1

Contents
P.34 - Last Subnet thought-log of circe
P.35 - Showdown Tactics
Credits
P.02 - Spreading the Word
P.03 - Ask a Gremlin
P.05 - Winters Chill P.39 - Professor Pontificates
P.43 - Signature Spells
P.46 - Makos Rubbish
P.55 - The Gallery
Creative Director
Justin Gibbs
Layout and Editor
David Hanold
Graphic Artist
Redd Cohen
Contributing Writers
Matt Anderson
Jonathan Boynton
Aaron Brosman
Josh Christensen
Justin Gibbs
David Hanold
Mack Martin
Mark Rogers
Adrian Scott
Graeme Stevenson
Contributing Artists
Alex Alexandrove
Matthew Bradbury
Hardy Fowler
Christophe Madaru
Pablo Quiligotti
Melvin de Voor
Special Thanks
Aaron Brosman
P.08 - The Bayou Bash
P.16 - Shadow of Fallen Leaves
P.22 - The Nature of Souls
P.32 - Malifaux Scenarios
By David Hanold
A look at whats to come
Spreading the Word
Welcome Back!
Te month of April begins with mischief. Gremlins have taken over the Chronicles, they need their time in
the spotlight too! We found this time to be appropriate to show of previews from the Gremlin line. Scattered
throughout this volume of the Chronicles is never before seen art for upcoming Gremlin models.
Tanks to our wonderful community of talented writers we have tons of stories to be read. Mark has returned to
us with a bloody good painting article. Adrian provides pointers for newcomers to the tournament scene. Josh
breaks down more tactics for Te King of Clubs playstyle in Showdown: Icons. And our favorite Gremlin is back
to answer questions submitted by the community.
Like you, we at Wyrd are also gamers. Each member of Wyrd has his or her own selection of favorite games, and
we couldnt pass up the opportunity to talk about one of them! Tis month we have the honor to provide a look
into the popular board game Mage Wars.
Aaron Brosman, creative director at Arcane Wonders, has dropped by to provide veteran and new players alike
his own winning spells that he has found himself including in almost all of his Spell Tomes. Mage Wars is a
fantastic game that many of us at the ofces personally enjoy a great deal. It has the same level of customization
and complexity as Malifaux. Te designers over at Arcane Wonders contacted us because they also share a
passion for Malifaux. So if you are already a fan of Mage Wars, please check out his article. And if you are not
aware of Mage Wars take the time to look up the games unique mechanics over at http://www.arcanewonders.
com/category/magewars.
Oh, I almost forgot, there is a secret link buried somewhere in here with even more amazing gremlin art! Have
fun looking

As always feel free to email me at david.hanold@wyrd-games.net.

