August 2013: Short Story Tara's Crew Malifaux 2nd Edition Ask A Gremlin Kings of Artifice Jetpack Unicorn Showdown: Icons

Contents
Short Story
Taras Crew
Malifaux 2nd Edition
Ask a Gremlin
Kings of Artifice
Jetpack Unicorn
Showdown: Icons
Building a modular Board
Henchmen SHowcase
andres colinas (Order #10233157)
August 2013
Contents
Volume 7
Editor:
Contributors
David Hanold
Redd Cohen
Justin Gibbs
David Hanold
Adrian Scott
Graeme Stevenson
Redd Cohen
Michael Kelmelis
Marko Paunovic
Web Comic:
Contributing Artists:
Layout:
David Hanold
Graphic Design:
Paul Villar
Writers:
Melvin de Voor
Stephane Enjoralas
Hardy Fowler
Christophe Madaru
Pablo Quiligotti
Copyright Wyrd Miniatures, LLC
The Best Four Days In Gaming
By: David Hanold
Welcome to the seventh installment of the Wyrd Chronicles!

Back in April, I hinted at how busy we have been here at Wyrd, but I was unable to share much more
than that. Now, I am happy to announce, that this issue of the Wryd Chronicles lifts that curtain.
Malifaux 2nd Edition is a huge release for Gen Con Indy 2013 and we cant wait to get it into your
hands. Along with M2E we will be previewing and selling other games that we have been working on
too. With weeks to go until Gen Con Indy 2013, this issue of the Wyrd Chronicles will provide the Wyrd
Community with an early look at the things they should expect see.
For the Malifaux side, you can read about and view the full stat cards for the new Outcast Master, Tara,
and her crew. Graeme Stevensons short story foretells Mollys future in the Malifaux 2nd Edition setting.
We also tracked down that pesky gremlin to answer more of your questions. Also, check out this issues,
A Gremlins Luck.
We have other exciting products that will be sold at Gen Con Indy 2013. Get a first look at the Kings
of Artifice, a board game set in a fantasy setting where players compete for victory points by build
sprawling empires. Fans of party games should check out The World Needs A Jetpack Unicorn, a card
game packed with crazy questions and fun! Adrian Scotts provides you with a strategy article for
Showdown, an intense card battle system which pits two characters against one another in quick bouts.
Adrian breaks down the deeper mind games woven within Showdowns easy-to-learn system and the
mechanics behind each characters deck.
Craftsmen who have wondered about building a modular gaming board can read about how UMS
Agram and Figure Painting Magazine were able to build their own modular gaming board. Then,
continuing with the crafters, we wrap up this issue with a gallery of wonderful models painted by
henchmen from all over.
Its been another busy year for us, but I am glad to finally have the opportunity to share so many of the
projects that we have been working on with our community. I look forward to demoing these games at
Gen Con Indy 2013 and meeting anyone that stops by our booth.
-David Hanold
Theres Something About Molly
By: Graeme Stevenson
She sat despondently on the crate, knees together, feet Never was one for confection, Philip mused. Rots
splayed, head in hands. A few paces away, beyond the the teeth.
mouth of the alley, the world continued to turn.
Molly could remember the bakery she used to go to
Horses and carts rumbled over the cobbles, gaggles of on the corner of White Arch Lane. They mostly sold
servant girls jostled and shrieked over gossip on their bread, but they had a cake stand in one corner of the
way to work, hawkers with barrows and baskets cried counter that the bakers wife used to populate each
out their wares of flowers, fresh bread, roasted nuts, and morning. They were simple recipes, but light and
a hundred other things to entice the passing commuters. tasty and always sold out by mid-morning. Molly
would always make a point of detouring there early
Molly watched the flow of life and purpose, on her way totoshe had forgotten.
uncomfortably aware that she possessed neither. This
hadnt always been the case, but it was getting difficult She realized that she was stroking Philips head
to remember her life before well, before it ended. absently, but he didnt seem to mind.
There were certain moments that still shone brightly in
her memory, sparkling gems that reminded her of who Didnt Seamus tell you to go and wait for him by the
she had once been. However, these moments were few library? Tombers enquired presently.
and far between now, like stars in a cloudy night sky.
And one by one, those stars were going out.
He did. Molly could feel the compulsion in her,
trying to haul her to her feet and usher toward the
It was an unpleasant realization, but there might come the huge gray building, but it was held in check by
a day when Molly had no memory of ever having lived another part of her that refused a part that had
at all.
been growing gradually stronger. She had always
harbored a secret loathing for the Hatter and what
Ah, said a muffled voice. Chestnuts. I used to love he had done to her, but she had been bound to obey
them so.
his will by the same dark powers that had brought
her back from oblivion. Before, disobeying or even
Molly had forgotten about Philip. She lifted the velvet postponing one of Seamus commands would have
bag and sat it on her knees, opening the drawstring and been unthinkable, impossible.
lifting out the mottled head.
Yet here she sat, petting Philip and musing on her
I didnt know you liked chestnuts, she said.
lot.
Oh yes. Philip would probably have nodded, given the Dont you think you should go? prompted Tombers.
chance. Freshly roasted, still piping hot from the coals.
Especially on cold nights. The severed head smacked Instead, she dropped the head back into its bag and
his lips.
got to her feet. At the mouth of the alley, she hovered
for a moment. The library was to the east.
Molly would have offered to pilfer him a handful, were
it not for the need to clean semi-masticated chestnut She turned west.
paste out of the bottom of the bag later.
I used to like lemon cakes, she said wistfully. Those
little round ones with the icing sugar on top and a little
curl of rind.
Seamus lifted his oversized hat and drew a linen

kerchief across his brow.
Mercy sakes, but shes a hot one, he said.
The weather had been unseasonably humid for
several weeks and a hazy cloud of vapor hung
over the entire city, turning its black stone spires
into translucent strips of gauze. Although the sun
wasnt visible through the haze, its heat was like an
oppressive weight across the citizenrys shoulders.
be told almost as if they were listening to her

more closely, or were able to garner more from her
instructions. She had her finger on the pulse of his
undead subordinates, if the pun could be pardoned.
They just worked better when she was involved.
This was why the sweat that was sticking his shirt to his
shoulders was not generated solely by the furnace-like
midday heat. He was genuinely nervous, though hed
never admit it.
There had been no wind for days; moisture trickled

down every pane of glass and clothes clung to bodies
in a most uncomfortable manner.
He looked again still no sign of Molly.
Where is that blasted girl? he wondered aloud,
fingering the faint scar in the center of his forehead
through the kerchief.
The rotten belle at his elbow made no comment.
Her face had turned a disturbing guacamole color
even through the pancaked face powder and there
was a ripe, fecund stench permeating her perfume.
This heat was not conducive to good necromancy.
Wait here, I tells her, Seamus continued. Here, I
says, not there, but here. And where is she, I ask
yer? Nowhere to be seen, thats where.
The truth of the matter was that Seamus had found
Molly an increasingly capable lieutenant in recent
months, despite his tendency to berate and belittle
her suggestions (which he would implement at a
later date when the credit could be claimed
as his own). Something he had been slower
to spot was Mollys efficiency in relaying his
orders, and he needed that efficiency now.
When he gave instructions to his belles they tended
to be rather haphazard in their execution and it
was as much fortune as planning that yielded
positive results most of the time. Relaying those
instructions through Molly, however, consistently
ensured a better resolution. He hadnt managed
to put his finger on why that was, but there was
definitely something about the way she interfaced
with the belles well, with all his projects, truth
Damn that girl, he said, stuffing the damp kerchief back He was there, as always.
in a coat pocket.
Molly was hovering amid a collection of freight
His plan was simple enough. The armored wagon containers piled outside a warehouse, swinging her
would pull up outside the bank in about five parasol and doing her best to look inconspicuous,
minutes time. Theyd pick up the gold dust and gems which can be a difficult ambiance to strike when
brought in by prospectors and drop off a remittance one is an undead woman wearing a blood-stained
of newly-minted scrip for the laborer wages due on orange silk dress with a severed head in a bag,
Friday. Seamus was going to relieve them of both.
lingering around a dockyard full of sweating cursing
laborers. She did her best under the circumstances.
After all, he had several projects in various stages of
development back in the Quarantine Zone and funding The reason she was loitering in that exact spot
for illegal experimentation didnt grow on trees.
was the clerks office of the Roe Clancy Shipping
& Transport Company a short distance across the
From his vantage point across the street, in the alley cobbles. Or, to be more precise, the fellow hunched
between the City Library and a shipping merchant in the farthest-left window of said building, bent
headquarters, Seamus had an uninterrupted view of over his quill and inkpot and oblivious to the world.
the Forbes & Clarke Municipal Assurance Co. and
the street for a hundred yards in either direction of She had first seen him one foggy evening when
it. He had belles down the alleys on either side of Seamus had tasked her with tipping a sack-full of
the bank building, a few more dallying on the street body parts over the port wall. The man had emerged,
(with parasols to hide their unfortunate complexions locked up the office, and hurried off up the street.
in daylight), and Seamus secret weapon.
She was struck with his unassuming devotion
He grinned at the thought of it. Assuming things went to his work and his simple humanity. He was an
to plan, one of the doxys would get the keys to the astonishingly unremarkable individual, always
wagon from the dead guard and theyd clean the thing wrapped in a long wool scarf and wearing the same
out while the others were helping themselves to the scuffed winkle pickers, small moon glasses, and
vault. Seamus had calculated there was always a chance side-swept mousy hair.
that the keys might be lost in the confusion and all this
risk was pointless if there was no reward, so he had And so long as there was a shred of sunlight, he would
engineered a little something extra just in case.
be in that office, hunched over his ledger. Molly found
herself sympathetic to the endless labor and the
A heavy-looking wagon with eight wheels and six thanklessness of it all first in and last out, and most
frothy Clydesdale horses came around the corner. likely for a pittance of a wage and scant recognition if
It was made of dense hardwood and lacquered any at all notions she strongly identified with both
black, lined with iron rivets and iron sheeting on before and after death.
the underside and flanks. Even the wheels and axles
were strengthened with iron.
There had been no more sacks of chopped-up bodies
to be disposed of, but Molly had found herself down by
As it turned the corner, he saw the Guild insignia the Roe Clancy Shipping & Transport Company more
blazoned arrogantly across the flank.
and more often, simply lingering in the shadows of the
warehouses across the way and watching him work.
Showtime, ladies, Seamus said, resettling his hat.
And remember smile!
She had no idea what he did for the company,
although she suspected it was some form of bookkeeping or accountancy. She didnt even know his
name, but she was fascinated by him all the same.
His hair was getting long, she noticed. She could

