Malifaux Book and Lore Guide: Where to Start Reading

Quick answer

Start with a Malifaux Rules Manual or core rulebook to learn the game, then read the faction book or faction pack for the crew you actually play, because that is where the lore you will use at the table lives. Treat expansion books and miniature boxes as later purchases: they add story and options, but they assume you already know the basics. If you only want to read, not play, start with the faction book for the faction whose art you like most.

Malifaux's story is spread across rulebooks, faction books, expansion books, and the fiction printed alongside miniature releases. That is great for depth and terrible for anyone trying to figure out where the story actually starts. This guide sorts the books by what they do for you, so you can buy in the right order instead of guessing.

The honest tradeoff is that no single volume contains the whole narrative. If you want a clean reading path, you have to decide first whether you are buying for play, for reading, or for both. The rules below are built around that decision.

Know what each Malifaux book actually does

Malifaux books fall into a few practical jobs. A rules manual or core rulebook teaches the game and sets the tone of the setting. A faction book goes deeper on one faction's characters, history, and motivations, and usually pairs with rules content for that faction. Faction packs are the leaner, rules-focused counterpart. Expansion books push the story forward and add new options for existing players.

That means the same purchase can be a lore purchase or a rules purchase depending on your table. If you are new, a faction book for a faction you do not play will read well but sit unused during games. If you are a veteran, a core rulebook may repeat what you already know while the expansion book is the one that actually moves the narrative.

• Read the contents list before buying: fiction-heavy books list stories and characters, rules-heavy books list profiles and upgrades.
• A faction book is the best single lore purchase if you already know your faction.
• Expansion books assume context. Save them until you have read at least one faction book.

A workable Malifaux books reading order

For most new players, the order that avoids confusion is: core rules first, then your faction book, then expansion books, then miniature-box fiction as it catches your interest. The core rules give you the vocabulary the lore uses. Your faction book gives you a cast of characters you can actually follow. Expansion books then read like the next chapter instead of a puzzle.

If you are buying for a group, buy the core rules once and let each player buy their own faction book. That spreads the cost and means every player owns the lore for the crew they bring. If you are a solo reader, pick the faction whose art and tone you like, and read that faction book cover to cover before branching out.

• Buy core rules once per group, faction books once per player.
• Read your faction book before any expansion book to keep names straight.
• Miniature box fiction is optional flavor, not a required step.

How to read faction book lore without spoiling your games

Faction books describe characters and events that later releases build on, so reading out of order can spoil reveals. A simple habit fixes this: read the faction book for your own faction first, then read other factions only as you meet them across the table. This keeps the story fresh and keeps you from learning the ending of a character arc before you have played it.

It also helps you buy better. Once you know which characters you actually enjoy, you can pick miniature boxes that match that fiction rather than chasing whatever looks good in isolation. The lore becomes a shopping filter instead of a pile of unread pages.

• Read your faction first, others later.
• Use lore you enjoy as a filter for which miniatures to buy next.
• Do not read expansion books before their base faction book.

Where miniature boxes fit into the story

Individual miniature boxes often carry a short piece of fiction that places those characters in the wider narrative. That makes them a low-cost way to sample a faction's tone before committing to a full faction book. If a box's premise grabs you, that is a strong signal the faction book is worth buying.

The tradeoff is that box fiction is short and assumes you know the setting. It works best as a supplement to a faction book, not as a replacement. Buy the box for the models, enjoy the fiction as a bonus, and let the faction book carry the main story.

• Use box fiction as a cheap test of whether a faction interests you.
• Do not expect a box to explain the setting on its own.
• If a box's story lands, buy that faction's book next.

Decision rules: which Malifaux book to buy next

• If you have not played yet: Buy the rules manual or core rulebook first. It gives you the setting vocabulary and the game structure the lore assumes. Do not buy an expansion book before you own core rules.
• If you already know your faction: Buy that faction's book or faction pack next. Faction books carry the character-level lore you will actually use, while packs lean toward rules. One faction book beats three random miniature boxes for story.
• If you are buying for a group: Split it: one shared core rulebook, one faction book per player. This avoids duplicate spending and keeps every player invested in their own crew's fiction. Shared rules, personal lore.
• If you only want to read, not play: Pick the faction whose art and tone you like most and read that faction book first. Skip rules-first products entirely. Reading order and play order are allowed to differ.
• If you are a returning veteran: Go straight to expansion books and new-edition releases. They move the story forward, while core material will mostly repeat what you know. Expansion books are the veteran's lore purchase.

Products that carry Malifaux lore

• Malifaux Third Edition: Ruins of a Lost Age: Tiri becomes the Architect while Kastore burns with renewed purpose, and the Unseelie Engine awakens between two peoples determined to rebuild what history shattered. Factions: Explorer Society, Outcasts, Neverborn, Resurrectionists. Keywords: Bygone, Returned. This is a story-forward release that touches four factions at once, so it is a good read once you already know at least one of those factions. Its multi-faction scope makes it a poor first purchase for a brand-new reader.
• Malifaux Third Edition: Wanderlust: Jessie Halliday, the Bellhop Porter, and an Alpinist bring three kinds of travel expertise to the Explorer's Society. Faction: Explorers Society. Keyword: Versatile. A focused Explorer's Society release. If that faction is your entry point, this is the kind of box whose fiction and models reinforce each other, making it a natural follow-up to the faction book.
• Malifaux Fourth Edition: Dr. McMourning, Insanitary: Dr. Douglas McMourning sees flesh and bone as raw materials, turning every operating table into a workshop for his latest Experimental creation. As Insanitary, he surrounds himself with mobile monstrosities and medical assistants. Faction: Resurrectionists. Keyword: Experimental. A character-driven Resurrectionists release. It shows how a single character's story can anchor a purchase, which is exactly the kind of fiction that makes a faction book worth reading.
• Malifaux Third Edition and The Other Side: John Watson: A veteran doctor returns to the battlefield with his medical bag and loyal bulldog, Frederick. John Watson keeps his unit fighting through Reinforcement, helps friendly Actions find the suit they need, and rewards the wounded with Inspired Tokens. Faction: Guild. Keyword: Cavalier. The Other Side allegiance: Guild. A crossover kit usable in both Malifaux and The Other Side. If you read across both games, this is a rare purchase that serves two narratives instead of one.

Who this reading path fits

Best for

• New players who want the story to make sense alongside the game
• Groups splitting book costs between a shared rulebook and personal faction books
• Returning players who want to catch up on the narrative without re-buying basics

Not for

• Collectors who only want out-of-print metal sculpts and do not care about reading order
• Players looking for a single book that contains the entire Malifaux story
• Shoppers who want a rules-only reference and no fiction

Pick your entry point based on what you will actually do: play, read, or both. Core rules first, your faction book second, expansions after that. Everything else, including miniature-box fiction, is a bonus rather than a requirement.