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It might seem for the sake of posting just to post, but I thought I ask: What got you into Warmachine/ Hordes? Since I posted the topic thread I might as well start it off.

About the age of 14 or so, I was a big player of a Collectable Card Game called Anachronism (now a dead game) and saw some of the miniatures of the game and the No Quarter magazine. Before hand my friend was trying to get me into Warhammer 40k with a group that was at another hobby store, but I saw both so I wanted to explore my option. Hearing around, I was told it would be better to get into Warmachine and stay way from Warhammer 40k and that. I got a few things, both the Battle Box set for Protectorate of Menoth, Temple Flameguard, Battlebox set for Merc with pMagnus (yes, there was one I got. ) and Steelhead Halberdiers so I could have two armies to try. Suddenly the store closed down and I just waste my money on it, and then decided to do the Warhammers for a while.

At first, it was not so bad, the Meta where Warhammer was being played decent at first, then they started getting worse (like 12 year-olds coming into the GW store that opened up soon after, so I went to that, and then 12-year-olds started to get annoying) as the editions and price hikes started to roll around until it only got to the point to only the hardcore fanboys stayed over the course of 6 years or so . Then again this is the meta I used to go to so do not take this as a typical Warhammer fan. One comment that got me is how someone said Warmachine/Hordes was an inferior game because it used cards and sounded stupid. Personally I used to believe that, but after a few weeks I kind of got fed up with the GW in my area, and dropped the hobby I while.

About a month later, I was cleaning out the basement when I saw that I kept my Warmachine stuff (lost the cards a while back) and kind of thought about getting it another shot. So I stripped, repainted my models I had for Menoth (kind of wished I could slap my younger self for not getting choir), looked for the nearest store that sell and had a playing area for it, and checked it out. Fast forward to the present, I am actually enjoying the hobby moreso than when I was just exclusively playing the Warhammers ( I still play them, but not as much as I used to, since I made Warmachine into my main game). I know it kind of sounds a bit cliched seeing this is the trend of new Warmachine/Hordes players, but I thought I throw in my part.

Used to play Mage Knight (another defunct game), and really like the steam golems from the rebels. Wanted to start WM when I saw their models, and jumped at the call a few years later when some friends decided to start playing.

Huh, that would've sounded interested to play. And I have to say I like the WMH models a lot (especially Protectorate of Menoth, the faction I play).

I was standing in line at the Privateer Press booth at Gen Con several years ago (04ish) to buy for someone who had an early morning tourney. Suffice it to say having Ali McVey be the one to help me find what I was looking for worked pretty well, as not only did I buy for my friend but I also picked up a battlegroup and a few other things to start playing myself. I've taken several breaks since then, and don't even play the same faction now, but there's something to be said about having your known (and pretty) faces out on the floor interacting with customers and talking them up about the game, and hobby.

It's kinda of a long story, actually.

I was on youtube, looking through some videos from a youtuber that I've subscribed to, looking for Starcraft 2 replays, when I came across a set of videos where he did a "Let's play" Dawn of War 2 videos. I watched them all, was intrigued, and looked through some of the comments because I had a few extra minutes to spare. There was TONS of flamewars between SC and 40k fanboys, which actually got me to do some research to understand what those 40kers were talking about. At first, I directed some distast into 40k, as I viewed it as just some game of toy soldiers in an overly dark setting. Eventually, I gained some newfound interst, spent some more time on the internets, and found miniwargaming. Watched their videos for a couple months and decided to finally step into the world of wargaming.

Though what would I play?

I was about to start up 40k with some Eldar, when I heard that Warmachine had a thighter rules set and was more competitive (I absolutely love competitive games, which won my interest). Couldn't really decide on a faction, since I didn't pay much attention to aesthetics, and more towards fluff, so I settled on starting Khador, watched a paining tutorial on how to do white camo, bought my Khador, introduced the game to a friend who picked up LoE, and here I am now, with 50ish points not completely planned, but functioning well. I intend on picking up some RoS soon, since they've caught my fancy. And maybe introduce another friend or two to the game.

 Thesneakycyberman wrote:
It's kinda of a long story, actually.