probably have cut that for him, if hed a notion. As
she watched, it fell over his eyes and he swished it
away with a habitual gesture. She would have been
happy to do that for him, too.
It was a pleasant fiction, this daydreaming. She was
surprised by the eagerness she felt at such a vocation
spending her day at his shoulder, watching him
work, and parting his hair for him when it got in the
way of his ledger.
I was dead already, Molly, the velvet bag said. Id

be the first to admit that my predicament is far from
ideal, but even this is preferable to the grave.
But I wasnt dead, the ex-reporter said, as much to
herself as to Philip. I had a life and a career. And
he took those things away from me. She looked
across the street at the window and the clerk as a
single tear rolled down her white cheek. He took
everything away from me.
You are bound to him, Molly, Tombers reminded

She speculated on what color his eyes were. Brown her. He brought you back.
like hers, most likely, but blue would be nice too. Or
maybe green.
And made a botched job of it, she retorted, looking
down at her dress. Ill never get these stains out.
She chewed her lip, pondering.
That may be, but he is your Master and you must
Molly, a muffled voice interrupted.
serve him.
The world returned with a bump.
Molly said nothing. She had believed that for a long

time. A time before the Gorgons Tear, when she
was weak and disorientated and retching blood. She
had felt the truth of it right at her core. If Seamus
had told her to throw herself into a furnace shed
have obeyed without question.
Molly, where are we?

Nowhere, Philip, she said. Go back to sleep.
Are we at the library yet?
No, were not at the library. Im She paused.
What could she tell him? That she was mooning
over some mystery shipping clerk while her Master
was waiting impatiently halfway across the city?
Molly, Seamus is not going to be pleased, Tombers
continued.
But now it felt like that leash had loosened. Seamus

hadnt brought her back that second time, the
Gorgons Tear had. She stayed with Seamus through
loyalty and the understanding that her old life was
gone beyond recall, but as time passed and her
confidence grew she had begun to realize that she
didnt really need Seamus at all.
It was he that needed her.

Molly bristled at the thought, filled with savage
satisfaction, rather than the terror that would once have What are you going to do? Tombers asked when it
struck her. Let him hang around and fume, she thought. became clear that Molly wasnt going anywhere.
Perhaps he would stop taking her for granted if she
didnt come running every time he whistled.
Ill think of something, she said.
Good, she heard herself say. Good.
Molly! Tombers sounded shocked.
Well, what do you expect, Philip? she said. He
murdered me and brought me back as his undead
servant! And look at you youre a head in a bag!
You dont owe him any loyalty.
It was all going to Hell in a hand-cart, and Molly In seconds, the air was full of lead hornets and
was to blame.
Seamus was forced to run for cover while bullets
nipped holes in his coat tails.
Things had started promisingly enough. The wagon
had drawn up outside Forbes & Clarke and a burly Lawks an saints! he hollered, ducking behind a gnarled
Guardsman with a scatter gun had hopped down knotwood tree while chunks of bark and wet wood
and unlocked the back of the wagon with a key from exploded around him. Would ye look at this, now?
a ring on his belt. Two more Guardsmen had exited
through the armored door in the rear of the wagon The rotten belles staggered into the fray, but the
and carried four heavy leather bags between them Guardsmen from the wagons rear had none of the
into the bank.
chivalrous sensibilities of their fallen compatriot. One
shot a belle full in the face and dropped her in a cloud of
A half dozen of Seamus rotten belles had followed putrid flesh and face powder. Another had her slender
them in with stiff approximations of an alluring legs blown off at the knees by a swarm of buckshot and
sashay. The rest had converged on the opened toppled to the ground. She gamely crawled another few
wagon with its two remaining guards and driver yards until she was given another barrel in the back of
while Seamus swaggered across the street, his the head and that was that.
accompanying belles cool hand through his arm.
Seamus attempted to even up the odds by shooting
Top o the mornin to yer, big feller, hed called a scatter gunner in the back while he was wrestling
to the burly scatter gun Guardsman, intending to with a hissing belle. The bullet struck home, but
waylay the man and secure the keys for himself there was a spark and a flash and, although the
before anything could go wrong. The scatter gunner man staggered, he didnt go down. The struggling
had taken one look at the top hat, heavy felt coat continued unabated and Seamus saw the glint of
and boots and massive pistol in his free hand and metal through his torn duster.
had brought up his gun with a shout of alarm.
The scatter gunners were wearing metal breastplates
Gentlemans got somethin for ye, my dear, Seamus under their uniforms.
said briskly and ducked behind his slack-faced
lady friend as the scatter gun roared. He felt the Well, sure if that aint a dastardly thing to do, he
undead girl take the full brunt of the buckshot grumbled. Heres a decent feller tryin to shoot a
and she flopped over in a silk heap. While the man in the back to give his ladies a chance, and the
Guardsmans expression collapsed into shock at sly dogs wearin an armored vest. He shook his head
having inadvertently killed a parasol-sporting lady, in remorse. Whats the world comin to, I ask ye.
Seamus returned fire with his hand cannon. The
huge bore pistol boomed like a warships cannon He went for a head shot instead, squinting and
and the Guardsman executed a very passable back- projecting his tongue from the corner of his mouth.
flip before hitting the ground with a red hole in his The man and his belle staggered in a rough circle
chest the size of an apple.
like drunken waltzers, but he saw his window and
fired. In the aftermath of the muzzle flash, he saw
And that was where things started to unravel his fighting belles head smash like a pumpkin, as
faster with alarming rapidity. Belles dragged the the huge bullet tore through it.
driver off the wagons bench, but not before he had
drawn a clockwork pistol and started firing wildly. Sorry about that, Flo, my dear, he said with a wince
Rapid gunfire and angry shouting had also started as the dead belle slumped against the Guardsmans
up inside the bank, sending bullets through the chest. The man shoved the corpse away in surprise
windows and across the street. And then another and looked back to where Seamus was peering from
two scatter gun wielding Guardsmen ran out of the around the tree. His scatter gun roared and the
back of the wagon.
Hatter flinched as more wood smashed to splinters
around him.
Oh yes, very nice! he shouted back. Im doin yer interesting to another historian, had very nearly
job for ye and thats the thanks I get, is it?
killed off Molly for the third time.
The gunfire had intensified inside the bank and
then one of his belles pitched through the window,
landing in the street like a straw dummy with a
dozen smoking holes in her. It would appear that
the bank robbery was not going quite to plan.
She had been tempted to leave him in his bag and

move out of earshot, but it would have been asking
a lot of the dock workers to ignore a severed head
chattering animatedly about extinct foreign cultures,
and so she bore it heroically.
The remaining belles on the street had managed to pull

one of the armored scatter gunners down and were
beating him with their firsts, but the other gunner had
ducked back inside the wagon and slammed the heavy
door shut after him. Seamus cursed, realizing belatedly
that the belles lacked the initiative and reflexes to get
the job done by themselves.
The clerk was still there, still poring over his work.
She watched him periodically dip the nib of his pen
into the inkwell, scrape it twice, and then scribble
another line. Every once in a while, he would turn
a page and Molly would catch a glimpse of blocks
of dense, economical script with row upon row of
numbers. None of it made any sense to her, but she
took some comfort in the knowledge that the clerk
seemed to have the matter well in hand.
Where was that blasted Squidpiddge when he

