a lot of great models in the range, but I love the Mei Feng model!

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  38. The Dreamer- Avatar of Imagination - such an original and different way to do a mini.

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  39. The new sculpt of Samael Hopkins.

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  40. There's a lot to be said about a lot of the Wyrd minis, but my favorite remains... the Zombie Chihuahua.

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  41. I really like the Marshalls. They remind me of the Asian horror guys that drag around a coffin and you never find out what's inside.

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  42. Waiting on my first models to come in. I got my 2e book and have been reading up on how to play. Definitely excited to get started. I'm ordered the Misaki Ten Thunders crew it caught my attention aesthetically and now the fluff has added to my excitement.

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  43. The upcoming plastic Teddy looks really great.

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  44. Silurids - loves me some amphibians!

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  45. I'm not sure if limited edition models count but I love Miss Terious, the pose looks excellent and the hand coming out of the coffin is just icing on top. Pity I didn't discover this game until too late :(

    Not including limited editions, then I'd have to go with the plastic death marshals with the touches of fire leaking out of the coffins. Also the plastic nurses would be a close third, i love how deliberately over the top the are.

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  46. I really like the Ten Thunders archers, especially the crouching one.

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  47. I'm going to have to go with the Canine Remains pack because there's a model of a pug in it. I love lots of their models, but I... well, I just kind of have to pick the pug!

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  48. Razorspine Rattler, can never have enough snakes!

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  49. I love the new Rasputina for characterfulness and sculpt quality, but it's a close tie w/ (all) the Ice Gamin for the same reason.

    First played Malifaux at GenCon last year in a test of the new ruleset and plastic figures, picked up a box of the Children of December - haven't had a chance to paint up anything or play again, though.

    Is Izamu from the Ten Thunders, then? (Played against their starter set at GenCon)

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    1. I love the model Johan, Renegade Steamlifter. Converted one for a Pathfinder Campaign I'm in.

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  50. The Sonnia Criid avatar is definitely my favorite Wyrd model. Something about breathing fire dragons gets me every time.

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  51. Either of the mannequins from the Colette box. Awesomely sinister and creepy!

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  52. Lady Justice has always been my favorite. The metal alt sculpt especially, so much attitude in that mini. She'd kill you twice before you hit the ground, and she knows it.

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