Enjoy!
2
3
Q: What master would you most like to remove from
the game?
A: If I ad my way Id have ta say Ramos. He keeps a
puttin too many legs on tings.
Q: Why are gremlins a faction?
A: Some fellers ask why. Other fellers askwud you
rather have a face full o lead or a gremlin faction? Tat
second feller is always the convincin sort.
Q: Where and how did Somer get Peaches?
A: Id have ta say Peaches got im.
Q: What does it take to get a job at Wyrd?
A: Wit a big nough hat anythin can be accom,
accommodated? Er, done.
Q: Who comes up with the weirdest ideas in the ofce?
A: Dat Mack feller, might be part gremlin.
Q: Any chance of dual-master upgrades? Like an
Ophelia-dita hat thing or a Lady J-Lilith sword schtick?
A: If n we capture em we could try sewin dem together, so
long as they dont kick an bite like the last two.
Q: Why do non unique models have a rare
characteristic I.e. Peacekeepers and Desolation
Engines and Guild hounds and Insidious madness?
A: How many o dem desolation engines do yous want,
anyway? When you go a callin somethin the desolation
engine I dont be expectin to be buyin it by the dozen.
While youre out, if n its not too much trouble, could ya
bring me back a couple a desolation engines?
Q: When can we expect the frst M2E expansion?
A: When da Bayou heats up and goes all a swelterin.
Q: What is the Square root of 1?
A: Never done seen a root dat was square.
Q: When is the anti-gremlin guild faction coming?
A: When? WHERE?! RUN!
Q: What would happen if Ravage, Loco, and Willy
started a band?
A: Callin demselves Papa and the Demolition Team, dey
would experience initial commercial success wit their
frst album, but durin their debut tour they would break
up over creative diferences. Loco would enjoy some
brief success as a solo artist, but all three would live in
the incessant shadow of their previous fame, constantly
pressured to be wut dey were in their glory days.
Q: Are we asking random questions, or is there a
purpose?
A: Dat all depends. Is der a purpose? Or is dis all just a brief
joke the universe be havin at our expense? Are we all jus
piglets lookin up out o da slop at da uncarin sky?
Questions from the Community
Ask a Gremlin
By A Gremlin
4
Q: Why wont you sleep, why why why. All I want is
one full nights sleep.. Whhhyyyyy!!!???
A: Ya can sleep when youve been conked over da head all
proper like.
Q: Whos your favorite enforcer?
A: Whiskey Golem.
Q: Why does every time I try to grab a drink, my
barrel of shine keeps hitting me????
A: Whiskey Golem?
Q: What runs but never walks, has a mouth but
never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, and head that
never weeps?
A: Whiskey Golem!
Q: Why is Te Nothing Beast so nice?
A: He might be a mean lookin son o a gun, but hes
just misunder, under. Undersitting? Errrr. Under
yer bed. Waitin.
Q: How does one build a Prison that
houses Nothing?
A: Easily?
Q: Why is it mancha and lenny are never seen in the
same place at the same time?
A: And who was dat masked gremlin?
Q: If Malifaux had a comic book style super hero,
which faction would claim it?
A: Dem resser fellas. Te Ghoul, hims a mild mannered
Guild accountant by day, fesh eating zombie by night. An
lunch breaks.
Q: If two hats are the same size, is it style or color that
makes one better?
A: Style. Its all bout da style.
Q: What is the air speed velocity of Mah Tuckets spoon?
A: Ladle or un-ladle?
5
By Mack Martin
Advanced Pursuit: December Acolyte
Winters Chill
Through the Breach, the Malifaux RPG is in the final
stages of fulfilling the Kickstarter pledges. The digital
copies are out to the backers, and the physical books
are being printed. Soon everything will be in the
warehouse and off to the gamers. Its a very exciting
time for us here in the Wyrd offices.
One thing that is particularly exciting is our ability to
support the game through our bi-monthly magazine. In
this first installment well be presenting a new Advanced
Pursuit not found in the Fatemasters Almanac!
A Pursuit is a bit like a class or archetype from other
RPGs. However, it is designed to change during each
game session. While some players may doggedly hold
to one or two Pursuits that define their character,
others may liberally switch between those they feel
represent what the character is doing at the time. At
the end of each game session the players move along
the Pursuit path, learning a new ability or picking up
a general talent.
Fates, on the other hand, are set in stone at character
creation. The character has a set (of ambiguously
worded) destinies that will be fulfilled during
gameplay. Each game session will focus on a player
dealing with one step of this omen. Each player gets
a moment in the sun, and once all of the destinies
are completed the campaign will have a few wrap up
sessions and then end, completing a story.
Advanced Pursuits allow the players and Fatemaster
to extend the tale a bit. While it is important for the
story to have defined finish (all good things must end),
the players have some flexibility through Advanced
Pursuits.
Characters may only have one Advanced Pursuit, and
they must meet a requirement (frequently story based)
to begin the path. Unlike normal Pursuits, however,
the character never chooses an Advanced Pursuit at
the beginning of a session. Instead, it is always with
the character, and advancement is handled like a step
of Fate. An entire game session is dedicated to telling
the story of how the character advances along the
Pursuit with the help, or hindrance, of comrades.
Every Advanced Pursuit is unique, some advanced in a
simple linear fashion, while others present options that
may be chosen by the player or Fatemaster. Like Fate,
each has five steps. This means that a campaign may be
doubled in length by the inclusion of Advanced Pursuits,
if the Fatemaster and Players wish.
Here we present the December Acolyte, a devotee of
the powerful winter nightmare... and a potent Advanced
Pursuit available to any character willing to brave the
frigid winter nights.
5
6
December Acolyte
The nightmare entity known only in powerful magically
proficient circles. Those in the know associate it most
closely with the terrorist Rasputina. For most, the
existence of December comes when it contacts them,
or they learn of its power and seek it out.
The December Acolyte is one such person; a man
or woman who draws power from their devotion to
December. The entity functions as a power source,
and in some cases an indirect tutor, for the arcane
individuals, but even those without the mystical spark
can gain much from devotion to December.
While enigmatic, Decembers wrath can be seen
in the mountains near Malifaux, where a perpetual
winter ravages the landscape. Nearest its peaks, an
endless blizzard whips snow about the stones, and
there is little shelter to protect oneself from the
cold... which is likely where one can be closest to the
nightmare December.
Requirement
To Become a December Acolyte, the character must be
contacted by the nightmare entity known as December.
This can happen through a variety of ways, and indeed
it is possible that December never speaks to a mortal in
the same way twice, although this is pure conjecture. The
character might hear a voice on the wind, or see a terrible
vision after falling through the ice in a frozen pond.
Regardless of the way in which December makes contact,
the character must then choose to head a summons to the
perpetually snow-capped mountains north of Malifaux
city. After disappearing alone into the eternal blizzard,
they may eventually emerge... their heart frozen, and
their dedication to December secure.
The Winter Wind Calls
The path of a December Acolyte follows a set path.
Each step along this Advanced Pursuit is taken in
order (beginning with Frozen Heart and ending with
Smell Weakness).
Frozen Heart
With the first touch of Decembers power the characters
heart becomes frozen solid, and over time it may become
pure ice. Powerful emotions become a rarity, and it is
very easy for the character to overcome panic.
The character is immune to Horror Duels and the
Paralyzed Condition.
Maim
Without remorse the December Acolyte is capable
of hurting those around them in astonishing and cruel
ways. The character chooses a Ranged Combat or Close
Combat skill. Attacks made with the chosen skill gain the
following trigger:
C Maim: When this attack causes a Critical Effect the
attacker may choose to inflict any lower Critical Effect
of their choice instead.
From the Shadows
Devotion to the cold nights of December has granted
insights into the nature of shadow and darkness. When
called upon to make an Initiative flip, if no enemy is aware
of this characters presence, this character may immediately
take one additional turn after the Initiative flip, but before
characters begin resolving their turns in order. If multiple
characters have this ability, resolve each in Initiative order.
Ice in the Veins
The powerful winter magics of December infuse the
characters very being, and this extends to the weapons they
wield, which are often covered in mystical hoarfrost.
Whenever this successfully strikes a single target with
a Ranged or Close attack, the target also gains the
Slow Condition.
Smell Weakness
The hunter in the bitter nights must strike quickly, and with
as little energy expended as possible. This character may
take the following 1 AP action:
(1) Smell Weakness: Until the end of the round,
enemy characters within 6 yards of this character may not
benefit from Armor or the Hard to Wound talent.
8
By Graeme Stevenson
For possibly the only moment in living memory, the
Bayou was silent.
It was one of those pregnant heart beats when something
profound was about to happen; the fnal teetering
instant in defance of gravity before the wave crashed
down upon the beach. Even the wind had fallen silent,
waylaid by the electrical expectation in the air.
Ophelia LaCroix surveyed her kingdom, the red rag
held high overhead in her slim green fngers. Countless
eyes watched her for the signal; a thousand breaths were
held, a forest of moonshine jugs paralyzed half-way to
grinning mouths.
She stood on a decidedly rickety wooden platform some
thirty feet above the crowd, directly behind a line of
competitors held in check only by a thin cotton ribbon
to mark the starting line and the all-consuming red rag
that hung in limbo above.
A row of great pink hogs waited, their haunches
shivering with nervous tension, while their riders
craned back to watch Ophelia with mixed expressions
of determination, adoration, and in a few cases blatant
terror. Many of the hogs were saddled and a few more
were armored the majority of the riders seemed to
have taken a more philosophical stance with regards
to protection and were generally wearing their best
outfts, presumably in the hope that should they fall of
and crack their skulls on a rock, at least they would look
good while doing so.
Behind the line of hog butts was a litter of empty
moonshine jugs. It was generally agreed by the populace
that the more empty jugs visible at the start of a Bayou
Bash, the more hilarious the consequences, and this one
looked very promising indeed.
Tere were a lot of famous faces in that line; Leatherneck
on his huge black hog Bad-Motor-Trotter, sleek and
conceited Cleetus Clyde riding his prize winning
Porkchops, Sam Half-Ear atop Te Trufer, Five-Tooth
Charlie and his battered old hog Boneshaker, and a
whole host more. Every one of them had their eye on
the prize Te Big Hat.
It was astonishing how quickly bad news spread.
At dawn that morning, Pickle Grubshoot had been
tending to Somer Joness legendary pig Peaches and
had been half-way through slopping out her pen when
he heard the most unearthly groan of agony. Sneaking
a glimpse through a half-open window, Pickle caught
sight of the Big Boss Man himself, sprawled on the foor
of his shack and turned a most un-Gremlin-like shade
of gray. Somer had emitted another piteous noise and
squirmed partway under the bed before laying still.
The Bayou Bash
Race to the finish
9
Pickle was none too bright but he could sense that Somer
was not at his best and decided to alert his cousin, Gerkin.
While not necessarily any brighter, Gerkin was certainly
the bolder of the two and crept into Somers shack to give
the Gremlin Boss a poke with a stick.
When this failed to elicit a response, the boys arrived
at the irrefutable conclusion that Te Big Hat was not
much longer for the world and had apparently thrown
his last punch. Tey wasted no time in notifying fellow
pig sloppers of Somers imminent demise and word
spread around the entire Bayou like wildfre.
Within the hour, the rumor had solidifed into fact and
many of the swamps more infuential individuals had
perked up their ears. Now that the Big Boss Man had one
foot in the cofn and the other on a bar of soap (apparently
brought on by excessive hat weight on the brain, some
said), there was an imminent vacancy about to open at the
top of the bayou food chain and an increasing number of
hopefuls were reaching the conclusion that they were just
the Gremlin for the job.
By mid-morning, Clancy Pin the tailor had eleven orders
for an enormous hat and one order for an enormous hat
with a pocket in the side to keep a shine jug in from Dirty
Erk the laborer whose interests in local politics were little
and less, and who rather found himself consumed with
entirely practical matters such as where to secret another
jug when ones pockets, hands, pants, etc, were already full.
Te frst fght started shortly afer that, between Wong and
Ghengis Klang (who until earlier that morning had gone
by the name of Cecil Lowmuck before he began wearing a
frying-pan helmet and a fake moustache made from hog
bristles). Te specifcs of the argument
were lost amid the screaming, but there
were repeated references made regarding
trademark infringement of facial hair.
It wasnt long before
arguments and fghts
were breaking out
all over the Bayou.
Gremlins were
making noisy
decl ar at i ons
of their right to
ascendancy and having a bar
stool or clay shine jug broken
over their head by another worthy successor, who in
turn had their shins gnawed by a third contender whose
ambition far outstripped their comparatively diminutive
stature.
And so it would have continued indefnitely had Ophelia
LaCroix and a handful of her clan not come into town that
same afernoon to trade for supplies. Tey broke up the
fghting in short order and Ophelia learned the grisly fate
of Somer (who, afer several hours at the merciless hands of
gossip-mongers, was at this moment in the last paroxysms
of a poison administered by a jilted and vengeful senorita).
She immediately declared that there was only one way to
settle who was the worthiest to inhabit Somers still-warm
boots a Bayou Bash.
Tis declaration wasnt met with the immediate enthusiasm
one might have expected from a happy-go-lucky people
such as the Bayou Gremlins. Te last Bayou Bash had been
a rather cataclysmic afair where nineteen hogs ended up
lame, forty-fve Gremlins were reduced to a permanent
vegetative state, and roughly sixty percent of the Bayou
was razed to the ground. Tis grim tally did not take
into account the eye-wateringly awful fates of the actual
contestants themselves of course, just the results of the
overly-enthusiastic spectators.
Te particular event selected for this Bayou Bash was
simple enough the contestants raced their hogs around
an assault course and the frst to reach the fnish line was
considered either the toughest or simply the darn luckiest
Gremlin around either quality was ideal for command.
As ofen happens when real life intervenes, the rules
regularly required re-interpretation and the Gremlins
were nothing if not capable of thinking on their feet.
More than once a rider would succumb to the assault
course and only his hog mount would reach the fnish
line. Tis wasnt as big a disaster as one might think and
it was generally agreed throughout the swamp that Te
Big Pork had been one of the best bosses theyd ever had.
Equally, it was common for none of the contestants
to reach the fnish line at all, in which circumstances
many Gremlins took the Darwinian stance that the
bayou gene pool would beneft in the long run as
the whole thing seemed like suicide anyway and
anyone dumb enough to take part probably deserved
everything they got.
10
Perhaps the only real dark cloud in the history of a Bayou
Bash had been in 77 when Pancho Vanilla and his
mount Squealer had tied a frst place fnish with Big Guts
Growler riding Haunchosaurus Rex and both Gremlins
had ascended to Boss status of equal stature. Te situation
fortunately didnt last long but many older Gremlins
still referred to the short period before Big Guts ate his
argumentative rival as Schitzo Week.
Time and alcohol cure all ills and afer a few
contemplative shines, the populace started to come
around to the idea of another Bayou Bash and within
minutes a carnival atmosphere was building, and a few
minutes afer that so were the Gremlins.
And now all was ready; all was poised. Tat elastic
moment of anticipation had stretched almost to
infnity, or at least until Ophelia felt she had tortured
her audience long enough.
With a sultry smile, she dropped the red rag.
Crazy Satchmo had known it was going to be a great
day from the moment he rolled out of his blankets.
Te sun was bright and warm, but not too hot; there was
a breeze moving through the swamp that was keeping
the mosquitos occupied with something other than his
blood; and his faithful hog Plug Ugly had recovered
during the night. He wasnt much of an animal doctor
but as near as he could fgure it, his hog
had eaten something the day before that
had not agreed with it and
had spent an unpleasant
night evacuating
the contents of
its prodigious
stomach from
both ends.
Satchmo had wracked his brains but failed to come up with
a suitable candidate for this mysterious item that had caused
his pig such woe. He had previously been of the belief that
Plug Ugly could and usually did eat absolutely anything
without displaying any ill efects. He had personally
witnessed the voracious hog consume rocks, shoes, shine
jugs, wooden buckets, and on one occasion, a copper boiler
half flled with rotten fruit and potato peelings, always
culminating in the same loud report of fatulence that
sounded like Somers blunderbuss going of and a sleepy
contented expression on his hogs face.
In any event, his hog had perked up mightily and it
was while he was strapping on his home-made saddle
(consisting of a big pot with a leather strap going
around it at two holes for his legs) that he noticed the
excited crowd of Gremlins. It transpired that they were
watching old Crinkle Tin-Leg beating Meaty Bart about
the head with his afore-mentioned metal limb, which
led to the LaCroix descending on the scrum and then
the announcement of a Bayou Bash shortly thereafer.
Crazy Satchmo was a fair-to-middling hog rider, but
his real strength lay in his complete disregard for his
own safety. He was more than willing to take a risk on
something that everyone else would have considered
a one-way trip to a pine box and a eulogy. Besides, he
liked the sound of Boss Satchmo.
And so it was he found himself hunkered over Plug
