Domination Warlocks: Overview and Speculation

Now we have some very interesting stuff for our readers. At Gencon, there were some pre-releases offered, mainly, the new Warlocks from Domination. In this article, I will be giving a brief overview of each warlock and explain what my preliminary theorymachining has to say on what these warlocks excel in and whether or not they herald anything Domination has to offer. Now, onto the warlocks!

Grayle the Farstrider (Circle Orboros)
Abilities: Pathfinder, Side Step, Sprint, Stealth, Elite Cadre: Wolves of Orboros gain Hunter
Weapons: Double Swords,Weapon Master x2
Spells: Awareness, Gallows, Storm Rager, Windblast
Feat: (The Darkest Night) - Freindly Faction models in Grayle's Control area gain Stealth. When a Friendly Faction model in Grayle's Control Area destroys a model with a melee attack, another Friendly Faction model in your Control area may advance up to 3" once. The Darkest Night lasts for one round.


The name of Grayle's game is pressure. He lays on the pressure with several things. First, he gives a basic and cheap, Reach, SPD 6, Pathfinder infantry unit the Hunter ability. This means that Wolves of Orboros can charge with an 11" threat through forests. That's  a major and common terrain piece that can't be relied upon for defensive measures. His feat also gives these Wolves Stealth and basically army-wide Warpath. This means that if Grayle pops his feat with these Wolves charging, they are rocking a solid MAT 8 with 9+4d6 damage rolls. These guys can trigger the feat movements and really jam an enemy army with cheap, Reach guys. Next, he blows away clouds and gives his Battle group the ability to ignore clouds, forests, intervening models and 360 vision. This means that he can negate Jarl's feat entirely, and he wants two things for his BG; a Warpwolf Stalker and a Geomancer.

The Stalker has Reach, Pathfinder and is fast and dangerous when he can draw LOS through forests. In terms of Geomancers, Megalith is good because his animus reducing DEF on enemies is great for helping to trigger kills for the feat turn, but I find a basic Woldwarden to be better because he can lay down a forest template, move, geomance a Gallows or cycle Storm Rager and the Stalker can charge through the forest and cause some mayhem before using Lightning Strike to sprint back to the forest for Stealth thanks to Prowl. Grayle himself wants at least 1-2 good targets for Storm Rager and he has them in himself, Tharn Ravager White Mane, the Lord of the Feast, but I think Wolf Lord Morraig is the best. Storm Rager+Flank with those Wolves you were taking means that, on a charge, he's SPD 11 MAT 12 and P+S 15+5d6. You have Wolves jamming the enemy so he can easily pull off flank. On average he hits DEF 19-20 and does a total POW 32-33. Assuming most Warcasters and Warlocks are ARM 15-16 with HP 15-17, he just nabbed you the game.

Jarl Skuld, Devil of the Thornwood (Trollbloods)
Abilities: Evasive, Gunfighter, Pathfinder, Swift Hunter, Tough
Weapons: Rune Pistols, Black Penny
Spells: Magic Bullet, Quicken, Tactical Supremacy, Weald Secrets
Feat: (Rolling Fog) - Place d3+3 AOE 4 cloud effects anywhere within Jarl's Control Area. While within the clouds, Friendly Faction models may move through terrain and intervening models if they have enough movement to do so. Enemy models suffer -2 to attack rolls while within the clouds.

Jarl Skuld is damn terrifying because he makes Trolls super-stupid-mega fast. The first thing I see is that with Quicken the Fennblades are charging 13" and with Reach are touching something 15" away. Quicken on the Kriel Warriors is really sweet because if they use the +2" movement prayer, then they are running 16" The Cabers are engaging from 18" away. The next thing I think of is that he reboots Champions more than when we learned the Krielstone could run and aura in the same turn! I think Champs+Skaldi+Tactical Supremacy is super sweet. Skaldi gives them Overtake, so with 2 attacks a piece they each go and blow away 2 infantry models and TacSup reforms them back 3" to get some Defensive Line. The next thing I see is that Jarl is designed to support melee-based armies.

