WARMACHINE and HORDES are tabletop miniatures games from PRIVATEER PRESS, set in the fantasy world of the Iron Kingdoms. While each is counted as a separate game in its own right, the two use very similar rules and can be played against each other, hence, Warmahordes. (used instead of Hormachine for obvious reasons)
Warmachine is a 30mm1 tabletop wargame from Privateer Press. It is a fantasy wargame with a touch of steampunk set in the Iron Kingdoms, originally created by Privateer Press as a Dungeons & Dragons game world. It is currently in its second edition of the rules (known as Mark II or MKII).2 As one might expect from a wargame, it is full of various warring factions, all of whom hold a grudge on basically all the others. All models come with cards which contain their special rules and health bars. Combat is based around a 2d6 system where rolling high is good. Increasing the power of an attack or damage roll frequently involves adding extra d6s to the roll rather than a flat bonus; conversely, weakened attacks often roll fewer d6's. Gameplay-wise, Warmachine is fast, aggressive, and magic-heavy; not for nothing is the game's marketing slogan "Play Like You've Got A Pair!"
Warmachine is set within the world of Caen, on the continent of Immoren. More specifically, it takes place within the Iron Kingdoms, which are four in number (Though debate-ably five) . They all hit each other with swords and shoot each other and blow each other up. So lots of blood.
Most of the strategy of the game is based around a unit called a Warcaster, a powerful mage who acts as the leader of your army. They're backed up by solos, models which act alone for every purpose from team support to bloody murder, and units, small groups of soldiers that work together. Every game, in addition to a points limit, also limits your number of warcasters. Your games are not going to have a second warcaster until at least 100 points.3 In games with one warcaster, killing the enemy warcaster is an instant-win. In games with more than one warcaster, removing a warcaster is going to leave a player needing to seriously rethink his strategy. Oh yeah, and did we mention that there are steam-powered robots? Well, There Are STEAM-POWERED ROBOTS!!! (They're called Warjacks). While Warmachine is most definitely a fantasy game, it incorporates things called warjacks. Warjacks are steam-powered robots. They make things die. It's pretty cool. You'll see a few later.
Magic pops up in a variety of ways in Warmachine, but the most noticeable way is the inclusion of warcasters. These are the leaders of your army, capable of casting mighty spells and pulling off a special game-changing Feat every match (somewhat similar to a CO power in Advance Wars). It is these warcasters which control the mighty and hella-awesome warjacks I mentioned earlier.
The playable factions include:
Hordes shares this universe with Warmachine, but plays slightly differently. Where Warmachine is more of a resource management game, Hordes is more of a risk management game. The game plays with a warlock as the leader of your army (which is pretty much the same as a warcaster in Warmachine), with supporting monsters (called warbeasts, which are roughly equivalent to warjacks), units, and battle engines, etc. So whereas Warmachine is very steampunk, Hordes is somewhat more traditional fantasy.
Despite their differences, both are similar enough that you can play a game between forces from both.
The other key difference between the two games is the FOCUS and FURY mechanic. In Warmachine, warcasters have magical energy called Focus which they use to cast spells, increase their armor or allocate to their warjacks to grant them an increased chance of hitting/damaging stuff and perform a variety of devastating power attacks. On the other hand, warlocks use stuff called Fury. Fury is similar to focus in that it allows warlocks to cast spells, but instead of giving it to their warbeasts to increase their performance, warbeasts generate their own fury when they are forced to boost dice rolls or perform power attacks. During his or her next turn, the warlock will drain off the fury from his warbeasts and use it for spells and whatnot, and the cycle repeats. The problem is, if your warlock doesn’t drain all the fury from his or her beasts, there’s a good chance the monsters will hulk out and mindlessly attack those around them, friend or foe.
Okay, hopefully all that crap made sense, time to meet all the lovely murderous factions of hordes.
Okay, now lets say you're a poor person like me, how are you supposed to play this? Well good news, Warmahordes is far more budget friendly than WH40k and WHFB. Warmahordes games can have much smaller armies, being able to start small as a skirmish game and move up to FB and 40k's apocalypse scales. That, and Privateer Press doesn't have it's head up it's ass and charges a somewhat more reasonable price for their miniatures. (though it's still expensive stuff)
So does anyone actually play this or now want to play it?