Ugly, the reins tight in his fsts, shoulder-to-shoulder
with over a dozen fellow Gremlins that were either
stupid, ambitious, or psychotic enough to think that
competing in this race was a good idea.
As the sensuous Ophelia LaCroix threw down the rag to
signal the start of the race, it suddenly occurred to Satchmo
that he had forgotten to place an order for his enormous
hat of ofce.
Leatherneck was feeling very confdent when the line
of hog riders surged forward, propelled by the howling
crowds of onlookers he was the biggest Gremlin there
and Bad-Motor-Trotter was the biggest hog by far. Tey
would simply crush any opponent that got in their
way and use Bad-Motor-Trotters great mass to smash
through whatever fimsy obstacles had been erected to
try and slow them down.
11
He illustrated this tactic by riding directly over the top
of Little Ron Spindle on his pint-sized mount Rasher,
leaving them both pancaked in the dirt of the starting line.
Leatherneck didnt even feel the bump.
Very quickly, however, he saw that his plan might not be as
foolproof as he had frst thought. Within seconds Cleetus
Clydes pedigree pig had shot out in front and was rapidly
opening up a comfortable lead.
Te big Gremlin spurred his grunting mount on,
determined to catch Porkchops and her sickeningly
pampered master so he could watch their expressions of
surprise and disbelief when Bad-Motor-Trotter trampled
them to green and pink smears.
Te contestants shot down the frst straight while
the crowd of spectating Gremlins bayed like
hounds. Dust few up from galloping trotters and
very soon the racers were obscured from view as they
skidded around the frst bend, but this seemed to have
no efect on the crowd who continued to shriek and
holler long afer the hogs and their riders were out of
earshot.
Te more astute viewers had located themselves
around the frst obstacle, a quarter of a mile up the
road, afectionately known as the Springboard. Tis
particular obstacle had featured on several Bashes
before in one incarnation or another and was a
guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Cleetus and Porkchops were the frst to reach
it and handled the situation well Porkchops
resisted the urge to hit the long knotwood plank at
full speed, but instead slowed enough that they were only
sprung a few feet into the air enough to sail comfortably
over the mud pit. Porkchops landed daintily (as a lady
pig should) and they shot of along the trail.
Tis was to be expected from a pedigree animal and
the spectators were not overly disappointed. As if
some sort of karmic reward was bestowed upon them
for their patience, Rancid Pete and his panting mount
Applesauce came thundering over the rise and the
audience grinned with anticipation.
Applesauce hit the sprung plank at full speed and
appeared quite surprised to be catapulted ffy or
so feet into the air while his short legs continued to
blur industrially. Tis surprise turned to a squeal of
concern when his small piggy eyes took in that the
track immediately ahead swerved hard to the lef and
his trajectory would carry him substantially further to
where the ground dropped sharply into a rocky bluf.
Rider and mount vanished over the edge of this clif and
the assembled Gremlins let out a ragged cheer which
completely masked the distant splat.
Each time misfortune struck an incautious rider the
Gremlins cheered and toasted one another with shine
and so it was that they were thoroughly drunk by the
time Five-Tooth Charlie and old Boneshaker fnally
hove into view, the last contestants by some
considerable distance. Te audience
watched through a pleasant intoxicated
blur as the old hog and even older
rider trundled slowly along the length
of the plank, dropped with a splutt
into the mud without the slightest
bounce and struggled slowly to
dry land.
Tey even managed
to summon a last
uncoordinated cheer
when Boneshaker heaved
himself out of the mud and
set of at a wobbly trot, but
by then they were so far
gone that they could no
longer quite remember
what they were standing
around cheering for and
decided to have a bit of a
lie down.
12
Further along the trail, another batch of giggling spectators
was waiting impatiently for the racers to arrive.
Tey had chosen to stake out the Barrel Ride a large and
slightly preposterous obstacle that they felt sure would
provide wanton carnage in abundance. When the racers
arrived at the brow of Snake Hill, they were supposed to
leap atop one of the many wooden barrels resting on their
sides and attempt to ride the rolling container down to the
trench below. Tis was no mean feat in itself as the hog
would have to run backwards at the same pace the barrel
was rolling forwards in order to maintain balance and
position atop the container, and the faster the barrel rolled
the faster the hog would need to run.
However, this by itself struck many of the Gremlins as a
bit lacking in spectacle, which was why the barrels were
also half-full of fint and steel strips. Te premise was
that the fint and steel would clatter and rattle around
in the spinning barrel until something produced a
spark, which was also the reason for the dozen sticks of
dynamite secured to the inner wall of each barrel. Te
spectators were confdent that the sense of anticipation
in watching whether any contestant could reach the
bottom of the hill without exploding (not to mention
the fnancial gain to be had from betting against the
odds) was more than enough to transform an otherwise
cheap stunt into genuine family entertainment.
As before, Cleetus and Porkchops were the frst to reach
the brow of the hill and the pedigree pig once again
demonstrated her quality breeding by springing onto
the nearest barrel and beginning the treacherous descent
down the hillside without so much as a wobble.
A sweaty and harassed looking Bad-Motor-Trotter
appeared seconds later but, spurred on by the hulking
Leatherneck, simply shouldered aside the waiting
barrels and began to gallop down the hill in pursuit.
Te assembled Gremlins booed at this, but they did so
rather quietly because Leatherneck had a reputation for
intolerance and violence in equal measure, and one of the
principal laws of Gremlin society was that the only rules
that really applied were those that one could enforce.
Tey were disappointed by Leathernecks poor
sportsmanship, at least until Sam Half-Ear and his obese
mount Te Trufer crashed into the barrels at the brow
of the hill. Te Trufer, to give him his due, did make a
genuine efort to climb aboard a barrel, but was undone
by his seven-hundred pound girth and crushed the
barrel fat. Tere followed an awkward moment when
the immensely fat hog began a strange sort of downhill
toboggan adventure on the splintered remnants of the
barrel while Sam Half-Ear tried frantically to get his
mount back to its feet.
White smoke was spewing from two of the disturbed
barrels at the top of the hill and most of the audience
was tittering nervously as the prospect of an explosion
drew near. Tis tense excitement heightened when
Crazy Satchmo and Plug Ugly launched themselves
onto one of the already-smoking barrels and began to
ride it downhill either unaware or unconcerned that
it might go up at any second.
Most of the other riders arrived at the brow of the
hill seconds later and began to jostle for free barrels
when a breathtaking double-event happened almost
simultaneously.
Te smoking barrel at the top of the hill (which was
being carefully avoided by the other riders) abruptly
exploded and set of every other barrel in the vicinity
which was unfortunately all of them. Almost a dozen
surprised Gremlins and their hog mounts vanished in
a huge plume of fame and a sooty breeze carried the
smell of barbecued pork to the staring spectators below.
As if this wasnt a stunning enough revelation, the barrel
that Porkchops had been expertly riding disintegrated
in an equally violent explosion when the hog and her
rider were scant feet from the base of the hill. Small,
pedigree chops (cooked to perfection) rained down on
the astonished crowd.
Leatherneck and Bad-Motor-Trotter skidded to a halt a
short way of and Leatherneck seemed to blink slowly at
the smoldering crater for a minute, as if unsure what to
do now that his quarry had escaped him. Almost as an
aferthought, he snapped Bad-Motor-Trotters reins and
charged the huge pig of the hill and away down the track.
Incredibly, Crazy Satchmo arrived at the bottom of
the hill unharmed. He and Plug Ugly leaped from
their still smoking barrel and charged off in hot
pursuit of Leatherneck. The crowd watched the
barrel with expectation until it gave a small phut and
stopped smoking.
13
It was almost fve minutes later when a single fgure
appeared through the belching black clouds at the brow
of the hill. Unperturbed by the chewed-up hilltop and
lack of barrels, old Five-Tooth Charlie and Boneshaker
began their slow, wobbly descent towards the stunned
and silent crowd.
Leatherneck hunched low over his pufng mount,
surprised at how disappointed he felt over missing
his opportunity to crush Porkchops and that fawning
Cleetus into mush. He was in the lead with only one
more obstacle to go, but it felt like a hollow victory.
He cheered himself up with the prospect that perhaps
Cleetus had survived the explosion and hed have the
chance to trample him once the race was done and he had
collected his enormous hat.
Hoofeats were coming up behind him and he glanced
over his shoulder to see Crazy Satchmo and Plug Ugly
closing the gap. Te younger hog was both much lighter
and faster and it was scant seconds before he drew
abreast of and then nosed ahead of Bad-Motor-Trotter,
but Leatherneck wasnt worried. He just grinned at Crazy
Satchmo as he overtook, who grinned back.
Anyone else who stood to lose a Boss-hood would have
made more of an efort to preserve pole position, but
Leatherneck had a plan. He knew that the last obstacle was
dead ahead the Big Mud.
Tis had actually been Leathernecks idea and it was one
that had been carefully crafed to compliment Bad-Motor-
Trotters strengths. It was essentially a big mud pit, about
ten feet long and four feet deep and flled with thick viscous
mud; more than enough to slow down and even stop an
average hog, but a great big beast like Leathernecks mount
with a head of steam would just power straight through it.
While Plug Ugly was foundering in the mire, Bad-Motor-
Trotter would steamroller right over the top of
him and on to victory.
Leatherneck grinned savagely and
hunched even lower over his mount
as he maneuvered Bad-Motor-
Trotter into line directly behind his
opponent.
Crazy Satchmo might have questioned why
Leatherneck simply grinned at him as he
fell into second place if he had been raised
simply as Satchmo, but Gremlins usually
named their kin for good cause and he
raced on, snapping Plug Uglys reins.
He could see the last obstacle up ahead, a
broad stretch of glistening swamp mud
with dozens of excited Gremlin spectators
hopping and jostling on either side for a
better view. He spurred his heels into
his hogs fanks and hauled back on the
reins, inciting Plug Ugly to leap at the
very edge of the mud pit.
His intention was to leap over the frst fve feet or so of
the muddy trench and use Plug Uglys momentum to
drive them both through the last of it and back onto
frm ground. Tings went well initially Plug Ugly
launched himself into the air and they sailed far out
over the mud, coming down only three feet or so shy of
the far end of the pit.
And stopped dead with a huge splotch.
Satchmo almost folded in half with the sudden impact
of coming to a complete halt and slithered out of his pot
saddle, winded and completely dazed. He fell into the mud
to the lef of his hog with a small plop and lay there while
the Gremlin audience cheered.
And then the strangely jelly-like surface of the mud
pool began to tremble and he realized that the massive
Bad-Motor-Trotter was about to thunder over the top
of them both.
Cracking his reins savagely, Leatherneck guided his
huge hog down the slope to the mud pit, charging it at
full speed. He laughed out loud when he saw Plug Ugly
come to an abrupt halt; the hog was far too skinny to get
through that quagmire, but Bad-Motor-Trotter would
make short work of it.
Te huge steaming animal rumbled down the incline,
tusked head bowed for a charge and ploughed straight
into the mud. Leatherneck had just enough time to
register how the mud bunched up around his hogs
head and shoulders in a most un-mud-like way before
he found himself catapulted forwards with Bad-Motor-
Trotter nowhere to be seen.
His head struck Plug Uglys broad backside which brought
his fight to an abrupt halt and he dropped face-frst and
headlong into the mud, where he stuck fast. Behind him
he could hear Bad-Motor-Trotter snorting and heaving but
the huge pig was completely immobilized.
Te crowd cheered again. Tey had taken one look at
Leathernecks mud pit and decided it fell far short of what
was considered an acceptable obstacle for a Bayou Bash
and had set about dumping honey, molasses, glue and
pretty much every other sticky substance they could fnd
into the mud to make it a more formidable trap. Te end
result was a thick brown fuid that had stuck fast the planks
used to stir it and the Gremlin stirrers themselves (two of
which were still sticking out of the eastern end of the pit like
green lollipops).
Tey watched as hogs and riders struggled and kicked and
snorted and swore but the impossibly sticky goop didnt
budge an inch.
Finally, Five-Tooth Charlie and Boneshaker appeared. Tey
had been forced to take a short nap when the comparative
excitement of going downhill unaided overcame old
Boneshaker but he was now rested and fghting ft, or at
least as ft as a ninety-one year old hog can be.
Te elderly competitors worked their way carefully down to
the edge of the mud pit, where Boneshaker clambered over
the immobilized Bad-Motor-Trotter, then the outstretched
and cursing Leatherneck, and fnally over the top of Plug
Ugly. For a moment it was touch and go when the audience
debated whether Boneshakers quivering old haunches
had it in him to leap the remaining 3-foot gap but, with
a Herculean efort, the old hog managed the jump and
trotted of at a sedate pace towards the fnish line.
Te Gremlins (now well lubricated with shine and willing
to cheer almost anything or anyone) were going crazy as
the doddery old hog and rider came up the slope. Even
Ophelia LaCroix had lost some of her usual decorum with
the incessant drinking and was whooping and fring into
the air as Five-Tooth Charlie and his tired mount trundled
over the fnish line.
Te noise was incredible as countless hundreds of Gremlins
celebrated the nomination of their new Boss. Te fact that
he was incredibly ancient, absent-minded, half blind and
unlikely to live out the remainder of the week was entirely
academic at that moment. Te old Gremlin would have
been hoisted onto their shoulders and carried around the
town were there not so many concerns that he might snap
or fall apart under their rough ministrations.
Instead, they settled for crowding around him and
showering the decrepit victor in moonshine while they
chanted his name and fred of an assortment of weaponry
into the sky.
14
15
It was right about that time that a ripple of disturbance
began at the rear of the crowd. It took a little while to reach
the center of celebrations, but this particular disturbance
proved that it had more than sufcient muscle and raw
orneriness to make its presence known. Te cheering and
merry-making was steadily replaced with gasps of shock
and astonishment until the entire crowd had fallen silent.
Somer Teeth Jones shoved his way into the middle of the
throng and unceremoniously slapped old Five-Tooth
Charley of his hog. Te feeting-and-now-abruptly-
retired Boss vanished into a sea of staring faces with a
squeak of surprise.
Whats the matter with you pack o eejits? Somer roared,
cradling his head while his small blood-shot eyes rolled
cantankerously from one goggling Gremlin to the next.
Caint a Boss sleep of a hangover in peace? Keep th noise
down afore I blast the whole lot o ya to kingdom come!
Te entire Gremlin horde watched in speechless
silence as he stomped back into his shack, grumbling
under his breath.
16
Te wooden skif drifed lazily down the river, one oar
dangling loosely into the water, barely visible against the
dark water in the faint moonlight. Te oar caught the
current and turned the skif, causing it to drif slowly
towards a small jetty that led to a narrow fight of stone
steps set into the bank. As it neared the rivers edge,
it caught the lamplight of Shaun Kensey as he slowly
patrolled the downtown waterfront. Kensey paused for
a moment to tighten his uniform coat against the chill
of the fall night, his Guild badge glinting on the heavy
fabric, before calling to his partner, Hollin. Te two
guardsmen walked closer to the jetty, Kensey leading
with his lamp fully opened to better see the little boat,
while his partner followed him with pistol drawn.
Who goes there? Kensey demanded, loudly. Te night
swallowed his voice, making it sound thin and reedy. Tere
was no response, just the steady lapping of water against
the jetty and the sof thump of an oar shifing in the lock.
He drew his pistol and called again. Whos in that boat?
Speak up, or therell be trouble. Te boat turned slowly as
it came into the lee of the jetty, and Kenseys lamp revealed
why there had been no answer. Te boat was empty aside
from some tangled cloth and fragments of wood. A few
forlorn leaves, tanned by the season, sat in the bottom of
the skif while others drifed alongside.
Looks like some idiot wrecked their pretty little boat.
Hollin said. Why anyoned wanta sail on this foul strip
o water to start with, I dont know. Kensey shrugged in
response, then started down the worn steps to the jetty
for a closer look. Ah, Kens, really? Tere aint gonna be
a reward for fndin it, Hollin grumbled. Kensey ignored
him, standing at the bottom of the steps and leaning out
to peer into the boat as it slid closer. He heard Hollin
start down the steps behind him with a theatrical sigh,
and turned to look at him.
Before he fnished turning, Hollin came tumbling down
the steps and slammed into him shoulder frst. Winded,
Kensey lost his balance and the two of them went over
the side of the jetty in a tangle of limbs. Kensey saw the
skif rising up beneath them before something struck
his temple and everything vanished.
Neither man was conscious to see two fgures unfold
themselves from amongst the debris in the skif.
Wearing loose clothes in a mix of nondescript dark
greys and browns, they had been close to invisible in the
poor light. As they climbed silently and lightly over the
two crumpled guardsmen, one reached out with slender
fngers to pluck a small feathered dart from Hollins
neck. Within seconds they had faded from sight in the
gloom of the streets, leaving nothing but a few orange-
brown leaves swirling gently in their wake.
As soon as they were out of sight of the river the
pair ducked down a near lightless alley, searching it
quickly for other occupants. Tey found nothing but
the ever present rats, which ignored the men as they
