Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents
P.02 - Spreading the Word
Credits
Creative Director
Contributing Writers
Contributing Artists
Justin Gibbs
Matt Anderson
Jonathan Boynton
Aaron Brosman
Josh Christensen
Justin Gibbs
David Hanold
Mack Martin
Mark Rogers
Adrian Scott
Graeme Stevenson
Alex Alexandrove
Matthew Bradbury
Hardy Fowler
Christophe Madaru
Pablo Quiligotti
Melvin de Voor
Graphic Artist
Redd Cohen
Special Thanks
Aaron Brosman
By David Hanold
Welcome Back!
The month of April begins with mischief. Gremlins have taken over the Chronicles, they need their time in
the spotlight too! We found this time to be appropriate to show off previews from the Gremlin line. Scattered
throughout this volume of the Chronicles is never before seen art for upcoming Gremlin models.
Thanks to our wonderful community of talented writers we have tons of stories to be read. Mark has returned to
us with a bloody good painting article. Adrian provides pointers for newcomers to the tournament scene. Josh
breaks down more tactics for The King of Clubs playstyle in Showdown: Icons. And our favorite Gremlin is back
to answer questions submitted by the community.
Like you, we at Wyrd are also gamers. Each member of Wyrd has his or her own selection of favorite games, and
we couldnt pass up the opportunity to talk about one of them! This month we have the honor to provide a look
into the popular board game Mage Wars.
Aaron Brosman, creative director at Arcane Wonders, has dropped by to provide veteran and new players alike
his own winning spells that he has found himself including in almost all of his Spell Tomes. Mage Wars is a
fantastic game that many of us at the offices personally enjoy a great deal. It has the same level of customization
and complexity as Malifaux. The designers over at Arcane Wonders contacted us because they also share a
passion for Malifaux. So if you are already a fan of Mage Wars, please check out his article. And if you are not
aware of Mage Wars take the time to look up the games unique mechanics over at http://www.arcanewonders.
com/category/magewars.
Oh, I almost forgot, there is a secret link buried somewhere in here with even more amazing gremlin art! Have
fun looking
As always feel free to email me at david.hanold@wyrd-games.net.
Enjoy!
Ask a Gremlin
Questions from the Community
By A Gremlin
Q: What master would you most like to remove from
the game?
A: If I ad my way Id have ta say Ramos. He keeps a
puttin too many legs on tings.
Q: Why are gremlins a faction?
A: Some fellers ask why. Other fellers askwud you
rather have a face full o lead or a gremlin faction? That
second feller is always the convincin sort.
Q: Where and how did Somer get Peaches?
A: Id have ta say Peaches got im.
Winters Chill
Advanced Pursuit: December Acolyte
By Mack Martin
Through the Breach, the Malifaux RPG is in the final
stages of fulfilling the Kickstarter pledges. The digital
copies are out to the backers, and the physical books
are being printed. Soon everything will be in the
warehouse and off to the gamers. Its a very exciting
time for us here in the Wyrd offices.
One thing that is particularly exciting is our ability to
support the game through our bi-monthly magazine. In
this first installment well be presenting a new Advanced
Pursuit not found in the Fatemasters Almanac!
A Pursuit is a bit like a class or archetype from other
RPGs. However, it is designed to change during each
game session. While some players may doggedly hold
to one or two Pursuits that define their character,
others may liberally switch between those they feel
represent what the character is doing at the time. At
the end of each game session the players move along
the Pursuit path, learning a new ability or picking up
a general talent.
Fates, on the other hand, are set in stone at character
creation. The character has a set (of ambiguously
worded) destinies that will be fulfilled during
gameplay. Each game session will focus on a player
dealing with one step of this omen. Each player gets
a moment in the sun, and once all of the destinies
are completed the campaign will have a few wrap up
sessions and then end, completing a story.
andres colinas (Order #10233157)
December Acolyte
Frozen Heart
With the first touch of Decembers power the characters
The nightmare entity known only in powerful magically heart becomes frozen solid, and over time it may become
proficient circles. Those in the know associate it most pure ice. Powerful emotions become a rarity, and it is
closely with the terrorist Rasputina. For most, the very easy for the character to overcome panic.
existence of December comes when it contacts them,
The character is immune to Horror Duels and the
or they learn of its power and seek it out.
Paralyzed Condition.
The December Acolyte is one such person; a man
or woman who draws power from their devotion to Maim
December. The entity functions as a power source, Without remorse the December Acolyte is capable
and in some cases an indirect tutor, for the arcane of hurting those around them in astonishing and cruel
individuals, but even those without the mystical spark ways. The character chooses a Ranged Combat or Close
Combat skill. Attacks made with the chosen skill gain the
can gain much from devotion to December.
following trigger:
While enigmatic, Decembers wrath can be seen
C Maim: When this attack causes a Critical Effect the
in the mountains near Malifaux, where a perpetual
attacker may choose to inflict any lower Critical Effect
winter ravages the landscape. Nearest its peaks, an
of their choice instead.
endless blizzard whips snow about the stones, and
there is little shelter to protect oneself from the
cold... which is likely where one can be closest to the From the Shadows
Devotion to the cold nights of December has granted
nightmare December.
insights into the nature of shadow and darkness. When
called upon to make an Initiative flip, if no enemy is aware
Requirement
of this characters presence, this character may immediately
To Become a December Acolyte, the character must be take one additional turn after the Initiative flip, but before
contacted by the nightmare entity known as December. characters begin resolving their turns in order. If multiple
This can happen through a variety of ways, and indeed characters have this ability, resolve each in Initiative order.
it is possible that December never speaks to a mortal in
the same way twice, although this is pure conjecture. The Ice in the Veins
character might hear a voice on the wind, or see a terrible The powerful winter magics of December infuse the
characters very being, and this extends to the weapons they
vision after falling through the ice in a frozen pond.
wield, which are often covered in mystical hoarfrost.