Yes, he has guns. No, he's not Caine. Shut up. Those RAT 7, auto-Black Penny pistols can help clear the chaff off of your models so that their movement can continue uninhibited. Throw in Magic Bullet and we have some real shenanigans. Magic Bullet on himself means he can clear off 2 models a pop or reach out and blow away support stuff behind enemy lines. The best Magic Bullet targets, in my humble opinion; are the Impaler (who he should be taking all the time anyway) because the extra attack from the spell happens after you resolve the critical slam, reaching out to something even further back, and the Dire Troll Blitzer because his range is longer and he can make ranged and melee attacks in the same activation. Repulsion is also a strong animus that can free up Jarl if need be. His feat is an amazing one, granting more movement, protecting you from counter-attack, or even just dominating in scenario because he can help your forces rush to a control point with little opposition. Be careful, because Grayle and Epic Vlad have Wind Blast, which can blow away your clouds!

Kallus, Wrath of Everblight (Legion of Everblight)
Abilities: Hyper Regeneration, Soulless, Unconquerable(grants Unyielding to Friendly Faction models in his CMD range)
Weapons: Cool Looking Greatsword, Reach, Flame Burst
Spells: Dark Guidance, Flashing Blade, Ignite, Eruption
Feat: Host of Angels - Replace disabled non-Incubi Friedly Faction Living Warrior models with Incubi. Friendly Soulless Warrior models gain +2 DEF. Lasts for one round.

Kallus makes me really want to take Legionnaires, Warmongers and Scytheans. Why? Because Legionnaires are a 4/6 unit that can get ARM 18 thanks to Defensive Line and Unconquerable. Because Warmongers are a 5/8 unit with ARM 18 and 8 wounds a piece. Next, Scytheans, why? Because he has Dark Guidance, a spell that grants a additional die to melee attack rolls. Scytheans have a pair of P+S 17 Reach with a Chain Attack that is basically a Thresher. Next, those Legionnaires and Warmongers appreciate melee boosts given that they are melee units and the Warmongers' Berserk is much more likely to trigger and kill more enemies if they are hitting more consistently. Next, Ignite can boost your infantry's melee damage rolls by +2, meaning that Legionnaires and Warmongers are P+S 12 and 16 respectively. That's pretty gross. So Flashing Blade and Eruption. Flashing Blade is a fantastic spell for anyone with Reach, let alone MAT 7 and P+S 14. Add Dark Guidance and you can have MAT 7+3d6 to hit with that pseudo-Thresher. Eruption is interesting for magic attack spell, it creates a POW 14 Fire damage cloud that stays in play for one round. This means that is you aren't casting Dark guidance you can throw out this template and use it to disrupt enemy movement and hopefully catch an enemy in it. POW 14 is nothing to scoff at.

His feat, Host of Angels, replaces your BOXED infantry with an Incubi, not only does this bypass a few effects, but you can get Incubi without paying for them and get your infantry effectively twice! There is also some good synergy here because as your opponent kills your high-ARM infantry, they are replaced by high-DEF Soulless Incubi! Incubi have MAT 7 and 2 P+S 11 claws that combo-strike to P+S 14. More Dark Guidance abuse? Hell yes! Don't forget, Kallus and his non-Nephilim Warbeasts gain +2 DEF with all of those Incubi. For Warbeasts, he can run beast-light thanks to Hyper Regeneration healing him d3 every turn so you can afford to leech from yourself a point or two. He loves Shredders because that animus bumps himself and them up to DEF 17 and 16 respectively on feat turn. Combine Rabid and Dark Guidance to turn them into super accurate missiles. He looks powerful and fun!

Master Ascetic Naaresh (Skorne) 
Abilities: Blood Trade, Flagellant(auto-hit by friendly melee attacks), Pain Monger(gains 1 Blood Token when damaged by Friendly Faction models. For each Blood Token he gets +1 STR and ARM, the tokens last until the next Control Phase), Tough
Weapons: Katara 
Spells: Bleed, Cyclone, Iron Flesh, Lamentation
Feat: Naaresh may inflict 1 point of damage to each aspect on a Warbeast in his Battle Group, healing 1 point for each that he deals out. For each point of damage inflicted, the Warbeasts gain +1 STR and ARM up to a max of +3. Lasts for one round.

