Perdita+Ortega

include page="inc_1.5rules" **Perdita Ortega, Guild Master ** // Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard //

//"Perdita became the head of her family after the mental deterioration of her father, Papa Loco, landed him in a Sanatarium. Her elder brother, Francisco Ortega, declined the position, telling his family that Perdita was a stronger leader, and would do better as the head of their Neverborn Fighting Posse. Locals tell tales of Perdita's ability to see things when no one else can, and her ability to draw so quickly, even a charging Nephilim gets caught in her crosshairs. Her abilities as a gunfighter have become part of her greater legend.//" toc

=Overview= The fast shooting, teenage head of the Ortega Family, Perdita came through the Breach seeking fame and fortune. Her stunning looks and abilities with a gun made her an instant celebrity. Needing all the help she could get, Perdita called on the skills of the rest of the Ortegas.

The Ortegas are ranged fighters, each with a growing reputation. Stories of the gun fighting family have spread far and wide. As a whole, the Ortegas prefer to stay on the fringes of melee though all have some melee abilities, Perdita among them.

=Mobility= Perdita is fast with a Wk of 6", and a Cg of 10". With the **(+1) Fast** Talent (gives model an extra activation point), Perdita has the ability to move up to 18" in one turn. Perdita, and all other members of the Ortega clan, have **Companion (Family)**, which allows them to activate together, allowing for more complex attacks.

== =Offense= Perdita has achieved legendary status due to her ability to wield her Peacebringer. She is so adept with her weapon that she can use it as both a ranged and melee weapon. With the **Fast** Talent, Perdita can make up to three Peacebringer strikes a turn. Her spells and abilities give her an edge over the horrible creatures that roam Malifaux. Perdita has even discovered ways to master Fate, and has an action that allows her controller to discard and redraw cards to their control hand.

Ranged / Melee
Perdita's only weapon is her Peacebringer, with which she can use at both range and in Melee (due to her //'Gunfighter'// ability). It has a 10" range, a Combat of seven of Rams, and does damage of 2/3/5. With Perdita's ability to move long distances, she is often within prime shooting range. Holding high cards in your hand for these attacks is never a bad idea. The damage Perdita does with her gun is devastating, and making sure you always get a straight damage flip or a +fate twist is important to succeeding with Perdita.

(0) Bullet Bending
Perdita is known for her legendary marksmanship. There are stories of her being able to bend bullets around corners, and hit enemies who are thoroughly hidden. This spell gives Perdita a penalty to her combat, but allows her to shoot models in cover. In a game of Malifaux, the expectation is that there is going be a lot of cover for models to hide behind. This spell allows Perdita to shoot models in cover without receiving any penalties for shooting into cover. So, if Som'er Teeth Jones is hiding behind a bush, Perdita can cast this spell and fire on the hapless Gremlin. If the casting of this spell was successful, Perdita does not get the negative twist to the fate flip on the attack.

(1) Execute
Perdita is known for hunting down Neverborn creatures and eliminating every last one of them. For her, it is a matter of honor that she and her crew be efficient, and that they are able to finish any job assigned to them. Execute is Perdita's strongest spell, allowing her to achieve maximum damage against her foes. This spell gives Perdita a penalty on her combat, and reduces her range to 6". In exchange she gets plus three fate on her damage flips.

Once moved into a good spot on the table, Perdita can cast Execute. She needs to be in a spot where she is within 6" of her target, because there is a reduction in range, and the spell resolves immediately. This is a perfect spell for which to hold your mid range Masks (you only need to flip a five of Masks or higher). Though her range is reduced, Perdita does maximum damage with this spell; she is usually able to negate any and all -fate flips she may have accumulated.

Holding on to high Rams and the Red Joker for these strikes is a good idea, as is burning Soulstones, to make sure you get the largest number of +fate flips possible.

