Hello all!
Today we’re going to hit the Outcasts! They’re a group of mercenaries and other folks who don’t quite fit in to the other factions, so they have one of their own! A lot of them have the Mercenary trait, which allows any faction to hire them for an additional cost, but they are a great faction on their own as well!
Leveticus
We’ll start with Leviticus, one of the trickiest masters ever! Levi’s skills lie in steampunk necromancy, and he comes with a horde of terrible little Steampunk Abominations to back him up. And he can make more! But Levi’s true power lies in his ability to cheat death to the extreme. If he dies, all you have to do is get rid of a Hollow Waif, and he’s back on the battlefield! He takes advantage of this by gaining advantages even by injuring himself. Rusty Alyce is a sharpshooter, and good backup for Levi.
As I’ve said, Levi is a difficult master to get a grip on. It can be tough to watch the damage rack up on him, but that’s pretty much what you want. But you really have to know how to use their abilities. But if you do, he’s really good!
The Viktorias
Say hello to the Viktorias! These sisters are sword wielding mercenaries with a secret: One of them is a Neverborn copy of the other. Yep. Most people don’t know which one is the real Viktoria, and that works to their advantage. Both are adept at sword slinging though. Their crew is made up of other “sisters” such as the tough and useful Ronin, who can even be sacrificed to bring back a Viktoria! Taelor is a tough hammer wielding beatstick, and the Student of Conflict is the Vikkis totem. She can speed your sisters up, helping them get around the battlefield to wreak havoc with their blades. While not in the box, Vanessa is another good option. She is Viktorias ACTUAL sister, and brings a bit of magical support to this melee heavy crew.
Viktoria is a good master for any new player to start with. She’s fast and strong, and has plenty of ways of cutting through your enemies. She’s also a lot of fun! If you’re looking for girl power, look no further!
Von Schill
Von Schill leads the Freikorps, a unit of specialized mercenaries that work with Military precision. The Freikorps are close knit, and are happy to work under Von Schills leadership. Von Schill himself is a tough old man, adept at both guns and blades, and is a master tactician. The Freikorps themselves fill a variety of roles: The Librarian is an adept healer and magic user, the Specialist can clear areas out with his huge flamethrower, the trapper lies in wait and snipes enemies, and the Freikorpsmen themselves are tough and resilient. If you want to expand past here, you can always grab Lazarus, who is now a Freikorps model in m2e, and he’s a huge grenade launching robot!
The Freikorps are another good choice for a player new to Malifaux. The models all have their strengths, and fill in a variety of roles well, be it up close and personal damage, or sniper shots. If that appeals to you, pick him up!
Hamelin the Plagued
Hamelin is one scary mofo. He used to be a sewer dwelling murderer, but he was infused with the powers of a Tyrant, the scariest of the scary in Malifaux. He is now little more than a shell for this Tyrant, and is full of disease and death. Hamelin spreads disease through Malifaux, infecting its citizens and thinning the population. He uses his pipes to lure victims into his grasp, making them his thralls. His trusty dog Nyx is still with him, protecting its master as loyally in death as life. The Stolen are children infected by Hamelin, and they follow him around spreading his disease and even being sacrificial pawns to keep their master alive. And Hamelin is adept at summoning swarms of rats, who while weak, add up quickly and further spread his deadly diseases.
Hamelin is a tricky master, and was even previously considered to be horribly broken. Rats pile up, making it hard to even get to him, and insignificant models can’t even touch him. And his game play is all about making models insignificant! But if you like his flavor, and the prospect of spreading disease, he’s a good master to play!
Misaki
Misaki is the leader of the Ten Thunders: A secretive faction that is new to Malifaux. It’s agents are EVERYWHERE, and have successfully infiltrated all of Malifaux’s other factions. Misaki is their leader here in Malifaux, and is a force to be reckoned with. She’s strong and fast, able to dodge blows with ease and hit hard in return. She can swoop in on enemies for the kill, and even steal resources from her opponents. The Torakage are ninja, capable of throwing up smoke screens as well as shurikens. Ototo is a large angry force of destruction, able to crush enemies to pieces with his tetsubo. There are a variety of good models that you can add to this force, such as the Ten Thunders Archers and Yamaziko, Misaki’s very own teacher.
Misaki is dual faction Outcast/Ten Thunders, allowing her to be played in either faction!
If you want another good pick up and play master, Misaki is a good one. She can pick off a lot of models on her own, and use her other models for cover or quick escapes. If you want to strike like a ninja, Misaki is an awesome choice!
Tara
Another dual-faction Master, Tara straddles the line between Resurrectionist and Outcast. A mercenary, Tara got herself into a bit of a fix when she became trapped in a cave with an insane woman named Karina, a budding Resurrectionist. They eventually met Obliteration, an ancient monster looking for a host. Tara became that host. As she and Karina left to confront their new fates, Tara took a sniper bullet to the chest. Karina’s magic revived her, and now Tara is essentially a zombie. She wields the powers of Obliteration, which allow her power of the fabric of space and time. She can remove people from existence, and even take their powers for her own. The Void Wretches are hungry little monsters, and the Nothing Beast is a huge Cthulhu-ish monster. Karina is there too, providing backup for Tara as usual.
Tara is a bit tricky, but a lot of fun to play, with very unique mechanics. And being a Resurrectionist and Outcast master, you get access to two crew styles!
We’re almost there folks! Next time we’ll cover the Gremlins, a faction full of little green men who love their pigs and moonshine! Join us next time as we head to the Bayou!
Gaming Grounds 