So as far as factions go in Malifaux, Gremlins seem to keep coming in dead last. At first this might mean that they aren't good at winning games, but from all I've seen and heard, it's more of the fact that people prefer the other factions. As such, I'm writing this little article to help promote the wacky green hillbillies.
A Quick Look at Lore:
As I mentioned above, the Gremlins are mostly based on the American Hillbilly stereotype, for the most part. They live in the Bayous that are located on various sides of the city of Malifaux, and for most of time that the Gremlins have existed it has always been an eat or be eaten life with the other Bayou creatures. When Humans came to Malifaux more recently, the Gremlins weren't really hostile and were more curious. They studied them and learned a number of things, such as they could breed and raise pigs instead of trying to hunt them. They also learned a lot about clothing (thank goodness for that), even coming to the conclusion that those who wore the biggest hats were the most important.
Not everyone is a hillbilly. The Brewmaster and his crew are drunken ninja themed, Ophelia and the LaCroix are parodies of various characters of other Malifaux factions, Wong is clearly inspired by the movie Big Trouble in Little China and Mancha Roja is a Luchador.
A Quick Look at Masters and their Playstyles:
So both Somer Teeth Jones and Ulix can play an offensive or summoner style, with one focused of Bayou Gremlins and the other is Pigs. Both are good, but you need to pay attention to the strategies and schemes to decide which one is more useful to play. Ophelia LaCroix is very much a ranged damage character and Mah Tucket is a melee focused character. The Brewmaster is more focused on the poisoned condition and you defiantly want models that dish out poison in his crew. Wong is a more versatile character (based on which upgrades you choose) and is good at removing enemy scheme markers. There is a new master coming, but we don't know much on them yet.
Gremlins are very much a Risk vs Reward style of group. Abilities such as Reckless (take damage to gain a free action point) and triggers (like the one that does double damage, but that model takes half) mean that you have to decide when is the right time to use them. If you don't care too much about winning and just want some good old crazy fun, then go all out. If you are more focused on a strategic win, then figuring out the best time to use them is a skill that will take time to learn. Sometimes a little damage early on can make the difference (say, to take out Francisco Ortega before his buffing becomes a major problem). Many animal models (like the Pigs and Roosters) can also start rampaging through your own crew if not kept in check, so always make sure they are either closer to the enemy or they have a controller in range. This faction are not the best when it comes to defense and resilience, but with the right movement (some have good abilities to move themselves or others around) and targeting the right targets, your crew can certainly stand toe-to-toe with any other faction in Malifaux
Picking a Henchman (Shifting Loyalties):
So this question came up more recently with the Shifting Loyalties campaign, with players picking a Henchman to lead their crews and not getting access to Masters until halfway through the campaign. Players were having trouble picking a Henchman that was useful for the points cost (In a normal game, a leader's soulstone cost is not taken into account, but in a Shifting Loyalties campaign it is added to the crew total) and so a few suggestions were given.
McTravish - Probably the most popular option from various forum posts, McTravish has a good defense and wounds stat, does good damage and has a few useful tactical actions. If you keep a few models with the Swampfiend tag near him, that can always help.
Mancha Roja - Has good defense and wounds, but is more melee focused. Applies a negative flip to any wound flips against him and can use impassable terrain to give himself a larger charge range. His tactical actions can be use to benifit him or draw attention to him.
Sparks - I'm just throwing this one in here, he doesn't have as good of a defense and wound numbers, but does have Armor +1, which can help. Despite having really only a melee attack, he does make a good support character, particularly if you have the right models join his crew.
Best Crew Models to Pick:
To tell you which models to pick for your crew isn't the best thing to do, you really need to try out a variety and see what works best. Check the conditions of strategies and schemes to see which ones would best suit them, but also consider how they would work with other models in your crew and your Master. If I am to put a few on here, then the first I would consider is the Slop Hauler as he is great to keep near a summoning Master to heal models they summon. Another is the Bushwacker as in missions where your opponent can score points for killing minions, her natural cover with a defensive stance can keep her alive longer. Plus, should a model fail in a shooting action, she can take a single shot at that target as long as she has sight and range to them once a turn.
Master wise, models that dish out poison work well with the Brewmaster and any Pig type and Hog Wisperer's can work well with Ulix.
Which Crew Do I Pick?:
This one is purely up to you. I personally would pick ones that you like the look of and then look up how they work to see if they feel right for you. I suggest looking at this site to check out tactics and synergies for the various models:
Pull My Finger Malifaux Wiki - Gremlins
Playing Gremlins is no different to playing other factions with enough knowledge and practice, but they are a colourful faction and I've found them to by a joy to play. Take you time and in the end, just have fun.
Note: I know this is very short and if people have questions or want me to go into more depth, then feel free to ask.
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