Hiatus

I do not know how to play Khador anymore to save my arse. It seems that after a very long hiatus on everything warmachine/hordes, it kind of makes you slow on the take.

I had a very close fight against a cryx player fielding stealth army against my army of bombards. In all consideration, the army I was playing against was really the paper against my rock so to speak so it was an uphill battle from the start.

I just did not like the feeling of being a bit off.

Worse, it seems I only got in one game today as no one else was present at Fortress. It seems to be just my luck to be stood up by some noob on a day when all the other playrs decide to not to come and play at fortress.

I think I am now officially too cryxian for my own good.

Bah Humbug

Damn these holidays.

Now just look how busy I have been with the useless practices for a latin dance presentation and bad christmas carols (which we sang for 2 homes).

It really messed up my routine. Now I can't even be bothered into painting again, my circle figures haven't even been put together.

It seems that I'm not the only one affected either as the gaming bug has died. No one's in a rush to play warmachine/hordes. And with the revival of the 40k gaming, it appears that even whfb are also now given a rejuvenation.

Now I only want to at least get the cryx painted.

Player Profile: Mangsky

General Information:
Owner of Pitshop and Fortress Toys. If the growth of the hobby can be attributed to one person, it has to be the source. He brought in the models, and we got around to playing them.
Along with all the games we had with warhammer, warhammer 40k and now with the privateer press products, he's probably the one who we could consider the head honcho for these niche games.

Factions:
Warmachine - Menoth, Cygnar, Cryx (WIP) - Kreoss, Severius, Harbringer, Testament; Stryker, Haley; Lich Lord Asphyxious (WIP)
He's probably going to try all the factions save Khador, just because he can. Currently though he favours Menoth in competitive 1000 point games. And has proven all but impossible to beat in a straight up ToM + HoM list. Damn his infantry. He actually makes me want to play Khador again.

Hordes - Legion of Everblight - Lylyth, Vayl, Thagrosh
Eyeless sight and wings pretty much spell out the reasons why he even bothered with the Legion, but the great lack of defensive capabilities and the limited choices makes this his less favoured faction to play.

Favored Strategy/Tactics:
Figure out the most broken or most abusable strategy, add in the most unbalanced or the 'sideboarded' units. He'll try to figure out what you can bring and will take a list that can handle whatever you can possibly put on the table. The more competitive you are, the better his army becomes. It then becomes necessary to use all possible tactics against him, you cannot win by brute force alone. Use every terrain piece, scenario objective, and unit against him. Do not hesitate to use game psychology and all possible bluffs and feints as he'll definitely be using something that you will always have an uphill battle against.
He loves his zealots. He takes 2 units in 750.

Strengths:
Unlimited resources and extensive knowledge of his and your army. High rolling dice and pretty much plays to the strengths of his army.

Weaknesses:
Psychology is probably the only thing he is susceptible to as you can sometimes bait him to take one precious unit in exchange of the scenario win. Rare, but not impossible to do.
Doesn't know jacks and doesn't like focus allocation. If you want to win for sure, challenge him to a mangled metal game.

Notes:
Bring your ace game, and he'll play similarly. He can also play to your level if you're starting out. Expect the Kreoss drop and pop at 500 point games. He likes larger point games, current favorite is the testament of menoth with his soul tokens and revive.

Player Profile: Daemon Russ

General Information:
This guy has been around early in the days of warhammer and warhammer 40k. He opened Gamer's Shop at about the time we were peaking with the mage knight. along with the dumdums, we made Gamer's Shop our second home. Gamer's Shop provided respite and refuge to the heretics, and misfit players who in one way or another were pushed out by gaming cliques.
With the decline of the hobby due to the tyrannical monopoly of the stockist, the shop closed and our other games died out. And with the warhammer clique ushering us out, we needed to get into another game. We found one we could nurture when Mang started to bring in some new toys.

