Warmachine - Cygnar getting up to steam...

[Daeothar]

Well, this one arrived quite unexpected. I had no intention of starting this army any time soon, but it seems some twist of fate has caused them to end up on my desk anyway.

I suppose there is a reason though. Almost two weeks ago, I suffered the most solid defeat in wargaming I ever experienced, at the hands of my regular gaming buddy The Voivoid. And all that on home ground too. We had decided to break out the Warmachine armies again, as he had recently finished his very nice Cygnar force, and it still had to play its first game.

So my old, converted, but as of yet unpainted, Khador forces were unearthed and I assembled a (what I thought) great list, set up the terrain and pondered on tactics the days before the game.

But to my dismay, the epic battle I had been anticipating was cut short in turn two, when his mercenary lady assassin type finished off my warcaster, after she'd been hit by some lucky template fire first. End of the game.

Now, I have to admit; I was peeved. Not angry at the Voivod, but at the game mechanics and my apparent inability to grasp them. For those who do not know; Warmachine is more about army building and finding the right combo's, boosts, synergies and combinations, rather than a no-brain-required-straight-up-slugging-match. Which is probably the reason why I chose Khador back in 2002 in the first place (being the most straightforward-in-your-face army at the time), as the kind of meta-gaming required to play this game well is simply not my style. Too much like a Magic: The Gathering card game I suppose.

I like the tactical play of Infinity better for instance, where even the most basic troop type can lay down the hurt, and what you see is what you get; no combinations of abilities, feats and spells to convolute the whole thing, so that a certain unit can all of a sudden not be damaged by even you hardest hitting model.

It is however, right up The Voivod's alley...

So, after thinking about the whole thing some more, I decided I like the setting too much, and I have too much invested in the game already to just throw in the towel. Besides; it seems this game, with its later addition of units, is not quite the same game I started out with when it just came out over 10 years ago, and now it has proven to be a challenge for me to be overcome.

And with that mindset, I was in the mood for some Warmachine modeling. But my Khador forces were still on their face, splayed out on the gaming table downstairs, and I remembered I still had the contents of a Cygnar starter box stashed away, so I broke them out and before I knew it, I was filing, cutting and converting away.

With a little one about the house, my hobby time has been cut down considerably, not to mention the energy required after a long day's work and taking care of the little princess. So when I do have the time and energy, I make the best of it and keep going as long as I can.

Resulting in my converting, prepping, basing and undercoating the entire old metal starter box, plus one extra model, over the course of the evenings in a single weekend. Unprecendented!

But enough of my usual longwinded jibberjabber; on to the models:

First up is the straight out of the box warcaster, Commander Stryker. Nothing special about this guy; he will probably be replaced by a more formidable caster soonish, but for now, he will do:



Then we have the first of two light Warjacks, a Charger. When prepping them, I accidentaly switched the bodies of the two 'Jacks, but that worked to my advantage, as the posing I was after worked better for both light 'jacks this way. Especially the first editions of the Warmachine Warjacks were very static, and I wanted them to look more dynamic.

So I slightly reposed the legs on the body, twisting them a bit, and then reposed the head. For that, I had to cut off the cables under the chin, so I replaced them with some white metal ribbed cable. Some careful pinning of the arms and a cog to rest the outstretched left foot on, and this little guy was done:



The second light Warjack is a Lancer, As the name suggests, it's got a big *ss lance, but again, the original pose is very static, and the best one could do with it was a sort of 'at ease' pose. Now, I had already switched the bodies of course, and so the walking set of legs ended up with this one. A couple of cuts and bends later though, I had changed the strolling legs into a running/charging pose.

Then it was a matter of attaching the lance arm in a tilted position and reposing the shield arm, so it would be holding up the shield during the charge. The head required some reposing as well, to compensate for the forward tilted position of the body. Again, the cables under the head had to be replaced by new ones:



The last model of the starter box is its only heavy 'Jack, the Ironclad. For this one I actually liked the original striding pose. So I did not repose the beast, but I did add some washers to its midsection, to make it a bit taller. I then later added some hight to the base as well, further biggerizing him, to better match the Warmachine artwork. It's now about 5mm taller than it originally was. You might also notice the handles of the hatches on top have been replaced by wire versions, which I've done for all three 'Jacks:



And finally, the Epic version of the warcaster Victoria Haley. She's actually a reject from The Voivod's collection. He's had some trouble with the casting quality of this particular model. I believe the model currently in his army is the third one he has owned.

