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| Warmachine; Whats the opinon? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 10 2008, 10:15 PM (901 Views) | |
| mattblackgod | Aug 10 2008, 10:15 PM Post #1 |
Big boss warlord dude!
  ![]](http://z3.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)
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I have seen Warmachine about for a while. I am tempted by the machines. So whats it about? How does it play? How much magic is involved? Whats you opinons of this game? |
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| v_lazy_dragon | Aug 11 2008, 06:28 PM Post #2 |
Enforcer
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I love the figures, but thats about all I can say  PGC? I believe this is a thread for you...
Edited by v_lazy_dragon, Aug 11 2008, 06:29 PM.
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| Ross | Aug 13 2008, 09:35 AM Post #3 |
Wasteland Warlord
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Personally I'm not taken with it. While some stuff looks good it just doesn't reach out to me. But yeah, I'd wager PGC will have alot to say about this 
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 14 2008, 09:47 AM Post #4 |
Wastelander
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Just saw this thread... but I'm at work... so I'll reserve this bit of post to put in a LONG description of what goes on... Look back later... going to write the stuff on MSWord so it looks like I'm working! 
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| v_lazy_dragon | Aug 14 2008, 08:06 PM Post #5 |
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Enforcer
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Cool  Looking forward to it As for looking like one is working... I have to read a lot of reports, etc - so it makes reading rules (as long as they aren't too prettily illustrated) very easy. And as a nuclear chemist - there is always some good PA insperation at hand....
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| mattblackgod | Aug 14 2008, 08:16 PM Post #6 |
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Big boss warlord dude!
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Cool. |
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 14 2008, 09:10 PM Post #7 |
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Wastelander
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I sent the stuff I had worked on to myself at home to finish and post... but I just deleted the email... cr@p!!! I still have the stuff in work... I though I would do an overview of the world and a description of each of the nations/factions... In the meantime... here are the some of the Quick Start rules and sample stat cards for Warmachine & Hordes to wet your appetites. WARMACHINE QUICKSTART RULES WARMACHINE DEMO STAT CARDS HORDES QUICKSTART RULES HORDES DEMO STAT CARDS You'll see the rules for the two games use basically the same mechanics... the only big difference is that Warcasters (from Warmachine) tend to be more individually powerful, but must expend/dminish their power in order to improve their Warjacks and followers (and cast the odd spell). While Warlocks (from Hordes) are generally weak, but gain power from their Warbeasts and support from their followers that they use to cast spells. A note some may enjoy is that "spells" is a relative term. The Trollbloods (from the demo cards) are magically dead and can't cast magic, unless they are born albinos (which the one in the demo pack is... it's just some fluff... but fun nonetheless). However my favourite Trollblood Warlock (GRIM ANGUS)isn't a spellcaster... he's a hunter, so his "spells" might be called "spells", but they're actually abilities that he needs to spend FURY to activate. Which is pretty cool!  Hope to get the overview up tomorrow! Pint Glass Crusader Edited by Pint Glass Crusader, Aug 14 2008, 09:12 PM.
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 15 2008, 10:55 AM Post #8 |
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Wastelander
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Here’s the first faction post… there’s a lot of them, so I’ll post them one at a time so you get a chance to read and absorb each exquisite detail (BTW… I am condensing quite a lot of fluff into these, this game has not only the skirmish game, but an RPG, novels and fluff books… so this is Warmachine/Hordes-lite) BACKGROUND The world of Corvus could be much like any other generic fantasy world with Humans, Elves, Dwarves… yadda… yadda… only it isn’t! The guys who designed the game world, were fed up with D&D alignment systems, tree-hugging Elves and tunnelling Dwarves… so they based their version of their fantasy world more on real life politics and real world attitudes. Of course once you introduce those sorts of factors into a fantasy world you get trouble… nationalism… imperialism…religious extremism… racism… exploitation… and all the other bad things of the world are universally magnified, creating a much more gritty and visceral world in which survival often means having a quicker draw… or just a bigger gun! The main driving force behind the Warmachine universe (called “The Iron Kingdoms” [IK] by those in the know) is Mechanika… the blending of “traditional” fantasy magic with machines! Without going into too much detail the magic system is similar to D&D… Arcane magic (that of D&D Wizards) exists in the universe as an “all-encompassing energy field” (you know “The Force” sort of deal) some are naturally able to utilise it to create marvellous effects (these individuals are called Sorcerers); others can (through long, laborious study) learn to harness this energy to accomplish feats of incredible power (called Mages). Divine magic (that of D&D Clerics and Druids) exists as well, it is the power granted by Gods (or demons… called "Infernals" in IK) in exchange for… well for worship or dark deeds or something like that… anyway, the rub is the Gods themselves are inexorably part of this “all-encompassing magical energy”… so any use of this field also diminishes them. Now this doesn’t make much sense until you start to consider “The Big Picture”. The “Magic Field” gradually restores itself naturally, and if the only people who accessed this “Magic Field” did so naturally, through long study or by divine worship, all would be fine as the “Magic Field” would be diminished with each use of its energy, but would eventually recover. The Elves know this… their Gods live among them (rather than being nebulous and unseen) and have told them so… so it must be true! However, all the other races aren’t so concerned with all this “eco-magic” mumbo-jumbo… so some bright spark invented Mechanika. This blending of magic and technology allows anyone (with minimal training) to accumulate and store enough magical energy, using a mechanikal device (called an Arcane Turbine or Arcane Battery), to create amazing magical effects… typically using another mechanikal device to create this effect! These Arcane Turbines must be