needed her?
The most amusing part was that Montgomery and

He ran to the back of the wagon, giving the struggling Billiers had unwittingly labeled the pots as 13th
scatter gunner a hefty kick on his way past, but century, Philip was saying. It was only when the
the armored door was securely locked. He looked curator came around to check the exhibit that he
around for the keys, but they were nowhere to be noticed the tags were the wrong way around and in
seen. The burly Guardsman hed shot had vanished fact the pots were late 12th century. How we laughed!
into thin air.
He was so diligent, Molly mused to herself. He
Wheres that slippery bugger got to, then? he barely took time to stop and stretch before getting
muttered to himself.
back to it. She liked that about him; she liked his
industry, but caught herself wondering if a man like
There was another volley of gunfire from inside the that had time for anything else in his life.
bank and another of his belles flopped half out of
the broken window, hanging like a marionette with Or perhaps he had embraced his work wholeheartedly
its strings cut.
because he had nothing else to take up his time.
Perhaps if he encountered something new and
Sure and its not going as well as Id hoped, Seamus distracting, he might pour all of his attention and
lamented. The bank was lost, but there would still devotion into that.
be scrip in the wagon. If he could get the door open.
He pursed his lips and whistled. It was time for his She chewed her lip some more.
secret weapon.
A fascinating piece, and indelible evidence of the
Matchu Pitchus belief in a solar deity more than three
hundred years before that academic hack Wrigleys
claim in his absurd paper Beliefs of the Pitchu of the
Of course, most civilizations used a different yard Amazon Basin published in 1851, Philip was saying.
stick to measure their sophistication by, but life in the I met the man once, you know. It was at a convention
Wai Tiki tribe was far from typical, Philip was saying. in Venezuela on bone sculptures of
He had been droning on for some time about Blue eyes, Molly decided. She hoped he had blue eyes.
his travels and exploits which, while no doubt
weapon barrel while the other man was trying to

reload, and Id doff me hat to you if there were time
for it, but the truth of the matter is yeve only gone
and killed yerself slower. He drew a long sharp knife
In retrospect, Seamus should have seen it coming.
from his belt and grinned. Ill do me best to make it
When his special project lumbered out of the last, if thats a consolation at all.
shadows, hed thought it was in the bag. Hed taken
the body parts of three of his biggest and strongest Right then the doors to the bank burst open to expel
girls and, with some guidance from that lunatic two Guardsmen and half a dozen bank security men
McMourning, had fused the muscle and bone holding rifles, all of them shouting and looking more
structure of their upper torsos together. The result like a lynch mob than a responsible arm of the law.
was a wire-bound hulk with arms like tree trunks
and shoulders that looked wide enough to carry a Seamus became aware of two things at the same
time. One: there were now far too many hostile
horse without breaking a sweat.
men with guns on the street for his liking, and two:
Theres my girls, he beamed proudly as the huge his giant belle had managed to bend the door back
abomination came to a halt a few feet from the enough to open a narrow gap into the wagon, before
wagon and looked down at him with a slack grey being separated from her remaining faculties.
face. My Lucy-Sue-Ellie. Ye know what to do, girls.
Chorus line, ladies! he shouted, thrusting his arm

Two huge meaty fists, laced with ragged stitching through the buckled door and grasping desperately
and bits of metal, reached out and grasped the lip of for some kind of pay-off.
the wagon door. Muscles bulged and the iron frame
The fighting belles immediately lurched to their feet,
began to squeal in protest.
abandoning the surprised scatter gunner and driver
Thats it, gals, he encouraged. Rip that door off for and scuffling into an untidy line between Seamus
and the gunmen. They stared in raw astonishment
your uncle Seamus. Make me a wealthy man.
as the undead women began a shambolic highThe sounds of tortured metal grew louder and the kicking can-can dance. One man was smacked in
the head with a flying shoe.
edge of the door started to peel back fractionally.
You know, Seamus said critically as the huge figure Seamus fingers closed around a leather bag and he
strained. Im not so sure the dress was a good idea... yanked it free with a cry of triumph.
It was the click that alerted him. He had just enough
time to see the twin scatter gun mouths emerging from
the shadows under the wagon before a blast of orange
fire lit up the giant belle and her head shattered into
chunks of flesh, bone and two rather apathetic eyes.
The blatant robbery sparked the men into action and

they opened up, blasting at the top-hatted maniac as
he made a run for it with his bag. The belles somehow
managed to get in the way and were blown to pieces,
still gamely high-kicking as they toppled.
It was the burly Guardsman. He turned out to By the time the men had shot and clubbed their way
be considerably less dead than Seamus had first through the rotten vaudeville act, Seamus was long gone.
thought and had managed to crawl under the wagon
during the confusion.
Whereupon he had blown the head off of Seamus
Molly had been humming to herself and swinging
secret weapon.
her legs for some time when the clerk finally put
Tis a brave thing that yeve done fer yer guild, boyo, down his pen, wrapped his long scarf around his
he said with a philosophical air, as he stepped on the neck, and blew out the paraffin lamp.
10
It was almost fully dark and the dock was quiet, the
sailors and laborers long since having retired to the
nearest tavern. Soft sounds of snoring came from
Philips bag and, other than the distant rush of river
against the jetty pilings, all was quiet.
Had it still been beating, Mollys heart would have
quickened at the sight of the clerk leaving, but as it
was, she had to settle for shifting nervously when
he emerged to lock up the office. She moved a bit
further into the shadows to be more unobtrusive,
but quickly regretted it when he rattled the door
handle, pocketed the key and set off back up the
street towards the city.
She stepped out of the shadows to watch him go,
wringing her parasol anxiously. She wanted to call
out to him, but it would have been an absurd thing
to do. The fantasy had been fun, but the likelihood
of a successful relationship proposal from a dead
woman was unlikely to say the least.
The clerk strode briskly up the slope away from the dock.
I see you almost every day, Miss, the clerk said.

Sometimes you just sit there the whole day, watching.
Do I know you? Are you waiting for someone?
The undead reporter fingered her parasol, trying to
think fast.
Well she started.
So there she is! cried Seamus as he strode out of the
darkness. Been searchin the whole day and where
do I find her? Down by the river, of course! Been
fishin, have we?
He was grinning at her, but Molly knew him better
than that. There was a smoldering rage just beneath
the surface that would burst into flame at any second.
Hello, Seamus.
The Hatter was looking the clerk up and down with
an unimpressed air.
Fishin not your strong suit, eh, Molly? he snorted.

And then he did something strange. He stopped in Caught yerself a minnow, by the looks o it. Id throw
the middle of the lane. Molly watched anxiously; that one back, if I were you.
it was clear that there was some sort of internal
struggle going on, that he was debating something. The clerk was looking baffled.
The clerk turned around and looked back down the What do you want, Seamus? Molly asked.
hill, straight at the shadows where she waited. She
very nearly ducked back on reflex, but somehow What do I want? the Hatter laughed. Oh, nothin,
managed to stand her ground.
Molly dear. I was just wonderin where you was
while me and the belles were gettin shot to pieces
The figure on the hill hesitated, turned away, turned by the Guild. Yell maybe not remember our date at
back, then squared his shoulders and marched the library earlier today, what with being so busy
back down the hill. He walked fast and it was scant an all.
seconds before he was standing right in front of her.
It was dark down by the warehouses, and she wished I remembered, she said.
the moon had been brighter as it was she couldnt
see much more than the outline of his face.
Ah, Seamus nodded, throwing down a leather bag
at her feet. Stacks of blank paper slips and rubber
Why are you always watching? he asked. His voice Forbes & Clarke stamps spilled out. Good girl.
was softer than shed expected and his accent was Heres yer share o the spoils, by the way. Pity ye
funny. European, perhaps.
missed it. We mighta made an actual profit.
Molly said nothing, shrinking back a fraction He still seemed to be operating under the assumption
deeper into the shadows and painfully conscious of that she was his property. She decided to take the
the dried blood on her dress.
bull by the horns.
11
Im not yours to command any more, Seamus, she said. Likes got nothin to do with it, he spat. Belles, pull
this ungrateful brats arms and legs off. I want to hear
Is that so? he whispered and there was a dangerous her scream.
glint in his eye. Molly could see other shapes moving
out of the darkness; rotten belles, at least a dozen The belles shuffled in the darkness, but none of them
of them. Something else, lower and quicker, skirted stepped forward.
around the pack and a warm leather dome pushed
against her hand. Ponto.
Kill her, I says! Seamus roared, stabbing a finger at
Molly. Kill her!
Ive been thinking and Ive realized something that
maybe you missed, she said. I was yours once, just The silence drew out awkwardly as Molly waited and
like all these other enslaved women you surround the belles stalled uncertainly.
yourself with. But you let me die again, Seamus. You
let me die and you didnt bring me back.
Why ye ungrateful bunch of witches, he swore, turning
to glower at the sheepish undead. All this time? All
The Hatter snorted with laughter. No?
this time?
No. Molly reached out and tapped Seamus forehead,
tapping the bullet wound. Remember this?
Molly might have toppled over then with sheer nervous

exhaustion, but forced herself to remain outwardly
stoic. Shed had no proof that Seamus belles wouldnt
The Hatter flinched and something like an animal attack her other than a gut feeling. One of the few
snarl flickered across his face.
things she had left in this world was her affinity with
her fellow undead, and the more tragic the individual,
You were dead, just like me, she said. And the seemingly the stronger the bond.
Gorgons Tear brought you back. Just like me.
Like her faithful Ponto, the necrotic machine currently
Yere mine, Seamus snapped, his joviality gone.
nuzzling her leg, and Philips severed head, whom
Yell always be mine, Molly.
anyone else would have thrown into the river after
the first hour of brain-freezing monologue. They were
Not anymore, she said, shaking her head. I answer lifes hard luck cases, big players in a tragic comedy of
to the power of the Gorgons Tear now. She paused undeath and, for whatever reason, she seemed to have
for the impending explosion. And so do you.
emerged as their ambassador.
Seamus snapped. His arms shot up to wrap around
her throat and choke whatever passed for life out of
her, but his face suddenly contorted in pain and the
green of his eyes flashed with unnatural brilliance.
He clapped a hand to his forehead, cursing.
See what I mean?
IllIll be off now, said the clerk.