Keeping the Secrets
By Mark Rodgers
Shadow of Fallen Leaves
17
crouched among the piles of debris and trash. Afer
several heartbeats of total stillness, one subtly gestured
upward. Te other nodded, springing lightly onto the
wall, fnding purchase in the ageing brickwork and
fttings. He paused just before reaching the top of the
wall, leaning out a little, to look onto the sloped roof
without outlining his head in the moonlight. Another
gesture brought the second fgure nimbly up the wall
and over the iron guttering, his body hugging the tiles
as he snaked up the roof towards the ridge.
Tere was no one else on the roofops as the pair ran
from shadow to shadow across the tiles in a noiseless
crouch. Te haze of cloud that had covered the moon
drifed away, brightening the skyline of the old city and
silhouetting the moving fgures for a brief moment before
they fell still, becoming nothing more than indistinct
shadows. A minute passed and nothing stirred on the
roofops. Te break in the clouds closed again, the
moonlight fading, and the silent shapes moved again.
Tey paused in the shadow of a taller building, already
some distance from the river, and one looked around
the sky. He turned to his companion and gestured with
three fattened fngers on one hand against the open
palm of the other. Tirty minutes lef. Te other nodded
minutely and rose from his haunches. He had barely
moved a step when the distant cry of a bird made them
both freeze. In seconds they had identifed the source of
the cry, a large raptor circling near a building that jutted
above the surrounding roofs.
Te second fgure curled two fngers at the frst, the rest
of his hand closed in a loose fst. Guild? Te signal was
returned a moment later, with a tightly clenched fst and
a sweep of the other hand. Another brief signal followed.
Guild avoid wings. Tey kept their distance from the
building, looping round to keep out of sight of the
wheeling raptor. Te detour was costing them time, and
once they were well past the sight of the bird they had
to move faster, sacrifcing a degree of caution for speed.
As the clouds drifed by, the moon sporadically glowed
down on two indistinct drifing shapes, invisible from
below as they darted from building to building like cats,
climbing and jumping as if the street wasnt there below.
By the time anyone gathered their nerve to check what
the sof noise on their roof might be, there was nothing
but the occasional leaf tumbling in the wind.
Eventually they drew close to their objective, looking
at it across the roofops from a perch in a crumbling
bell tower. One of them unwrapped the long bundle
he was carrying just enough to detach a slender sight
tube from the long metal shape within. Tey surveyed
the area between them and their destination carefully
through the magnifying lenses of the tube. Satisfed
their route was clear enough, one of the pair raised his
hands together, two fngers of one outstretched, then
folded one fnger and raised one on the other hand as
he moved his hands apart. Divide. Te other didnt wait
to nod, dropping nimbly down the elderly brickwork
before angling across the roof below and springing
across a narrow alley to land catlike on the other side.
Te frst reattached the tube before wrapping the metal
object in the loose cloth again, slinging it across his
back alongside his katana. He too then climbed easily
down to the tiled roof and padded gently down the line
of roofs that lead towards his position, fading rapidly
into the night.
Te dojos master had bowed low when the representative
of the Katanaka clan had entered the building. Te
representative was tall and slender, his hair pulled back
in a long, sleek ponytail. Afer a studied pause he bowed
briefy in acknowledgement, then addressed the master
directly.
You are aware of why I was sent here? He said, in even
tones. Te master nodded.
You have need of our services. As ever, we serve the
Oyabun with our lives, if he commands it. What is it
you wish of us?
We need the Guild and the Union of Miners
distracted. Tey must be kept busy with each other
while the Oyabuns agenda is moved forward. We have
taken the trouble to fnd out about a meeting between
the two sides, an exchange of information between
spies. Te man spat the last word, evidently disgusted
by the underhand dealings of the clans enemies.
Knowing what he had come for, the master politely held
back a smile at the mans hypocrisy. Te representative
handed a rolled sheaf of papers to the master. Tese are
directions, maps, and everything else we have learned
about the meeting. Tere will be too many guards for
even the torakage to enter the building unseen, so this
18
task falls to you. Your men must not be caught. Leave no
trail, and do not reveal the clans involvement under any
circumstances. Will that be a problem?
I do not think that is a concern. I have men who are the
equal of any torakage. He raised his voice a little. Kiga,
Hioki, attend me.
What gives you such confdence in their skills?
Because, the master said with a hint of pride, they have
just arrived behind you. Te representative whirled
round, letting out a brief noise at the unkempt fgures
who were barely three feet away from his unguarded
back. He turned back to the master to rebuke such a
needless performance, but one of the pair moved swifly
in front of their master, watching the representative
warily. Flustered, the representative brushed down his
coat to hide his nervousness as the master uttered a
brief command and the pair drew back. Tey walked
respectfully around to the side of their master, bowed
to their master and then to him, and knelt silently
on the matting at the edge of the training foor. Te
representative looked disapprovingly at the dirty,
ragged looking outfts the pair wore, but he began to
realize they were made to look rough, but were in fact
expertly tailored and dyed.
Tese are your best? Te master nodded. And you
can be certain of their silence?
Of course, the master said, a little insulted. Afer all,
does the Oyabun not say that if you wish a man to be
silent, he snapped his fngers and the two kneeling men
opened their mouths to reveal the scarred emptiness
within, you have only to cut out his tongue? Te
representative blanched a little, then nodded, satisfed.
Ten this is now in your hands. Do not fail us, Ansatsu
no Sensei. Te man strode from the room stify, and
the master of assassins smiled thinly, his attention
already on the work before them.
Slowly the assassin crept along the roof, staying just
behind the ridge. One roof over, on the building opposite
the target, a guard was standing in the shadow of a
chimney stack trying to look unobtrusive. Contempt
glittered in the assassins eyes; the man knew nothing of
stealth or concealment, and had no idea that he was not
alone. To his silent observer, the guard may as well have
been carrying a lamp and whistling. Reaching the end
of the roof, he froze, gaze fxed on the other roofop that
provided a clear view of the room the target would be
in. Another guard stood there, a cigarette glowing in his
mouth as he paced slowly back and forth. Te assassins
hand reached back and gently grasped the hilt of his
katana thoughtfully. It would be easier to eliminate
one and take a straightforward shot. Several moments
passed as he considered the situation.
Leave no trail. He let go of the blade gently; any
interference with the guards would be too obvious.
Instead, he dropped lightly onto a lower roof and slid
across it like a drifing shadow. He that is insubstantial,
as wind in the forest, is the master of his enemy. From
this new position, he could see between the buildings
and into the room. As long as the target stood, he would
have a shot. Tucked beneath the overhang of the next
roof, the assassin unwrapped the long bundle again,
taking a sleek rife stained with lampblack from the roll
of cloth. He then pulled a few strips of fabric from his
clothing and tangled them around the muzzle of his
rife, to disguise the fash. Tis done, he settled down
to wait, the ragged tassels and loose folds of his outft
turning him from a prone fgure into a scattered mound
of debris on an old roofop.
Two streets away, the second assassin was slowly crawling
across the roof of the target building. Having slunk past
several bored and cold guards without being seen, he
was now within yards of where the target should be,
separated from him only by the tiles and beams of the
roof. Knelt against the chimney, he took a small bundle
from inside his top and unrolled it. Tere in front of him
was a small holdout pistol that carried a similar round
to the assassins rifes, a length of twine, and several
small packages of strangely smelling berries. Tese he
defly dropped down the chimneypots, waiting until he
could smell the scent of the smoke from the chimney
change as they burned. Tat done, he looped the twine
through the rough cloth of the bundle to form a pocket,
tucked the pistol in it, and fed it down the slope of the
roof towards the windows he knew his partner would be
19
watching. Holding both ends of the string in his hand
he checked that the pistol was still hanging just over the
guttering, before moving carefully into a more secluded
position to await the signal.
Jeremiah Greenjack sighed wearily, pushing the pile of
papers away from him. He hated late nights in the dingy
meeting house. It always felt cold to him, no matter how
hot he stoked the fre. Bloody spies, always so much
trouble he grumbled to himself. Te papers on his
desk were a prime example; one of his eyes in Hollow
Marsh, Saul Farcek, had been handing him less and less
accurate information lately, and Greenjack suspected
he was trying to play both sides. It didnt help that word
had come down from on high that he had to get hold
of better intelligence on the arcanist movement. Tere
hadnt been any obvious threat, but Greenjack
knew what happened to people who didnt
deliver what the Secretary wanted. So here he
was, just afer midnight, waiting around for Farcek
to show up and deliver what would no doubt
be another useless report. Rubbing his bridge
of his nose, he pulled the
paperwork back towards
him and read over it for the
tenth time.
Halfway down the second page, he
snifed. Tere was a faint smell
in the air, rank enough to make
his nose wrinkle. He snifed
cautiously around him to fnd the
source of it, eventually realizing
that it was strongest behind him,
where the fre burned in its grate.
He peered at the wood remains within
the dancing fames and grimaced as the
smell hit him full force. Te room stank
of it by now, and he strode over to t he
door, yanking it open to let in the slightly
fresher air of the corridor. He was confronted
by a guardsman with a cloth pressed to his face and
one hand raised to knock at the door. He dropped both
to his side quickly.
Sorry sir, the wood supply seems to have something in
it that, well, stinks. Its spread through the whole house.
Best we can do is open the windows til we get more
wood in and this stuf is burned of. Greenjack scowled
in response.
Ugh fne. When that useless idiot Farcek gets here,
drag him up to me without waiting for him to blink. I
dont want to spend any more time than I have to in this
flthy hole. He slammed the door in the guards face
and stomped across to the windows, shoving them open
and glaring at the guards on the roofs opposite before
returning to the desk and sitting heavily in his chair,
staring in irritation at the paperwork without reading it.
Saul Farcek gripped the brim of his hat nervously as he
reached the nondescript door in the usual backstreet at
the edge of downtown. Tese days he was getting more
and more worried about his role as a guild informant.
If he stopped being useful, theyd told him, he would
disappear. What was more, his handler had said with a
cruel smile, he wouldnt have to worry about his wife
and son mourning him. Te problem was, he
thought the Union might suspect him;
it was getting harder to fnd anything
out, forcing him to risk being discovered
to fnd out vague scraps of plans that
failed to please his handler. Tonight
though he had some real information
to pass on, information he hoped would
placate the man somewhat.
He was surprised when the door opened
as soon as his knuckles tapped it and a pair
of hands hauled him unceremoniously
inside. Before he could explain who he was,
he was being roughly shoved up the
stairs to stand in front of the
door to his handlers room.
He snifed curiously, but when
he looked at the guards grim
expression decided not to ask. Afer
knocking and a brief pause, the guard
opened the door and shoved the
small man through with a hand
to the back. Te door slammed
shut immediately, and Saul looked
across the room at the stern, short tempered
face of his handler, the man he knew as Jack
Greene. Saul shivered under Greenes gimlet
eyes, telling himself it was just the cold draf
from the open windows. He shufed forward
20
across the room, perching on the stool lef for him,
and waited for Greene to speak. Te unpleasant glare
continued unchanged for several nervous moments
before Greene broke the silence.
I detest being here. I particularly detest being here this
late, waiting for you to come and waste my time. Get on
with it so I can leave.
I, well, I got information. Urgent information, that
youd wanna hear. Saul stuttered over the frst few words,
but gained confdence quickly as he thought over what
he had to tell Greene. He ignored the contemptuous
expression on his handlers face and hurried onto the
information itself. Unions running a new line out the
mines for moving uncut stones. In the tunnels sos they
never get near where the Guild can fnd em. Te plans
to slowly drop the yield in a couple new shafs, use the
extra to go on the secret line. Tey Greene cut him
of with a sharp gesture.
Which shafs?
I er dunno.
Where does this secret line run from, what route does
it take, and where does it stop?
Dunno that neither.
So, if I understand you correctly, Mister Farcek, there is
a new rail line being installed underground in the mine
tunnels that goes from somewhere you dont know, via
a path you also do not know, and fnishes somewhere.
Te key evidence that would confrm this being a drop
in productivity in some of the newly opened shafs. But
you are not sure which ones. Saul nodded, suddenly
feeling nervous at the cold derision dripping from his
handlers voice. Greene tossed a sheaf of papers onto the
desk, so they span to face Saul. He looked down, seeing
the complex columns of data, and realized they
were reports on mining production levels. He
hadnt worked out what they meant before Green
spoke again, his voice hard. Mr. Farcek, the reason the
Guild saw ft to give you a chance to help us was because
an administrator has access to a volume of information
that both the laborers and senior staf do not. It is
your job to see everything that is written down,
and provide the right morsels of knowledge to
those above you. Te morsels you provide us
with, however, appear to be weak at best. Tose
reports, for example, indicate a slow increase in mining
efciency and overall production in every new shaf for
the last three months.
He smiled nastily, voice dripping venom. Perhaps you
are not able to concentrate due to worrying about your
family. Maybe we should remove that little distraction
for you, see if that helps focus your mind more. Sauls
face paled.
You cant he cried. We got a deal, and I stuck with it!
Greenes face colored and his fsts clenched.
I cant? He jerked to his feet, slamming his fsts
onto the desk and making Saul cower back. I can do
whatever I
Greenes head twitched sideways and a fower of blood
and bone bloomed from his temple as a muted gunshot
echoed around the room and street. His lifeless body
bounced of the desk and upended his chair as it tumbled
to the foor, his sentence unfnished. Saul leapt to his
feet and instinctively ran a few steps closer to the body,
then began to panic as he realized what had happened.
He backed away in mute shock, turning to the window
as a sof clatter of metal outside caught his ear in the
silence. He heard mufed shouts from outside, followed
by several pairs of feet thundering
up the stairs. Te door crashed
open and the guards charged
into the room, knocking
him to the foor.
21
Te captain of Greenes protection detail stepped
through a moment later. He swept the room with cold
eyes, taking in the stunned Farcek pinned to the foor
by two guardsmen, the unmoved desk with upturned
chairs, and Greenjacks body sprawled behind it.
Another guard entered the room and went to check the
motionless form, but the captain shook his head.
Hes already dead. Instant, by the look of that little pool
of blood. He gestured to the guards that were roughly
searching Farcek, and they hauled the whimpering man
roughly to his feet. Want to try and explain this? Go on,
Im looking forward to hearing your pathetic excuses
he growled at the terrifed Farcek.
I but what I I couldnt do it! I dont even have
a gun, I swear! Farcek burst out afer several seconds of
jumbled stutters. Te captain cocked an eyebrow at the
guards, who shook their heads. A shout from downstairs
stalled the captains next question, and he strode into
the corridor. Muttered snatches of conversation drifed
back into the room.
the street. Dropped
threw it?
afer the shot, Sir. Te murmur of voices ended, and
the captain returned, dangling a little holdout pistol in
front of him by the barrel.
Nice try, but throwing the gun out the window wasnt
very hard for my men to spot. Te captain smiled
broadly, a hint of menace about his expression. Double
agents are always fun when we catch them. Shame about
Greenjack, but youll more than make up for it. With
that, he turned on his heel and walked out the room, the
guards dragging the still protesting Farcek along behind
him. When they reached the street, panic overwhelmed
Farcek.
No no no no Im not I swear please dont kill me
Ill tell you everything I know. Te words tumbled from
Farceks mouth in an incoherent rush, his eyes wide
and whole body trembling. Te captains cruel smile
widened a little more, his eyes gleaming in the yellow
light of the streetlamps.
Kill you? Oh no, you dont get of that easy. Something
drifed down onto the captains shoulder. He plucked
it of and examined the crisp brown leaf briefy before
tossing it aside. Were going to take you for a little
chat with the boss. He leant in, looming over Farceks
smaller frame. And youre damn right, youll tell him
everything. I guarantee it. He might even thank you;
hes been looking forward to having an excuse to crack
down on you terrorist scum. Tey dragged Farcek, now
mute with shock, into the night. Te leaf the captain
had discarded tumbled across the silent cobbled street,
coming to rest amongst its fellows, caught on a scrap of
singed and dirty cloth.
22
Im just saying, there aint nothing we really know
about soulstones, the marshal said, scrubbing his boot
with a cloth. Sure, theres theories, some which might
be true. But a lot have to be false. Too many contradict,
yknow? He spat on the leather, then rubbed at it again.
I mean, the name might even be wrong. Do souls exist
and all that nonsense.

