Seamus vs Rasputina 3-15-14

WOOHOO!!! A WIN for Seamus today against the dreaded Rasputina!

After being beaten by Raspy in the past (and rather severely too), I had sworn off playing Raspy until I figured out how to defend against her. And then I realized... about a third of the players at my LGS have chosen Rasputina, so if I wanted to play Malifaux, I better figure it out fast.

I posted to forums, and asked for advice, and basically in a nutshell, the key to Raspy are the Belle's and their Lure capability. Raspy can "arc" through a model, but only if they are within 10" of her. So by using the Lure capability, I'm able to break that strong ability of Raspy.

I've played 2 games now, where I focus on luring, and it's been working out ok.
Today, I managed to pull off a 7-3 win. It was a rough start, My opponent had placed 4 Line in the Sand Markers by the end of turn 2, but I knew I had the rest of the game to try and remove them. After lots of back and forth, I managed to bring his total markers down to 2, which only gave him the one VP.

I also paid attention to the Strategy which was "Reconnoiter", and that, I think is basically how I won the game. I also managed 2 VP from "Cursed Object".

Overall a fun game, with strong tactical play on both sides. There was not a lot of model killing.

One of the downsides though... approx. 4 hours for a 50ss Game! We are both kinda new players, so we obviously took our time, as well as asked a lot of questions, but man, 4 hours of thinking like that had turned my brain to mush at the end of the day. Good times!

Seamus vs Wong

Played a game the other day with Seamus vs the Gremlin's Master Wong. It was still a loss, but I managed to get a decent amount of VPs (6), unfortunately, I could not prevent my opponent from scoring 9VP's.

It was an interesting game, and I had fun. It was my first time facing Wong (and his assistant), as well as 3 little pigs that go boom. I had to laugh when my opponent told me about the pieces... the one model that I have the hardest time with (Pere) the one that explodes, my opponent basically built an entire army that explodes.

As usual, I made a bunch of "mistakes" with this game.
In my defense, I was faced with several new models that I had never heard of, so it was a huge learning curve. My biggest problem, was that Wong tore up my models on turn 2! He had some ability (or the assistant did, I can't recall), that brought all models within 6" into base to base contact with my Izamu. At which point, he unleashed a series of about 5 attacks that all did 2-4 damage to everyone. At first, I thought, 2-3 damage isn't too bad, so didn't bother cheating to defend against, but then I found myself cheating on the damages, whereas I SHOULD have cheating on the 'to hit' instead. I think at the start of turn 3, most of my faction was destroyed. All of those back-to-back small damages added up quickly.

Another mistake (I think?) is that I realized after playing this game... almost all of these games that I'm losing are against ranged attacks. I'm finding that I'm usually able to move 1-2 models up to half the board (to get schemes/strats), while the rest of my models are usually within 6" of where I initially deployed them. I think the two games where I won (against Lilith) were when I was actually engaged in melee more often. There's got to be a connection here - am I playing too reserved? should I concentrate more of getting my models further up the board? That sounds dangerous to me though, because basically, I too have a ranged army.

Lastly - a bit of good news... I FINALLY got my hands on the new full sized RULEBOOK!!! It's taken months of patiently waiting, but it finally arrived via UPS last night. NOW, maybe I can start to learn more about what my opponents are capable of and can think a bit more as to how to defend against them.

A turn for the better!

I really should have posted this sooner, but it's been a busy week.

On Tuesday night, there was a shout heard around the Breach... I had won my first game of Malifaux! After a series of back to back losses (approx 15 games), I finally managed to pull out a win. I owe credit to several sources... To Chris M, who (after beating me with Ophelia several times), suggested that my Crew needed a model to both take damage, and who could deal it out. Chris recommended that I check out the dual-faction model called Izamu. A week or so went by, and then I saw Izamu on my local game store's shelf, and after seeing the model, knew I had to pick it up. Also, because I have since made the decision to also play Ten Thunders as my next Faction. In addition of people to thank... the folks at the LGS who have given me the other losses (learning experience), my buddy Joel R. who always plays a competitive game, and his partner Tre R. who read over some of my Upgrade cards and suggested two options that I had not looked into (Sinister and RedChapel). As well as posting my woes on Facebook, where I received a bunch of encouragement and advice, and also the Wyrd Forums as well. As you can tell, I reached out to a lot of people.

