Just done Kaya's base. What do you think?
A journey into the world of Warmachine & Hordes. Follow my blog as I paint and discuss my initial purchases.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Pot 14 - Lylyth's Battlegroup
Lylyth's battle group has really been a tale of two cities. The first part where I painted the warbeasts and the second Lylyth and her Ogres. The pictures show that the differences in painting technique have negetively effected army continuity.
Instead of repainting the warbeasts I'm gonna find new ones on EBAY (I've already won a partially painted Carnivean for £5.37).
So whats next...
Well I am going to have to do the bases, not only on these models, but also the Cirlcle ones to. I have been inspired by Andrew's bases on RHQTV, and decided to go with a snow theme for my Legion models. I have never done this before so wish me luck. Pictures to follow...
Beyond the bases I am going to need some more models. I would definitely appreciate some advice on what to buy. I will say though, at this point I don't want to buy any new Warlocks. Instead I want to learn the game and really get to grips with these two. So if you have some good ideas let me know.
Instead of repainting the warbeasts I'm gonna find new ones on EBAY (I've already won a partially painted Carnivean for £5.37).
So whats next...
Well I am going to have to do the bases, not only on these models, but also the Cirlcle ones to. I have been inspired by Andrew's bases on RHQTV, and decided to go with a snow theme for my Legion models. I have never done this before so wish me luck. Pictures to follow...
Beyond the bases I am going to need some more models. I would definitely appreciate some advice on what to buy. I will say though, at this point I don't want to buy any new Warlocks. Instead I want to learn the game and really get to grips with these two. So if you have some good ideas let me know.
Blog 13 - Lylyth Herald of Everblight
Lylyth is the last of the models from the 2 player battle box. I think her pose is very dynamic and her bow makes her very three dimensional. I not a big fan of the way it appears she is looking down, but I guess this is part of her the story of being possessed by the spirit of a dragon and not needing to use her eyes.
I think this model looks better in the flesh than in these photos. My camera struggled to focus because her bow juts out so much.
Lylyth's main abilities and spells revolve around her Hellslinger bow. Models hit by Hellslinger (which has ROF 2) can be automatically attacked by Lylyth's spells ignoring line of sight and range. Both Parasite and Eruption of spines are two of Lylyth's spells that are particularly nasty. Parasite significantly reduces a targets armour, whilst Eruption works a bit like a 10 inch blast template.
Well thats it. Next I'll post some pictures of Lylyth with her battle group...
I think this model looks better in the flesh than in these photos. My camera struggled to focus because her bow juts out so much.
Lylyth's main abilities and spells revolve around her Hellslinger bow. Models hit by Hellslinger (which has ROF 2) can be automatically attacked by Lylyth's spells ignoring line of sight and range. Both Parasite and Eruption of spines are two of Lylyth's spells that are particularly nasty. Parasite significantly reduces a targets armour, whilst Eruption works a bit like a 10 inch blast template.
Well thats it. Next I'll post some pictures of Lylyth with her battle group...
Post 12 - Blighted Ogryn Warspears
Going forward I will not be dipping any of my Everblight models. I really don't think it works well with their skin tones. Instead I will stick to using washes and highlights.
My Everblight skin is a base of GW Astronomican grey, followed by a dry brush or highlight of white. GW Badab black wash was then applied, before the skin was re-highlighted where needed. A bit more time consuming than dipping, but at least you don't have to wait a day for the dip to dry.
I still have problems with a lack of sculpt diversity, but overall I think these miniatures look fantastic.
As well as looking great the Warspears have some useful abilities. They have both a ranged attack and a melee attack with reach. Additionally they have the assault trait which enables them to carry out their ranged attack as well as a a melee attack when charging. From a defensive perspective these ogres not only each have 8 wounds, but also the set defence ability which makes it harder for models to attack them.
The next model to paint will be Lylyth Herald or Everblight...
My Everblight skin is a base of GW Astronomican grey, followed by a dry brush or highlight of white. GW Badab black wash was then applied, before the skin was re-highlighted where needed. A bit more time consuming than dipping, but at least you don't have to wait a day for the dip to dry.
