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A. I don't want to be TFG and play TFG's army that smashes everyone and no one has fun playing.
B. I do want to win all the time ( who doesnt???)

So to be competitive and not be a Dbag, what army should I look at?

a. All the armies are really well balanced so pick one you like.
B. Your not going to win for awhile. The game has a very steep learning curve so expect to lose a lot at first

Dont expect netlists to win you games. Make an army that fits your style and works well together.

Ask a dozen different people and you'll get a dozen different answers as to what is not fun to play against.

As others said, skill trumps netlist every time.

Truthfully "netlists" as they exist on other games (most notably 40K) don't really exist in WM/H, at least not the same way. WM/H models are designed to be synergistic with each other and you build a list taking the entire list into account. You don't simply grab the best models in the game and take 3 of them. If you have ever played Magic building a WM?H list is similar to building a deck. You take things that work together and work on combos that make them better.

All the main factions can be competitive. There is also a lot of depth to each faction. They have lots of options for how they can run their lists.

Also, almost every model and unit can be played competitively. But the game is heavily into combos, you can't toss random stuff together and have it work. List composition is important, but equally important is your skill at running that list.

You're not going to be able to whip up a competitive list on day 1 and kick ass with it. You're gonna get your ass handed to you, a lot. Its very skill orientated and a good player with a bad list will always beat a bad player with a good list.

Be prepared to lose your first 30 games against players of higher skill than you.


As for Netlists, Mordekiem hit it on the head. They exist in WMH, but much more nebulously. Its more like netcombos which people copy and then morph into their own version.

For example, Will Pagani(one of the top players nationally) will play a list with a few certain characteristics that does really well. Then a bunch of players will copy this idea, but their lists will all be slightly different depending on the player. And they'll have practice with their individual variant on the list. You'll almost never see an exact carbon copy of the list, and even then you'll only get the same results if you are as familiar with the list as you can be.

And there isn't any particular faction that everyone hates that is super OP. There are some lists which cause frustration, particularly with inexperienced players who don't know how to deal with something like Body and Soul or eHaley.

General Hobbs wrote:


A. I don't want to be TFG and play TFG's army that smashes everyone and no one has fun playing.
B. I do want to win all the time ( who doesnt???)

So to be competitive and not be a Dbag, what army should I look at?

All of them.

There are no tfg armies, only tfg's. In other words, it's your attitude that defines you as a tfg or not, not what toys you play with.

As to armies that smash everyone- yeah, wrong track bud - all the factions are balanced and capable of smashing it up with the best. Bear in mind, player skill still trumps lists.

General Hobbs wrote:
So to be competitive and not be a Dbag, what army should I look at?

It's not the army that will win you games. It's your skill. This game is 15% luck, 5% army list, and 80% player skill. Give the best army list to the worst player, and the worst army list to the best player and the best player will always win.

There is a "Warmachine Primer" printed on page five of the rulebook (Hordes has one too). It says play your best game and don't be a Dbag. Yes, there is an official rule in the main rulebook that says that. Lot's of people forget that, or misinterpret it, or whatever.

Play the army you want, don't be a Dbag, and no one will ever say anything at all about you winning. But I caution you: There is not a "netlist" in the entire game that will enable you to win right off the bat as a new player. You will lose, a lot. If you win, it will be because of a fluke, the fickle hand of Lady Luck, or you are playing someone less experienced then you are. After about 20-30 games, you'll start to "get it" and then the real fun begins.

To become a better player in Warmachine/Hordes means to play against the best players in your area, ask them questions, and learn from them. Be gracious when you lose, and humble when you win. If you don't learn something from every game you play, you are playing wrong.

Good luck, and welcome to the machine... the WARMACHINE.