All New War - Khador Thoughts

With all of the talk of the new edition announcement and what some of the major changes may mean out of the way, I can finally get to the most important topic: how does all of this relate to meeeeeeeeee?

Seriously though, as much as I'd like to go through each faction and hit the highs, lows, and what might/should change, that would take more time than I may have ever had (and is certainly well above what I could pull off now). So I'm just going to focus on the one faction that is weighing heaviest on my mind: those chilly, nationalistic Khards that everyone loves to explode by the dozen.

What follows will be my thoughts and hopes for how the faction will improve in the next edition of Warmachine. I'll refrain from any armchair design as best I can, but I might go nuts and do an entry-by-entry quick review. We'll see how it goes!

Grolar Thoughts and Theory

Now that the Grolar is, despite the best efforts of Skynet, an actual goddamn model you can buy the list idea gears are stating to spin again. Turns out that the best way to spark a desire to play a game is to release new content for it periodically. Who'd have thought?

Every time I look at this picture I expect the model to slowly
fade out of existence like in Back to The Future

I played some proxy games with the Grolar when the rules first came out (back when I had to use a dinosaur egg as a proxy), but I didn't want to get into an in depth discussion about it until it was actually in hand.

With that long fabled day having finally arrived, lets take a closer look at Khador's "newest" addition to it's warjack stable. Discussion starts after the break.

Harkevich vs. Grim2 - ConVic Test Run

As I slowly continue to get the chance to test out various lists using models from Warmachine: Reckoning, I keep coming back to the idea of Harkevich with two colossals. I've taken Harkevich for a spin with two Victors in the past, and liked it quite a bit.

However, that list has one big problem: it would require buying a second Victor that I would almost certainly never use outside of that list. That is a fairly steep price to pay to drag Harkevich out from the bottom of the barrel (and I'm still not sure how far up the ladder it gets him, but it is a dramatic improvement).

Ever since that game I have been kicking around the idea of trying out Conquest and Victor, instead of two Victors. I already have a Conquest, so if this idea pans out it saves me a lot in both painting time and money. Join me after the break to see how it works out.

Zerkova2 vs. Grim2 - Tough It Out

Thanks to a random bonus gaming session, I recently had the chance to put Zerkova2 on the table. Join me after the break for the battle report and thoughts about Khador's newest warcaster.

Mini-Batrep: Vlad3 vs. Gunnbjorn (Now With 100% More Assault!)

One of the things I've taken for granted about playing Warmachine regularly is the habits I developed in documenting games for possible battle reports. It doesn't do you much good, for instance, to realize at the end of the game that you haven't been doing turn-by-turn shots (which makes typing everything up significantly easier).

All that is a lead in to what will be a sort-of mini-battle report for a recent game I played with Vlad3. This one is going to be lighter in regards to the blow-by-blow recount, but it still affords a good opportunity to think about Vlad3, his list theory, and what to do with all that.

Breakdown after the break.

Down...there.

Ahem.

August 2015 Warmachine and Hordes Errata Thoughts

All of the Warmachine/Hordes (WM/H) world is abuzz with discussion about the most recent errata. And with good reason: this is easily the biggest set of actual rule changes Privateer Press (PP) has made in all of Mk. 2, and it touches some prominent models in significant ways.

If you haven't read the latest errata, the document (with latest version changes highlighted in red) can be found here: WM MKII Rules Errata August 2015.pdf

And if you're interested in the cliff's notes version, check out DarkLegacy's excellent summation post here: August 2015 Errata and You

Join me after the break for thoughts about the changes, how they may affect the game as a whole, and how they affect Khador specifically.

Thunderhorse - Vlad3 Thoughts and Theory

There is an affliction I have with Khador. Every three to six months, regardless of what I'm working on or playing, Vlad creeps onto the edges of my thoughts and will not leave.

The best way to exorcise this malady is to get into the dojo and come up with a list or two, then slap it down on the table.  The downside to this is that it throws off anything else I'm working with or on. The upside, however, is that I get to dojo and play Vlad which is always fun.

Vlad3 is the specific incarnation that has been bouncing around my head this time, so join me after the break for thoughts and theory about Khador's resident Horselord.

Syntherion - Notes from the Workbench

It struck me kind of funny, but the main faction I've been playing since the release of Warmachine: Reckoning has actually been the faction with zero releases from the book: Convergence of Cyriss. That is due more to timing than anything else; I've been playing a lot of Khador leading up to this point, and I was about due for a break. Plus it has been a very convenient way to get the two new Khador releases I have onto the painting table without disrupting the lists I want to play.

I've messed around with Convergence a little bit in the past, but it was a very clumsy foray into the faction. This time around I was coming into the games with a slightly better understanding of how the army was going to play, and with a (marginally) better sense of how to use the various models.

Join me after the break for a collection of my thoughts and experiences after another run of games with everyone's favorite baroque robots.

Warmachine: Reckoning - Final Thoughts

Now that we've gone over all the different factions release for Warmachine: Reckoning, lets take a look at the total picture of what the book means for different facets of Warmachine, and the game as a whole.

Join me after the break for the rundown and thoughts.

Warmachine: Reckoning Review - Mercenaries

Having gone over all of the other factions - Cygnar, Protectorate, Khador, Cryx, and Retribution, we arrive at the final faction in Warmachine: Reckoning. Going by Privateer Press order we have last, but (hopefully) not least: Mercenaries.

