Malifaux 4th Edition Beta: Feedback on Viktorias2 (Mercenary) after a tournament
Game version: 5.1.2025
I played Viktoria Chambers Twin Blades over a five round tournament (as well as some preparation games beforehand), this is my feedback on the keyword.
What is the Mercenary Keyword "supposed to be"?
Mercenary are supposed to be a fast and deadly keyword that can deliver a strong alpha strike combined with some tricks with regards to movement and scheme markers. If the opponent manages to survive the alpha strike with little damage taken, Mercenary's offensive output goes down, but is still strong. While they are not supposed to be a glass cannon, defense is not necessarily their strength.
The rules deliver this feeling quite well, they play exactly like that. I really liked playing them. That being said, there are some rules that feel very strong, even oppressive, that should be looked at. Overall, the crew went 4:1, only losing to Damian2's new triangle of death and stun. Some games felt like the opponent had no way of winning, even if they did everything perfectly.
How do you know I am not just a fool talking out of his backside?
I've played a lot of tournaments and have been ranked high on Longshanks throughout M3E.
Played crew
Viktoria Chambers
Student of Conflict
Taelor
Vanessa Chambers
Bishop
Big Jake
Ella Mae Chesterfield
Hodgepodge Effigy
Bloodwretch
3 Stones left
Possibly overtuned rules
Crew card, Combat Maneuver
It's a 6'' place through a melee action available to all unique models. The latter restriction is not really relevant since I played none of the keyword minions (and I think there is little reason to do so). What I would do for the unpack is to use my 2 SS Effigy to charge through my frontline of models (now possible), generate the Combat Maneuver attack and place an important model like Vanessa 6'' ahead. Then, the Effigy would us Combat Maneuver again on Taelor or Ella Mae. Big Jake can then do the same on the models that are already 6'' out for another 6'' place. The Student of Conflict usually only used Combat Maneuver once since giving out fast two times was more valuable in my eyes. So, this ability is incredibly strong for the unpack and it can be done by models such as Big Jake or even the Effigy. If one of the models that has been placed 6'' ahead starts their activation, it can get another 5'' move through Battle Tempo. In anything but Corner Deployment, they are in the opponent's face by now.
Later in the game, I was able to fix all my positioning errors with this ability, in a very trivial way. Rarely, the opponent had the option of killing my cheap unique models that I usually used for this action, because he was preoccupied with the beaters.
I perceived this action to be, by far, the strongest thing about this keyword.
Ideas for changes (any combination of these, one, two or all of them):
- Make it once per activation
- Make it so that it can only be generated from a charge action when it targets an enemy model
- The Effigy is not allowed to perform this action (remove Crew Card access for all Effigies?)
Vanessa Chambers
Vanessa will always receive fast from the Student of Conflict, if possible. Given the extreme mobility of the keyword, she will be across the center line when she starts her activation (or get there from Battle Tempo). What happens next is always the same: Intuition sorts the cards. She then hits an enemy model with Stat 8 for 3 damage, uses Arc to hit an enemy model within 8'' of the first target for 3 damage and draws a card from Surge. She does this three times for a total of up to 18 damage, drawing up to three cards. The setup for this is trivial. In practice, the first target often dies to the damge so there are not three Arc triggers, but only two. Still three cards drawn from Surge. The stat of 8 is oppressive. The opponent knows that he must win the first duel to prevent the Arc trigger, but being at a stat 2-3 disadvantage makes that close to impossible. While it's theoretically possible for the opponent to move his models so that they are not within 8'' of each other, it almost never happened in my games.
Good things about Vanessas's design: Stunned shuts her down almost completely. She also dies rather quickly. I think that's good.
Ideas for changes (any combination of these, one, two or all of them):
- Reduce the damage of Arcane Staff from 3 to 2
- Make Arc once per activation
- I do not know why this model has the Daito melee attack. Never saw a reason to use it.
Question: It was unclear to us whether Vanessa gets her power token if she is placed across or on the centerline from Combat Maneuver. We played it such that she does not get the token.
Student of Conflict
Taelor
I am unsure about Taelor. A lot of times, I was unable to use Bring It on the enemy master. Either, the model was blocked by other enemy models (moving through them is a 'may', so he may choose not to come close to Taelor) or they had an ability that made hitting them unviable, such as Jakob Lynch's Luck Thief, turning Taelor's plus flip into a minus. Colette was able to jump away after taking one hit. Damian might have said "No". The opponent can block his master in with other models so that he is immune to Bring It, i.e. counter play to Taelor is possible. That being said, Stat 7 with a plus flip, three damage and valuable triggers, seems vey strong. She is a 10 SS model, however. I am not sure if she needs a nerf. If I were you, I'd start with Combat Maneuver and Vanessa and if that is not enough, I'd address Taelor in a future reiteration.
Other feedback on Mercenary
The balancing of the soulstone based abilities/triggers/actions is excellent. Almost all of them are viable and I was constantly on zero or one stone because of them being so good. Often times, I had to hold on to my single stone because I knew needed it for a decisive Battle Tempo at one of the last activations of the turn.
Viktoria Chambers, Twin Blades
The model feels great as it is. All of its abilities and actions are viable. Sabotage their Plans can be very strong. Like Taelor, one might look at this model after an initial round of nerfs on other things.
Ella Mae Chesterfield
I never thought I'd say this, but after the recent round of nerfs, she feels alright. Very strong, but she also costs 10 SS. Like the master, she maybe is a model to look at after nerfing Combat Maneuver and Vanessa.
Bishop
Feels very well designed. Strong, but fair. 0'' melee is a great choice, makes him more difficult to use and allows for counterplay. One thing, however: I will never, ever use his Chain Gang. Please make it Signature, that way there is a real, meaningful choice between using it or Fight Dirty.
Desperate Mercenary
It feels like a Bloodwretch is always the better choice, being 1 SS cheaper, having hard to kill and Sp 7 instead of 6. Might the Desperate Mercenary be viable at 3 SS? I'd try that change, maybe he sees play then. It certainly won't break the game at 3 SS.
Ronin
Similarly to the Desperate Mercenary, I did not see a reason to play these, the other choices seemed to be better in every way. Maybe I'm overlooking something. I have no ideas how to make these more viable.
Miscellaneous feedback
- One of the games was Boundary Dispute on Corner deployment against Colette1, piloted by a very strong opponent. The complexity of the strat and Colette made the game very intense, it felt like the best of M3E and M4E combined. What I am trying to say is that the making the stategies and schemes "perfect" will do so much for the game, it's worth the time investment.
- A lot of schemes require the player to put down Scheme Markers next to certain targets, with no enemies in 2'', etc. These kind of schemes were also common in M3E. In M4E, schemes like Light the Beacons or even Search the Area felt very hard to score against an opponent who is ready to move one of his models into place to counter them. Given the higher mobility in M4E, putting down three scheme Markers without the opponent getting a model into place to counter the scheme felt very hard. Combat Maneuver can counter that, as well, though, haha.
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