Warmachine is a 30mm1 tabletop wargame from Privateer Press. It is a fantasy wargame with a touch of steampunk set in the Iron Kingdoms, originally created by Privateer Press as a Dungeons & Dragons game world. It is currently in its second edition of the rules (known as Mark II or MKII).2 As one might expect from a wargame, it is full of various warring factions, all of whom hold a grudge on basically all the others. All models come with cards which contain their special rules and health bars. Combat is based around a 2d6 system where rolling high is good. Increasing the power of an attack or damage roll frequently involves adding extra d6s to the roll rather than a flat bonus; conversely, weakened attacks often roll fewer d6's. Gameplay-wise, Warmachine is fast, aggressive, and magic-heavy; not for nothing is the game's marketing slogan "Play Like You've Got A Pair!"
Warmachine is set within the world of Caen, on the continent of Immoren. More specifically, it takes place within the Iron Kingdoms, which are four in number (Though debate-ably five) . They all hit each other with swords and shoot each other and blow each other up. So lots of blood.
Most of the strategy of the game is based around a unit called a Warcaster, a powerful mage who acts as the leader of your army. They're backed up by solos, models which act alone for every purpose from team support to bloody murder, and units, small groups of soldiers that work together. Every game, in addition to a points limit, also limits your number of warcasters. Your games are not going to have a second warcaster until at least 100 points.3 In games with one warcaster, killing the enemy warcaster is an instant-win. In games with more than one warcaster, removing a warcaster is going to leave a player needing to seriously rethink his strategy. Oh yeah, and did we mention that there are steam-powered robots? Well, There Are STEAM-POWERED ROBOTS!!! (They're called Warjacks). While Warmachine is most definitely a fantasy game, it incorporates things called warjacks. Warjacks are steam-powered robots. They make things die. It's pretty cool. You'll see a few later.
Magic pops up in a variety of ways in Warmachine, but the most noticeable way is the inclusion of warcasters. These are the leaders of your army, capable of casting mighty spells and pulling off a special game-changing Feat every match (somewhat similar to a CO power in Advance Wars). It is these warcasters which control the mighty and hella-awesome warjacks I mentioned earlier.
The playable factions include:
CYGNAR
A wealthy, populous, and advanced nation, Cygnar are known as “the crown jewel of the Iron Kingdoms”. They are well known for their advanced technology which has ensured their place as one of the major powers in Immoren. Cygnar are very much the 'combined arms' faction in Warmachine, able to field a variety of troops and warjacks that fill all rolls - ranged combat, melee combat, support, etc. - reasonably well.
Cygnar has the largest population, the best arcane mechaniks, the most resources, and the best gunsmiths in all of Immoren, and are beset on all sides for some combination therein. The boys in blue consequently have developed a combat style that favours the ranged game, offering blistering amount of buffs, utilities, and electrical goodness to ensure that the game stays that way until they're good and ready to get stuck in.
If phrases like "Gun Mage", "Chain Lightning", "Rapid Fire", and "Storm Glaive" make you sexually excited, (
) you might be a Cygnar player in your heart of hearts.
Unfortunately for Cygnar, their success and wealth has earned them the animosity of most of their neighbours, such as...
KHADOR
Khador is a large, wintery nation which bears an uncanny similarity to stereotypical depictions of Russia. The harsh and icy climate has produced a tough, rugged people who are fiercely patriotic and filled with disdain for the weak southern nations. The Khadoran military is characterised by huge, ponderous warjacks with nigh-impenetrable armour and which hit like a ton of bricks; supported by infantry ranging from massed Winter Guard conscripts to elite infantry like the deadly Widowmaker Snipers and the mighty Man-O-Wars. Khador have also recently made strides to modernise their military with more long ranged (if somewhat inaccurate) firepower.
Khador has the biggest, the toughest, the strongest, and the slowest warjacks in the game. With an armor value of twenty or more and tons of damage boxes, there's not much that the Motherland's 'jacks can't stand up to. (mostly because Khador is hands down, the worst faction at making jacks and tend to reuse cortexes (like a robot brain) which causes their jacks to go insane over time) Khador also has combat-capable warcasters and several types of elite troops. A Khador army tends to be a small but tough thrashing force that excels in close combat but is no slouch at range. Khador's troops are specialized and expensive, so in most games you can expect to be outnumbered by at least a little and sometimes a lot.
United by the dream of a new Khardic Empire, the Khadoran people have embraced a policy of aggressive expansionism, which unsurprisingly brings them into frequent conflict with the other nations of Immoren. So yeah, they're communists
THE PROTECTORATE OF MENOTH
Pretty much steampunk paladins. Formed out of a civil war with Cygnar, the Protectorate of Menoth is the youngest of the Iron Kingdoms. Essentially, the fanatical devotees of Menoth, the creator of man, were exiled to a barren wasteland to the east of Cygnar. There they tons of resources and savage tribes to convert, and built up an army to crush their heathen enemies. Praise Menoth! Protectorate warjacks (and many of their troops) are individually weaker than those of the other factions, but by buffing their armies with their warcaster's spells and key support pieces, the Protectorate become exponentially more powerful. They also favour denying their enemies the ability to shoot or cast spells, thus throwing carefully laid plans into disarray. They also ironically hate magic.