The inside of the swirls of her cape (under her raised right arm) were cast so roughly, that it was virtually impossible to get them painted right. I've seen the results; not a pretty sight, and certainly not through any fault of his. This particular model was his first (and cast the worst), and I've attempted to file and cut the billows of the cape into a more paint friendly smooth surface. I've not had the time to do a thorough check of the undercoated results, but I might have to revisit the areas again with some putty:



After taking these pictures, I've added basing material and undercoated all the models white (late last night). So there are no more excuses; it's painting time now...




DISCLAIMER: this in no way means I've abandoned my Khadorians, or my plans to trounce The Voivod's Cygnarites with them!

[Elbows]

This brings up the question...has anyone played the Warmachine PC game?  I saw it a few months ago when it was in pretty rough shape on the Beta.  Curious.  Always liked some of the Warmachine models (actually had the Russian inspired faction ten years, but quit halfway through one turn of a game and sold all of my models!). 

Can't wait to see you put some paint on these.

[BigB]

I started playing last year after holding off for about 10 years.  But I saw the Circle army and beat my wallet into submission getting it all.  Of course I picked one of the hardest armies to learn to play but it has been well worth it.  It is also without a doubt the fastest to paint army I've ever worked on and the most joy I have had doing it.  I'm even taking my time to "do them right", above my normal wargaming standards.

Things I've learned so far:

• Protect your caster
• KNOW your army - sit down and really think about how those units and figures work together (synergy)
• Start with a small force (35pts in my case) and learn it inside out.  Expand it to 50pts once you are playing fairly well.  Learn a new caster after and start with a small force again.
• Stick to Tier forces initially as you'll understand more about how the force is intended to play before you go down the more competitive/tourney builds
• KNOW your army - seriously...you'll be fine after.  Read the opponents caster before each game to learn about what nasty strategy he's going to pull on you
• Protect your caster - they are squishy (in most cases except Butcher and maybe Kromac

Look at Epic Hailey (Hailey2) when you can.  That seems to be the nastiest of the cygnar casters and is supposedly "unbeatable".  Don't believe that, but you will win more often than not when you KNOW your army.

Oh yeah, be prepared to get your head kicked in by a bunch of teenage players.  But they'll be nice about it      I now I'm a much better player now thanks to them

[Malebolgia]

I think you mean Hailey2, as Vayl2 is a Legion warlock

For casters the main popular choices are prime Hailey, epic Hailey, epic Caine and to some extent Darius. But the others are nice too, but bring less handy tech to the current meta.

Cygnar is a good, strong faction with many options nowadays. But unfortunately (IMO), since the Stormwall came out, it is the main warjack to pick. I think in the competitive scene all Cygnar players play with a Stormwall (and sometimes 2 Stormclads). So if you want to amp up your game and play it to the max, buy a Stormwall. And let's be honest, it's also a very sexy warjack, so nothing wrong with that

In addition, some Gun Mages (Arcane Tempest Gun Mages, the Black 13, Tempest Blazers) are an excellent choice. Also great models and they offer a lot to Cygnar. Good shooting, some nifty tricks up their sleeve and they can handle Infantry with ease.

Now what I personally love about Cygnar is how good they work with Mercenaries...probably the Warmachine faction that works the best with them. You often see Greygore Boomhowler & co, Horgenhold Forgeguard, Cylena Raefyll and the Nyss Hunters, Aiyana & Holt, Alexia & the Risen or several solos in their forces. Some people don't like using Mercenaries, but I love them. It gives you different models to paint, so something else than blue!

If you need more tips, let me know!

[Major_Gilbear]

Really super to see WM/H getting some love here on LAF! I really like the game, but I totally understand why it's not to everyone's taste. 

For Hayley's cloak, try a Milliput wash or two to smooth the casting of the cloak?

I've found that most of the tabards and cloaks on WM models (especially the older models) are very rough and pitted. Filling them in with Milliput washes is the only real way to "fix" them, and the extra time spent doing this is easily ameliorated by the time and frustration saved when painting them.

If you're looking for some comments from an old Cygnar player, I'd suggest:

- Add a Stormclad or two. If you like, you can convert one easily enough from a spare Ironclad. (I also like the basic Ironclad, but see little use in more than two of any Cygnar 'Jack).

- Another 'Jack worth thinking about is the Defender - two are very solid, and can be made from old Ironclads too. Maybe worth magnetising the arms on a pair of heavies? I don't usually bother with magnets, but I can see this being worthwhile.