powered somehow in order to collect magical energy… typically by wind/water power (using huge windmills/water wheels) or using [the vastly more popular] steam power! The best example of Mechanika is a traditional D&D “Wand of Lightening”. You could spend years learning to craft and enchant this precious item, or you can employ an Arcane Mechanik who will wire a Mechanikal “Lightening Wand” up to a small “Arcane Battery” and you can let rip at will with the press of a button! Now those of you who have been paying attention will note a problem here… if anyone can harness this magical energy… then the Magical Field will be put under greater and greater stress until eventually it will be unable to recover and begin to deplete! This is the stage we are at in the Iron Kingdoms. Remember there are two parts to the Iron Kingdoms games, Warmachine and Hordes. I’ll deal with each separately. Warmachine The nations are at war… the magic that powers their devices and empowers their gods is in decline… they need more fuel to power their mechanical devices and more natural resources, which in many cases means taking it by force, from some other nation unable to defend itself. In a world where firearms are common (although not so common to have replaced crossbows and swords) the Warjack is the king of the battlefield… These creations of magic and machinery range from hulking metal monsters, capable of tearing apart castle walls, to nimble automatons, faster, stronger and tougher than even the most elite soldier! Everything has pretty much gone to hell! Here are the nations involved and general approximations of their motivations. Cygnar – The mightiest (at least in their own minds) and most technically advanced human nation in the Iron Kingdoms. Cygnar is loosely based on the Victorian Age British Empire; they control swathes of land and have a number of other nations under their control. Most notably Ord (a bit like Ireland, a bit lawless, a bit independent, but gutsy and an ally always ready for a scrap… they also have a strong religious contingent who worship Morrow… a sort of generic “God of Goodness”) and Lhael (who are less technically advanced, but have huge deposits of coal and other minerals… a bit like Wales). Cygnar have developed the majority of the world's “cutting edge” technology. They have learned to harness electricity and can mass produce firearms, they have developed airships, thereby neutralising their disadvantage as a land-locked country. However, their propensity for rapid advancement has put them on an Imperialistic and expansionist footing… they need to feed their growing industries and therefore need more land, workers and materials… those they cannot get through trade and diplomacy, they take through force. In the game: The forces of Cygnar are primarily a ranged faction, they have superior firepower and their troops are professional volunteers that smack of WWI soldiers, like trench fighters, riflemen and few troops being without an accurate and lethal firearm… but strangely… these troops are mixed with a couple of units of armoured knights. Knights armed with techno-magical melee weapons (such as “Lightening Glaives” and “Shock Lances”)… that, while odd… do not seem out of place with the ethos of the faction. As their technology is advanced, their Warjacks are similarly sophisticated. They range from the [arguably] average “Ironclad” [a sort of standard heavy warjack… a tough, damage dealer with little “special stuff”] to the incredibly [for the period] hi-tech “Thunderhead” with its electrical power source and amazing lightening/electrical discharges that can immobilise other Warjacks or render troops to ashes! Next: Khador |
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 15 2008, 12:49 PM Post #9 |
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Wastelander
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Khador – The toughest of the human nations and based (loosely) on Tsarist Russia. The Khadorans are a hardy people used to a harsh, cold climate and unforgiving wilderness, a country where “might makes right” and those in power ruthlessly impose their will on those unable to defend themselves. The Khadoran technology level is roughly equivalent to the industrial revolution. Steam technology is their primary source of power and machines are built to be practical, rather than beautiful. Khador is resource poor. Its land is rough, mountainous and filled with dangerous forests (teeming with monsters and bogrins) and the remains of old battlefields (and the resultant restless dead). They site old enmities and ancient land claims (some are even legitimate) as reasons to wage war on other nations, in the name of their Queen (and her totalitarian regime) and the “Motherland”. In the game: The Khadorans are tough (did I mention that?). Their Warjacks are massive, armoured hulks… slow… but night-on impenetrable to the [unenhanced] weapons of the common solider. Their Man O’War soldiers clothe themselves in steam-driven suits of metal armour, turning them into walking tanks. Their Khadoran firearms on-the-other-hand are somewhat archaic, blunderbusses and other “hand-cannons” are the norm, with more accurate [and expensive] weapons reserved only for the truly elite marksmen. However, while the majority of their weaponry might be inaccurate, they do favour mass destruction over precision and the Khadoran mortar crews are rightly feared… this and their warriors are some of the most fearsome you will come across in the Iron Kingdoms… you have to be tough to survive in Khador and they all give the impression that they wrestle bears instead of callisthenics! Next: The Protectorate of Menoth |
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 15 2008, 12:53 PM Post #10 |
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Wastelander
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The Protectorate of Menoth – Menoth is the God of civilisation, of mankind (i.e. human-kind) and of law. He is unfaltering and unrelenting… his word is law and his tenets are strict to the point of extreme. The Protectorate split from (the mostly secular) Cygnar, following a bitter religious uprising, where the King of Cygnar deemed it less effort just to grant the followers of Menoth a small independent state (or Protectorate) rather than waste valuable resources (needed elsewhere) fighting against a small group of fanatics… this was a mistake! Since that time the Protectorate has expanded rapidly, the ruling Theocracy has imposed laws controlling [nearly] all aspects of the lives of its citizenry and they have prospered under their brutal, but even-handed rule. The majority of those who live in the Protectorate are normal, everyday people with little to fear from the wrath of the ruling Theocracy or their cruel law enforcers. However, while the dictates of Menoth may espouse equality and interdependence… this edict does not extend to those not of the human race… Elves, Dwarves, Gobbers, Trollkin, Ogrun… etc. are lesser races fit only to serve the purity of Mankind, while