Review starts after the break!

Warmachine: Reckoning Review - Retribution of Scyrah

We're coming up on the finish line for Warmachine: Reckoning releases. With Cygnar, Protectorate, Khador, and Cryx covered, we next turn our attention to Ios, and the nifty new entries for the Retribution.

Review starts after the break!

Warmachine: Reckoning Review - Cryx

Three down! We've already gone over the Warmachine: Reckoning releases for Cygnar, Protectorate, and Khador, which means that today we'll be going over the new Cryx entries.

Review starts after the break!

Warmachine: Reckoning Review - Khador

So far we've gone over the Cygnar and Protectorate releases in Warmachine: Reckoning. Next up: the Khador releases.

Review starts after the break!

Warmachine: Reckoning Review - Protectorate of Menoth

Last time, I went over the new Cygnar models in Warmachine: Reckoning. Next on the list is the Protectorate of Menoth and its new shinies. Some of which are incredibly shiny, as they seem to be on fire.

Review starts after the break!

Warmachine: Reckoning Review - Cygnar

Now that everyone can either buy a copy of Warmachine: Reckoning or check out the rules in War Room (give or take Haley3, depending on when they sort out the issue with her entry) I think its a good time to do a review of all the entries in Privateer Press' latest Warmachine anthology.

Similar to when I reviewed the model entries in Hordes: Exigence, I'll be (very roughly) rating each entry on three factors:

Efficacy: How well the model does it's "job." If it's a melee model, is it worth throwing into the fray? If its a shooting model, will it hit the broad side of a barn? If its a warcaster/warlock, is it doing cool things to enable your army (or doing the heavy lifting itself)?

Meta Bending: Will this model inspire new list builds, or refine old list builds? Might this become a new list staple?

Coolness: Is the model idea cool? Does it try to do something interesting with it's design (regardless of if it succeeds or not)?

Also similar to last time, I have chosen a random, arbitrary thing that I find amusing to serve as the "star" proxy for each rating. This time around, each model will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5 crazy screaming zombie bird heads (courtesy of Deneghra's new battle engine mount). 

I'll be going through the factions in "PP order" (i.e. as PP lists/prints them everywhere), so lets kick things off after the break with everyone's favorite electric swans!

Victor Analysis and Theorycraft

Some of the biggest new releases for each faction in Warmachine: Reckoning are the new colossals being introduced. Everyone was surprised when they were announced during the TempleCon 2015 Privateer Press keynote presentation; I don't think anyone expected a second set of colossals so relatively soon after the first set (or, possibly, ever). This second set of colossals was made all the more interesting by being seemingly designed to be slightly more support oriented than the original colossals (some more so than others, though none were advertised as flat out weapons platforms like the Stormwall).

Now that the community has had the final rules for all these new colossals in hand (and have so for a couple of weeks now), everyone is trying to decide what lists these new colossals fit into (if any). Moreover, since the new colossals often bring with them different point totals (all but the Revelator are cheaper than their counterparts, with the Revelator being more expensive) and the likelihood that more players will own two colossals (collectors will end up with one of each, while some new colossals may lend themselves to some "double" builds), this new wave of colossals may usher in a time of more aggressive double, possibly even triple, colossal list use.

Regardless of how they'll be used, now is a great time for each faction that received a new colossal to get back into the lab and see what these new models may have done for their list options. I've been pondering the various benefits, drawbacks, and uses for Victor (the new Khador colossal) since its rules were spoiled during Lock & Load, and I have plenty of thoughts to share. Join me in the dojo, after the break.

Sorscha2 vs Feora2 - Epic Cylena

The Reckoning proxy playtesting continues! This time, its Victor vs Revelator in a battle to see who is truly shiny and chrome. There were warcasters sitting around watching, but I'm sure they're not nearly as remarkable.

Battle report, post-game thoughts, and model analysis after the break!

Butcher3 With Reckoning Warjacks

One of the more amusing anecdotes that I have heard about Warmachine: Reckoning is that this was supposed to the debut book for Butcher3. He ended up being pushed forward a book in order to get him into the 10th Anniversary box for Warmachine, and Zerkova2 was shuffled back a book to take his original spot.

Aside: if this anecdote is true, it should help to illuminate just how far out PP's development cycle is (something we've always heard about). When you're hoping for what may be in the next book, realize that it is already done, and the devs are like 3 books ahead of us. Oh to have a quick look at what is being tested right now.

Join me after the break for a trip down the rabbit hole, and see how the new Berserker chassis warjacks may bump up Butcher3's (already considerable) game).

Initial Zerkova2 Thoughts

Thanks to a friend at Lock & Load, I am in possession of a shiny new set models, well in advance of their release date: Obavnik Kommander Zerkova and her Reaver Guard. Join me after the break for a quick review of the models, as well as some early thoughts as to what the hell I plan to do with Zerkova2.

Harkevich vs Feora2 - Pyroclasm

With all the shiny new Warmachine: Reckoning spoilers in hand, my friends and I have been excited to proxy some of those new things on the table and see how they work out. Two of us got a chance to do just that this past week, and the resulting game was a helluva spectacle.

Join me after the break for lists, the battle report proper, and thoughts about all the new models used.