Factions:
Mercenaries - Four Star Syndicate - Magnus
When we actually started we both had wanted to play Cryx, but the fact that all the other players were already getting Cryx. It would have been like there was no other faction to play. So we wanted to get first dibs on the second hand faction of Cygnar, as Mang wanted to sell them off for looking goofy. Unfortunately, someone had beat us to it. He was supposed to get Menoth but Mang beat him to it. I beat him to Khador so he ended up with the Magnus starter.
The faction itself had a lot of flaws. He was probably the only one who had kept on playing a majority of jacks as the meta shifted to all infantry--not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. There simply wasn't enough models at the time.

Legion of Everblight - All
The first ever HORDES and first Legion player in this country. He has at least one of everything and multiples of a lot of the models simply because early on he needed to get 2 starters just to get to play 500 points as that was the only thing out. Who would have known everyone would want to play the faction of land sharks after that.

Favored Strategy/Tactics:
Our games usually hinge on what his carnivean can do. Perhaps the limitation of the Legion has to do somewhat with his play style but generally his favoured tactics are on the more aggressive and high risk assassination runs. He focuses on high range and singular high powered runs which mostly leave him undefended later on as his dice betray him. Recently the arrival of the angelius has changed the meta a bit and basically he still want to get up front and into the fray as soon as he can. He has the capacity to use all his units effectively and can open up and take advantage of these that another player would have otherwise missed.
Now if only he didn't get bored/tired around every third round of every game.

Strengths:
Strong in all aspects, can utilize everything from terrain to units better than most players.

Weaknesses:
Bad dice rolling and often hesitates to make his opponent feel bad. Gets bored near the end of the game.

Notes:
Every player should have at least one game against the local pressganger. Even just to get whupped. He will wipe the table with you with a smile, and you'd probably be happy for it too.

Player Profiles

Will be doing a series on the local WARMACHINE/HORDES player profiles. I hope it helps everyone discover a little more of each other and help me learn if my assumptions are indeed close to the truth.

Most will just be poking fun at our current clique of players, not that we'll ever be really truly be at a level of competitive play to challenge anyone abroad but at least we can get better.

NB: Stole picture unceremoniously from our warmachineph multiply site. sorry kim.

Find Them a New Home

300 Kommandant Irusk
700 Kommander Orsus Zoktavir
350 Vladimir Tzepesci, Dark Prince of Umbrey

980 Berserker
900 Destroyer
1300 Devastator
800 Juggernaut
1100 Kodiak

600 Man-o-War Kovnik
1100 Doom Reavers

700 Winterguard Field Gun Crew
700 Winterguard Field Gun Crew

Rant: Tournaments

It seems that warmachine has suddenly gotten a big push and players are now shifting in from other games. Mostly likely this is due to the fact that it is a better game with better models, plus the fact that no one is playing warhammer or warhammer 40k with much regularity. Blame it on the support.

You know what I really would want? I would really want faction coins. I would want to have enough people into the game that we could actually hold tournaments large enough to accommodate enough players that it would be practical to give prizes to each faction. Is it possible? I really don't know. We used to have a very large player base with mage knight but that easily crumbled away. Plus the fact that the initial cash outlay for warmachine is much higher. I guess if more people get a chance to see the game, more people could get into it. We need a real venue. We need a place where people can have games. If only fortress toys could accommodate at least 2 gaming tables.

Right now we don't even have enough players to fill in a weekly tournament roster. The player roster is so small that there are very few players that dominate the game. It happens with all games anyway, but with small cliques it becomes much more apparent. We also have that anti-page 5 mindset. There are a lot of players insisting that they only want casual play and yet fear to get into any game with someone they know will most likely beat them at it. They are afraid of losing. Why even bother playing this game when you are afraid to get beaten up?

Why bother playing against someone you know will beat you?

God damn them! It is the best fun anyone could have: the chance to play against someone who could actually beat you at the game. It allows you a chance to be able to improve yourself. It makes you think. Why go against a player you know you can beat easily without thinking? If I wanted that I would have just played solitaire. Most people think that when I get quiet and get serious in a game, it means I'm a sore loser, or that it makes me feel bad. I actually enjoy the fact that I can think it over and dissect it. I am quiet and morose because I am running the game through my head. I love the chance to be able to do that.

