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Im interested in starting up but i have no knowledge on the game
can someone explain to me the

armies
how many models are needed to make an army
how the gameplay is
the fluff
how many people play
+anything else i should know
thanks guys!

Your question would require quite a lengthy reply and even then it would probably be inadequate.

I personally would not consider playing any game unless there was a club or a group of players I could play against. I have just started playing but before I did, I watched several games and asked questions about the game. I decided that the game was very interesting and decided to get some models. I bought the rule book, a basic starter box and a few other models I liked and that was enough to give me a 15 point army. Suffice it to say that is the best level to start as a beginner as you really need to learn how the pieces play. Thus you are looking at a price tag of $100 or so if you buy on Amazon or some other internet site. Standard games are usually 35 points which is about twice the size of a 15 point game. By the time you are ready to play that size, you should have a good idea if you want to play the game. Some players at the club were more than happy to let me borrow some figures to try the game out. Not all are that generous but it was a nice offer.

The game itself has some chess like qualities about it. Although there are many scenarios where objectives come into play, the most common game is simply to kill the enemy Warcaster. You therefore maneuver your pieces to break down your opponents defenses and do just that. Your opponent is trying to do the same thing to you. The Warcaster is the main figure and there are many to choose from, each requiring a different approach to play. There are 6 possible factions(including mercs) in Warmachine and Hordes, which may be considered a variant, provides an additional 4 armies. The finalized Hordes Mk II armies are not yet published and so I would personally ignore them for now. Each faction provides a number of different Warcasters, so you can see that there is quite a variety.

I know I would not have started Warmachine unless there was a place to play the game against others. For me that is the key factor. I am sure there are others who would play solo, I am not one of them. Warmachine can easily get as expensive as 40k if you start getting all the models for a given faction. So entry is cheaper than 40k but if you get hooked on the game, then it is not. The nice thing is that you can put a 35 point army together for $200. It might not be optimum for play but the one thing I like about WM is that you can combine just about any set of models and have a good game. A 15 point game should take about an hour when you first start, thus you should be able to have two games in an evening.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Almost forgot. The original WM Mk I rules had a different point system and many models had different capabilities. Each model or unit normally comes with a card. On the card is all the information you need to play that unit in a game of WM. Thus you do not need the equivalent of a codex to play. Unfortunately there are still a lot of models with pre-MK II cards in them. To avoid problems, PP issued a set of cards for each faction which retail for about $18 each, covering all the models released in Mk I. They will also provide you with the cards if you do not wish to go this route and you happen to have a model with the Mk I version.

The faction rule books, although not required, provide background. There is also some information on 4 of the factions in the main rulebook. Retribution is a faction which has recently been added and thus do not really appear much in the main rulebook. They did get the first faction book and thus you go to a game store and read up on them, if they have the book. Cygnar and Khador books have also come out. Protectorate is due out this month and Cryx next month. Mercenaries will follow after that. Then PP will start getting Hordes up to the Mk II version.

Thanks for the help horsa!

I'll definitely look into how popular it is at my lfgs

The game sounds fun and a lot cheaper than 40k.

Here is some general info about the races and religion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Kingdoms
Here is the general info on all the factions in Warmachine. I'm sure you'll be able to find your way to the faction info in the Hordes section.
http://privateerpress.com/warmachine/welcome-to-warmachine

One of the things I like most about Warmachine is the constantly moving story line. As of the original Prime the story starts out in the year 603AR and sets the ground work for the game and setting. In 604AR Khador begins a war of aggression and conquest in taking lands from the country of Leal. Cygnar, being Leal's ally, is drawn into conflict with Khador as well. Simultaneously Cygnar's southern neighbor the Protectorate of Menoth declares its own holy war against all non-believers in the true faith. All the while agents of the Nightmare Empire of Cyx have been infiltrating the main land with undead. By 605AR the land scape has changed considerably. I continent that was simmering with conflict for decades has erupted into total war. Cygnar is beset on all sides and from within by its enemies, A direct conduit to Menoth, called the Harbinger, walks to war with her people. Over half of Lael has fallen to the Khadorians and for one Iron Lich now Lich Lord, the work of several centuries in about to come to fruition using the soul of the Harbinger. Deep in the Thornwood Forrest four great armies clash at the foot of and ancient temple, a temple's who's sole purpose is to draw the souls of dead for fuel for the dark rites of its long departed creators. Before the Lich Lord's plan can be completed, they are undone by the interference of another Lich Lord of Cryx, who believe's the first to be a traitor.

