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Hey guys. Since I've decided to completely quit Warhammer now due to the outrageous prices I've kind of looked into Warmaching, since it seems pretty cool.
I want to know some things like:

How pricey is it compared to Warhammer?
Do you need huge armies to play?
How is the gameplay in general? Is it a very competetive game?
Are the models a pain to assemble?

I'd be very glad if someone could help me with this, thank you for your time

based on my experience
1 Cheaper to start, $100 USD pre-tax will get you a reasonable starter box (battlebox/warpack), full rule book, and $20 for an alternate warcaster or warlock versus a battleforce/battalion,
2 Compared to fantasy armies are minuscule, from 40k there small.
3 Very well designed, almost everything is competitive but how competitive your games get depend on the players.
4 The plastics are easy most of the metals are pretty good however the larger metal models (50mm) are a mixed bunch with some being horrible and others being beautiful for assembly.

Doctorcheese wrote:
How pricey is it compared to Warhammer?

Much less expensive. You'll be able totally legal if small games for about $75 if you're buying them from an online retailer with a decent discount. That'll net you a factions starter kit, another heavy and a small unit or a couple of solos. You probably won't need to buy the books if you're playing with an established group.

Do you need huge armies to play?

No. Even healthy sized games (35, 50pts) might have as few as 10models depending on the faction and style you're running. This of course varies, some factions can be the just opposite. Cramming in close to 20 in a 15 point game.

How is the gameplay in general? Is it a very competetive game?

It moves fairly quickly and can be very swingy. I can't count how many times I've lost when I've had dominate board position, more points on the scenario because I just barely left an assassination vector open on my caster. The ruleset is solid and mostly balanced lends itself to healthy games between players of simliar experience levels.

Are the models a pain to assemble?

I find the big models are mostly fine. I've never had to say pin anything, even some of the models other people find to be uncooperative. I find the small models tend to be fragile and don't' want to stay together even during gentle play, and their joints are so small there isn't much you can do sure them up.

Doctorcheese wrote:

How pricey is it compared to Warhammer?

that depends. how serious do you want to be with the game?

if you wanted to, you can build an effective army for the best part of £100 without breaking a sweat. that would be the starter pack, maybe a second caster, and a unit or two. If you want to immerse yourself fully, and get the hordes and warmachine rulebooks, each individual faction book, and then to have 1 full squad of everything your faction has to offer, and then follow that with multiple factions, it will be expensive.

the long and the short is its as expensive as you want it to be. but it is certainly cheaper to "buy in", as its a lot more accessible at the "starter" level.

Doctorcheese wrote:
Do you need huge armies to play?

Nope, not generally, but it does depend a bit on the caster (infantry centric casters like irusk will want more troops, while warjack centric casters like Karchev will be happier with more jacks, and less grunts). its a skirmish level game. even the most infantry spammed army will have about 30 guys in it.

Doctorcheese wrote:
How is the gameplay in general? Is it a very competetive game?

gameplay is aggressive, and fast paced its ruthless, has a steep learning curve and can be best described as being incredibly unforgiving. more so that than "very competitive". its like playing starcraft against a Korean. its "hard mode". some people play to win, some play casually. the difference is your understanding and perception of competitive gaming, as understood by the GW playing community has no place in warmachine its surprisingly different. in 40k, if you spam the "good stuff" that comprises 10% of your codex, and go against someone who "takes what he likes", you get a very skewed game, and competitive gaming gets seen in a very negative light. In warmachine, everything is good. everything is effective, and everything can be built into an effective, game winning strategy. So the idea of "competitive lists" as understood by 40k players is far less relevant if you ask me.

[quote=Doctorcheese
Are the models a pain to assemble?

Deadnight wrote: ... with the exception of nyss hunters. those models were created as a response to every sin committed in the last 1000 years - they're incredibly awkward and frustrating to put together :

I just pinned straight through the scabbards/bows. Worked out alright.

How pricey is it compared to Warhammer?
This depends, you can make 2 35 pt lists with 2 different casters for under $200 most of the time.
If you like me though, i have near 75% of the menoth model range.

*They are releasing plastic kits, and amazingly... they do not cost more then the old ones... Sometimes.. even cheaper then the older metal kit.

Do you need huge armies to play?
No you can play 15pt games up to 50 pt games, its a skirmish game.

