So having read though the Malifaux 3rd Edition Gremlins stat card pack and compared them to the ones I already own, I have a few thoughts that I'd like to bring up about them.
The first major thing I noticed is how the Gremlins have had their 'Risk vs Reward' reduced in exchange for more stability. This can be noticed as defensive stats and abilities have been improved, but things like the trigger that does double damage but they take half is now gone. On the one hand, I feel somewhat saddened that this fun little mechanic has been nerfed into the mud, but on the other hand is has made a number of Gremlins more sustainable and more likely to be chosen again.
Also, much like all the other factions, the limited upgrade options don't add too much to the crew (save for Jones and Ophelia), so I feel that at this point in time, the loss of some of the more popular upgrades seems a bit disappointing, though no doubt will see more come out in the future as the game progresses. The Keyword thing is also a bit of an issue (it does muck up some of my options when playing certain factions), but I guess with the Masters I own, that really isn't a huge deal for me.
Speaking of which, while I'm not too familiar with some of their masters, I do own three of them and so will give my quick thoughts on them (I'll update this when I get around to testing some options and combos out):
Ulix Turner:
Ulix no longer breeds the pigs anymore (but Hog Whisperer's and Slop Hauler's can summon Piglets), but in exchange he can now take a pig and upgrade it to a higher variant. So say you get one of the above mentioned models to summon a Piglet, Ulix can then upgrade it to say, a Wild Boar (assuming he can get the casting off). As such, you can still do the whole Pig breeding mechanic, it's just that how it's done is now different (so if you did play that style then you'll have to change your tactics a bit). If Ulix is used as the crews Master, then he also has the Pig keyword for the purpose of hiring pigs, so his crew is still very much a pig focused crew (and even in smaller games, Old Major can still lead a pig only crew, which I just love).
Ophelia LaCroix:
The Kin have returned and they are sporting to be a bit more competitive against the Ortega Family (Given their rivalry in the lore). While Ophelia herself still have the upgrade arsenal mechanic, it's her Kin that have had the real change, with the above mentioned Risk vs Reward exchanged for a more stable style of combat. I think this change was meant to better reflect the mastery of weapons taught to them by Ophelia and I can see them working much stronger together as a result. They are even getting Kin minions just like the Ortega's, so I expect to see these two families do battle with each other more in the future.
Mah Tucket:
I think the loss of upgrades for Mah and her crew took a bit of a bite out of them, but their compensation was to make their crew box set much more appealing. They still have many of the abilities to help boost both the crew and their turn initiative, but the biggest boost comes in the form of pit traps and the Bushwackers. In just a few turns you can set up a few pit traps to force your opponent into trying to decide if they want to risk the damage or just go the long way around and the Bushwackers themselves now benefit from being hidden until the enemy gets close enough, making them much more deadly. Can easily see this crew being more of a 'holding out or holding position' mission type, forcing their enemy to move in to avoid ranged attacks only for Mah herself to give them what for. Trixiebelle herself no longer has any sort of attack and is very much used for manipulating things more then she once did (but if you have a powerful character kept next to her, she can use a type of attack action to make that model attack her enemy instead, so there is a benefit to giving her a personal bodyguard).
Overall, I do like what has become of the Gremlins as a faction and I will talk more about them in a bit more detail in the future (along with some of the other faction crews I own). That said, I best review the M3 Rulebook first before we go any further into factions, so look for that very soon.
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