those who practice Arcane magic are an abomination in the sight of Menoth! The Protectorate wage war on other states not for the betterment of the Protectorate, but for the “good of all Mankind”… the fact that the ruling Theocracy gets rich in the process is merely “the reward of Menoth himself”. The Protectorate stands in a strange place when it comes to technology. Their wielders of Divine magic are matched only by the might of the Druids of the Circle (see below), but Arcane magic is needed to operate the mighty Warjacks necessary to wage war against the unbelievers… the lesser races and the dread infernalists! To this end, the Protectorate routinely purchases Labourjacks (i.e. techno-magical constructs designed for industry rather than war) from allied nations and “disreputable sources” which are then refitted for war. They also capture Arcane magicians, who are then “coerced by the glory of Menoth” into [magically] reprogramming these refitted Warjacks to serve the Warrior-Monks of the Protectorate. So while their military technology is relatively modern and their legions of Zealots, willing to die at the command of their leaders, their general technology level is little better than the middle ages, with the most advanced power sources being wind mills and water wheels. In the Game: The Protectorate of Menoth is nothing if not devoted. Their troops are [relatively] low cost and have a penchant for blowing themselves to smithereens (all for the “Glory of Menoth!”), but they also have some very effective “crusader” style knights who can really put the hurt on the filthy unbelievers. Their Warjacks are all sort of “standard issue” (i.e. their stats aren’t bad, but ain’t great). However the Protectorate has a love of fire!!! So they burn stuff a lot and many of their Warjacks carry flamethrowers (to toast the heretics) rather than guns. Just on a side note… despite their heavy Warjacks being desperately average, the Protectorate’s light Warjacks (the smaller ones) are all pretty good (compared to everyone else’s anyway) and take quite a bit of punishment. However, they have a particular one called the “Devout” which is so good as to be practically unfair (I own and run 3 of them!)…I just thought I would mention that… Next: Cryx Edited by Pint Glass Crusader, Aug 15 2008, 12:55 PM.
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 15 2008, 12:57 PM Post #11 |
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Wastelander
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Cryx – Ahhh… the Cryx… they’re a mixture of pirates and the undead… how could you go wrong? Cryx is a Southern Island nation… but to properly understand Cryx you need to know about Dragons! In IK Dragons are walking, fire-breathing, natural disasters… think Godzilla on PCP and having a bad day! The first Dragon is named Toruk and was the only dragon until he decided to father some children. Using his god-like power he split his Soul Stone (that’s like a dragon’s heart/brain/essence all rolled into a… well… a stone) and used the shards to create other dragons… his children… anyway bad things happened and his “children” began to grow in power. Fearing one may one day usurp his power; Toruk hunted down, destroyed and consumed most of his children. However one of his kids… Everblight (see below) who, while not as powerful as his brothers and sisters, was a lot smarter… rather than fight his father, he injured him... badly… and ran for it! Now Toruk dwells below the Island of Cryx nursing his wounds and trying [mostly in vain] to recover his strength. Now Dragons have god-like power in IK and those with that level of power attract followers. Toruk has followers the most powerful of these are the 13 Iron Liches, once powerful mages, Toruk used his power to make them immortal (i.e. undead) so that they might serve him and help him hunt down his remaining children. These Liches created more of the undead and using their knowledge of Mechanika developed a means of augmenting the undead with technology… so was born the Thrall… which are steam-powered zombies that can be refitted to perform various tasks as required (and don’t need any wages). This magical technology (called Necrotech… strangely enough) was also used to create Warjacks from metal and bone, enchanted by dark magic and fuelled by a strange quasi-mystical fossil fuel called “Necrotite” (it’s like evil coal that contains trapped souls… nasty!). One thing you need to know… and all you Post-Apoc guys will like this… Dragon’s emanate magic… lots of magic… in a raw and uncontrolled form. This has some pretty “unusual” effects on those who are subjected to it. Yep… I’m talking MUTATIONS! There are many mutants on the Island of Cryx. Most are put to death at birth, but one race has developed where the mutations have stabilised and now breed true… these are the Satyxis. All Satyxis have horns (on their heads), are female (are universally attractive) and require males of other species (they’re not really human or elf… or whatever they used to be anymore) in order to breed… of course they are also absolutely devoted to Toruk… who isn’t on the Nobel Peace Prize list…or he might be, if there was a prize for evil and eating your own children… Cryx is a dangerous place… it’s full of undead guys… dragon stuff and sexy, but dangerous female mutants, who only want your body (just like my house actually!). So you would think nobody would want to go there… you would be wrong! The fact that no one in their right mind would want to go there means that it’s a great place for pirates to hide out… and they do… in pretty big numbers! The coast of Cryx has some pretty big ports, filled with riotous “Pirates of the Caribbean” style hang-outs, overflowing with over-the-top pirates (but they have their own faction… see below)! In the Game: When we talk about Cryx we are really referring to the undead guys and the sexy, mutant ladies. Cryx are the most “magical” faction of all the Warmachine forces. Their troops are weak, cheap [in points cost], plentiful and expendable, but lack any real ranged ability, relying on charging with overwhelming numbers and magical ranged strikes to deal threats at range. Cryx plays very much as a control force. They “monkey around” with other factions ability to do things and they have some of the most lethal Warcasters available (to counter balance their weaker troops and Warjacks), who all sport names your mother wouldn’t like you to date, like Asphyxious, Terminus and Skarre! Their technology is weird and nasty… it’s made of metal and bits of bone… and it can do strange things to the more “traditional” tech of the other factions. They also have Warjacks that can run themselves (if you read the quick-start rules… these are Warjacks that generate their own Focus!). Just on their Warjacks… making them out of metal and bone might be gruesome, but it’s also weaker and lighter than all metal… so Cryx Warjacks are [usually] fast, dangerous, hard to hit, but rather squishy. Next: Mercenaries Edited by Pint Glass Crusader, Aug 15 2008, 12:58 PM.