I still have problems with a lack of sculpt diversity, but overall I think these miniatures look fantastic.
As well as looking great the Warspears have some useful abilities. They have both a ranged attack and a melee attack with reach. Additionally they have the assault trait which enables them to carry out their ranged attack as well as a a melee attack when charging. From a defensive perspective these ogres not only each have 8 wounds, but also the set defence ability which makes it harder for models to attack them.
The next model to paint will be Lylyth Herald or Everblight...
Saturday, 6 October 2012
Post 11 - Circle battle group
Overall I think painting these Circle models has been pretty straight forward and very pleasurable. When I bought the box set I really thought I would prefer the Everblight miniatures, but at this point I think I am leaning towards these.
Since painting my Dad's Imperial guards and my Orks last year I have become a really big fan of dipping. As I mentioned in earlier posts I think the Army Painter dips work very well with the Circle models. Anyone who is thinking about giving it go don't be put off by the £15 price tag, its well worth it.
Looking at these pictures reminds me that I must do the bases. I've decided to go with a woodland forest theme, using some of the Silfor tufts and autumn leaves I have stashed away.
Post 10 - Kara the Wildborne
This is the final Circle model from the Battle Box. After painting so many large bulky models it was quite a shock to paint such a small delicate one. Kara was really easy to put together an clean up. I like the her simplicity - none of the bells and whistles that seem to accompany so many minis I see today. In my opinion, in this case less is more.
In terms of painting I am most happy with her golden armour and staff. This was my browny gold over brown, followed by GW Burnished Gold highlights. I initially painted her hair blonde, but felt that a change to ginger draws more attention to her head.
Kara is a Warlock and therefore the most important model on the table. I don't know enough about the game to comment on how good she is or how to really use her. I can however point out a few of her spells and abilities. She gives warbeasts in her control area (12inch) a significant boost to their attack roles. IN terms of spells including her feat she has five. Two of them give her the ability to gather fury, another lets her grant stealth to a friendly model.
Overall Kara Wildborne is a really cool looking Warlock who I think would work best in an army that maximises warbeasts.
In terms of painting I am most happy with her golden armour and staff. This was my browny gold over brown, followed by GW Burnished Gold highlights. I initially painted her hair blonde, but felt that a change to ginger draws more attention to her head.
Kara is a Warlock and therefore the most important model on the table. I don't know enough about the game to comment on how good she is or how to really use her. I can however point out a few of her spells and abilities. She gives warbeasts in her control area (12inch) a significant boost to their attack roles. IN terms of spells including her feat she has five. Two of them give her the ability to gather fury, another lets her grant stealth to a friendly model.
Overall Kara Wildborne is a really cool looking Warlock who I think would work best in an army that maximises warbeasts.
Friday, 5 October 2012
Post 9 - Feral Warpwolf
Reading my last post I think it was a bit lengthy and overly detailed. I am going to keep this one much more concise (Lets me know what you think)...
As you can see from the pictures I have finished my Circle Heavy War beast. The model was extremely simple to put together and the mould lines were accessible and easy to remove.
With the exception of the skin I used all the same painting techniques I have used on my other Circle models. I spent quite a long time on the skin making smooth highlights with elf flesh and white. Unfortunately this was time not well spent. As once the dip was added these highlights were completely swamped. This is such a cool centre piece model I wish I had stuck to light washes and not dipped him. Overall However I am still happy with the model and it will look good on the gaming table.
The Warpwolf is an open handed warbeast, giving extra options for throwing/moving enemy models. It has the controlled warping and regeneration abilities. Controlled warping enables the beast to be versatile by increasing either its ARM, SPD or STR each turn. Whilst regeneration helps the Warpwolf recover lost wounds each turn.
For me, this model is what makes Hordes so exciting. Its basically a huge hulking wolf man like monster. Its fast, strong and hard to hit.
My next post will see me finish the Circle forces off by painting their Warlock Kaya. And guess what I am not gonna dip her...
