Chronicles - Malifaux

Something from Column A, Something fromColumn BInstead of using the “soul points” as a timer, theconcept we latched onto was a more modular Master.Where McCabe was being developed as a “gear Master”who could choose specific upgrades before the gamebegan, Yan Lo’s metamorphosis from intangible totangible seemed to function well by using the pointsas in-game upgrades he could buy to adapt his abilitiesto the force being fought. Fluff-wise he shifted frombeing intangible to tangible, drifting between the twodepending on what upgrades he chose.Two very different concepts on how this should beapplied took shape. One involved the upgrades beingincluded in his statline and checked off when theywere bought with soul points, now called Chi points.Alex Cairns envisioned another which compiled allof these upgrades into themed “Paths” and furtherdefined Yan’s background as a man who has becomelost on the “Paths of life” and death. If you’ve read YanLo, you know which of these clicked and the designteam and playtesters moved forward with.Along with the Chi Paths, we decided to add theconcept of Relics to his suite of models. It was anotherway for players to upgrade Yan Lo while, at the sametime, giving him the ability to summon models. Hewould not summon models in the same way Nicodemor McMourning do, but could field Izamu, allowIzamu to die, benefit from his Relic ability, and thenlater resummon Izamu if the situation called for it.Although his ability to absorb Chi from model deathswas a nod to the early concept of him gaining poweras his minions died, the Relic mechanic capturedit in a colorful method that allows us to create newoptions for him as new models with the Relic abilityare designed in the future. Character-wise it expandednot only Yan Lo’s story, but that of the entire KatanakaClan, as well as gave readers a bit of insight into theThree Kingdoms’ turbulent history.Thrown to the WolvesThroughout the process, we tested Yan Lo’s differentconcepts in-house, tweaking and adjusting beforegiving him to our playtesters. Once the stats werein their eager hands, they helped ensure that ruleslanguage read as clear to a wider audience as it didto us, ensuring the model is fun to play. Even while Iworked on fleshing out Yan Lo’s backstory and fluff thetesters were kicking tires and offering up suggestions.Sometimes those suggestions would require a tweak tohis fluff as we incorporated them into his game stats.Eventually the design and testing process reached aplace where I was happy with the model, locking it asready for the public to enjoy.Whew. I’m tired just thinking about the process!Well, there you have it: a bit of insight into the designprocess that goes into creating a Malifaux model. Frominitial character concept to play style and rules, throughroadblocks and epiphanies, and finally through testingand into your hands, how Yan Lo came to be. I hopeyou enjoy reading about him and the Ten Thunders inStorm of Shadows, and leading his Crew to victory onthe tabletop!21 © Copyright Wyrd Miniatures, LLC