Regardless of the way in which December makes contact,
the character must then choose to head a summons to the
perpetually snow-capped mountains north of Malifaux
city. After disappearing alone into the eternal blizzard,
they may eventually emerge... their heart frozen, and
their dedication to December secure.
By Graeme Stevenson
For possibly the only moment in living memory, the and crack their skulls on a rock, at least they would look
Bayou was silent.
good while doing so.
It was one of those pregnant heart beats when something
profound was about to happen; the final teetering
instant in defiance of gravity before the wave crashed
down upon the beach. Even the wind had fallen silent,
waylaid by the electrical expectation in the air.
Pickle was none too bright but he could sense that Somer
was not at his best and decided to alert his cousin, Gerkin.
While not necessarily any brighter, Gerkin was certainly
the bolder of the two and crept into Somers shack to give
the Gremlin Boss a poke with a stick.
When this failed to elicit a response, the boys arrived
at the irrefutable conclusion that The Big Hat was not
much longer for the world and had apparently thrown
his last punch. They wasted no time in notifying fellow
pig sloppers of Somers imminent demise and word
spread around the entire Bayou like wildfire.
Within the hour, the rumor had solidified into fact and
many of the swamps more influential individuals had
perked up their ears. Now that the Big Boss Man had one
foot in the coffin and the other on a bar of soap (apparently
brought on by excessive hat weight on the brain, some
said), there was an imminent vacancy about to open at the
top of the bayou food chain and an increasing number of
hopefuls were reaching the conclusion that they were just
the Gremlin for the job.
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By Mark Rodgers
The wooden skiff drifted lazily down the river, one oar
dangling loosely into the water, barely visible against the
dark water in the faint moonlight. The oar caught the
current and turned the skiff, causing it to drift slowly
towards a small jetty that led to a narrow flight of stone
steps set into the bank. As it neared the rivers edge,
it caught the lamplight of Shaun Kensey as he slowly
patrolled the downtown waterfront. Kensey paused for
a moment to tighten his uniform coat against the chill
of the fall night, his Guild badge glinting on the heavy
fabric, before calling to his partner, Hollin. The two
guardsmen walked closer to the jetty, Kensey leading
with his lamp fully opened to better see the little boat,
while his partner followed him with pistol drawn.
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task falls to you. Your men must not be caught. Leave no Slowly the assassin crept along the roof, staying just
trail, and do not reveal the clans involvement under any behind the ridge. One roof over, on the building opposite
circumstances. Will that be a problem?
the target, a guard was standing in the shadow of a
chimney stack trying to look unobtrusive. Contempt
I do not think that is a concern. I have men who are the glittered in the assassins eyes; the man knew nothing of
equal of any torakage. He raised his voice a little. Kiga, stealth or concealment, and had no idea that he was not
Hioki, attend me.
alone. To his silent observer, the guard may as well have
been carrying a lamp and whistling. Reaching the end
What gives you such confidence in their skills?
of the roof, he froze, gaze fixed on the other rooftop that
provided a clear view of the room the target would be
Because, the master said with a hint of pride, they have in. Another guard stood there, a cigarette glowing in his
just arrived behind you. The representative whirled mouth as he paced slowly back and forth. The assassins
round, letting out a brief noise at the unkempt figures hand reached back and gently grasped the hilt of his
who were barely three feet away from his unguarded katana thoughtfully. It would be easier to eliminate
back. He turned back to the master to rebuke such a one and take a straightforward shot. Several moments
needless performance, but one of the pair moved swiftly passed as he considered the situation.
in front of their master, watching the representative
warily. Flustered, the representative brushed down his Leave no trail. He let go of the blade gently; any
coat to hide his nervousness as the master uttered a interference with the guards would be too obvious.
brief command and the pair drew back. They walked Instead, he dropped lightly onto a lower roof and slid
respectfully around to the side of their master, bowed across it like a drifting shadow. He that is insubstantial,
to their master and then to him, and knelt silently as wind in the forest, is the master of his enemy. From
on the matting at the edge of the training floor. The this new position, he could see between the buildings
representative looked disapprovingly at the dirty, and into the room. As long as the target stood, he would
ragged looking outfits the pair wore, but he began to have a shot. Tucked beneath the overhang of the next
realize they were made to look rough, but were in fact roof, the assassin unwrapped the long bundle again,
expertly tailored and dyed.
taking a sleek rifle stained with lampblack from the roll
of cloth. He then pulled a few strips of fabric from his
These are your best? The master nodded. And you clothing and tangled them around the muzzle of his
can be certain of their silence?
rifle, to disguise the flash. This done, he settled down
to wait, the ragged tassels and loose folds of his outfit
Of course, the master said, a little insulted. After all, turning him from a prone figure into a scattered mound
does the Oyabun not say that if you wish a man to be of debris on an old rooftop.
silent, he snapped his fingers and the two kneeling men
opened their mouths to reveal the scarred emptiness Two streets away, the second assassin was slowly crawling
within, you have only to cut out his tongue? The across the roof of the target building. Having slunk past
representative blanched a little, then nodded, satisfied. several bored and cold guards without being seen, he
was now within yards of where the target should be,
Then this is now in your hands. Do not fail us, Ansatsu separated from him only by the tiles and beams of the
no Sensei. The man strode from the room stiffly, and roof. Knelt against the chimney, he took a small bundle
the master of assassins smiled thinly, his attention from inside his top and unrolled it. There in front of him
already on the work before them.
was a small holdout pistol that carried a similar round
to the assassins rifles, a length of twine, and several
small packages of strangely smelling berries. These he
deftly dropped down the chimneypots, waiting until he
could smell the scent of the smoke from the chimney
change as they burned. That done, he looped the twine
through the rough cloth of the bundle to form a pocket,
tucked the pistol in it, and fed it down the slope of the
roof towards the windows he knew his partner would be
andres colinas (Order #10233157)
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across the room, perching on the stool left for him, reports, for example, indicate a slow increase in mining
and waited for Greene to speak. The unpleasant glare efficiency and overall production in every new shaft for
continued unchanged for several nervous moments the last three months.
before Greene broke the silence.
