Malifaux... what is it, is it good?

[maninahat]

So after a 20 years hiatus I've kind of decided to get back into table top gaming. For reference, this was back when Games Workshop justified everything being expensive because it was made out of weighty, delicious lead. The price of crude oil must have risen drastically since the 90s however, as although they've switched to cheap plastic, everything still costs a fucking fortune.

After some looking around I discovered Malifaux. Wha- what's this shit?! I only need half a dozen models to play the game? And I can determine results with a single pack of Bicycle playing cards, instead of thirty dice? And the rules are free? Hell, even the miniatures are better; diverse enough that I can potentially have a pitched battle between a lady reporter, a ghost cowboy, The Goddess Kali, a banjo playing hillbilly gremlin, a zombie prostitute, and Indiana Jones? Well, fiddle dee dee. It's Steampunk Overwatch!

So has anyone played this, is it actually good, and is there any reason why I shouldn't pick this over the old Games Workshop?

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Not played it, not my thing aesthetically or thematically, so the only reason I can come up with why not to pick it over GW would be that GW have been slowly removing their heads from their arses recently. But if tropey gothic steampunk Overwatch is your bag, I'd go for it, can always use the minis in something else if you end up not liking the game.

 

[DarthCoercis]

I used several of their models as the base for conversions for my Inquisimunda warband, but I've never played the actual game they're for. The minis are a delight to work with though.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

My friend is really into it and I absorbed some of Malifaux from him, along with Frostgrave. I'm no expert but I have a little understanding.

Of Malifaux, I will say I really like the setting and aesthetic. I'm a fan of steampunk, maybe second only to my love for cyberpunk, so Malifaux looks great. Yes, the manuals are free. The miniatures I believe are plastic, albeit of a high standard. If you like the miniature side of it and don't mind spending a little, I think you'd like it. But you could just use other miniatures if you just wanted to play.

It's a skirmish style game, rather than lengthy campaigns. It's actually a cool format; a typical game could be a little over an hour, but they can be longer too. Whatever one could say about longer campaigns (and I'm not saying they're bad), shorter skirmishes mean you can play more games, it's a bit more accessible, you can fit a game into a shorter amount of time, it's a bit easier to have a casual game. But there are different scenarios, team sizes and depth so it can please even more demanding players.

Frostgrave could be something to consider also. It's a bit harder but has a more in depth "meta game". Like the main gameplay is the skirmishes, but if you survive them you can advance your character ahead of the next one. I don't think the rules/scenarios are free tho. It's also more fantasy in nature, rather than the steampunk setting.