Now the scenarios play a very important part in any miniature game, but where Malifaux differs is in the fact that even if your master and/or crew is wiped out then you can still pull out a win as opposed to losing based on being tabled or having the leader of your crew shot out from under you. Therefore a lot depends on how well you play your strategies.
Keep in mind these are just general pieces of advice, always focus on what your opponent has to do and think, “How can I maximize my VP?,” and, “How can I be limiting my opponent's VP?”
-Line in the Sand
This one is one of the trickier for review as i've only had to play it once. You dissect the board with 5 dynamite markers and each member of your crew can Interact(1) to arm one of the markers and each member of your opponents crew can Interact(2) to disarm an armed marker. You score half or full depending on how many markers are armed at the end of the scenario.
I see two main approaches for this strategy: A) put fast melee capable bodies on the field and rush as many markers possible to overwhelm your opponent or B) slowly advance with ranged support and whittle your opponent down – blitzing forward in the last two turns to activate as much as possible.
Complementary schemes: Hold out of I pick B) and Breakthrough if I go A)
-Claim Jump
A claim jump marker goes down in your opponents backfield and you have to end the game with bodies near it. The more bodies, the better!
This mission really plays on your gut instincts, but it gives you a favorable advantage – you get to place your marker. 8/10 times, regardless of how you deploy, your opponent will try and put weight on the marker. This really opens up charge lanes and refused flank possibilities for you. I find this lets you target the models on the outskirt and whittle down core units.
Complementary schemes: I like bodyguard here. A lot of people overrate it, but if you take the scheme and announce it I find it splits your opponent between your runner and your master. Stake a claim and breakthrough do well here as well since you're already running for your opponent's line.
-Contain Power
Contain your enemies power by taking out their leaders. Simple enough!
Just kidding. I find this mission to be fairly difficult as your main goal is to target a single enemy model and you score maximum points for taking it out with your leader. Unless your opponent flips a strategy that requires them to split their forces then you definitely have to be careful, peel back the bubble wrap, and then sweep the leg. I generally recommend burning the stone to reflip this strategy unless you have a fighty-killy crew.
Complementary schemes: Grudge, Raid (Guild only), and Eye for an Eye. If you're going to do fighting, do it well!
-Deliver a Message
Anyone in your crew can take an Interact(2) within melee range of your opponent's master and tell them something. What you tell are probably whispering is, “Hey, do you know how hard it is to get across this board alive and somehow manage to tell you something without dying?”
The biggest friend you have in deliver a message is OMM or Other Model Movement. The Resurrectionists have a large amount of this, activate Sybelle, companion a bell, move up, call the companioned Belle and put her in range. Activate her and done. Watch out for this trick. It is terrible and it will make you say cusses out loud. Another good source of OMM is Obey. Obey a model (preferrably companioned) into your opponent's leader and start tallying up the points!
Complementary Schemes: I like Frame for Murder and making my runner the target. If you want to keep your opponent on the back foot, announce it as you run your deliveryman up to the plate.
Hope you find this information useful – next week we'll talk about some more of the Malifaux strategies!