Malifaux on a Budget – Plastic Crews Part II

So last time we looked at two of the new plastic gangs and they came out as the cheapest crews I’ve looked at so far. Today we’re seeing if the final two Plastic crews can match the challenge.

We begin with the Guild’s new addition; The Relic Hunters.

The Box
Price - £24.50
SS - 23

Lucas McCabe is a very interesting master. He is not only Malifaux’s first mounted master (there are the horsemen and avatar Leviticus too) but his gang can and must choose some unique items before the game begins, but we’ll come to those shortly.

As with the other plastic crews, the box contains;

The crew is primarily a mid-range crew, focusing on paralysing and slowing opponents to allow you to out-manoeuvre them. The crew suffers from relatively low defence, so will rely on these tricks to keep them safe as well as taking objectives. The unique point about McCabe and his fellow is the relics they find. McCabe himself has a choice of six artefacts he can purchase with his soulstone cache before the game begins. He must choose at least two of the items (which range from giving him paired weapons to armour 2) the cheapest pairing costs two soulstones out of the six available to him but you are free to buy more.  The wastrels also have access to four lesser artefacts McCabe has allowed them, and must choose a different one each before the encounter begins.

There are a couple of nice options for expanding McCabe’s crew, as this is Malifaux on a Budget I’m going with the cheapest as this box set takes the crew up to the 35SS we’re looking for.

Price - £12.50
SS- 4 each

Guild Riflemen are the cheapest way of adding some serious range to any guild crew but with McCabe able to stop opponents in their tracks it allows the rifles more turns to whittle down those wounds. With hunter (able to ignore cover) , a (0) action range increase, a (0) action charge reaction and the ability to the fire 9 shots when activated together they really will ruin your opponents day should they be foolish enough to get within 12 inches.

Total crew cost - £ 37

The 35SS crew has a fast moving element as McCabe takes a few wastrels to the front with him leaving a solid block of range to offer some covering fire, choose your equipment to match your opponent: if you see Taelor’s hammer, don’t take the armour. See Lucius? Take the paired sabre. This crew will work for you in pretty much any mission with just a little forethought. 

The final box set of Wyrd's new plastic range is The Master's of the Path.

The Box
Price - £21.50
SS - 19

Yan Lo is another unique master, but this is all part of the fun. Unlike the other Ressurectionists Yan Lo deals in relics not the mindless creations of the other masters. Instead Yan Lo works with ancestor models, boosting them and using their abilities once they die to improve his damage and increase his abilities. In addition to this he can collect “Chi” points to spend on oaths of magic that change how he and his crew work, one path makes him faster, one tougher and one a bit of a combat monster. You can choose to follow one, some or all of these paths as long as you gain enough “chi”.

Not really a front line master his crew box allows him to step back from the front line. Yan Lo’s totem is a great model for making ancestor models faster and can collect relics dropped by ancestors for Yan Lo.  Chiaki is the utility model included the box and is Yan Lo’s presence at the front of the battle, allowing him to leach “chi” points through her as she debuffs and pushes the enemy just where you want them.

Yan Lo’s minions are three of my favourite models, the Ashigaru look stunning and make a great defensive line. Able to form a phalanx of spears that attacks an model foolish enough to get close they are a reliable and survivable way of protecting Yan Lo and any ancestor you need to keep intact. The box is a little soul stone light compared to many of the plastic boxes but they are full of character and certainly pack a punch. 

 Our first addition is a BIG one, literally...

 Price - £10.50
SS - 10

A combat monster Izamu deal master level damage with every strike. I call him Justice light as he has many of the same abilities as Lady Justice, he can riposte enemy attacks, cancel enemies triggers, get a positive flip to damage and tops it off with melee expert. He is a bit of a point sink at 10SS but if he dies Yan Lo can summon him back.   

Our last addition helps with "chi" and even in death can assist you.

 Price - £10
SS - 5 each

Onryo are usually seen with Kirai but fit with Yan Lo well, their ability to slow an opponent (for the game) when they die is a great bonus and their death can fuel your “chi”. In addition to this they damage models that strike them, and have a pretty high damage output. Unfortunately we’re only using one in the list but it does allow you to push the crew to 40SS by adding the other.

Total - £41