Though unable and unwilling to use the arcane power needed to create mechanika, the Protectorate has developed or stolen the techniques necessary to create a modern military the rival of any major nation among the Iron Kingdoms.
Lead by their clergy, the devout and devoted populous of the Protectorate has marched to war to return humanity to its true allegiance. Too many centuries of adherence to heresies has lead to the current sad state of affairs, and only the burning, undiluted flame of the True Law can preserve mankind and restore the proper course of civilization. Blessed by Menoth's divine mandate and empowered by His holy fire, the nation marches to a war not of conquest but of redemption, one not fought for the aggrandizement of the few but for the salvation of all. The humans of Western Immoren will remember and embrace their true master, or they will burn.
Glory to Menoth! Death to the infidels!
Also, fire. Fire everywhere.
CRYX
The Nightmare Empire of Cryx is a series of islands off the western coast of mainland Immoren, and home to the immortal dragonfather Turok. A sickening mix of necromancy, soulless science, and the unnatural corruption of draconic blight, Cryx is a fast, numerous, and shockingly powerful army. Specializing in (but not limited to) undead hordes, the forces of Lord Toruk the Dragonfather nearly always outnumber their opponents. More, they possess some of the most magically potent and versatile spellcasters in Immoren who can manipulate the souls of the dead. Oh, and they can hit REALLY hard. Service in the Nightmare Empire never ends, and as Cryx extends its corrupting tendrils throughout the Iron Kingdoms, even the dead shall be called again to slaughter.
In addition to hordes of mindless undead thralls, Turok's vassals include the Satyxis, a race of vicious warrior-women who practice blood rituals, the twelve Lich Lords, and a variety of other lifeforms corrupted and twisted by the dragon's blight. In battle, Cryx are fast, stealthy, and have a huge array of dirty tricks and debuffs up their rotting undead sleeves. Total dick cheeses
THE RETRIBUTION OF SCYRAH
Think Eldar mixed with Tau if you're into Warhammer
The Retribution of Scyrah is WARMACHINE's newest faction. Formerly a fringe radical group of terrorists elves hailing from the secluded elven nation of Ios, the Retribution has recently gained heavy political ground and acceptance in its homeland. They now have access to and support from some of Ios's greaet Military Houses, including the ranks of the fearsome Dawnguard and the power of Myrmidon Warjacks. They are technologically advanced. They have force fields. They hate you.
They're out for blood and revenge. They are fighting the good fight for the survival of their species. Their last remaining Gods are dying, and they blame human magic use for it. They are damn good at what they do.
The Retribution is a faction of versatility. On one hand, it has the Mage Hunters and Battle Mages—generally easy to remove if you can engage them but with many special rules that can turn the tide of a battle. On the other hand, there are the Dawnguard and Houseguard—generally more durable, slower, and more focused in a single role. Retribution 'jacks are called myrmidons and come from (at the moment) two noble Houses. House Shyeel produces heavy and light 'jacks with Force Fields. House Vyre produces only heavy 'jacks, which lack Force Fields but have more damage boxes and ARM.
Solid units. Some absurdly powerful solos. Well-rounded if focus-hungry Warjacks. The Retribution plays differently and can be rather rewarding for those willing to put some effort into them. They shoot harder than most factions though aren't necessarily as accurate. They are potent in melee, but lack Warcaster support to the degrees most other factions enjoy. Their Warjacks are few in variety but can all do their task well. Take care of them, because they crumple like paper once their force fields are gone. Did I mention mage hunters? Oh yes. Mage hunters.
MERCENARIES
The Mercenaries are the most diverse force in the Iron Kingdoms - some portrayed as disreputable cut-throats, others as raving madmen, and others as stalwart revolutionaries. This is a world where conflict rules and wars are always ready to flare up. What kind of moron could pass up a chance to make a buck? Mercenaries come in all shapes and sizes. Some are exiles from their own land, called traitors by those they once called brother, Some are pirates sailing on the high seas, Others are freedom fighters working to free their ruined nation, Others are short bearded fellows who like money. It takes all kinds, right? Regardless, each merc has a goal that makes them willing to accept anyone's coin to work towards.
Mercenaries are slightly more complex then other factions, but only slightly. There are two different ways of building up an all-mercenary army.
