@Jus - Thanks, I hope to get back to that at some stage.
But for now, this is all about Malifaux.
Back on the subject of Cards...
As I said previously, I think card draw abilities are a very important part of crew's arsenal. Being able to improve the resources available to you can make a big difference in your game.
At the end of each turn (most importantly, the largely uneventful Turn 1), you get to reset your hand.
The sequence is:
Shuffle your discard pile into your deck.
Discard cards to your discard pile.
Draw new cards up to your hand size.
Optional
(Spend a Soulstone to draw 2 extra cards.
Discard down to your hand size.)
This has several effects on game play.
Firstly, any card you discard will NOT get flipped unless you run through your entire deck in a turn (which is possible in a very busy turn).
Secondly, any card you discard will NOT be available to you until next turn at the earliest.
Finally, any card that you didn't discard or draw WILL get flipped at some stage.
But 'Prim,' I hear you say, 'Those are all the same thing!'
Well, yes, but also no and possibly, perhaps.
It all comes down to what you want to flip, what you need to flip and what you want to avoid.
By dumping low value cards, you know you won't flip them in duels this turn. Knowing the Black Joker is in your discard pile means that it won't get flipped this turn. Therefore you know you will be able to cheat up any duels you need to, so you can be more aggressive.
Generally speaking high flips are vital in duels, but there are some situations where a medium value card of the right suit is more useful than a 13 of the wrong suit. Throwing away cards of your key suit that you might need means you won't randomly flip them this turn, so lowering your chance of hitting key triggers.
Finally, knowing that your deck is stuffed full of chaff because your hand contains only high value cards and you discarded a bunch of medium values is also important. If you didn't see the Black Joker in the Discard/Draw steps, you need to be prepared for it to come up. Likewise, having a handful of dud cards means your average flips should be better.
I'm not suggesting people start counting cards, but an awareness of possibilities will help you determine how aggressive you want to be and if you really want to risk throwing your Master in front of the enemy killing machine or not.