Ok so this guy has some really neat things going on. The more I think about him the more I think he's a Beast 'lock. His feat is completely geared towards just making Skorne Warbeasts hit like bigger mack trucks. Bronzeback Titans at P+S 20 ARM 22?, Titan Gladiators at P+S 19 ARM 22, Molik Karn at P+S 16 Weapon Master ARM 21? Cyclops Savages at P+S 16 ARM 20? Hell yes. Bring. it. on. This piece of information comes in later after we discuss Flagellant and Pain Monger. I recommend taking 2 minimum units of Paingiver Beast Handlers, they can auto-hit Naaresh for up to 5 Blood Tokens. The thing is that they have Anatomical Precision so even if they don't break ARM (which you don't want them to) they can still trigger Pain Monger and buff Naaresh's STR and ARM. So...if Naaresh likes Paingivers, and his feat likes Beasts, Naaresh is geared towards supporting Warbeasts. This isn't exact here, just my initial thoughts after looking at him and if you doubt me, think about those Warbeasts I listed earlier with another +2 STR. 

So Cyclone is a great spell that makes him very mobile and allows him to shred through infantry and fight on the front lines and still get out of dangerous situations. Lamentation and Iron Flesh, though awesome, do look a little our of place when he seems so beasts geared, but he can use IF to protect himself or an infantry screen. I recommend Praetorian Swordsmen or Nihilators as they are melee-capable and cheap units (this means more points towards Beasts and beast support). I feel like he should be using Blood Trade to upkeep Lamentation all game because if he's pressing through the enemy and forcing their spellcasting to be made more difficult, one would think a Warcaster would just camp Focus and laugh. Not really when you can sick super-mack-truck-feated-Titans on him. Yes, camping Warcasters aren't so bad and Naaresh is the new Warlock who is best equipped to deal with them. 

Maelok the Dreadbound (Blindwater Congregation)
Abilities: Amphibious, Cull Soul, Undead, Terror
Weapons: Claws, Bite, Soul Eater
Spells; Death Pact (target friendly model/unit gains Undead and +2 ARM, upkeep), Malediction, Revive, Venom.
Feat: Friendly Faction models gain Incorporeal for one turn. Friendly Faction Undead models gain +2 ARM for one round.

Maelok's biggest problem right now is that he is limited by a small faction with few choices. The ARM bonus of his feat is limited because right now to only himself, Feralgeists and, at beast, a full unit of Gatormen Posse with Death Pact. He certainly wants to bring the fight to the enemy, giving Gators Incorporeal for a turn is brutal because that allows them to charge and infiltrate the enemy lines without reprise. Malediction effectively makes Maelok MAT 8 and P+S 14 on his three initial attacks. Although he is only SPD 5 and has no SPD buffs, making himself Incorporeal, he can really be a credible threat to whatever he wants and if he finishes off a Warbeast with his bite he can suck the FURY points right off of it for himself and have plenty of transfers. Venom is an odd spell for him because a spray indicates an anti-infantry edge and Revive is an amazing spell for attrition purposes. He can shoot Venom through his multiwound Posse and use Revive to return them to play. Terror, Death Pact, Spiny Growth and transfers protect him well enough but he doesn't seem to have the tools to seal the deal right now.

He's an interesting Warlock because you know he's solid and everything about him is solid. However, he doesn't have any real access to Undead for his feat, which is the biggest issue, and he really is limited by the small roster of Warbeasts available to the Blindwater Congregation. I think once we really see Domination come out and we know what Maelok gets that he can his undead hands on.

And the Thornfall Alliance Warlock is currently unknown. All we know is that he also has FURY 6 and could potentially be a Cavalry model.

Ok, the first thing that we should all  notice is that they are all FURY 6, signaling that their primary focus will not be spell blasting or running large Battle Groups without some real Warbeast support. In fact, each Warlock appears to be very resilient and wants to play roughly mid-field, almost on the front-line in a few cases at first glance. These Warlocks are all, in some way, melee-focused. This, depending on what Domination brings us, means that the Meta-Game will be shifting away from ranged combat and more towards melee clashes. No matter what we see, Domination will be a game-changer for Hordes and its impact will be felt on the Warmachine side as well.

A New Player's Impressions

Good Evening and welcome to another post here at The Theory Machine, tonight we have something for our Malifaux players, by Malifaux players. Recently, many Warmachine and Hordes players at my local game shop (LGS) decided to pick up Malifaux in spite of several Malifaux players moving to another game shop for their gaming pleasure. As a result, myself and many other WarmaHorders picked us up some beginner's boxes and whipped out our Fate decks for some soul cheating fun! After our first few games I thought I'd see how we were all enjoying the game and decided to dedicate the first Malifaux post to giving their new experiences some voice.