As you can see from the pictures I have finished my Circle Heavy War beast. The model was extremely simple to put together and the mould lines were accessible and easy to remove.
With the exception of the skin I used all the same painting techniques I have used on my other Circle models. I spent quite a long time on the skin making smooth highlights with elf flesh and white. Unfortunately this was time not well spent. As once the dip was added these highlights were completely swamped. This is such a cool centre piece model I wish I had stuck to light washes and not dipped him. Overall However I am still happy with the model and it will look good on the gaming table.
The Warpwolf is an open handed warbeast, giving extra options for throwing/moving enemy models. It has the controlled warping and regeneration abilities. Controlled warping enables the beast to be versatile by increasing either its ARM, SPD or STR each turn. Whilst regeneration helps the Warpwolf recover lost wounds each turn.
For me, this model is what makes Hordes so exciting. Its basically a huge hulking wolf man like monster. Its fast, strong and hard to hit.
My next post will see me finish the Circle forces off by painting their Warlock Kaya. And guess what I am not gonna dip her...
Post 8 - Warpborn Skinwalkers
Its a shame there are only three different skupts and not five. Putting that aside though, they were the easiest models to put together with very few mould lines and gaps. Their axes are huge and I love their hulking relaxed pose.
The axes and hands come unattached to the model. In hindsight I wish I had not stuck them on and instead just pushed them into place for later glueing. This would have made it so much easier to get to some really hard to reach areas behind the weapon. Apart from this small problem the models were really easy to paint and worked brilliantly with the Army Painter dip. I began with the Army Painter brown leather base coat which gave me a nice base to drybrush the fur yellow or white depending on the model. The skin is GW dwarf flesh, highlighted with elf flesh and finally washed with GW ogre skin wash. The capes, trousers and leather armour were just different hues of brown with no highlights and the weapons were GW chain-mail. The armour was done in the same way as the Argus. The models were again dipped and sprayed with matt varnish.
I decided to swap the axe around on this Warpborn. It was done by cutting off each end of the axe and swapping them around, before pinning and glueing. The pinning was done using a 0.6mm drill bit and a cut down staple.
Overall I am so happy with the way these came out. The dip has given them a browny earthy hue which I think works perfectly with the circle models.
On the table the Warpborn have no ranged attack and an underwhelming P+S of 13, but remember there are 5 of them. They have the ability to carry out a combined attack which reduces the amount of attacks the unit does but increases the chance to hit and do damage. Secondly their weapon has reach which means that they hit 2inches instead of the standard 0.5inch. The final mention from me is their unyielding ability that can potentially increase their armour.
Thanks for reading - The next update is going to be the The Feral Warpwolf...
Thursday, 4 October 2012
Post 7 - The Winter Argus
In my previous post I mentioned that I did not like the Argus model. The winter Argus however I completely love. It goes together much better and the pose is much more to my liking. The fact that it is rearing up makes it seem like a much more intimidating monster.
The overall painting effect is much more to my liking. The skin and fur were very easy to achieve and work really well with the dip. The fur was simply painted white and the skin a light grey. Very little effort for what is a really nice result. The armour is the same as the Argus. I might come back to this at a later date and put a highlight on the green.
How does the Winter Argus differ to the Argus? Well the core stats are identical, but the Winter costs 5pts instead of 4pts. The difference between the models are in the ranged attacks and the special abilities. The Winter loses what I thought was a really good ability - the doppler bark. It instead receives two offensive ranged attacks that have the possibility to critical freeze. Critical freeze is good if it comes off as it completely freezes the enemy model for a complete turn. This is more powerful than the doppler bark ability. Like the argus these attacks are a short range spray so can therefore effect multiple targets.
It seems that the frost breath attack is more random but more powerful than the doppler bark. I think I prefer the more reliable but less powerfull ability of the Argus. I have however not played the game and look forward to testing my theory.
I am really excited about my next project which will be the Wolfkin. The models look great and I am sure they will work really well with the dipping...
The overall painting effect is much more to my liking. The skin and fur were very easy to achieve and work really well with the dip. The fur was simply painted white and the skin a light grey. Very little effort for what is a really nice result. The armour is the same as the Argus. I might come back to this at a later date and put a highlight on the green.