A wealthy, populous, and advanced nation, Cygnar are known as “the crown jewel of the Iron Kingdoms”. They are well known for their advanced technology which has ensured their place as one of the major powers in Immoren. Cygnar are very much the 'combined arms' faction in Warmachine, able to field a variety of troops and warjacks that fill all rolls - ranged combat, melee combat, support, etc. - reasonably well.
Cygnar has the largest population, the best arcane mechaniks, the most resources, and the best gunsmiths in all of Immoren, and are beset on all sides for some combination therein. The boys in blue consequently have developed a combat style that favours the ranged game, offering blistering amount of buffs, utilities, and electrical goodness to ensure that the game stays that way until they're good and ready to get stuck in.
If phrases like "Gun Mage", "Chain Lightning", "Rapid Fire", and "Storm Glaive" make you sexually excited, (
) you might be a Cygnar player in your heart of hearts.Unfortunately for Cygnar, their success and wealth has earned them the animosity of most of their neighbours, such as...
KHADOR
Khador is a large, wintery nation which bears an uncanny similarity to stereotypical depictions of Russia. The harsh and icy climate has produced a tough, rugged people who are fiercely patriotic and filled with disdain for the weak southern nations. The Khadoran military is characterised by huge, ponderous warjacks with nigh-impenetrable armour and which hit like a ton of bricks; supported by infantry ranging from massed Winter Guard conscripts to elite infantry like the deadly Widowmaker Snipers and the mighty Man-O-Wars. Khador have also recently made strides to modernise their military with more long ranged (if somewhat inaccurate) firepower.
Khador has the biggest, the toughest, the strongest, and the slowest warjacks in the game. With an armor value of twenty or more and tons of damage boxes, there's not much that the Motherland's 'jacks can't stand up to. (mostly because Khador is hands down, the worst faction at making jacks and tend to reuse cortexes (like a robot brain) which causes their jacks to go insane over time) Khador also has combat-capable warcasters and several types of elite troops. A Khador army tends to be a small but tough thrashing force that excels in close combat but is no slouch at range. Khador's troops are specialized and expensive, so in most games you can expect to be outnumbered by at least a little and sometimes a lot.
United by the dream of a new Khardic Empire, the Khadoran people have embraced a policy of aggressive expansionism, which unsurprisingly brings them into frequent conflict with the other nations of Immoren. So yeah, they're communists
THE PROTECTORATE OF MENOTH
Pretty much steampunk paladins. Formed out of a civil war with Cygnar, the Protectorate of Menoth is the youngest of the Iron Kingdoms. Essentially, the fanatical devotees of Menoth, the creator of man, were exiled to a barren wasteland to the east of Cygnar. There they tons of resources and savage tribes to convert, and built up an army to crush their heathen enemies. Praise Menoth! Protectorate warjacks (and many of their troops) are individually weaker than those of the other factions, but by buffing their armies with their warcaster's spells and key support pieces, the Protectorate become exponentially more powerful. They also favour denying their enemies the ability to shoot or cast spells, thus throwing carefully laid plans into disarray. They also ironically hate magic.
Though unable and unwilling to use the arcane power needed to create mechanika, the Protectorate has developed or stolen the techniques necessary to create a modern military the rival of any major nation among the Iron Kingdoms.
Lead by their clergy, the devout and devoted populous of the Protectorate has marched to war to return humanity to its true allegiance. Too many centuries of adherence to heresies has lead to the current sad state of affairs, and only the burning, undiluted flame of the True Law can preserve mankind and restore the proper course of civilization. Blessed by Menoth's divine mandate and empowered by His holy fire, the nation marches to a war not of conquest but of redemption, one not fought for the aggrandizement of the few but for the salvation of all. The humans of Western Immoren will remember and embrace their true master, or they will burn.
Glory to Menoth! Death to the infidels!
Also, fire. Fire everywhere.
CRYX
The Nightmare Empire of Cryx is a series of islands off the western coast of mainland Immoren, and home to the immortal dragonfather Turok. A sickening mix of necromancy, soulless science, and the unnatural corruption of draconic blight, Cryx is a fast, numerous, and shockingly powerful army. Specializing in (but not limited to) undead hordes, the forces of Lord Toruk the Dragonfather nearly always outnumber their opponents. More, they possess some of the most magically potent and versatile spellcasters in Immoren who can manipulate the souls of the dead. Oh, and they can hit REALLY hard. Service in the Nightmare Empire never ends, and as Cryx extends its corrupting tendrils throughout the Iron Kingdoms, even the dead shall be called again to slaughter.
