Yan Lo – what is he good for? (ToMB – Month 2)

Later than expected I finally got Yan Lo to the table last night for his first run out. My opponent wanted to play at 45SS so I put in a Rotten Belle and dropped an upgrade from my previous list.
The scheme was Reckoning with a very kill based scheme pool. It wasn’t an ideal crew that I had picked (with lots of cheap minions) but that gave me a good opportunity to look at what worked with Yan Lo and what did not.

My initial thoughts on Yan Lo are the following:

• A Yan Lo of two halves - The first thing that I noticed is that Yan Lo really comes into his own in a later game as a power house. Before that he can be quiet fragile and will certainly want to be hanging back to build up some Chi. Once he gets going all of his CA actions are 8 which makes him an offensive machine.
• All of the healing and none of the healing –in my experience all of the Wave 1 Resser masters where very difficult to kill. Even Nicodem could prove to be a challenge as long as he stayed at the back of the pack. Yan Lo does not have a selfheal like some of the other masters (though he has great healing spell for his minions) and with an initially low DF and WP he will quickly be losing wounds. However with the correct ascendant upgrades and a built up source of Chi he can have some of the best defence in the game.
• Dancing all night long – the Lightning Dance is one of the go to attack actions that Yan Lo has, it allow him to isolate an remove an enemy model and place it next to one of your models allowing you to take apart the opponents crew peace by peace.
• Ranged, in a Resser crew – while not an exceptional attack its not to be sniffed at in a Resserctionist crew. Less applicable in 10 Thunders but the Resserectionists do not have a lot of ranged attacks across the faction. Yan Lo brings some of this to the faction and once he gets up to CA 8 it will be easy for him to hit most minions. While you won’t be building your strategy around it I think that it is a good tool in the box to have.
• Me and all my friends – Yan Lo seems to come across as a support master, not in the same way as the traditional buffing master but rather one that allows you to make your key models very difficult to kill and make the most of their AP with tricks to bring enemy models to them or push them around with the Soul Porter.
• Initial thoughts on schemes – at the moment as a Resseructionists I would say that Yan Lo is the “go to” model for Reconing, he can take a small elite crew and move them around and keep them healthy. This is great for VP denial. I think with the right crew  he can also do Turf Way and also would be worth looking at Stake a Claim and Squatters rights.

As to hobby time, I’m sad to say its been sorely lacking. I’m about to move house hence the disruption and the Foldio has arrived so that should allow me to deliver some better pictures as well. I also arranged a game last month but forgot Yan Lo’s rules so ended up having to run Nicodem. This was fine for finally getting the hang of his upgrades and summoning (4 hanged in one game!) but a shame to not get Yan Lo to the table more often.

ToMB – Month 1 – First Steps on the Path - Collecting

I’ve taken my lead from @mike3838  I will be dividing my updates into three broad categories as outlined in his blog - http://malifauxnoob.blogspot.co.uk/. These are:

Collecting – what I have bought this month
Painting/modeling – exactly what it says on the tin
Gameplay – This will be a mix of theoryfaux, battle report and hopefully a tournament report or two

As discussed before I will be starting with Yan Lo. The first stop on the for purchase is the Masters of the Path box. This adds in a great support peace (Chiaki) as well as some sold minions in the Ashigaru.

Now if I was purchasing the crew completely new I would pick up Toshiro and then review what to add in next as I love the sculpt. Like a growing number of Wyrd model when I first looked at the art for him  I was less than impressed but seeing the sculpt won me round. However I don’t currently own him so I will use what I have ready to go in the form of Izamu. It’s a little cheeky as he is already painted but he is a great model that pumps up my crew to a 41 SS crew which is the minimum to play a scrap.

With those purchases made this is what I currently have for a list

Resurrectionists Crew - 41 - Scrap
Yan Lo -- 6 Pool
 +Decaying Aura [2]
 +Reliquary [1]
Soul Porter [3]
Ashigaru [5]
Ashigaru [5]
Ashigaru [5]
Chiaki the Niece [6]
 +Pull of the Grave [1]
Izamu the Armor [10]
 +Unnerving Aura [1]

Purchases - Masters of the Path Box($35) and Izamu - The Armor ($16) total spend $51. Budget carried over to next month: $9.

