WARMACHINE In A Nutshell

WARMACHINE (yes, the name is supposed to be in all caps) is a table top miniatures war game made by Privateer Press. This is mostly a skirmish-level game, and is usually played with anywhere from half a dozen to about 40 models in a typical game. However, it is quite alright to have even more models if you wish. At the center of the game is the Warcaster, a powerful leader who can empower and manipulate the hulking Warjack steam-punk mecha. The core battlegroup gets help from a wide array of troops from fire bomb chucking zealots to disciplined riflemen or even undead pirates.

The Rules

Game rules are well-written to be very clear and concise. Most of the rules you need are in the main rulebook, called Prime: Remix. Models also come with stat cards that give a rundown on all of their special rules and how they work. That makes it easy to keep tabs on both your cool tricks (and your opponent’s) mid-battle. Privateer Press also has avoided putting out one edition after another. This makes it a very friendly game on the pocketbook when you aren’t forced to buy and re-buy a half-dozen rulebooks every few years. Being left in the cold for years waiting and hoping for an army update won't happen since the new books are released annually with a little something for every faction.

Gameplay

Gameplay itself is very fast-paced and in-your-face, and definitely favors the aggressor. This fact makes the game much more interesting as you don’t wind up with two sides facing off and too afraid to make a move all game. The game setup with sequential unit activation also allows you to execute a myriad display of nasty combos to bring ULTIMATE PAIN to your unfortunate foes. It's okay, because they can do the same to you, keeping each battle fresh and exciting. Victory can be, and often is, snatched from the jaws of defeat should the apparent victor leave an opening for the beleaguered underdog.

The focus on the game is also more on mid-battle tactics and a lot less on list-building. Since each model’s abilities are set in stone, that leaves list construction to be simply putting the building blocks together. This doesn't mean it's simplistic though, since you need to account for each unit’s special abilities and how they’ll work with the rest of the army on the field. With nothing more than a change of the single warcaster model you have leading the army, you can change its entire dynamis, making it a simple matter to liven up your game with something new.

WARMACHINE As A Hobby

Hobby-wise you don’t see as much model conversion as in a lot of other games, mostly because anything you might need a model for either already has one, or will have one released within the year. Painting is big, with a lot of pro tips in the various source books. Terrain building, of course, is ever present as it is with any table top minatures war game.

WARMACHINE In A Nutshell

WARMACHINE is a fast-paced, in-your-face style game with a quirky steam punk / magical setting where you can pull off insanely broken moves of ULTIMATE PAIN on your opponent. Watch out though! Cause he can do the same to you when you least expect it, keeping the game fresh and fun to the climactic end.