But yes, I give a huge amount of credit to the model of Izamu himself. He is a beast for sure. He can hit really hard, and has a melee range of 3"! Izamu also has +2 armor which really helps him stand up to my opponents heavy hitters (such as Lilith). I decided to remove one of my Belle's from the starting line up (which leaves me with two), and that makes room for Izamu's 10pts in a 35pt SS game.

Hmm, it just now hit me, that both wins were against Lilith. I'm not sure if that's a coincidence, or not. I did lose to Lilith once before as well (My first game using Izamu).

I'm scheduled to head into the LGS tomorrow as well, to try and get one (maybe two) more games in. I don't expect to hold this winning streak for long, but I'm very glad to have finally won a game.

Malifaux Shang Tail

So guess who is assembling a new Crew?

Yep... I picked up Misaki - Ten Thunders.

I went on the forums and several people comment that I might have some better luck with Misaki - and since I like the sculpts and look of Ten Thunders anyway, it didn't take much convincing.

I looked on the Wyrd website for assembling instructions, but oddly could not find them listed anywhere. (I also had a very difficult time even finding the assembly instructions on their website... here's the link incase you end up on this page searching for it: http://wyrd-games.net/community/files/category/12-plastic-build-instructions/ ).
(update: You can also find build instructions here: http://malifaux.com/instructions.php)

So I had a hard time figuring out how the two tail pieces of Shang fitted together. The image on the box did not help either. So I did a google search and managed to find this image (below) - it helped me so I'm reposting it here. Again, the link originally leads back to the Wyrd forums, but since they redid their website the link was broken.

The piece in Red is actually one solid piece and the other piece sort of fits OVER top of the red piece. Hope this helps.

Line of Sight and Cover issues

Hey all! I made this graphic, to help myself (and others) understand some of the more common examples of issues that may arise when talking about 'Line of Sight' (LOS) and Cover (both Hard and Soft).

I don't intend this graphic to represent "official" policy! In fact there are a couple instances on this graphic that has stirred up some debate in both the Wyrd Forums and the Facebook Wyrd Forum. But, after reading the debates and getting lots of good input, I believe this graphic solves most of the issues.

I also showed this to our local "Henchman" and he agreed and also clarified the "lower left" situation.

I hope this may help other beginners like myself. Feel free to share this image.

(click to enlarge)

Hopeful...

Well, after getting quite a bit of helpful tips on running Seamus via forums and friends at my LGS, tonight's game, although still a loss, felt like it *could* have gone my way.

I played Lilith for a 35SS game.

My opponent one-shotted Sybelle with a Red Joker Cheat on Damage on turn two. So I had an uphill battle from the start. But thankfully my new model (Izamu) really held his own against Lilith. Were it not for Iz - I think I would have been stomped on again. I'm also aware of a few mistakes I made, so hopefully next game I can correct those mistakes.

AND I also picked up the Misaki (Ten Thunders) Crew tonight for when Seamus needs to be put aside for a bit.

So in spite of yet another loss, I'm feeling more hopeful that a Win is within my grasp soon. Fingers Crossed.

Discouraged...

I wasn't sure how to continue or even start this blog post, so I'll just dive right in.