How is the gameplay in general? Is it a very competetive game?
It can be a competetive game, the rules mean what they say, you can play any faction you want and have a good army, every army gets new stuff at the same time(usually twice a year), its not the .. Khador gets a book this month, and no more updates 4 years leater crap

Are the models a pain to assemble?
Not really, ive never had an issue, metal models you pin etc.

You sound about like me when I decided to focus on Warmachine and more or less give up on 40k and GW.

In brief (and to echo previously posted answers to a degree), you'll find that in general it's much cheaper to build an army (unless you insist on fielding an army solely composed of siege engines and character warjacks) and also plays much, much faster. A 35-point game took my younger cousin and I only two-and-a-half hours to play, whereas a small game of 40k (only 500 points or so) took us close to the same amount of time.

In terms of models, the only thing I've ever had trouble with was a Buccaneer warjack that I got last Christmas, but it was only troublesome because the legs were a bit warped and took some straightening. Overall though, I've experienced basically no problems with the models.

Most 35pt games we play last less then 1.5 hours.

Timed turns/deathclock in tourneys make the game fast and fun.

Deathclock leads to farily fast games. About an hour for 35pts. About a half-hour more after that. And having practiced hardcore timing at 50pts, things start getting kind of silly-fast hwen you get a hang of things.

Most games I think are like that though. I have noticed how quick a Magic game between folks go and I think this is an example of that too.

And stuff.

In my defense, a good bit of that time was spent helping my cousin understand the rules (he's still a bit new at the game). Still, the time seemed to move much faster than in 40k.

grayshadow87 wrote:In my defense, a good bit of that time was spent helping my cousin understand the rules (he's still a bit new at the game). Still, the time seemed to move much faster than in 40k.

Very much so! There is a learning curve.

Knowing your opponets army is as importand as knowing your own.

Average game length will quicken exponentially as you play more. After playing deathclock, some of my opponents casual turn lengths seem like an eternity.

grayshadow87 wrote:A 35-point game took my younger cousin and I only two-and-a-half hours to play, whereas a small game of 40k (only 500 points or so) took us close to the same amount of time.
.

I have to remark that 2 and a half hours is a really long time for a 500pt game of 40k. I can easily play a 1500pt game in that time.

That's also a really long time for a 35 point game. I would assume they are taking their time or the younger cousin needs a little more time to plan his moves.
I would say 35 points at a relaxed pace takes 60-90 minutes and that can be sped up greatly by going into serious mode and playing like it was a tournament.

Having played Hardcore for several months with its 7 minute turns and 1 hour time limit everything feels slow now.......

How pricey is it compared to Warhammer?

About a 3rd of the cost
adding variation runs about $40-60. Cheaper online.

Do you need huge armies to play?

Model count is relatively low.
15 points- 3-12 models
25 points 7-20 models
50 points most I've ever seen is 43 models

How is the gameplay in general? Is it a very competetive game?
Every faction has it in them to win. Tactics Rule the day. Missteps can cost you dearly.

Are the models a pain to assemble?
Not really but, I've been putting together a plethora of models together weekly
Some can be difficult and can take a delicate touch but the newer models are made is specific sockets.

I just sold my Eldar and my Tyranids (5000 points worth total) for $500. I was able to buy

Hordes Primal mkII
Khador Book
Trollbloods Book
Cygnar Starter
Khador Starter
Man-o-war Shocktroopers box
2x Troll Impalers
Dire Troll box
Troll Sluggers box
Mardak (sp?) Warlock (Bargain Bin @ $9)
Troll Champions (Bargain Bin @ $25)
pHaley
pCaine
Squire
Cygnar Heavy Warjack box
Templates
and had a little left over for 4 booster packs of MtG.

Costwise it was like christmas. I was able to get a good variety to get into 3 armies with options. The books are fething beautiful.

Now comes the learning how to play phase. Fun times will surely be had by all.

aosol wrote:How is the gameplay in general? Is it a very competetive game?
Every faction has it in them to win. Tactics Rule the day. Missteps can cost you dearly.

This. Won a game I was losing bad last night. One bad decision on my opponent's part that I was able to exploit and I was able to secure the win.

The buy in is less than 40K, about $100 as other have said.

