Everyone deserves a second chance.......

Quite some time ago, I made a valiant attempt to get into Warmachine. I say attempt because in the end, it was unsuccessful. I simply was unable to get past the Real Life Factor and make a go of the game.

It wasn't for lack of trying, however. I still have all of my Protectorate models and believe me when I say I had a bunch. Some even managed to get assembled and a lucky few even got some paint on them. Unfortunately, it was all for naught. Too many things got in the way and in the end, those models went into a box to gather dust.

I am happy to say that the Real Life Factor is now less of a factor. Obviously, day to day dealings will never go away completely but I am fortunate enough to have been able to get past a couple of things that were holding me back. That being the case, I have once again heard the siren song of Warmachine. Stangely enough, though not unexpected, that song actually sounds like hissing steam and screeching metal.

Anyway, with the advent of Prime MkII, I have taken the plunge again but this time, I am starting fresh. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the crazy, fiery fanatics of the Protectorate but I now know that my true calling lay in the frozen north, amongst the people of the Khadoran Empire.

You see, I want to crush things. I want hit my opponents hard. I want the last thing they see to be the burning eye sockets of my 12 ton engine of destruction right before said engine stomps them into paste. I have bought into the concept of "axe to face" wholeheartedly.

Behold the beginnings of that effort.....



On the left we see Jackson the Destroyer and on the right his partner in crime, Pollock, the Juggernaut.



And of course, everyones favorite ice princess, Kommander Sorscha.

These pictures are a few days old. Base coating is well underway on all three models. In addition, I am picking up a unit of Widowmakers this Wednesday in order to complete my fist MkII 15 point list. With a little luck, these models will see the table top this Thursday.

Something wicked this way comes.....

Stay tuned here for a reemergence of sorts......

All hail Empress Vanar!

The Time Has Come

It is on.

I made it over to Warmachine night last night. Unfortunately, I did not have time to get my battle box prepped and assembled but all was not lost. I was able to sit and watch two complete games, both with Protectorate lists in them.

The first game was a Testament list vs a Cygnar list lead by Haley. Protectorate ended up winning but it was a near thing. The other game was an Ad-Raza list that faced off against a Khador list lead by Karchev. The Khador list was an interesting one in that it was all ‘jacks + Doc Killingsworth. Evidently, Karchev’s rules are vague enough to allow Killingsworth to “fix” him when needed. Anyway, the Protectorate was victorious in that one as well. I had a great time watching but that wasn’t the best part……

The gentleman playing the Protectorate list in the second game was a dude named Nick. He took the time right at the start of the game to introduce himself to me and ask me if I played. When I told him I was just about done putting my battle box together and would be ready for an intro next week, he said he would be there and would help me out!

Next Thursday is the day! I’m excited. I know it was supposed to be yesterday but life intervened. Let the destruction commence!!!

You all know and love the list I will be playing so wish me luck.

Beware the High Exemplar

New plan.

I am tired of waiting. I grow impatient. Here is what I am going to do about it.......

Step 1) I will have my Protectorate Battle Box tonight or tomorrow. Depends on whether I can get over to the LGS. Either way, my goal will be to have Kreoss and the 3 'jacks prepped and assembled by tomorrow night. I may even prime them. No guarantees there though.

Step 2) I will go to my LGS with my newly acquired and assembled army this Thrusday eveing. I will then plead my case to every veteran there and see who will trounce me, in an educational way. I'm sure I will have some takers.

Step 3) Write my battle report(s). I suspect these will mostly be case studies involving failed tactics and complete beatdowns. Oh well.

Step 4) Rinse, lather, repeat as often as possible while adding models to my army list. Prime and paint as I go.

That plan, ladies and gentlemen, is full proof. In fact, that plan is much like the Borg in that resistance is futile. Your biological matter will be added to the collective........nevermind.

Change is Good.

I’m nervous. I’m nervous about beginning my army with Reznik. He is still my ‘caster of choice but the more I read, the more I come to believe that I need to learn to walk before I run. Reznik is a runner. Playing him properly requires a certain amount of understanding and insight that I simply don’t possess. Not yet anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about the “baptism by fire” but in this case, I wonder if I might not just come away a burnt piece of gristle as opposed to someone who loves playing the game. Frustration is an insidious bastard.

To that end, I am beginning to consider an alternate starting point. No decision has been made and I may still just jump in with both feet and take Reznik for a stroll. It’s just that I have Kreoss, Severius, and Feora as well. I’ve heard that Kreoss in particular is a good warcaster for beginners to learn with. That being the case, maybe I should just buy the battle box. Granted, that would give me an extra Kreoss, which I would gladly donate to a worthy cause, but it would also give me a second Repenter, my Revenger, and a Crusader and let’s face it, the Crusader can bring the pain. J. I even bought a Devout a couple of nights ago so I have options. A second an even more important factor is that the battle box would allow me to start playing the game immediately and I think that is more important right now. A third factor is that I am all about the instant gratification. Why wait for something when you can have something else, RIGHT NOW?!?!?!?

I think it just boils down to me wanting to write some battle reports of my own. I read all the other fantastic reports that get posted and it makes me want to get out there. Even the losses make me hungry to play. I already know that I will lose nearly every game I play to begin with and yet I just want to get it going! In fact, writing about it this way has made me decide to go ahead and get the battle box. I’ll have the whole thing assembled this weekend hopefully and ready to get in as many games as I can at Warmachine/Hordes night next Thursday!

My Quandary

As the title of the blog suggests, I am in the midst of a quandary. It happens to be a Warmachine related quandary. It also involves money, of which I have some, but not a lot. I'm still waiting for my portion of the bailout cash. :)

Anyway, my quandary is this; am I in any way obligated to support my FLGS financially, considering that I go there to play and have a fun time?