And this is just the first two expansions Escalation and Apotheosis.

I have a question about the composition of the armies.
What are solos?

and why are there factions for warmachines and then factions for hordes?

Are those just all the factions under two different titles like the xenos and the imperium in warhammer?


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I was thinking of starting out with the cryx battlegroup. Is that a good place to start? Would i need anything else to play or do all the rules and things come with this?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh one more thing what is the difference between MK-1 and MK-II

daemon wrote:I have a question about the composition of the armies.
What are solos?

Solos are units that work just like they are listed...as solos. Think of them as character type models that are not part of any unit.

daemon wrote:and why are there factions for warmachines and then factions for hordes?
Are those just all the factions under two different titles like the xenos and the imperium in warhammer?

Warmachine and Hordes are two different rules systems, yet were created to work in conjunction with one another. Thus, a person playing a Cygnar army could play a battle against a Skorne player with really no difficulties. The base rules for both systems are pretty much the same.

daemon wrote:Automatically Appended Next Post:
I was thinking of starting out with the cryx battlegroup. Is that a good place to start? Would i need anything else to play or do all the rules and things come with this?

To my knowledge, any starter box is a great place to start. They do not, however, come with the rules needed. Check out a gaming store in your area and see if they have a copy of the quick start rules. This might come in your box (not really sure) but they give the basic rules on how to play the game. After that, you'll have to buy the main rulebook for everything

daemon wrote:Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh one more thing what is the difference between MK-1 and MK-II

MKII are the latest rules. They override everything from MKI. Thus, make sure that you buy the MKII rules and cards for your models. The MKI stuff is great for fluff, but game rules and model rules will be different than listed in those books.

The quick start rules and data cards can be found here http://privateerpress.com/warmachine/the-game

You can just cut out a few pieces of card with the relevant base sizes and play a few games if you wish. The data cards are put in plastic card sleeves so you can mark the damage off with a dry erase marker.

You will notice in the rules that the Warcasters in Warmachine get focus points at the start of every turn. These they can use for themselves to fuel their magic or they can issue them to any of their jacks within range. In Hordes the Warlocks have beasts instead of jacks. As you use the beasts they generate fury ( same as focus ). The warlock at the start of each turn removes fury from his beasts to power his spells. If a beast starts a turn with fury, you roll the dice and if it is the same or less than the number of fury counters on the beast, it goes wild. Warmachine is likened to resource management and Hordes to risk management. There are some other differences but these are the main ones. Both fit into the same fluff as a story line and both armies can participate in the same tournaments etc. Thus including mercenaries, there are 10 basic army factions. I have yet to see any two armies the same. Every player seems to have a different set of preferences. Not surprising as there are so many to choose from. Thus every game will be different.

Warmachine has been rewritten to a MkII version after extensive play testing by the community. Hence the new card data which reflected all the testing. Hordes is going through the same transitions and should be complete by years' end with all the supporting books.

As I said, if you get hooked it is as expensive as 40k. To start and play each faction at 15 points will cost you less than $100 to start and even less than that later for other factions as you already have the rule book. You can also just proxy the figures to see what you like playing. Most players that I have encountered are more than happy to help and get you into the game. Some excellent points in favor of this game are that every faction has a chance at winning. You can mix and match units, warcasters and jacks and still have an excellent game. No unit is useless, well none that I have used or faced so far. PP bring out some additional models each year for each faction so there are always new things to try. Each Warcaster or Warlock can give you a completely different game with the same army. Thus the variations are quite substantial. The models are quite impressive and now they are starting to use plastic, you can buy some of the jack kits and get the option on 3 different jacks. Use magnets to give the ability to change from one to the other. This has really helped me as I have now had the opportunity of trying out all 3 in my Cryx army. You never need to roll more than 3 or 4 die at a time normally.