Patience stared at him, not making a sound. She blinked a
dark eye. How can a horse look doubtful? he muttered.
With a sigh, he started packing his kit. Knew I shoulda
haggled lower on you. Some philosophical partner you
turned out to be. Nothing like Fidget at all. He patted her
neck gently. Granted, youre not a burned out corpse in a
ditch like him either, so Ill take what I can get.

It was quick work to pack up the camp, during which
Patience continued to eye him. With a shrug, the
marshal reached into his pack and pulled out an apple.
Her ears perked forward, and he smiled as she carefully
walked to him. She grabbed the apple, chewing noisily
as he arranged the gear on her back. He took stock of
the supplies as he placed them, nodding in satisfaction.

Saddlebags are full of food, still going through this book,
none of the regular gears broken... Looks like were a
week of from needing to head home. Patience whinnied,
stamping black stocking hooves on the ground. Afer
putting on her bridle, he pulled himself up into the saddle,
then patted her neck. Ready to hunt, girl?
It was a hot day in the Wilds, full of dust and wind.
Pleasant enough for riding, compared to what else it
could be. Pulling his hat down to keep the wind out of
his eyes, it was hard not to be bitter about the extended
patrol. Still, the Judge had the right of it- he was the only
one of the Death Marshals who didnt draw immediate
attention. Keeping him mobile and moving between
the Pioneer Towns on the watch for Resser activity just
made sense. Not to mention, it was a great way to make
use of the marshal during his punishment.

I ever tell you about that, Patience? What brought me
out here to the middle of nowhere, bored and talking
to a horse? He grabbed a canteen, taking a sip of
lukewarm water. Penance. Yknow, back in the day,
my priest never could get me to do it, but then, hes not
exactly Lady Justice. I screwed up real big about a year
back. By rights, should have been executed afer all the
laws I broke. Hell, I can even remember kneeling on the
ground waiting for her sword to fall. Instead, all I heard
was her gentle voice. Protect. Until the scales tip back,
protect. No matter the cost.

Te horse twitched an ear back and forth, making him
laugh. Eh, maybe it wasnt quite that melodramatic.
Still, my version sounds more interesting, dont you
agree? Besides, there are worse ways to end up. At least,
there better be!
By Jonathan Boynton
The Lone Marshals Love
The Nature of Souls
23
Felicia sat against the wall of the cave, huddled on the
wet ground. She didnt really feel cold anymore, but the
dampness was uncomfortable in her torn dress. She
rocked back and forth, hands over her ears, mouthing
prayers she learned as a child. Outside the rain fell, but
in spite of the noise, she could still hear the murmuring.

ListenlistenlistenLISTENlistenListen...

Te refrain continued on unchanging. She squeezed
her eyes shut, sparse tears crawling down her face. Go
away, she whispered. Just...just go away!

It was a mistake. She hears... one voice say, a hissing
predator. Others echoed.

Does she listen? another wondered. Feminine, that voice. It
has been so long...

Behind it all, the chorus continued. Listenlistenlisten...

Felicia returned to muttering prayers. Sometimes it
helped. On better days, she could ignore them, but
shed pushed them
away too long this
time. Tey
were insistent, demanding. Her constant companion here
in the Wilds, following her no matter how far she ran. In
her youth, she had questioned belief in a hell. She had
found one in Malifaux, and she could not fee from it.

We hunger, the predator said. We thirst.

We drown. We gorge. It is our way, the female said. You know...

LISTENlisten...

Stop, she said huskily, lowering her hands. Te voices
settled into an indistinct sound, like a breeze. Waiting.
Anticipating. Felicia stared down at her hands. Te frst
joint of each fnger had been worn to the bone. Scabs
ringed them, crusty and brown. Tey ached as she
studied them, the pain matching the thudding of her
heart. A stab of agony went through her as she saw her
wedding ring on her lef hand.

She stifed a quiet sob then shoved that hand into the
ground. She screamed at the pain of the dirt digging into
the wounds, tearing them open anew. Te voices rose to
a hurricane, triumphant. Feed, they chorused. Grow.

Green light leaked through the chunks of dirt around
her hand. Bracing herself, she pushed her other hand
into the ground, bowing her head to the ground, tears
streaming down her face. She pressed her ear to the
foor, then began chanting. Te voices told
her the words, staying just ahead of her. She
could feel them curling around her soul.

A bone hand burst out of the ground yards away
from her. It slapped the ground, scrabbling for
purchase, digging into the sof soil. Slowly, it pushed,
the rest of the arm pulling out of the ground. Nearby,
another creature dragged itself out of the foor. Te rock
wall cracked, breaking open to reveal a nightmarish
mask of fesh beneath a primitive miners hat.

Felicia sobbed as the corpses in the abandoned mine
expectantly watched her. KillkillKILLkill... the voices raged.
Gunshots flled the air. Jasper spun in his seat,
back wrenching as he looked toward the eastern
picket. He couldnt see the guard through the
24
thick forest that sat a dozen yards from the road. Afer
a few moments he heard more gunfre, followed by the
guards screams. Circle up! the caravan master roared.
Jasper grabbed the reins of his wagon, pulling them hard.

Te early morning rain was fnally letting of, but the clouds
had yet to disperse, keeping the area dark. Men and women
from the wagon train ran to get the group together, some
carrying chains, others weapons. Luckily there werent any
families on this trip, which meant no children to worry
about. Jasper hopped to the ground, helping unhook his
horses. It took a few moments to get them into the center
with the others, but when he returned to his wagon, it had
already been chained to the next in line.

His hands shook as he grabbed the dirty pistol he wore.
Te handle was covered in mud, but hed taken the time
to clean the barrel earlier in the morning. Good thing,
too, otherwise it wouldnt have fred. Jasper looked
around for a guard he recognized, then joined her.
What are we dealing with, Natalie?

No idea, she said, checking over her rife. Her weapon
was cleaner by far, higher quality as well. A small scope
sat on top of it, which she carefully uncapped Weve not
seen or heard from any of the outriders beyond that one
scream. Whatever it is, doesnt seem to be in a hurry.

Hold fre, the master shouted. Anyone fres early,
therell be hell to pay! Civilians, pair up with the guards,
listen to their orders.

Jasper mimicked the woman as she hid by the wagon,
settling her rife on a box in the back. Feel comfortable
with that thing? she asked.

Not as much as I should, he admitted, bracing his
pistol on the wood seat. Te solid surface prevented his
trembling, he noticed gladly. He set the pistol down,
wiping his hands dry on his pants. Any advice?

Dont shoot when I do, your range is a lot shorter. If
you can, try to wait until Im reloading to fre. Take your
shots one at a time, and try to stay calm. If-

He glanced at her when she became silent. Her eyes
narrowed, staring into the distance. Teyre here! she
shouted, fring into the distance, making Jasper jump.
He followed her aim, cursing the dim light. He couldnt
see anything.
Other rifes on their side of the caravan fred. Idiots,
Natalie muttered, eye pressed against the scope. Not
that any of that lot can see anything. She fred again,
and Jasper fnally saw her target, a vague outline of a
man. It stumbled, falling sideways onto the ground.

What are they?

Not raiders, thats for sure.

Tere was a scream behind them. Jasper whirled, falling
back against the wagon in horror as a monster ragged its
way out of the ground, sparks of green light arcing from
its eyes. A wide, bleached grin gleamed from under
a ragged mining hat. Bone fngers gripped a rusted
pickaxe, scraps of fesh connecting chipped joints.

Cursing, he raised his gun in two hands, fring a shot
into the creature. Te bullet slammed through the
chest, passing messily through a rotted heart. It ignored
the wound, slowly twisting its head to look around
the circle of wagons. Gunfre ripped an arm from its
shoulder, making it stumble. Two more of the horrors
pulled their way out of the ground, as other creatures
slammed into the wood of the perimeter.
Whys it always raining out here? I mean, would it kill
things to have a day that stayed nice, instead of just
starting nice? What a mess. Te marshal pulled the
brim of his hat down, trying to shield his face from the
wind and the wet. Patience walked next to him, mud
covering her legs. She whickered sofly, bumping his
hand with her nose. Well eat at the next break. He
rubbed her neck. Just want to get past these ruins frst.

Te sound of gunfre in the distance made him pause.
Turning, he squinted, looking through the dim light.
Tere. Flashes of light. Tat was either lightning or a
fght going on. Knowing my luck, probably both. Breaks
over, Patience. He pulled himself up into the saddle and
grabbed his rife. Now, keep your head this time. I dont
want a repeat of the Neverborn incident last week.

She shook her head, stamping her hooves. Too bad
Im not the praying type anymore. Alright, here goes
nothing. Big damn heroes time, eh, girl?
25
Jasper fell to the ground screaming as a monstrosity
with a drill for an arm ripped its way through the wagon.
Splinters flled the air, a chunk of them embedding in
the corpses face. It growled, green light flling empty
eye sockets. Part of its head disappeared as a heavy rife
round tore upwards through its neck.

Watch my back! Natalie ordered, shooting of the
creatures leg at the hip. It collapsed to the ground,
attempting to drag itself closer. Dammit, I hate these
things, she said, blasting away an arm. Around them,
the scene was full of blood and corpses. Far too many
of the latter were moving for Jaspers liking. Te horses
all were dead or had run of, jumping over the wagons
to escape the trap.

He turned to another corpse and fred. Te pistol clicked.
Sonuva- he swore. Te creature, with an unnatural
burst of speed, tackled him to the ground. Help!

He managed to ram his pistol into the things snapping
teeth, grimacing at the sound of bone on metal.
Anytime! he screamed, kicking at the corpse. It
ignored his blows, reaching with dirt covered hands for
his throat.

Te creatures head exploded. A shard of bone
whined across Jaspers face, leaving a deep cut
that made him gasp in pain. Suddenly, the
thing stopped moving, collapsing against
him. He shoved at it, pushing it away. He
pulled himself out of the mud, hands
stumbling through reloading his pistol.

A horse galloped past, the rider on
its back fring at another monster.
Te creature stumbled, turning its eyes to
the newcomer. Another shot ripped into its
chest, followed quickly by a third. Te rider
spun his horse around the circle of wagons,
picking shots carefully with a rife. Within
moments, hed emptied the circle
of enemies.

Jasper turned Natalie, then leapt to her side when he
saw her pressing a hand on an injured leg. What can I
do to help? he asked.

Tourniquet, she gasped. Tie it of.

He pulled of his jacket, tearing at the sleeve. A horse
snorted behind him, and Jasper glanced at their rescuer.
Te man wore a long coat, dusky blue covered in mud,
and a hat that he tipped backwards. Brown eyes looked
down at them from a tanned face covered in stubble.
He climbed out of the saddle, placing his rife to the
side and began examining Natalies wound. Clean the
wound frst, otherwise youll trap any rot in there.

Tanks for your help, Marshal, she said through
gritted teeth. Jasper noticed the rams head badge on the
mans lapel. Excellent timing.

I aim to please, the man smiled. Ive driven them of,
but theres a chance that they might come back. Im going
to track down the person who set them loose. Teres a
town maybe a few miles north of here.

We were headed there, Jasper said, looking around
for a canteen. He stopped as the marshal pulled one
out of a saddlebag and tossed it to him.
Itll take us longer without the
horses. And...Im not sure how
many of us are lef.

26
Ive seen about ten survivors so far. Teyre busy
dealing with wounded and fnding the horses. Te
marshal pulled himself into his saddle, sliding his rife
into a holster. Im sorry I didnt get here sooner.

You did- Natalie hissed as water fowed over the
wound. Jasper murmured an apology, wiping at the
blood with a relatively clean piece of jacket. You did
what you could, Marshal. Tats ten more of us than
would have lived. Whats your name, sir? Te Guild
should know what you did.

I... dont have one, he replied quietly. Not anymore.
Tank you for the compliment, though. He pulled his
hat down over his dark hair. With luck, Ill meet you
in that town in the next couple of days. Buy me a drink,
were even.

Deal, she said. Te marshal pulled at his reins, spinning
his horse north and galloping of down the road.
You did what you could. If only the marshal could
believe that. If hed been moving earlier this morning,
he could have arrived at that slaughter earlier. If hed
been better at his job, he would have found the monster
that commanded those corpses before the attack had
happened. Tose people were dead, because he wasnt
good enough. Te scales weighed heavier the wrong
direction every day.

