In 200 pages, the core book/rulebook (Warmachine Prime) includes the basic rules, army lists for four separate and unique forces within the Iron Kingdoms setting plus the option of adding mercenary models and units to the game. The book is well made, soft cover with very high production values including gloss cover and pages. There are numerous examples after most rule descriptions including diagrams and illustrations. Most of the art is black and white, very professionally rendered and helps to get across the feeling of the setting.
Flavor text is integrated primarily in separate sections from the rules (a good idea in my opinion) except for appropriate unobtrusive entries accompanying character models and troops choices so that players unfamiliar with Iron Kingdoms ’get’ the idea behind the troops. One good point to be made early on is that you can easily play this game without getting involved with the game’s back story---though I find myself wanting to learn more about the setting. As long as you use the army lists properly the game can provide some good slamming action without the need to know why your army hates your friend’s army.
There are four political forces/armies outlined in the rulebook. In general (I‘m sure Warmachine veterans will have some comments), each army has a style that makes it play differently than the others. Cygnar is reminiscent of the typical good guy force (technologically advanced and an apparently well intentioned nation). Menoth is a collective of religious zealots bent on purging the world of evil through flame and other painful means. Khador is an frozen wasteland warrior group that seem to be based on the former Soviets with a little bit of Germanic warrior thrown in to make ‘em extra nasty. Cryx are the undead army of the game, calling on dark powers to fuel their conquests.
In addition to style differences (e.g. creepy, skeletal Cryx and flame-thrower toting Menoth), each faction also plays differently. Again, I’m generalizing but Cygnar troops tend to excel at shooting. Khador shine at hand to hand. Cryx field relatively cheap but plentiful troops (and can resurrect dead warjacks into bombs for their use). Menoth troops specialize a in flame attacks.
And as was mentioned earlier, mercenaries are available for the forces (some mercs have political ideologies that prevent their use by certain forces---usually Cryx). For the most part, the mercs are new takes on traditional fantasy races. Trollkins (trolls), Gobbers (goblins), Ogrun (ogres) and are nicely done adaptations.
Privateer Press also just recently released a renegade warcaster battlegroup complete with his own specialized warjacks; this renegade caster is a mercenary willing to fight for anyone except his homeland---Cygnar. So you see, there is a fair amount of meat in the background setting as everyone has a reason to hate everyone else. The company is producing models that are described in the Prime book but that might not yet be available at a rapid rate. If the mini you’re looking for doesn’t exist yet---be patient--in a couple of months it will. Think of it as a gracious extension so that you can get all the stuff you’ve bought painted up.
Each model/unit has stats that tell its special abilities and how well it moves, defends, shoots, attacks, etc. Warmachine is d6 based (in general, you roll 2d6 and add a stat then you compare the result to your opponent's appropriate stat to see who came out better). Stats cards are provided with the models to aid in tracking these stats including the points value of the model. When you play a game, all players agree to a points limit and each army can then field up to that number of points in troops, jacks and warcasters (requiring at least one warcaster as the core for any army).
The stat cards are a good idea because they keep record-keeping from becoming too burdensome and they also summarize the unit/model’s information so you don’t have to keep any pages tabbed. The authors recommend the cards be used inside trading card sleeves so you can make notations in dry-erase without ruining the card.
Warjacks are a unique addition to the game, each represented on the table by an impressive model and in the player’s hand of stat cards. Like modern tanks, Jacks are classed as light (usually quicker but usually with less staying power) and heavy. These steam-powered, magically driven bots have a number of boxes to represent systems like movement, arc nodes (which allow a warjack to serve as a retransmitter for his war caster’s spells), cortex (the magical brain of the beast), weapons and hull. As systems go down due to damage, jacks become less effective (slower, easier to hit, less able to shoot or defend in melee, etc.). These systems can be repaired by certain forces’ mechanics but a jack with enough damage becomes immobile or is destroyed outright.
Another point where Warmachine truly differs from other games, and excels in this difference is the Warcaster and his/her use of “FOCUS” points. While warjacks are the coal-smoke belching mecha of the game and they are incredibly powerful if used properly, it is the use of the Warcaster’s focus points (some warcasters have more points than others) that raises the strategy bar for this game. Warjacks can move faster, fight and shoot better and hit harder IF their war caster spends his focus points on them but spells cost focus, too. Since focus points are limited each turn, players have to choose whether to cast spell X OR to cause his biggest steam-tank to go plowing through enemy infantry.