Getting these players to play is already hard enough. Getting these players to join tournaments and bet some cash on their skills is even harder. Asking them to join tournaments with increasing the difficulty of gameplay is close to impossible.

I am happy with the chance to play the proverbial seven-minute turns. Apparently it was done at gencon with individual timers per table allowing a game to have more than the usual number of turns than in a regular game. I love it. I love the rush of it, but I think asking players who were already hesitant to play against more skilled players to play in this format may be taxing the limits of common sense.

I say that we should have the normal 1 hour games and just go to timed turns for the semi-finals and finals. This will increase the chances for more people joining into the tournaments. Seeding can also be done to avoid the cheater tactics of the more experienced players to dominate in the non-timed turn games. We have the warmachineph rankings anyway for basis.

I think having league games weekly is fine, but for us to have a tournament every week just stretches a person's resources. I would prefer to have one tournament once a month and have those league games prior to the tournament to determine seeding.

I'm actually interested into getting those factions coins.

I really wished I could just take time off and just go through the gaming stores in the states to get enough factions coins to use for focus.

Battle Report: Pit Shop 091507

Tournament was held with the following participants:

Mang - Cygnar

Dan Tesoro - Legion of Everblight

Mike Monroe - Legion of Everblight

Jun Peralta - Legion of Everblight

Clemence Cua - Trollbloods

Patrick Palma - Skorne

Doclance - Cryx

There were only 7 seven and Dan ended up getting the bye the first round.

My lists were:

Witch Coven of Garlghast
Deathripper x4
Nightwretch x2
Skarlock
Pistol Wraith x2
Bile Thralls (6)
Mechanithralls (8)

and

Pirate Queen Skarre
Helldiver
Nightwretch x2
Skarlock
Bane Lord Tartarus
Necrotech x2
Pistol Wraith x2
Bane Knights (9)
Mechanithralls (8)

game 1 pendulum mk2
Vs Monroe

Faction: Legion of Everblight
Army Points: 497/500
Victory Points: 20

Saeryn, Omen of Everblight
Carnivean
Teraph
Harrier
Shredder x2
The Forsaken
Raptors (3)
Warmongers (3)

I used my skarre list simply because it was against a legion of everblight player I was facing, I think the first game was pendulum but I don't really remember. I recall finding monroe a little bit bold as he had put his warlock more forward than I would find comfortable, especially going up against the skarre list. The raptors were amazing. They were consistently able to hit their targets and then move out. I think monroe should have opted to play them a lot more aggressively. They are super soft, as a few hits from mechanithralls take them down immediately. I think even pistol wraiths can use them as target practice.

The game ended as soon as I found the carnivean on full fury. The teraph was already killed off by an earlier hit from a hellfire and pistol wraith. The warmongers were charged by the bane knights. So having no one to transfer to, Saeryn pretty much died quickly.

I guess monroe still has a very far way to go when going up against cryx assassination. He did do well later on against hordes players, having won the rest of his games.

game 2 copse full of corpses

I was draw for a bye. I was ready for this scenario and was really planning to break it using the coven list. That would have been beautiful.

game 3 killing fields mk3
At least mang realized the futility of the scenario.
Vs Clemence

Went up against trollbloods, I'm sorry it was just the scenario.

Faction: Trollbloods
Army Points: 498/500
Victory Points: 17
Chief Madrak Ironhide
Troll Axer
Troll Impaler x2
Trollkin Champions x2

This is the Cua brother's standard list, I believe they don't have any other list. It actually is a solid list. Not that skill or lists matter in killing fields.

I played Coven and of course got first turn. Ran 3 deathrippers to each point first turn, placed an imprison template near the front to have most of the trolls move around it. Clemence was apparently unaware of the gravity of his situation and didn't find the need to run all his trolls, he preferred to shoot with the impalers. One unit of champions moved toward the center, but was forced to move around the imprison template.

Second turn has me going for the feat, imprisoning all the champions in the center. And this found my opponent without a chance to get back and he conceded immediately after his turn.

