Misaki Henchmen Status

[Ikka]

I'm just wondering if anyone else would like to see Misaki, or another Ten Thunders member, take Henchmen status?
With the Twisted Fates fluff, it looks like she would be a perfect new Henchmen for the Outcasts. Add her as a Henchmen, then another couple of new Ten Thunders models, and you've got a pretty fun/fluffy Asian-based combat crew. Maybe have a magic-user, and then another Ten Thunders higher-up, like a Lieutenant or something, to add some depth. Any thoughts?

[nix]

I would not like to see Misaki as a henchman.... I think she is much more impressive than mere henchman status. The fluff for her in Twisting Fates was great! I do not really see her working for another master like Von Schill does.

[Omenbringer]

I would like to see two things for Misaki

1. Her upgraded in the next book to full Master (with crew and the entire book closing out the current factions an introducing new Eastern themed crews)
2. Her normal Merc model given a few defensive tweeks to make her a bit better (as is she is to easily dispatched)

I absolutely love her fluff and scuplt (though I have yet to see her do anything outside of a Kirai list).

[Jewomie]

I would like to see two things for Misaki[list=1][*]Her upgraded in the next book to full Master (with crew and the entire book closing out the current factions an introducing new Eastern themed crews).

I guess i am slightly confused... are you implying new factions all together here, or just crews? Closing out the factions doesn't sound appealing to me... but new masters could be really cool.

Personally i think misaki would be a neat master, but it does depend on the crew they give her. I think a ten thunders crew might be really cool, but they would have to take care to make it FEEL different. I would hate to see something that looked really cool for her, but in the end was really just an asian Von Schill...

Basically she would need her own "thing" and most masters that have been given one are all considered over powered because they have something they are really good at. on the flip side of that... i would be leary of her crew becoming one like Colette or Kirai who need a certain group of minions to work effectivly. But maybe more like lady j or Nicodem who can function with a wider array of models.
(note: i said effectivly, not competitively... no hijacking intended, i promise!)

[nilus]

I definitely don't want to see a new faction....ever. I think the 4 + outcasts fit all the major things that can come out of Malifaux. I fear a 6th faction would just bring us Elf robots with giant cod pieces.

That being said Misaki upgrading to a Henchman or Master would be cool. I think I could see her working for other crews. Ten Thunders are an organized crime outfit so they may work with the Arcanists upon occasion. Maybe even Ressers. Guild and Neverborn would be more problematic.

[Jewomie]

I fear a 6th faction would just bring us Elf robots with giant cod pieces.

I want to agree with you... but i fear i would love that crew....

Lol

[micahwc]

I'm waiting for the thread to ask or beg Wyrd to release the robot elves with giant cod pieces army. I will sign the petition.

[Omenbringer]

Yes I am talking about completely new Eastern inspired factions with their own feel (Three Kingdoms, Persian Empire, Czarist Russia, etc).

I think there are several inevitabilities in skirmish games

1. A skirmish game will evolve into a full fledged Army game (by continually adding models to existing factions)
2. A skirmish game continually introduces new factions increasing possibilities while limiting game swell (keeping it a skirmish game)
3. A skirmish game just stops adding things to prevent swell and power creep (in which it usually fades away)

Continually trying to shoehorn Eastern inspired models into the existing factions just doesn't really make sense, unless they are all going to be Outcast crews. For example why would the three kingdoms work with either the Guild or Arcanists (much less Never Born or Ressers) on a consistant basis (eventaully they are going to set out on their own)? Additionally, what is stopping another portal from the Three Kingdoms (or Deepest Darkest Africa or anywhere else for that matter) opening into Malifaux (if one hasn't already)?

What I am hoping for is more factions that introduce more posiibilities for game play without having to worry so much about interactions with existing models and swell (requiring tons of hiring restrictions on each one for balancing).

Malifaux is a big place and still largely unexplored so who knows what lies over the mountains or just around the river bend. Perhaps the reason the Three Kingdoms hasn't been more prominent in Malifaux is because they have their own way in.



For the record I will quit playing if they introduce Robot Elves with Giant Codpieces!

---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:17 PM ----------

Closing out the factions doesn't sound appealing to me... but new masters could be really cool.

How many more models can be added to the existing factions before they all just blend together? Closing them out preserves their identity.

Keep in mind, you dont have to close them out completely (which with some Masters is difficult to do anyway) there is always the possibility of adding new blood down the road (via Mercs, or the occasional new faction model to simulate story progression, or a model that is allowed to be hired by a specific Master,etc.).

[Jewomie]

I think i disagree with you on a couple points. first off, number 1 on your list... just because there is more pieces in your faction doesn't mean suddenly you have to play a 100 ss game. the game wouldn't become a total war game unless wyrd wanted it that way.

with the introduction of henchman, they cut down the need to add masters, instead compacting an entire force into a smaller sized crew... not really a move i would expect to see in a full scale army game. just my opinion though... i jumped the 40k ship ten years ago...

also, i will throw this out... if you think people are screaming balance issues now, just wait! with 3 new factions (the ones you named) that could throw off the balance for real... or at least give the neighsayers more crap to scream about... :/

i also am not sure about picking specific areas for the other breaches to go... if you have the 5 existing (and pretty diverse) factions now, and add an asian faction, a russian faction and an african faction... you're going to end up with a lot of cheesy steriotypes... It's pretty clear they are working in a lot of reginal variety into the factions. i don't think it's nessisary to devote an entire faction to a single ethnic group.

if Wyrd really does want to add new factions in, i doubt ( or at least hope) they wouldn't limit themselves like that...

[Rathnard]

This has been brought up many-a-time, but it's fun to discuss so I'm glad it does. :D

The fluff is definitely moving towards certain non-masters taking more of a leadership role (Fransisco, Samael and Misaki being the standouts). However whether that eventually translates to rules has yet to be seen.

I say this in every thread, but any new henchman needs to be different enough not to make it's minion version obsolete. In other words, it needs to fill it's own niche within the game.

Thinking about the whole 10-thunders business, Promoting Misaki to a henchman does risk overlapping with Von Schill and the Viks too much. Then I thought about it some more. Part of the problem is that I just don't think there's room for yet another Merc leader. Part of what defines the Outcast leaders is that they're almost a faction within their own right. So why not start with that design parameter and go forward from there?

Here's what I'm thinking;

Minion Misaki makes use of all four suits in her spells/talents. So her Henchman & crew should reflect that. Henchman Misaki needs a shift in playstyle, possibly to a more supportive role or even becoming a crazy-ass hit & run ninja.

When leading a crew, she can only select 10-thunders models from any faction. Right now that's just the bros, but it will also include minions added to each other faction;

Guild - Not sure on this one. Maybe an oriental soldier with black-powder weaponry, or a potion-master with some heal & debuff effects?

Arcanists - Lightning Sorcerer, Raiden from Mortal Combat style. :D

Ressurectionist - Some oriental summoner who can summon spirits out of the models killed nearby. Sort of like a Kirai-lite, without actually being minion-kirai. Note that it also effectively allows you to use Gaki/Onryu and the like without having to find a way to allow them to be hired by Misaki. ;)

Neverborn - Oriental Demon/s! There's a specific name for these, I just can't remember.

So this way you have a new Henchman with access to a decent number of models, but without just being another Henchman leading some Mercs or filling out an entire faction with models only she can take.