In addition to hordes of mindless undead thralls, Turok's vassals include the Satyxis, a race of vicious warrior-women who practice blood rituals, the twelve Lich Lords, and a variety of other lifeforms corrupted and twisted by the dragon's blight. In battle, Cryx are fast, stealthy, and have a huge array of dirty tricks and debuffs up their rotting undead sleeves. Total dick cheeses
THE RETRIBUTION OF SCYRAH
Think Eldar mixed with Tau if you're into Warhammer
The Retribution of Scyrah is WARMACHINE's newest faction. Formerly a fringe radical group of terrorists elves hailing from the secluded elven nation of Ios, the Retribution has recently gained heavy political ground and acceptance in its homeland. They now have access to and support from some of Ios's greaet Military Houses, including the ranks of the fearsome Dawnguard and the power of Myrmidon Warjacks. They are technologically advanced. They have force fields. They hate you.
They're out for blood and revenge. They are fighting the good fight for the survival of their species. Their last remaining Gods are dying, and they blame human magic use for it. They are damn good at what they do.
The Retribution is a faction of versatility. On one hand, it has the Mage Hunters and Battle Mages—generally easy to remove if you can engage them but with many special rules that can turn the tide of a battle. On the other hand, there are the Dawnguard and Houseguard—generally more durable, slower, and more focused in a single role. Retribution 'jacks are called myrmidons and come from (at the moment) two noble Houses. House Shyeel produces heavy and light 'jacks with Force Fields. House Vyre produces only heavy 'jacks, which lack Force Fields but have more damage boxes and ARM.
Solid units. Some absurdly powerful solos. Well-rounded if focus-hungry Warjacks. The Retribution plays differently and can be rather rewarding for those willing to put some effort into them. They shoot harder than most factions though aren't necessarily as accurate. They are potent in melee, but lack Warcaster support to the degrees most other factions enjoy. Their Warjacks are few in variety but can all do their task well. Take care of them, because they crumple like paper once their force fields are gone. Did I mention mage hunters? Oh yes. Mage hunters.
MERCENARIES
The Mercenaries are the most diverse force in the Iron Kingdoms - some portrayed as disreputable cut-throats, others as raving madmen, and others as stalwart revolutionaries. This is a world where conflict rules and wars are always ready to flare up. What kind of moron could pass up a chance to make a buck? Mercenaries come in all shapes and sizes. Some are exiles from their own land, called traitors by those they once called brother, Some are pirates sailing on the high seas, Others are freedom fighters working to free their ruined nation, Others are short bearded fellows who like money. It takes all kinds, right? Regardless, each merc has a goal that makes them willing to accept anyone's coin to work towards.
Mercenaries are slightly more complex then other factions, but only slightly. There are two different ways of building up an all-mercenary army.
- Theme Lists: Just like all other warcasters, mercenary warcasters have theme lists. You cannot claim tier bonuses in a game where each player runs more than one warcaster. Unlike other warcasters, these lists and the main list are mutually exclusive. If you don't run entirely in theme, you must select a contract.
- Mercenary Contracts: Mercenary Contracts function similarly to theme lists, but aren't warcaster-specific. They represent specific minor forces from smaller nations, or private interests out for their own gain. Each contract contains restrictions on which models from the vast mercenary range are allowed. A mercenary contract will net you a bonus similar to a tier bonus; however, unlike tier bonuses, you can get one even when you have multiple warcasters. Note that in larger games, where 3+ warcasters will be used, Mercs become more heavily limited than any of the traditional factions. A Merc player cannot simply put his entire collection onto the table, as Mercs are limited to Contracts or Theme Forces. In particular, Searforge as well as the Talion Charter only have three each to field.
Hordes shares this universe with Warmachine, but plays slightly differently. Where Warmachine is more of a resource management game, Hordes is more of a risk management game. The game plays with a warlock as the leader of your army (which is pretty much the same as a warcaster in Warmachine), with supporting monsters (called warbeasts, which are roughly equivalent to warjacks), units, and battle engines, etc. So whereas Warmachine is very steampunk, Hordes is somewhat more traditional fantasy.
Despite their differences, both are similar enough that you can play a game between forces from both.
The other key difference between the two games is the FOCUS and FURY mechanic. In Warmachine, warcasters have magical energy called Focus which they use to cast spells, increase their armor or allocate to their warjacks to grant them an increased chance of hitting/damaging stuff and perform a variety of devastating power attacks. On the other hand, warlocks use stuff called Fury. Fury is similar to focus in that it allows warlocks to cast spells, but instead of giving it to their warbeasts to increase their performance, warbeasts generate their own fury when they are forced to boost dice rolls or perform power attacks. During his or her next turn, the warlock will drain off the fury from his warbeasts and use it for spells and whatnot, and the cycle repeats. The problem is, if your warlock doesn’t drain all the fury from his or her beasts, there’s a good chance the monsters will hulk out and mindlessly attack those around them, friend or foe.