It seems that the frost breath attack is more random but more powerful than the doppler bark. I think I prefer the more reliable but less powerfull ability of the Argus. I have however not played the game and look forward to testing my theory.
I am really excited about my next project which will be the Wolfkin. The models look great and I am sure they will work really well with the dipping...
Post 6 - The Argus
This is my first and least favourite Circle model. As I said I don't really like this model, it does not go together very well, its pose is weird as it has both its left feet off the ground, (not sure if a dog can do that) and its just not that big and scary for a light warbeast. In fact when compared to the Warpborn that are in the box set, they are bigger and much scarier. Well I guess thats why I'm painting this first because if I don't I might not get round to it. Having painted five legion minis that now look like they have been recruited into the Circle, I started this with a lot of confidence.
This was going to be a quick and effective dip. Unfortunately it did nit turn out that way. Dip works well with light colours that provide contrast, with darker colours it does tend to just swamp the model a bit. Note to self - "MUST USE LIGHTER BROWNS IF GOING TO DIP."
I really like the idea of pulling off combos by using abilities such as the doppler bark on an enemy, and following this up with using other models to pound the now terrified enemy into the ground. Warmachine does seem very differnet to 40k. It feels a bit like Magic the Gathering crossed with a war game. Thats really good because I love MTG.
The next model I paint is going to be the Winter Argus...
Post 5 - Shredders
The models were really easy to put together and completely posable. There were a few mould lines that were not that easy to remove - in fact after painting I realised that I missed quite a few, but they don't notice that much. I would recommend removing the mould lines from under the belly before attaching the legs.
At this stage I did not want to deviate from the scheme I used for my other Legion warbeast and therefore used exactly the same technique and paints for these as I did for the Carnivean in my previous post. The four models only took about 45 minutes to paint, which was cool. Again I am happy with the way they turned out, but not entirely happy with the browny forested circle feel of these Legion models.
I really like these lesser war beasts, initially they look really small, but when placed next to the warlocks you realise that they are in fact 6ft terrifying monsters. I am going to concentrate on circle models for a while now so my next model is going to the Argus...
These shredders are lesser war beasts which means they are only 2 points per model. They have two good abilities Rabid and Snacking. Rabid allows the beast to gain extra speed and roll extra dice when attacking and damaging. Snaking allows the beast to heal wounds when it kills another living model.
post 4 - Carnivean
This model had a lot of mould lines and some serious join gaps. Instead of using green stuff to fill gaps I decided to try a new technique of heating up my modelling tool and slightly melting the plastic. This method worked really well on this big model, but I don't think it work so well on a smaller ones.
I undercoated the model using Army Painter leather brown primer, before painting the main skin area with GW komando Kaki and dry brushing the armour areas with GW graveyard earth. Finally I liberally applied army painter Dark Tone dip to the entire model. The dip takes 24 hours to fully dry and leaves the model very shiny, I therefore finished the model with Army Painter anti shine matt varnish.
Withstanding drying times the model only took me about 90 minutes to do which I am very happy about. The dip worked well adding real depth and contrast. My only reservation is that it feels a bit dull. It definitely fits with the tone I wanted to achieve for the circle models, but not the Legion ones. I am not going to any of the bases until I have finished all the models. Overall my first Warmahordes model which I am 60% happy with.
Let me explain how the stats work:
SPD is movement.
STR when added to weapon POW is used to calculate melee damage.
MAT is used against opponents DEF to work out melee.
RAT is used against opponents DEF to work our ranged
DEF is how easy a model is to hit.
ARM is used to calculate how much damage a model will take
The Carnivean costs 11 points, which makes it one of the more expensive heavy war beasts. It has three melee attacks and a ranged dragon breath attack. It also has the assault ability which means it can use its firebreath before assualting. This seems like a really great monster in the game and I cant wait to use it.