I was on youtube, looking through some videos from a youtuber that I've subscribed to, looking for Starcraft 2 replays, when I came across a set of videos where he did a "Let's play" Dawn of War 2 videos. I watched them all, was intrigued, and looked through some of the comments because I had a few extra minutes to spare. There was TONS of flamewars between SC and 40k fanboys, which actually got me to do some research to understand what those 40kers were talking about. At first, I directed some distast into 40k, as I viewed it as just some game of toy soldiers in an overly dark setting. Eventually, I gained some newfound interst, spent some more time on the internets, and found miniwargaming. Watched their videos for a couple months and decided to finally step into the world of wargaming.

Though what would I play?

I was about to start up 40k with some Eldar, when I heard that Warmachine had a thighter rules set and was more competitive (I absolutely love competitive games, which won my interest). Couldn't really decide on a faction, since I didn't pay much attention to aesthetics, and more towards fluff, so I settled on starting Khador, watched a paining tutorial on how to do white camo, bought my Khador, introduced the game to a friend who picked up LoE, and here I am now, with 50ish points not completely planned, but functioning well. I intend on picking up some RoS soon, since they've caught my fancy. And maybe introduce another friend or two to the game.

Yeah, flamewars between SC and 40k fanboys get intense (Personally I like both lores that each universe provides). Granted I am still new at this a bit (kind of two months in now, still learning the game kind of and almost at 25 pts soon with my Menoth lel) but it is very tight, clean, and concise (this works competitively more so than 40k and fantasy, but also works well with a casual game at your club and meta with friends as well!). Although I might pick up a Hordes faction later on after I get to 50 pts with pKreoss. I think Circle or Trollbloods ( I am kind of a sucker for Knights themed things a bit and tribal as well).

What got me into the game was the amount of destruction one could dish out when the right conditions are hit.

General disillusionment with 40k (more GW in general) the trifecta of bad/inconsistent rules, yearly price rises and neglect towards the entire Specialist Games line put me over the edge. I did what most people say they will do "eventually" and took a leap of faith. This was 5 years ago. I picked up Khador, and through the last 5 years played through all of the factions in some degree. Now I play Khador, Mercs and paint Skorne for play in the future. My GW days are over. It was magical for a long time but honestly the company has lost the appeal. Privateer Press has me now, and we are all better off.

The Chaos codex that eliminated the Alpha Legion. I was already on the fence with 40k, and I'd picked up Skorne and Khador boxes ages ago on my brother's nagging but hadn't assembled or played it yet. I finally got a demo in with them, and soon played my first tournament with Karchev. Needless to say I did fairly poorly (Mk I Karchev, nuff said), but it was enough to get me hooked.

contemplating putting together a new ork force that would have cost me about $2000 or $3000 (i can't remember now) then contemplating painting over 180 orks really turned me off the thought of 40k.

Had a look at warmachine, downloaded the" forces of "books to see what i liked the looks of. Initially I decided circle, then khador, then khador and menoth, now khador and skorne with a side order of menoth. I now own all 3 books of the factions I'm interested in plus wrath and collossals so i'm starting to think the piracy i committed has helped PPs bank balance (next up domination and gargantuans)

I really like the lack of emo soap opera in the Iron kingdoms, no one faction is the good guys in my opinion. I also like that half of the factions aren't the same and all seem to have something a little different. (although I'm starting to think if they keep up the release schedule things might get a little more homogenous).

My story isn't quite as grand as everyone elses.

Got tired of geedubs antics, looked at other systems, hey this system looks neat and it's popular, now I play that system.

Bullockist wrote:
contemplating putting together a new ork force that would have cost me about $2000 or $3000 (i can't remember now) then contemplating painting over 180 orks really turned me off the thought of 40k.

Had a look at warmachine, downloaded the" forces of "books to see what i liked the looks of. Initially I decided circle, then khador, then khador and menoth, now khador and skorne with a side order of menoth. I now own all 3 books of the factions I'm interested in plus wrath and collossals so i'm starting to think the piracy i committed has helped PPs bank balance (next up domination and gargantuans)

I really like the lack of emo soap opera in the Iron kingdoms, no one faction is the good guys in my opinion. I also like that half of the factions aren't the same and all seem to have something a little different. (although I'm starting to think if they keep up the release schedule things might get a little more homogenous).

You probably know this, but you know that all the rules in those books are present in the cards (apart from the tier lists, and they are present in war room). Just in case you were under the impression you needed all the books

edit: and I got into it because I liked the Cygnar models that I saw on a batrep (maybe miniwargaming? I forget) and decided to give it a go, liked it, and although I still enjoy GW games I kind of wish my brother would diversify and play warmachine/hordes as well, I'd like to play him

Got tired of GW BS

I was all like, "These warjacks look stupid, why would anyone play with such ugly models!"