He smiled nastily, voice dripping venom. Perhaps you
I detest being here. I particularly detest being here this are not able to concentrate due to worrying about your
late, waiting for you to come and waste my time. Get on family. Maybe we should remove that little distraction
with it so I can leave.
for you, see if that helps focus your mind more. Sauls
face paled.
I, well, I got information. Urgent information, that
youd wanna hear. Saul stuttered over the first few words, You cant he cried. We got a deal, and I stuck with it!
but gained confidence quickly as he thought over what Greenes face colored and his fists clenched.
he had to tell Greene. He ignored the contemptuous
expression on his handlers face and hurried onto the I cant? He jerked to his feet, slamming his fists
information itself. Unions running a new line out the onto the desk and making Saul cower back. I can do
mines for moving uncut stones. In the tunnels sos they whatever I
never get near where the Guild can find em. The plans
to slowly drop the yield in a couple new shafts, use the Greenes head twitched sideways and a flower of blood
extra to go on the secret line. They Greene cut him and bone bloomed from his temple as a muted gunshot
off with a sharp gesture.
echoed around the room and street. His lifeless body
bounced off the desk and upended his chair as it tumbled
Which shafts?
to the floor, his sentence unfinished. Saul leapt to his
feet and instinctively ran a few steps closer to the body,
I er dunno.
then began to panic as he realized what had happened.
Where does this secret line run from, what route does He backed away in mute shock, turning to the window
it take, and where does it stop?
as a soft clatter of metal outside caught his ear in the
silence. He heard muffled shouts from outside, followed
Dunno that neither.
by several pairs of feet thundering
up the stairs. The door crashed
So, if I understand you correctly, Mister Farcek, there is open and the guards charged
a new rail line being installed underground in the mine into the room, knocking
tunnels that goes from somewhere you dont know, via him to the floor.
a path you also do not know, and finishes somewhere.
The key evidence that would confirm this being a drop
in productivity in some of the newly opened shafts. But
you are not sure which ones. Saul nodded, suddenly
feeling nervous at the cold derision dripping from his
handlers voice. Greene tossed a sheaf of papers onto the
desk, so they span to face Saul. He looked down, seeing
the complex columns of data, and realized they
were reports on mining production levels. He
hadnt worked out what they meant before Green
spoke again, his voice hard. Mr. Farcek, the reason the
Guild saw fit to give you a chance to help us was because
an administrator has access to a volume of information
that both the laborers and senior staff do not. It is
your job to see everything that is written down,
and provide the right morsels of knowledge to
those above you. The morsels you provide us
with, however, appear to be weak at best. Those
andres colinas (Order #10233157)
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Kill you? Oh no, you dont get off that easy. Something
drifted down onto the captains shoulder. He plucked
it off and examined the crisp brown leaf briefly before
tossing it aside. Were going to take you for a little
chat with the boss. He leant in, looming over Farceks
smaller frame. And youre damn right, youll tell him
everything. I guarantee it. He might even thank you;
hes been looking forward to having an excuse to crack
down on you terrorist scum. They dragged Farcek, now
mute with shock, into the night. The leaf the captain
had discarded tumbled across the silent cobbled street,
coming to rest amongst its fellows, caught on a scrap of
singed and dirty cloth.
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By Jonathan Boynton
Im just saying, there aint nothing we really know
about soulstones, the marshal said, scrubbing his boot
with a cloth. Sure, theres theories, some which might
be true. But a lot have to be false. Too many contradict,
yknow? He spat on the leather, then rubbed at it again.
I mean, the name might even be wrong. Do souls exist
and all that nonsense.
Patience stared at him, not making a sound. She blinked a
dark eye. How can a horse look doubtful? he muttered.
With a sigh, he started packing his kit. Knew I shoulda
haggled lower on you. Some philosophical partner you
turned out to be. Nothing like Fidget at all. He patted her
neck gently. Granted, youre not a burned out corpse in a
ditch like him either, so Ill take what I can get.
It was quick work to pack up the camp, during which
Patience continued to eye him. With a shrug, the
marshal reached into his pack and pulled out an apple.
Her ears perked forward, and he smiled as she carefully
walked to him. She grabbed the apple, chewing noisily
as he arranged the gear on her back. He took stock of
the supplies as he placed them, nodding in satisfaction.
Saddlebags are full of food, still going through this book,
none of the regular gears broken... Looks like were a
week off from needing to head home. Patience whinnied,
stamping black stocking hooves on the ground. After
putting on her bridle, he pulled himself up into the saddle,
then patted her neck. Ready to hunt, girl?
andres colinas (Order #10233157)
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thick forest that sat a dozen yards from the road. After
a few moments he heard more gunfire, followed by the
guards screams. Circle up! the caravan master roared.
Jasper grabbed the reins of his wagon, pulling them hard.
The early morning rain was finally letting off, but the clouds
had yet to disperse, keeping the area dark. Men and women
from the wagon train ran to get the group together, some
carrying chains, others weapons. Luckily there werent any
families on this trip, which meant no children to worry
about. Jasper hopped to the ground, helping unhook his
horses. It took a few moments to get them into the center
with the others, but when he returned to his wagon, it had
already been chained to the next in line.
