039 - Malifaux October & November Releases Review

If you’re looking for a definition of “off to a bad start”; look no further. I did intend to make these reviews a regular monthly feature, but after one month I’m already a month behind! This time round I’ll therefore be looking at the October “old new releases” and the November “new new releases”. Sorry, but this is going to be a mammoth post!

Molly

Molly feels a bit out of proportion to me. The body and the head are fine separately, but by putting the ruff between them, it makes her look as though her neck is overly long. I can’t tell from the Wyrd released picture what she’s holding in her arms (or if there’s anything there at all?). Anyone with the model able to help me out? Is it the Gorgon’s Tear? The dress is pretty, although I can’t tell if this is freehand paint work or sculpted detail, and her hair is an interesting shape. Overall from what I’ve seen, which is admittedly not much, the model looks average, but not exceptional.

Crooligans

There’s something about Wyrds children models that I love. Demonic children Baby Kade and Candy got me into the game in the first place, Soulless children the Stolen are also great models, so when I heard they would be releasing undead children I was excited, and these little guys live up to expectation; the models evoke the perfect amount of creepiness and stealth. I’m especially fond of the girl with the bandaged face and teddy. Another panda teddy? Perhaps…

Rogue Necromancy

Slightly disappointed by this model, but I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt as it could be a paint job issue again. I don’t think it captures the raw ferociousness of the beast in the same way that the concept art did. It’s still on the purchase list though, if only for its in-game potential and on the bright side, if there’s one model that’s ripe for conversion it’s this one. When I come to building one I may see what I can do to make a few improvements.

Necrotic Machine

Not sure what to make of this guy. I think I was expecting it to be much smaller than it is, kinda like Molly’s cute little pet, but instead he appears to be pretty big, dwarfing Molly and most of her regular crew choices. Not a problem I guess, just a case of mismatched expectations. The model looks nice and detailed (and possibly a pain to assemble looking at those limbs!), and very characterful, but I don’t care much for the Wyrd paint scheme which seems too colourful. I think mine will be painted with more of a rusty metallic look.

Kaeris

I’m liking the steampunk style of this model. The wings are nice and detailed and look technical without being futuristic; the mechanics give the impression they work a bit like a corkscrew. The face and hair look good, and of course she has an unfeasibly exposed cleavage, but I’ve never complained about that before and won’t be starting now! The outstretched arms do make her look a bit like she’s struggling to balance on one leg though. Who knows, perhaps “Simon Says” is one of the party games they play down at the M&SU?

Fire Gamin

These are funky little critters, very impish in character. It’s cool that we’re seeing different types of Gamin. Perhaps this opens the door for Earth Gamin and Air/Wind Gamin further down the line? I’ve never been a massive fan of “freeze frame” sculpts showing the model firing a spell or bullet or laser beam or whatever. I think water splashes, electricity bursts, magical clouds etc are things that we imagine our models creating rather than need to see on the model, and so I don’t care for the Gamin with fire coming from his hands, but I do like the other two.

Gunsmiths

Very popular models on the forums these, the female in particular. I understand that she’s based on Trinity from the Matrix, while the male is based on Billy Connolly? I’ve never seen Billy Connolly carry quite so many guns though - this guy is packing some serious heat! Both very cool sculpts, with very dynamic and characterful poses and plenty of detail on them both. I think the male edges it for me though. He has more of a western/steampunk feel, and I was a fan of the artwork already. The female is another case of Wyrd’s continuing trend to release female models that look a bit too futuristic to fit in Malifaux, although the blue hair is probably a contributing factor here!

Mechanical Rider

Another cool addition to the range of riders, the Mechanical looks likely to be the most dynamic of the bunch, but with 3 of its legs in the air people have expressed concern that it looks very fragile and prone to bending. It looks to me like the supporting leg is pretty straight, and you should be able to get a pin quite far up there for extra strength when attaching it to a base, but I appreciate that the novice modeller may have difficulty with this. I like how closely this model matches the artwork, and the colour scheme is bang on.

Ashes and Dust

Definitely the strangest model to come from Wyrd to date. Based solely on the picture preview from Wyrd I don’t really like it, but as I usually do, I’ll likely change my mind when I see one up close. I think my issues are the same as other peoples – it’s a strange shape and a strange paint job and it’s difficult to get a feel for the actual shape of the thing. It looks like these pictures aren’t to scale and that the Dust Storm and Ashen Core are actually smaller in comparison to Ashes & Dust. I’ll be interested to see how this thing plays, since although it’s one of the most expensive minions in the game, I can’t seem to get my head around what it’s meant to do!