See the Unseen
This ability allows Perdita to ignore almost any interference to targeting a model. If an enemy model has abilities, actions, or spells that increase the range of a weapon or the defense of the character, Perdita ignores them. She also ignores any duels that are required to target a model. This ability is useful against Harmless, Pitiful, Terrifying (to some extent), and other duels required to target a model. One of Perdita's greatest foes, a Neverborn creature known as Pandora, causes panic among her foes by using an ability called **Expose Fears**. While she cannot use Immune to Influence to protect her from this ability, Perdita ignores this ability due to See the Unseen. This ability can not be used to see through a Stitched Together's Obscuring Fog.

Triggers
Perdita is an accomplished fighter, and it is reflected in her triggers.

Cb - Critical Strike
Critical Strike is a testament to Perdita's ability with her weapon. This trigger adds +1 damage per Ram in the combat total. Perdita automatically hits this trigger. In combat, Critical Strike can mean the difference between some damage and a kill shot. Holding high Rams in your hand, or declaring the Red Joker's suit to be Rams is always a good idea, especially when you're trying to shoot something that hits particularly hard, or has a lot of Wounds.

This trigger is especially important against models with the "Hard to Wound" abilitiy. It's better to get the extra Rams and add one or two damage, than hold out for the possible +fate flip from an 11+ difference between duel totals.

Cb - Anticipation
Neverborn are more predictable than many people think. Anticipation is the culmination of Perdita's honed ability to know what her enemies are thinking. This trigger allows Perdita's controller to look at the top two cards of his opponent's deck after successfully damaging an opponent's model. One card is placed on the top of the discard pile, the other face down on the top of the deck. It requires Rams and Masks to activate. This trigger is an effective way to control your opponent's next move. It is useful, but you're better off holding your masks for some of the Crew's other spells and triggers. If you top deck this trigger, make sure you use it, unless you need the Critical Strike.

Spells
Perdita has several offensive spells that aid her in combating the strange creatures of the Malifaux Badlands.

(1) Obey
Most of the Ortega's foes are creatures that can do as much damage to themselves as they can to the Family. Perdita has learned this spell to allow her to control her opponents and her Family members. This spell, when successfully cast, allows Perdita's controller to force a model to make a (1) action, or Charge.

When used against a foe, this spell allows Perdita to control her opponent's movement. She can force a model to run away from her, or to attack one of its friends. With a range of 12", this spell is a good way to destroy the morale and numbers of any given crew. Combined with her ability to walk at least 12" in a turn and cast, this spell allows Perdita to control pieces of an opposing crew during turn one.

When used on friendly models, this spell allows a single model per activation an extra movement. Papa Loco has a movement of 5". Imagine if, at the end of turn one, he had moved 15". Or if The Judge were to be able to cast Bullets and Blades an extra time, after his activation. This spell allows you to take those extra shots you always wish you could take, but never manage to pull off before you die.

=Resilience= Perdita is easily one of the most resilient characters in Malifaux, simply based on her stat line. She has a high Willpower and DF (8 - matched only by Lilith) which allows her to take on whatever the creatures of the Badlands throw at her. Her ability to cast spells, and hit her opponents on the first try give Perdita an edge above many others. The legends of Perdita Ortega usually involve her abilities with her Peacebringer, whether she's taking the upper hand, or hanging back.

vs Ranged
Perdita, like the rest of her family, prefers to stay on the edges of battle. Most of her defense is based on this preference. Luckily, Perdita has the ability to use her gun fighting skills in close combat as well. She may not have many Wds (eight to be exact) but her other stats more than make up for that. With a seven Wp and an eight Df (the highest in the game), Perdita is ready for anything any of her foes might throw her way. Plus, she has a few tricks up her sleeve.

(0) Quick Draw [Peacebringer]
Being able to take the first shot is key to Perdita's success in the world of Malifaux. Legend has it that Perdita can shoot a charging Nephilim before it's started to move, that she can take out a spell caster as he starts to mumble his incantation, and that she can shoot a Gremlin as it cocks its gun. When an opponent within 10" and LoS of Perdita declares a ranged attack, **Cast/Channel**, or **Charge** action, Perdita may make a Peacebringer Strike against that model before it moves or flips a Fate Card. This action ends when the Strike is taken, or at the End of the Closing Phase, whichever comes first.