Question #1: What did you think of the aesthetic of the world of Malifaux? The fiction, models, artwork, etc.

Carl Smith (Neverborn): I really like the look and feel of Malifaux, the macabre, the creepy, the "monstrous" aspects. I feel like there are two kinds of models; the ones that "work well", which are interesting, eye-catching and cool, and the models that "don't work well", who don't capture the eye and don't give me the impression that I could paint it aesthetic that I want. Don't get me wrong, I like the slightly "over-the-top" commitment to a particular feel or style, like Nicodem's clearly Victorian panache.

Hugh Tran (Resurrectionists): I have some mixed feelings really; I sense that it's humorous, creepy, cool. I certainly have my likes and dislikes but doesn't everybody?

My Response (Arcanists): I love it. I think the melting pot of themes and styles creates a very unique world that really pops evertime you take a look at it. Every single character and model has such a very personalized sculpt, I think that the idea of "character" is even more pronounced in Malifaux than in other table-top games.

Question #2: After your first couple of games, what did you think of Malifaux compared to Warmachine and Hordes? The scale, mechanics, strategies, etc.

Carl Smith (Neverborn): I guess even with the "smaller" scale, they kept a "full" feel to it. Even though you were controlling fewer models, the game doesn't lack a large scale to it and the fact that you are focusing on a small group of individuals instead of cranking out forty identical Space Marines. I love the focus on scenarios and strategies as opposed to just "kill everything". Depending on the strategy and schemes you have you could bring the exact same list every game and still have a different and fun because you are doing different objectives. Using the cards as opposed to dice make me feel like I'm less likely to have a "bad game" because of crappy dice rolls. Honestly, I feel like there's more control and I'm not bound to luck as much. I do feel that dice are better because they afford more risk, with the reduced risk with the cards; it feels like I need to change my plan to stop my opponent more often. Having to meet a goal in order to cast feels very "forced" and you need to be "lucky" to get a proper casting. At the same time, having damage profiles makes getting higher than minor or minimum damage a pipe dream thanks to all of the damage reduction abilities in the game.

Hugh Tran (Resurrectionists): It feels extremely different because models have much higher survivability and the strategies make you feel much more involved in the game itself. In WarmaHordes, there's a point where you "stop thinking and start killing". The factions feel much more balanced, even though they have their ups and downs. The idea of counter-listing feels very difficult given the lowered emphasis on rock-paper-scissors combat.

My Response (Arcanists): My two favorite mechanics are cheating fate and burning soulstones to help my flips. When I cheat fate, I can sub in a card suite I need to trigger an ability or spell, hit something really important, or any other shenanigans I want to pull off. Burning soulstones, on the other hand, feels more like insurance, giving me boosts and such for higher likelihood that my Master can survive a dedicated assault and pull off some cool combo. If there was an equivalent for this WarmaHordes, I'd say it would be the Cyclops Warbeasts from the Skorne faction. They have abilities like boosting attack and damage rolls after the roll has been made and forcing the enemy to re-roll his attacks. These things make me more efficient. I like it. It does suck when you work really hard to do something game-changing..and then I draw the Black Joker.

Question #3: How did you select your faction, did you instead just choose a Master and how have you been enjoying the models you have been playing?

Carl Smith (Neverborn): I chose the Neverborn because I love the models and really wanted something different from Cygnar in Warmachine. Playing something with a "dark" feel was attractive to me. I also selected them because some of my friends had already picked some of the factions and I didn't want to play something someone else already had. After painting armor and weapons in Warmachine, I was really craving opportunity to paint some tentacles, wings, claws and especially skin. I chose to play the Dreamer and Lord Chompy Bits because I really enjoy using an "unconventional" playstyle where I didn't just go run in and kill thinhs. I like thinking creatively about new and different ways to play and I felt that the Dreamer and Lord Chompy Bits offered me that more than the other Neverborn Masters. I'm also a big fan of the changing forms mechanic of the Dreamer and Lord Chomy Bits, like a back-up plan.

Hugh Tran (Resurrectionists): I chose Kirai because; A: she was available at our game shop, B: people had pretty high opinions of her and C: she felt comfortable to use. Spirits in general are pretty strong and their accompanying rules make them super fun and "stupid good".