With Seamus explosive appearance, Molly had
forgotten all about him.
Trembling with rage, Seamus turned on him, his
teeth bared in the dark.
Ye think yere safe, Molly dear? Seamus growled. So this is the reason my bank job went to the wall,
This thing ye stuck in my head might not let me kill is it? he hissed. This lanky cretin? Well, at least
ye personally, but theres plenty more will do it for me. theres somethin I cn do about that.
Molly turned to look at the crowd of silent belles. They He drew a shiny small-caliber pistol from his belt as
were all Seamus creations, but she had a theory about quick as a snake but, for perhaps the first time in or
that, too.
after her life, Molly was quicker.
I dont think they will, she said. I think they like me
better than you.
12
She spun and threw her arms around the clerk just
as the gun went off with a loud crack and lit the
whole lane with a flash of yellow. The bullet impact

felt like a fist against her ribs and she staggered, but
somehow between the two of them, they managed
to retain an untidy sort of balance.
There was an immediate scuffle and much cursing
behind her. When she turned to look, Seamus was
being man-handled by his belles, snarling and
kicking his over-sized boots while they grappled
him into submission.
Let me go, ye treacherous jezebels! he was shouting.
Ill have the lot o ye minced! Let me go!
Ladies, Seamus is not safe here, she said as the
clerk helped to steady her. Molly knew she couldnt
make the Belles turn on Seamus outright, but they
could be misled. Would you take him somewhere
safe, please?
Still cursing and howling in fury, the struggling Hatter
was dragged back up the lane by the cluster of belles
and although not one of them said a word, there was
a certain satisfied air about the whole endeavor.
Miss! the clerk was saying, sounding very alarmed.
Miss! Youve been shot! Miss!
Molly could feel the bullet rattling around inside
her, but the new hole in her dress was a distant
concern and she couldnt stop herself from smiling.
For just a moment, the world had been illuminated
by the gunshot; everything had been bathed in
bright daylight for just a single instant, but that had
been enough for Molly to see.
Blue eyes. The clerk had blue eyes.
13
Tara and Crew

Meet Tara, our newest master for the Outcasts and Resurrectionists and this years Nightmare box set.
This set will only be available at our booth or online during Gen Con Indy 2013, although a regular, nonNightmare version will be released later. Tara and her crew use some very unique mechanics. I could go
on and on about them, but we have an exclusive sneak peak at some stat cards and a page right out of the
book, so you can judge for yourself ! Read more about Tara here.
ATTACK ACTIONS
CACHE
Tara
Master, Undead
(1) Soulstone Sword (Ml 6t / Rst: Df / Rg: y1): Target suffers 2/3/5 damage.
CC Sympathetic Echoes: After succeeding, all other models with the
same name as the target in p8 suffer 2 damage ignoring Armor.
t Glimpse the Void: After damaging, if no other models are buried, the
target must pass a TN 13 Wp duel or become buried. The next time a
model in play is killed, unbury the target in base contact with the killed
model before removing it.
Df Wp WD Wk Cg Ht
6/13/13
12
2
Tara
(1) Peacebringer (Sh 5 / Rst: Df / Rg: z10): Target suffers 2/3/5 damage.
ABILITIES
Heartless: This model is immune to Horror
Duels and gains +2 Df and Wp while
defending against Ca Attack Actions.
Stutter Time: This model may choose to

reflip the results of flips made to end the
Encounter.
TACTICAL ACTIONS
(1) Temporal Shift: All models in p6 gain Fast. Then, this model discards three cards,
or its whole hand. This action may only be taken if at least one enemy model would gain
Fast from this Action.
(0) Eternal Moment: This Action may only be taken if this was the first friendly
model to Activate this Turn. This model gains the following Condition until the
end of the Turn: "Eternal: Once all other friendly models have Activated, this
model gains the Reactivate Condition."
Df (M)Through the Hole: After failing

against a Sh Attack Action, the Attack
deals no damage to this model.
(0) Lost Instants: Until the end of the Turn, enemy models within a6 may not
take Interact Actions.
30mm
COST
Karina
Enforcer, Living, Totem (Tara)
ATTACK ACTIONS
(1) Bash (Ml 3 / Rst: Df / Rg: y1): Target suffers 0/1/2 damage.
C ...in the head with a rock: After damaging, immediately kill the
target unless it discards two Control Cards or two Soulstones.
Df Wp WD Wk Cg Ht
5
(1) Peacebringer (Sh 5 / Rst: Df / Rg: z10): Target suffers 2/3/5 damage.
2
Karina
6/13/13
ABILITIES
Accomplice: After this model ends its
Activation a friendly model within 6 may
Activate immediately.
Price of Eternity: Enemy models with Fast
beginning their activation within a6 must
pass a TN 14 Wp duel or suffer 2 damage.
Shattered Memories: If another living

model is killed within 4" of this model,
this model may discard the Red Joker.
If it does, summon a Death Marshal
within 4" of this model. The summoned
Death Marshal permanently exchanges
the Living characteristic for the Undead
characteristic.
The
Nothing Beast
Enforcer, Rare 1
COST
10
ABILITIES
Pure Nothingness: At the start of every duel
this model suffers -1 Df for each card in its
hand for the remainder of the duel.
Terrifying (All) 10: Enemy models must
pass a TN 10 Horror Duel if they end a
Walk action within this models engagement
range or target this model with an action.
(1) Flames of the Void: Every buried model must pass a TN 14 Wp duel or gain
the Burning +2 Condition. This Action may only be taken once per Turn.
ATTACK ACTIONS
The Nothing Beast
TACTICAL ACTIONS
30mm
Df Wp WD Wk Cg Ht
6/13/13
(1) Energies of the Void (Ca 5 / Rst: Wp): Before performing the duel, choose Fast
or Slow. Target enemy model gains the chosen Condition. This action may only
target buried models and does not require LoS or range
Incorporeal: This model ignores, and is

ignored by, other models and terrain during any
movement or push. Reduce all damage this
model suffers from Sh and Ml Attack Actions
by half.
Casting Expert: This model gains 1
additional AP which may only be used to
take Ca actions.
(1) Obliterate (Ca 7t / Rst: Wp / Rg: y3): Target suffers 2/5/7 damage.
TACTICAL ACTIONS
(1) Truth in Nothingness (Ca 7C / TN: 12C / Rg: p6): This Action may only be
taken once per Turn. Enemy models with the Fast Condition within p6 must
suffer 2 damage or gain the following Condition until the end of the Turn:
"Revelation: This model suffers - on all Wp duels."
(0) Void: This model may discard a control card to gain the following Condition
until the end of the turn: "Voided: After another model resolves a successful
Ml Attack Action against this model, this model may immediately take an
Obliterate Attack Action against the attacking model."
50mm
30mm
14
COST
Void
Wretch
Minion
ATTACK ACTIONS
(1) Siphon Existence (Ml 4 / Rst: Wp / Rg: y1): Target suffers 2/3/4 Damage.
Df Wp WD Wk Cg Ht
8
1
Void Wretch
6/13/13
ABILITIES
Pure Nothingness: At the start of every duel
this model suffers -1 Df for each card in its
controllers hand for the remainder of the
duel.
Time is Meaningless: This model gains
++ on all duels with models with the Fast
Condition.
Incorporeal: This model ignores, and is

ignored by, other models and terrain during any
movement or push. Reduce all damage this
model suffers from Sh and Ml Attack Actions
by half.
(2) Void Maw (Ml 4 / Rst: Df / Rg: y1): Target buried model suffers 2/3/4 damage.
This Attack may only target buried models, and does not require LoS or range. This
Attack may not be used to make disengaging strikes.
(0) The Hectic Glow (Ca 5 / TN: 10 / Rst: Df / Rg: 4): Before performing the duel,
choose Fast or Slow. Target enemy model gains the chosen Condition.
TACTICAL ACTIONS
(2) Satiating Void (Ca 4 / TN: 12): Choose a buried model. Remove all Conditions on
the chosen buried model and heal it 2/3/5 damage.
30mm
Obliteration Symbiote
Cost:
Dead of Winter
SS
Cost:
Eternal Journey
SS
Cost:
SS
(0) Eternal Journey: Place this model anywhere

within its Deployment Zone, not in terrain. This
Action may only be taken if this model is the first
friendly model to Activate during the Turn.
Tara gains the following Tactical Action:
The Price of Haste: Enemy models in a6 with the

