Warmachine and
Hordes:
Expectations Vs
Reality
When
I first got into Warmachine and Hordes (Warmachine, specifically), the big draw
for me was how awesome the ‘jacks
were. The concept of leaders with magical powers that could command these huge,
badass robots was the primary reason why I went with Warmachine right off the
bat. Yeah, the big beasts of Hordes are cool too, but I mean, these are robots!
Unfortunately, I’ve been a bit dissatisfied lately with how things have been
playing out.
To
begin, I started with Retribution. I picked up the Battle Box during a local
Journeyman league because 1) Warjacks seemed super cool and 2) Retribution’s
aesthetics were my cup ‘o tea. I’ve since learned that Ret is not exactly a
beginner faction, and even though I have pulled a win out once or twice, the
majority of my games so far (biggest was 25 points) have been sloppy and
disappointing, especially in the realm of my Myrmidons. The Manticore is
expensive and seems to get one good hit in then gets wrecked. The Griffon,
though fast and potentially deadly, is difficult to get in the right spot
without the perfect combinations. Don’t even get me started about the
Chimera…If it wasn’t so expensive I’d consider it. Long story short, I wanted
to play an army that relied on their big bots to do the bashing, but Ret is
definitely not what I was looking for. I still love how they look, but they
don’t play how I wish they did, so lately I’ve been reconsidering my choice.
I
want an army that relies on its big bases to do the dirty work, not an army
that relies on infantry. I switched from 40k to WM/H for a reason: I wanted to
build and paint less models and use the big stuff. Warmachine was basically
turning into a Kill Team sized army in 40k. After chatting with Andy for a bit
about how I was standing with Warmachine and Hordes, I realized that Warmachine
wasn’t going to deliver the game that I wanted. My play style was better suited
for a warlock.
Circle
of Orboros is my new pet project. I’ve always loved wolves and they seem, in
theory, to fit the style that I want to play. I have planned out a 25 point
list with eKaya, since she’s all about the big beasts, along with some
different Warpwolves and a few other fun toys. I’m still in the planning stage
but I’m really excited to begin learning and playing them.
The main reason I wanted to write
this article was to articulate that, coming from a beginner, Warmachine and
Hordes is a bit misleading. When I was first learning about the game, it seemed
like each Warmachine faction relied on their huge bots (I mean, they’re all
over the artwork AND they’re in the name!). In reality, however, it seems that Warmachine
is definitely more reliant on infantry and uses their ‘jacks as supplemental
pieces to a much larger game. Hordes, on the other hand, relies on their beasts
to generate power, meaning that they have to be more flexible than ‘jacks. Yes, if your beasts die, your power
starts to slip. You’re only as powerful as your beasts. But that dependency on
the beasts is why I’m now leaning towards Hordes. In the end, I have to play an
army that I both like aesthetically and how it performs on the table to enjoy
the game. I want my big models to be able to run up and obliterate whatever I
hit on the first go, not scratch away at it, run out of focus then get overrun
while it waits for infantry to come in to save the day. Warmachine can’t
deliver both aesthetics and play style to me personally.
What I say should be taken with a grain of salt. I’m still a beginner,
and I know that Warmachine factions are just as powerful as Hordes can be. It’s
just that Warmachine seemed like it would be about the ‘jacks, but for the most
part, it’s not. Hordes is all about the beasts, especially with eKaya (as well
as many other Warlocks), and so that’s why I’m making the switch.
- Aaron
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