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 15 2008, 03:11 PM Post #12 |
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Wastelander
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Mercenaries Not really a faction in themselves (although they can be played as one) they can be used to fill the gaps in your warband, providing some abilities, troops or Warjacks that the factions themselves usually lack. Some mercs will not work for some factions… but that’s all gets very complex… so we’ll not get into it, I’ll just go through the different “factions” or “Contracts” as they are called (i.e. you hire mercenaries with a contract, so they called them that rather than factions like the Cryx or Khador etc.). The Magnus Agenda – When the old King of Cygnar was usurped by his (only slightly less nasty) brother, Magnus was the general who supported the old King in an attempt to suppress the forces of the usurper. Now branded a traitor, he still commands the troops that were loyal to him during the rebellion. In the Game: Magnus the Traitor [what a name eh?] really only has Warjacks left, along with some halberdiers and cavalry. His troops and Warkjacks are solid, but average and cheap to field. They are often used when a faction wants either some cheap cavalry or some armoured infantry with reach weapons. The four [standard] mercenary Warjacks available are absurdly cheap to field, but bring nothing special to the table… they are the vanilla of the world of Warjack ice-cream… although the Mule (another converted heavy labourjack has a funky gun that has a neat knockdown trick and is relatively tough… but that’s about it). Magnus himself is a Warcaster [and a very good one] and therefore cannot be fielded unless you are running the Mercs as their own faction. However, Magnus has two exclusive types of mercenary Warjack that can only be fielded with him as their Warcaster… the Mangler and the Ravager. The Mangler is a heavy Warjack on par with any other heavy Warjack, but the Ravager is a beast!!! We’re talking a light Warjack, armed with a huge chainsaw and a rocket launcher; so powerful; you can only fire it once per game! I believe no more needs to be said on the matter… The Highborn Covenant – I don’t know much about the background and fluff to the Covenant. Not that it matters much… they are again the most average and flavourless of the mercenary contracts. In the Game: Their forces are essentially the same as those of Magnus the Traitor, except they can’t use his exclusive Warjacks or Magnus himself [obviously]. There is only one Warcaster of note for the Covenant named Ashlynn D’Elyse... what can you say about her... she has a really nice model! But seriously, she has the lightest armour and takes the least damage of all the Warcasters currently available… she’s pretty cheap to field… but only by a few points and if you field her you are limiting yourself to the choice of the four [vanilla flavoured] mercenary Warjacks, plus the choice of a few other mercenaries. If you want something mediocre that can do something in most situations, but not as well as anything else, then this is the faction for you… there’s a reason these guys hire themselves out to other armies… they will never make it on their own! The Seaforge Commission – It’s the Dwarves!!! The Dwarves of IK are not the beardy burrowers of D&D. They are grand architects of stone and makers of the finest guns in the kingdoms. Many nations have tried to conquer the [relatively] tiny nation of the Dwarves, but have been easily repelled by their monumental fortifications, advanced weaponry and general stubbornness… now they are pretty much left alone by everyone. However, they will hire themselves out for a fair price! In the Game: The Dwarves are best described as sturdy. Their troops are slow, but well protected and typically hit like a truck driven by the Incredible Hulk! Their Warjacks are pretty much the same. With that description you would think these little guys would be unbeatable... unfortunately that is far from the truth. Many effects in the game rely on hitting your target (not doing damage)… one thing about the Dwarves is that they get hit a LOT... but seldom take much (if any) damage! Seriously… a blind man with a pea-shooter can hit them between the eyes 9 out of 10 times! This means they often fall prey to effects that other, harder to hit forces (like Cryx) would normally laugh off, and this is their weakness. On a positive note, they have some really fun (two-legged) light Warjacks armed with either a small grenade launcher or a machine gun… which gives rise to their nickname on the Warmachine forums of “Gun-Bunnies”… however their lack of a melee weapon means they are easy prey to most factions that can close to melee with them… although they are the fastest of the Dwarven Warjacks or units. As mercenaries the Dwarves can provide you with a tough, well-armoured force of troops, a great rifle unit that shoots from behind shields (and whose models for are really lovely!) or a slow, easily hit, but night invulnerable Warjack armed with a grenade launcher and either a huge rock-drill or a hammer capable of causing localised earthquakes! However, when used as a faction on their own, everything faster than Khador Heavy Warjacks (and even Khador have some fast troops) will run around the Dwarves to get to the Warcaster and win. Just on their Warcasters, the two available Dwarven Warcasters are great fun. Gorten Grundback is their multi-purpose Warcaster who slows the enemy down to your speed by making difficult ground (which is only partially effective against so many factions as they have troops and Warjacks that are all-terrain) and Durgen Madhammer (another good name!) who is like a heavy Warjack himself, but suffers from all the downfalls of being unable to avoid those pesky “only need to hit” abilities that so many factions can field. The Talion Charter – Remember the Pirates I was talking about…well… this is them! The company who make the Warmachine/Hordes game are called Privateer Press… they have a major “thing” for pirates and as such the Pirates of the Talion Charter are really good. To those first meeting them they seem to be incredibly powerful, they have cheap, plentiful troops, a plethora of pirate solos with crazy cool special abilities and Warjacks that can wade through water… water normally