Fast Condition suffer Wp -2.
6/13/13
Tara gains the following Tactical Actions:
The Darlings: Crews lead by this model may hire

models from the following list that are not the Crews
declared Faction: Death Marshal, The Nothing Beast,
and Void Wretch. Death Marshals hired in this way
lose the Living characteristic and gain the Undead
characteristic permanently.
6/13/13
Tara gains the following Abilities:
(2) Echoes of the Void ( Ca 7t / TN 14tC / Rst: Wp):

Unbury target buried enemy non-Leader model into
base contact with this model. The target activates
immediately after this models Activation ends. This
model controls the target during this Activation. This
Activation does not count as the targets Activation
this Turn, but does count as a Chain Activation for
this model's Crew.
6/13/13
Tara gains the following Attack Action:
(1) Whispers From Darkness ( Ca: 5t / TN 13t):

Select a (1) Action from any buried model which does
not list a model by name. This model immediately
takes that Action, but may not declare Triggers.
(1) Faces in the Void ( Ca 7t / TN 14tC): Unbury

target buried friendly model into base contact with
this model. If the target is elidgible to Activate this
Turn, the target may Activate immediately after this
models Activation ends as a Chain Activation.
restrictions
restrictions
restrictions
Tara
Tara
Tara
Knowledge of Eternity
Long Forgotten Magics
Voiceless Words
SS
Cost:
SS
Knowledge of Eternity: This model's Crew gains +

to initiative flips.
Long Forgotten Magics: When another model within

a8 would be killed, this model may discard a card
to sacrifice the model instead.
Tara gains the following Attack Action:
(1) Pull the Void (Ca 7t / TN: 14t / Rst: Wp / Rg: 8):
Before performing the duel, choose Fast or Slow.
Target model gains the chosen Condition and suffers
1 damage. This Action cannot be taken if there are
no other friendly models left to Activate.
t Glimpse the Void: After damaging, if no other
models are buried, the target must pass a TN 13
Wp duel or become buried. The next time a model in
play is killed, unbury the target in base contact with
the killed model before removing it.
6/13/13
Karina gains the following Ability:
6/13/13
Tara gains the following Ability:
Cost:
SS
This model and friendly Void Wretch models within LoS

of this model gain the following Ability:
Into the Abyss: After this model is killed or sacrificed by an
enemy model, the enemy model must succeed on a TN 13
Wp duel or be buried. The model's controller unburies it at
the end of the Turn in its Deployment Zone.
6/13/13
Cost:
restrictions
restrictions
restrictions
Tara
Karina
Nothing Beast or Tara, Rare 1
15
16
Malifaux 2nd Edition
By: Michael Kelmelis
The Same and Different

Back in July, Wyrd closed out its first Open Beta Test
with the first wave of Malifaux 2nd Edition (M2E)
models. For six weeks prior, anyone who wanted
to visit their forums could get their hands on the
updated rules for M2E, as well as the stat cards for
any of the Wave 1 models.
Malifaux Second Edition is the Same Game

it Was Before
Rotten Belles are still undead hookers. The Death

Marshals are still undead-hunters. Nephilim are
still the demonic natives to this world. Zoraida still
weaves fate and lives out in the swamps, Rasputina
When the rules first hit the public, it was shocking to is still the undisputed Ice Queen, and the Von
some to see just how much had changed. The rules Schill still leads a crack team of mercenary soldiers,
were different, seeing large-scale changes to things veterans of many battles.
like strategies and schemes, changes to soulstones,
and the introduction of wholly new upgrade system. Understanding and accepting both of the above
There were smaller, but no less significant, changes points is one of the best ways to move through into
to familiar parts like the way Fast and Slow work, or M2E. Find your favorite model, and understand that
how Burning and Poison function.
changes happened to that model going into M2E.
Accept that the old tactics you once used for that
The Malifaux models themselves met just as much model, no longer work in M2E. Those two steps
change. Some abilities and attacks of models were will help with saying goodbye to the last version.
removed wholesale. Others were altered. A few This next step will help you with embracing M2E.
new ones were added. No model walked out of M2E
the same as it was in the first edition.
Malifaux is Still Tactically Deep, and is Still

A lot of players, veterans since book 1 and players Character Driven
who picked up their first crew after Storm of Shadows
alike, struggled with this shift. Suggestions were
tossed about on how to deal with the changes. Look
at M2E as a new game in order to better understand
how the game works. Fantastic advice, but it must
be tempered with the other side. So here is some
seemingly mutually-exclusive comments I have
offered others.
Malifaux Second Edition is a New Game
Recognize that there are plenty of new strategies

and tactics waiting to be learned for your favorite
models. The character of models has not been lost
in their transition. If you liked utilizing Nicodem
because he was a master of zombies, youll be glad
to see that he still resurrects undead better than
anyone. Lady Justice is still the leader of minions
and carries a huge sword that will mess you up.
These models may play differently than they used
to, but they still are, at their core, the same person
they used to be.
The core rules and the rules to your models have

all changed. If you walk into M2E expecting your
Lets take a look at three masters across three
models to behave exactly like they did in the past,
factions that have seen varying levels of shift, but all
youre going to lose out on what the models are
of whom stay true to who they were before.
capable of. Expect the things your models did in
the past to change.
17
Perdita
In M2E, she remains the willpower-attacking master.

She can use Upgrades like Cry For Me to break an
First, well start in the Guild side with Perdita. enemys resistances, and then Self Loathing and Self
When talking about her themes, she was always the Harm to take what an enemy can do and turn it
deadliest gunslinger in Malifaux, and the leader of a against themselves. Misery from both Pandora and
family of gunfighters. She was the fastest draw, and the Sorrows still doles out damage when a model
her family worked together incredibly well, backing fails a willpower check. However, in the past where
she was hard to pin down due to her speed, she is
each other up.
going to be far easier with the fact that Incite cannot
Talking about her in version one, her theme was continue to cycle beyond twice.
largely realized by the alpha strike, the ability for Additionally, her best spell against
her crew to all Companion with each other and set most models, Self Loathing, is a
down a series of actions that all occurred without much shorter range forcing her to
your opponent able to respond to it. Perdita in come in close to her opponents.
version one was an interesting master - one that No longer will she stand on the
newer players tended to feel was far too powerful, other side of the board wreaking
but once they learned how to deal with her one havoc. Now she will be the
master who walks casually
trick, tended to feel she was far too weak.
down the street, unleashing
In M2E, the Chain Activations rule limits the hell from in your face.
number of models that can activate in a row before
an opponent gets a chance. Even though the Family
models still have Companion, the alpha strike
went away. The feel of the Family looking out for
each other and working together like an oiled team,
though, was kept through abilities like Perditas
Relocate and Obey, Franciscos El Mayor, Papa Locos
Hold This, and Santiagos Covering Fire. Perdita
and her Family still exemplify ranged combat in
Malifaux, and she leads a crack team of gunslingers.
Pandora
Moving into the Neverborn faction, well take a
look at Pandora. She was always the unsettling
of the original Neverborn masters, the one who
would break your mind, find cracks in your psyche,
and turn you against yourself. She would rely on
breaking your will and letting you suffer for it.
In version one, she was a difficult master for most
opponents to face. She was incredibly fast, could hit
from a far range, was very hard to hurt, and could
make models run simply by tossing a Crow, often
times with a Soulstone, to ensure that models would
turn and flee at the sight of her. It was hard to pin
her down and if you went after her and failed, you
would end up taking damage as a result.
18
Seamus
In Closing
The last master I want to talk about is Seamus from

the Resurrectionists. Seamus has been described as
a mix between Jack the Ripper and the Mad Hatter,
with an unhealthy appetite for undead hookers. He
is the master who most exemplifies the things you
fear in the city streets. He oozes terror, knows it,
and enjoys it.
A player who comes into the game trying to win the

same way they used to with any of the above three
masters is going to run into a world of difficulty.
Simply put, none of them work the same as they
used to. In Pandoras case, her abilities have shifted
such that she cannot stay back in safety if she wants
to influence the game. Core rules in the game, like
Companion for Perdita and Terrifying for Seamus,
have changed giving birth to new ways to play them.
In version one, it was difficult to properly portray