So when attacking another model you roll two dice and add a models MAT or RAT, the total needs to meet or exceed the defending models DEF. To determine how much damage is done, in the case if a ranged attack the POW of the attackers weapon is again added to 2D6 and compared against a models ARM any overspill is then taken against wounds. The process is the same for melee attacks but the attackers strength is added to the weapons power hich is shown on the stat card as P+S. A models wounds are shown in the bottom left of the card as boxes that need filling in. The Carnivean has 29 of these boxes and can therefore take 29 damage before dying.
The next models to paint are going to be the Shredders...
I undercoated the model using Army Painter leather brown primer, before painting the main skin area with GW komando Kaki and dry brushing the armour areas with GW graveyard earth. Finally I liberally applied army painter Dark Tone dip to the entire model. The dip takes 24 hours to fully dry and leaves the model very shiny, I therefore finished the model with Army Painter anti shine matt varnish.
Withstanding drying times the model only took me about 90 minutes to do which I am very happy about. The dip worked well adding real depth and contrast. My only reservation is that it feels a bit dull. It definitely fits with the tone I wanted to achieve for the circle models, but not the Legion ones. I am not going to any of the bases until I have finished all the models. Overall my first Warmahordes model which I am 60% happy with.
Let me explain how the stats work:
SPD is movement.
STR when added to weapon POW is used to calculate melee damage.
MAT is used against opponents DEF to work out melee.
RAT is used against opponents DEF to work our ranged
DEF is how easy a model is to hit.
ARM is used to calculate how much damage a model will take
The Carnivean costs 11 points, which makes it one of the more expensive heavy war beasts. It has three melee attacks and a ranged dragon breath attack. It also has the assault ability which means it can use its firebreath before assualting. This seems like a really great monster in the game and I cant wait to use it.
So when attacking another model you roll two dice and add a models MAT or RAT, the total needs to meet or exceed the defending models DEF. To determine how much damage is done, in the case if a ranged attack the POW of the attackers weapon is again added to 2D6 and compared against a models ARM any overspill is then taken against wounds. The process is the same for melee attacks but the attackers strength is added to the weapons power hich is shown on the stat card as P+S. A models wounds are shown in the bottom left of the card as boxes that need filling in. The Carnivean has 29 of these boxes and can therefore take 29 damage before dying.
The next models to paint are going to be the Shredders...
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Post 3 - 2 Player Battle Box Arrived
Great, the Battle box arrived - Well done Total Wargamer 4 days delivery.
The box contained more than I was expecting. On top of the models and full rule book you also get a mini Privateer Press magazine, painting and play guide, and some dice.
The rulebook has is a soft-back A5 version of the full Hordes rule book that retails for £30, but does not have any of the glossy pictures, or back story fluff. It really is just the rules. Although I would not say no to the glossy hard back version, I actually prefer these new small A5 versions. They are easier to get carry around and because they are condensed quicker for rule referencing. At this point I must state that I have not yet played a game, but from what I read the basic rules are easy to understand and seem intuitive to play. There are plenty of diagrams to help make sense and with each model having its own rule card this rule set really seems helpful for a new player to pick up.
As previously mentioned each model comes with its own stat and rules card. I really like this as it helps give each model on the table a real identity and although this is a war game it really has a role-play feel to it.
The models are all plastic and easy to put together. I really like their look and the quality of the sculpt. The two Warlocks are the same size as a typical GW fantasy human, about 30mm, whilst the Ogryns and Warpwolfs are about 45mm, and the heavy warbeasts are about 60mm. The scale really is cinematic. It reminds me of my early days in wargaming when I bought GW's original Titans game. We were told that they were huge robots that were bigger than buildings, but it was not until later releases of infantry and tanks did we fully appreciate this. The size of these beasts and how they match upto their Warlocks really is impressive.
There are a couple of things I don't like about the models. The first is mould lines. I am used to mould lines, but some of these models have them in places that are hard to get to or just simply hard to effectively remove. Secondly both armies come with a unit of 5 warriors, but unfortunately there are only 3 unique sculpts in both these units. This is something that I was used to 10 years ago, but now days not what I expect. What makes this worse is that the models are not posable and the posses are not relaxed, but instead quite dramatic. So for example in the Ogre unit there are two guys in exactly the same pose throwing a spear. With a little bit of cutting it will be possible for some slight reposing, but not much.