destroys Warjacks by putting out their boiler! These guys have developed diesel engines (similar to those used on submarines) so their Warjacks can operate on (and under) water for limited periods… not only that… they’re pirates!!! They have Cannons!!! In the Game: There are three Warcasters for the Pirates, Captain Phinneus Shae, Broadside Bart and Fiona the Black. Capt. Phinneus Shae is the all-rounder, his stats are good, but he doesn’t really excel at any particular area. Both his ranged and melee attacks are good, with some decent abilities like pushing opponents back, or allowing him to make a sweeping strike against multiple opponents that try to attack him in melee. He’s a swashbuckler and his main advantage is that he can stay mobile, despite the odds. However, his spells are bog-standard… an attack, a defence and a status (knockdown) spell, as-well-as a “mess with your opponents roll” spell, but his best ability is the one that is most often overlooked… Field Promotion! When a unit of troops has its leader killed, they can no longer make a run, charge or use any special orders (i.e. special abilities)… effectively they are neutered. With “Field Promotion” Shae can promote a pirate (pirates only though) to leader status, effectively reactivating the unit (albeit at a reduced compliment of troops)… believe me… that can completely swing a game! Broadside Bart is your Warjack Warcaster of choice… he specialises in big bangs and boosting up damage… put him near something big and he will make it really big… and scary to boot! Fiona the Black is a worshipper of Thammar (the generic Goddess of Evil and naughtiness) she is your troop centric Warcaster, as she effectively makes pirates members of her “naughty pirate cult” so they give her more power. The biggest drawback of the Pirates is their interdependence, they each have abilities that help out the other and combined, they can steamroller over forces that look vastly superior. However this is also their weakness, target and destroy one link in the chain and the whole is diminished, do that enough and the whole thing falls apart. Next – Some Independant Mercs and Hordes |
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| mattblackgod | Aug 15 2008, 04:12 PM Post #13 |
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Big boss warlord dude!
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A Nice intro so far - I will have to re-read the rules too. The factions and background sound interesting. The squats/dwarves of my backgrounds are similar in that they are engineers rather than bearded weirdos who live underground.
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 22 2008, 07:03 AM Post #14 |
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Wastelander
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Hordes While the nations war with one another over fuel, resources and land, other forces are also mobilising… More primal and barbaric than the organised nations of Warmachine, the forces of Hordes represent the interests of factions who have a more primitive (and less technological) outlook. Where the nations of the Iron Kingdoms utilise Warjacks, the factions of the Hordes have Warbeasts! These great monsters are immense in size and unbridled in their fury; only through the training and magic can they be controlled and goaded into battle, to be used as living siege weapons. Fuelled by rage, bolstered by ranks of warriors and the magic (or skills) of the Warlocks, a Warbeast is easily the equal of anything created by the industrial magic of the Iron Kingdoms nations. The primary difference between the two game systems (other than the different game mechanics for generating power to use spells and abilities) is that the forces of Warmachine are professional armies, which is represented by better equipment (they got guns!), armour and morale. The forces of Hordes are [generally] rugged and undisciplined, but they are tough. This is usually represented by being able to absorb more punishment, but their armour and equipment tends to be more “primitive”… but no less effective. The second difference is the abilities of the Warlock. While a Warcaster who retains FOCUS points will increase their ARM (armour) score thereby taking less damage. The Warlock (who is universally weaker than the Warcaster) can use their FURY to transfer damage done to them to their Warbeasts (which has the potential to make them tougher [at least early on] than the Warcaster and usually prevents early game assassination attempts. However as the warband’s Warbeasts take damage or are defeated, this option becomes less effective). In addition, the Warlock can use a point of FURY to heal a Warbeast by 1 point of damage, which can make an incredible difference! The gallery of the miniatures for the Hordes factions can be found HERE Factions The Circle of Orboros – Druids in the Iron Kingdoms are a strange and fearsome lot. They worship a being… who is a pure embodiment of nature… called “The Devourer Wyrm”… this beast is both God and Demon, creator and destroyer, a spirit of chaos and an embodiment of the natural cycle. It is the enemy of order and the sworn destroyer of Menoth, in his manifestation as the creator of civilisation and order. Now that all sounds very dramatic, but what it boils down to is that Druids fear their God as much as they fear their god’s enemy (Menoth). In the dogma, of both Orboros and Menoth, both the Wyrm and Menoth fight for dominance (in a far-off plane of existence), locked in an equal struggle, in which they will fight for eternity… each unable to destroy the other… unless their worshippers in the Iron Kingdoms can swing the battle one way or the other. With this in mind, the Protectorate of Menoth [faction] want Menoth to win and return to them as a living God… the Circle of Orboros do not want Menoth to return (as he will destroy all the wild places and “pave paradise” as the song goes), but in a bitter ironic twist, the Druids do not want the Wyrm to win either… it is a spirit of chaos that will destroy the world only to rebirth it and destroy it again in an never-ending chaotic cycle… that would be just as bad as Menoth controlling the world with his iron fist of law! So the Circle fights to preserve the balance between civilisation (Menoth) and wilderness (The Devourer Wyrm). As a community grows too large, the