If he had a chance?

Not against the coven. Not in the way he deployed. I would have casted surefoot and the axer animus with madrak on the axer and have slammed it with the impaler moving it forward d6 towards the center. I would have sent the champions to each lateral point and simply have the warbeasts and madrak handle the center. it would have been a uphill battle but not the impossible one he had. It was possible to charge on the first turn. And if that didn't work it would have been possible to do a critical slam with the impaler. Oh well, that's the trollbloods for you.

game 4 overrun
Vs Mang

Faction: Cygnar
Army Points: 498/500
Victory Points: 17

Captain Victoria Haley
Lancer
Captain Maxwell Finn
Journeyman Warcaster
Stormsmith
Long Gunners (6)
Trenchers (9)
Alten Ashley, Monster Hunter
Ogrun Bokur x2

I took skarre simply because it would have been the easiest assassination, and the fact that I had 2 necrotechs in this list to hold points. I did ask mang if he was serious with taking his haley list against skarre. I was able to get haley into the control radius and boom, skarre bomb.

Review: Hordes Cavalry

Damn, first time I saw the cavalry, all I could say was wow! The stats were amazing, the trollkin long riders had bison. They could slam, they could charge, they could do impact attacks. Given the current meta, they would be game breaking.

Then I went and flipped the page and the ferox made me want to play skorne. Damned heavy cavalry with 8 inch move, leap and an extra weapon in form of the bite. On a charge you get impact attacks, the spear and the bite. The spear also has permanent reach and the brutal charge makes them sure to kill anything.

The light cavalry breaks the game with movement 9, and they simply move twice. they move after they shoot! Hell, this game now will favour heavy armour. This will definitely push for more warjacks. I'm sure everyone will be happy about the changes.

But then...

I started to realize that these things can't be that great. I'm quite sure people will end up getting bitten in the arse for buying into these great models.

You know why?

Fearless? Only one, and that would be the trolls. Of all the game breaking cavalry abilities, only the trolls were most balanced, and they are the only ones fearless. The ferox are even worse off than uhlans as they have leadership 9, the light cavalry are leadership 8.

Now I know why they were so great on paper. They are likely to fail to kill the deathjack when it really counts. Warmongers will make them cry. Temple flame guard will see them run off.

In the end, only deneghra seems really happy about all these new fangled hordes cavalry.

Review: Faction Cards mkII

I got a copy of the faction cards mkII. Each pack contains 81 cards, most have enough for you to field a 1000 point list. Multiple cards are given for multi-wound models, warjacks and special models requiring marks (rockteer).

All cards are current up to remix, changes to the rules i.e. feat changes are already corrected, as well as wording on clarified feats i.e. old witch. All cards also now include rules that extend up to warbeasts i.e. snipe.

Card art is also from remix. Big problem here is that only the prime art gives a consistent feel to each faction. Superiority does lend a small amount of consistency to the color, but for some factions the change from the atmosphere in remix does make some of the older art stick out like sore thumbs.

All packs have 81 cards, all factions get their special force cards, mercs get all contacts.

The first thing you would notice with the new cards are that the new cards feel more open. The cards lost the borders that we present before. The lower left corner now contains the faction symbols. The colors are little more neutral in the title box. the text is a little bit easier to read as well.

Cryx
We get the Adriana Lima skarre art. So what would be so bad? The cartoon feel of the remix art actually looks great once it was translated into the card form. All the prime jacks look great and have the consistent feel. The problem is once you get to the seether and harrower, the consistency is lost. I wished they had consistent art for everything, or at least something close.

And yes, as no surprise to anyone, it includes 4 defiler cards. It includes 4 of the arc node bonejacks, 2 of the other jacks. What was surprising to me was that there were 4 black ogrun and 4 bloat thrall cards. The 4 pistol wraiths were fine by me, but I would have gladly traded 2 of the bloat thrall and black ogrun cards for more deathrippers and nightwretches.

Cygnar
Card art is pretty consistent throughout the entire box save for the GMCA. All jacks have a different backdrop which lends well to identification of jack cards.