I’m off to Smog Con this weekend to which looks to be a top few days. I’m signed up with Nicodem for the story encounter (provided I can turn up on time) and the will be in the main Malifaux tournament. Then I hope to have a good mooch and drink some beer as well as get a few demos in a avoid spending to much on new toy soldiers. If I can I will try to meet up with some of the other ToMB for a first game or 2.

Tale of a Malifaux Blogger - Month 0

In an effort to fit in with the cool kids in Malifaux I’ve put my hat into the ring for the Tale of a Malifaux Blogger competition that will be running for the next 6 months. Rules can be found here for those that are interested http://taleofmalifauxbloggers.blogspot.co.uk/ or http://wyrd-games.net/community/topic/98442-tale-of-malifaux-bloggers-tomb/.

It is in essence to write a blog as you do a slow grow of models for Malifaux as you purchase them (or in my case assemble models I have purchased and not painted yet.  Most bloggers have started with one master and in my case this will be Yan Lo. I’m not entirely certain of his play style as it underwent some revisions during the play test. The official rules for him come out this week and I’ll post up my thoughts then but a cursory glance of his last rules he was looking to be a solid tough to kill master (as you would expect from the Ressers) who could lead a thematic elite crew (I can see him  becoming the go to master for Reckoning).

The reason I’ve decided to start with him is due to his duel faction status. I have almost all of my Wave 1 Ressers painted but need to start work on my Wave 2 models as well as pick up a Kirai crew which will provide some good synergy for Yan Lo. I also have Lucas McCabe and Jackob “the new filth” Lynch assembled looking for a good home as well so I can put these into this project as I go for painting.

Being a moderate painter I like to pick a colour for my crews to tie them together as well as basing. It’s going to be blue for the 10 Thunders and the yellow for Ressers (my Ressers that is). Each other master will keep the signature primary colour from there factions plus the blue for 10T. Basing will be the original faction of the model.

The good news is that the local scene has got about 4-5 new players interested in Malifaux at the moment so I hope to stick to these rules when playing those guys and becoming Mr Suitcase or “that guy” and keep the games with the newbies fun.

I think that the only other blog covering Yan Lo can be found here - http://www.fauxshow.ca/cat/tomb/ should you want to compare (though it looks very similar to start with!)

Battle Report - Yan Low (Ten Thunders) vs Seamus (Resurrectionists)

Welcome to the 1^st post! I thought that I would start with a battle report for Malifaux – this involves a play test of the Yan Low crew for Malifaux who are currently being play tested for balance and a “fun” play experience. 

Yan Low (Ten Thunders) vs Seamus (Resurrectionists) – 4/10. 22^nd October 2013

Turf War – Standard Deplyment

Scheme Pool - Line in the Sand, Bodyguard, Kill Protégé, Make Them Suffer and Defend Territory

Ten Thunders

Yan Low + Path of Bones + Path of Ash + Path of Spirit

Izamu + Spiritual Fortitude

Toshiro the Daimyo + Command the Graves

Yin + Eternal Terror

Ashigaru

Ashigaru

Schemes - Make Them Suffer and Defend Territory

Resurrectionists

Seamus + bag o’ tools + red chapel killer + Mad Haberdasher

Mortimer + my favourite shovel

Rotten Bell

Rotten Bell

Punk Zombie

Flesh Construct

Bete Noir

Scheme Pool - Bodyguard, (Mortimer) and Make Them Suffer

Game Report

Turn 1

Ten Thunders crew moved forward to the centre of the table but stayed in cover. Toshiro used “Teki o Juden!” To push the Ashigaru forward but was blocked by terrain. Mortimer placed a corpse counts and used “Fresh Meat” to push the crew forward. Seamus turned the corpse counter into a new bell and moved up under cover. The Bells then lured Toshiro into the middle of the Resseraction minion’s crew and the Flesh Construct and Punk Zombie reduced him to 3 wounds and kindly gave him the poison 2 condition – generous chaps that they are.

Turn 2

The Resurrectionists burnt a stone to win initiative, imidatlly activate the Punk Zombie to finish the job started last turn with Toshiro. Toshiro who was out of range of Yan Low so he couldn’t be recycled. The Ten Thunders moved forward and secured the centre of the table with Ashigaru using “brace” and Yin holding the middle. Seamus used a focused hand cannon shot to reduce an Ashigaru to 1 wound who was then lured away and killed by a Rotten Bell. Mortimer used Fresh Meat again to have the minions surround the final Ashigaru. Izamu decided that was the right time to involve himself and attacked Bete Noir who used “One with the Night” to avoid her death. Yan low remembered to use his 0 action to gain a point of Chi this turn and attached the second Rotten Bell but was unable to kill her (missing once and doing 2 damage). Finally the Flesh Construct reduced the wounds on the remaining Ashigaru is left with 2 wounds.