Good luck and I hope this information is of some value.

Start with a 15 point army. Out of the battle box, you have between 3 to 5 figures depending on the army you choose. When I first started, I read the quick start rules back in 2004 and never had a chance to find a really good group of players to play with...fast forward 6 years later, I attened a gaming convention and decided to pass the time between tournaments by looking into a demo. The warmachine table was clear and I played a demo and between reading the quickstart rules in 2004 and acutally playing the game, the game was easy to understand. This was the perfect time to join as the Mark II rules was just released (version 2 of when I read in 2004). I decided not to buy a battle box and started building a 15 point army of which I have 8 figures (1 warcaster, 2 warjacks, 1 solo and a 4 man unit).

IMO, the fluff is interesting but need the support of novels to go deeper into the actual characters. There are articles written in their magazine privateer press but I find a need to know more is never satisfied.

Hordes (sister game to warmachine and fully playable with warmachine) is coming out with their Mark II later this year which, if you time it right, would be a perfect time to join in. Now is a good time to join warmachine as their rules just came out. But if you are still on the fence, troll the forums and ask questions, everyone here will be more than will to help you out. They may even be able to find you the closest place to your house to play the game.

Good luck and play like you have a pair...

Sounds good guys. Thanks for being more than helpful! (whatever that would be)

So i think i will start out with a legion of everblight battlebox first to see if i like it or not.

When is mk II for hordes expected to be released though?

p.s. i heard the everblight warpack is only 13 points. What could i get to make that an even 15 points for battles?

You peeps sure are helpful. No way I would answer all those questions.

Maybe Dakka can make information like this as a Sticky so these questions don't have to keep being answered?

Just a thought as they seem like popular questions. 8)

The current warmachines starter boxes were based on the old rules. Thus you may not get all that you need. Suffice it to say that it is enough to start playing.

If I remember correctly the Warlock you get with the starter kit is Lylyth. She comes with a +6 for warbeasts. This means in a 15 point game you can actually have 15 + 6 or 21 points. However the 6 points may only be spent on warbeasts, nothing else.

The box contains 4 Shredders which are light warbeasts. They are 2 points each and thus make up 8 points. Note that your Warlock or Warcaster in warmachine, does not cost any points.

The box also contains one large warbeast called Canivean. Nasty blighter. Anyway, he costs 11 points for a total of 19 points. You are not obliged to max out you army to 21 but if you wanted to, you could simply buy a 2 point solo model. A Forsaken for 2 points might be a good starting point but I do not play Legion at the moment so it is only a thought.

As stated earlier, 35 point games are the norm. That would be 35 + 6 or 41 points for Lylyth. Thus a standard game is about twice the size of the starter game. You should note that most players are usually more than happy to play anywhere from 15 to 50 points. I would stick with 15 point games for a while to get to know the game and to learn what your pieces can do. There are so many different opponents that you will need to vary your game depending on who you face. Always check ahead of time what the opponents feat or animus is. Also ask your opponent for a a very brief run down of his forces. This game will still produce surprises and also remember that unlike 40k, you can target your own forces in many cases. Being Everblight, winning is the focus and you should be prepared to kill your own forces if needs be to win.

I play Cryx which have some units that can explode. A simple example is run such a unit into your opponents force. Then shoot him with another of your units and he may end up doing a great deal of damage. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the game as much as I do.

daemon wrote:Sounds good guys. Thanks for being more than helpful! (whatever that would be)

So i think i will start out with a legion of everblight battlebox first to see if i like it or not.

When is mk II for hordes expected to be released though?

p.s. i heard the everblight warpack is only 13 points. What could i get to make that an even 15 points for battles?

A forsaken or Sheperd are fantastic choices for solos and they will be great additions for higher point battles as they let you manage your fury so you can control more warbeast with no fear of them frenzying.

One other item to remember, if you decide to continue with the game. When you expand your amry, you can do it in two ways. One is to increase the army size or selection. This can give your current Warlock a greater variety of units/warbeasts/solos to maneuver. The other is to change your Warlock to one of the other ones available to you, in your case Everblight. You will find that changing the Warlock will potentially vary the game much greater than changing the units. You can always proxy figures. Clearly using the current Warlock as a proxy for another is the easiest thing to experiment with. To give even greater variety, there are minions who will work for different factions. A number are available to Legion and they too can vary the gaming experience.

