J0kerrMT wrote:So why would you choose any army over another? what is the pull? or am I looking at expensive chess?
J0kerrMT wrote:I want to play and am looking for help...a simple breakdown of how the starter boxes play....I want to join this game...please help me instead of telling me to go away
We're not telling you to "go away". Please, dont be so dramatic.
But you are asking the wrong questions, and not really accepting of the answers. With respect, you keep asking for simple one-line answers, and seem nonplussed when we explain these answers are not so simple and the game is far more complex than that.
Why choose one army over another? Easy. Look. Empathy. Sympathy. Pick a faction based on the "look" or the "fluff". Either of the faction as a whole, or even just based on a handful of casters. THere is little point basing your pick on "the most powerful", as, unlike
40k, every faction can be built to win. there is no "garbage", as understood by
40k. Look, the best piece of advice i got when starting this game is to forget everything i thought i knew about wargaming, as learned through the prism of
40k. its a brand new experience. Treat it as such, and look forward to breaking new ground for yourself and your friends, rather than asking us to point you to a path that really doesnt exist.
I got into the Circle of orboros because i liked (a) werewolves, (b) tharn, and (c) kromac. I've expanded my roster a whole lot since then with a lot of mercenaries available to them, a lot of the "stone" and "druid" models available, as well as more of the warlocks and beasts. But for me, the primary draw was the first three reasons i listed. i got into Khador because of (a) the butcher of khardov, and (b) doom reavers. I find the Butcher to be a fascinating, yet deeply tragic character and that draws me in and hooks me into the story.
As to the pull - the pull of the game is great models, great, engaging backstory and world (and i have all the
d20 books so i can testify to this). Excellent internal and external balance, and deep, engaging, tactical play.
Now, you ask about how the starter boxes play. OK, i'll bite.
Khador: you get sorscha - an assassination caster with a brutal control feat. She very much likes to land the finishing blow herself, and typically can reach out from a staggering non-linear 19" range. Essentially, if you leave a line to your caster - and sorscha can get there, she's got you. the two jacks are the basic khador jacks -a juggernaut and an destoryer. the former is a downright mean melee beatstick. it does nothing flashy, has few special rules, but is capable of a staggering amount of damage, as it hits like a freight train and can take a beating in return. the destoryer isnt as good in melee - it can handle itself, but you mainly take it for its ranged gun. long range, good damage, and an AOE splash.
Cygnar: you get stryker. he's a toolbox. In ways he is the perfect starter caster because he is terrible.
and i say that in a good way. he is not terrible by the way. What i mean is he is not single minded in what he does. he is mr/generic, and mr.helps everyone. he can run jacks. he can run infantry. he does really well in all the areas a cygnar caster should do well, with a versatile set of spells and a very useful attrition feat. Whats great about him is you have to think about "combined arms", "synnergies" and "combos" to get the most out.
id argue he is the best starter for helping you to start thinking like a warmachine player. his signature move is his earthwake spell, backed up by some ranged pounding from jacks/infantry. the ironclad, like the juggernaut is a simple solid beatstick. the lancer has some nifyt special rules and can be used as a relay for strykers spells. the charger is a versatile jack that hits stuff in melee and shoots stuff well at range.
Protectorate. Kreoss is a very versatile toolbox caster. very useful feat which knocks everything down, and lends itself to some ranged assassination moves. he is more of s denial caster though as some of his spells are all about removing magic. His jacks, like cygnars are a mix of big solid lunk of a beatstick, a jack with a flamethrower and a melee weapon, and a jack that acts as a magic relay, with a shield and spear.
Cryx. Denny is an excellent warcaster. escellent spell list and feat. one of the better warcasters in the game, in fact. very much a spellbomber, as she is fragile, squshy and lacks a huge punch in melee (aside from attacking after debuffing). Cryx work by debuffing the other guy, and then going in for the kill. you get a slayer and 3 chickenjacks. the slayer is a versatile melee beatstick whilst the others are mainly used as spell relays for deneghra.
Retribution. Kaelyssa is a range focussed caster with some interesting spells and a useful feat (stops shooting and charges). With phantom hunter and energy syphon she likes to put the final blow in herself. Her jacks are, again, a mix of big ranged/melee beatstick ,shield/spear armed light and another light melee beatstick.
On the hordes side:
Circle. kaya is an extraordinary hit and run caster. she might suffer in scenario/attrition play but at this level she is great. passive +2 to-hit rolls for all her beasts make them exceptionally accurate. Her spells lend herself to a hit and run playstyle where her beasts go in, kill stuff, and then she pulls them out. Its called the "kaya yoyo". she gets two argus light warbeasts which are nothing to write home about, and a feral warpwolf which is an excellent melee beatstick.
Trolls.
Madrak is an excellent troll warlock. quite a decent beatstick in his own right, with a very useful feat. he comes with 3 light warbeasts - an axer and two impalers. the impalers are good ranged beasts that chuck tree sized javellins at things. they can also hit stuff up in melee. the axer is your standard melee beatstick that hits above his weight for a light warbeast.
Skorne: Morghoull is an assassination caster. fast, light and swuishy, but he can put the hurt in. useful spell list. titans are excellent, always useful melee beatsticks, and the two cyclops are versatile light warbeasts with an excellent animus, and are quite useful in melee.
Everblight. A range focused battlegroup. you get 4 light shredders (lesser warbeasts) and a carnivean. the carni is an excellent melee beatstick and the shredders are great for tarpitting, and general annoyance factor. llylith is an excellent ranged caster with a brilliant feat and solid spell list.