Circle burns it to the ground, as the wilderness encroaches on a community, they use their magic to bolster that community’s crops and increase their fertility to enable it to expand. The irony is that none can see the pattern to the Circle’s actions and so believe them to be at best mad and at worst really mad! In the Game: The Circle are a fast and mobile faction, this is epitomised by the “pathfinder” ability, which all the members of the Circle possess and which allows them to ignore the movement reduction effects of terrain (effectively they are all-terrain). The Circle’s heavy Warbeasts are called Warpwolves (effectively gigantic werewolves) and their light Warbeasts are other “creatures of the forest” (which in IK can mean they are pretty weird) drafted to serve the power of the Druids, these range from the [arguably atrocious] Argus to the infinitely useful Gorax. However, unlike some other factions, the Circle also have another type of heavy and light Warbeasts… “The Natural Constructs”. These are beings of carved stone and wood, lashed together with vines and given life through the nature magic of the Druids. These constructions could almost be confused for Warjacks, but as they act like Warbeasts, we must assume they are alive! The Circle relies on Divine magic granted through their worship of the Devourer Wyrm. They have a lot of spells to buff their warriors and Warbeasts, but their offensive spells tend to be a bit on the weak side, especially when used against the superior armour of the Warmachine factions. They are fast and hard to hit, but tend to wear little armour, so one good shot can generally take them down. However, their Living Constructs (the Woldwarden and Woldwyrd) are much tougher, but unlike “normal” Warbeasts cannot be healed. The Circle also deals in “denial” (the ability to stop your opponent from completing certain actions or completing objectives) and can field the odd unit and solo character who can teleport (themselves or others), allowing for early game assassination wins! All-in-all the Circle of Orboros is a good faction if you like fast, mobile strikers who hit hard early game. However, they really can’t play “attrition” (the gradual erosion of forces) very well and their troops (with their sticks and spears) have trouble with all but the most lightly armoured Warmachine nations (so Cryx & Cygnar). Next: The Legion of Everblight Edited by Pint Glass Crusader, Aug 22 2008, 07:04 AM.
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 22 2008, 11:58 AM Post #15 |
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Wastelander
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The Legion of Everblight Anyone who has read the Cryx entry [see above] will be aware of the power of Dragins in the IK universe. Everblight was briefly mentioned the Cryx section, but here is more what he gets up to. Toruk, the Dragonfather, hunted down and consumed most of his children, those who remained, fled or hid to escape the might of their envious father. One of Toruk’s children, the Dragon Everblight, remained at large, and while considered to be physically the weakest of the Dragons (and that’s still pretty potent), Everblight was undoubtedly the most cunning. Toruk scoured the Iron Kingdoms in search of his errant children and as a creature of immense power; Everblight reasoned that despite his best efforts, he would never escape his implacable father. So unlike the rest of his kin, Everblight took the fight to Toruk, he challenged the Dragonfather, a challenge which Toruk (in his pride and arrogance) could not ignore. However, Everblight had been clever, Toruk may be superior in power, but in the engagement Everblight had planned he never intended victory… far from it… he had reasoned that the Dragonfather could not be beaten and had devised another plan. Everblight prepared the battlefield in his favour, so that when his mighty father arrived he need only strike one initial, but decisive blow… on Toruk’s arrival Everblight did exactly this, using the majority of his power, the Dragon struck at Toruk with an attack designed not to kill, but to cripple the mighty Dragonfather! Now Dragons are immortal and the wound inflicted by Everblight may take hundreds of years to heal, but that is but mere moments to those who count their age in millennia, but this was only the beginning of Everblight’s plan. Just as his father had birthed him by the splitting of his Soul Stone, so Everblight took his own Soul Stone and shattered it into pieces. As his body died he placed each of the shards within the bodies of the mightiest of his followers and then let his corporeal form rot into bones. This was a masterstroke, while Everblight still lives; he lives as a nebulous entity, devoid of physical form. Through his followers he can interact with the world, communicating with them through the portion of his soul, consciousness and power that resides within them. However as he has no form, he is hidden from the agents and searching magic of his father. But what does he want? He wants what all dragons want… Power and revenge… and through his legions he will get it! The Legion of Everblight are thought therefore to be the remnants of those who followed the Dragon Everblight and worshipped him as a God (remember Dragons are considered Demi-Gods in this setting), few know that they are actually the embodiment of the Dragon himself… that is until you actually meet one! Remember Dragons emanate magic in a raw form. This “magical radiation” mutates those who come in contact with it, typically over a period of time. Therefore, the Legion of Everblight are each mutants… to varying degrees… typically the more of the Dragon’s power (and Soul Stone) you possess, the more extreme your draconic mutation. This “magical mutation” allows the Legion to create horrible mutant beasts, either by using their “magically infused” blood or flesh to literally grow new creatures. These range from the small and vicious Shredders, to the massive, bestial mockeries of muscle and bone that is the Carnivean. Rest assured… the mutated abominations of the Legion of Everblight are to be rightly feared! In the Game: The Everblight core ability is “Eyeless Sight” (Eyeless Sight – this models Line of Sight cannot be blocked by concealment, stealth or invisibility), which is pretty potent. The Legion of Everblight are best