Malifaux Rules Spotlight

[Gareth]

Will Power Duels and Morale.

This is covered by on pages 56-57 in the Rules Manual.

Morale Duels

Firstly it is important to note, as Ratty on the Wyrd forums signature states, ALL Morale duels are Will Power Duels. However a Will Power duel is NOT always a Morale Duel. A will power duel is any duel, which uses the WP stat. A morale duel is any simple duel WP -> TN (Target Number) which states that it is a morale duel in its description, or a Spell with a resist WP, which states in its description that it is or counts as a morale duel.

Any flips made by the defender in a morale duel counts as Morale flip, and in the case of an opposed duel caused by a spell, as both a morale flip and a resist flip.

If a model loses a morale duel, it counts as falling back, on top of any other effects caused by losing the morale duel.

Examples -
Harmless on a Mechanical Dove - Enemy model must pass a WP -> 12 duel to target the Mechanical Dove. Failing will end the action.
Terrifying on Seamus the Mad Hatter - Enemy models must pass a Wp -> 12 duel when the conditions for terrifying are met. Terrifying is a morale duel, and failing will end the action, and the failing model will count as falling back.
Exhale Terror on a Weaver Widow - The initial spell is a Will Power resist spell, and does not count as a Morale duel. However after the spell deals damage, the target needs to take a WP -> 11 Morale duel.

Terrifying

Any model with the Terrifying -> # stat, counts as having Terrifying. The range of the Terrifying ability is counted as the LONGEST range of any melee attacks they can make. As all models have access to the Bash attack, with a range of 1", this is therefore the minimum range that this can be.
A model needs to make a Terrifying test, which counts as a Morale Duel in the following situations,

• They begin their activation in a Terrifying effects range,
  
• It ends its activation in a Terrifying effects range,
  
• It enters a Terrifying effects range, whilst not having either the Flight or Float abilities.
  
• Declares a charge against a Terrifying model

To perform the Morale Duel you make a simple WP -> TN, where TN is listed in the Terrifying -> ability.

Once passed you ignore further Terrifying tests caused by that models ability, as long as that ability remains in play. If a model later loses the Terrifying ability, and then regains the ability, immunities to the Terrifying effect are lost.

Falling back

This is something I am yet to witness, and as such will be a learning exercise for me.

Firstly as soon a model loses a Morale duel it counts as Falling Back. A model that is effected by an ability that causes a model to fall back, such as by Coppelius's Hallucinations, is also counted as Falling Back.

Until Rallied, all starting flips for duels other than Morale Duels, is at a [-] flip.

It also immediately makes a Fall Back move. When fall back move is made, it moves double its WK, directly towards the NEAREST table edge. It does not count as an activation, and the model IS allowed to avoid Hazardess Terrain, or move into enemy models melee range, as long as another route is possible. If the model is falling back whilst engaged with the model that caused the failed morale duel, it falls back directly away from the enemy. The fall back move, can be blocked by enemy models, who can make a disengaging strike. If a model starts to fall back during its activation, that activation ends immediately. A Paralysed model cannot make a fall back move, but instead remains still. A model that cannot make a fall back move, due to its position also remains still. If a model makes contact with the board edge, as a result of a fall back move, it halts. If it STARTS a fall back move in contact with the board edge, it is sacrificed , and any counters it carries are removed from the game.

Quite complex but follows the following

• Moves 2 x WK directly away from an enemy it is engaged with, or directly towards the nearest table edge, if not engaged. The model can alter its path to avoid hazards terrain, or further enemy models.
  
• If moving out of melee with an engaging model, that model can attempt a disengaging strike.
  
• If you fall back during your activation, that activation ends, after the fall back move is completed.
  
• If you are falling back and paralysed, you do not fall back
  
• You cannot run off the table edge, unless you are already in contact with the table edge at the start of your fall back move.

Rallying

A model that is falling back, spends its next activation Rallying. During that activation, it cannot use general or specific action points to move, and is also at a [-] flip on any starting duels except morale duels. At the end of the activation, the model is automatically rallied. Any model that skips its activation, due to being paralysed is automatically rallied at the end of the activation.

This along with the rules of falling back, means a model has to fail, at least TWO morale duels to be forced off the board, as long as it is not hugging the board edge exactly. One of more, to cause Fall Back moves to take you into contact with the board edge, and one whilst in contact with the edge, to force you off the board.

Immunities to Morale Duels

Models with the following characteristics, listed under their model name, are immune to all Morale Duels.

• Construct
  
• Spirit
  
• Undead

Models with the following characteristics, listed under their model name, are non-living so are immune to Terrifying duels, but are susceptible to morale duels.

• Nightmare
  
• Undead

Note that the rule, Immune to Influence, only causes the model to be immune to any duel, in which it is required to defend with its WP. These are opposed duels, and duels which are Terrifying -> # or the like are simple duels. You are not using WP as a defensive stat. Immune to Influence only makes you immune to anything which uses Def-WP. However many Immune to Influence models are also Constructs, meaning that they are also immune to morale duels, so are only effected by simple duels using WP -> TN, which are not morale duels.