This past weekend (Saturday) I played another 2 games at my LGS. The first one was really fun vs Pandora. We had a real chess match going with both of us trying to strategically get our schemes and Strategy.  I believe the final score was 4VP vs 3VP with me losing. I'll post a short recap of a fun moment during that game in just a bit...
The second game was against a new Master that I had not faced before... Lady Justice.
Yes, a big part of the reason I lost this one was because I was completely unaware of what Lady J (and her crew) were capable of. There were a few attacks also where I asked my opponent what the damage was, and he would say something like, "2, 3, 4" at which point I felt that wasn't too bad, so I didn't cheat it... but then was surprised that there was MORE than just damage happening - like some sort of harpoon attack that drug my model into base contact with one of his heavy hitter, and another one which put one of my Belle's in a pine coffin for the entire game! Had I known, I would have tried harder to prevent those attacks.

But as of Saturday evening and into Sunday I was completely discouraged with trying to play Seamus. I have yet to win ONE game (out of about 15 I think). I mean, am I really that bad? Can I simply not comprehend this game of Malifaux?! And - other than 2-3 games, where the results were at least close in VP, most of those games were me getting stomped on (like 10-1)! Sigh.

So, since then, I've managed to get a lot of new advice from the Facebook forum, as well as suggestions on switching Masters to see if I can't find one that either 1) better fits my play-style* and/or 2) is easier for me to learn. I'm currently thinking of switching over to Misaki of Ten Thunders (and/or Yan Lo).
I also picked up a new model called "Izamu" - in the hopes of bringing a stronger melee model to Seamus' crew.

Now that a few days have passed from the sting of continually losing, I've managed to regroup and I'm anxious to try again.

* play-style: Someone asked me in the forums what I play-style was... I laughed... I don't have a play-style, because I've lost every single game. :)

>>>

Finally - here's the brief recap of a pivotal moment during my game with Pandora:

I was playing Seamus vs Pandora. It was a really good game, with lots of strategy going on and not so much killing. It was down to Turn 5, and I had a Belle engaged by "Candy". My belle also had the "distract" condition on her, but since she was engaged, 1) she could not remove Distract and 2) could not drop a marker either to gain my 4th Line in the Sand marker. Candy HAD to go! So I activated Seamus first - shooting into combat was the risk I had to take. Luckily I flipped a 12 for my belle, and an 11 for Candy! whew, that was close. I had an excellent had too (11, 12 and two 13's). Bang... his flintlock goes off. I cheated the 13 in for a definite hit. I ended up with a Single Negative Damage flip... I flipped a 12 and a 13!!! Awesome - 8pts! 8pts would have killed Candy! So My opponent decides to mitigate damage by breaking a SS. Can you guess? He flipped a Red Joker! NO Damage!!! (Head on table slam). I ended up losing the game - but it was a good battle. :)

<Shakes fist at FATE!>

Slow Grow - Game 2 - Seamus vs Ophelia

Yep, another battle against Ophelia and loss for the record books. In the second photo, you can see all the corpse markers!

I only got about 4" from my deployment zone with most of my army. I did get ONE VP at the end of the game for the "Squatter's Rights" Strategy. I used Seamus' "Back Alley" to get into a good position to claim two markers.

Unfortunately for me, I chose my other Scheme of "Protected Territory" BUT I totally mis-read the victory conditions! In fact after the game, I still had to have the wording explained to me by another player because I didn't get it. The book said something like, "Marker must be dropped at least 6" from deployment area". I interpreted that to mean it had to be "within 6", but in fact it meant it had to be 6" away from deployment area. Sigh.
So I managed to score 1VP against Ophelia who scored a whopping 10VP.

Two fun games, but I have to admit I was/am frustrated at the continual losses.
I managed to post on the Wyrd Forums, and used their new CHAT feature on their newly revamped website, and I have picked up a few tips on maybe changing up my model selection. But I was also told that Seamus is difficult to learn, AND that Ophelia is a REALLY good Master, and that even if you play Seamus perfectly, Ophelia can still win, with just a few good flips.