just how scary he was. Terrifying worked only on
living models, and as the game progressed, there
were more and more models that outright ignored
its main benefits. He still had other things to fall
back on - he had a massive gun with a hefty damage
rating, and he was quite difficult to finally put in the
ground, but on the whole, he felt weaker than many
other masters around him.
In M2E, Seamus is one of the models who, I feel,
benefitted the most from being distilled back to
what his story was and rebuilt accordingly. With
the changes to Terrifying, he can now be terrifying
to every model on the board, spreading the fear he is
supposed to. Abilities like Back Alley and Upgrades
like Red Chapel Killer leave him feeling like the
kind of model who can pop out from anywhere,
kill a model, and then drag the corpse back into the
alley, and then disappear with it forever. The true
Jack the Ripper type killer.
19
I encourage all players to reach back, however far it

might be, to when you first started playing version
one of Malifaux. Remember how it was you learned
to play those models and follow the same path again.
Savor those moments when you figure out a new
trick, or master a new ability. Those are some of the
best moments of learning Malifaux. Relive them.
Some will learn better by taking a model and putting
it on the table, playing with full upgrades, trying out
combination after combination on the table. Others
will learn better by leaving upgrades on the side for
the beginning, playing models bare and learning
core abilities. But regardless of how you learn best,
do so by playing the models with an open mind and
be ready to learn the new ways they work.
Ask A Gremlin
Q: If a greased pig was released into the Wyrd offices, who would be most
likely to catch it, Nathan or Eric?
A: I thinks it be sort o a team effort. Neither one o dem seems the pig
wrastin type. My bets r on the pig.
Q: What do gremlins enjoy eating most, bacon/ham/pork notwithstanding?
A: Looks like you done covered the major food groups. Shine I guess.
Q: hey bro, whysit we gots no melee heavy guys? with the hackin and
slashin and whackin. ..
A: Cause we got more brains den most. If youre a shootin somethin
from far way it cant hit ya.
Q: Hey Gremlin. Which way is up?
A: Uh, that way?
Q: When will you make the rule drifter have meaning?
A: Drifters has lots o meanin. Playin on the banjo all night, nobody done
boss ya round. Dats the life.
Q: what makes up for good slop and is there a gremlin chef coordinating
all the slop haulers?
A: Anythin that fits in the pot done make good slop an coordinatin aint
really our cup o slop.
20
Q: Oi, ugly green thing! Why do you always run off with my dear Mollys
makeup bag? Do you even know how long it take to get her dressed up
for an outing?
A: What? Humans think they have some sort o monopamonopatite
moonpie on lookin perty.
Q: Who is prettier, Collette, or Sonnia?
A: If I don say Ophelia she gonna clobber me.
Q: When is Ophellia going to master her Avatar of Perforation? The one
who Kin see right through you
A: It be a lookin like during beta wave two.
Q: how dyer getcher bro so fas? seen tree at once!
A: Fast legs, mostly. An if they too slow we shoots em, sos mostly fast
uns left. Its natural, read it in a book an some such, Survival o the
fastest and least annoyin cuz slow an annoyin gremlins is pig food.
21
A Gremlins Luck
22
By: Paul Villar
New Worlds Await
By: Redd Cohen
The game itself is played on an island mapped

out by a grid. Players will utilize their king using
the games Action Point system. Each player
is given five Action Points on their turn. Using
these action points, you can move characters,
summon characters, build structures, cast
spells, or carry out special character commands.
The best part is that, since you have five Action
Points, you can do all of the actions previously
stated multiple times. This gives the game a
very fluid feel.
f you may not have noticed, weve been

working on some really cool and brand new
stuff at Wyrd. When we first started The World
Needs An Evil Baby Orphanage, we wanted to
see how the public would react to us coming out
with something a bit offbeat from Malifaux. The
reactions were awesome! So, in the last year,
we decided we wanted to broaden our horizons
on the tabletop and bring a game that would turn
heads. This is where Kings of Artifice came in.
Kings of Artifice is a Euro-style board game
we are going to release at Gen Con Indy 2013.
The story behind Kings of Artifice is that you,
the player, have come to the land of Artifice to
dominate the land and build the best kingdom.
To do so, you will use a set of wooden blocks to
form structures built by your special character
classes.
Players will create buildings, fortify battlements,
and cast table-flipping abilities, all on a board
where different events unfold and change the
way each game is played.
Each person is represented by one of the four
races: felines, skeletal undead, humans, as
well as an interesting slug-like race.
As for how the game plays, you start with your
king coming to the land of Artifice on a boat.
Each race is has a King and seven character

other different classes. These include: two
Horses, two Farmers, a Knight, Thief, Warlock,
and Artisan.
Horse
For two Action points, you
can summon two horses.
These
characters
are
the most mobile units in
the game and can carry
characters on their back as
they move around the board. A horses movement
does not cost any action points, however, a horse
may only move once during a turn.
Farmer
Your basic workers of
the game, Farmers are
summoned in pairs (just
like the Horses) next to the
King. They can lay down
Walls faster than any other
class in the game. Walls
are the most basic structure you use to build in
the game and can be advanced to other structures
later in the game. Walls are placed on the grid
and are upgraded into larger and more elaborate
structures with other characters. Farmers also
have the special ability to make Houses, which
can be later converted into Towers or Palaces.
23
Knight
Warlock
This is probably the most

aggressive unit in the game.
The Knight can spend one
Action Point to annihilate
one of his foes in a square
with him or near him. This
causes the character to be
sent back to the supply and forces your opponent
to summon that character back in before they can
use it again.
Artisan
Thief
Being
really
sneaky
as he is, the Thief can
steal Action Points from
your opponents, giving
them to you. This not
only cripples what your
opponents can do on
their turn, but gives you a leg up in the game
as well if youre falling behind.
(Box Cover Front)
The Warlock is a gamechanging

force.
He
utilizes spells flipped
out at the beginning of
the game and forces
opponents to alter their
strategies. Some spells
can move blocks around, zap and kill characters,
some can even morph the Warlock into any
character class in the game!
24
The biggest jewel in the

game is going to be your
Artisan. This characters
usefulness shines most
when he is paired with
other classes. He is
required to convert walls
and houses into massive structures that score
you Victory Points (points used to win the game).
For example, a Warlock in the same space as an
Artisan can convert a house into a Tower. The
Warlock can then use that Tower to increase the
range of his spells. As you can see, the Artisan is
a seriously advantageous character to have out.
If you havent picked it up yet, Artifice is a game with a large amount of options at your fingertips.
Both passive players (players who sit back and just build) and aggressive players (players who
want to step forward and hack away at their opponents) can enjoy the game. Kings of Artifice can
fit many different player styles and really draw you into the world. This is a game that board gamers
from all spectrums will love. Gen Con Indy 2013 is around the corner and that means its time to
ready up and build your empire in the Kings of Artifice.
(Game Board)
25
What game has monsters made of

glowing sweat, and unicorns with
jetpacks on them? What game
has wizard castles in bubbles,
and teddy bears riding dragons?
And who in the world would ever
create that game? Simple answer:
Wyrd and that game is The World
Needs A Jetpack Unicorn.
Wyrd has paired up with Team
Hypercube (a great blogging group who plays and reviews games) to create a rad story-telling game that
will take your mind and shove an active stick of dynamite in it. Well, it wont literally blow your mind, but
you get what I mean.
In this game, players will be asked a would-you-rather-type question and its up to the other players to
convince the person asking the question that their subject is better, worse, or just downright weird. You
and your friends will be faced with some very interesting questions like, Which is worse? Continuously
clapping for a random hour of each day? Or forgetting to speak for a random hour each day?
Gamers will then have to give a witty response using

words from their hands called Transmogs. The
game is balanced and is great for all occasions. The
World Needs A Jetpack Unicorns length can change
depending on how fast you want it
to go. Be warned though, you will
laugh so hard, you just might pee
yourself. This game was designed
to be absolutely insane and fun,
so if youre a fan of The World
Needs An Evil Baby Orphanage,
we suggest you get this game too.
26
Professor Pontificates
So with the release of this issue, were

just weeks away from Gen Con Indy 2013, and
the new goodies that Wyrd has prepared for
delicious consumption (note: please dont eat the
miniatures). The big release is, of course, Malifaux
Second Edition and all the new plastic sets that are
coming with it, but along with that theres a pile of
other games, including the topic of todays article
Showdown!
I was fortunate enough to be a part of the playtest
for Showdown and Ill tell you now Im VERY
excited to see this finally come out! So for this
issues article, I thought Id give a bit of advice for
people picking up the game.
Gameplay Summary
The rules for Showdown itself will be available
elsewhere, but for the sake of those who havent
yet read those rules, I thought Id give a very brief
rundown of how the game works.
The mechanics of Showdown are simple players
each play a feint card from their hand face up,
then each player plays a strike card face down.
Strike cards are revealed and added to the value of
the feint card, with the highest total winning and
dealing one damage (denoted by flipping over one
of your four Ace cards that are kept separate from
your deck). Complicating this are disciplines. Each
card has one of three disciplines marked (Physical,
Intellect and Cunning) and if both strikes are of
the same discipline, it is the player with the lowest
27
By: Adrian Scott
total who wins that combat! In addition to this

there are triggers, which are bonuses that are
applied if you win combat while your own
feint and strike disciplines match (noted
on the Red Joker and kept separate from
your deck). A number of combat cards have
various actions, reacts, and ongoing effects
that may be played before or during combat,
and might alter the results of that particular round.
Finally, there are a variety of immediate or ongoing
effects on the Ace cards themselves, which come
into play as you and your opponent suffer damage
and flip them over. The game ends once one player
has taken enough damage to have flipped over all of
their own Aces.
Overview
Winning a game of Showdown isnt just a matter
of luck. Having all the highest cards in your hand
to win every combat and push through a pile of
damage is certainly helpful, but its rare youll be
that fortunate. Instead, what it comes down to is
two things;
The first is, managing the cards you have at your
disposal. Youre not going to have high valued cards
to play every combat, so being able to get the best
use out of those low to moderate cards is what will
win you games.
The second is figuring out what your opponent is
likely to do in each combat. This isnt necessarily
a matter of being a mind reader (something Im
abysmal at), but a sound knowledge of the rules,
and what your opponent is likely to be doing when
they play a certain card (whether its a feint card or
an action/react card). Knowing these can help you
plan a response accordingly.
Combat and Disciplines