- Gun Mages with their officer (AKA the "Dude") are really good, and the officer marshalls a Charger well too.

- Avoid the Gun Mage Captain Adept solo, it's overcosted and not especially good. Nice model though.

- The Black 13th are a toolbox, but the models are tiny. Worth getting, but you might prefer to proxy the figures themselves.

- Don't bother with the Sentinel, any artillery, Trencher solos.

- Long Gunners are good, but are very highly costed now. Most folks use the Gun Mages or Cylena Raefyll instead.

- Useful extras are: the Squire, the Journeyman, Stormsmiths, Arlan Strangewayes.

- I quite like Siege as a Caster, and Constance Blaize looks fun too. Dunno how competitive they are. Then again, I always liked Nemo even tough I rarely won with him (too easy to assassinate, not enough "oomph").

- I'm still on the fence about Cygnar melee units. They take a lot of effort and points to run well-ish, and nearly all other factions do more with less. If you're going to try, then all-in or nothing I say. Even then, you might be better off enlisting some mercs...

- Mercs. I feel kinda cheesy adding mercs to my forces regularly, but sadly they do often outperform Cygnar's own in-faction efforts. All those you've listed in your post are solid gold, and worth considering seriously.

- Precursor Knights were great, and still good in the transition to Mk2. Not sure how they stand right now though. I feel that they do need their officer and banner-bearer however, and that pushes up their cost.

- Storm Lances were pretty decent (even in Mk2), but I don't know how they/cavalry fare in the current meta. Along these lines, the new Gun Mage cavalry look very interesting.

Wrapping up then: looking forward to seeing your painting magic on these! Also, Stormwall is lovely, but wow is he expensive!  I really wanted Stormwall and Conquest, but gave up when I saw their price. 

[Malebolgia]

- Don't bother with the Sentinel, any artillery, Trencher solos.

The Sentinel is great, when used in conjunction with a Stormwall (especially in Darius lists). Opponents have a hard time cracking an ARM22 Stormwall (due to Arcane Shield) and having a model with Shield Guard (it can take a ranged hit off a model within 3") near it makes the Stormwall very hard to take out with ranged combat. Nice against Legion of everblight for instance.

[Daeothar]

Awesome; keep it coming guys!

I'm learning something new with each post, even though it's all Cygnar related (but I suppose I had that coming, seeing as I'm posting Cygnar models here )

My first love is still Khador though, and once I've finished up these guys, I hope to finally get some paint on my red rascals after about 11 years of bare metal...

[Major_Gilbear]

The Sentinel is great, when used in conjunction with a Stormwall (especially in Darius lists). Opponents have a hard time cracking an ARM22 Stormwall (due to Arcane Shield) and having a model with Shield Guard (it can take a ranged hit off a model within 3") near it makes the Stormwall very hard to take out with ranged combat. Nice against Legion of everblight for instance.

As an armour blocker, the Sentinel's great. For offensive output of any sort though... Severely lacking. I also never manage to roll anything like enough shots with its little pea-shooter to make the inclusion worthwhile either. Therefore, my comments are not based on lack of effort in getting the thing to work for me.

In Mk1, the Sentinel gained new life with the Dude, as the special ammo worked on all shots - and Ricochet basically doubled what you rolled. Add that lot into a Hayley list... And yeah, that's a lot of lead!

In Mk2, that doesn't work any more because the special ammo only works on the initial shot, and because a lot of the extra ammo types were removed. You are therefore better off with a Charger instead.

I keep meaning to try the Sentinel in a Kraye list though. I know Kraye is not considered anywhere near top- or even mid-tier, but I do like him anyway.

Finally, I don't feel that needing a £85 Colossal and a £25 Warcaster to make use of a £10 'Jack is really a model set-up I feel comfortable recommending to players starting out.  (I have not played in about 3 years though, so please do take my suggestions with some salt!)

[Malebolgia]

For solos you really want the following:

Journeyman Warcaster: Arcane Shield is fantastic and especially with a Storm Wall. But also on units a great one to have as it makes your models harder to kill. Beware of the DREADED epic Eiryss though. She has an ability on her crossbow that strips an upkeep spell of the model/unit she hits. Nasty business, so make sure you tackle her FAST.

Squire: Terrific Warcaster attachment. +1 focus in 3 turns is already terrific but the extra range to your control area is maybe even better. Not for all casters, but often super.

Arlan Strangeways: If you want to focus a lot on warjacks, take this guy. Great little mechanic and the extra options he gives are great.