Side note: I'm trying to figure out a good way to record the card flips for each player. I'm hoping that I can look at the flips, and maybe see if I can blame my losses on bad cards. So far, I've not thought of an easy way. I'm considering buying a video camera too, so as to try and do a proper battle report. But right now, I have too much going on in game to worry about a video battle report!

Slow Grow - Game 1 - Seamus vs Rasputina

First game of our LGS' Slow Grow league! I faced off against Rasputina (played by Tre R.). I believe the other models in her list were the Ice Golem, 3 Ice Gamins, and a Wendigo.
Maybe you've already figured this out but looking at the photos, that Rasputina's crew was not fully assembled/based. The league rules were relaxed to start with since most of us starting the league are all new players.

I'm just going to give the short version here of a battle report... I lost. Big time. I basically have not learned how to play Seamus yet. Raspy, started just behind the building (photo 2), and on turn 1, walked up abt 4" behind the wall, and then proceeded to stay there the entire game. She basically just arced spells through the Ice Gamins and destroyed my entire crew.

Game 4 - Seamus vs Ophelia and TYPO!

Yep, I had another game with Chris M. and his Ophelia/Gremlins crew.
I won't go into the details, but lets just say I was shot up again like swiss cheese. :)
I was able to get one of my Schemes so the VP points were a little closer this time around (7-3), but just couldn't prevent him from gaining points via the "Squatters" strategy.

I NEED to figure out how to mitigate all the ranged attacks in some way. I brought a Punk Zombie to try out for the first time, and he was shot up to only one health point left by the 2nd turn. Never even got him into melee.

Wow! Perry (the exploding one) is brutal! I've GOT to start being mindful of his 6" range and keep my models farther apart.

Still a fun game.

Oh... AND... I might have actually had a better score. I discovered there was a TYPO in the mini-rulebook! I had a Red Joker in my hand (yay!) and had saved it up for Seamus' pistol attack onto Lenny. My intent was to cheat the Red Joker, to guarantee me a hit, and a "Severe + Weak" which would have killed him. But come to find out, the chart on Page 52 of the mini-rulebook is incorrect. Turns out, the Red Joker ONLY guarantees a HIT on the attack phase, and you then still would have to flip for a DMG. I posted to the Facebook group and confirmed that this was a typo. Someone from FB has also re-posted the question on the Wyrd Forums, in the hopes of getting an official comment.

Lastly, our game this time around only lasted 2 hours... we were able to shave a full hour from our time, as we both are getting more comfortable with the rules.

New Blog, and post for beginners...

This blog post via "GMorts" is very helpful to a beginner in understanding the basic mechanics behind the "Duels" in Malifaux.

http://gmortschaotica.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/m2e-for-beginners-basic-opposed-duel.html

It looks like there is a LOT of good information on the blog - I encourage you to check it out.

http://gmortschaotica.blogspot.co.uk

Declaring triggers - No sandbagging rule...

Oh boy, I didn't mean to do this, but it looks like I stirred up a bees nest with a recent question. :)

I recently discovered an excellent source of info via a Facebook group known as "A Wyrd Place". I'd link to it, but It's a "private" group, so I'm not sure how linking would work. I found it easily though by searching on Facebook. They all seem like a great group and people are willing to help out a noob like me. I highly recommend you to apply to the group.

So, I posted a question that had me a bit puzzled in regards to "declaring triggers". When I played my first demo game with my (unofficial) henchman, I was under the impression that I had to choose which trigger I was going to "declare" BEFORE my flip of the card. Perhaps I misunderstood the henchman (highly likely). So I posted this question in the Facebook forum and the debate started. At the moment it's gotten about 20+ responses to what I would have thought was an easy question. :)
But it seems it's a bit of sore subject for some.

So, first to clarify... you do NOT declare a trigger BEFORE a flip.
*as someone pointed out in the forum though, she simply says "this attack has a trigger(s)" as a courtesy to the opponent.
Then AFTER the flip, you can decide if you want to have the trigger go into effect, and if so, you "declare it" then.

