Sunday, May 5, 2019

Let the Countdown Commence!



Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a release date!


Earlier this week, our Wyrd overlords deigned to inform us that June 28th is the date upon which we shall be receiving our M3E goodness. The message included a number of interesting details for store owners, including their intention to put together packets of the new stat cards which can be inserted into the boxes along with a sticker on the outside to indicate that the box has been updated. This should cut down on the need for retailers to clear out old stock and replace it with new cards, and hopefully cut down on the recent Wyrd product firesales that most stores have been employing. Additionally, Wyrd is intending to start lumping some of the individual model boxed sets together to try and cut down on the number of SKUs that stores have to stock for Malifaux product, which is also a good thing. One of the concerning things going into the relaunch was going to be the situation with boxed sets that are having new models added to them. As a way of addressing this, Wyrd will be offering the ability to special order individual models through store owners for the first year after M3E’s release. This way, if you already own the whole Marcus boxed set but need one model that has been added to it (just a random example, I don’t actually know if there will be anything new in Marcus’ boxed set) you can get it special without having to fork over cash for a whole new box. I think these are good steps taken by the company, as their reputation, particularly in terms of customer service and relationships with retailers, has taken a bit of a ding over the last year. Hopefully this is a sign of them pulling out of that tailspin.

But what about the new stuff! Well, ok, calm down. Obviously, I’m going to talk about that too. For those of you like me (and, let’s be honest, everybody reading this blog probably falls into the same category) that won’t necessarily be in a huge rush to go replace all their models with new stuff come launch day, all of the rules and stat cards for M3E will be available for free on Wyrd’s website day one. If you have access to a printer or a tablet, you can play M3E when the game launches June 28th without spending a dime (other than printer ink, of course, which I think is made from soulstone dust gauging by the price. /oldmanrant.) Most folks will want physical cards, of course, and the stat cards and upgrades for each M2E model will be available for purchase in Faction Packs that will be sold essentially as long as demand lasts. Gauging how M1E to M2E went that’ll be about a year so you won't want to wait too long. It’s a good way to get shiny new cards for all of your old models all in one go, barring dual-faction complications. Interestingly, Wyrd has also decided to create Faction books that will be released over the months following release that will include new stories, lore, and information on the factions themselves. I assume stat blocks will be in there also, but at first blush these fall into the category of “luxury item” for people who want to just play some Malifaux. I’m curious to see what’s in them, and as a lore nerd I’ll probably need to pick them up at some point to get all the current juicy fluff content, but I don’t feel like I’ll need to buy all of them on day one necessarily.



As for the models themselves, as mentioned above the plan is to lump some boxed sets together. This helps store owners out for the above reasons as well as by helping the sales staff to guide new players (“Oh, you like Seamus? Cool, to get all of the models from his keyword, you just have to pick up these three boxes that say they include the Redchapel keyword on the outside.”) and potentially make it less of a wallet hit for new people to join the game as well. Ok, probably not that last one, but at least it’ll keep new players from getting overwhelmed by letting them focusing on the keyword models rather than having the daunting task of buying the whole faction in front of them. I included some preview art of the new boxed sets above. I preferred M2E’s green and black boxes to this new scheme, and this new sculpt of Lady Justice isn’t my favorite, but the new judge looks rad and I really like the idea of lumping some models in theme together in the same box. As for the new release schedule itself, why don’t I just go ahead and throw it into the post here so you can check it out.

