Treasures in hags territory [Maliaux]

Another Malifaux battle report, this time my Freikorps crew tested their mettle against the Arcanists led by Marcus. Lots of beasts and constructs in the enemy list which my Trapper (snipers) really liked.

35 Soul stones as usual

Freikorps:

Von Schill
3x Freikorpsmenn
1x Librarian
1x Specialist
2x Trappers

Strategy, "Treasure hunt", retrieve the treasure chest located inside the cabin and haul it back to friendly deployment.

Schemes "Body guard" Von Schill (keep him alive) and "Gather soul stones" (end the game with more SS than the enemy). Both schemes were hidden.


Arcanists

Marcus
3x Ice Gamin
1x Sabretooth Cerberus
3x Silurid

Strategy "Claim jump", move to a specific spot on the table and hold it with at least double amount of models at the end of the game.

Schemes "Hold out" (prevent enemy models in friendly deployment) and Assassinate Von Schill.
Both schemes were hidden.

.....................

I had met this Arcanist lot before with my Resurrectionists so I had a sense of what would be very dangerous - the Sabretooth is insane in close combat when it still has all 3 heads. So killing the cat was my priority. I also knew the Silurids would be a pain in the ass with their "leap" ability making those combined insane 18" charges. My trappers ended up being the main target for the Silurids, while the Sabretooth moved around in such a fashion that I could not get LoS to it.

I decided to rush with everything except my Trappers towards the cabin, figuring this would draw attention of at least the cat. And it did. Von Schill ran up to the house and the Freikorps move up behind him, and the cat positioned itself on the other side of the building. Having a crap initiative flip I burned a Soul Stone to re-flip and went first.

Activating Von Schill to fire at the cat twice, inflicting minimum damage twice (2x3dg) I then ordered the Specialist since his flamethrower was making 2dg minimum damage. This let me kill the cat in one nice move.

On the other flank however my Trappers were literally jumped by the Silurids and were fighting to stay alive, with some luck and cheating with my good cards I managed to save both men. I dispatched a Freikorpsman towards their position to provide backup while I moved the rest of my Freikorps unit back a little and gathered around the Librarian allowing her to cast her protective magic boosting their defense value with +2.

Marcus sought to sabotage my objective so he entered the building and moved up to the treasure chest. Having the initiative next turn he picked it up and moved back towards the window. Not wanting him to run away with my objective I sent in von Schill to stop him, moving up to the window, firing a shot which wounded Marcus - that then spent a soul stone to heal himself. Von Schill used the reposition trigger to jump inside and his last action point to move into base contact with Marcus preventing him to run off with the treasure chest.

Outside the Silurids kept clawing and biting at my Trappers who fought to survive the insane amounts of attacks directed towards them. One managed to break off from the close combat, my Freikorpsman charged the other Silurid and with the help of the Trapper both men dispatched the beast. Though before they knew if the last Silurid charged the Trapper which was most wounded and killed him.

Ice Gamins stalked the tree line and used boxes and walls for cover as they approached the Librarian and the Specialist. Luckily the Freikorps armor reduced the Ice Gamin minimum damage completely. A Freikorpsman and the Specialist killed one of the Ice Gamins, the other moved closer. During the next turn I moved up with the Specialist and detonated his tanks killing one of the Ice gamins and wounding the other.

Inside the cabin Marcus used his ridiculous amounts of zero actions and magic attacks to claw and rip von Schill a new one. Managing to save von Schill long enough, I also burned a soul stone to make a healing flip.  Jumping out of close combat I fired at Marcus twice and then ordered one Freikorpsman to jump through the window and lock Marcus for me.

The last Silurid jumped over the Trapper and supporting Freikorpsman to aid his little Ice Gamin buddy and started clawing at my Librarian who somehow managed to survive. The game neared its end, and it didn't look especially good for any of us in regard to the main objectives.

Von Schill jumped out of the window to avoid being attacked by Marcus but was then charged by the Silurid who failed to inflict any damage. And the game ended a draw.

The Arcanists had been reduced to Marcus, 1 Ice Gamin and 1 Silurid. The Freikorps had lost 1 Trapper and 1 Freikorpsman. Neither faction achieved its main objective.

And both factions only managed to achieve 1 secondary objective, ending the game a 1-1. Though it was a brutal and tense game nonetheless.