I would rate the boxed set as 10 out of 10 for value and 8 out of 10 for the models. I really love the models and the sculpts and would defiantly give a maximum score if the aforementioned dislikes were not present. So overall I highly recommend people who are looking to get into this game to buy this, and I cannot wait to paint these models and get my first game underway.
Generally speaking I never play a game with unpainted models. So its time to dust of my paint pots and get cracking.
So the few next posts are going to be pictures of my finished models notes of how I painted them, my thoughts, and a look at their in game statistics...
The box contained more than I was expecting. On top of the models and full rule book you also get a mini Privateer Press magazine, painting and play guide, and some dice.
The rulebook has is a soft-back A5 version of the full Hordes rule book that retails for £30, but does not have any of the glossy pictures, or back story fluff. It really is just the rules. Although I would not say no to the glossy hard back version, I actually prefer these new small A5 versions. They are easier to get carry around and because they are condensed quicker for rule referencing. At this point I must state that I have not yet played a game, but from what I read the basic rules are easy to understand and seem intuitive to play. There are plenty of diagrams to help make sense and with each model having its own rule card this rule set really seems helpful for a new player to pick up.
As previously mentioned each model comes with its own stat and rules card. I really like this as it helps give each model on the table a real identity and although this is a war game it really has a role-play feel to it.
The models are all plastic and easy to put together. I really like their look and the quality of the sculpt. The two Warlocks are the same size as a typical GW fantasy human, about 30mm, whilst the Ogryns and Warpwolfs are about 45mm, and the heavy warbeasts are about 60mm. The scale really is cinematic. It reminds me of my early days in wargaming when I bought GW's original Titans game. We were told that they were huge robots that were bigger than buildings, but it was not until later releases of infantry and tanks did we fully appreciate this. The size of these beasts and how they match upto their Warlocks really is impressive.
There are a couple of things I don't like about the models. The first is mould lines. I am used to mould lines, but some of these models have them in places that are hard to get to or just simply hard to effectively remove. Secondly both armies come with a unit of 5 warriors, but unfortunately there are only 3 unique sculpts in both these units. This is something that I was used to 10 years ago, but now days not what I expect. What makes this worse is that the models are not posable and the posses are not relaxed, but instead quite dramatic. So for example in the Ogre unit there are two guys in exactly the same pose throwing a spear. With a little bit of cutting it will be possible for some slight reposing, but not much.
I would rate the boxed set as 10 out of 10 for value and 8 out of 10 for the models. I really love the models and the sculpts and would defiantly give a maximum score if the aforementioned dislikes were not present. So overall I highly recommend people who are looking to get into this game to buy this, and I cannot wait to paint these models and get my first game underway.
Generally speaking I never play a game with unpainted models. So its time to dust of my paint pots and get cracking.
So the few next posts are going to be pictures of my finished models notes of how I painted them, my thoughts, and a look at their in game statistics...
Post 2 - A Leap of Faith
Two weeks ago I was looking through the news feed on the Beasts of War website and came across the Hordes Starter box. Having not bought or painted any miniatures this year and knowing how popular the Warmachine gaming system is I decided to take a punt...
This set retails at £69.99, but searching around online hobby shops that I am familiar with (Firestorm Games, Wayland Games & Total Wargamer) I found it much cheaper. In fact the deal at Total Wargamer seemed great £56 including delivery - I snapped it up!.
While I was waiting for the set to arrive I started doing some research about the game and community and found out some interesting things.
Warmachine & Hordes are both set in the world of Iron Kingdoms and are not two separate games, but instead represent faction umbrellas. Warmachine represents the urban city based factions, whilst the Hordes covers rural outlying factions. There is a generic difference in how the mechanics of the factions work, but they are the same game. This was a great discovery for me as I have heard that the Warmachine game is really well balanced and growing in popularity. This means that Although I was buying the Hordes, i would actually be playing the Warmachine game.