To make things even better, FOCUS allocation is made before you activate your models. You need to think ahead so that when you need that spell handy, you will have enough FOCUS left to use it (at the same time you’ll hope you gave your ‘jacks enough FOCUS to move and attack efficiently). Beads or coins can serve as helpful reminders of just where you've spent your caster's FOCUS for the turn, by the way.
In addition to any melee or ranged weapons, each warcaster has spells and a special ability called a feat. The feat is a nasty ability that basically jams up or seriously damages the enemy if the feat is used properly. So, you begin the game knowing that you and your opponent each have an ace in the hole. The spells range from personal effects to attacks and are pretty standard for a fantasy skirmish wizard’s repertoire. Focus, however, is the key to these spells AND to warjack operation.
Besides 'jacks and waracasters, each army has also has access to ground troops (played as "units") and individuals with exceptional ability who are just a notch below character status---these individuals are called solos. Units behave as, well, units. They have to maintain a certain coherency or suffer in their ability to carry out orders or function in combat effectively.
Solos function on their own and represent a broad range of capabilities--specific to each faction. The Cygnarians have an apprentice warcaster who can perform some warcaster functions (he's just not fully trained in the jedi arts yet). The Cryx have a nasty undead thing they can summon. The Khador use a deadly Hunter fella while the Menoth faction can call upon a holy Paladin to help defend their lands. And as was said before, there are mercenary troops (both units and solos) that can be hired to fill certain gaps (though merc troops have political agendas of their own and refuse to work for some factions).
The game turn is divided into three phases. The maintenance phase is first during which certain effects continue to work and models which are trying to flee continue their flight, hopefully to rally.
The control phase is next---this is where your caster(s) get FOCUS and decide how they will use them. Some spells (from previous turns) require the caster to pay FOCUS in order to maintain them---otherwise they go away. The control phase is one of the more challenging parts of the game because you can make a dumb decision here that tactics or your warjack's hides can't make up for later.
The final phase is activation during which models and units move, shoot and attempt to get into melee range so they can bludgeon enemy models. Turns go fairly quickly and because this is a skirmish game, players tend to stay engaged in the game instead of waiting 30 minutes for the other player to complete his/her turn.
Hand to hand combat is a lot of fun in WarMachine because you can do things that a lot of minis games rules won't allow. You can plow into other 'jacks and infantry units with a properly stoked up warjack. You can pick up enemy models and chuck them into other things--hopefully causing them even more damage. You can even push your enemy off a cliff if you're fighting on a ledge.
With all these options, it's easy to get cocky when things are going well. DON'T! As soon as you think you've got the game sewn up, your opponent will play a feat or get particularly brilliant in his use of FOCUS points and it's back to biting your nails as you figure out how to counter his latest tactic. I'm notorious for doing dumb things with FOCUS while my friends seem to know just when to boost an attack or damage (boosting is use of a FOCUS point to add another die so your chances of success are increased). But I get a little smarter every game:)
Being well-rounded folks, PP included an excellent tactics section which covers strategies for the various forces and the effective use of mercenaries. This section can be helpful to those who can never seem to beat an opponent and helps players identify strengths and weaknesses they might not have discovered through gameplay.
There is also an eye-catching modeling and painting section that demonstrates all the steps necessary to take a raw model through assembly, priming, painting and basing. Very useful if you have never really played minis-games before or assembled these monsters---and some Warmachine miniatures require some advanced modeling skill in order to build properly.
Overall, the game succeeds in providing quality on every level. As in all miniatures games, building larger forces can get expensive but because Warmachine’s focus is skirmish (smaller than mass combat games), you really don’t need to have a lot of models to have fun. The models are very well done and for $100 you can get 2 starting forces (all metal miniatures by the way) plus the Prime rulebook. The rulebook is very professionally done with well thought out rules and exceptional game balance noted by most players. If you are a fan of skirmish games, this one is highly recommended.