* An asterisk next to a product SKU indicates that the box contains new sculpts or models.
June Releases


WYR23001
Malifaux Core Rulebook
$20.00
WYR23002
Guild Faction Pack
$20.00
WYR23003
Resurrectionist Faction Pack
$20.00
WYR23004
Arcanist Faction Pack
$20.00
WYR23005
Neverborn Faction Pack
$20.00
WYR23006
Outcast Faction Pack
$20.00
WYR23007
Bayou Faction Pack
$20.00
WYR23008
Ten Thunders Faction Pack
$20.00
WYR23009
Dead Man's Hand Pack
$7.00
WYR23011
M3E Fate Deck
$13.00
* WYR23101
Basse Core Box
$50.00
* WYR23302
Burning Bridges
$50.00
* WYR23701
Youko Core Box
$45.00

July Releases


WYR23010
General Upgrades Pack
$8.00
WYR23012
Guild Faction Book
$25.00
WYR23014
Arcanist Faction Book
$25.00
WYR23015
Neverborn Faction Book
$25.00
* WYR23104
Lady Justice Core Box
$50.00
* WYR23301
Marcus Core Box
$50.00
* WYR23502
Loyalty to Coin
$28.00
WYR23106
Nellie Core Box
$50.00
WYR23107
Perdita Core Box
$50.00
WYR23108
Sonnia Core Box
$50.00
WYR23124
Brutal Fate
$40.00
WYR23205
Seamus Core Box
$50.00
WYR23206
Reva Core Box
$50.00
WYR23224
Carrion Fate
$40.00
WYR23312
Ironsides Core Box
$50.00
WYR23315
Kaeris Core Box
$50.00
WYR23316
Sandeep Core Box
$50.00
WYR23319
Arcane Fate
$40.00
WYR23407
Pandora Core Box
$50.00
WYR23422
Titania Core Box
$50.00
WYR23425
Mysterious Fate
$40.00
WYR23512
Tara Core Box
$50.00
WYR23515
Parker Core Box
$50.00
WYR23519
Hamelin Core Box
$50.00
WYR23522
Jack Daw Core Box
$50.00
WYR23525
Hodgepodge Fate
$40.00
WYR23610
Mah Tucket Core Box
$50.00
WYR23614
Zipp Core Box
$50.00
WYR23617
Brewmaster Core Box
$50.00
WYR23619
Ulix Core Box
$50.00
WYR23624
Lucky Fate
$40.00
WYR23712
Lucas Core Box
$50.00
WYR23714
Mei Feng Core Box
$50.00
WYR23715
Asami Core Box
$50.00
WYR23720
Shenlong Core Box
$50.00
WYR23725
Shadow Fate
$40.00

August Releases


WYR23017
Bayou Faction Book
$25.00
WYR23018
Ten Thunders Faction Book
$25.00
* WYR23303
Colette Core Box
$50.00
* WYR23601
Som'er Core Box
$50.00
* WYR23713
One Born Every Minute
$27.00
WYR23109
Pathfinder and Clockwork Traps
$21.00
WYR23125
Pale Rider
$30.00
WYR23126
Guild Steward
$11.00
WYR23213
Rogue Necromancy
$30.00
WYR23220
Draugr
$21.00
WYR23222
Necropunks
$21.00
WYR23225
Dead Rider
$30.00
WYR23320
Mechanical Rider
$30.00
WYR23405
Teddy
$18.00
WYR23406
Carver
$18.00
WYR23411
Cyclops
$40.00
WYR23421
Grootslang
$30.00
WYR23424
Killjoy
$18.00
WYR23426
Hooded Rider
$21.00
WYR23427
Hinamatsu
$15.00
WYR23222
Ashes and Dust
$30.00
WYR23606
Swine-Cursed
$18.00
WYR23607
Pigapult
$30.00
WYR23612
Rooster Riders
$35.00
WYR23618
Whiskey Golem
$30.00
WYR23625
Bayou Smuggler
$18.00
WYR23626
Akaname
$21.00
WYR23629
Silurids
$21.00
WYR23703
Kunoichi
$21.00
WYR23705
Ten Thunder Archers
$21.00
WYR23718
Jorogumo
$40.00
WYR23723
Lotus Eater
$21.00
WYR23724
Charm Warder
$24.00
WYR23726
Dawn Serpent
$15.00
WYR23730
Yasunori
$30.00
WYR23731
Tanuki
$18.00