So say, for instance, that Teddy has declared a charge at Perdita; he is standing just inside the 10" mark, so before he moves in to Charge Perdita, she takes a single shot at Teddy. This is one of the best reasons to hold high cards in your hand (especially the Red Joker, or high Rams). With a single shot like this you want to do as much damage as possible; being able to do at least 6 damage is a good way to protect Perdita from getting hurt. Holding the Red Joker to cheat the damage flip on a Quick Draw is a good idea as well. This action must be declared during Perdita's activation; basically you are saying "My 0 AP action is going to be Quick Draw" and you save the actual shooting until a model attacks Perdita.

Df - Faster'n You
Perdita has the uncanny ability to side step a bullet. Not only is this a shock to the system for the attacker, it is usually followed by a bullet flying from Perdita's trusty Peacebringer. This Trigger allows Perdita to damage an attacker, using their duel totals as //her// attack total. The attacker must be within range of the Peacebringer, which isn't hard, considering it's a 10" range. If you successfully defend against the attack (making sure you have a mask in the total) you may then use your total versus their total as a duel, only you get to damage the guy who just shot at you. For this trigger it is not a bad idea to hold a high Mask and burn a Soulstone to make sure your total is high.

vs Spells

 * Quick Draw** can be used against enemies who are attempting to cast or channel a spell at Perdita. To protect her Family from the spells she can so easily dodge, Perdita has a spell of her own.

(0) Spellbreaker
Knowing how to shake off the effects of a spell is key to fighting Neverborn. Perdita has become particularly adept at ending the effects of spells on her Family members. Spellbreaker ends effects, and removes negative counters on the given Family member. This spell doesn't restore wounds, or force the model to discard carried counters (like Blood Counters); it just stops all the bad stuff that makes their jobs more difficult. This spell is effective against Poison Counters (Zoraida) and Blight Counters (Hamelin the Plagued). It is also effective against anything that affects a model (Pacify, Excessive Bleeding, etc).

Sometimes, in order to remove the bad stuff from her crew members, Perdita casts Spellbreaker on her enemies. This is especially effective on models like Zoraida's Voodoo Doll. You can't use Spellbreaker on your crew mate to stop Conduit, but you can use it on the Voodoo Doll to stop it.

Even better than helping your crew out when they are attacked (because, let's face it, most of them can take care of this stuff on their own) is being able to tear down your opponent's models. This spell can be used to cancel effects and counters on your opponent's models. It cannot make them drop carried counters, but it can make it so that spell no longer effects the model. While fighting Rasputina, you might run into a model on which she has cast **December's Touch**. Spellbreaker stops the spell, and allows you to take that model out without worrying about the benefits it once had.

vs Blasts
Being around Papa Loco can be hazardous to a person's health; especially when you're the only person with the ability to calm and control him. Perdita has developed extra fast reflexes, allowing her to dodge out of the vicinity of the explosions. **Evasive 2** is an ability that takes away two damage when she is hit with a blast, whether it be at the hands of her crazy father, or an Ice Golem. This is an ability and happens automatically.

Immune to Influence
So steadfast is Perdita, due to her constant battle with the nightmarish Neverborn of Malifaux, that she ignores all Willpower (Wp) duels where she is the defender. Perdita uses this ability to aid her in the hunting of the Neverborn. For instance, if Perdita is near Candy, she would not have to make the Wp duel to remain unaffected by Pacify. Almost anytime an enemy uses an ability or action that would force a Wp -> Wp duel, Perdita ignores it. Perdita is also able to ignore spells that force a Wp duel (**Obey** and **Self Loathing** being two of the spells she runs into most often).