He pulled gently on Patiences reins, stopping to stare
through the trees at the nearby mountains. Isnt there
an abandoned mine around here? Te horse craned
her neck around and blinked at him. Well, didnt you
study the maps too? I mean, really, girl, I gave them to
you. Cmon, lets go check it out.

As they rode carefully he reached out with his powers.
Tere was a...taste to necromancy. Even to other Death
Marshals, he had a hard time explaining it. Te only one
of them who had seemed to understand was the Judge.
It flled the air, a scentless stench that made his teeth
itch and bones ache. It was a limited thing, but it beat
hunting blind.

Te taste led towards the mine he remembered on the
map. It was an old one, little more than a cave. At some
point, the Guild was bound to come back to it, but
for now it was ignored. Afer all, it wasnt a soulstone
mine, just a source of raw metals. In the grand scheme
of things, it wasnt as important. He stopped Patience
before they reached the treeline, looking around for
signs of enemies.

Alright, lets review assets, shall we? He pulled his rife
out of its holster, slotting in a fresh set of rounds. Rife,
backup pistols, a mare thats smarter than she pretends,
my wits... lacking anything better, itll have to do, I
guess. Patience snorted, stamping a hoof.

Wait. Whos that? A woman stumbled out of the mine,
falling to the ground on hands and knees. Te marshal
pulled the rife up to his shoulder, sighting down it at
her. Black hair, wild and dirty. A torn dress, dirty enough
that it could have been any color under that all the dried
mud and ash that covered it. Her skin was sickly pale and
pulled over her bones. Te marshals fnger rested on the
trigger as the itching in his teeth became murderous. She
was the source of the attack, hed bet anything on it. She
looked up, staring into the trees.

Te marshal nearly dropped the weapon in shock.
Felicia? He couldnt breathe, couldnt move. It couldnt
be her. He jumped down, carefully walking to her side,
rife in hand. Felicia, is that you?

She finched, green eyes wide as she stared. Her mouth
moved, but he couldnt recognize the word. Its you, she
said, pushing away from him. Her face was covered in
dirt, but tear tracks stood out clearly. How are you here?

Felicia, youre alive! He dropped the rife and rushed
to her, dropping to his knees. She winced as the marshal
embraced her, pressing his face into her hair. I thought
you were dead! All this time, I thought you were... Are
you okay?

Afer a moment, she wrapped her arms around him,
body shaking as she sobbed quietly. Tey sat there,
huddled against each other on the cold ground. His
brain felt slow, confused. His wife, missing for over a
year, alive and in his arms again. She kept muttering a
word that he couldnt hear, repeating it like a mantra.

Its going to be okay. He pulled back, brushing away
her tears carefully. I fnally found it, love. I can help
you now! We can make the voices go away.
27
She trembled, then leaned forward and gently kissed
him. You have to leave, she said through a sob. You
have to leave now.
What?

Tey want me to kill you. And...and I wont let them.
But I cant fght for much longer, she said. I wish I
could...but Im so tired. So very tired.

You dont have to do it alone anymore, Felicia.

Her mouth tightened into a line. She reached up and
pressed a hand onto his cheek, a fresh tear crawling down
her face when he finched from the exposed bone of her
fngers. Te marshal stared at the ivory, grotesque against
the sight of her hands, once the slim hands of a master
artist. You cant undo the past, she said. And Ive got
too much blood on my hands. But...but I wont kill you.

Felicia-

Green light filled his vision, and then everything
went black.
One Year Ago
I walked through the door of the hut, hand on my
Peacekeeper. Te swamp air was thick and humid, giving
me a dull headache that pulsed at my temples. Te
dwelling was surprisingly organized, considering the state
of the building itself. A small cauldron sat in the freplace,
sewing instruments were laid out on a table. Bookshelves,
of all things, sat in another part of the building. A thin
bed had been placed near the shelves, though it more
resembled a cot. And at the largest table, in the middle of
the room, an old woman waited for me.

What can I do for you, dearie? she cackled, shufing a
deck of cards. She eyed me, gaps in her teeth showing in
her smile. Here to know the future perhaps? Maybe the
past? What can old Zoraida do for you?

Te question made me pause. What was I doing here?
Tis visit went against every oath I had ever made to the
Guild, and I knew it. I bit the inside of my cheek, then
said, Im here for information I can use.

She gestured to the seat opposite her, and I sat down,
pulling a bag of my waist and setting it down on the
table. I pressed my hands on the rough wood, feeling the
mild pain of a splinter digging into my palm. Tat kind of
harm didnt register as it once did, afer the necromancy
began to take its toll on the body. I stared at my hands,
the pallid fesh and drawn skin that was part of the cost
of my training.

Information is a dangerous thing, Death Marshal, she
said, setting the cards on the table. Willing to pay the
price?

I wouldnt be here if I wasnt. I took a deep breath, my
heart pounding. How do I save my wife?

Her hand paused above the deck, hovering in the air. Grey
eyes narrowed, and her brow furrowed. What?

My wife. Ever since we came through the Breach, shes
been...hearing things. Voices that arent there. Ones telling
her to do terrible things. I joined the Death Marshals, to
learn something to help her, but I havent found anything.
Nothing that can help her. Do you know what I can do?

She leaned back in the chair, the wood creaking as she
frowned. So, youre that one, she said fnally. Yes, I can
help with that. But you may not like my help in the end.

I dont care! I yelled, slamming a fst on the table. She
is my wife, Im supposed to protect her! How can I protect
her from something I cant even see, or fght?

Te old woman said nothing. In the background, I could
hear the contents of the cauldron boiling, shoving the small
lid upwards with a rattle. You stand at a crossroads,
Marshal. All paths will bring you pain. One will give you
happiness for a time. Another will place you at the fulcrum
of future events. Tere are others that even I cannot see. Of
those I can, I cannot tell you which is which.

Cant, or wont?

As far as youre concerned, they are the same thing. You
want the knowledge to save your wife from these voices. I
can give you that.
What will it cost?
28
More than you can imagine, and less than you planned.
What did you bring?

I pulled open the bag, revealing the treasure trove of
soulstones inside. Stolen from the Guild, a crime almost
as bad as bargaining with a Neverborn witch. She
picked through the contents, selecting a handful of them.
I couldnt fathom the reasoning she used. Some were
amongst the smallest of the cut stones, others were rough
and bright. Te most valuable ones she lef behind.

Remove your hat and shirt, then lie down on the bed,
she said, walking over to the table with the sewing
equipment. She selected a needle and some thread while
I complied. When she walked over, she held one of my
soulstones in one hand, placing the glowing gem over my
heart. Tis will hurt a great deal, even to one such as
you, she warned.

Pain would be a novelty, considering the kind of training
Ive had, I replied glibly. As she began to work, my limbs
spasmed. My eyes and tongue felt as if they were on fre
as a roaring curtain of ice spread from my chest. I began
screaming...
Felicia ran from the mine, stumbling over the rough ground
in her haste. Te voices chased her, a rage flled storm. She
tripped, skinning her knee, then picked herself up and kept
running. If she ran far enough, the demons couldnt win.
You left him... the female hissed.

Left him alive! the predator roared. Te tempest echoed the
words, overwhelming her. She fell against a tree, using it to
stay standing.

I dont care, she bit out. Im not going to hurt him.

But you already did, a new voice hummed, twisting around
her soul. It was pleasant, flling her with warmth. You lef
him a year ago. You ran from him now. You left him unconscious.

She stared at the ground, leaning her forehead against the
rough bark. What do I do?
Let me help you. I can make it all go away.
Felicia closed her eyes, fghting back fresh tears. How?

Just give me permission. If you want help, all you need to do is ask.

She swallowed hard, wringing her hands. Alright, she
whispered. Help me.

Gladly, the voice purred. She gasped, limbs twitching as she
fell to the ground. Her back arched, mouth open wide in a
silent scream of pain. Te new voice chuckled as the storm
enveloped her. Be careful the bargains you make, child...
Te marshal woke to Patience licking his face. Im up, Im
up! Enough, girl! She backed away as he sat up, grabbing
his head. Tere was a spiking pain just behind his eyes that
contrasted oddly with the fre that burned his teeth. Well,
that was certainly a frst. Lets keep that story between us,
okay? I doubt itll ever be worth drinks. He cocked an
eyebrow at her. Well, maybe for you at the water trough.

Limbs stif, he stood up and leaned against Patience. Were
going to have to fnd her. And... and I dont know what.
Dammit all to hell, this is madness. He caught sight of his
rife and hobbled over to pick it up. Lets get going, before
she does something worse.

His frst attempt at swinging into the saddle failed miserably.
Patience, true to her namesake for once, waited for him to
stand up as his back ached with fresh pain. If I have to go
fnd a rock, Im going to be very annoyed with her. Patience
lowered herself to the ground slightly, allowing him to get
up afer a signifcant efort.

I cant fgure out where she went. Her spell, or whatever
that was, has my head all screwed up. Every direction
feels the same. Te marshal turned around in the saddle,
looking back to the caravan. No signs of anything worse
there, so that was unlikely. You dont think she ran to the
town, do you? Tat would be a little...crazy.

Patience twitched an ear. Yes, it was a lame joke. No, it
wasnt supposed to be one. Cmon, lets start there, just to be
safe. If were lucky, my head will have cleared this mess out
and I can think clearly by the time we get there. Take it slow
for now. Ive had enough surprises today.
29
Oh hell, Patience. Were late again. Smoke filled the
sky, screams joining the winding columns of ash. The
marshal stared in disbelief, head finally clear after
the short ride. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the rifle
out. Screaming means there might be someone still
alive. Looks like we get to put the Ladys instructions
to the test. If we die, I want you to know, Patience.
You really were crap at conversations, but the trips
been fun.

Te mare snorted, stamping her hooves impatiently.
Te temptation to smile died with the realization that
this could only have one real outcome. He bit the inside
of his cheek and pushed the thought away. No time for
that. Too many people depended on him doing his job.
Protect, no matter the cost.

Tey galloped through the outer streets of the town,
following the screams. Te air teemed with necromantic
power, a faint glow that he could see, not just feel. Oh,
great. More on the job training. Why didnt that old hag
give me a damn book on this stuf?

Rounding a corner, the marshal saw the frst enemy.
Instinct guided his hands, a pair of rife rounds slamming
into the head of the punk zombie. It collapsed to the
ground in a heap, ichor fying over the young man it
had cornered against a wall. Ten they were past that
street, looking for the next.

A punk zombie? She didnt have anything like that
at- Te thought disappeared as they burst out of a
patch of smoke and nearly ran into a man levitating in
the air, body bond tight with ropes. His eyes went wide
as the horrifying thing turned its wicked gaze on him,
secrets from beyond the grave spilling from its mouth.

Te marshal took a deep breath, channeling his power.
Teal fre rimmed his hands, spreading up to surround his
face. It had been a long time since he had used this, with
good reason. Te pain was immense, and it took every
ounce of willpower he had to not scream. Te hanged
froze, and he could see his blackened skull refected in its
dead, glassy eyes.

Te rife bucked against his shoulder and the spirit fell
back, form twitching as the bullet slammed through
its core. It couldnt be killed, not in the traditional
sense. But it could be...unbound. Te marshal could
hear the training instructor in his mind as he worked
the lever to reload, fring again. Center of mass. Every
time that is disrupted, it expends energy. Repeat until it
no longer stays.
Te hanged roared, making Patience rear up with a
panicked scream. Te marshal dropped a hand to her
reins, fghting for control. It shouted in a language that
he didnt know, but the meaning was clear enough in
his mind. You will die, alone, screaming, burning,
agonizing, your soul ripped to join-

He whipped his backup pistol out of its holster and fred
two more rounds through it. I know. Te damned soul
screamed, glowing brighter before it burned out and
disappeared. Im sure youll be waiting for me too.

A burst of sickly green light flled the air, hurting his eyes
even through the fames. Blinking rapidly to try to clear
the aferimage, the marshal turned to the center of town.
Just looking there made every bone in his body hurt.
Tere she is. He banished the fames as Patience turned
to look up at him with one eye. Cmon, girl. Its... time to
say goodbye.
Felicia slammed against the barrier of her mind again,
ignoring the pain. She was in the eye of a hurricane, the
walls keeping her hidden away from her own body. Te
storm of voices raged around her, faces that leered and
cackled as they watched through her eyes. She fell back,
heard the screaming of some poor child on the outside, and
threw herself at it again.

Te predator and the female watched her instead of the
spectacle outside. Teir forms were indistinct, drifing
from one nightmare to the next. Te eyes and voices never
changed as they paced around her.

She continues to fght, a nephilim growled, red eyes glowing.

We knew she would. She resisted for years... besides, this makes it
all the more fun, a small girl said, bouncing a skull gleefully.
Te female blurred, becoming a beautiful woman with
inhuman teeth and sparkling blue eyes.You wont win,
Felicia said, kneeling on the ground, gasping.

But we already have, darling, the woman said with a laugh.
You let us, after all.
30
Felicia turned from them, staring through her eyes.
Outside her confnement, her body glowed a sickly green,
a light shared with the numerous corpses that walked
nearby. A woman howled with laughter, and Felicia felt
a chill as she realized the voice was hers. She had made a
terrible mistake, bargaining with the whispers.

She smiled as she realized that, for the frst time since
coming to Malifaux, she didnt have them in her mind.
Here, in the eye of the storm, they couldnt touch her.
Granted, that was more a silver lining than anything else.
But still, she could think clearly.

Te sounds from outside changed, causing the female
and the predator to spin towards her sight. Te laughter
of the storm disappeared, replaced by enraged chanting.
Felicia felt like cheering as she recognized her husbands
horse, man and beast fghting their way through the
tide of horrors.

Te monsters pressed forward, reaching and clawing for
their tormentor. He was covered in teal fames, blackened
skull standing out against them. Lashing out with his
rife, he shoved a zombie back, fring at another and
dropping it. His horse struck another with her hooves,
and the thing fell to the ground. He turned toward her,
fring his rife, and the green light glowed as the bullet
went fying past. Te horde closed in, some of the fallen
standing back up to prolong the fght.
Keep going, Patience! Te marshal grabbed his
peacekeeper, emptying the magazine into the crowd. Te
damn things kept coming, urged on by their mistress. Te
rife was nearly out, and he didnt have time to reload it, so
he shoved it back into the holster. A punk zombie charged
out of the crowd, swinging wildly with a chipped dagger.
He ducked around the attack, hammering the pistol butt in
the things face.

He could see her now. Felicia stood in the middle of the
sea of monsters, arms lifed high, chanting loudly in a
clear voice. Te sickly green aura glowed around her, and
had already bounced away a rife round. Whatever she
was now, she was going to be damn hard to stop.

Patience reared up, slamming her weight on a stumbling
corpse of a dog. It burst wetly, adding to the horrifc
smell of the battlefeld. Others, more complete, charged
forward, nipping at her legs. Tey were being overrun by
sheer weight of numbers.
Keep going, all we need is one clear shot!
Felicia winced as he took a blow to the back from a corpse
carrying a shovel. He was fghting so hard, but it was
obvious there was only one outcome here. Te whispers
knew it too, and had begun chanting and laughing. She
blocked out the words, focusing on the outside world, then
tightened her lips. She threw herself at the barrier. Ten
did it again. A third time. A fourth. Te barrier cracked.
Patience was pinned in place, the zombies fnally using
their numbers to best advantage. She screamed, eyes
rolling with panic, trying desperately to get away from
her tormentors. Te marshal twisted, back shrieking
in protest, swinging wildly at the most dangerous of the
creatures. Dammit!

One of them grabbed his boot. He hacked through its
wrist with the peacekeeper blade, gritting his teeth
against the jarring sensation of metal slashing through
bone. Suddenly, the light fickered, and the monsters all
hesitated as one. Out of time, nothing lef to lose. He
dropped the pistol, grabbing the rife out of its holster.
One round lef. Taking a deep breath, ignoring the pain
in his soul, he aimed at Felicia and fred.
Te storm went immediately silent, the female and
predator turning back towards her, but too late. Felicia
slammed into it one more time, and for a heartbeat, was
in control again. Already, she could feel the whispers
moving to envelop her, to trap her back behind another
barrier. I win, she whispered.