His hands shook as he grabbed the dirty pistol he wore.
The handle was covered in mud, but hed taken the time
to clean the barrel earlier in the morning. Good thing,
too, otherwise it wouldnt have fired. Jasper looked
around for a guard he recognized, then joined her.
What are we dealing with, Natalie?
No idea, she said, checking over her rifle. Her weapon
was cleaner by far, higher quality as well. A small scope
sat on top of it, which she carefully uncapped Weve not
seen or heard from any of the outriders beyond that one
scream. Whatever it is, doesnt seem to be in a hurry.
Hold fire, the master shouted. Anyone fires early,
therell be hell to pay! Civilians, pair up with the guards,
listen to their orders.
Jasper mimicked the woman as she hid by the wagon,
settling her rifle on a box in the back. Feel comfortable
with that thing? she asked.
Not as much as I should, he admitted, bracing his
pistol on the wood seat. The solid surface prevented his
trembling, he noticed gladly. He set the pistol down,
wiping his hands dry on his pants. Any advice?
Dont shoot when I do, your range is a lot shorter. If
you can, try to wait until Im reloading to fire. Take your
shots one at a time, and try to stay calm. If-
He glanced at her when she became silent. Her eyes
narrowed, staring into the distance. Theyre here! she
shouted, firing into the distance, making Jasper jump.
He followed her aim, cursing the dim light. He couldnt
see anything.
andres colinas (Order #10233157)
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andres colinas (Order #10233157)
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More than you can imagine, and less than you planned.
What did you bring?
I pulled open the bag, revealing the treasure trove of
soulstones inside. Stolen from the Guild, a crime almost
as bad as bargaining with a Neverborn witch. She
picked through the contents, selecting a handful of them.
I couldnt fathom the reasoning she used. Some were
amongst the smallest of the cut stones, others were rough
and bright. The most valuable ones she left behind.
Remove your hat and shirt, then lie down on the bed,
she said, walking over to the table with the sewing
equipment. She selected a needle and some thread while
I complied. When she walked over, she held one of my
soulstones in one hand, placing the glowing gem over my
heart. This will hurt a great deal, even to one such as
you, she warned.
Pain would be a novelty, considering the kind of training
Ive had, I replied glibly. As she began to work, my limbs
spasmed. My eyes and tongue felt as if they were on fire
as a roaring curtain of ice spread from my chest. I began
screaming...
Felicia ran from the mine, stumbling over the rough ground
in her haste. The voices chased her, a rage filled storm. She
tripped, skinning her knee, then picked herself up and kept
running. If she ran far enough, the demons couldnt win.
You left him... the female hissed.
Left him alive! the predator roared. The tempest echoed the
words, overwhelming her. She fell against a tree, using it to
stay standing.
I dont care, she bit out. Im not going to hurt him.
But you already did, a new voice hummed, twisting around
her soul. It was pleasant, filling her with warmth. You left
him a year ago. You ran from him now. You left him unconscious.
She stared at the ground, leaning her forehead against the
rough bark. What do I do?
contrasted oddly with the fire that burned his teeth. Well,
that was certainly a first. Lets keep that story between us,
okay? I doubt itll ever be worth drinks. He cocked an
eyebrow at her. Well, maybe for you at the water trough.
Limbs stiff, he stood up and leaned against Patience. Were
going to have to find her. And... and I dont know what.
Dammit all to hell, this is madness. He caught sight of his
rifle and hobbled over to pick it up. Lets get going, before
she does something worse.
His first attempt at swinging into the saddle failed miserably.
Patience, true to her namesake for once, waited for him to
stand up as his back ached with fresh pain. If I have to go
find a rock, Im going to be very annoyed with her. Patience
lowered herself to the ground slightly, allowing him to get
up after a significant effort.
I cant figure out where she went. Her spell, or whatever
that was, has my head all screwed up. Every direction
feels the same. The marshal turned around in the saddle,
looking back to the caravan. No signs of anything worse
there, so that was unlikely. You dont think she ran to the
town, do you? That would be a little...crazy.
Patience twitched an ear. Yes, it was a lame joke. No, it
wasnt supposed to be one. Cmon, lets start there, just to be
safe. If were lucky, my head will have cleared this mess out
and I can think clearly by the time we get there. Take it slow
for now. Ive had enough surprises today.
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The marshal sat next to the fire, letting the chain spin in
his hands. The sky was clear tonight, showing the beauty
of Malifauxs stars. It was a rare beauty, one that he always
enjoyed seeing. Patience stood nearby, covered with a
blanket, wounds already treated. She was enjoying a bag of
almonds that the pioneer town survivors had offered her.
It had been painful, accepting their thanks and
gratitude. None of them really understood why
he had insisted on taking Felicias body, leaving
the rest of the corpses to be burned. That was the
advantage, though, of being a Guild Marshal. No one
argued with people like him.
His gaze drifted from the fire to the stone marker he had
taken from an abandoned shop. The carving was crude,
but would be enough. Felicia- Beloved wife, finally at
rest. A simple memorial was all he could manage, but it
helped eased the ache in his soul.
The marshal looked back to the chain, staring down
at the wedding ring. It was a simple design, bought at
extravagant cost. A gold band, with a single, clear stone
set in it. The maker swore it was soulstone, but theyd
found out later it was nothing more than glass. Felicia
had laughed it away, claiming she loved it no matter what.
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MAlifaux Scenarios
New Scenarios to play with Multiple Players
By Justin Gibbs
Set Up Camp (4 Player)
Set up camp the boss says. Ignore the horde of zombies he
says. Good practice he says
Deployment
This scenario uses Corner Deployment, and all four
corners will be used. Schemes which select a model/
deployment zone must also specify an opponent. The
same opponent may not be selected twice.
