by As twilight draws near, the billowing steam from the locomotive rises into the air, blending with the heavy, menacing clouds. The train begins to slow down. Restless passengers press against the windows, pulling me out of my drowsiness. Some clutch their suitcases as if their lives depended on it. All strain their ears as the train approaches the station… The clanking of infernal machines and the eerie green streaks cutting through the sky leave no doubt… Could we have arrived in Malifaux!? That mysterious city, the stage for an extraordinary miniatures game, where cards dictate fate instead of dice? Where strategy goes hand in hand with treachery? Indeed, you scoundrels! But who will guide us through this dark and fantastical Wild West? A trustworthy sheriff, of course. So have no fear—step off the wagon. Join me in welcoming Wep’tak, your Malifaux writer!
Why Malifaux?
Malifaux checks off many enticing themes: Western, Steampunk, and Fantasy. But the editor Wyrd Games didn’t stop there. Instead of relying on dice—an iconic element of miniatures games—their skirmish game dares to innovate by doing without them entirely.
In Malifaux, a deck of cards determines the outcome of battles. The entire game revolves around a key mechanism called the “Duel.” Each player—attacker and defender—reveals the top card of their deck. The revealed card’s value is added to the relevant character attribute to determine the final result. But here’s where things get interesting: the player at a disadvantage can attempt to “cheat fate” by playing a card from their hand to improve their total. However, there’s a catch—if the high-value cards have already been played in an early duel, they won’t be available for later fights.
This system, blending chance with hand management, turns every duel into a moment of tension where strategy and tactical choices are crucial to influencing the battles ahead. With such qualities, it was only natural for Malifaux to earn its place on Touche Critique!
Who is Wep’tak?
Wep’tak: As many I fell into the wargame cauldron when I was a kid, which for me was during the 90s. I also do a lot of role playing and board games. I love discovering new games and innovative rule systems, so I play a lot of different wargames, historical as well as fictional. But there are some to which I get back time and time again, like Infinity, Onepagerules, Fireball Forward, Blücher, 5 leagues from the borderlands and 5 parsecs from home (the Sci-Fi cousin of the previous one). I’m not keen on competitive play (my list above contains solo/coop games and another one without point system…), but meeting fellow wargamers at a tournament is its own reward. I recently got into Malifaux and I’d like to share that discovering with you!
