Malifaux Players Packs!!!

Greetings readers and NOVA Open Attendees!!! As promised, we have more news on the NOVA Open Malifaux tournaments and events. Two of the tournament players packs have been uploaded to the NOVA Open site and can be grabbed below in this post.

Through the Breach
First we have Through the Breach. This is is the "Classic Malifaux Tournament", which we expect will have the highest attendence. “Through the Breach” is intended for Malifaux players of all ability and experience levels. This means that players of all skill levels will be facing off with their crews. Please be understanding of this when it comes to playing your game. High levels of sportsmanship are expected from all players.

So what have we done to encourage newer players to participate in this tournament? More importantly, what makes this welcoming for players of all levels? First, we have expanded the time-limits of each round to allow new players to feel un-rushed and enjoy the game. There is 15 minutes at the start of each round allowed for choosing your crew and setting up the game. Players who are ready to play during that 15 minutes can start their games when they are ready. The tournament rounds will each be 85 minutes long. That's right, 1 hour 15 minutes per round to play. This should allow for a steady pace for both players, and give space for all players to make choices during the games. 10 minutes before the end of each round the TO's will announce the end of the round coming. When this announcement is made, players should do everything possible to complete the round they are on and not begin another round.

Lastly, NOVA Open Malifaux judges and Wyrd Miniatures Henchmen will be roaming the tournament tables to answer questions and help out new players. The Henchmen and Judges will not interfere in games, but will be able to provide quick answers should questions arise or players look a bit confused.


Players pack available here.


Midnight Madness

There are some of you out there who know your the best players in your local scene when it comes to Malifaux. Your opponents are constantly asking you to bring "Easier" crews and stop stomping on their throats. Midnight Madness is the event for you. “Malifaux Midnight Madness” is intended as a highly competitive, single elimination Malifaux tournament. This tournament is intended for highly skilled Malifaux players who bring their highest level of tactics, skills, and sportsmanship.

Overall, Midnight Madness is sure to be a joy to watch, as 8 of the best Malifaux players at the NOVA Open 2011 pit themselves against each-other to determine the best of the best. We plan to have larger prizes here, but you should bring your best and play your hardest. We welcome all players, but this is not safe for newbies.

Players pack available here.


Registration
All NOVA Open events can be registered for here. The weekend Malifaux pass provides access to all Malifaux events during the weekend. Please also register on the forums and post in the Malifaux section for those who will be attending events. This will help add you to the Malifaux Updates that will begin coming out soon.

More updates will be incoming as the time draws closer. We are working out some final details for "Bad Things Happen" (Our Daily Achievement Event) and "Bayou Five Card" (Our multi-player scrap). Some of you may also have seen the following on the Wyrd forums:

Messages through the Aethervox indicate that there may be a confluence of Wyrd Developers at the NOVA Open 2011. Keep your 'voxes on and stay tuned for updates

Malifaux at the NOVA Open??? Damn Right!

What is the Malifaux I speak of? I have to take a moment and wonder if you have spent time in a very dark cave lately. Regardless, lets jump into the explanation and we can all get caught up.

First let me start with the introductions. This is Bill, host of the Gamers Lounge Podcast, Author of the Dead Tau Project Blog, Staff at the NOVA Open 2010 & 2011, Wyrd Miniatures Henchman, and most importantly your host and TO for the NOVA Open Malifaux tournament this year!

So what is this Malifaux I speak of? Who is Wyrd Miniatures? These are simple questions to answer initially, which becomes deliciously complex as you dig deeper. Simply put, Malifaux one of the hottest new Skirmish Scale games to hit the market recently, and it is produced by Wyrd Miniatures. Malifaux as a game had its initial market release at Gencon 2009, and has been growing like crazy since then. This year at Gencon they had a "Privateer Press" like line waiting at their booth on opening day for all the new goodies.

Quoted from Wyrd Miniatures directly:

Based in an alternate Earth, Malifaux uses Gothic, Steampunk, Victorian horror with a dose of the wild west to inject fun and depth into the magical lawlessness of a world rife with monsters, necropunks, manmachine hybrids, gunslingers, and power-hungry politicos. Actively using character-driven stories to define the world of Malifaux, seek your fortune in this fast paced and brutal 32mm tabletop miniature skirmish game. Assemble your crew and stake your claim!

So, simple entry point with a normal "Tournament level" crew sitting between 5 and 8 models. Each model has a set of special rules that they work with, and each crew is led by a master. The largest departure from "typical" mini-wargames is the use of cards opposed to dice! 

So, now you know a little bit about Malifaux, and you should be aware that one of the Premier US Malifaux tournaments will be held on Friday at the NOVA Open 2011! So what can I tell you? First off, at this point (Mid February) we are still nailing down all the particulars on the event, but I will share what I can.

We will have 16 3x3 Malifaux tables with full terrain, which will look absolutely fantastic. (as a note, Malifaux tables use ~60%+ terrain coverage) This will allow 32 players to compete for the top spots of best Overall Malifaux player and Best in Faction at the event. I can also confirm we will be running a 30 soulstone Scrap. This means that you pick your faction, which stays the same throughout the tournament, and then get to “buy” your 30ss crew each round. I am aiming for 90 minutes per round, so plenty of time to really rock your opponent and achieve your strategies and schemes.

That’s something else that’s important to point out. For those who are not as familiar, Malifaux is not just a game of killing your opponent! In fact, in some cases it is possible to table your opponent and STILL LOSE THE GAME! This is a game of objectives, which are split into known Strategies (the primary objective) and hidden Schemes (secondary objectives). Accomplishing your Strategies and Scheme’s is more important that just punching your opponents crew in the face! It certainly makes for an exciting game.

So with that introduction, I look forward to seeing a packed house at the NOVA! Registration is currently open and I expect tickets to start moving quickly. I will continue to provide updates here on a fairly regular basis as the details clarify and the date creeps closer.