Getting Started With Malifaux — Wayland Games Blog

Diving into the world of miniature gaming can be a daunting experience, especially if you don’t know where to start. But not to worry! Here at Wayland Games, we want you guys to make informed decisions about the game systems you’re invested in, and also to offer you fantastic discounts for the ones you choose.

So! You’ve chosen the gothic, steampunk horror world of Malifaux. This is a two-player skirmish game set in the city of an alternate world in the 1900s with various factions to choose from. If this theme setting sounds like it’s right for you, keep reading!

What Factions are there to choose from?

We think it’s important to know the philosophy of each faction before investing your precious money and time into any game system! Depending on your moral alignment, you’ll choose differently. Each faction has its own set of “masters” / Warlords (i.e., the leaders), their crew, and scouts.

These are the protectors of Malifaux City, fighting off criminals and monsters to keep the peace. Their drive for protection, however, isn’t as puritan as it may seem. Their main interest is to collect Soulstones so that they may continue on their quest.

A faction of the outcasts, rife with necromancers, grave robbers, and killers. They summon the mysterious power of the Grave Spirit and utilise that power to wreak havoc on the balance of life and death, and populate the abandoned districts of Malifaux City. Those who dare oppose their motives are in their bad books, especially the Guild.

Fancy joining a secretive branch made up of the Miners and Steamfitters Union? The Arcanists are a branch that believes humans should have the freedom to use magic. Those who do not know them think them to be anarchists and criminals, but those who see their vision see them as an ambitious collective capable of great things.

The Neverborn are the natives of Malifaux City. Some are direct descendants of the original occupants, while others are the result of spells or magically enhanced evolution (much like how the Transhumanists want our future to be but with magic instead of technology!). Many believe humanity should be wiped out, while others see the role mankind may have to play in the “bigger picture”.

Based in the east of Malifaux, full of swamps, marches, wetlands, and pig farms, the Bayou hide. A cobbled society which enjoys mischief above all else, Gremlins brew alcohol and shoot guns, and chaos ensues for those who wish to venture to their lands.

The true criminal faction of Malifaux, are all about assassination, blackmail, racketeering, burglary, gambling, kidnapping, smuggling, drug trafficking, and another criminal activity you can think of. This crime syndicate is expected to give their lives to the cause. Join them if you wish to gain full control of Malifaux through nefarious means!

No one knows the true motivations of The Explorer’s Society, but we do know that there were originally founded to reinvigorate the sense of adventure of its founder, and later developed to uncover the occult secrets of Malifaux. Join aristocrats, dark tourists, and pioneers as they dive into the unknown to unveil the veiled, make discoveries, and hunt.

How do you build a Malifaux crew?

Now that you’ve chosen which faction to align yourself with, it’s time to build your crew!

This game system is slightly different from the general understanding of miniature wargaming. Here, you must first choose the amount of each player has to spend for their crews (paid in Soulstones), and choose an encounter. It is then that you must build your crew, rather than having a pre-made army.

Pick a faction, then your master who has assigned “keywords”, and then 7-10 members who share keywords with your leader at their cost. You can choose characters who don’t share a keyword, but it costs extra.

Any Soulstones left over at the end of the hiring process are put into a pool for later use!

Gameplay

Malifaux games are governed by cards instead of dice, which means plays can be less risky and more predictable! Now, you might be thinking, “Where’s the fun in that?”. Don’t worry; we get it. You may think that this means card counting will make it so that you’re more likely to win, but that’s not the case.

During duels, the attacker and defender flip cards from the top of their Fate Deck to generate a random number, deciding the attack/defence value. After the total damage has been decided, whoever loses can choose to swap out a cad from the pile with one from their hand (known as “cheating fate”), and then the deciding deck gets shuffled. Card counting gets infinitely harder to keep track of this way!

To win, players must collect Victory Points through completing objectives, achieving strategies, and winning duels. The player with the highest Victory Points at the end of the five rounds is declared the winner!

Wyrd has recently announced the release of the fourth edition of Malifaux, meaning that there are new rules! The core mechanics haven’t changed; all you need to know is that the “Cheating Fate” mechanic is now even better, allowing you to discard a card with low value before duels! The next thing is Soulstones, which are the “source of your most powerful abilities - just like they are in the lore”! What this means is that Soulstones power magic and special abilities in different ways for different characters.

You can find the full set of rules here.

Ready to play? Make sure to check out the full range here at Wayland Games, choose your faction, and venture into the mysterious world of Malifaux.

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