 Malifaux logo | |
| Manufacturers | Wyrd Miniatures |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2009 to present |
| Players | 2+ |
| Playing time | 2–5 hours |
| Chance | Deck of cards used for task resolution |
| Website | www |
Malifaux is a skirmish-level miniatures wargame created by Wyrd Miniatures in 2009 that simulates gang warfare in the ruins of the eponymous city of Malifaux and its surrounding wilderness. The publisher has created several expansions for the game through three editions.
Malifaux is a tabletop miniatures wargame for two players set in the ruined city of Malifaux, now inhabited by gangs and monsters. The setting is Victorian horror steampunk. [1] The game box includes instructions, miniatures, terrain tiles that can be glued together to form battle maps, character cards and a "Fate Deck". In lieu of dice, the game uses cards from the Fate Deck to generate random numbers. Various game mechanics allow players to manipulate its results. [1]
Each player constructs a team of characters, all of whom have, in addition to standard combat and movement abilities, special powers. At the start of the combat, each player is given a random objective for the game, such as assassinating the opposing team leader or controlling certain portions of the game map. [1]
Each player alternates activating one of their characters, using movement, combat and special powers to inflict damage on opposing characters. [1]
Malifaux was designed by Nathan Caroland, Eric Johns, and Dan Weber and released at Gen Con in August 2009 by Wyrd Games, with cover art by Melvin de Voor.
The game proved popular and Wyrd Games quickly published expansions with more characters and miniatures, including Rising Powers (2010) and Twisting Fates (2011).
In 2013, Wyrd Games released a second edition of the game, followed by a third edition in 2019.
For their 3rd Edition, Wyrd Games collaborated with developer Damien Zeke Liergard to create and support their gaming app called Malifaux Crew Builder. It allows users to manage their games while referencing all the characters and associated rules.
In Issue 16 of the French games magazine Blogurizine, Marvin Le Rouge noted, "Since its release in 2009, Malifaux has managed to establish itself and persist in the difficult skirmish game sector. A fantastic western universe, quality figurines and a solid game system have brought many players on board. And this despite some complicated rules that may seem difficult at first; the game is nevertheless worth the effort." After lengthy examinations of seven of the expansions for the game, Le Rouge pointed out that Wyrd Games was switching from metal or plastic miniatures: "The most significant is the abandonment of metal figurines. Ever-increasing costs have forced Wyrd to enter into a process of reflection in order to find another solution, and this is the use of plastic. However true to spirit, Wyrd made sure to find the best possible technology so as not to lose too much quality. The results obtained are encouraging: the plastic is rigid, the poses remain dynamic and the inevitable loss of details is most acceptable." [2]
In their 2016 book Tabletop Wargames : A Designers' and Writers' Handbook, Rick Priestley and John Lambshead used Malifaux as an example of game using "the technique of highly characterised models [exporting] complex and detailed rules about individual characters out of the core rules and onto cards, which are placed onto the tabletop in front of players to be consulted as and when they are needed." [3]
In a review for Dicebreaker , Michael Whelan wrote that "Malifaux is incredibly evocative and comes with some interesting new takes on the miniature wargaming formula" but noted that "the small and quite finicky models can be absolute hell to put together." [4]
A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to study the nature of potential conflicts. Many wargames re-create specific historic battles, and can cover either whole wars, or any campaigns, battles, or lower-level engagements within them. Many simulate land combat, but there are wargames for naval, air combat, and cyber as well as many that combine various domains.
Warhammer 40,000 is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, and the tenth and current edition was released in June 2023.
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use abstract pieces such as counters or blocks, or computer wargames which use virtual models. The primary benefit of using models is aesthetics, though in certain wargames the size and shape of the models can have practical consequences on how the match plays out.
Warhammer is a tabletop miniature wargame with a medieval fantasy theme. The game was created by Bryan Ansell, Richard Halliwell, and Rick Priestley, and first published by the Games Workshop company in 1983.
In miniature wargaming, players enact simulated battles using scale models called miniature models, which can be anywhere from 2 to 54 mm in height, to represent warriors, vehicles, artillery, buildings, and terrain. These models are colloquially referred to as miniatures or minis.
Warmachine is a tabletop steampunk wargame produced by Privateer Press.
Warmaster is a ruleset for tabletop wargames written by Rick Priestley, published by Specialist Games, and set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. It is different from Warhammer Fantasy Battles in both appearance and gameplay. It is intended for 10 –12 mm miniatures. Basic troops are based on stands, of which typically three make a unit. Generals, Heroes and Wizards are mounted individually or with their retinue.
Battlesystem is a tabletop miniature wargame designed as a supplement for use with the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The original Battlesystem was printed as a boxed set in 1985 for use with the first edition AD&D rules. For the second edition of AD&D, a new version of Battesystem was printed as a softcover book in 1989.
Adeptus Titanicus is a tabletop science fiction mecha game published by Games Workshop (GW) in 1988 for use with the rules of Warhammer 40,000. Several revised and expanded editions were released from 1994 to 2018.
The Miniatures Handbook is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.
Wyrd Miniatures produces a range of 32 mm metal and plastic miniatures, in several genres, for painters and gamers. Established and offering its first miniatures in 2005, the company is owned by Nathan Caroland and Eric Johns.
Micro armour refers to scale models made of lead, pewter, die cast metal or plastic, usually used for wargaming purposes. Variations of the name include: mini armour, microscale, mini tanks, miniature armour, miniature tanks, micro tanks, minitanks, minifigs, armour figurines, tank figurines, etc. are also used. Micro armour is a sub-category of model military vehicle miniature figures used for military simulation, miniature wargaming, scale models, dioramas and collecting.
Angriff!, subtitled "A practical set of World War II Wargaming rules for use with the HO and MICRO scale enthusiast", is a set of rules for miniature wargaming set in World War II designed especially for use with HO scale and 1:285 scale micro armor. The booklet was released by Z&M Publishing Enterprises in 1968.
Deadzone is a 28 to 32 mm scale science-fiction skirmish tabletop wargame created by Mantic Games.
Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right is a 2018 asymmetric strategy wargame board game designed by Cole Wehrle, illustrated by Kyle Ferrin, and published by Leder Games. In Root, players compete for the most victory points through moving and battling using various factions with unique abilities. Upon its release, Root received positive reviews, and was followed by four expansions. A digital version, developed by Dire Wolf Digital, was released in 2020.
Richard Fretson Halliwell was a British game designer who worked at Games Workshop (GW) during their seminal period in the 1980s, creating many of the games that would become central to GW's success.
Warlord Games is a British miniatures and wargame publisher, based in Nottingham, UK.