Deployment
This scenario uses Corner Deployment. Before
deploying, select two Crews to be the Defenders, and
the third Crew to be the Wild Card. The Defenders
deploy first, selecting two opposite corners as usual. The
Wild Card deploys last, in one of the remaining corners.
Setup
This scenario is designed to be played with four players. Schemes which select a model/deployment zone must
Before deploying crews, place a 30mm Camp Marker also specify an opponent. The same opponent may not
in the center of each table quarter. Each Camp Marker be selected twice.
must be marked to represent one of the four suits: Rams,
Crows, Tomes, and Masks. Then, one player removes Setup
the four aces and Red Joker from her deck, and each This scenario is designed to be played with three players.
player randomly draws one of the five cards and secretly Place a 30mm Hold Ground Marker in the center of the
writes down its suit before placing it back into the deck table. The Wild Card player randomly draws a card and
secretly notes down its suit (reflipping any jokers).
Victory
At the end of the game, each Crew scores 1 VP for every Victory
Camp Marker that is controlled by the Crew. If the At the end of every Turn after the first, the Defenders
Crew controls the Camp Marker which corresponds to score 1 VP if they have at least two non-Peon models
its suit, it scores an additional 2 VP. To control a Camp within 3 of the Hold Ground Marker. The Wild Card
Marker, a Crew must have the most non-Peon models has a random victory condition depending on the suit
within 2 of it. If one player drew the joker, that player of the card she drew during set up. At the end of the
scores 2 VP for each Camp Marker it controls instead. game, reveal the suit and score VP:
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R Take Their Land: At the end of any Turn, reveal this M Leave Our Mark: At the end of the game, the Wild
victory condition. If this player has more non-Peon Card earns 1 VP for each of its Scheme Markers within
models within 3 of the Hold Ground Marker than any 6 of the Hold Ground Marker.
other player, score 3 VP. After scoring VP in this way,
this player counts as a Defender and scores VP
accordingly for the remainder of the game.
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For the log, Ive spent the last two hours salvaging tech
and building rigs from the Subnet database. There are
some darlings in the batch. Even from crude physicality,
elegance sometimes emerges. Most of my schematics
are focused on injecting some special code Ive whipped
up into the hostile Glitch tech. My viruses are more
sophisticated than whatever bastard programs the Glitch
evolved from. My poisoned code will dissolve the Glitch
from the inside out. Its crucial that I bring at least a
sample of Glitch Code back to the Subnet Ego Hackers.
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Showdown Tactics
King of Clubs
By Josh Christensen
(3 - 5) Royal Drones - When played as a Feint or Strike,
and you win Combat, choose one card from your
Id like to again start this article listing what makes up discard pile and place it into your hand.
a deck in Showdown. Then I will list what makes this
particular deck unique.
(6 - 9) Punishing Web - Play after your opponent wins
Combat with a Trigger. Skip the Activate Trigger step
Every characters deck in Showdown is made up of a this turn.
standard deck of playing cards, including the Red and
Black Jokers. Each deck is composed of forty-eight (10 - 12) Cannon Throne - Play after you opponent wins
cards which are used for combat. Four cards (the Aces) Combat. Prevent one Damage, unless your opponent
are used to track health. The remaining two cards (the discards two cards.
Jokers), are used to determine what the characters
Triggers do in the Red Jokers case, or acts as a combat (13) E.M.P. Armor - When played as a Feint or Strike,
card that is always available to the character in the Black and you win Combat, choose any one of your Triggers
Jokers case.
and apply its effects.
Deck Breakdown
2
3
4
5
6
7
Intellect
Physical
Physical
Physical
Cunning
Cunning
8 Intellect
9 Intellect
10 Cunning
11 Cunning
12 Intellect
13 Physical
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Late Game
Early Game
The Kings early game is actually quite weak compared
to the other characters. His Physical trigger, which allows
him to heal 1 Damage, does nothing for the first turn and
continues to do nothing until
you take a damage. His Cunning
trigger, while good, is very costly
to pull off, because he lacks the
Cunning discipline on his Black
Joker. Intellect, which allows him
to draw two cards, is the easiest
and most reliable trigger to pull
off in the early game.
Healing
Healing is great in this game for three reasons:
1. It brings you a step farther away from losing.
2. You can flip aces with abilities that resolve
immediately when they are revealed facedown for
later use.
3. It allows you to find your favorite ace effects.
The King can just heal to flip one ace facedown and then
next time he takes a damage he can flip another ace faceup.
He has several different ways to heal. He can heal using
The King of Clubs also has Raging Barrage, E.M.P Armor, and activating a Physical
several abilities that dont do Trigger. There is only one other character besides the King
anything and/or are bad to use in the game at the moment that can heal. Her methods
in the opening turns of the game. arent anywhere near as reliable as the King.
These abilities include Raging
Barrage, Royal Drones, E.M.P. Armor, and if you havent Aces
taken any damage yet, Cannon Throne. The reason for this
being that, The King of Clubs wants to have taken some A majority of the Kings strategy revolves around his aces.
damage in order to use the abilities on his aces and open Since the King has so much healing, he will be interacting
up his powerful healing options. Do not despair if this with his aces arguably more than any other character
sounds bad, because to make up for this bad early game currently released in the game (it remains to be seen
the King has a great late game.
what the Malifaux characters will bring to the game). Ill
list the effects of his aces and then go over the strategies
behind picking which ones to heal.
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Professor Pontificates
Obscure Tips for Tournaments
By Adrian Scott
Win or lose, Ive always really enjoyed attending a
Malifaux tournament. At the very least its a chance to fit
3-4 games into a single day against a variety of opponents,
but its also been a great way to catch up with fellow
Malifaux players, hone my skills and (more often than
not) get a bunch of games in with a Master Ive rarely
used before! Over the years Ive attended or run at least
a dozen different Malifaux tournaments, so I thought Id
take the opportunity this month to impart some of my
wisdom to the budding tournament attendee.