Then I was all like, "Well some of them look ok I guess and the world isn't very interesting and you can't have a unique commander (like warhammer)."

And then I bought 50pts of khador and menoth >.>

I was a Bretonnian player (WHFB) for many years, and I loved playing a nice cavalry centric crusader type army. I'd seen Warmachine stuff around, of course, but I only ever saw a MK1 edition game a long time ago, and the "brokeness" of a lot of the MK1 stuff kinda made me ambivalent about the game. The crusader in me did like a lot of the Menoth stuff however, and I'd researched the models while helping a friend find something to use as Inquisitor Henchmen.

When 8th Edition came out, my friend got a pre-ordered copy half a week before the official release, and looking over the rules, I saw that my cav centric army had been absolutely boned, and there weren't even vague rumours of a Bretonnian update for their 10 year old army book anywhere on the horizon.

So, looking at spending $400+ dollars to get a bunch of infantry that I didn't really like, to make an army that hadn't been updated in 10 years simply mediocre rather than bad. Or, as a friend pointed out, I could try the new Warmachine MK2 - and as an added incentive, he bought me the Protectorate book right then and there. Running through a starterbox game, I immediately loved it, and myself and 3 others went (on the very day of the official WHFB 8th edition release no less) and bought starterboxes to give it a go.

3 years on, and I'm a definite convert. I haven't gotten my beloved Bretonnians out in ages now, and though I'm not getting rid of them (Hell, I've had some of the models since 1998!), Warmachine has become my game, and has become the only regular wargame happening at our club (40k still happens, just not every week like Warmachine does).

Well, for me, I was at a convention in Savannah Georgia called Gnomecon (who a buddy of mine was helping run) and they had some of the press-gangers from the upstate of SC there running a tournament. I stopped by their table just to check out the models (tthey had all the starterboxes on table, assembled and painted to look at) and then they talked me into a demo game.... enjoyed it, and they said they had a journeyman tournament the next day where you used their models and they gave away prizes and stuff... I decided to give it a go b/c the game was fun, then a went and bought me my own army...

I had a gaming group that mostly played 40k and mostly didn't play much. Then one day a couple of the guys show up with the Warmachine Books/Pieces and were like "You should play this game" and I was like "Ok".

From there it was just a matter of learning to love the upturned duckbill helmets on the Exemplars.

For me, it was just a question of what else was available.

I played 40k and fantasy for a few years back in the late 90's, dropped out of it for some reason (probably lack of players in the area,) then just looked around to weigh my options when I got back into miniatures.

First looked into Dark Age, and they used the same bases as this other game 'Warmachine.' Ordered up one of the first prints of the rulebook and a Menoth battlebox, and I'm still happily playing a decade later.

I played 40K during 2nd edition. I got back into 40K with 5th edition. I became massively frustrated with the rules which led me to dakka to seek clarification on those issues. Dakka was a huge help for me in navigating the rules, but the knowledge gained wasn't absorbed by my opponents, which often led to lengthy rules discussions, not necessarily negative in context, just lengthy and frustrating.

While hanging around Dakka, I regularly noticed people promoting WMH because of the rule set. Towards the end of 5th, around the time when more and more flyers were being introduced and the transition to 6th was about to happen, I decided that I wanted to see what WMH was all about. I hit up a FLGS that has a large WMH crowd and played a couple of battlebox games with people there. I was instantly sold and I haven't looked back. In fact I recently sold off every last bit of 40K that I had remaining.

In short: Recommendations on Dakka about the WMH rule set quality got me into it.

couple buddies asked me if i'd be interesting in starting a game they'd been looking at (at the time i played some magic and video games)

jump forward.....7 years or so, and wargaming is probably the primary hobby/relax time thing i have......

I started a new job and the guys I work with were playing it, so I started playing too! Enjoyed it that much, sold my 40k and continue to play Warmachine

Giant steam-powered robots fighting.

The lower model count also made it cheaper to pick up, and hopefully I'll be able to fit in more games into my schedule then I would with 40k/Fantasy.

ComTrav wrote:
Giant steam-powered robots fighting.

The lower model count also made it cheaper to pick up, and hopefully I'll be able to fit in more games into my schedule then I would with 40k/Fantasy.