Alt Seamus

I’ve not seen any of the Evil Dead films, so I didn’t “get” the pose straight away, but I think it looks cool even without knowledge of the reference. The belle at his feet is an excellent touch and looks suitably deranged. It’s a shame she doesn’t come as a separate piece and she’d make a great model in her own right. I’m not sure what’s going on with Seamus’ gun, which appears to have turned into a pea shooter. I’m also dubious of his rippling torso and overall physique – perhaps this isn’t Seamus after all, but his younger, slimmer, body conscious twin brother? On alternative sculpts in general, I like the idea, as it gives more options when buying a character for the first time. This one’s an excellent model, however not on my priority buy list since I already have a Seamus.

Avatar Seamus

The big guy is the only model from this list that I actually own, and so I can say for certain that it’s a great sculpt. Not that I’m biased or anything, but it’s one of my favourite Avatars. The pose easily conveys his bulk and strength, and I like how his ripped clothing harks back to the original Seamus model to imply the avatar transformation. With this being my first resin model, I’m not completely sold on the material - I’ve always liked the weighty feel of a metal model and Seamus just feels too light for a model of his size. I’ll be posting more about this model in the near future as I start to put down some paint on him.

Alt Justice

Rather a sexy model, with the pose, the dynamic swishy hair (much better hair than the original Lady Justice by the way). She looks lither and deadlier than the original sculpt, like she’s actually planning to use that greatsword against someone. The scales in her left hand add to the theme and make for a great model. I’ll absolutely be choosing this one over the original when I finally get around to properly expanding into the Guild faction. I’m sure you’ve predicted my only issue with the model though… What is it with the blue hair again Wyrd? Lady J is a redhead! With this paintjob she looks more like a Rasputina minion than a Guild master!

Avatar Justice

This Avatar strikes me as more of a display piece than a model for the tabletop. I think it’s a combination of a fragile pose that makes me worried about how it might transport to games clubs without damage, and the fact that the sculpt is kinda artistic and abstract. The Ram and the Crow don’t actually emerge from her hands as far as game abilities go – they’re on the model to represent her role as a balancing force between life/death (or good/evil, or Guild/Rezzers, take your pick). Apart from that, she’s an awesome model that looks a real challenge to paint. Kudos to Wyrd for doing something with her that I think nobody expected too.

Alt Pandora

I’m undecided on this model and think I need to see it in person before I decide. I’ve not been a massive fan of the regular Pandora model, despite her being my first master. She has a strange 80’s hair vibe going off, and the box is a little bit too low-key. The alternative version has the box front and center (rightly so!), spilling out ethereal snakes. She appears much younger in the alt too, more befitting her roles as “the Maiden” in the Neverborn trinity. Perhaps this is why she’s also showing much more leg and cleavage? She appears to be wearing a Lady Justice wig in the Wyrd photo, but I think if I replicate my current Pandora paint-job she’ll look just fine. Again not a priority, but on the “will pick up at some point” list.

Avatar Pandora

I remember first seeing this model when Eric J posted up a preview on the Wyrd boards, and how amazed I was. This is exactly what he meant when he said that they were aiming for “Wow factor” when it came to Avatars. The tentacles erupting from the ground, the arms raised to the sky, the spirits erupting from the box, it all adds up to a very evocative model. I think this may be my favourite Avatar model so far. I’m terrified of how strong some of those thin joins are – they’re going to require some inventive pinning I think! As for the new Candy, I’m a bit underwhelmed. She’s better than how she appeared in the initial preview, but I think she needs to be prettier than this new sculpt looks. Probably another case of mismatched expectations though.

Drowned

A very cool concept executed very well. With these guys carrying their anchors and weights around it’s very obvious how they died, and the Wyrd paint job and basing does well to emphasize their bedraggled and wet appearance. My favourite is the anchor carrying zombie based on the art work. I don’t know why, but in these cases where multiple models of a type have been sculpted, I almost invariably like the concept art one the best. Maybe the alternates were thought up afterwards and had less consideration put into the design I can’t tell, but the art work based mini always seems to capture the essence of the character better.

Alt Flesh Construct

The first ever Alt minion, and hopefully the first of many. This shows that Wyrd is taking seriously the problems that some players have faced regarding fielding multiples of particular models on the table and there not being enough sculpts to ensure they’re all different. Hopefully Belles and Bayou Gremlins are on the list for future alts! I prefer this guy to the original, who I always felt looked a bit like a cartoon Frankenstein in a hospital robe. This version is incredibly tall, and clearly stitched together from multiple sources, with some mechanical or alchemical vat attached to his back for good measure. The exposed muscles give the impression that some of the parts were taken post-autopsy too, and he’s just more menacing and scary than the original. I suspect people will find that the old model looks a bit silly next to this one, and find they have to buy a second alt sculpt and customize that themselves, putting them in the exact same situation they were in before!

Aaaand hat's it for Oct/Nov! Well done to everyone that made it this far. Luckily there's only a short list of December releases for next month, but some of them are crackers!