In the Market for a New Game

One of the problems I face at the moment, besides relative joblessness, is the fact that I can't game. Not that I have ever been a prolific gamer, but with so much free time on my hands it seems a waste to not be able to indulge. The issue is that, even if I wanted to, I can't. I have with me a Dreadball team and some 40k Dark Angels, but I am not in a position to play as I am not overly familiar with Dreadball, and don't have all the books and such with me. I will need to make contact with a Dreadball player first, and then rely on their stuff to get up and running, only providing my own team. As regards 40k, I have nothing of note painted, and the scale is so small now that only Killteam is viable. I love Killteam, I remember the rules for it in White Dwarf many years ago, it is a great game to play with good friends, perhaps as part of a larger narrative. It does not, however, play well for a pick up game. Also, given that I haven't play a game of 40k since the 3rd edition rules, it probably isn't wise to start with Killteam.

Therefore I am in somewhat of a quandary. I need to find the local game that has a following, and it needs to be small in terms of models. I spoke to Gavin at Irresistible Force, and his group are big Warmachine/Hordes players. I always liked the look of the Jacks, but I got the idea, and I don't know where, that I wouldn't like the game. The other contender is Malifaux. Slightly more out of the way for me, but the game sounds brilliant. I am an avid listener to the Malifools podcast, and the general chat about the game and the sense of community, even on the competitive side, seems to me to be a winner. The problem is that I have never played. The good news is that the models are beautiful, and many will, I suspect, fit well into a 40k setting or Mordheim setting. So I am very tempted.

I suppose the fact that for either game I can pick up a crew for around 50$AUD and get playing is a good thing. Warmachine is also highly developed on the iPad, with the rules and other aids being available, helping me as weightless rulebooks are a must for me. I think the next step in this journey will be to arrange a demo game. I need to play these games and see the models in the flesh before I decide what to commit to, but at the moment I tend towards Malifaux.

Regular readers might scoff, "do you really need another game?" Well, the answer is simply that I don't view my miniature collection as something that is mutually exclusive. I can see myself using Warjacks in 40k skirmish games, or Malifaux characters on the streets of Mordheim, and why not? So in real terms, my only investment into a game system is into rules and that can come later.

Any thoughts on the matter will be highly appreciated.

PS. Infinity?