Apparently the sore spot is that people have gotten into a bad habit of announcing the trigger AFTER the duel has been resolved, at which point, it's not easy to rewind the game play and to double check that the trigger's requirements were satisfied.

I found this comment to be the most helpful:

As a henchman, I am no rules hound (my rulebook is always in hand, I cannot remember rules worth a damn), but I stress proper form. Until everybody is super comfortable with the rules in your group, ... I would suggest declaring specifically which trigger you are getting. Also, no declaration, no trigger effect is how we play it, so nobody gets sandbagged. - Julien

I really like the last comment regarding the "no sandbagging."

Faction and Master explanations...

I just discovered this new (to me) blog that has a really nice explanation of the different factions and different masters in Malifaux. It's approx. a paragraph description each. This should make for a great reference to any beginner who wants to choose their first starter set.
http://joelfaux.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-factions-and-faces-of-malifaux.html

Joel is also on twitter if you are interested: @Joel__Henry

PS> I'll certainly be adding this blog in the sidebar too, as it looks like there is a lot of great information on there. If anyone else has some blog recommendations in relation to Malifaux, please feel free to leave a comment so I can check them out.

First Demo Game!

Hooray for getting my first Demo game in yesterday (Thanks Jim!). I can't really offer you any detailed or nuanced battle report, because I was struggling to keep up, and just trying to figure out all that was going on.

I was able to use my Seamus and Copycat models (as I had them built and based but not painted), and then I proxied Sybelle, and the Three Belles (using some warmachine models). I went up against Neverborn's Lilith, along with some tots and a Mature Nephilim (I think).

What made the game difficult for me, was that I still have not had a chance to look at a manual and learn about the rules. I also was unfamiliar with how to read the cards themselves. My teacher of course explained things as we went along, but I'm afraid I lacked any sort of planning ability as it was all so new. That said, I had fun. I liked the dynamics of the game, and learned that the "Victory Points" are the key to the entire game. In fact, it was a great example game, because I was able to kill all of my opponents models, yet I still lost based on VP's. I believe the final score was 11-6.

Fun game, and I can already see the fun factor increased by all the "schemes". I look forward to more games.

Rules? Who needs rules?

I do!
One of the frustrations for wanting to jump into Malifaux now, at the start of the new 2nd edition... is the lack of available 2e rule books. Up until today, Wyrd has been silent on why the books are pretty much unavailable. They are out there, don't get me wrong, but they are rare. Some people are also taking advantage of this (aka Capitalism = supply and demand and all that). You can go on Amazon.com right now and purchase this book for $60 plus $6 shipping - BUT the book retail price is $40!
This afternoon though, Wyrd finally broke the silence and has offered up an alternative... you can now purchase a smaller rules handbook for only $15. The book does not contain any of the "fluff" or back stories about the world of Malifaux. It's basically just a collection of the rules for how to play the game. But at this point, I'm in. In honesty, I probably would have purchased both books anyway.

As an fyi... the main 2e book is scheduled to be re-stocked sometime in January. Of course that is not set in stone, but it's the target Wyrd is shooting for. Here's their official statement.

Hopefully soon, I'll be able to get my first game in.

Tokens on the cheap...

A short post - So while I'm not clear yet on the use of tokens in the game of Malifaux, I know they are part of the game. Basically they are tokens used to mark various elements on the gaming table.

One thing I've discovered... the most popular tokens are 30mm in diameter... rather than run out and purchase tokens at this point (there are various places on the web to purchase these token sets), I've found that the average plastic bottle cap (from Soda or Water bottles) are 28mm. I'll be using these for my tokens until I can figure out the best deal for purchasing*. I of course will be upfront with my opponents that they are off in size by 2mm, and for FUN games this shouldn't be an issue.

*My intent is that I'll be designing and making my own tokens at some point down the road using a laser cutter service.

Arsenal Boxes - what are they?

