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As some of you know I'm some what new to Warmachine/hordes, and I haven't played that much yet outside of a hand full of games with a couple friends.

Any who I keep seeing people refer to lists as Tier. So are there different levels of play based off the Tier system?

It is just a different way of making a list. Still use the same pts as a non tier and everything. For tier lists you choose a caster, and then one of their theme lists, each caster has at least one.

The theme says what models you are allowed to take, and has 4 levels. Basically you start at level one, and if you meet the requirements during list construction for levels 2-4 then you get some benefit from the tier. You have to go in order, 2 then 3 then 4. Benefits can be anything from a pt reduction on certain models to free terrain you get to deploy on the table every game. It is cumulative, so a tier list level 4 would get all the benefits from levels 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Theme lists are the in books and sometimes get released in the no quarter magazine. Or can just do what I do and just use the warroom app.

Edit: Theme lists are kinda a tradeoff you have a smaller selections of models to make your list with but you get extra bonuses based on what level your tier is.

 DarkWind wrote:
As some of you know I'm some what new to Warmachine/hordes, and I haven't played that much yet outside of a hand full of games with a couple friends.

Any who I keep seeing people refer to lists as Tier. So are there different levels of play based off the Tier system?

All warcasters in the game have at least one 'theme list'. These represent a 'fluffy' army that the caster has been associated with*.Tiers are as aspect of theme lists.

Are you familiar with the older (pre codex farsight) farsight enclave rules? Theme lists kinda work on that principle in that you have a more limited unit roster, but get bonuses for taking certain combinations. The 'tier' represents how 'far' you push the theme list - the further you go, the more restrictive it gets, but the more theme bonuses you get too. Obviously, you have to meet all the preconditions for tier one to qualify for tier two and so on...

The level one tier of a theme list typically restricts you to units x,y,z and jacks a,b,c. As a reward, the force allocation fir these units increases. Level two tiers might specify multiples of that unit, and if you take that, you get a bonus (eg take 3 squads of doom reavers, they're reduced in cost by a point). Levels three and more follow this pattern. What restrictions you face and what bonuses you get vary from theme list to theme list. Check the forces of war books as they list the theme lists for all casters, and pp periodically release new theme lists in no quarter.


*please note - in the context of fluff, non theme armies are just as fluffy as themed armies, the themed lists armies may represent famous engagements, or noteworthy forces they have been associated with, but are not linked exclusively to.

I think everything up here have been clear on what a Tier list is.

Tier list can be a good example of a what your Warcaster can do with troops but... Tier list are great on paper... otherwise I would not recommand to restrict yourself to Tier list. If it suit your army type of play, good but don't force it. There is tones and tones of unit combination that allow a good synergy outside the limitation of a Tier list. Sometime choosing units that break the Tier List is more benefical than the benefit the Tier list can give you.

As example, I used to play a Khador Tier 1 pIrusk list with Assault Kommandos and a Spriggan. The Tier 1 list reduce by one point the cost of the Spriggan (which reduce from 10 to 9). Somehow my game stye change with the evolution and my knowledge of my ennemy and now I play different combination, but with the addition of some mercenary like Gorman DiWolfe. The addition of some Mercenary on my list break the requirement for the Tier 1 list... the sacrifice of the point reduction on my Spriggan is more benefical to the synergy of the entire army. So... at the end Tier list are great, but considering the constant evolution of the game they get quickly outdated especially with "older" Warcaster.

Thank you all for the info maybe I should buy my faction book then.

 DarkWind wrote:
Thank you all for the info maybe I should buy my faction book then.

If you are interested in the fluff, tier lists or like having most of your units/casters/warjacks in one easy to find place it is nice. I buy all the army and expansion books.

But if you only want the tier lists and units and like evercions of the rules, etc. then consider the warroom app. I think it is a good part cheaper and continually updates as new things are released, errata'd, etc.

Also, because Tier lists are "fluffy" they don't necessarily have the same balance put into them that the normal game does.

So some tiers are amazing, some are ok, and some are horrible ideas.

I would highly recommend not doing Tier lists until you have gotten over the learning curve of the game and have gotten a good collection of models. Tiers often let you take more of a unit than normal, and thus you'd have duplicates you'd never use outside of it(forcing you into a particular build all the time)


Most factions have 2-4 Tier lists that see competitive play, and a few stinkers nobody every plays.