Now before you assume this is yet another tactics
article and skip ahead to the preview art at the end of
the magazine (you know you want to), I thought Id try
something a little less orthodox. This month, Im going
to skip over the usual bits, like learn your crew and
instead try to bring up some less obvious things. A lot
of these are habits or tips Ive picked up over the years at
least some of which Im hoping youll find useful.
you may not have noticed before. You should know the
sort of models Im talking about anyone with a good
Poison mechanic would work nicely with McMourning,
Rasputina could take advantage of Paralyze and there
are any number of other models that are just generally
great for achieving certain Strategies and Schemes. The
Wyrd forums and the Pull My Finger wiki can also be
great sources of advice for what can work well with what.
However, looking through the model rules yourself
wont hurt and in any case, you might spot something
nobody else had thought to use!
Plan Your Crew Lists in Advance
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all it will do is distract you from the real in-game Paint Your Crew
objectives. Michael Kemlis went into this in great detail
in his Achieving Victory in Wyrd Chronicles #9, and Its a well-known fact that painted crews are luckier
than unpainted ones
Id definitely recommend you give it a read.
Now heres the less obvious part to this. What I do is
to keep a copy of the Strategy and available Schemes
in front of me during the game. It doesnt matter if
you have laminated copies or you just scribble them
down on some paper, just so long as you can see them
at a moments notice. Having them at your fingertips
helps you keep those objectives at the forefront of your
mind, which makes it much harder to get inadvertently
distracted by things that wont help you achieve them.
The same can go for keeping track of the turn number
and the time remaining for that game. Remembering
this ensures you wont be caught without enough time
to complete your objectives.
Furthermore, keep a note, whether on paper or in your
mind, of what Schemes your opponent has announced
and what Schemes he or she is or isnt attempting to
achieve, based on his or her crew choice and actions
in-game. For instance if they foolishly throws a lowlevel minion into within striking range of your Master,
they have probably taken Frame for Murder. Even if
that particular minion is just a bluff to distract you
from their real Frame for Murder target, the fact that
theyve made such a move tells you that they are
thinking about how to achieve that Scheme. It
could even be minor things, like whether your
opponent is consistently measuring where
the centerline of the table is (for Line in
the Sand), how far they are from their
deployment zone (Protect Territory),
or if they seem to be waiting for your
models to activate first and get into Leap
or Walk range (so they can Interact for
Distract or Cursed Object). Paying attention
to small things like these will let you stay on
top of your opponents plans and thus claim
victory points while denying his own.
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SIGNATURE SPELLS
A glimpse into Mage Wars
By Aaron Brosman
When looking through a players spellbook youll find
there are certain spells that they try to work into all of
their spellbooks. Everyone ends up with their own set of
signature spells. Im not talking about common spells like
Dispel and Dissolve. Being able to handle enchantments
and equipment are important aspects of the game. The
spells Im referring to are the kind of tools that play to
your personal style and personal flair. Im going to share
with you seven spells that make it into nearly every
spellbook I build. These are my signature spells.
Force Hammer
The first signature spell youll find in many of my
spellbooks is Force Hammer, and at level two its the most
expensive on spellpoints. So, why do I find it worth
four spellpoints if my Mage is not trained in the Mind
school? Well the answers vary from Mage to Mage. I
find each Mage has a conjuration
they hate. For some it could be
Mordoks Obelisk or Suppression
Orb. Force Hammer will smash
down eight dice against these
conjurations. Its a great way to
set up an epic conjuration for
destruction. If youre lucky, you
could roll enough to destroy the
conjuration with Force Hammer
alone. This spell also comes
equipped with Ethereal, just in
case youre really afraid of Mana
Siphon.
Surging Wave
Versatility is an important
virtue for my signature spells,
and Surging Wave has that
in spades. This Unavoidable
attack can hamper even the
most stalwart guards. For only
five mana you get three attack
dice and a chance to Slam and
Push. In addition, Surging Wave
can be used to remove all Burn
conditions from a friendly
target. Trust me, once Forged in
Fire gets released youll always
want to pack a spell with the
Extinguish trait. The only weakness of this amazing
attack spell is that it cannot target Flying creatures.
Since guarding creatures lose the flying trait, this spell is
effective against guards.
Agony
Curses are generally worth
looking at for any Mage, and my
favorite is Agony. Any creatures,
Mages included, that can make
multiple attacks in a round are
worth cursing with Agony. Even
on creatures with single attacks,
Agony removes two dice from
the enchanted creatures attack.
If you put two armor on your
Mage could prevent two
damage. By removing two
dice you could be preventing up to four damage. Also,
Nonliving creatures are difficult to buff, but even if you
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cant give them Rhino Hide you can put Agony on their
attacker. In fact, Agony protects anything you control.
You cant buff a conjurations armor or life, but you can
remove two dice from its attack.
Wand of Healing
This is the most recent addition to
my signature spells, but I assure
you that is has earned its spot. At
two mana, Wand of Healing is easy
to budget during the game. It comes
with two fantastic spell abilities.
The first is a simple two die heal.
This is solid, but the real draw of this
wand is its second ability. Normally
its tough to remove conditions
from creatures. This wand makes
the process simple; just pay the conditions removal
cost and its gone. You are limited to removing one
condition a turn, so dont let them stack up on you. The
condition removal can even be worth it for Warlocks
and Necromancers who have to pay
triple for the Wand of Healing.
has one. With all that this spell does, just keep in mind
that Unmovable creatures are immune to Knockdown.