Okay, hopefully all that crap made sense, time to meet all the lovely murderous factions of hordes.
SKORNE
To the far east of the Iron Kingdoms lies the Skorne Empire, a sadistic race obsessed with martial perfection. The deposed king of Cygnar fled here after his brother overthrew him, and single-handedly conquered the Skorne because he is a scary, scary man. Now he’s attempting to use them to win back his old kingdom; though the Skorne themselves are starting to get other ideas in that regard. Namely, conquest of the entire continent.
Skorne warbeasts typically start off as heavily armoured, lumbering behemoths, but through careful application of support spells and abilities they can become scarily fast. Skorne infantry tends to be different flavours of melee – Praetorian swordsmen who wield two swords in an orgy of choppy death, slow but powerful soldiers like Immortals and Cataphracts, and fast, stealthy Bloodrunner assassins. They also have access to some powerful wizards who like collected the souls of dead allies (or enemies, it varies) to fuel their armies. So yeah, nice folk all round.
The Skorne are the slowest-moving army of Hordes, but almost all of their units and warbeasts are trained in the arts of dealing death at close quarters. Katanas, halberds, daggers, claws, these people devote their lives to enduring suffering and inflicting it upon others. They usually have armor values above other factions from Hordes and lagging only slightly behind Khador of Warmachine. What makes them a powerful force is that once they engage in melee, their foes usually crumple around their agony-inducing instruments of torture, and their armor is able to withstand the desperate counter-attacks of their opponents. Lastly, the Skorne have learned another way to immortality besides Cryx. Even when one of their number does fall, their soul may be offered up to their ancestors, who will fight with renewed vigor and power, turning losses into potential gains.
If you like the idea of Greco-Roman style phalanx combat, if you like the idea of saying "I'll kill you when I get there... eventually!", and if you like it when one of your number dying makes a unit at the back of the formation leap into action and tear your foes apart, then the Skorne are a solid fighting force that you can enjoy. For the slow, frighteningly durable, and murderous Skorne army, favor Tyrant Xerxis and Lord Tyrant Hexeris.
Basically if Hellenistic culture had a baby with Japan.
TROLLBLOODS
Trolls are the lovable blue skinned brutes of the Hordes universe. Trollbloods traditionally live in loosely organized, tightly knit communities on the fringes (or completely removed) from the rest of civilization in the Iron Kingdoms. The escalation of warfare in their lands has led to the trolls uniting as a people to defend themselves and their lands. They are the "protagonists" of the Hordes lore because they seek nothing other than to defend their home and people. That said, some of their characters (especially Hoarluk Doomshaper) are not very nice about it. Doomshaper himself is a mad racist who is totally in favour of wiping out all of humanity. Thankfully, most of the other characters hold him back to less extreme goals.
The Trollbloods have villages and communities dotted all over the forests and wild places of Western Immoren. The Trollkin are a civilised and intelligent bunch who frequently interact with the human nations, working as bounty hunters, trackers and hired muscle. However, the humans tend to treat them like second-class citizens at best and try to murder them at worst. With that sort of nonsense, and the humans ever encroaching on their ancestral homelands and sacred sites, the Trollkin have had enough and are fighting back.
Trolls are very, very hard to put down. Most of their infantry have the ‘Tough’ special rule which allows you to roll a die when they’re killed to see if they’re really dead or just faking it. Their warbeasts are even more resilient, with the ability to regenerate health. Like the Protectorate of Menoth in Warmachine, Trolls tend to rely on a number of key support pieces for synergy and buffs that allow them to become even better and punching their enemies’ faces off.
Generally pretty nice guys all things considered.
LEGION OF EVERBLIGHT
One of Turok’s progeny, the dragon Everblight exists as a disembodied essence in the far northern reaches of Immoren. He’s been slowly working to corrupt and enslave the Nyss, an arctic subspecies of elves. Everblight is also fond of using his own blood to create monstrous abominations with rows of sharp teeth and spikes everywhere. Now all his creations are marching south, primarily with the intention of fighting Turok, but they’re not adverse to throwing down with anyone they encounter on the way
The Legion of Everblight relies on a combination of ranged attacks and incredibly powerful warbeasts; the Legion warbeasts are, apart from the lesser warbeasts, the most powerful and cost the most points of all the Hordes factions. Legion is the second most popular faction in tournaments after Cryx, because they ignore the special rules and defenses of most other armies. In particular, a Legion army will demolish many Circle of Orboros forces with relative ease, because they rely on concealment, stealth, forests, and difficult ground.