The root of my quandary (I have already expressed my displeasure in another forum with what I consider to be an entirely unnecessary "a" at the end of the word 'quandary') is that I still have a fair few models to purchase to complete my first 350 point list and I know I can find them cheaper somewhere else.

What it boils down to is that I still need my Blessing of Vengeance, maxed out Choir (6 models), a Devout, and a set of Wracks. All told, that is roughly $100 worth of models at retail, not including sales tax. I can acquire all of these models at my local hobby haunt. I can also acquire them online, via eBay or other sites, for an average of $2 to $3 off retail, no sales tax and in many cases, no shipping either. I'm on a budget. That budget includes some funds for fun and entertainment but it is the principle of the thing. Save money where you can. The flip side of the coin is that I feel somewhat obligated to support my local gaming shop because after all, I'm playing there.

What to do, what to do?

I Love it When a Plan Comes Together

Many thanks to John of Stumpy Heaven fame for turning me onto Tabletop Commander. That free application is worth it's weight in gold. With gold hovering at or near $900 USD per ounce, that is a good chunk of change. Anyway, that little application has helped me come up with a plan. Behold, my first Warmachine 350 point list.

• High Executioner Servath Reznik--I will initially be trying to get a handle on the Zealot's Rage, Perdition, Brand of Heresy combo as described on the Battle College site. I will be working it two ways; to try and get Reznik himself into combat and also to get my Revengers a free charge.
• Devout Light Warjack--Reznik's loyal body guard. Need I say more?
• Revenger Light Warjack x 2--I'm hoping to figure out the whole arc node thing. Since it increases my 'caster's range for spells, I'm guessing arc nodes are important to master. If I can get these two running rampant through an enemy's lines while protected by my choir, so much the better.
• Heirophant--Between his healing abilities for the 'caster and his Harmonious Exaltation and Spiritual Conduit abilities, I'm hoping I can do some good and offset Reznik's lack of focus just a bit.
• Choir--With a Warpriest and 5 acolytes, I'm counting on these dudes to keep my 'jacks safe and get them in close for some serious killing. I have no idea how I am going to protect these guys with no infantry though. That may pose a problem.

Total? 332 points out of 350 available. With the points left over, I could conceivably field a pair of Wracks too but I can't even begin to guess what the point of those things is other than providing focus. I know that this list in very infantry light but again, Reznik is all about the warjacks.

I only have the Reznik model so I have some purchasing to do but at least I have a plan. I might also like to try fielding this list with a couple of Dervishes in place of the Revengers. Once I graduate up from 350 points, I will begin to include more infantry.

P.S. I bought my Heirophant model on the cheap off eBay today. $8.99 plus free shipping. Yippee!!!!!

To Burn the Heretic, or Not Burn the Heretic...

So, a gentleman whom I have only recently met via this blog (Getting Small), asked me what I still had in terms of Warmachine models. I regret to inform you that the situation is grim. When I said I traded away most of my Warmachine stuff I wasn't kidding.

As it turns out, I actually have a choice of casters but that is about it. If I could play a game with only a single warcaster, I would be set. I could choose from High Exemplar Kreoss, an ass kicker in his own right. I could also go with Grand Scrutator Severius, my personal favorite although I would be hard pressed to tell you why. My last but certainly not least option would be Feora: Priestess of the Flame.

In addition to any one of those 'casters, I could also field a single light warjack. A humble, yet effective Repenter. Not only does this 'jack wield a heavy flail but it carries a flamethrower as well. Allow this warjack into range and you will burn.

My final unit, or in this case units, are a pair of Temple Flame Guard Officers with Standard Bearers. I honestly can't recall why I had two of these units since I really only had one complete unit of Temple Flameguard to begin with. If you are running Flameguard, this UA is probably worth the points.

All of this brings me to this question................do I want to attempt to play Menoth again or do I look at something different? Khador, Cygnar, and Cryx all have aspects to them that appeal to me. Here's a thought!!! What about Hordes? What if I started completely new and went with Trollbloods or Everblight? See?!?!?!?!?! The possibilities are endless. I have some thinking to do. I have some research to complete. I also need to seek input from those who play the game. One thing I can tell you however, I will definitely play like I've got a pair. Wait.....I do have a pair.

To Begin Again......

I've recently begun following some blogs which are almost totally dedicated to table top gaming and specifically to Warmachine. To take a direct quote from the Privateer Press website...



In WARMACHINE®, the very earth shakes during fierce confrontations where six-ton constructs of tempered iron and steel slam into one another with the destructive force of a locomotive, where lead-spewing cannons chew through armor plating as easily as flesh, and where a tempest of arcane magics sets the battlefield ablaze with such Armageddon-like proportions that the gods themselves fear to tread such tormented ground!


Victory shall favor the bold! So bring it on, if you’ve got the metal.



For those of you wondering what the hell a "six ton construct of tempered iron and steel" looks like, I have taken the liberty of including a picture of a Protectorate of Menoth light warjack known as the Devout.



What is my point in posting all this nonsense? Very simple actually. I think I might like to go back to Warmachine. You see, I tried to get into the game once before. I owned a crap load of Protectorate models. I tried to get in a few games at the hobby shop near my house but alas, it was not meant to be. No one would show the FNG the ropes. The end result? I ended up trading most of my Warmachine stuff away. Now I am faced with the daunting (read: moderately expensive) task of rebuilding my Protectorate army, learning the game, and having fun while doing all that. Wish me luck.

P.S. I am actually encouraged by the fact that I am actually able to follow the exploits of others that are attempting to learn the game. I am also encouraged by the fact that the hobby shop near my new home seems to be very open to new gamers.