Purify
My final signature spell is
Purify. If you arent playing
as a Necromancer, then you
should have a Purify in your
spellbook. For one quick
action it lets you remove as
many poison conditions and/
or enchantments as you want.
This is indispensable against a
swarm of Venomous Zombies or
a Mage that relies heavily on
Curses. Being able to remove
both Ghoul Rot and Poisoned
Blood with the same quick
action is a very powerful turn around. Necromancers
neednt carry a Purify because they are immune to
everything that the spell can remove.
Now youve been given a taste of what my spellbooks
are normally like. Hopefully youve gotten some great
ideas on spells to try and maybe add to your own
signature spells. Ill see you in the Arena!
By Aaron Brosman
Aaron Brosman is Creative Director at Arcane
Wonders. He was Co-Designer on Forged in Fire, a
new expansion for Mage Wars coming out in June
2014. He also happens to love Asian ghosts and a
certain Resurrectionist master who employs them.
Aaron can be summoned by emailing AaronBrosman@
ArcaneWonders.com.
Knockdown
Since I first received my copy of Mage
Wars, Ive been putting Knockdown
in nearly all of my spellbooks. On
the surface Knockdown prevents
Defenses on the target, and that
by itself is pretty good. However,
there are two other effects of
Knockdown that make it one of my
signature spells. First, if you use
Knockdown on a Flying creature,
then it loses Flying until it can take
its next action phase. If you want to really annoy a
Priestess, then use Knockdown on her Guardian Angel and
immediately cast Tanglevine on it before it can take to the
skies again. That also leads into the other effect. When
you Incapacitate a creature it loses its guard marker if it
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Makos Rubbish
Crimson horror
By Mark Rogers
stylization in the sculpt was necessary to make her pose
work. Labelling everything with what I wanted it to be
At the moment, Im trying to focus my efforts more on was useful, as it meant less worrying about that kind of
getting one faction painted, which is my Ten Thunders. thing while I was painting.
This gave me the ideal opportunity to paint up Yin, and
play with techniques for making her look suitably gory.
While it would be a very quick and simple process to paint
up all her innards in the same shades, to add extra interest,
I decided to take a more natural approach. Human organs
are an odd collection of colors, and roughly following these
would make for a nicer effect overall (it does mean some
interesting Google searches though).
Intro
Prep
As usual, the first thing to do was to clean and assemble
the parts. Yin goes together pretty easily, but there was
one important thing I wanted to do that made it a little
slower. I carefully cut and filed away all the strings of
gore that were sculpted onto her, as I would be using my
own techniques to replace them later on so they werent
necessary. You can see this best on the large intestine
loop, but there were sections of it around the ribs too.
The next thing to do was a bit more unusual. I had to
work out what each part of Yin was, in order to paint
it correctly. This involved looking at anatomy diagrams
and working out what plastic lump matched up to
what organ. There are a few bits that arent represented
(Or arent quite in the right place) on Yin, as some
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Prepped Yin
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Bone Stages
Organ Diagram
Bone
The bone began as a 3:1 mix of Bronze Fleshtone and
Charred Brown, which I then shaded with Charred
Brown. For extra shading near the body, I added a little bit
of Black and Hexed Lichen. This darkens the bone more
than is strictly natural, but makes it function as a visual
frame for the main block of the body. I carefully glazed the
midtone back over to smooth the transitions and knock
the shade back a little, then began the highlights by adding
Bonewhite and a trace of Pale Flesh to the midtone. The
second highlight was made by adding White and a little
more Pale Flesh to the previous layer, then more White
and Pale Flesh for the final highlight on the upper tips of
the ribs. Living bone is not ivory colored so much as pinky
white, which is why I was using small amounts of Pale
Flesh. I had to keep some ivory look for it to be instantly
recognizable as bone, but a little nod towards the real color
makes it look a bit fresher.
Throat
I painted the throat at first with a 3:2:1 mix of Gory
Red, Orange Fire, and Bonewhite. The throat is mostly
trachea, but off to the side behind this is the esophagus,
which would need to look a little bit different. I therefore
shaded it more heavily than the trachea, using a 3:1:1
mix of Gory Red, Hexed Lichen, and Black for both
but applying more layers to the esophagus. I repainted
the original midtone color on both, added some Pale
Flesh to the midtone for the first highlight, and more
Pale Flesh for the second. This was the final layer on
the esophagus, but the trachea got one more highlight
using pure Pale Flesh to separate the two areas more.
Throat Stages
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Heart
Small Intestine
Heart Stages
For the heart, I used a base coat of 2:2:1 Hexed Lichen,
Gory Red, and Pale Flesh. This was shaded down with a
similar mix, but with the Pale Flesh replaced by Black.
Once Id repainted the midtone, I started to add Vallejo
Model Color (VMC) Deck Tan to it in two stages to
highlight it. The heart has a band of fat across it typically,
which I started with Leather Brown then highlighted
using a 1:1 mix of Bonewhite and Pale Flesh.
Lungs
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The small intestine is vaguely purple in reality due to the Large Intestine
blood vessels around it. I accentuated the purple, using
a 3:2:1 mixture of Hexed Lichen, Bronze Fleshtone,
and Bonewhite. The lack of Gory Red made this a very
different looking color to the other areas, but the final
stages of the model would tie it all together a bit more.
The shade did however include Gory Red, as well as
Black, added to the midtone in equal amounts. The
purple/flesh midtone was then retouched, before being
highlighted using increasing amounts of a 1:1 mix of
Pale Flesh and VMC Deck Tan, in three main stages.
Stomach
Stomach Stages
The center of Yin was becoming quite dominated by
purple, which would be fixed in the next few stages. The
stomach was base coated with an equal mix of Bronze
Fleshtone and Squid Pink, which I then added small
amounts of Gory Red and Hexed Lichen to as a shade.