CIRCLE OF ORBOROS
A sectrective cabal of Druids, the Circle Orboros are all about maintaining the balance between the order of the civilised world and the chaos of the wild places. They take to the battlefield alongside the Tharn, savage worshippers of the Devourer Wurm, construct warbeasts made of wood and stone, and beasts of the forests like Satyrs and Warpwolves.
The Circle Orboros is an alliance of magic-wielding druids and their constructs, adept woodsmen, ferocious beasts, and the savage Tharn all devoted to serving the Devourer Wurm. The Circle is fast and maneuverable, but many of its models do not hit terribly hard and most cannot take a lot of damage. It often plays as one might expect a hunter to behave: setting traps and ambushes, maneuvering opponents to vulnerable positions, and controlling where the battle will happen. If you can get your opponent to spring one of your traps, you will likely win. The Circle has a lot of synergy, a few powerhouses, decent range, and is the only faction with a "teleportation" theme.
The Circle Orboros love terrain, pure and simple. Most of their army choices either or ignore difficult terrain or have some way of gaining the ability to, and more often than not they gain some kind of benefit from hiding in forests. Oh yeah, and a lot of their stuff has the ability to make forests! The Circle play a very hit and run game as they tend to be somewhat fragile; and they can suffer against the heavy armour of factions like Khador and Skorne. However, they have access to some very powerful magic – namely denial and debuff spells – to help them out a bit.
MINIONS
Minions are to HORDES what Mercenaries are to WARMACHINE. Many of the available minions will work for select factions both for HORDES and WARMACHINE
Minions are slightly more complex then other factions, but only slightly. There are two different ways of building up an all-minion army.
To the far east of the Iron Kingdoms lies the Skorne Empire, a sadistic race obsessed with martial perfection. The deposed king of Cygnar fled here after his brother overthrew him, and single-handedly conquered the Skorne because he is a scary, scary man. Now he’s attempting to use them to win back his old kingdom; though the Skorne themselves are starting to get other ideas in that regard. Namely, conquest of the entire continent.
Skorne warbeasts typically start off as heavily armoured, lumbering behemoths, but through careful application of support spells and abilities they can become scarily fast. Skorne infantry tends to be different flavours of melee – Praetorian swordsmen who wield two swords in an orgy of choppy death, slow but powerful soldiers like Immortals and Cataphracts, and fast, stealthy Bloodrunner assassins. They also have access to some powerful wizards who like collected the souls of dead allies (or enemies, it varies) to fuel their armies. So yeah, nice folk all round.
The Skorne are the slowest-moving army of Hordes, but almost all of their units and warbeasts are trained in the arts of dealing death at close quarters. Katanas, halberds, daggers, claws, these people devote their lives to enduring suffering and inflicting it upon others. They usually have armor values above other factions from Hordes and lagging only slightly behind Khador of Warmachine. What makes them a powerful force is that once they engage in melee, their foes usually crumple around their agony-inducing instruments of torture, and their armor is able to withstand the desperate counter-attacks of their opponents. Lastly, the Skorne have learned another way to immortality besides Cryx. Even when one of their number does fall, their soul may be offered up to their ancestors, who will fight with renewed vigor and power, turning losses into potential gains.
If you like the idea of Greco-Roman style phalanx combat, if you like the idea of saying "I'll kill you when I get there... eventually!", and if you like it when one of your number dying makes a unit at the back of the formation leap into action and tear your foes apart, then the Skorne are a solid fighting force that you can enjoy. For the slow, frighteningly durable, and murderous Skorne army, favor Tyrant Xerxis and Lord Tyrant Hexeris.
Basically if Hellenistic culture had a baby with Japan.
TROLLBLOODS
Trolls are the lovable blue skinned brutes of the Hordes universe. Trollbloods traditionally live in loosely organized, tightly knit communities on the fringes (or completely removed) from the rest of civilization in the Iron Kingdoms. The escalation of warfare in their lands has led to the trolls uniting as a people to defend themselves and their lands. They are the "protagonists" of the Hordes lore because they seek nothing other than to defend their home and people. That said, some of their characters (especially Hoarluk Doomshaper) are not very nice about it. Doomshaper himself is a mad racist who is totally in favour of wiping out all of humanity. Thankfully, most of the other characters hold him back to less extreme goals.