I agree with that. Plus a battlebox or 15 pts game is easy to do on a lunch break if that permits at your workplace. Plus it does not take an ungodly amount of time compared to 40k/ Fantasy to make a decent list.

I had just quit working at GW and I was burned out on Warhammers. I looked into Warmachine and bought 4 battle boxes to get my friends interested. I was able to recruit a sizable number of people, but with no brick and mortar nearby we've kinda fallen apart. Didn't really stop me from collecting though...

Undead necromechanical horrors with aspirations of Godhood controlling clawed, soul consuming steel titans than run on condensed pain and suffering mixed with coal.

What, just me?

I love the idea of 8-10ft tall robots beating on beasts the same size. Also the fact that there is a very short list of things that aren't "good". Even these things can be made not bad though so that is really nice.

 gunslingerpro wrote:
Undead necromechanical horrors with aspirations of Godhood controlling clawed, soul consuming steel titans than run on condensed pain and suffering mixed with coal.

What, just me?

For me it would be the religious nutcases with the power of their god behind their back, who were banished by Cygnar and thought they would not build an army so fast from what they gave them. Did we also mention fire for non-believers?

I'm really not "in" yet, but for me it had to be when I showed up at my FLGS to cheer a friend at a 40k tournament. There was one group of 4 guys playing 2v2 warmachine in the corner.

We had all these super serious competitive 40k players bragging about their cheese armies, and these 4 pretty nice guys just laughing away in the corner having a good time. They got through about 3 turns all evening because they were just constantly talking with each other and giving strategy advice to all the other players, whether they were on their team or not.

I went over and asked them about it, since I'd never seen the game played before, they completely stopped their game and explained the basics of how the rules worked, what factions they were playing (baby elephants man...) and showed me the little section in the hobby store with the $45 army starter sets. I swear it's enough to convince me to buy a set and join them next week, just to see how it goes.

I know that's a pretty biased one sided story, but it sure sold me on wanting to get involved (40k is a great game, but it attracts some really annoying people for some reason).

 dementedwombat wrote:
I'm really not "in" yet, but for me it had to be when I showed up at my FLGS to cheer a friend at a 40k tournament. There was one group of 4 guys playing 2v2 warmachine in the corner.

We had all these super serious competitive 40k players bragging about their cheese armies, and these 4 pretty nice guys just laughing away in the corner having a good time. They got through about 3 turns all evening because they were just constantly talking with each other and giving strategy advice to all the other players, whether they were on their team or not.

I went over and asked them about it, since I'd never seen the game played before, they completely stopped their game and explained the basics of how the rules worked, what factions they were playing (baby elephants man...) and showed me the little section in the hobby store with the $45 army starter sets. I swear it's enough to convince me to buy a set and join them next week, just to see how it goes.

I know that's a pretty biased one sided story, but it sure sold me on wanting to get involved (40k is a great game, but it attracts some really annoying people for some reason).

I understand what you mean. Sure, a bit biased one, but I have been in that boat were you where before. Somehow Warhammer 40k seems to attract a lot of 12-year-olds (I mean, it keeps them from doing bad things, but it can get a little annoying). And sure, some of the aesthetics of the models in Warmachine/ Hordes may be out there (anime-esque robots controlled by racist elves and the recent faction to come out: Metropolis 2013: The tabletop odyssey. Then again, I kid about that, I like both of those to look at), but it adds a rather cool uniqueness to the game I say. I would say join in! It is a rather fun game to play and has its own tactical wiki.

Although, bear in mind, expect to lose a lot when you being. This is not because people are going to be noobstompy, but the game has a bit of a steep difficulty curve when trying to learn your faction, on the plus side, the rules are clear, concise, and very tight, moreso than Warhammer 40k or Fantasy so this makes causal play and competitive play equally good IMHO. Downside a slight bit, well in a objective sense I can make it, is that there is no real customization of squads (although there are Warbeast/Warjack its that feature multiple parts to make three different Warjacks/Warbeast, so it would be a good idea to magnetize that kit) so it might shock you a little bit. Other than that, welcome to Warmachine/ Hordes! ^_^

I was playing 40k as my first minis game, and wanted to play another system. I picked up the Legion of Everblight starter, but never really played or learned the game too much until MkII came out. Then, I started playing heavily, and then started expanding and then picking up my second faction, protectorate of Menoth.