However there are still plenty of expensive single models, and expensive units of 5 dudes with at least 2 of them being the same model.

The good news is that while you may still end up dropping $30 for a single Warjack or small unit of dudes you need far fewer of them than 40K

No matter how you slice it this is an expensive hobby.

That seems to be the difference of note. While you can use the same models between lists, sometimes i hear folks in GW games have to have different versions of models based on load-outs, while in WM/H, that Defender being a Defender in every single list means you only have to buy it once and be good to go.

And stuff.

I will say that PP does do something like this though. When you have very similar looking models with the same stats (except for special rules) that are only differentiated by their weaponry then you are, in effect, doing the same thing, an equipment swap out.

True that, especially on heavy warjacks. I think this is more prevailant with plastic kits of late, also.

And stuff.

Dais wrote:That's also a really long time for a 35 point game. I would assume they are taking their time or the younger cousin needs a little more time to plan his moves.
I would say 35 points at a relaxed pace takes 60-90 minutes and that can be sped up greatly by going into serious mode and playing like it was a tournament.

I dunno man, that seems really fast. Granted, I'm new, so I take a bit longer, but I just played two games with an experienced friend tonight, and a 25pt game took us two hours, with a 15pt game taking one hour. We do get to chatting, but nothing ridiculous.

I didn't skim everything, but I'll add that it's much cheaper to start, but can be more expensive long term. The games are skirmish, so you generally field fewer models. The models themselves are in the same price range and sometimes more expensive. New plastic kits are cheaper, but the medal kits cost more. $50 for a ten man unit.

That said the game is cheaper to start, but as your army grows and deversifies it is definitely more expensive. I've now spent more on my khador tan I did on my 1850 tourney IG list.

One of the advantages though is that it's hard to spam things. I did not have to paint 60 of the same guys for my warmachine list.

i have about 72 points of khador and 4 warcasters and 20 menoth about $460. - maybe $500
Tallying up that cost made me realise how much money i have spent. , and how many points i have . i could have had a good force for about $200, but y'know, i wanted a behemoth , and a berzerker, and .....
i'm about to buy 1 more khador model, i really want that drakun! then hopefully start on a skorney force or a menoth one.....ahhh who am i kidding i'lll probably get 5 more khador models.

I love the models, i have started painting them, and enjoy it.
From a hobby perspective it is very satisfying, It's re-energised my hobby fun! I tried starting 40k back up a while ago and i must admit the thought of painting 150 little green dudes to get 1 army list ready was very demotivating. I now have 20 points of khador painted with 2 more points almost done and 11 points sprayed and ready to go. having 1/4 already painted is very satisfying, and now i have the winterguard almost done, ii'm going to start taking way more time with my models .I'm also planning some terrain.
Something captures my imagination with warmachine, maybe coz it's not so pathetically emo setting wise. .

i hope you enjoy your warmachine time as much as i do!

oh i forgot, the rules are good, the force books are fantastic,and no quarter magazine is a good read in my opinion.
you don't need a large force, but it's hard not to buy more
I think for my investment i can have 4 differing lists- And each of them play differently 1 jack heavy (karchev), 1 troop heaving with great support (pvlad), 1 general (plvlad,p butcher, psorcha) , 1 hard hitting and tough list (p butcher)- some of the models are in 3 lists , some are in one , some are in 2. Some are in none (i'm looking at you berzerker!)
I think the return for investment is much higher than warhammer.

I hear some models are hard to put together, but i haven't assembled one that is hard yet.

agreed this is as expensive as you make it, I have about 200 pts worth of Cryx I think in total I've probably got about $900 sunk in, I didn't really need to but I'm as much a collector as a I a player. You can easily survive with a couple casters, and hand pick the guys you want pretty easy and so long as you like your list nothing much will change.

The average game size for me is 50 pts, but I don't use death clock, though I want to start seems interesting. That takes us about an 1.5 hrs give or take, depending on how aggressive I'm being, or my buddy. Definitely a better system than 40k though, and a lot more fun. Not to mention way cheaper now that I've seen the new pricing for 40k lol.

The models are easy to assemble and its a very competitive game. if you play, you play to win

Dont be put of by the price as you only need about a 2 dozen minis for a regular size tourney game

if you like khador of menoth start with the 2-player battle box