=Soulstones= Perdita prefers to rely on her skills with a gun, and her Family, instead of magic. While Soulstones are useful to Perdita, they are not something she relies on heavily. Perdita starts off with two Soulstones, and the best use for them is boosting Perdita's defense and willpower flips. With an eight defense, there isn't a lot of need for it, but when you go master to master sometimes it's useful. Speaking of master vs. master, if you want to destroy your opponent's master as quickly as possible, saving your Soulstones for the big battle is not a bad idea.

Starting the game with four to six Soulstones isn't a bad idea either. Don't be stingy with them; use them when you need them. Unless Perdita is close to death, don't use the soulstones to prevent/heal damage. You're better off using them to finish what you're doing.

=Tricks and Tips= In general, don't be afraid to keep Perdita back when it suits her best, but don't be afraid to march her into melee either. She is a versatile fighter, and able to handle herself one on one against most foes. Leaving her totally alone ahead of her crew is not a good idea, but the Family as a whole is able to move independently for the most part. Remember the ability that allows the crew to activate together. Remember that Perdita has Evasion 2. She has a killer stat line that allows her to withstand most of the hits she takes.

Control hand
It is always a good idea to have high cards in your hand with Perdita. Use Perdita's Hero's Gamble ability early game to try to fill your hand with high cards. Rams and Masks are best (and Crows if you're running Nino). If you happen to draw the Black Joker, it isn't a bad idea to hold on to it. Doing some damage is better than doing no damage. If you're going to use the Red Joker to cheat, saving it for a damage flip is a good idea. Remember that the Red Joker gives you maximum damage, plus an extra damage flip. Used with Critical Strike, Perdita could do 11+ damage. When in doubt, don't forget Focus. It may cost two Ap, but you get a +fate flip on your attack and damage flip. This may help Perdita in sticky situations.

Triggers
Remember to use Perdita's **Critical Strike** with every shot. She will do a minimum of three damage with every bullet she fires because she hits the trigger automatically. This trigger is more effective than **Anticipation** in most situations. If you're going to shoot at a model multiple times, and you can hit Anticipation, you can use it as hand control/cut down. By controlling what they flip, you can hope to cut down on their high cards in your opponent's hand, giving the rest of your crew the ability to hit their targets. This is good late game, if your goal is to take out certain marks in your opponent's crew. Switching between Anticipation and Critical Strike can be an effective use of your cards. Anticipation should be flipped, not cheated. Save your Masks for **Faster'n You**, **Execute**, and some of the other needs of Perdita's Crew.

Hiring
Because of Perdita's fast pace, she quickly moves beyond her crew's ability to cover her. During the hiring process, you can easily help Perdita by hiring more long ranged fighters (Austringers from the Guild, Hans or The Trapper from the Outcasts). Another option is hiring faster moving models. Papa Loco is a fast mover, but he can't provide long term cover for Perdita. The Judge is a strong candidate. He has a fast walk (5") and he has both ranged and melee strikes, and some fantastic spells that make him great backup for Perdita.

=Strategies and Schemes for Perdita= Perdita's crew is perfect for the schemes and strategies that force them to spread out over the board. Splitting the crew up can be advantageous when trying to reach a single goal. Due to fire power, Perdita and her crew are all set when it comes to taking out a crew, or members of a crew. Plan on making your Schemes work with your strategy, that way you are not trying to do too many things at once.

Strategies
There are no Strategies that are particularly hard for Perdita and her crew. Their combination of ranged and melee attacks make them more than capable of gaining and maintaining most objectives. Strategies like **Line in the Sand** and **Turf War** are a little more difficult, due to the majority of the crews miniscule 4" walk; once they obtain the objective, though, they have the upper hand when holding on to it. **Reconniter** is another difficult Strategy, but the ranged strikes on the crew make defending the title easy.

Probably the most difficult strategy for the Ortegas is **Deliver a Message**; the difficulty lies in the fact that nobody is going to allow a model, let alone an Ortega, to get close to their master. The best way to get this strategy is to have someone like Papa Loco try and get to the master first. Then allow someone like Francisco to come up behind the master and make the two interact. The likelihood that you will lose one or both models is high, but as long as the message is delivered, that's all that matters.

