M2E+Malifaux+Raptor


 * Malifaux Raptor, Arcanist Peon**

=__Overview__= The Raptor is a fast moving bird. They are one of the cheapest models in the game, so don't expect too much from them.

=__Mobility__= The Raptor has possibly the highest **Wk** in the game. It then tops that with an even larger **Cg** and **Flight**. If that wasn't enough mobility, they can literally get to anywhere on the board for a 2 action. They won't arrive there until the end of the turn, but whilst they are buried, its very hard to hurt them at all. Unfortunately, they are **Insignificant**, so they can't interact. You need to think a little more carefully about how to make the most of the mobility.

__ **Offense** __ They only have 1 attack, but it's not a bad little attack, with a 1/2/4 damage profile. What makes it stand out the most is its triggers.

Firstly, they have a trigger that turns the target into a Beast until the end of the game. It can be removed by the model discarding 2 cards at the start of its activation, so you might not be able to keep enemy models as a Beast if you are abusing it too much. Turning models into a Beast can really help crews based around Marcus and Myranda. Marcus can **Alpha** Beasts to control them for an activation. This is useful both on enemy models and friendly model. **Alpha** on Joss, or Howard, or the Rail Golem can be quite amusing. Other advantages to being a Beast will include Myranda, giving positive **Df** flips, and healing, and extra attacks. Suddenly that weak damage of 1 is looking like a nice advantage.

The second trigger allows you to look at the top 3 cards of the targets deck and then place them either on the top of the deck or the discard pile in any order. This is pretty good deck manipulation, and again has great possibilities used on both friendly and enemy models. Unfortunately the Raptor has **Companion**, not **Accomplice**, so you will normally have to have an enemy activate next, reducing the combination possibilities of knowing exactly whats coming up. Of course one natural way to counter this is to activate the raptor last in a round so that you pretty much know the cards which you may end up drawing OR your chance of winning the initiative for the next round.

=__Resilience__= They come with a good **Df** of 6, but no other defensive rules. It is worth remembering that if you use the **Take to the Sky** action, they will be buried until the end of turn, so probably won't be able to be targeted. This is not likely to come up often, but is worth remembering if Make them Suffer is in the Scheme Pool and the Raptor is your last minion or peon.

=__Tactics and Tips__= They are very mobile, you just need to make use of the mobility. They can shut down shooting models by locking them in combat. With Marcus they are commonly taken to spread around the Beast condition. They are very useful with Kaeris if she has taken the grab and drop upgrade. Set them on fire near her, watch them fly up to 16" away and drop a Scheme marker. Then next turn they can take to the sky and return to Kaeris at the end of the turn, ready to repeat the process in the third turn.

A reasonable **Ml** and high **Df** means they can tie up models. Even if they appear next to one of your opponents big hitters, you've stopped them charging whilst they have to kill the bird. 40mm base size is actually pretty good as a charge-stopper..

The raptor together with a showgirl upgrade **Practiced Production** is too easy to fulfil schemes such as Power Ritual, Outflank, etc. Just Take to the Sky and appear on the target locations on the board; at the start of showgirl's activation, **Practiced Production** would drop a scheme marker within 3" of raptor. Repeat this process until schemes VPs could be gained. Note that this combo really requires good positioning and time to setup, as the enemy could use ranged shots to finish off the raptor, OR simply ruin your plan by killing the showgirl with the upgrade. Therefore blocking terrain and careful positioning is still a necessity.

=__Playing Against Malifaux Raptor__=

The Raptor is largely there to stop you achieving things, rather than earning the enemy victory points. If it is causing you a problem, kill it. Try and do so without disrupting your plans as much as possible. Don't leave snipers alone without melee support, as this will shut them down pretty well. I've dropped the Raptor next to Nino when he was up on a building, and he wasn't able to push out of melee without dropping off the building entirely.

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