Hopefully you now have enough information to get started in the game. Good luck.

daemon wrote:When is mk II for hordes expected to be released though?

Hordes mk2 is coming in the July/ August timeframe, no date given yet, but the last WM forces book (Mercs) is coming in June and it is pretty certain that Hordes will follow straight after that.

Thanks also i just wanted to know (i won't be able to go to my flgs for a while) if there are any books you need to get like a codex or something or if there is a book for fluff.

Also since im getting the legions battlebox i was wondering if i should get two shepards or 1 forsaken. Personally i was leaning more towards the forsaken because i only have one large warbeast. Are there any different colour schemes as well? I was thinking something like bleach bone for the carapace/armour like eldar and then codex grey for the skin of the beasts

Your best bet is to wait until Hordes Mk II is out along with the book for Legion. In the mean time use the PDF released by PP that was available on the web, if you can find it. The figure stats should be easy to find.

Forsaken is a good choice to start.

The color scheme is entirely up to you. You may want to check the various sites, especially the PP site. They have a wealth of detail. The battle college site is also very useful. Legion should be getting some new models to play with later this year as well.

Thanks for the help again horsa.

I think i will wait until the summer for the new releases. Im hoping the battle boxes come out with edited cards and what not. I can't wait!

I suggest this site:
http://battlecollege.wikispaces.com/
It's made of win.

Just for the record i've gone to both warmachine/hordes websites but thanks XD

on a side note for modeling. I really don't like the forsaken model, is there any alternative?

Nothing official replacement for the forsaken. My friend converted one from GW's daemonette. It is not legal for official events though.

Forsaken vs. Shepherd:

Shepherds can help you manage fury, heal your beasts and extend your control range. I
don't think you really need one until you want to start going crazy with the flying things, as
flying warbeasts can easily end up operating outside of a warlock's control area.

Forsaken store fury by taking it from your models and then use it offensively. In a way
it's a management tool; if you're running with too much fury a Forsaken can help you
lower your frenzy check risks. However, a Shepherd does that far more efficiently. Where
the Forsaken outshines the Shepherd is in the direct offensive application of Fury. A
Forsaken uses the Fury it takes from your warbeasts, a shepherd does not.

The Forsaken's Blight Shroud is far more effective against Hordes, however, as damage
done to models increase based on the number of focus/fury points left on the model, and
Hordes models leaves fury on them whereas Warmachine models tend not to.


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PS: I agree; I can't stand the Forsaken model, either.

To add to the above:

From my few games I have noticed that the low fury-casters (lylith and rhyas) benefit sooner from the shepperd. The shepperd makes it so you have a extra bubble where you can use your beasts, instead of cramping every beast inside 10 inch of rhas.

I use rhyas with minimal 1 shepperd to manage the carnivean or 1 shredder, depending on situation. (if rhyas can leach no more fury then it changes. rippers once in combat only need the bubble to use fury if possible, but if they frenzy it does not mather, because it is 1 fully boosted hit either way...

Personally I like having both a Shepherd and a Forsaken in pretty much any list whether I am running Thag, Absylonia, or Vayl. The forsaken helps me burn fury early and act as either a blocker or an assist to my heavies when they charge a tough target.

I love the shepherds ability to both heal the warbeasts and ditch as much fury as I need to, however, they are super squishy so sometimes taking more than one is a good idea.

Thanks for the help guys so i think ill be going for a forsaken with the battlebox

If i really enjoy the game this will be my dream list for now.

4 shredders-8
4 harriers-8
1 angelius-9
1 Blighted Nyss Sorceress and Helion-4
1 Nephilim Protector-5
2 Forsaken-4
2 Sheperd-2

-35 (40)

Just thought i'd share it with you guys. Its an assassination list that delivers harriers (mainly angelius) to the enemy warcaster
shredders, (harriers) are for distraction really. Oh and its with lylyth so its 35 +6 warbeast.