described as the “Swiss Army-Knife” of Warmachine/Hordes, they are good at everything, but not great at any one thing. This makes them one of [arguably] the best factions to play in the game [especially in tournaments] as they will usually have “something” to deal with most threats in the game. However, their versatility is also their greatest weakness. The Legion find it difficult to defend themselves against “trick” warbands (i.e. those designed around a specific tactic or game mechanic), or those factions that concentrate solely on certain themes For example: The Khador faction is slow, but has massive armour scores [so they take little damage when they get hit, and they take a lot of damage!], therefore, the Legion will need at least one Carnivean [a big, strong & expensive Heavy Warbeast] to hope to damage your typical Khador Warjack. So if you face a Khador warband that has fielded a number of Warjacks… and you have no Carnivean… you are in trouble! In this case you would concentrate on assassinating the Warcaster to win, rather than taking out the forces you cannot (or can barely) hurt. However, against warbands that have diversified in an attempt to “cover their bases”, the Legion will be at a serious advantage, as this is where their strength lies. This is not to say the Legion cannot specialise nor does it mean they do not have any “tricks” of their own… they can and do… there are just not as many and they are [generally] more difficult to pull off! The Legion has the ability to field many more Warbeasts than any other faction and without fear of these beasts attacking their Warlock… Legion Warbeasts are born of the flesh and blood of their creators… they do not attack themselves! All-in-all, the Legion of Everblight are the faction to play if you like versatility, they can react against most threats, but to balance this they suffer somewhat in their ability to control the abilities of others [control tactics] and to deliver outright/direct damage [their heavy hitters are very expensive, both in game points and £££!]. Next: Trollbloods Edited by Pint Glass Crusader, Aug 22 2008, 11:59 AM.
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 22 2008, 04:21 PM Post #16 |
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Wastelander
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Trollbloods The trolls are an adaptable race… not only can they consume almost any material and gain “some” sustenance from it, they are prolific and tough… very prolific and very tough! The Troll itself is a monstrous beast… stupid… hungry and dangerous! However, long ago “someone” (one presumes a magician of some sort) decided that the positive attributes of the troll would be beneficial if added to a “more manageable” humanoid race and so commenced some “magical genetic engineering” and the birth of the Trollbloods (or Trollkin) they are big guys… healthy… strong,… pretty dumb and fun. The Trollkin, as a race, are Scottish… there is no getting away from it! As a Scotsman myself (born and raised in Edinburgh) I can see the resemblance… they are tough, ugly, heavy drinking, violent and loveable… check the pictures! These guys had their own bit of land/country until the oppressive/nationalistic Cygnar decided that they wanted their bit of the world. The Trollbloods didn’t mind… everything was great for a while… then the wars started and the Trollkin lands started getting abused. Cygnar is an industrial powerhouse that needs fuel… a lot of fuel… and the Trollbloods had some of that stuff… well… for a while! Now they have very little, except their innate toughness and resentment… this is the driving force behind their war with the world. They are impoverished, but proud... and are striking out on their own to reclaim what they can! To this end thy have enlisted their forebears to aid them. The Trollkin Warbeasts are Trolls… big Trolls and small Trolls… some of the Trollblood line breeds closer to the pure Trolls than the humanoids they are mixed with. These are the Light Warbeasts. For the Heavy Warbeasts we have huge Trolls… nasty… big… mad and bad… you gotta love ‘em! In the Game: The Trollbloods are tough… in fact that is their core rule “Tough”… when reduced to zero damage boxes, the player rolls a D6, on a roll of 5-6 the Trollblood is left with one damage box… and still alive! The Trolls are great! In Hordes [I believe] they’re the most fun, look the best and should (on paper) be able to win everything… but they don’t… their abilities mean they are universally expensive (not only in game points, but in £££) and nearly all of their models are on medium (40mm diameter) bases. Bigger bases means it is harder for you to hide and gain cover/concealment bonuses from terrain and while you may hit the enemy harder and be “tougher” than everything else… that doesn’t help when lots of things can shoot you … a lot! The Trolls are not that good at shooting back… [arguably] their best Warlock is a “shooting guy”, but that’s not where their strength is. Much like the Dwarves (see Seaforge Commission above) the Trolls are easy to hit, but have higher ARM stats, so they take less damage, can absorb a huge amount of punishment [loads of damage boxes] and even when you’ve killed them they may not be dead! That’s really good… but then you just kill them again! Trollbloods are “magically dead” (unless they are albinos) only one of the Trollkin Warlocks is actually able to cast spells (his name is Madrak… but that ain’t important) the rest are just able to “empathise” with the Warbeasts and use their FURY for other “furious” abilities (read: spells!). To sum up… if you want a faction that is “tough-as-nails” hits like a sledgehammer and gets back up even when their dead… then this is for you! However, they are remarkably easy to kill [or at least injure] with ranged weapons… have problems getting around terrain (with their big bases and only one Warlock that can counteract that limitation with his special ability) and most of their units/solos and Warbeasts need to get into melee in order to be fully effective. If you can get them there… there are very few things in the game can beat the Trolls… even a Khador Heavy Warjack has to respect the attack damage of an average Trollblood infantry-guy… but it’s getting them there… that is the skill! Next: The Skorne!!! Edited by Pint Glass Crusader, Aug 22 2008, 04:22 PM.
