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So I'm a completely new player to WarMachine, I've never played, I've never even read the rules, but a bunch of people have been twisting my arm to get involved, so I went through and picked out the models that I thought were interesting, and made a pirate band. My question to you is, how effective is it?

Shae

Nomad

Press Gangers

Sea Dogs

Mr. Walls

Doc Killingsworth

Bosun Grogspar

First Mate Hawk

Lord Rockbottom

Bloody Bradigan

The Commodore Cannon and Crew

Without checking points, that looks close to a full 35pt list. Well, maybe around 28-34 IIRC on the unit costs.

Pirates, or Privateers as their card call them, are tricky because there are a lot of stacked abilities that can make the basic Sea Dogs really good.

Maybe there is room to add a Buccaneer light 'jack. This works well with anything because it can cause knockdown.
That is the 'jack with the harpoon and net.

Those models will work partly because they were designed as a mini-faction.
You might have some difficulty if they are your first force though.
The only oddball you picked was the Nomad, but i think it a fair swap with a Freebooter.

Others can tell you better strategy, but I would use the Nomad in tandem with the Buccaneer to wreck a heavy or go for the caster if you can.

Nah, it's exactly 25 points. Shae gives you -6 points, so essentially the nomad is free

I think you may have too many solo's for a force that small, I would drop a couple and make sure you have a full unit of sea dogs and possibly a buccaneer as mentioned.

welcome to the charter, i always have a ball when i play Shae.

so, here is what i recommend, based on what you like:

Shae
Commodore and Crew
Freebooter (scarier then nomad, and WILL get the charge when played right)
Press Gangers (max)
Sea Dogs (min)
Mr walls

Bosun grogspar
Doc
Hawk
Rockbottom

i like to keep rockbotom near the commodore for juicy RAT 10 shots with that auto slam cannonball. the freebooter can captialize on KD from the commodore, or from blow the man down from shae. Freebooter is also good cuz it cant be knocked down. keep doc near the gangers for the 4+ tough tarpit. hawk near either unit to pass off random shots. bosun shoukd be central to spread the anti KD bubble around.