Warmachine - Taking Stock

the ArabianCryx rush it

With roleplaying not running this week (planned this time), MacSver kindly accepted the invitation to wander down the road and give me a Warmachine lesson, in many ways. Both of us play Cryx, so I can at least see some of my own model types (or similar) being handled by someone with a bit more knowledge and experience - no matter what he says! Despite the amount of time collecting and painting the models I still haven't actually played that many games of Warmachine, so certain rules and action still escape me. Also, although I'm starting to know what some of my units can do I'm not experienced enough to know what they are capable of, which is a big difference. It was the first time I've put together a 35pt force. My immediate thought was "Oooh, all those extra units I can field" only to find that those extra 10 pts don't really go that far, especially when you've got restricted choice to start with.

With most the MacBane Thralls cleared out the heavily
damages Slayer moves to block any spray attacks

Anyway the tall and short of it was that I had to best guess deploy first, I then muttered the WM mantra "play like you've got a pair" to myself before charging into the field. This unfortunately left me within striking range of MacSver's forces in his first turn (the table is only 3 feet wide so even with shortened deployment zones quite short), putting me on the defensive (mentally at least) and I let myself get tied up focusing on his Bone Jacks and approaching Bane Thralls. Then just as I thought I saw an way to clear a path to his Warcaster, he pushed forward Deneghra, popped her feat, Crippling Grasped my Dene, and brought his focus laiden Harrower round the corner to blast the witch away from rediculous range. This had been his rough plan all along. It's at times like these that I feel either tactically naive or just plain tactically unaware. I know that this should come with more experience, but it's still a bit disheartening at times.

The Slayer's last moments will leave the table free for
bile thrall purges and a corridor to MacDene.

At least I feel a bit clued up about certain aspects of play (including tactics) with the discussion afterwards. I can see now that my force shape is very much going down a certain path, which I now I am content with it's concept I can just concentrate on that.

Oh Bugger! With the Slayer set to rusty rubble MacDene
multi-debuffs her Arabian counterpart and the Harrower
comes round the corner ready to blast away.

I am not going to spend loads of cash to have many options. I don't play regularly enough to justify the outlay, and I have many, many other games that require my attention, enjoyment (and sometimes even my cash!). So I have picked a theme, of sorts, and will stick to that. Mostly Helljacks with a couple of units (bile thralls and mechanithralls) and a handful of solos. All the models have to be of an undead nature (so no she-demons) and theme (so no pirates). Bane thralls/knights get forget it as well as a) they cost too much cash and b) I hate "must have" units. Also units take up too much painting time and get tedious! I know that this course of army management will put me at a disadvantage but as long as I realise that I can hopefully, with a bit of experience, work round it. Also not always playing against Cryx might freshen things around a bit as well.

More experience required all round then!