The Trollbloods have villages and communities dotted all over the forests and wild places of Western Immoren. The Trollkin are a civilised and intelligent bunch who frequently interact with the human nations, working as bounty hunters, trackers and hired muscle. However, the humans tend to treat them like second-class citizens at best and try to murder them at worst. With that sort of nonsense, and the humans ever encroaching on their ancestral homelands and sacred sites, the Trollkin have had enough and are fighting back.
Trolls are very, very hard to put down. Most of their infantry have the ‘Tough’ special rule which allows you to roll a die when they’re killed to see if they’re really dead or just faking it. Their warbeasts are even more resilient, with the ability to regenerate health. Like the Protectorate of Menoth in Warmachine, Trolls tend to rely on a number of key support pieces for synergy and buffs that allow them to become even better and punching their enemies’ faces off.
Generally pretty nice guys all things considered.
LEGION OF EVERBLIGHT
One of Turok’s progeny, the dragon Everblight exists as a disembodied essence in the far northern reaches of Immoren. He’s been slowly working to corrupt and enslave the Nyss, an arctic subspecies of elves. Everblight is also fond of using his own blood to create monstrous abominations with rows of sharp teeth and spikes everywhere. Now all his creations are marching south, primarily with the intention of fighting Turok, but they’re not adverse to throwing down with anyone they encounter on the way
The Legion of Everblight relies on a combination of ranged attacks and incredibly powerful warbeasts; the Legion warbeasts are, apart from the lesser warbeasts, the most powerful and cost the most points of all the Hordes factions. Legion is the second most popular faction in tournaments after Cryx, because they ignore the special rules and defenses of most other armies. In particular, a Legion army will demolish many Circle of Orboros forces with relative ease, because they rely on concealment, stealth, forests, and difficult ground.
CIRCLE OF ORBOROS
A sectrective cabal of Druids, the Circle Orboros are all about maintaining the balance between the order of the civilised world and the chaos of the wild places. They take to the battlefield alongside the Tharn, savage worshippers of the Devourer Wurm, construct warbeasts made of wood and stone, and beasts of the forests like Satyrs and Warpwolves.
The Circle Orboros is an alliance of magic-wielding druids and their constructs, adept woodsmen, ferocious beasts, and the savage Tharn all devoted to serving the Devourer Wurm. The Circle is fast and maneuverable, but many of its models do not hit terribly hard and most cannot take a lot of damage. It often plays as one might expect a hunter to behave: setting traps and ambushes, maneuvering opponents to vulnerable positions, and controlling where the battle will happen. If you can get your opponent to spring one of your traps, you will likely win. The Circle has a lot of synergy, a few powerhouses, decent range, and is the only faction with a "teleportation" theme.
The Circle Orboros love terrain, pure and simple. Most of their army choices either or ignore difficult terrain or have some way of gaining the ability to, and more often than not they gain some kind of benefit from hiding in forests. Oh yeah, and a lot of their stuff has the ability to make forests! The Circle play a very hit and run game as they tend to be somewhat fragile; and they can suffer against the heavy armour of factions like Khador and Skorne. However, they have access to some very powerful magic – namely denial and debuff spells – to help them out a bit.
MINIONS
Minions are to HORDES what Mercenaries are to WARMACHINE. Many of the available minions will work for select factions both for HORDES and WARMACHINE
Minions are slightly more complex then other factions, but only slightly. There are two different ways of building up an all-minion army.
- Tier Lists: Just like all other warlocks, Minion warlocks have tier lists. Tier lists are a list designed to work with that warlock both in the backstory and (hopefully) on the tabletop. If you meet the requirements for a Tier 4 list, you get four stacked bonuses. Tier lists are best for small, one-warlock matches; on average, you can usually claim about 1 tier bonus for every 10 points of army size. You cannot claim tier bonuses in a game where each player runs more than one warlock.
- Minion Pacts: Minion Pacts work kind of like tier lists, but they aren't warlock specific. Rather, they represent thematic forces from smaller interests within the reallywild parts of Immoren. Unlike Mercenary Contracts, Minion Pacts are (thus far) mutually exclusive; no Mercenary model can find work in more than one Pact. A Pacts will get you a bonus similar to a tier bonus; however, unlike tier bonuses, you can get one even when you have multiple warlocks. This gives you a slight edge over a Faction army, who can't claim any such bonuses after they bring in a second warlock. Pact armies work best in medium games where each player brings more than one warlock. However, tier lists are generally better for small games unless you really, really want to break the tier requirements
So does anyone actually play this or now want to play it?
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