So as I mentioned, I'm new to the world of Malifaux, and one of the things I'm slightly confused over are the "Arsenal Decks". I seem to be getting conflicting information too, which doesn't help. But this is what I've been able to piece together over the past couple of days.

I was initially told that inside of the starter box, there are no "upgrade cards" and that the only way to get these "upgrade cards" is via the arsenal decks. Turns out that's not entirely true.
Inside of the starter box that I just bought called the "Shadows of Redchapel" there are in fact Upgrade Cards. There are 6 upgrade cards: 1) Bag o' tools 2) Mad Haberdasher 3) Sinister Reputation 4) Red Chapel Killer 5) Bleeding Tongue 6) Not too banged up. Note: #5 is specific to Sybelle and #6 can be used with Seamus or Sybelle.

Inside of the Resurrectionists Arsenal Box are a total of 27 Upgrade Cards (including the ones I mentioned above). At this point, I think, there are some additional Upgrade Cards that are ONLY available in the Arsenal Deck - I'm not quite sure on this point.

One other point about the Arsenal Deck that I think is an important one for new players... You don't need this deck to start playing your games with the starter boxes. BUT... if you choose to purchase any of the additional 1.x models, then you will need the new deck, because the cards are different in the 2nd Edition. Example: If I bought a "Punk Zombie" from the old 1.x model, I would need the new "punk zombie" 2.0 card that is available ONLY in the arsenal deck.

If you're lucky enough to have the new 2.0 rulebook, the cards are in the book - well not the cards actual, but images of the cards on the pages. Some are complaining on the web that the type/font is too small on the cards. Some are photocopying the pages of the book and enlarging them, the laminating them to make their own cards. From what I've seen the type is about 6 point, and is readable when you hold the card up close. If you expect to read the card while standing and the card is on the game table, chances are you might have problems reading it.

Lastly... On the front of the Arsenal Boxes are the words: Wave 1. Using my awesome powers of deduction, I assume at some point there will be a "Wave 2". Wave 1 covers the first set of models to be updated for the 2.0 rules. There are more models that are NOT in the Wave 1 Box, that will be updated at a later time. These models are currently under "Beta rules" and not "officially" supported for things like tournaments. For example, the Resurrectionists have a model called "The Drowned" - there is NO card in the wave 1 box for this model. So while you can still purchase the (metal) model, it's still considered a 1.x model and does not have "official" 2.0 stats. Confusing isn't it.

If you see that I've made a mistake or can offer additional information on these Arsenal Decks please leave a comment. Thanks!

Oh, one other point... when I first unwrapped the deck, the outside box was packed extremely tight. Had I not slipped a flat sculpting tool under the flap to open it, I probably would have ripped the box - which is what's happening to other people. Use caution when opening for the first time. I'm also seeing recommendations on the web, to use card protector sleeves on these cards. They do have a nice gloss coating (which you're supposed to be able to use the dry erase markers directly on the cards), but I think I will get the card protectors for myself - they will have to be clear on both sides, since the cards have writing on them on both sides.

What version of Malifaux?

At this time it's a bit confusing for a new player (such as myself) to deal with the different versions of Malifaux. Basically though the "new" version is being called the 2.0 version (or M2E) 2E means "second edition" I think. The game is undergoing the process of being changed from the 1.5 edition into the new 2.0 edition. This includes a new rulebook, as well as new "plastic" models. Most (but not all) of the 1.5 models are metal (known as white metal). Since the old models are being phased out, the chances of finding them at cheaper prices is good. Be warned that you don't want to spend good money on a model only to learn that a new (better looking) model is coming out over the course of the next few months into 2014.

Personally, I LOVE the new model sculpts and prefer them much more over the 1.5 versions. But that being said, not all of the models are out yet. So if it means spending $5-20 for the old versions so you can play with the models you like, then that's the way it goes. Just be sure to do your research first to see when (or if) the models you want are either out already, or will be available shortly.