Schemes
Very few Schemes are difficult for Perdita. Her crew is fast moving, and she is capable of moving forward to take forward positions in order to protect her Family as they claim objectives. Eye for an Eye is difficult for her, because in low Soulstone point games she tends to be outstripped, numbers wise, so it is hard to keep the numbers close. Grudge is also difficult because only one of her crew have good melee strike stats (Francisco). Schemes like Frame for Murder and Assassinate are fairly easy for this crew. Remember that you can choose not to take Schemes to add Soulstones to your cache. Use this ability carefully; by taking fewer schemes it is more difficult to win.

With this crew, it is extremely important that all of your goals are in the same "direction". For example, if you have Turf War, choosing **Stake a Claim** and **Breakthrough** are great ideas. You have to be on that half of the table anyway. If you have Reconniter, **Plant Evidence** and **Hold Out** are good Schemes to pick. For a Strategy like Slaughter, **Assassinate**, **Kill Protegee**, or **Exterminate** are all good Schemes. Making sure all of your goals are related, and thus easier to achieve (in theory) is important with this crew.

Faction Specific Schemes

 * Raid!** (having more non-Totem models on the board than your opponent by Encounter's end) and **Round Up** (leaving only your opponent's Master(s) and Henchmen to play the game) are the two Guild Specific Schemes. Both are attainable by Perdita's crew, and they work well with several of the other Schemes. Taking one of these schemes cannot hurt your chances, as long as it doesn't distract you from your other goals. Remember you cannot take Round up with Assassinate (they are counter-productive).

Crew Specific Scheme

 * Family Justice** is Perdita's Crew Specific Scheme. It must be announced (which makes it worth 2Vp), but this is hardly a hindrance in this case. The goal is to kill at least three models using **Execute**. Again, this scheme is well within Perdita's scope, but make sure that you're helping your goals when you pick this Scheme.

=Perdita in Brawls= (Overall, then mention specific Masters to pair with)

=Building a Crew= Perdita is a strong leader. She is an able Guild Master, and works well with Minions from within her faction. She is capable of commanding Mercenary units as well.

Adding Guild Minions
As stated above, throwing the Judge into the mix is never a bad idea. He has both the Ranged and Melee excellence, as well as the speed to keep up with Perdita. Austringers add an element of range to the crew, and are always a good choice. In higher Soulstone games, adding Death Marshals or Witchling Stalkers allows for an expansion of the crews abilities. Perdita's Family shares a great bond, and they use it to their advantage. Adding Abuela (who can Shotgun Wedding a model) makes that bond more effective.

Adding Mercenaries
Though more expensive, hiring Mercenaries can be advantageous. Hans or The Trapper adds cover for your army. The Student of Conflict gives an edge to your crew by giving a model **Fast (+1)**. Bishop is a powerful Ally, as are Taelor and the Renegade Steamfitter Johan. Mercenaries add stong traits, but don't rely on them too heavily. Sometimes they are not worth the cost. If you have to hire out of faction, do so in higher point games.

=Starting Perdita= Perdita is a hard hitting, straightforward Master. There are some tactics that can only be developed over time, through playing the model. If you are looking for a Master (and a Crew) that is straightforward to begin with and develops more complexity as you play, Perdita is the Master for you.

Perdita's starting Box Set consists of one Master and four Unique models: Perdita Ortega (Cache 2) Francisco Ortega (Cost 5) Nino Ortega (Cost 7) Santiago Ortega (Cost 7) Papa Loco (Cost 6)

This gives you a crew worth 25 Soulstones and leaves you 2 Soulstones in your Cache.