Murdoch: If you're going for Mercenaries, take him. Adding him to a unit, makes the Mercenary unit a faction unit. That gives a lot of extra options for spells and feats. And he has a nifty ability which lets the unit dig in (Cover an immune to blast damage)

Professor Pendrake: If you're up against Hordes, he is great as he can give you boosted attacks against warbeasts. Very good when playing against Legion of Everblight or Circle Orboros

Archduke Runewood: The Rhupert Carvalo of Cygnar. Has three 'songs' which he can sing on a model/unit and the effects are awesome.

Rhupert Carvalo: For 2 points the option to make models fearless, tough, cause terror and give +1DEF is too nice.

Gorman di Wulfe: best...mercenary...solo...EVER! The black oil grenades are insane. Hurl one on an enemy Colossal/Gargantuan and your opponent will weep. And a nice trick to remember: hurl a Black Oil Grenade on your own Stormwall in your turn. Now his defence will "drop" by 4 (who cares), but the good thing is he is affected by the Black Oil during your opponent's turn, so he cannot use Black Oil on you (you cannot be affected twice by one effect). So an excellent method to shut down the opposing Gorman di Wulfe and make sure your own key model keeps performing.
And if you need one, let me know. I have a spare one.

Reinholdt: Still one of my favorite models and also very good for the ranged casters (Siege, the Caines, Nemo3). Having one extra shot each turn for only 1 point is super.

Prime Eiryss and/or Epic Eiryss: Today it's all about the epic version, but the prime version still is good. Excellent solo hunter, great model and a total pain in the ass for your opponent.

Harlan Versh: Also a great solo hunter and he works well if your opponent is fan of upkeep spells (he has 3D6 to hit and on damage against them with 4 possible shots!)

And there are more...but this is a good start

[Major_Gilbear]

For solos you really want the following:

[...]

Excellent summary.

Also, Stormsmiths. Since their attacks are not Attacks, they ignore a lot of targeting restrictions like stealth etc. I think that Immunity: Electrical is the only way to avoid getting zapped by one. What this means is that they are surprisingly good at hunting solos like Eiryss...

[Daeothar]

More greatness

I already have several Mercenaries; Gorman, Eiryss and that shooty unit with one Ogrun and one Dwarf. The last one has served me ok to very well every time I've used them. Gorman only so so (only a couple of games,including that last fiasco), and Eyriss is a huge fire magnet and source of fear for my opponent, meaning that she never kills what she's supposed to, but draws a disproportionaly large amount of attention, which is good for all other units of course...

As my Khador are sort of a 'Hulk Smash!' force, supported by area effect weapons, smoke and blizzards, I'm looking to make these Cygnarites more a shooty 'Nuke the site from orbit' force instead.

[Major_Gilbear]

I'm looking to make these Cygnarites more a shooty 'Nuke the site from orbit' force instead.

Cygnar are always billed by folks as "the shooty faction", but really we're not.

Cygnar is a combined-arms faction that happen to have some strong precision shooting options. Realising that is your key to success with Cygnar!

Using part of your army to overwhelm a part of their force before another part of your army rips it apart is where you open up opportunities to win. Seems generic/obvious, but you cannot be afraid of sacrificing a unit, or kiting, or whatever it takes to get your opportunity.

Playing a simpler shooting/melee/armoured tank style just means that you will consistently lose to your opponents who are all designed to be better in their own specialisation than you are.

[DeafNala]

You've got some SPLENDID looking pieces to paint up there. Have FUN with it all!

[Daeothar]

Thanks Nala. 

Cygnar is a combined-arms faction that happen to have some strong precision shooting options. Realising that is your key to success with Cygnar!

Well obviously I'm doing something wrong with my Khador up to now, so I'm looking to improve my game. However, I may have oversimplified my take on the armies...

My Khador are not just raw power CC, but are usually supported by Widowmakers, Manhunters, Woodsmen etc. It's just that there is an emphasis on big stompy 'Jacks, which is mainly due to the way I see Khador. But that is obviously formed by the way they were portayed back in the days of the 1st edition of the rules.

For Cygnar, I have the same idea, but then weighted more towards the shooty side of the spectrum. So I'm not foregoing any CC units; I'm aware of the need for combined forces complementing each other.

Now to get better at using them...

[BigB]

I think you mean Hailey2, as Vayl2 is a Legion warlock

You are right.  Corrected.  My main opponent plays Legion and I'm SO SICK of playing Legion.  It's corrupting my mind!