Malifaux... I do love this game and want to bring it back to life in my area. I first got into the game in late 2011. I was drawn to its quirkiness and steampunkgothiczombiehorror universe. The instant draw for me was my love of the Spaghetti Western. I grew up watching these gun slinging cheese fests in my Uncle Wally's movie theater while stuffing my pie hole with scores of White Castle murder burgers. Yeah, I was privileged!!
So when I saw these guys;
It was a no brainer! These guys walked right out of a Sergio Leone classic!
But what really sold it for me was the narrative possibilities and active story telling of Malifaux. So here is my first Batrep, posted way back in late 2011 or so.Hoping this may inspire someone to take a serious look at the game.
Blood on the Sun
The ruins of the abandoned town were evidence of a time when
prosperity reigned. The buildings, or what was left of them were not the
ramshackle wormwood huts so common this far from the Breach. But brick
and mortar structures built to stand for generations.
So much for that dream...
It did mean however that the chest left out in the dust of the once well
traveled street might contain a valuable yield. Soulstones most likely.
But then this was Malifaux, when was anything what it seemed. Perdita
Ortega sighed resolutely as she unfastened the holster cord to allow for
a faster draw just in case....
"Nino! What do you see?"
"Something or someone's coming." Said Nino, the most diminutive of Papa Loco's children, "Not sure how many."
"Well, take that cannon of yours and climb up to what's left of that
window. You can cover us from there." Said Perdita, pushing her long,
flowing hair back behind her,"Let me know how many."
"To hell with this, I ain't waiting for them to get here, I'm going for the chest." Francisco was never a patient man.
Then, from behind came a hooting and a hollering that could mean only one thing...
"Dios Mio," Said Perdita,"How did you get out this time Papa?"
"How do I get out? I am Papa LOCO! No prison can hold me!" Papa laughed
the laugh that helped earn him his nickname then pulled out a stick of
high explosive, "Now Mi Corazon, who do we come to kill?"
Before Perdita could answer Nino shouted down from his perch, "Looks
like five or six.... Two women up front with very long swords and three
others also with swords. They move fast Sister..."
Santiago pulled both his pistols and started to ask if Nino had a shot
but suddenly, impossibly, one of the women, now revealed to be twins was
there in the midst of them!
Steel flashed catching the sun momentarily blinding the family of
gunfighters. Before any could react Francisco was bleeding from more
than a single wound.
As fast as the attack was what happened next seemed to happen even
faster. Santiago barely sidestepped an attack from the same warrior
woman as he stepped back to avoid the blur of the blade. While not
wholly unscathed the Pistolero managed to escape further onslaught and
took off running toward the chest.
Perdita grimaced, determined to show these... Outcasts what a Woman of The Guild could do!
Moving with a signature swiftness she took aim, "Nino, the other one is coming... SHOOT HER!!"
Her pistol spat twice dealing hurt and pain to this bitch who dared hurt her family.
Francisco bore down on the tall swords woman shooting her near point
blank. He smiled despite the blood he felt leaking through his wounds as
he watched her fall.
Nino felt more than saw the other three warriors as they advanced but
could not focus on them. He knew there was something very dangerous
about them but with a steel resolve he shook off the feeling and took
careful aim at the fallen warriors twin.
The Repeater clapped cannon like loud dealing a mortal wound to the
sword wielding warrior. She collapsed in a heap but this fight was not
yet over.
Papa Loco rounded a ruined building but before he could throw one of his
boom sticks the other three assassins appeared as if from nowhere.
Francisco moved to the chest trying desperately to drag it to safety but
the assassins whom they knew only as Ronin were on the attack!
Santiago moved to intercept the Ronin moving toward his brother but was
no match for this combat master. He went down clutching his pistols but
slowed her down none the less.
Nino managed to blast off another shot wounding the second but the third
made it to Papa Loco, wounding him and then pressing the attack to
Nino.
Francisco fought hard to protect the chest but fell under the razor
sharp blade of the stealth assassin. Her smile at the small victory was
little more than a gash in her face and short lived as well.
Perdita, ever the picture of calm resolution advanced and shot with aim
as sure as the sunrise. A sunrise the assassin would not live to see.
Papa Loco meanwhile went into suicide mode dropping stick after stick
dealing scathing damage till he himself was taken down but not before he
lit the last of his dynamite taking one of the Ronin with him.
Perdita had enough. The long distance impersonal kill feel of a bullet
wouldn't do here, with arm outstretched the gunfighter feared throughout
Malifaux put the gun to the head of the Ronin.
"Nobody blows up my Papa and lives!"
The assassin never heard the shot that took her head clean off the blood spray making it hard for Perdita to see.
"Sister!" Nino called out as he broke open the chest, "Nuthing but a
bunch of pretty rocks... Make a nice paper weight but that's about it."
Perdita looked up at the blazing sun through the red in her eyes but felt no warmth.
"Blood on the sun," She said. "Just more blood on the sun..."
This was my second game. I used the Ortega box set vs The Victorias w/ totem and 3 Ronin. I had an absolute blast!
From the other side of the table...
Eric J
