I’ve been nervously looking forward to CaptainCon, the annual tabletop gaming convention next door in Rhode Island. They have plenty of games that aren’t Malifaux, but for Malifaux, this is the site of the most important tournament in New England.
There’s a “fun” three game Friday tournament that I will play in, and then a two day, five game team tournament Saturday and Sunday that I will not be playing in, though I’ll be there to support my BF and the rest of the Connecticut crew. (I’ve signed up for other games, though, and you’ll read about those here).
One reason I was nervous about playing in a team tournament was my reliance on just one crew, Mei Feng, Foreman’s Foundry crew. I did plenty of heavy hinting around the house that December was coming, and guess what, I found December under the tree, Christmas day. Rasputina and many of her friends, ready to use their cold-based powers against any who stood in their way of burying Malifaux City in ice and snow.
I got the crew put together, but not painted. I 3D printed color bases for them — cracked ice. Kasul bought another model for me — a giant ice alligator named Bashe. He’s a keeper.
Rasputina was a Guild slave who escaped, wandered into the mountains, and found there the December elemental spirit. She was captured by December, but then, through force of will, formed a partnership with it. She took over the December cult — the acolytes and Silent Ones serve her. She’s also used the power of December to transform willing cultists into powerful beasts, like the Blessed of December and Snow Storm. The former healer Sightless Snow was forced out of the cult; she was gifted the white stag Ceddra by the Malifaux spirit itself, and now they are bonded together. Wendigo is the spirit of hunger, and Rasputina’s personal servant.
On to the games.
First up: Rasputina against Von Schill’s Freikorps. We’ve met before, but I was playing Mei Feng then.
Formation: Wedge. Strategy: Stuff the Ballots.
This is a good strategy for December, as most of Rasputina’s crew can work through ice pillars, allowing the crew to vote without being physically present. Naturally, the opposing team can, and did, destroy pillars, but, moves they are destroying pillars are moves that aren’t attacking me.
This was my first time playing the crew, and I was roundly punished, losing 8-1. But, we played with timers and we did manage to complete five full turns. So that was something.
8 to 1, though. Ouch.
Before the holidays, I’d played Austin’s Euripides (Savage) with Mei Feng. His is another ice user, and when I saw he was playing today, I suggested we should try and play my new December crew with his Savages. This was set up.
We both make ice pillars. I printed a set of the same ice pillars he uses. His are painted, I printed mine in two colors. It took over a day to print them all, because every layer of the hundreds in the final print, required two color changes. Each color change takes about a minute, followed by a flurry of printing, and then another filament change.
It was glorious chaos, as I could use his pillars as easily as my own. I don’t think he could use mine; at least, he didn’t when we played.
Formation: Wedge. Strategy: Plant Explosives.
Things went fairly well until a turn 3 bloodbath saw both our teams cut down by half. We were playing, again, with the timer, and I ran out of time in turn 4. Austin was not far behind, so we ended it then. I lost again, 6-4, but it was closer this time. I still have work to do to get the schemes in play. You get the common strategy and two schemes from the scheme pool. I usually find myself focusing on just one of my two schemes and hardly ever score both.
We may have one more practice session before CaptainCon. I’ll need to get my models painted. And memorize the cards better so I don’t have to be reading them again each move. And try to remember to score all my schemes…