I've no real gripes with the set, nor any real praise for it. Hell, I don't actually see a reason for most cygnar players to get the pack as there aren't any real changes to their set. Plus most cards are colored since most cygnar players we have are new, or the most effective jacks have colored cards already.

Khador
I like the new art. I like how vlad looks dirty in the remix, and how young sorscha actually looks in the art as well. I would recommend most players to get the pack simply due to the fact of sheer number of rules clarifications and updates affecting the khador units.

I personally like the distribution of card duplicates. There are 4 destroyer, berserker and kodiak cards, while there are only 3 of the rest. I guess they followed the need of the players here. I wished they had taken the same liberty with the cryx bonejacks.

Menoth
This pack suffers from the similar affliction of art inconsistency, but nonetheless menoth looks menoth. The art that really sticks out are from escalation. Other than that, there isn't really much change as most menoth players will be fielding stuff from other books. Plus the art of menoth from remix wasn't exactly what I'll call distinct. So it doesn't suffer as much as cryx or khador does.

Distribution for jacks are ho-hum as you are given 4 guardians and just 3 devouts and repenters. Most will be happy to know though that there are 4 revengers and seneschals. Damned solos pretty much fill out the deck, which will most likely see play.

Mercenaries
You get 5 mercenary contracts. A strange mosaic of art work. This is probably the worst pack of cards you could get as it feels like they just pumped as much as they can into duplicates to fill it out. I don't like the new Alexia card but I love the new risen and thrall cards. You get 4 of all jacks, 6 for the gunner and blaster. You also get a trencher and long gunner card. Basically you just get one of each as most are character units and 4 copies of everything else. Worst pack yet, as I cannot imagine anyone yielding close to 4 mules or nomads. I do find the 4 ogrun bokur cards a happy thing. But the majority of this pack lies in the multiple jack cards.

Summer Rampage is Over

The results are in:

Dominator - Doclance
Master of Machines - Dick
Master of Beasts - Chris
Relentless - Arvin
Rampage - Doclance

The league play simply isn't ideal in our setting as there are too many players who say they are not competitive and yet do not wish to play if they are likely to lose. I liked the leauge simply because it gave me an opportunity to use casters that I normally would not try out for fear of losing. The league is there for fun games. It is a chance to experiment and push the envelop. It is a chance to tweak your next tournament list. I love it and hate it at the same time. i just wished there were more active players, more people who could actually play good games.

I am happy to see Mang back in the game as he proves to be a challenging opponent. It is simply a matter of time until he gets back into the groove. It makes me ecstatic to see Dick to turn from newbie into a seasoned veteran and trounce so many during his run with the summer rampage. Of course I am more than appreciative of Dan who had the patience and time to bother playing me with my stupid 1000 point games. It simply is not a reasonable thing to do, I cannot imagine anyone hosting a 1000 point tournament.

I think we are at least ready for 750 points, but we are not ready for hardcore. not in the least bit. 750 points will find us with a renewed tournament environment, with old players finding their old reliable warcasters ahving to adapt to the new environment and it gives new players a chance to surprise veterans with epics. The field also levels out. It gives hordes a bigger advantage.

I guess we'll see more in time.

eDenny

Seeing how an epic Deneghra was able to make the finals during the first day made me think that it may actually be possible to play her and win. The list used during the gamecon was infantry heavy and had limited bonejacks.

Faction: Cryx
Army Points: 745/750
Victory Points: 23

Wraith Witch Deneghra

• Deathjack
• Deathripper
• Deathripper
• Skarlock

Bane Lord Tartarus
Pistol Wraith
Pistol Wraith
Bane Knights (8)
Bane Knights (8)
Bile Thralls (6)
Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist
Ogrun Bokur

Now on this list are things I do not use. The ogrun bokur is something I cannot really think of using effectively. And gorman is a strange option. Plus I heavily favor nightwretches over deathrippers anyday.

I'll probably try this out at some point. It fell easily to a circle list simply due to the fact of how broken druids of ourboros are.