While this does make things a bit more complicated for a new player, this is a great time to get into the game.

Tip: you can tell a new model is version 2.0 because the box will have the M2E logo on it.

What is Malifaux?

What is Malifaux?

Malifaux is a "miniature tabletop wargame". To put that in layman's terms... they're little toy soldiers that you play a game with. But of course it's much more than that. It's a hobby at its core. A hobby that involves a creative art aspect (building, modding, painting the small miniature figures, as well as making, designing and using terrain pieces for the tabletop game). In addition to the creative building aspect, there is the actual game play itself which involves thought, and strategy (and yes luck). 

You can read more about the game here on wikipedia.

Malifaux is a game designed and built by a company called Wyrd Miniatures (pronounced "Weird"). This is a fairly new company as they started in 2009, but they have carved out a nice niche in the wargaming world, and have gotten to be very popular. 

The basics are that this is a two player game. Each player buys, assembles, then paints his (or her) own models, and brings them to a 3'x3' tabletop. The figures are then like chess pieces that move about the table, and interact with both other figures, and terrain pieces (such as buildings, forests, hills, etc...). Each piece has certain rules that pertain to it (again similar to chess). As well as strategic thinking, this game also relies on luck, in that many of the interactions are controlled by the flipping of a card (though the random odds can be controlled to some degree known as "cheating", which is part of the game).

There are Seven "Factions" in the game, which are basically a theme that surrounds a particular "army". They are:

• The Guild: A sort of lawman in the world of Malifaux (though possibly corrupt). 

• The Arcanists: Individuals who practice magic

• The Resurrectionists: Best described as necromancers or the Undead (zombies!)

• The Neverborn: "native" inhabitants of the Malifaux world (demon like creatures)

• The Outcasts: think mercenaries 

• Ten Thunders: A newer Shadowy faction (similar to the Japanese Yakuza)

• The Gremlins: New to the Second edition as a new faction - little green chaotic monsters

To start a player needs:

• A rulebook - (Approx $40) - though if you know someone who already has a rulebook and can teach you the game this isn't 100% necessary. But it contains all the rules of the game as well as the backstory for the game and characters - not to mention mention the awesome artwork.
• A starter set - also called a "Boxed Set". These usually contain one Master and few other models to get you started. (Approx $40) (note: some of the older version box sets are cheaper than the new 2.0 version - we'll get into that in a minute).

• A Fate Deck - a custom set of playing cards (Approx $8) - You can use a standard deck of cards, but for a beginner player it's easier to use a fate deck. AND the artwork looks really cool!

• Optional - An Arsenal Deck - (Approx $8) - basically a collection of every card available for a paticular faction. I've been told this isn't necessary to have to start playing the game.

One of the hardest things for a new player is to decide which faction they would like to play as. Often times it just comes down to looking at the design and aesthetics of the model(s) and choosing what they like best. Of course, there are some players who like to do a lot of research BEFORE making a decision as to how a particular faction is played (eg: are they known as heavy hitters, or are they known for ranged attacks, do they rely on weapons or magic/spells, Are the known for just having fun, or are they a strong competitive force, etc...)
My personal advice... choose a faction that you like the looks of and have some idea of the back-story (also called "fluff") of the faction. Find a style that you like and start there. There is a good chance that as a beginner you will change your faction later on.
(sidenote: one of the good things that I like about this game is that the cost to enter into this game is relatively cheap (compared to other wargaming companies) - so changing (or adding) other factions at a later time isn't that big of a hit to the wallet.

I've chosen the faction known as "The Resurrectionists" and just bought my first boxed "starter set" yesterday (11.16.13) known as the "Shadows of Redchapel" who is run by the "Master" known as "Seamus".
You generally pick one "Master" or leader of the gang to run. and then based on point levels you build your army/faction from there. Note the terms "Army, Faction, and Crew" are used in Malifaux and are basically interchangeable.