So when it comes to
combat, the most important
question each player should
be asking is, should I be
trying to get the highest total
to win combat, or should I
attempt to use lower cards,
match disciplines with my
opponent on the strike and
win combat with the lowest
total? Just on probability
its more likely that you
and your opponent will flip
different disciplines for the
strike cards, which is why
winning combat with the highest total value is the most
likely result youll see. However, this is where resource
management comes in. Youll only have so many high
cards on hand to ensure you win combat this way. So if
you can win a few combats by matching disciplines on
the strike with your opponent, youre making worthwhile
use of the lower cards in your hand too.
So how do you match disciplines or alternatively,
avoid matching disciplines with your opponent? Well
it comes down to gathering what information
you can about your opponents state of play
during that combat, and using that to work out
what theyll most likely play for a strike. For
me, this boils down to what my opponent and
I have played for the feint, the possibility of
any triggers, what I know about my opponent;s
hand and the influence of any Aces or action,
react and combat cards that have been or may
be played.
Playing the Feint

Players take it in turns to play the first feint
card each combat, and the player who feints
first is generally at a disadvantage. After all, their
opponent gets to respond to whatever theyve
played. If the first player feinted high, then its clear
that theyre hoping to play another moderate/high
card and win combat with the highest total. If they
feint low however, then theyre probably aiming to
match disciplines and win with the lowest total. If
28
Im feinting first, I feel that its almost always best to

play a mid-range card (ie. 7-9). That way, aside from
the cards discipline Im giving no obvious clues as to
what kind of card Im hoping to play for my strike.
If Im feinting second, most of the time I like to try
and either match or play a slightly higher value card
than what my opponent played. This offers a slight
advantage should you both try the usual approach
of winning with the highest combat total, but still
makes it possible to cheat a low card and still win by
(hopefully) matching disciplines.
If your opponent goes all out and plays a high card
for their feint, you have two choices either feint
a high card yourself and beat them at their own
game, or play a moderate card and attempt to match
disciplines on the strike. The reason I suggest a
moderate card and not a low one, is to encourage
your opponent to stick with their plan of cheating
one of their best cards on the strike, just in case
you strike with a high card of your own. That way,
even if you lose the combat and take damage, your
opponent had to spend two of their best cards to do
so, giving you a potential advantage in later combats.
Triggers
If you can win combat
while
activating
a
trigger (ie. get the same
discipline on both your
feint and strike cards), the
resultant effect tends to
be well worth the effort,
whether its drawing
extra cards, forcing your
opponent to discard or
dealing an additional
point of damage to your
opponent. However your
opponent knows this too,
so actually getting those
triggers off can be harder than it looks. Generally, there
will be moments when your opponent will be particularly
desperate to get a certain trigger off. For instance, if
theyre down to 1-2 cards in hand, then an Intellect
trigger to draw additional cards might be tempting. On
the other hand, a player is unlikely to try for an Intellect
trigger if they have a full hand of 7 cards already. This is

the kind of information you can use to work out whether
theyre more or less likely to use a given discipline for
their strike card. Players can always try to ignore the
triggers and attempt to play more randomly, but human
nature makes that difficult the benefits that getting a
trigger offers can just be too tempting sometimes!
This is also where the
Black Joker comes in.
For every deck, the
Black Joker is a card
that is always available
and can be played as a
feint in any turn. Each
Black Joker has two
values and, most of the
time, two disciplines
on it (eg. an 8 Intellect
and a 6 Cunning), so
you can use either one
when playing it. I prefer
to feint with the Black
Joker in almost all of
my combats. It tends to give you a moderate value to
start with (usually around 7-8), plus it helps to save
you from draining your own hand too quickly. The
disadvantage of overusing it, is that it becomes quite
difficult to activate a trigger for a discipline thats
not on the Black Joker. After all, playing a feint with
a discipline not on your Joker, tends to send a clear
message to your opponent that youre hoping to get
that trigger. A better option is to feint cards with
the discipline you want that are higher than what
you could play with the Black Joker. That way your
opponent cant be sure whether youre playing the card
for the discipline, or for the higher starting value. So
long as youre not being predictable by always going
for the trigger, this should give you your best chance
of activating that trigger.
your opponent might be able to use that knowledge

against you.
For instance, lets say that you look at your
opponents hand after a combat and see that he has
no Physical cards. Logic dictates that their strike
next turn wont be from the Physical discipline,
so you might, for instance, attempt to win combat
with a high Physical card for the strike. But your
opponent knows this too, so if they happen to draw
a Physical before the next combat (the odds of
which are about 56%, if they draw two cards in the
draw phase), theyll almost definitely use it. What
this boils down to is that planning your next combat
on what disciplines your opponent doesnt have is
actually very risky. The most success Ive had with
looking at my opponents cards is, to instead, take
note of what their best cards are. This additional
information gives me a good idea on how healthy
their hand is compared to mine and by extension,
whether I should be trying to beat them with the
highest combat total, or by matching disciplines.
Discarding Cards
At the simplest level, forcing your opponent to
discard cards will limit their options for what they
can play in later combats. Getting your opponent to
discard most or all of their cards is certainly a big
advantage what they feint or strike with becomes
much more reliant on the luck of what they draw in
the previous turn.
The Hazards and Rewards of Spying
The less obvious advantage of forcing discards, is

that you get to see what your opponent doesnt value
in their hand. Generally, any player should try and
keep cards from all three disciplines in their hand,
so the cards that are discarded are often going to be
from the disciplines they already have good cards
for. In other words, if your opponent chooses to
discard a Cunning and Intellect card, it may mean
that theyre low on useful Physical cards.
Most Showdown decks have at least one way for you

to look at some or all of the cards in your opponents
hand. This kind of information can give you a strong
advantage in subsequent combats; in particular
what their best cards might be and what disciplines
they have or havent. However if youre not careful,
Ive mentioned disciplines, but what value cards

should you be discarding if youre required to? In
practice, the least valuable cards are not the lowest
cards in your hand, but the moderate ones - the 6-9
cards. Low cards may not be as broadly useful as
29
high value cards for winning combats, but theyre

exactly what you want when trying to win combat
by matching disciplines. Moderates, on the other
hand, sit in an uncomfortable middle ground too
low to win via having the highest combat total and
too high to really win with by matching disciplines.
You can use them to feint (as above I am a fan
of feinting with moderates), but most of the time
youre better off just using your Black Joker.
King of Clubs
The King of Clubs is the master of attrition, with