I didnt push the shading any further as I wanted the
stomach to stay quite pale. The original pink and flesh
mix was repainted, before I added Pale Flesh to this
for the first highlight. The second and final highlight
was pure Pale Flesh, used carefully on the bulges to
accentuate the folds and curve of the stomach.
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Wood Stages
Kidney Stages
Wood
I then turned to the base, as I needed to paint part of it
before the skin was finished. The wood would be partly
rotten, and painted similarly to the grave markers I put
on Yan Los base (Chronicles Vol. 4). This would keep
the overgrown look that crew had, while not making
her too specific that she would look odd amongst other
Ten Thunders masters. The base was built from balsa
strips, carved using the back of a knife blade to add
grain and weather them away a bit, before being painted
a few times with diluted PVA glue to stiffen it. With that
done, Yins vacated body was sculpted on the wood so it
was slumped behind her. I then primed the whole thing
with several coats of Black and started on the wood.
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Skin
Skin Stages
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Robe Stages
Hair
Hair Stages
Yins hair began as Dark Fleshtone with a little Black in it
to make it darker. I gave this a heavy wash of diluted Black,
then went back and used a similar technique to the wood
earlier to restore the midtone in smooth lines using the
side of the brush tip on an angle and drawing it along each
strand. This technique really excels here, making hair quick
to paint, but keeping it smooth and silky looking. I then did
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Vein Stages
The veins that are scattered across Yin were initially
painted Gory Red. They were then washed with a mix
of Hexed Lichen, Black, and Gory Red, being sure to
smooth the outer edges into the surrounding areas a
little. The Gory Red was then repainted, and finished
off with a brighter red. In this case, it was a very old pot
of GW Blood Red I had lying about, but any bright red
will do.
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At this point, Yin was basically finished. When I looked The Blood
at her though, I didnt like the vivid color of her large
intestines it was too dominant. To knock it back a bit,
I mixed Hexed Lichen (because it would contrast and
mute the pink somewhat) with a bit of Bronze fleshtone
(both to make it a muddier color and to avoid the
purple being too strong), and gently washed it over the
intestines, particularly on the lower areas. Its important
to reconsider areas at times when you finish a model, as
what looked good against an unpainted area might look
very different against the finished paintjob. After gluing
her to the base (scraping the paint away on the contact
surfaces with a knife tip as the glue holds better that
way), I varnished the whole piece. I painted the whole
of Yin with satin varnish for a wet look, except the skin,
bone, cloth and wood. These got a coat of matte varnish
instead to contrast them and make them look dry. The
final touch before I added blood was a couple of tiny
patches of tuft grass growing through the floor, again to
match her to Yan Lo.
A Note on Varnishes
Varnishing is something that seems to cause confusion
at times, but there are two basic rules:
Spirit based is tougher than water based
Multiple thin layers are better than one thick layer
The difference between a manufacturers gloss and
matte varnish is trivial usually its the same mixture,
but with a tiny bit of powder in it, so matte is not
inherently weaker than gloss. The reason it goes shiny
over time is because oils from your fingers cover it, and
those are pretty glossy. The difference between makes
of varnish is much more dramatic, which is why trying
several before settling on one is a good idea. I personally
use Vallejo brush on varnishes, though a light spray of
Testors Dullcote is the go to matte for many painters
I know. For me, with little handling to worry about, a
single coat of whatever varnish I want is fine (my gloss
and matte can be mixed for a satin effect). For heavy
gaming pieces though, the solution is either a spirit
based varnish (which can sometimes be problematic
with acrylic paints) or several coats of water based
varnish. If you applied three coats of matte varnish
youd lose sight of the paintwork though, so a couple of
gloss coats and one final matte coat is the answer.
Gore Steps
Blood and gore is something I dont do often, as its
easy to overdo and that can detract from the painting.
This time though, it was the ideal place for it. With Yin
cleaned and varnished, the first thing to do was to string
some gore around her intestines to replace the bits I cut
off at the start. This is done using a mix of Tamiya Clear
Red, a tiny bit of Hexed Lichen, and some UHU allpurpose glue. Mix these up on an old bit of plastic with a
toothpick, then wait a moment for it to dry very slightly.
This creates a very sticky, stringy goo that you can dab
onto one part of a model and drag strands across to dab
attach to the other side. It takes a bit of practice to get
right, but bits of sprue make a great test area. For free
hanging drops, I tack a piece of sprue in place and pull
the goo to that. Once its fully cured (overnight), it can
be cut off. A thin coat of Tamiya Clear Red over the
drop gives it a nice rounded end and stiffens it a little
more. You can see this on Yins ribs, where the sprue
piece is on her base.
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The final photo shows the last stage of gore, using Clear
Red and Hexed Lichen (without glue) to paint around
the strings and over the organs as liquid blood. Theres
more around the neck and on the floor, showing where
she moved. The key here is to not overdo it; keep the
blood to where it would pool, and avoid hiding the
paintwork under it even if you end up using very little.
Theres a little Tamiya Clear Green mixed with super
heavy texture gel forming dribbles from her intestines
too, for added nastiness. That final shot also shows the
cut off drop on Yin; it tried to curl up a bit so when I
did the Clear Red layer I used a bit of sprue to pull it
down. It sticks lightly to the Clear Red so can be eased
off safely with a knife after the whole thing is cured.
Finished
Gore Stages
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The Gallery
Painted Submissions from the Community
Andy Goodacre
Ben Tuite
Fetid Strumpet
Chris (cdhay) Hay
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Jay Fobes
Jen Truby
Mark Mallard
Joe Girard
Neil of Orange
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Thomas Geater
Wojtek Tekielski
Thank you for your submissions. Please check out the Malifaux
painting contest taking place on Wamp by clicking here.
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