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 22 2008, 04:23 PM Post #17 |
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Wastelander
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The Skorne Warning: Those of a delicate disposition look away now! The Skorne are bad… just plain bad… their society revolves around “only the toughest survive”! Fortunately for the rest of the Iron Kingdoms they have been isolated in a vast desert called the “Mournelands” for hundreds of years… and were believed to be only a legend… until [of course] a couple of traders braved the desert to try to locate a new trade route… big mistake! Now the Skorne know that the rest of the Iron Kingdoms (which they thought was a legend) exists beyond their desert… and they want it! The Skorne thrive on abuse and pain… their Warbeasts are called Behemoths (and are effectively giant elephant-humanoids) these beasts are “trained” using methods that would be considered to be “extreme” bordering on brutal (the Skorne kick puppies!). They also have some Light Warbeasts (Cyclops and Basilisk… neither of which bear much resemblance to their legendary namesakes) which are equally badly treated in order to make them obey their Skorne Masters. Of all the Hordes factions, the Skorne are the closest to Warmachine (notably Khador). Their warriors are regimented and well armoured. Their Warbeasts are tough, disciplined and well-trained. You would think this would make for the perfect amalgam… but again there are drawbacks. The Skorne are invaders they have no (or little) counter to the typical terrain that appears on a battlefield (there are no forests in the desert remember). However unlike many Hordes factions they have access to large firearms (the simple kind… big cannon… and big Warbeasts to carry them!) and inter-supporting troops that the Trollbloods and Circle would die for. Inspiration for the Skorne models was drawn from Persian and Japanese influences (if you have a look at the gallery I linked above you will see that) and they reflect that feudalistic system. The Warlocks who lead the Skorne society do so because they are [individually] powerful and can wield power effectively… in Skorne society the weak are quickly subsumed and destroyed. In the Game: The Skorne are unarguably the most expensive (in £££/$$$) faction to field and use effectively, their models are beautiful, but big, complex and hard to put together… not for the beginner!!! When it comes to play, the Skorne advance like a huge metal tide… their troops combine good ARM (armour) ratings with decent DEF (defence) and abilities that boost each other. Their Warbeasts are disciplined (i.e. don’t Frenzy often). The Heavy Warbeasts are tough, strong and able to hit (although expensive in game points and £££), while their Light Warbeasts either provide well-armoured support (Cyclops) or magical control effects (Basilisk). Again this sounds like the perfect combination… again it is not! The Skorne Warlocks are individually powerful (although not to the extent of the most powerful Warmachine Warcasters), but this is tempered with a specialisation with certain Warbeasts or troop types, this added to their [general] inability to cope with terrain makes every Skorne force a [reasonably] specialised force, which is good and bad. A Skorne force can easily find itself outmanoeuvred and cornered, or unable to counter a specific spell/ability combo. However, if their enemy is not prepared for their overall toughness and ability to cause some serious “pain” (i.e. continuous effects and raw damage output), then they will definitely be overrun by the Skorne steamroller. The final thing: The Skorne has a solo [i.e. independent] Warbeast called an “Agonizer”. This is a young (i.e. infant) Behemoth that has been so badly maltreated, that its pain and mental suffering become a weapon that can be utilised by the Skorne to manipulate the FURY on other Warbeasts or give them “denial” (i.e. control) over spellcasting and other abilities. I know this is just a game… but the scuplt and background just gives me the heebee-jeebees. My wife is a farmer and I help her out when necessary. I have no problems with meat-eating and farming practices… but this is just plain wrong and while I have some Skorne models, I can’t bring myself to buy their [arguably] most powerful “control” model… that’s all I have to say. Next: Minions & [the aforementioned] Independent Mercenaries Edited by Pint Glass Crusader, Aug 22 2008, 04:34 PM.
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| mattblackgod | Aug 24 2008, 01:28 PM Post #18 |
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Big boss warlord dude!
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Thanks for the breakdown. So many factions. |
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| Pint Glass Crusader | Aug 24 2008, 09:17 PM Post #19 |
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Wastelander
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Remember it's really two games that can be crossed over. Each stands alone or can be played one against the other. In the rules/fluff... Mercenaries will not work for Hordes factions (they don't have any money)... while Minions (the Hordes equivalent) will not work for Warmachine factions (who think they are primitives at bes, monsters at worst). The Mercs divide down into their various charters, but they are really just one big whole... they are mercenaries and can be included in your basic 4 WM factions or made into their own pseudo-faction by using a Merc Warcaster and only Merc forces. In reality there are only 4 WM factions: Cryx Cygnar Khador Protectorate of Menoth With Mercs as a demi-faction (although Privateer Press are soon to release a 5th faction... The Retribution of Scyrah!) While in Hordes there are also only 4 Circle of Orboros Legion of Everblight Trollbloods Skorne With Minions being just some extra guys you can add... most of whom are pretty poor... but nice models. PGC Edited by Pint Glass Crusader, Aug 24 2008, 09:17 PM.
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