I have found two great media sources for Warmachine and Hordes. These are the RHQtv videos on YouTube and the Boosted Damage podcast. RHQtv has battle reports, unboxings, strategy discussions and modelling tip videos which are all delivered in a friendly and engaging way. The Boosted Damage podcast is put together by players based in London, and follows their experiences as they take an active role in the UK and global Warmachine scene.
http://www.youtube.com/user/rhqTV
http://www.boosteddamage.com/
Back to the 2 player box set.
The set is a really good way to get into the game. It includes a full rule book and 20 models which if bought separately would cost well over £100. From what I gather the models are all reasonable game choices and can be give you enough models for two people to play a reasonable size game. The rule generally games competitive games are played at 35 points.
The first faction is the Legion of Everblight. It contains a warlock, 4 lesser war beasts, 1 heavy war beast and a unit of 5 Ogryns. It represents 21 points
The second fraction is Circle. It contains 1 warlock, 2 light war beasts, 1 heavy war beast and a unit of 5 Warpborn Skin Walkers. It represents 20 points
My next post will be the un-boxing of the battle box including the rule book and my opinion of the models.
While I was waiting for the set to arrive I started doing some research about the game and community and found out some interesting things.
Warmachine & Hordes are both set in the world of Iron Kingdoms and are not two separate games, but instead represent faction umbrellas. Warmachine represents the urban city based factions, whilst the Hordes covers rural outlying factions. There is a generic difference in how the mechanics of the factions work, but they are the same game. This was a great discovery for me as I have heard that the Warmachine game is really well balanced and growing in popularity. This means that Although I was buying the Hordes, i would actually be playing the Warmachine game.
I have found two great media sources for Warmachine and Hordes. These are the RHQtv videos on YouTube and the Boosted Damage podcast. RHQtv has battle reports, unboxings, strategy discussions and modelling tip videos which are all delivered in a friendly and engaging way. The Boosted Damage podcast is put together by players based in London, and follows their experiences as they take an active role in the UK and global Warmachine scene.
http://www.youtube.com/user/rhqTV
http://www.boosteddamage.com/
Back to the 2 player box set.
The set is a really good way to get into the game. It includes a full rule book and 20 models which if bought separately would cost well over £100. From what I gather the models are all reasonable game choices and can be give you enough models for two people to play a reasonable size game. The rule generally games competitive games are played at 35 points.
The first faction is the Legion of Everblight. It contains a warlock, 4 lesser war beasts, 1 heavy war beast and a unit of 5 Ogryns. It represents 21 points
The second fraction is Circle. It contains 1 warlock, 2 light war beasts, 1 heavy war beast and a unit of 5 Warpborn Skin Walkers. It represents 20 points
My next post will be the un-boxing of the battle box including the rule book and my opinion of the models.
Post 1 - A Brief History
Let me begin by summarising my gaming history...
Like many people in their thirties I got into wargaming and miniature collecting in the mid 80s. My Dad collected and played with WW2 miniatures. I remember how excited I was when he took me along to my first gaming show, SALUTE 1987. Dad won a painting trophy and treated me to several painted 15mm crusader pikemen and knights. Over the next couple of years I built up a motley collection of historical and fantasy minis. I invented and played games with my brothers that used combinations of dice and projectiles (Very Crossbows and Catapults).
My approach to gaming and collection dramatically changed when I went to senior school. In the first couple of years me and most of my class (it was an all boys school) spent all our free time fixating on GW minis, games and publications. Highlights included: The original box set of space marines, Hero Quest, Fantasy role-play, Epic (think it was called Space marine) Squats, 40k first edition, Space Crusade and of course the magical monthly publication that was White Dwarf. They were happy days, but unbeknown to me they would not last. As I approached my late teens (Geeks did not carry the kudos they do today) my love for gaming was replaced by a love for girls, alcohol, cigarettes and any other vice I could get my grubby little hands on. Over the next ten or so years I would sometimes pick up a White Dwarf magazine, or stare through the window of my local Games Workshop, but never considered getting back into the hobby.