After you choose to play the Ortegas you may find that you want to be able to play higher Soulstone games. Solid additions include: Guild Austringers (one per blister) - adding more cover fire to your crew is a fantastic idea. They are Cost 5 Minions, and they ignore Cover and Line of Sight. They have a range of 12", but by using both of their AP, they can make an 18" strike, and they have a (0)spell that can cause someone else to activate after them. Abuela Ortega (blister) - this matronly figure is a perfect addition to the Ortega Clan. She is a Cost 7 Minion that can add a non-Ortega crew member to the Family. She does Blast damage with her Shotgun (which she can use at 7" or closer) and has an array of spells to help the crew out. The Judge (blister) - keeping someone in pace with Perdita can help keep her on the board. The Judge, as stated over and over, is a great addition to Perdita's crew. He has great movement and range, plus he has spells that make him a valuable fighter at Perdita's side.

=Playing Against Perdita= Led by the quick shooting Perdita, the Ortega Clan is the most elite group of Neverborn hunters deputized by the Guild. Perdita and her crew (family) are a tough pack to beat as their Companion (Family) allows multiple models to move and swing in a single activation.

Perdita - Kill her if you can, as soon as you can. She could be the last Ortega on the board, and she could still destroy any chance of you winning. If your Master has a chance of surviving a shoot out with Perdita, use him, and take her out fast. Do not be afraid to approach her. Yes, she does some great damage, and yes while she only has 8 Wds she is very difficult to hit with a Df of 8, but if you don't take her down, she will take you out! Perdita's ability to move into combat and shoot the place up is one of the keys to this crew.

Beware of //"Obey"// which can just as easily be cast on your forces as she does on her own crew. Finally, if you can walk into combat, do so. A smart Ortega player will make sure they declare (0) Quick Draw during Perdita's activation. Walk into Melee battle with her to deny her bonus shot.

Papa Loco - Papa Loco is crazy deadly with a spell that does 6 Dg to everyone (including himself) within 6". If he gets this off, he'll nearly be dead himself (2 Wds left) but if he isn't killed by the next time he activates, there is a decent chance he'll use it again the following turn. Even if you DO take him out, he'll still explode dealing an additional 5 Dg to everyone within 3" of himself! Do not let the old man get too close to your Master. If the geezer goes directly at your Master there is a good chance his handler is running "Frame for Murder" as a Scheme. If you have models with the Evasive ability, use them to take Loco out to avoid the brunt of his blasts.

Francisco Ortega - A bit of a deceptive character. Don't make him a priority (unless your Strategies and Schemes have made him one) but don't take him lightly either. His critical strike ability means both his attacks have a Dg of 3/4/6 (and with a Ram flip it becomes 4/5/7!). If he gets off Flurry, he'll make 3 Melee strikes in one activation which could potentially end any character he cuts up so avoid facing him in Melee and take him out at range. With only 6 Wounds, he'll be easy to remove if you can hit him.

Santiago Ortega - If you hit Santiago, make sure he stays down! He gains new Abilities and Actions making him a notable threat if he has lost at least half his hit points. If you have to take him out, try to do it in one turn after he has activated. Unlike his brother Francisco, tackle Santiago in Melee instead of at Range as //"Hard to Kill"// and //"Bulletproof 1"// will make him survive bullets more than blades.

Nino Ortega - The best way to deal with Perdita's cousin is be aware of him at all times. Use buildings and mountains as cover (as his "Hunter" will ignore any cover other than these) and avoid giving him any chance to shoot you with his 16" rifle. Keep at least 2 control cards in hand should he get off a "Headshot" to prevent the auto-kill should you slip up and give him a clear shot to execute your minions (or worse, your master).

Don't forget that the Ortegas have Companion (Family). This allows them to move as one big group, or to move together in pairs. They also have the ability to remove counters and effects from themselves. Remember to keep your goals in mind. If you don't have to engage try to stay away from the crew members. It is possible to win a game of Malifaux without having to kill anyone. Keep Soulstones on hand to keep your master safe. Winning initiative is a good way to stay alive when playing the Ortegas - it gives you the chance to move away from the more deadly of the Family members.

// The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduce yourself to, had life not done it for you. ~Kendall Hailey, The Day I Became an Autodidact //