MoFaux second edition!!!

This was actually the article I was planning on posting up yesterday... but you know me. I can't resist a good whinge. The news that Wyrd are about to launch the second edition of Malifaux upon us though is actually quite exciting news for me. You see I've been with MoFaux from the start, right at the very start when they were just releasing nifty looking 'Wyrd' miniatures, but of late I've somewhat struggled with how they've 'developed' the game and their product line. I've definitely been critical of rules bloat and the distinct lack of streamlining within their ruleset. There are also massive issues with power creep. I know fans of Games Workshop grumble about the new sickness syndrome that often afflict their releases, but trust me they've got nothing on Wyrd Miniatures and what they've done for Malifaux.

So for me a fun little game that my other half and I often enjoyed together became something neither of us were really willing to invest the time in anymore to keep on top of. Partly because the exceptional Freebooter's Fate arrived in our household and was more fun, but mainly because I think Wyrd let Malifaux get out of hand. In essence I think Wyrd have been a victim of their own success. From a standing start they have shot from being absolute nobodies to actually being a very recognisable and highly popular brand within our hobby. I guess growing pains were inevitable for them as a company. Those pains though seem to have finally resulted in them looking to release a fully realised second editions, thank God we're not going to have to suffer another ver1.9999999 or whatever.

Through the Breach up on Kickstarter

           

              

Well Wyrd have plonked their Through the Breach RPG up on Kickstarter. Now I'm sure I've mentioned on here before that I'm not exactly the worlds biggest fan of RPGs, well maybe that's not fair. I just have never found an RPG group, or game I found sufficiently engaging for me to want to invest the time necessary to get the best out of the experience. However, I have had a number of people ask me if I'd look at some RPG's, namely the FFG's 40k based stuff, their Star Wards RPG and the Iron Kingdoms RPG from Privateer Press. I'm not sure I'm the best person to be talking about RPG's, but it is under consideration. I guess although I'm not an RPG aficionado I would be able to write up stuff from the point of view of a wargamer dipping their toes into the RPG water as it were.

Things that I play: Malifaux

Website ( Wyrd Games )

What can I say about Malifaux? Well I think it is fair to say it has rapidly become the 'other game' of choice for many hobbyists and gamers regardless of their first game of choice. Why is that? Well its a very small game played on average between gangs of roughly 5 or 6 models each, although this can be scaled up to include more quite easily if you so choose. Its a really quick system and a fun game with wonderfully quirky rules and even quirkier miniatures. Its ace (excuse the pun) up its sleeve though is that rather than using dice to determine the outcome of your actions, Malifaux uses a deck of cards. This could easily have been a gimmick  but its not, it is an integral part of the character of the game, with an ability to hold cards to one side and 'cheat fate' when you make a bad draw, safe in the knowledge the card you put down afterwards will do the job required as opposed to the one you may have randomly drawn. 

It is however a very different sort of a game system because of the cards and some of the terminology can take some serious getting used to, just as much as the rules can with flips being negative flips or positive flips... I know, it takes some getting used to no question. However as with most things in life its worth the perseverance in the end, as the game becomes a really fast paced little blast. Now I'm certainly no expert at Malifaux and I probably won't ever play it enough to truly ever become a master of it, but it seems to me as though there are hidden depths to it and it obviously has its own set of skills to learn... not least of which is learning to have a p-p-p-poker face p-p-poker face... sorry. But the cards do kind of add an element of poker to the game with bluffs counter bluffs or just being honest and saying yeah I've got the black joker in my hand so no worries about that cropping up matey!!! I also think because of the cards Malfaux has a Texas hold 'em, yehaw, undeniably wild west American feel to it and that really does make it unique in today's crowded market place.