She smiled at her husband, and felt the bullet pierce her
chest as the sick green light disappeared. Instinctively she
grabbed for the wound as she stumbled. Te storm of
voices screamed, panicked for the frst time. Around her,
the corpses collapsed to the ground like cut puppets. Her
knees hit the street, then she blacked out.
Te marshal sat next to the fre, letting the chain spin in
his hands. Te sky was clear tonight, showing the beauty
of Malifauxs stars. It was a rare beauty, one that he always
enjoyed seeing. Patience stood nearby, covered with a
blanket, wounds already treated. She was enjoying a bag of
almonds that the pioneer town survivors had ofered her.

It had been painful, accepting their thanks and
gratitude. None of them really understood why
he had insisted on taking Felicias body, leaving
the rest of the corpses to be burned. Tat was the
advantage, though, of being a Guild Marshal. No one
argued with people like him.

His gaze drifed from the fre to the stone marker he had
taken from an abandoned shop. Te carving was crude,
but would be enough. Felicia- Beloved wife, fnally at
rest. A simple memorial was all he could manage, but it
helped eased the ache in his soul.

Te marshal looked back to the chain, staring down
at the wedding ring. It was a simple design, bought at
extravagant cost. A gold band, with a single, clear stone
set in it. Te maker swore it was soulstone, but theyd
found out later it was nothing more than glass. Felicia
had laughed it away, claiming she loved it no matter what.
A...clear stone. He stared at the stone for a moment, eyes
widening. Te stone glowed faintly, a warm, vibrant
green. His breath caught in his throat, and tears pricked
at his eyes. Hesitantly, nervously, he reached out with his
necromantic powers toward the stone.
Hello, my love... a sof voice whispered in his mind.
31
32
New Scenarios to play with Multiple Players
MAlifaux Scenarios
Set Up Camp (4 Player)
Set up camp the boss says. Ignore the horde of zombies he
says. Good practice he says
Deployment
Tis scenario uses Corner Deployment, and all four
corners will be used. Schemes which select a model/
deployment zone must also specify an opponent. Te
same opponent may not be selected twice.
Setup
Tis scenario is designed to be played with four players.
Before deploying crews, place a 30mm Camp Marker
in the center of each table quarter. Each Camp Marker
must be marked to represent one of the four suits: Rams,
Crows, Tomes, and Masks. Ten, one player removes
the four aces and Red Joker from her deck, and each
player randomly draws one of the fve cards and secretly
writes down its suit before placing it back into the deck
Victory
At the end of the game, each Crew scores 1 VP for every
Camp Marker that is controlled by the Crew. If the
Crew controls the Camp Marker which corresponds to
its suit, it scores an additional 2 VP. To control a Camp
Marker, a Crew must have the most non-Peon models
within 2 of it. If one player drew the joker, that player
scores 2 VP for each Camp Marker it controls instead.
Hold Ground (3 Player)
Hold yer ground the boss says. Dont mind the fery bolts
they keep shootin the boss says. Good for the blood he
says
Deployment
Tis scenario uses Corner Deployment. Before
deploying, select two Crews to be the Defenders, and
the third Crew to be the Wild Card. Te Defenders
deploy frst, selecting two opposite corners as usual. Te
Wild Card deploys last, in one of the remaining corners.
Schemes which select a model/deployment zone must
also specify an opponent. Te same opponent may not
be selected twice.
Setup
Tis scenario is designed to be played with three players.
Place a 30mm Hold Ground Marker in the center of the
table. Te Wild Card player randomly draws a card and
secretly notes down its suit (refipping any jokers).
Victory
At the end of every Turn afer the frst, the Defenders
score 1 VP if they have at least two non-Peon models
within 3 of the Hold Ground Marker. Te Wild Card
has a random victory condition depending on the suit
of the card she drew during set up. At the end of the
game, reveal the suit and score VP:
By Justin Gibbs
33
C Kill Tem All: Te Wild Card earns 2 VP for each
enemy Leader which is not in play at the end of the
game.
R Take Teir Land: At the end of any Turn, reveal this
victory condition. If this player has more non-Peon
models within 3 of the Hold Ground Marker than any
other player, score 3 VP. Afer scoring VP in this way,
this player counts as a Defender and scores VP
accordingly for the remainder of the game.
t While Teyre Distracted: Te Wild Card earns
1 VP for each of her Scheme Markers within 6 of an
enemy Deployment Zone at the end of the game.
M Leave Our Mark: At the end of the game, the Wild
Card earns 1 VP for each of its Scheme Markers within
6 of the Hold Ground Marker.
34
Colors are never quite so vivid in the physical world as
they are in the digital. Filtered through a frames visual
registers, everything is drab and gray. Humans were
right to leave this wreckage of dead memories behind
when they let their bodies fade.
For the log, Ive spent the last two hours salvaging tech
and building rigs from the Subnet database. Tere are
some darlings in the batch. Even from crude physicality,
elegance sometimes emerges. Most of my schematics
are focused on injecting some special code Ive whipped
up into the hostile Glitch tech. My viruses are more
sophisticated than whatever bastard programs the Glitch
evolved from. My poisoned code will dissolve the Glitch
from the inside out. Its crucial that I bring at least a
sample of Glitch Code back to the Subnet Ego Hackers.
Te Glitch Personality code named Calphon is not
far from here perhaps ffeen kilometers now. I can
hear the churning of steel and the breaking of ground
on the horizon. Its moving fast -- no doubt bringing
an army of resurrected war machines with it. I loathe
how imprecise non-digital space is. On the Network,
all of this would be calculated to within millisecond
tolerances. Te little intel we have from the frames it
ripped apart when it emerged, states it overloads power
systems that operate outside a narrow bandwidth. Not
much to go on, but well be ready. Te Autumn Network
superstructure is thirty kilometers behind us.
In a grove three klicks ahead of me, Monarchy elite Graf
is piloting Roxie the Mallet, and setting up a bulwark of
armored rigs to block the frst impact. Ten minutes tops
until Calphon lands on top of him. I need him to hold for
twenty. If his line breaks, my Subnet rigs will be shredded.
A-FEED IN: Circe, you hear me?
A-FEED OUT: Yes. I calculate twenty minutes until my
fnal schematic forms up.
A-FEED IN: Calphon is already here. It rolled over my
whole front line while I was setting up and corrupted
everything it didnt wreck. I had to fall back to save Roxie.
Youve got moments before its on you. All the nightmares
it dredged up and half of my rigs are going to be at your
coordinates in fve minutes.
A-FEED OUT: ... Roger.
A-FEED IN: Its way, way worse than we anticipated. Im
going to contact the Monarchy and Shogunate. Tey can
set up a full mob at the gates. Tis is going to take orbital
bombardment if were going to have a chance. Graf out.
I have to get this sample for my superior, #37. I cant fall
back Graf. You have no idea what happens if you cross
the wrong Ego Hacker. Ill have to run my two fnished
rigs in, and hope my frame can sustain the punishment.
I just need to make one injection.
By Matt Anderson
Prologue to the war of Calphon
Last Subnet Thought-log of Circe
By Josh Christensen
King of Clubs
Showdown Tactics
Deck Breakdown
Id like to again start this article listing what makes up
a deck in Showdown. Ten I will list what makes this
particular deck unique.
Every characters deck in Showdown is made up of a
standard deck of playing cards, including the Red and
Black Jokers. Each deck is composed of forty-eight
cards which are used for combat. Four cards (the Aces)
are used to track health. Te remaining two cards (the
Jokers), are used to determine what the characters
Triggers do in the Red Jokers case, or acts as a combat
card that is always available to the character in the Black
Jokers case.
Te game uses three Disciplines which act similar to suits.
Tese disciplines are Cunning, Intellect, and Physical.
Each deck splits the three disciplines evenly between
twelve cards (the 2-13). Te remaining twelve cards
provide a pre-built deck that separates it from the other
character decks. For this article I will breakdown Te King
of Clubs and the special ability cards found in his deck.
Special Card Effects
(2) Raging Barraged - When played as a Feint, and you
win Combat, Heal two damage.
(3 - 5) Royal Drones - When played as a Feint or Strike,
and you win Combat, choose one card from your
discard pile and place it into your hand.
(6 - 9) Punishing Web - Play afer your opponent wins
Combat with a Trigger. Skip the Activate Trigger step
this turn.
(10 - 12) Cannon Trone - Play afer you opponent wins
Combat. Prevent one Damage, unless your opponent
discards two cards.
(13) E.M.P. Armor - When played as a Feint or Strike,
and you win Combat, choose any one of your Triggers
and apply its efects.
12 Intellect 6 Cunning
13 Physical 7 Cunning
11 Cunning 5 Physical
10 Cunning 4 Physical
9 Intellect 3 Physical
8 Intellect 2 Intellect
35
36
What Does it all Mean?
With these fve abilities it
appears that the character
relies on defense rather than
ofense to win the match.
Most of the Kings medium
to high numbered ability
cards act as responses
that take efect when the
opponent wins combat, as
opposed to being able to
use them during combat.
While his lower numbered
cards reward risky plays. Tis can lead to tough choices
throughout the game for Te King of Clubs if he runs
low on medium to high numbered cards that dont have
abilities on them.
Early Game
Te Kings early game is actually quite weak compared
to the other characters. His Physical trigger, which allows
him to heal 1 Damage, does nothing for the frst turn and
continues to do nothing until
you take a damage. His Cunning
trigger, while good, is very costly
to pull of, because he lacks the
Cunning discipline on his Black
Joker. Intellect, which allows him
to draw two cards, is the easiest
and most reliable trigger to pull
of in the early game.
Te King of Clubs also has
several abilities that dont do
anything and/or are bad to use
in the opening turns of the game.
Tese abilities include Raging
Barrage, Royal Drones, E.M.P. Armor, and if you havent
taken any damage yet, Cannon Trone. Te reason for this
being that, Te King of Clubs wants to have taken some
damage in order to use the abilities on his aces and open
up his powerful healing options. Do not despair if this
sounds bad, because to make up for this bad early game
the King has a great late game.
Late Game
Te Kings abilities get more powerful as time goes on.
A Raging Barrage combat win is devastating to your
opponent if you have two or three faceup aces. As soon
as you play this card to the table the possibility of it
healing back two damage will terrify your opponent.
Royal Drones becomes much better when you have
discarded 12 value and 13 value cards from prior
turns. In addition, winning with the drones can be
used to retrieve utility cards like E.M.P. Armor back
from the discard. Punishing Web becomes great when
your opponent is trying to go for Physical triggers that
would have been able to fnish you of had you not had
the card. Cannon Trone is also fantastic as the game
reaches the later turns, because once the opponent does
damage to you, they will want to fnish you of as fast
as they can, so they will pretty much always discard
two cards. Taking options away from the opponent is
powerful in Showdown.
Healing
Healing is great in this game for three reasons:
1. It brings you a step farther away from losing.
2. You can fip aces with abilities that resolve
immediately when they are revealed facedown for
later use.
3. It allows you to fnd your favorite ace efects.
Te King can just heal to fip one ace facedown and then
next time he takes a damage he can fip another ace faceup.
He has several diferent ways to heal. He can heal using
Raging Barrage, E.M.P Armor, and activating a Physical
Trigger. Tere is only one other character besides the King
in the game at the moment that can heal. Her methods
arent anywhere near as reliable as the King.
Aces
A majority of the Kings strategy revolves around his aces.
Since the King has so much healing, he will be interacting
with his aces arguably more than any other character
currently released in the game (it remains to be seen
what the Malifaux characters will bring to the game). Ill
list the efects of his aces and then go over the strategies
behind picking which ones to heal.
37
Ace of Spades - Ongoing: During the Activate Trigger
step, if you activated a Trigger, Flip a card from your
deck. If it is Cunning, cause one additional damage this
Combat.
Ace of Diamonds - Ongoing: Look at two random
cards from the opponents hand at the end of each Draw
Phase. Remove: Prevent one Damage.
Ace of Clubs - Immediate: Draw two cards and show
them to your opponent. Place the cards into your hand.
Ace of Hearts - Immediate: Your opponent either
discards one random card or receives one Damage.
Remove: Prevent one Damage.
Considering how taking
damage and healing works
in the game, you typically
want to fip facedown, or
heal, the Ace of Clubs or
Hearts. Tat way when
you take damage again you
receive their immediate
efects. So the idea is to
keep the ongoing Aces
faceup and to heal the
immediate aces. However,
you can never have all four
aces faceup at the same time, so you will have to choose
which ones you want faceup in any given game. Tanks
to the Kings healing though, if things go well for him,
he will be able to pick and choose which aces he wants
faceup during a game.
Tere are times when you might not want to heal. Take
the Ace of Clubs for example. It has a remove efect
which prevents one damage. You only have access to
these efects when the card is faceup. Tis means that
when a game is coming to a close you might want that
remove efect faceup on the table so you can stay in the
game longer if you lose combat.
The Might of a King
Raging Barrage is a difcult card to win with, but when
it does win a combat, it has a huge efect on the game.
It provides a three point life swing for the game (you
heal two the opponent takes one damage). Its low card
value can be troublesome
and it has to be played as
the Feint, which means
the opponent will always
know when you are trying
to go for it. Unless your
opponent played a low
value Feint, you will have
to win with the lowest
total. Tis is a card that
works better when you are
the defender. When your
opponent plays the frst
Feint card it can give you some ideas as to what they
are trying to achieve and you can then make sure you
have in your hand the card that you think will win
the combat. Having said this though, playing Raging
Barrage can really alter your opponents play as they
will do everything in their power to avoid it winning, so
take that into consideration when playing it as well. Tis
card also makes a great play when youre behind and
dont have many other strong options to get back into
the game. In this situation winning with Raging Barrage
can completely reverse the game state health-wise.
Royal Drones is another
card that is difcult to
win with, but has a great
pay of when it does. One
advantage that Royal
Drones has over Raging
Barrage, is that it can
be played as a Feint or
a Strike. Tis gives you
more fexibility in how
you use it and can hide
your intentions from the
opponent. Since Royal
Drones is a card that is
tough to win with, you
dont want to play it when you have mediocre cards
in your discard. It is best to use when it will get you
back cards with a 12 or 13 value or cards with powerful
abilities like Punishing Web or E.M.P. Armor. Cannon
Trones double as a great ability to have back because of
their high card values.
Punishing Web is a very good defensive ability. I
typically like to save it for when my opponent triggers
their Physical trigger. Te King of Clubs can never deal
38
more than one damage
in a combat and with
Punishing Web, neither
will your opponent.
Tere are times when
other triggers will be
good to stop such as
Te Jokers and Te
Jack of Diamondss
Cunning trigger, or if an
opponent that is low on
cards activates his or her
Intellect trigger. Knowing
you can stop extra damage from Physical triggers is a
huge comfort while this card is in your hand.
Cannon Trone is a card that will almost always be a
card that forces your
opponent to discard two
cards. Cannon Trone is
especially good once you
have found out where
your Ace of Hearts is,
you can fnd this out
through taking damage
and fipping it faceup
then later healing and
fipping it facedown. Tis
can do a variety of things,
but the most common
outcome will be the
opponent discarding two cards to deal damage to you,
and then discarding one random card (because of your
Ace of Hearts) to avoid taking damage themselves. Tis
is still huge though and will really hurt and opponents
options. Again Cannon Trone by itself is great, but
when combined with the Ace of Hearts it is phenomenal.
Another important thing to note is that the Cannon
Trone ability comes on some high value Intellect and
Cunning cards which can also make this card useful in
combat if you have ran yourself out of other good options.
E.M.P. Armor is just an all-around amazing card. Tis is
the Kings most reliable way to heal. Being able to pick
any trigger on a win is huge, especially when it is on a
13 value card. Tis ability also works when played as a
Feint or Strike giving it some fexibility. You can either
terrify your opponent by playing it as your Feint, or keep
it a secret and play it as your Strike. If Im the attacker Id
prefer to play the card as a Strike. If Im the defender it
would depend on what the
opponent played as their
Feint. As long as you have
another card with a value of
10 or higher just slamming
this card on the table when
you get it, provided you
have something good to
heal with, is usually a good
idea. Tis ability works
especially well when you
are able to drain some
of your opponents cards
through the use of Cannon Trone and Ace of Hearts,
as they will be more than likely be unable to deal with
it. Tis is the Kings best card and if it is in your discard
and you win combat with Royal Drones you should
always, always take back E.M.P. Armor.
The Might of a King
Tere are just a few more points about Te King of
Clubs that Id like to go over. Te King has no way to
deal extra damage and likes to heal. Tis means that
whenever he wins games they will tend to be longer. Just
know the longer you can make the game go the better.
Try your best to stop all of the opponents options that
will do extra damage to you. Taking two damage at once
is extremely bad for the King. When playing the King
you will just get stronger as time goes on. Te opponent
is going to want to kill you fast before you get access
to your great ability cards and to minimize the efect
of your aces. Just watch out for that extra damage, heal
when you can and you will slowly grind down your
opponent. Te King of Clubs can be a fun character
to play if you like being able to take risks while being
backed up by protective abilities in a battle of attrition.
Long Live the King
I hope you enjoyed my seconded article of Showdown
strategies. Now that there are two out, you can really
start to see how diferent the characters are in this game.
Hopefully, this will get you excited about this great
game. If you havent read the article about Te Jack of
Diamonds (Chronicles Vol. 10) and you enjoyed this
article you should go back and read that one as well.
Tanks for reading and enjoy the games!
39
Obscure Tips for Tournaments
Professor Pontificates
By Adrian Scott
Win or lose, Ive always really enjoyed attending a
Malifaux tournament. At the very least its a chance to ft
3-4 games into a single day against a variety of opponents,
but its also been a great way to catch up with fellow
Malifaux players, hone my skills and (more ofen than
not) get a bunch of games in with a Master Ive rarely
used before! Over the years Ive attended or run at least
a dozen diferent Malifaux tournaments, so I thought Id
take the opportunity this month to impart some of my
wisdom to the budding tournament attendee.
Now before you assume this is yet another tactics
article and skip ahead to the preview art at the end of
the magazine (you know you want to), I thought Id try
something a little less orthodox. Tis month, Im going
to skip over the usual bits, like learn your crew and
instead try to bring up some less obvious things. A lot
of these are habits or tips Ive picked up over the years at
least some of which Im hoping youll fnd useful.
Look Over EVERYTHING You May Want to Take
With M2E just 7 months old, the Wave 2 model rules
even newer and the Avatars barely even fnalized, there
are a lot of new model rules for even veteran players
to wrap their heads around. So when youre planning
what youll want to bring to a tournament, now is a
great time to look back through the available models for
your Faction or Master (Mercenaries included!). Te
aim is to fnd anyone who could work well for you that
you may not have noticed before. You should know the
sort of models Im talking about anyone with a good
Poison mechanic would work nicely with McMourning,
Rasputina could take advantage of Paralyze and there
are any number of other models that are just generally
great for achieving certain Strategies and Schemes. Te
Wyrd forums and the Pull My Finger wiki can also be
great sources of advice for what can work well with what.
However, looking through the model rules yourself
wont hurt and in any case, you might spot something
nobody else had thought to use!
Plan Your Crew Lists in Advance
Tinking back, the biggest mistakes Ive made during a
tournament have been the result of me trying to write
my crew list on the fy right before the game itself starts.
Teres a lot to think about when youre building a crew
that not only works well together, but will help you
both achieve your Strategy and Schemes, while denying
that of your opponent. Add to that the terrain layout,
your opponents chosen Faction/Master, and most
importantly, the time constraints, and youre bound
to miss things and wind up making mistakes with the
crew youve hired.
So nowadays, when Im attending a tournament I
always take the time to plan a few potential lists for
each game. Without the time constraints I fnd Im
much better able to carefully build a crew that can both
40
achieve the Strategy and Schemes Im likely to pick,
as well as make it difcult for my opponent to achieve
their own objectives. Of course factors on the day can
make the crew list less than ideal a sparse board may
encourage you to take a more range-focused list, or
your opponents announced Faction (or Master, if the
tournament is run that way) may make you rethink
what models youd need to counter your opponents
strengths. But modifying an existing crew is going to
be much quicker and easier than building one from
scratch. In fact I ofen note down a few models I might
swap into the crew just for such an eventuality.
Of course, thus far Ive assumed that the Strategies and
Schemes have been determined before-hand and are
freely available in the players pack. Most tournaments
Ive attended (and run) have done this. But even if thats
not the case, you can still plan out some basic lists (eg.
one for each Strategy), along with a selection of possible
models to swap in or out depending on the Scheme pool
and the Faction/Master youre facing.
Sit at the Table Side You Want
Whenever I get to a table before my opponent, I always
take a quick look at the board and sit on the side Id
prefer to deploy on. Tis might seem like an odd piece
of advice, but it actually works. By the time you get to
fipping for deployment, both you and your opponent
will have moved your bags, pulled out your fate deck,
stat cards, and crews models and basically set yourself
up for the game. Ive found that once a player has reached
that point (myself included), they rarely want to move,
even if theyre on the less advantageous table side. So
whenever I fip for deployment, unless my opponent
looks ready to move his gear or I want to switch sides
myself, Ill let my opponent deploy frst. Deploying afer
your opponent has its own advantages and as above, Ive
found that the other guy can rarely be bothered moving.
Of course, the fip side of this is to always be prepared
to switch sides when deploying. Moving all your stuf to
the other side of the table can be a pain but come on
do you really want to say you lost a game because you
were too lazy to pick the better deployment zone?!

