Starting Warmahordes

[me_in_japan]

I'll chip in with my two cents re: warmahordes.

I'm a recent convert, coming from 20years or so of 40k. It's really, really easy to move from 40k to warmahordes. The concepts that served you well in 40k will pretty much do the same in WMH, but with a few very important exceptions. (which we can go into detail more about later, if anyone cares.)

Startup costs are low. Very low compared to 40k. Here's a quick example:

basic game size is 25 points. You could go up or down, but 25 is pretty standard, much as 1500 is "standard" in 40k.

A unit of 6 regular, human-sized chaps costs about 5 points. Note that you dont pay per model. Its 5 points for the unit. You cannot upgrade units. They come as-is. So do warjacks.

A small warjack costs about 5 points too. They come 2 in a box set, btw.

A big warjack costs about 7-10 points. Really big mofos cost 12 points (Deathjack - yay!)

KEY POINT: Your warcaster DOES NOT COST ANY POINTS. In fact, different warcasters come with varying numbers of Warjack points, which are extra points that you can spend on warjacks only.

An example Cryx list I have run is:

Master Necrotech Mortenebra - Warcaster, 4 WJpoints (meaning I have 29points to spend in 25 pt game)
Leviathan - Heavy Warjack - 9 pts
RipJaw - Light Warjack - 5 pts
Bile Thralls - Squad of 6 flamer infantry - 5 pts
Bloat Thrall - solo fatboy - 2 pts
Necrotech - solo mechanic - 1 pt
Scrap Thralls - 3 walking bombs - 1 pt
Soul Hunters - 3 mech-zombie centaurs - 6 pts

Making 29 points, at least 4 of which are 'Jacks.

Model count: 10 small base (30mm), 6 mid-base (40mm) and 1 big lad (50mm)
cost in pounds:
Morty (and her minion, so 2 models) - 14.35
Leviathan - 18.00
RipJaw (pack of 2) - 12.15
Bile thralls unit - 12.15
Bloat thrall (a BIG metal model) - 9.85
Necrotech (and 1 thrall) - 6.25
3 scrap thralls - 6.25
3 Soul Hunters - 26.95

TOTAL - 105.95

These are ALL metal models, with the exception of the ripjaws.
I feel I should point out that Cryx is considered to be the horde army of warmachine. (by that I mean, the-army-with-a-high-model-count). You could chop a LOT off that cost by running a warjack-only army, especially if you went with the new plastic jacks.

The starter box, btw, is 18pts.

So, while I cant say its a cheap game, that there set of purchases will do you pretty much indefinitely. If you want to change it completely, spend another 10 quid and get a new 'caster. baddabing - new army.

[me_in_japan]

Warmachine: gameplay stuff:

1) 40k is all about "unit A is good at killing unit B, try to get them over there." OR taking objectives.
WMH is all about synergy. Your warcasters and solos will often have spells like "choose one friendly unit. That unit gains "stealth" special rule this turn"
Theres a certain element of rock-paper-scissors in WMH, but not as much as 40k

2) everything is done on 2D6. This changes the flavour a bit.

3) Your warcaster is everything. He dies, you lose. Thats the game rule. There may be other victory conditions, but that one is always there, too. However, your warcaster is almost invariably also a badass. You cant hang him back if you want to win.

4) Magic point (focus) use is very important. Each turn your caster gets focus points. More choppy casters tend to get less focus. More spelly casters tend to get more. You have to choose at the start of the turn where your caster pust his focus. Warjacks need focus to do cool stuff. Casters need focus to cast spells, and boost their armour. Whacha gonna do? (Hordes does this a wee bit differently, but the basic concept is the same.)

5) There is no "movement phase, shooting phase, CC phase" malarky. You choose one model and move, shoot, CC, whatever with him. Then he is done. No more anything for him thi s turn. Then you choose another mini. Same again. When youve done all your minis, its your opponent's turn. This changes game flow a lot, obviously.


And there we have it. WMH in a nutshell. I'm feeling all cryxian, tbh I need to get out my Deathjack again and get working on him...

[Colonel Voss]

not convinced that it is for me, but I'll give it a shot next chance I get.

[Admiral-Badruck]

sonds simple enough... I will endeavor to find a way to make the game my own... I guess there is nothing that says I can't put Pirate hats on Troll bloods and add ornate banners and what not... I guess that as more 40k player jump ship there will be more cool conversions done on the WarMhoreds side of things...

[The Other Dave]

The number one thing, the big thing with flashy neon letters, that really needs to be said for Warmahordes, especially for folks coming to it from GW games, is that the rules are tight. Well-written, clear, and unambiguous, across the board. (This is, not incidentally, one of the reasons why so many of the Japanese guys are so enamored with it.) I've yet to find a rules disagreement that couldn't be solved completely and unambiguously just by re-reading the rule(s) in question.

Plus it's just a heck of a lot of fun, but that's likely a taste thing.

[The Other Dave]

Also, there is a full-blown pirate mercenary group if I'm remembering correctly, including a warjack armed with a cannon in one hand and an anchor in the other. And Cryx have a lot of pirates for some reason.

[Cap'n B Swaggle]

Also, there is a full-blown pirate mercenary group if I'm remembering correctly, including a warjack armed with a cannon in one hand and an anchor in the other. And Cryx have a lot of pirates for some reason.

'Cause pirates be cool, yar.

[Admiral-Badruck]

I know there are but I alway want my army to be unique to me... I want there to be only one like it.. that is the biggest draw to GW for me they actually encourage this kind of stuff.

[Primarch]

I know there are but I alway want my army to be unique to me... I want there to be only one like it.. that is the biggest draw to GW for me they actually encourage this kind of stuff.

The GW plastics are very easy to work with. Warmahordes stuff....you'll be going through hack saw blades on a regular basis. And rules wise, converting stuff really has no purpose.
Sticking pirate hats on things is probably enough.

[Admiral-Badruck]

cutting tin is never a problem hack saws are meant for cutting though steal as long as you get your blade from the hardware store and not the 100yen store you should be all good cutting pewter...