Malifaux Faction Pack Buying Guide: Choosing a Faction for Your Playstyle

Quick answer

Start with the playstyle you enjoy, not the models that look coolest in a display case. If you like speed and precision, look at Outcasts; if you want a straightforward, durable crew, look at Guild. Buy a faction book or faction pack only after you have chosen a faction, and buy a core box or starter box first so you can actually play.

Choosing a Malifaux faction is less about picking the strongest option and more about matching a playstyle you will enjoy for dozens of games. Factions in Malifaux are not locked to a single aesthetic or mechanic, but each has a recognizable identity that shapes how your crew plays on the table.

This guide explains what a faction pack actually contains, how to read faction playstyles, and which purchases make sense for a new player. It also points to specific products in the Wyrd Miniatures store that support each choice, so you can move from decision to table without wasting money on the wrong box.

What a Malifaux faction pack actually contains

A Malifaux faction pack is not a starter box. It is a faction-focused product that supports an existing collection, usually by giving you the faction's rules reference, cards, or themed components rather than a full playable crew. The exact contents vary by product line, so check the individual listing before buying. If you are brand new, a faction pack alone will not get you to the table.

The practical rule is simple: buy a core box or starter box first, then add a faction pack when you want to expand or commit to that faction. If you already own models for a faction, a faction pack is a reasonable next purchase because it deepens your options without duplicating the models you already have.

• Check the product listing for exact contents, because faction packs are not interchangeable with starter boxes.
• If you own no Malifaux models yet, prioritize a core box or starter box over a faction pack.
• If you already play a faction, a faction pack is a low-risk way to expand your reference material.

How to read Malifaux faction playstyles

Malifaux factions each have a broad identity, but individual crews within a faction can play very differently. Outcasts, for example, are described as mercenaries, criminals, opportunists, and survivors who answer to no one but themselves. That identity supports flexible, self-sufficient crews that often trade durability for independence and surprise.

Guild crews tend toward order, control, and direct application of force. The Third Edition box One Flew Over brings Guild medicine from the locked ward to the battlefield, with Dr. Grimwell, Nurse Heartsbane, and two Orderlies. That is a useful example of how a faction's theme shows up in actual model design: control, condition manipulation, and a clinical, unsettling tone.

• Read two or three crew descriptions within a faction before committing, because playstyles vary inside a faction.
• Match the faction's tone to the kind of games you enjoy, not just the models you like painting.
• If you cannot decide, pick the faction whose starter box contains models you actually want to assemble and paint.

Match the faction to the way you want to play

If you like fast, aggressive crews that rely on positioning and precision, Outcasts are a natural fit. The Fourth Edition core box Viktoria Chambers, Ashes and Blood is built around two warriors who move as one, with a keyword of Mercenary. That is a good entry point for players who want a mobile, threatening crew rather than a slow gunline.

If you prefer a more structured, durable approach, Guild is the clearer starting point. Guild crews often reward careful order of operations and board control. If you want a faction that supports both casual narrative play and competitive list building, look at how many crews within the faction share your preferred style before you buy.

• Speed and precision: look at Outcasts crews such as Viktoria Chambers, Ashes and Blood.
• Control and attrition: look at Guild crews such as One Flew Over.
• If you enjoy painting more than competing, choose the faction with the models you are most excited to paint.

What to buy first, second, and third

First purchase: a core box or starter box that gives you a playable crew. Second purchase: a faction book or faction pack that expands your reference material for that faction. Third purchase: individual miniatures or keyword boxes that fill gaps in your crew. This order keeps you playing instead of accumulating boxes you cannot use yet.

The Outcast Faction Book is a good example of a second purchase. It brings the entire Outcast faction together in one Fourth Edition reference, with full stat and Upgrade card presentation for every Fourth Edition Outcast model. That is useful once you have decided Outcasts are your faction, but it is not a substitute for models.

• Buy a playable crew before buying reference material.
• Buy faction reference material before buying random single miniatures.
• Only buy limited or legacy products after you know the faction fits your playstyle.

Legacy and limited products: when they are worth it

Malifaux Classics are metal sculpts from the First Edition era and other early Wyrd releases, preserved for collectors, painters, and longtime players. They are not the cheapest way to start playing, and they may not match current edition rules without conversion or counts-as decisions. Buy them for the sculpt, the history, or the painting project.

The Viktorias, Avatar of Slaughter is a First Edition composition built around speed and steel, and it is explicitly a legacy product. If you want a current, playable Viktoria crew, the Fourth Edition core box is the better starting point. If you want a centerpiece for a display or a painting challenge, the Classics version has its own appeal.

• Buy Classics for collection or painting value, not as your first playable crew.
• Check whether a legacy sculpt has a current edition equivalent before buying for gameplay.
• Limited and legacy products can sell out, so buy when you see one you genuinely want.

Decision rules for choosing a Malifaux faction

• If you have never played Malifaux: Buy a core box or starter box for a faction whose models you like, not a faction pack. You need a playable crew before reference material. Playable crew first, faction pack second.
• If you already own models for one faction: Buy that faction's book or faction pack to expand your options instead of starting a second faction. Deepen one faction before splitting your collection.
• If you love a legacy sculpt: Treat Malifaux Classics as a painting or collection purchase. Check whether a current edition equivalent exists for gameplay. Legacy is for the shelf and the brush, not for your first crew.

Products that support this decision

• Malifaux Fourth Edition: Outcast Faction Book: Brings the entire Outcast faction together in one comprehensive Fourth Edition reference, with full stat and Upgrade card presentation for every Fourth Edition Outcast model. Buy this after you have chosen Outcasts and own some models, so you can use the reference immediately.
• Malifaux Fourth Edition: Viktoria Chambers, Ashes and Blood: A Fourth Edition Outcast core box with keyword Mercenary, built around two warriors who move as one. A strong first purchase for players who want a fast, aggressive Outcast crew they can actually play.
• Malifaux Third Edition: One Flew Over: A Guild box with keyword Asylum and Versatile, containing Dr. Grimwell, Nurse Heartsbane, and two Orderlies, supplied unpainted in high-quality plastic and requiring preparation and assembly. A good example of Guild's control-oriented identity, and a useful addition if you already play Guild.
• Malifaux Classics: Viktorias, Avatar of Slaughter: A First Edition metal sculpt from Malifaux Classics, preserved for collectors, painters, and longtime players, and explicitly a legacy product. Choose this for painting or collection value, not as your entry point into playing Outcasts.

Who should follow this buying path

Best for

• New players who want a clear order of purchases before spending on a faction
• Returning players deciding whether to expand an existing faction or start a new one
• Painters who want to know which products are playable and which are collectible

Not for

• Players looking for a single box that contains everything needed to play every faction
• Collectors who only want display pieces and do not care about current edition rules
• Anyone expecting a faction pack to include a full playable crew, because contents vary by product

Pick the faction whose playstyle matches the games you actually want to play, buy a playable crew first, and add a faction book or faction pack once you have committed. That order keeps your collection useful and your games fun.