Get Familiar with Your Opponents Crew
Tere are two parts to this piece of advice. First,
understand how your opponents crew works. I must
admit this is one of those obvious tips. Basically
knowledge is power, and the better you know the
capabilities of your opponents crew, the more able you
are to counter it. Te best way to fgure this out is to
have actually played with or against that crew before.
However if youve never encountered the crew youre
facing across from, dont be afraid to ask questions and
to have a quick look at the cards yourself. Youll fnd
that most players are happy to oblige.
Te second, hopefully less obvious part of being
familiar with your opponents crew is in fguring out
how your opponent is likely to use their crew to achieve
their objectives. Back in Wyrd Chronicles #8 I wrote
an article about assigning models in your crew (Model
roles in Malifaux). In it, I described the basic model
roles (Assassins, Tanks, Schemers, and Support) and
went into how to achieve or deny the various Strategies
and Schemes by using models with the roles best suited
to those objectives. Te main thrust of the article was to
help build your crew to achieve the objectives you had
in mind, but the same principles can also be used to
work out what your opponents crew is designed to do.
As an example, lets say that your opponents crew
contains a Silurid or Necropunk, both of which are
excellent Schemers (ie. very good at dropping
Scheme Markers everywhere). Tose models are most
likely to have been selected to achieve Schemes like
Breakthrough, Power Ritual, or Deliver a Message, so
specifcally hunting down those models will make
it much harder for your opponent to achieve those
Schemes. Similarly, the Judge with a Lead Lined Coat
upgrade is likely to be a target for Bodyguard and unless
you can kill her, Zoraida with Animal Shape is a near-
guaranteed Entourage. Knowing this helps you predict
what your opponent will do with each of his models and
by extension, help you to counter his plans.
Never Forget the Mission
It goes without saying that scoring victory points from
your Strategy and Schemes is what will win you games.
It can be tempting to go afer juicy targets of opportunity
(like killing your opponents Master), but unless it helps
you either score points or deny your opponent points,
all it will do is distract you from the real in-game
objectives. Michael Kemlis went into this in great detail
in his Achieving Victory in Wyrd Chronicles #9, and
Id defnitely recommend you give it a read.
Now heres the less obvious part to this. What I do is
to keep a copy of the Strategy and available Schemes
in front of me during the game. It doesnt matter if
you have laminated copies or you just scribble them
down on some paper, just so long as you can see them
at a moments notice. Having them at your fngertips
helps you keep those objectives at the forefront of your
mind, which makes it much harder to get inadvertently
distracted by things that wont help you achieve them.
Te same can go for keeping track of the turn number
and the time remaining for that game. Remembering
this ensures you wont be caught without enough time
to complete your objectives.
Furthermore, keep a note, whether on paper or in your
mind, of what Schemes your opponent has announced
and what Schemes he or she is or isnt attempting to
achieve, based on his or her crew choice and actions
in-game. For instance if they foolishly throws a low-
level minion into within striking range of your Master,
they have probably taken Frame for Murder. Even if
that particular minion is just a bluf to distract you
from their real Frame for Murder target, the fact that
theyve made such a move tells you that they are
thinking about how to achieve that Scheme. It
could even be minor things, like whether your
opponent is consistently measuring where
the centerline of the table is (for Line in
the Sand), how far they are from their
deployment zone (Protect Territory),
or if they seem to be waiting for your
models to activate frst and get into Leap
or Walk range (so they can Interact for
Distract or Cursed Object). Paying attention
to small things like these will let you stay on
top of your opponents plans and thus claim
victory points while denying his own.
Paint Your Crew
Its a well-known fact that painted crews are luckier
than unpainted ones
Okay, I have no evidence to back that up and even
though I like to think its true, its probably not! Still,
while were here its probably worth noting that if youre
the kind of person who prefers bringing a painted crew
to a tournament (whether its a requirement or not),
you should make sure youve painted all the models you
might want to take. Te reason for this is that restricting
your crew to just the models youve painted can deny you
some options that may prove better for some objectives
than what youve already got. Just bringing what you
already have (rather than what you want) doesnt mean
that you wont do well at the event. But youll defnitely
feel better about bringing that crew if you have all the
options available that you might want to take. Speaking
of feeling good about things
Attitude is Everything
Without wanting to sound conceited, I
tend to win a lot of my games. In fact there
are very few tournaments Ive played in
where I havent placed in the top three.
Malifaux is the game I live and breathe,
and most of the people I play against
know that. Tis reputation can make
me an intimidating opponent to
play against, and Ive been in
more than a few matches
where my opponent
concludes hes going to
lose before the game even
starts. Resigning yourself to
losing is, without a doubt, the
best way to ensure that youll
indeed lose the game. In Malifaux,
just as in life, a positive attitude has
a massive efect on your performance.
Being positive allows you to keep
a broader perspective on
things, which in turn helps
them to more easily
identify solutions to
problems (or in this
case, fgure out how
to defeat your more
41
experienced opponent!). By contrast, maintaining a
negative, more defeatist attitude narrows your perspective
and you inevitably focus more on the problems at hand,
efectively closing your mind of to seeing possible
solutions. So being positive and refusing to see the game
as an inevitable loss actually makes you a better player.
But perhaps most importantly, youre much more likely
to have a fun game if you treat it as a challenge you can
succeed in, rather than a foregone conclusion!
I go through this process whenever I play against Dave
(aka Tiny on the forums). Dave is another regular
Malifaux player from the other side of Australia, whom
I inevitably face whenever I fy interstate for Cancon
(one of our big gaming conventions here in Oz) or
the Australian Malifaux GT. Hes easily one of the best
players Ive faced, and every
game weve played has
been an incredibly
hard-fought battle in
which Ive lost more
ofen than won. For me, Dave can be an intimidating
opponent to play against so as above, Ive found that
maintaining a confdent, positive demeanor goes a long
way toward keeping me from making mistakes and
losing the game (or at least losing by too much!).
Until next time,
Adrian
Adrian
42
When looking through a players spellbook youll fnd
there are certain spells that they try to work into all of
their spellbooks. Everyone ends up with their own set of
signature spells. Im not talking about common spells like
Dispel and Dissolve. Being able to handle enchantments
and equipment are important aspects of the game. The
spells Im referring to are the kind of tools that play to
your personal style and personal fair. Im going to share
with you seven spells that make it into nearly every
spellbook I build. These are my signature spells.
Force Hammer
The frst signature spell youll fnd in many of my
spellbooks is Force Hammer, and at level two its the most
expensive on spellpoints. So, why do I fnd it worth
four spellpoints if my Mage is not trained in the Mind
school? Well the answers vary from Mage to Mage. I
fnd each Mage has a conjuration
they hate. For some it could be
Mordoks Obelisk or Suppression
Orb. Force Hammer will smash
down eight dice against these
conjurations. Its a great way to
set up an epic conjuration for
destruction. If youre lucky, you
could roll enough to destroy the
conjuration with Force Hammer
alone. This spell also comes
equipped with Ethereal, just in
case youre really afraid of Mana
Siphon.
Surging Wave
Versatility is an important
virtue for my signature spells,
and Surging Wave has that
in spades. This Unavoidable
attack can hamper even the
most stalwart guards. For only
fve mana you get three attack
dice and a chance to Slam and
Push. In addition, Surging Wave
can be used to remove all Burn
conditions from a friendly
target. Trust me, once Forged in
Fire gets released youll always
want to pack a spell with the
Extinguish trait. The only weakness of this amazing
attack spell is that it cannot target Flying creatures.
Since guarding creatures lose the fying trait, this spell is
effective against guards.
Agony
Curses are generally worth
looking at for any Mage, and my
favorite is Agony. Any creatures,
Mages included, that can make
multiple attacks in a round are
worth cursing with Agony. Even
on creatures with single attacks,
Agony removes two dice from
the enchanted creatures attack.
If you put two armor on your
Mage could prevent two
damage. By removing two
dice you could be preventing up to four damage. Also,
Nonliving creatures are diffcult to buff, but even if you
SIGNATURE SPELLS
By Aaron Brosman
43
A glimpse into Mage Wars
cant give them Rhino Hide you can put Agony on their
attacker. In fact, Agony protects anything you control.
You cant buff a conjurations armor or life, but you can
remove two dice from its attack.
Marked for Death
The other amazing curse that fnds
its way into most of my spellbooks
is Marked for Death. For only six
mana youll get an extra die on
the frst attack that each of your
creatures makes on the opposing
Mage each round. It only costs four
mana to place Marked for Death on
a non-Mage creature. One key to
Mage Wars is to focus your attacks.
An injured creature can attack just
as much as a perfectly healthy
one. So when you start to attack a target with
concentrated attacks, this spell helps to ensure that
you can fnish it off. This spell also aids Nonliving
creatures, unlike the majority of
enchantments.
Wand of Healing
This is the most recent addition to
my signature spells, but I assure
you that is has earned its spot. At
two mana, Wand of Healing is easy
to budget during the game. It comes
with two fantastic spell abilities.
The frst is a simple two die heal.
This is solid, but the real draw of this
wand is its second ability. Normally
its tough to remove conditions
from creatures. This wand makes
the process simple; just pay the conditions removal
cost and its gone. You are limited to removing one
condition a turn, so dont let them stack up on you. The
condition removal can even be worth it for Warlocks
and Necromancers who have to pay
triple for the Wand of Healing.
Knockdown
Since I frst received my copy of Mage
Wars, Ive been putting Knockdown
in nearly all of my spellbooks. On
the surface Knockdown prevents
Defenses on the target, and that
by itself is pretty good. However,
there are two other effects of
Knockdown that make it one of my
signature spells. First, if you use
Knockdown on a Flying creature,
then it loses Flying until it can take
its next action phase. If you want to really annoy a
Priestess, then use Knockdown on her Guardian Angel and
immediately cast Tanglevine on it before it can take to the
skies again. That also leads into the other effect. When
you Incapacitate a creature it loses its guard marker if it
has one. With all that this spell does, just keep in mind
that Unmovable creatures are immune to Knockdown.
Purify
My fnal signature spell is
Purify. If you arent playing
as a Necromancer, then you
should have a Purify in your
spellbook. For one quick
action it lets you remove as
many poison conditions and/
or enchantments as you want.
This is indispensable against a
swarm of Venomous Zombies or
a Mage that relies heavily on
Curses. Being able to remove
both Ghoul Rot and Poisoned
Blood with the same quick
action is a very powerful turn around. Necromancers
neednt carry a Purify because they are immune to
everything that the spell can remove.
Now youve been given a taste of what my spellbooks
are normally like. Hopefully youve gotten some great
ideas on spells to try and maybe add to your own
signature spells. Ill see you in the Arena!
By Aaron Brosman
Aaron Brosman is Creative Director at Arcane
Wonders. He was Co-Designer on Forged in Fire, a
new expansion for Mage Wars coming out in June
2014. He also happens to love Asian ghosts and a
certain Resurrectionist master who employs them.
Aaron can be summoned by emailing AaronBrosman@
ArcaneWonders.com.
44
46
Crimson horror
Makos Rubbish
By Mark Rogers
Intro
At the moment, Im trying to focus my eforts more on
getting one faction painted, which is my Ten Tunders.
Tis gave me the ideal opportunity to paint up Yin, and
play with techniques for making her look suitably gory.
While it would be a very quick and simple process to paint
up all her innards in the same shades, to add extra interest,
I decided to take a more natural approach. Human organs
are an odd collection of colors, and roughly following these
would make for a nicer efect overall (it does mean some
interesting Google searches though).
Prep
As usual, the frst thing to do was to clean and assemble
the parts. Yin goes together pretty easily, but there was
one important thing I wanted to do that made it a little
slower. I carefully cut and fled away all the strings of
gore that were sculpted onto her, as I would be using my
own techniques to replace them later on so they werent
necessary. You can see this best on the large intestine
loop, but there were sections of it around the ribs too.
Te next thing to do was a bit more unusual. I had to
work out what each part of Yin was, in order to paint
it correctly. Tis involved looking at anatomy diagrams
and working out what plastic lump matched up to
what organ. Tere are a few bits that arent represented
(Or arent quite in the right place) on Yin, as some
stylization in the sculpt was necessary to make her pose
work. Labelling everything with what I wanted it to be
was useful, as it meant less worrying about that kind of
thing while I was painting.
Prepped Yin
47
Bone
Te bone began as a 3:1 mix of Bronze Fleshtone and
Charred Brown, which I then shaded with Charred
Brown. For extra shading near the body, I added a little bit
of Black and Hexed Lichen. Tis darkens the bone more
than is strictly natural, but makes it function as a visual
frame for the main block of the body. I carefully glazed the
midtone back over to smooth the transitions and knock
the shade back a little, then began the highlights by adding
Bonewhite and a trace of Pale Flesh to the midtone. Te
second highlight was made by adding White and a little
more Pale Flesh to the previous layer, then more White
and Pale Flesh for the fnal highlight on the upper tips of
the ribs. Living bone is not ivory colored so much as pinky
white, which is why I was using small amounts of Pale
Flesh. I had to keep some ivory look for it to be instantly
recognizable as bone, but a little nod towards the real color
makes it look a bit fresher.
Throat
I painted the throat at frst with a 3:2:1 mix of Gory
Red, Orange Fire, and Bonewhite. Te throat is mostly
trachea, but of to the side behind this is the esophagus,
which would need to look a little bit diferent. I therefore
shaded it more heavily than the trachea, using a 3:1:1
mix of Gory Red, Hexed Lichen, and Black for both
but applying more layers to the esophagus. I repainted
the original midtone color on both, added some Pale
Flesh to the midtone for the frst highlight, and more
Pale Flesh for the second. Tis was the fnal layer on
the esophagus, but the trachea got one more highlight
using pure Pale Flesh to separate the two areas more.
Organ Diagram
Bone Stages
Throat Stages
48
Heart
For the heart, I used a base coat of 2:2:1 Hexed Lichen,
Gory Red, and Pale Flesh. Tis was shaded down with a
similar mix, but with the Pale Flesh replaced by Black.
Once Id repainted the midtone, I started to add Vallejo
Model Color (VMC) Deck Tan to it in two stages to
highlight it. Te heart has a band of fat across it typically,
which I started with Leather Brown then highlighted
using a 1:1 mix of Bonewhite and Pale Flesh.
Lungs
Te lungs started out as a mix of Bronze Fleshtone,
Gory Red, and Squid Pink in a 2:1:1 ratio. Tis was
shaded by adding equal amounts of the midtone, Black,
and Hexed Lichen before the midtone was repainted to
reduce the amount of shading. Te frst highlight was
a 1:1 mix of the midtone and Bonewhite, the second
an equal mix of the frst and Bonewhite. Te third and
fnal highlight was a similar 1:1 mix using the second
highlight and Bonewhite.
Small Intestine
Heart Stages
Lung Stages
Small Instestine Stages
49
Te small intestine is vaguely purple in reality due to the
blood vessels around it. I accentuated the purple, using
a 3:2:1 mixture of Hexed Lichen, Bronze Fleshtone,
and Bonewhite. Te lack of Gory Red made this a very
diferent looking color to the other areas, but the fnal
stages of the model would tie it all together a bit more.
Te shade did however include Gory Red, as well as
Black, added to the midtone in equal amounts. Te
purple/fesh midtone was then retouched, before being
highlighted using increasing amounts of a 1:1 mix of
Pale Flesh and VMC Deck Tan, in three main stages.
Stomach
Te center of Yin was becoming quite dominated by
purple, which would be fxed in the next few stages. Te
stomach was base coated with an equal mix of Bronze
Fleshtone and Squid Pink, which I then added small
amounts of Gory Red and Hexed Lichen to as a shade.
I didnt push the shading any further as I wanted the
stomach to stay quite pale. Te original pink and fesh
mix was repainted, before I added Pale Flesh to this
for the frst highlight. Te second and fnal highlight
was pure Pale Flesh, used carefully on the bulges to
accentuate the folds and curve of the stomach.
Large Intestine
Te large intestine is more reddish than the small
intestine, so to accentuate the contrast I began with
Bronze Fleshtone, adding a little Squid Pink and Gory
Red to make it look less orange. I then added equal
parts Gory Red and the midtone together, along with
a little Hexed Lichen, to shade the intestine. Tis was
done more heavily on the underside of the loops, where
the shadow would naturally fall. Afer repainting the
midtone to bring the bulges out more, I began adding
Bonewhite for the highlights. Te second highlight was
roughly two thirds Bonewhite. A fnal touch of very
dilute Bonewhite on the upper faces of the loops of
intestine fnished the efect.
Liver/Kidney
All the organ mixes had been various mixes of purple,
red, pink, and feshtone depending on the look I wanted.
Te kidney and liver began identically to each other,
as a 2:2:2:1 mix of Gory Red, Bronze Fleshtone, Squid
Pink, and Hexed Lichen. Less Hexed Lichen is needed
as the purple is a much more dominant color. I mixed
up equal parts of Gory Red and Hexed Lichen to add to
Stomach Stages
Large Instestine Stages
50
this base color as a shade (which meant it was a mostly
purple shade), then repainted the original color again.
From here, I used two diferent mixes for the highlights
I added Pale Flesh to the midtone for the liver and
kidney, but added a 1:1 mix of Squid Pink and Bronze
Fleshtone for the ureter (the tube leaving the kidney).
Tese were further highlighted with more Pale Flesh or
the pink/bone mixture respectively. A fnal highlight of
pure Pale Flesh, or pure Bonewhite on the ureter, was
bright enough. To diferentiate the liver and kidney a
bit, I glazed Gory Red onto the liver, as it is naturally a
very rich deep color in the body, being so full of blood.
Wood
I then turned to the base, as I needed to paint part of it
before the skin was fnished. Te wood would be partly
rotten, and painted similarly to the grave markers I put
on Yan Los base (Chronicles Vol. 4). Tis would keep
the overgrown look that crew had, while not making
her too specifc that she would look odd amongst other
Ten Tunders masters. Te base was built from balsa
strips, carved using the back of a knife blade to add
grain and weather them away a bit, before being painted
a few times with diluted PVA glue to stifen it. With that
done, Yins vacated body was sculpted on the wood so it
was slumped behind her. I then primed the whole thing
with several coats of Black and started on the wood.
Te process began with several coats of Leather Brown
to get a solid base color. I then used a 1:1 mix of Leather
Brown and Dark Fleshtone washed into the grooves,
which was then darkened with pure Dark Fleshtone. Te
fnal shade was a mix of Dark Fleshtone and Black, in a
patchy layer focusing on the more weathered areas and
the grooves between the planks. I then retouched the
Leather Brown roughly, not trying to get even coverage
across the planks. You can drybrush highlights onto
carved grain, but it can give you a strange, sideways
look to the wood grain. Instead, I use a brush with
almost the same amount of paint as normal on it, except
I paint using the side of the brush tip, in a sort of wet-
drybrushing technique. Its as quick as drybrushing,
and keeps the paint on the ridges in a similar way, but as
you can then paint down the length of the wood rather
than across it theres no risk of a sideways grain efect. I
continued this technique with a mix of Bonewhite and
Leather Brown, only even patchier than the previous
layer. Te fnal stages were a glaze of Camoufage Green
in random places on the wood, followed by some VMC
Deep Green glazed onto the more rotten areas. Its a lot
of layers, but theyre all fairly quick, and the uneven
layers give a good aged, natural look to the wood.
Kidney Stages
Wood Stages
51
Skin My basic skin mix is a 2:1 mix of Bronze Fleshtone and
either Khaki or Bonewhite, depending on how pale I
want someone to be. I wanted Yin to look a bit colder
and more sallow than usual, but not actually rotten, so
I added a little Pale Flesh to make the skin paler, and a
trace of VMC Deep Sky Blue to take out the warmth.
My frst shade also needed to avoid being too warm and
lively, so I used a 2:2:2:1 mix of the midtone with dead
fesh, Dark Fleshtone and Night Blue. Te dead fesh
helps with the sallow look, while the Night Blue and
the Dark Fleshtone are my usual shade (the blue being
there to reduce the orange hue in the shaded areas).
I then added a little more Dark Fleshtone and a tiny
trace more Night Blue to this shade, and focused on the
eyes, under the chin, and around the backs of the ears.
With that done, I gently glazed the original fesh color
back in. I started to add small amounts of Bonewhite
and Deck Tan, again using the colder Deck Tan to keep
the skin looking a little less healthy. A second highlight
with more Bonewhite and Deck Tan fnished the skin.
Female fesh looks better with sofer, lower contrast
paintwork compared to male skin if Yin had been
male, Id have gone a little darker around the eyes and
under the nose and chin, and highlighted almost up
to pure Bonewhite/Deck Tan. I added a little touch of
Hexed Lichen into the frst highlight and painted a thin
line on Yins lower lip (but thicker than I would for a
male face). Her brows were painted using a very dilute
version of that same highlight with a little Charred
Brown and Dark Fleshtone added. I decided on green
eyes for no particular reason, which were begun with
thin lines of Deck Tan (White would make her look
wide eyed and shocked), and a dot of Deep Green in the
center of each fnished them of.
Robe
Te rest of Yin had been warm colors so far, so to
balance this out I wanted a powder blue for her robe.
Te midtone for this was a 2:1 mix of Deck Tan and
Night Blue. I shaded it initially with some Black, and
then added a touch more for a second shade. I then
went back to the midtone, and began adding Deck tan
for the two highlight layers until I was happy with the
fnal color. I did the same thing to Yins hair tie afer
painting the hair.
Skin Stages
52
Hair
Yins hair began as Dark Fleshtone with a little Black in it
to make it darker. I gave this a heavy wash of diluted Black,
then went back and used a similar technique to the wood
earlier to restore the midtone in smooth lines using the
side of the brush tip on an angle and drawing it along each
strand. Tis technique really excels here, making hair quick
to paint, but keeping it smooth and silky looking. I then did
the same thing, gentler so it covered a smaller area, using
Dark Fleshtone. Te frst highlight was 2:1 Dark Fleshtone
and P3 Rucksack Tan, leaving the underside of the hair
mostly untouched. Te fnal layer was 2:1 Rucksack Tan
to Dark Fleshtone, and was only painted in very small
lines on the highest parts of the hair, where the glossy hair
would naturally catch light.
Veins
Te veins that are scattered across Yin were initially
painted Gory Red. Tey were then washed with a mix
of Hexed Lichen, Black, and Gory Red, being sure to
smooth the outer edges into the surrounding areas a
little. Te Gory Red was then repainted, and fnished
of with a brighter red. In this case, it was a very old pot
of GW Blood Red I had lying about, but any bright red
will do.
Robe Stages
Hair Stages
Vein Stages
53
At this point, Yin was basically fnished. When I looked
at her though, I didnt like the vivid color of her large
intestines it was too dominant. To knock it back a bit,
I mixed Hexed Lichen (because it would contrast and
mute the pink somewhat) with a bit of Bronze feshtone
(both to make it a muddier color and to avoid the
purple being too strong), and gently washed it over the
intestines, particularly on the lower areas. Its important
to reconsider areas at times when you fnish a model, as
what looked good against an unpainted area might look
very diferent against the fnished paintjob. Afer gluing
her to the base (scraping the paint away on the contact
surfaces with a knife tip as the glue holds better that
way), I varnished the whole piece. I painted the whole
of Yin with satin varnish for a wet look, except the skin,
bone, cloth and wood. Tese got a coat of matte varnish
instead to contrast them and make them look dry. Te
fnal touch before I added blood was a couple of tiny
patches of tuf grass growing through the foor, again to
match her to Yan Lo.
A Note on Varnishes
Varnishing is something that seems to cause confusion
at times, but there are two basic rules:
Spirit based is tougher than water based
Multiple thin layers are better than one thick layer
Te diference between a manufacturers gloss and
matte varnish is trivial usually its the same mixture,
but with a tiny bit of powder in it, so matte is not
inherently weaker than gloss. Te reason it goes shiny
over time is because oils from your fngers cover it, and
those are pretty glossy. Te diference between makes
of varnish is much more dramatic, which is why trying
several before settling on one is a good idea. I personally
use Vallejo brush on varnishes, though a light spray of
Testors Dullcote is the go to matte for many painters
I know. For me, with little handling to worry about, a
single coat of whatever varnish I want is fne (my gloss
and matte can be mixed for a satin efect). For heavy
gaming pieces though, the solution is either a spirit
based varnish (which can sometimes be problematic
with acrylic paints) or several coats of water based
varnish. If you applied three coats of matte varnish
youd lose sight of the paintwork though, so a couple of
gloss coats and one fnal matte coat is the answer.
The Blood
Blood and gore is something I dont do ofen, as its
easy to overdo and that can detract from the painting.
Tis time though, it was the ideal place for it. With Yin
cleaned and varnished, the frst thing to do was to string
some gore around her intestines to replace the bits I cut
of at the start. Tis is done using a mix of Tamiya Clear
Red, a tiny bit of Hexed Lichen, and some UHU all-
purpose glue. Mix these up on an old bit of plastic with a
toothpick, then wait a moment for it to dry very slightly.
Tis creates a very sticky, stringy goo that you can dab
onto one part of a model and drag strands across to dab
attach to the other side. It takes a bit of practice to get
right, but bits of sprue make a great test area. For free
hanging drops, I tack a piece of sprue in place and pull
the goo to that. Once its fully cured (overnight), it can
be cut of. A thin coat of Tamiya Clear Red over the
drop gives it a nice rounded end and stifens it a little
more. You can see this on Yins ribs, where the sprue
piece is on her base.
Gore Steps
54
Te fnal photo shows the last stage of gore, using Clear
Red and Hexed Lichen (without glue) to paint around
the strings and over the organs as liquid blood. Teres
more around the neck and on the foor, showing where
she moved. Te key here is to not overdo it; keep the
blood to where it would pool, and avoid hiding the
paintwork under it even if you end up using very little.
Teres a little Tamiya Clear Green mixed with super
heavy texture gel forming dribbles from her intestines
too, for added nastiness. Tat fnal shot also shows the
cut of drop on Yin; it tried to curl up a bit so when I
did the Clear Red layer I used a bit of sprue to pull it
down. It sticks lightly to the Clear Red so can be eased
of safely with a knife afer the whole thing is cured.
So the fnal efect is of a fairly sticky, organic Yin,
hopefully with plenty of visual interest even if she is
mostly a pile of bloody organs! As always, Im usually
about on the forums (Mako) if you want to talk paint,
so feel free to message me.
Gore Stages
Finished
55
By The Wyrd Community
Painted Submissions from the Community
The Gallery
Andy Goodacre
Chris (cdhay) Hay Chris (Getyerbro) Coyle
Fetid Strumpet
Ben (Psientologist) Sime
Ben Tuite
56
Gary (gazmania) Poore
Jay Fobes
Joe Girard
John (thatdarnsatan) Sheffield Mark Mallard
Nicholas (Turelio) Fletcher
Neil of Orange
Jen Truby Jason (Tiktaalik) Rouley
57
Nick (Spiralingcadaver) Wirtz
Steve (monkeyboy30672) Fuller Thomas Geater Wojtek Tekielski
Robert (Mooseyfaux) Lepiane Ryan (OrderoftheGash) Burritt
Thank you for your submissions. Please check out the Malifaux
painting contest taking place on Wamp by clicking here.