access to a wide variety of ways to both heal damage
and negate the damage his opponent might deal
him. This ranges from his Physical Trigger, which
allows him to heal instead of deal extra damage after
winning combat, to a variety of cards that can negate
opponents triggers, prevent damage if they dont
discard cards and in one case, heal two damage if
you win combat after feinting with the two of clubs.
The Aces and Effect Cards
The latter is a huge gamble, but the effective swing
As mentioned, each deck has their own set of effect of three damage can easily turn a game around.
cards and Aces, all of which will have some influence Together, with more than a few ways to discard
over combats from turn to turn. Its difficult to give too his opponents cards and even a card that lets him
much advice over a variable that can change so much recover something from his discard pile, the King of
between decks, suffice to say that it definitely helps to Spades specializes in wearing his opponent down,
know what effects your opponents deck can potentially draining their resources and eventually finishing
pull off. For instance, the King of Clubs has an effect card them off when they have nothing left to give.
that prevents a trigger
from activating. If Queen of Hearts
your opponent is
holding one of those The Queen is a gambler with a love for the Physical
cards, theyre unlikely discipline. Many of her cards make her Physical
to be worried about discipline even better, either by increasing their
you
getting
any value for you, or punishing your opponent if they
triggers. Hence, you use Physical cards. Not only that, but one of her
can adjust your own effect cards can be played to either make the damage
plan
accordingly, dealt by the Queen unpreventable, or (my favourite)
either by not worrying deal an additional damage to whoever loses combat.
about triggers yourself If shes willing to take the risk, the Queen of Hearts
or (if they know you can get maximum use out of her Physical trigger
know about the card), and effect cards to deal a lot of damage within a
aiming for triggers short space of time.
on a far more regular
basis.
Jack of Diamonds
Jack is the master of subterfuge, with access to many
ways in which he can hide his plans during combat
and maneuver his opponents into a bad position. Jacks
I thought Id finish this small (ha!) discourse with an
action, react, and combat cards can do such things as
overview of the first five decks that will be available
allowing him to play two feint cards (returning one to
for Showdown. As youll see, each deck has a very
the hand before strikes are revealed), force his opponent
distinct playstyle with their own strengths. You may
to feint first, or pick his opponents trigger upon winning
prefer one style over the others, but in the end, I
combat. His Cunning trigger is also very useful, since
hope you come to enjoy this new game as much as
it forces the opponent to discard two random cards,
I have!
rather than two cards of their choice. Opponents of
the Jack of Diamonds need to be especially wary when
Jack feints with a low card, since he has a way to either
The Decks
30
replace that low Feint with a 13 or swap feints with his extraordinary control and flexibility to the Ace of
opponent, both of which can easily sway the combat in Spades, allowing her to choose the effect from her
Jacks favor. Opponents can never truly know what the Aces that will best suit the situation at hand.
Jack of Diamonds is up to during combat.
The Jokers
Denial is the name of the game when it comes to
the Jokers. They dont like it when the opponent
tries to pull any tricks, and they have many ways
to neutralize them. More than half of the Jokers
action, react, and combat cards, plus one of their
Aces, allow you to neutralize your opponents effect
cards. This in itself is quite strong, especially when
your opponent is relying on those cards to win
combat for them. They can also drop the value of
the opponents Black Joker with one of their flipped
Ace cards, and have two other Aces that allow them
to look at their opponents hand.
The Jokers also like dealing damage by matching
disciplines on the strike with their opponent. One
of their action cards reduces the value of a single
discipline by two for that combat, while another
deals an additional damage if the Jokers win combat
with the lowest total. All in all, it makes for a very
interesting playstyle. The Jokers worry less than
other decks about being caught off-guard by their
opponents effect cards. In addition, the ability
to reduce card values and benefit from winning
combat with the lowest total, means theyre in a
better position than other decks when they find
themselves without high cards to play.
Ace of Spades
The Ace of Spades has two major strengths
drawing cards and getting maximum advantage
from her own Aces. The Intellect discipline and
card-draw in general is a large part of her playstyle.
Her Intellect trigger allows her to draw three instead
of two cards, two of her Aces give her additional
cards, and Intellect is only discipline on her Black
Joker. Half of the Ace of Spades action and react
cards also deal with her Aces themselves, either
allowing you to choose which Ace to reveal upon
taking damage, or to repeat their immediate effect
as if they had just been flipped over before combat.
The latter is especially powerful when you consider
that one of her Aces lets you look at your opponents
hand, giving her the only way any deck, thus far,
has of looking at your opponents cards right before
combat! Her Ace-manipulation tricks grant some
31
-Adrian
Building a Modular Gaming Board
By: Marko Paunovic
Last April, I was approached by the

editor of Figure Painter Magazine
(FPM) to undertake a long term
project that would be featured in
the magazine as a series of monthly
articles detailing the building of a
fully electrified gaming board for
Malifaux.
The goal of the articles is to closely
follow the building process of this
project, from the concept through
the designing right down to the
execution and actual build of each
board section. Every detail on the
board will be shown with a howto-build explanation.
I contacted fellow UMS Agram members Ana Polanscak (Gujozec) and Andrija Jurisic to help with the
build, each focusing on different elements. The team write about as many details as possible, so in the
articles, you can find useful tips where to buy certain items, how to manufacture a huge amount of same
bits at a reasonable cost and in a relatively
short time frame. As the board being
thoroughly electrified to power things
like LED lights and servo motors, the
articles will feature a short theoretical
explanation about electronics. This
will enable the reader who hasnt
had any prior contact with the
electronics to, not only be able to
build his own electronic circuits,
but understand where and why
certain parts are used.
The table itself will consist of
nine, thirty centimetre squared
underground modules, four of
which will be generic tunnels
and hallways, while the other
five will be focused on certain Malifaux Masters. The team decided to go for the older Masters (now
to be re-issued), one from each faction. The McMourning section will be based around a morgue and a
guild prison while the Nicodem area will be a crypt. The Hamelin section will be a sewers and the Ramos
area will feature a steampunk laboratory. One newer Master, Hungering Darkness will be covering the
remaining two factions.
32
Each module has been designed to be

interchangeable with every other so many
different combinations can be used. To
enable this, each section module has eight
connectors, a male and female at each
corner. The boards power source will be a
transformer 230V AC to 24V DC which will
have enough voltage and amperage to power
the whole thing while keeping it safe enough
to use.
At the time of writing this article, the
modules frames have built and the wiring
is being done throughout the nine sections.
Parallel to the main build, Ana and Andrija
are doing a lot of smaller details like
embossed stone tiles, bulkhead light covers
and a mechanism for a sliding door system
that will be incorporated into all four sides
of each Master module.
UMS Agram is a non-profit organization from Zagreb, Croatia, that focuses on

painting and converting miniatures, workmanship of terrain pieces for table-top war
gaming and playing strategic table top games. Its other activities concern technical
culture, history, fantasy and science fiction. It was founded in 2003 and has over 120
members from the ages of ten to forty. It has been a member of Zagrebs Community
of Technical Culture late 2003. Their programmes, which are co-financed by the
Citys Office for Social Welfare and the Citys Office for Culture as well as Zagrebs
Community of Technical Culture, include free terrain workshops, free war gaming demonstrations and
schools that include Malifaux, free local tournaments and leagues as well as two annual major international
war gaming events, Agram Arena Summer and Winter.
Figure Painter Magazine (ISSN 2052-8507) is a new independent magazine
dedicated to sculpting, painting, displaying, collecting and gaming with
miniature figures from all genres and scales.
For more information about the progression of the gaming board visit the
FPM website at www.figurepaintermagazine.co.uk
33
w
o
N
t
S
In
34
!
s
e
r
o
Henchmen Showcase
Brendon (Boshea) OShea
Christopher (Curlydesign) Dick
David (Tiny) Arrebola
Demonn Agram
Chris Parris
David (Pagan Wolfe) Herbert
Dennis (MudgeBlack) Dechance
35
Dgraz
Markus Ljudvg
Gabriel (Bruglyother) Hart
Liam (Osoi) Tennant

MDL1113
Huang Da Wei
Jeffrey (Fetid Strumpet) Hannah
James Kroesch
36
Jimmie Harp
Martin Lindblom
Moorhed
Oliver Nicholls
Matthew (Evilbleachman) Haupt
Nate (Big Ned) Zettle
Mike Marshall
Will (Pierowmaniac) Lambert
Steve (Zero) Quinn
37
Soipha
Tayakorn (Nickie) Kupakanjana
Mydnight
Thank you to all of our henchmen

who submitted an entry for this
months Wyrd Chronicles.
38
39
See you next time!!

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Contents

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Copyright Wyrd Miniatures, LLC

The Best Four Days In Gaming

By: David Hanold

Welcome to the seventh installment of the Wyrd Chronicles!

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Theres Something About Molly

By: Graeme Stevenson

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Seamus lifted his oversized hat and drew a linen

be told almost as if they were listening to her

There had been no wind for days; moisture trickled

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His hair was getting long, she noticed. She could

I was dead already, Molly, the velvet bag said. Id

You are bound to him, Molly, Tombers reminded

Molly said nothing. She had believed that for a long

Molly, where are we?

But now it felt like that leash had loosened. Seamus

It was he that needed her.

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Copyright Wyrd Miniatures, LLC

She had been tempted to leave him in his bag and

The remaining belles on the street had managed to pull

Where was that blasted Squidpiddge when he

The most amusing part was that Montgomery and

Copyright Wyrd Miniatures, LLC

weapon barrel while the other man was trying to

Chorus line, ladies! he shouted, thrusting his arm

The blatant robbery sparked the men into action and

Copyright Wyrd Miniatures, LLC

I see you almost every day, Miss, the clerk said.

Fishin not your strong suit, eh, Molly? he snorted.

Copyright Wyrd Miniatures, LLC

Molly might have toppled over then with sheer nervous

IllIll be off now, said the clerk.

whole lane with a flash of yellow. The bullet impact

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Tara and Crew

Stutter Time: This model may choose to

Df (M)Through the Hole: After failing

Shattered Memories: If another living

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The Nothing Beast

Incorporeal: This model ignores, and is

Copyright Wyrd Miniatures, LLC

Incorporeal: This model ignores, and is

(0) Eternal Journey: Place this model anywhere

Tara gains the following Tactical Action:

The Price of Haste: Enemy models in a6 with the

Tara gains the following Tactical Actions:

The Darlings: Crews lead by this model may hire

Tara gains the following Abilities:

(2) Echoes of the Void ( Ca 7t / TN 14tC / Rst: Wp):