September Releases


WYR23013
Resurrectionist Faction Book
$25.00
WYR23016
Outcast Faction Book
$25.00
* WYR23201
Von Schtook Core Box
$55.00
* WYR23401
Dreamer Core Box
$60.00
* WYR23501
Viktoria Core Box
$50.00
WYR23115
Six Feet Under
$35.00
WYR23116
Wake the Dead
$42.00
WYR23209
Surgical Staff
$42.00
WYR23217
Vengeful Ghosts
$42.00
WYR23221
The Returned
$30.00
WYR23223
Eternal Servitude
$50.00
WYR23308
Altered Beasts
$30.00
WYR23310
The Ten Peaks
$42.00
WYR23322
Support Staff
$30.00
WYR23420
A Light in the Dark
$35.00
WYR23423
The Howling
$35.00
WYR23430
Familiar Faces
$24.00
WYR23503
Hired Killers
$24.00
WYR23511
Marlena Webster
$18.00
WYR23516
Wokou Raiders
$21.00
WYR23523
A Hard Day's Work
$30.00
WYR23613
Bayou Engineering
$35.00
WYR23615
Off the Top Rope
$30.00
WYR23627
See Ya Later
$35.00
WYR23628
Gautraeux Bokor
$24.00
WYR23630
Creative Taxidermy
$35.00
WYR23716
Ancient Evil
$30.00

It looks like there’s roughly one master’s boxed set per faction getting a resculpt, except for the Ten Thunders. That’s a little disappointing, as I would argue they are the most in need of new plastics, since they were first after Wyrd switched away from pewter and their quality is well behind the others. I thought that all of the alternate art for them in Broken Promises might have indicated the future, but for now I’m a little confused. I assume a new Sonnia will be coming at some point as well, since she doesn’t wear the mask anymore.

I'm sure she's hard at work "motivating" the sculptors as we speak.

Lastly, Wyrd mentions that they’ll be releasing a Gaining Grounds Season One document at some point within the first year of the game’s life to reignite the competitive scene (some of which has already started to come back, based on the M3E beta tournaments I’ve seen recently.) I hope they’re working with Craig at Third Floor Wars so they can tie this in with his Third Floor Wars’ attempt to get a national Masters tournament put together. And, of course, they bring up the mysterious new faction coming (likely) in the next wave of M3E. For those not in the know, McCabe and the new Guild master Basse are dual-faction with them, and some overheard rumor and scuttlebutt has it that 1) there will be a model in the faction for which you can use the former Mounted Guard alternate sculpts from the Nightmare McCabe boxed set and 2) the name of this new faction has been mentioned somewhere in the already existing fluff. More details will doubtless come from the upcoming M3E fluff, but I’d say that the themes of frontier, wild west-type models will probably be involved. Maybe an Explorer’s Society pushing out into the boundaries of settled Malifaux to explore the wider world? I don’t know, but I’m in love with them already. I wish Perdita was going with them as well so I could just quit the Guild entirely and play these new people, but c’est la vi. I’m told by unnamed sources that Perdita and Basse don’t really get along, as Perdita will happily burn down a village to get the Neverborn she thinks is hiding inside while Basse is much more law and order focused. The obvious rebuttal, of course, is “yeah, but McCabe is a lawless scoundrel who is literally responsible for breaking the Earth,” but nobody asked for my opinion on the matter. I like ‘em. ‘Nuff said.

All things considered I’m looking forward to the coming M3E goodness. I think this community post by Wyrd was a good step in the right direction, and they seems to be conscious of the need to make the transition between editions as painless as possible, which is a good thing. Every day I get more hyped for M3E, which hopefully will translate into more regular Malifaux Musings. If you’re in the mid-west United States, I’ll be attending my first M3E tournament in Des Moines May 25th and 26th at Museon Con. If you make the trip, hopefully we’ll see each other there! I’ll be the one who looks befuddled while trying to remember how all these newfangled models work.