In 2006 I found my self travelling Australia. For reasons unknown to me I walked into GW Perth and bought a fantasy Ork army, carry case and paints. The trip gave me plenty of time to for painting as we were travelling from Perth to Sydney in a camper van. Painting the models rejuvenated my love for the hobby and I visited GWs in every major city, playing games and building my Ork army. When I eventually returned home, I could not really convince any of my friends to join me, and my fantasy dream slowly fizzled out. All was not however lost, as with a little arm bending I did manage to get two of my brothers interested in playing 40k. Over the next few years we spent a small fortune collecting and playing with the following armies: Chaos marines, Vanilla marines, Space Wolfs, Blood Angels, Tau, Imperial Guards, Eldar, Orks and Necrons. All of these armies were at least 1000pts and some closer to 3000pts. We enjoyed gaming nights once a week at my brothers and even managed to increase our numbers from three to five players.
At the start of 2012 my interest in the game started to wane. I spent a few hundred pounds and most of the christmas holidays ( I am currently a student studying at uni) painting a huge Ork horde. The horde was very effective, winning all but a few of the games I played, but it just took so long to play, involved so many models and left me very disheartened. I think it was simply the sheer number of models and the new edition of 40k looming, but I just stopped playing. I was not alone in my disillusionment and our small gaming club instead started playing card and board games. I did however keep my eye in and continued watching You Tube channels such as Beasts of War and MiniWarGaming and listening to the D6 generation...
Like many people in their thirties I got into wargaming and miniature collecting in the mid 80s. My Dad collected and played with WW2 miniatures. I remember how excited I was when he took me along to my first gaming show, SALUTE 1987. Dad won a painting trophy and treated me to several painted 15mm crusader pikemen and knights. Over the next couple of years I built up a motley collection of historical and fantasy minis. I invented and played games with my brothers that used combinations of dice and projectiles (Very Crossbows and Catapults). My approach to gaming and collection dramatically changed when I went to senior school. In the first couple of years me and most of my class (it was an all boys school) spent all our free time fixating on GW minis, games and publications. Highlights included: The original box set of space marines, Hero Quest, Fantasy role-play, Epic (think it was called Space marine) Squats, 40k first edition, Space Crusade and of course the magical monthly publication that was White Dwarf. They were happy days, but unbeknown to me they would not last. As I approached my late teens (Geeks did not carry the kudos they do today) my love for gaming was replaced by a love for girls, alcohol, cigarettes and any other vice I could get my grubby little hands on. Over the next ten or so years I would sometimes pick up a White Dwarf magazine, or stare through the window of my local Games Workshop, but never considered getting back into the hobby. In 2006 I found my self travelling Australia. For reasons unknown to me I walked into GW Perth and bought a fantasy Ork army, carry case and paints. The trip gave me plenty of time to for painting as we were travelling from Perth to Sydney in a camper van. Painting the models rejuvenated my love for the hobby and I visited GWs in every major city, playing games and building my Ork army. When I eventually returned home, I could not really convince any of my friends to join me, and my fantasy dream slowly fizzled out. All was not however lost, as with a little arm bending I did manage to get two of my brothers interested in playing 40k. Over the next few years we spent a small fortune collecting and playing with the following armies: Chaos marines, Vanilla marines, Space Wolfs, Blood Angels, Tau, Imperial Guards, Eldar, Orks and Necrons. All of these armies were at least 1000pts and some closer to 3000pts. We enjoyed gaming nights once a week at my brothers and even managed to increase our numbers from three to five players.
At the start of 2012 my interest in the game started to wane. I spent a few hundred pounds and most of the christmas holidays ( I am currently a student studying at uni) painting a huge Ork horde. The horde was very effective, winning all but a few of the games I played, but it just took so long to play, involved so many models and left me very disheartened. I think it was simply the sheer number of models and the new edition of 40k looming, but I just stopped playing. I was not alone in my disillusionment and our small gaming club instead started playing card and board games. I did however keep my eye in and continued watching You Tube channels such as Beasts of War and MiniWarGaming and listening to the D6 generation...
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