Both Ten Thunders and Resurrectionists score 1VP for Turf War

Turn 3

Resurrectionists win initiative and activate a Rotten Bell attacks and kills the Ashigaru. Bete Noir is placed near Izamu who activates, reduces her to 0 wounds and she “One with the Night” again. Yan Low uses “Ascendance” to attach Spirit Ascendant. He then attacks one of Rotten Bells with Spirit Barrage and kills her. Seamus, Punk Zombie, Flesh Construct and a Rotten Bell all attack Yin and kill her. Bete Noir is placed back into play after Yin’s death and Yin’s upgrade is attached to Yan Low. Mortimer walks twice to move out of the Resurrectionists deployment area to.

Both Ten Thunders and Resurrectionists score 1VP for Turf War.

Both Ten Thunders and Resurrectionists score 1VP for Make Them Suffer.

Turn 4

Izamu once again activated, killed Bete and she used “One with the Nigh” to avoid death yet again (one trick pony!). Seamus charges Yan Low and summons a Rotten Bell from the only corpse counter within 6” of Yan Low. Seamus hits Yan Low 3 times with Bag of Tools doing 3 wounds. Yan Low returns the favour and causes 3 wounds to Seamus after damage prevention. A Rotten Bell then “Lures” Izamu so that Seamus heals 2 wounds due to the failed WP duel. The rest of the Resurrectionists crew attack Izamu (3 Rotten Bells, Punk Zombie and Flesh Construct) leaving Izamu with 3 wounds and slow for the next turn. Izamu in kind hands out 4 repost strikes in the hope that the hoards of zombies will just leave him alone (can’t a magical suit of armour just get some alone time!).

Both Ten Thunders and Resurrectionists score 1VP for Turf War.

Resurrectionists score 2VP for Make Them Suffer and Bodyguard

Turn 5

The Punk Zombie finally kills Izamu, Bete Noir is placed again. Yan Low moves and re-summons Yin and then attacks Seamus with Brutal Khakkhara doing sever followed by red joker for damage. Seamus is left on 1 wound. The rest of the crew focus all attacks on Yin and kill her again.

Resurrectionists score 4VP for Turf War, Make Them Suffer and Bodyguard

Thoughts on the models

As an overview of the Yan Low crew it has some specialised models and a lot of staying power. If Toshiro has survived for longer and been adding positive flips to attacks for the crew they would have been formidable. Model to model comments I would say the following:

 Yan Low + Path of Bones + Path of Ash + Path of Spirit: Yan Low was a tough cookie once he gets his upgrades going. Like a lot of the Resurrectionists masters he is tought to put down and this is a nice addition to the Ten Thunders faction. The new mechanics for re-summoning ancestors is much better and prevents from an infinite supply of them. However he did fell as if that is all he did. Most of the other masters can do these things and then something else. I think if he had slightly better attack value he would be great as a ranged attach master – maybe a bump on his damage profile for spirit barrage. As a rules point of view one thing that I would like clarified is the “Ascend” upgrades – is the limit of the 3 upgrades on a master still in effect therefore meaning that if you start with all 3 upgrades that you cannot then Ascend and add another.

Izamu + Spiritual Fortitude – Strong “tar pit” model that can really hold his ground. Mostly worked really well – the only thing that I would perhapse add would be a 6MI but I think that he would need to cost 1 more SS for this (which I would happily pay). Would have been a great combination with Toshiro.

Toshiro the Daimyo + Command the Graves – didn’t see a lot of the model tbh but he looked fine – he actually survived quite a few attacks coming in on him. Should be used as a support model and kept to the back of fights. Both players agreed that they missed his limited summoning from 1.5.

Yin + Eternal Terror – frustratingly difficult to hit and damage, with a terror test, neg flips on both attack and damage as well as 8 wounds Yin was very challenging to put down – would be strong if used with the Grave Spirit. Might be worth changing to just negative flip on attacks.

Ashigaru – great model felt very well balanced for the points. No changes needed.