My Response (Arcanists): Seriously, I chose the Arcanists because I have an affinity for magic-users and I love Ramos. He's incredibly cool, his background, rules, model; he's awesome. I recently picked up Marcus the Beast-based Master and after just one game with him I know why I love the Arcanists: their sheer utility. Ramos summons Steampunk Arachnids and Electrical Creations, casts defensive buffs, heals, blows stuff up, blasts things with electricity, I could go on. I need to learn more of what Marcus can do but I'm already sold on his powers anyway. I sort of started the new wave of Malifaux at our game shop so I got first pick of factions.

Question #4: What are you looking forward to in the world of Malifaux? New releases, new Masters, playing a new faction, bigger games, etc.

Carl Smith (Neverborn): I want the new Teddy model that is supposedly being released. My standard 25ss list is the Dreamer and Lord Chompy Bits, 3 Day Dreams and 2 Teddys. I really want to paint up a second Teddy to use. As far as Masters go I'm not interested in others and am pretty happy with what the Neverborn offer. In terms of new models go, I want to see what Wyrd Miniatures releases that works well with the Dreamer since more Nightmare creatures would be great. The thing I noticed about the Rising Powers expansion was adding models that also worked well with pre-existing Masters as opposed to just filling out the rosters with things for the newer Masters. That's what I'm excited to see, more stuff for the Dreamer.

Hugh Tran (Resurrectionist): It would be nice to have a model that is geared towards multi-Master use. I mean like a totem every Master could take or more mercenary and open options really.

My Response (Arcanists): I can't wait for the Gunsmith model to come out, same as Kaeris. They both look amazing, both rues and model-wise. The third book for Malifaux should have some great stuff and I'd like to see what new Beasts come out because that'll increase Marcus's roster and make his toolbox of Beasts stronger. It's a bright future for Wyrd and Malifuax.

Although I put in my own thoughts as well, I figured my input was just as good as anyone else. I play with Hugh regularly and I see what he means by more open options, there are few Spirits and if there were more available models that could work with Kirai, I'm sure he'd love it. I think it's important for all players to get together and talk about what they think of a new game.

All we can do is wait and see what Wyrd holds in store for us Malifaux players. While we wait, there's sabotage, intrigue and shenanigans for us to enjoy!

First Battle Report! Khador vs Cygnar!

Alright, we have our first Battle Report for our readers. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you a match-up of myself versus a Press Ganger - Plarzoid. Plarzoid and I were both trying out some experiments with our lists that yielded some interesting results. He was testing out his shiny Swans against my Sons of the Motherland. I have been playing my Harkevich ever since Wrath came out and I love him. However, this time I decided to try him out with a more melee oriented edge, forsaking Broadsides and the additional ranged attack from his feat for more fun with Pathfinding, SPD 6 Juggernauts. Needless to say, they were very fun. : )


Plarzoid went with a more toolbox approach, utilizing every aspect of Prime Stryker's spell list and synergies. I thought his list had everything Prime Stryker could want. He had a heavy hitter, an arc node, access to two Arcane Shields, and his units could benefit from every spell he had. I was impressed by Plarzoid's ability to recognize the full versatility of Prime Stryker and respected the hard decisions he made throughout the game with regards to weighing in all of the options of his turns.


The scenario we were running was Killbox, basic but I thought we each had our own advantages to outlasting each other. Our respective lists were:


Andrew Myers (Khador)

Harkevich +5

-Juggernaut -7 (-2)

-Juggernaut -7 (-9)

-Black Ivan -10 (-19)

Max Kayazy Assassins -8 (-27)

-Underboss -2 (-29)

Min Battle Mechaniks -2 (-31)

Widowmakers -4 (-35)

PG Plarzoid (Cygnar)

pStryker +6

-Lancer -6 (0)

-Ol’Rowdy -9 (-9)

-Squire -2 (-11)

Journeyman Warcaster -3 (-14)

-Charger -4 (-18)

Stormblades -5 (-23)

-Officer and Standard -3 (-26)

-Storm Gunner x1 -1 (-27)

Min Long Gunners -6 (-33)

-Officer and Standard -2 (-35)

Terrain Set-Up: Multiple Hills, Forests and two Shallow Water features dot the field, leaving the deployment zones untouched

Deployment: Plarzoid deployed first with his Journeyman+Charger combo on my far right, Ol'Rowdy, the Long Gunners, Stryker and Squire down the center with the Lancer to Stryker’s left, my right.The Storm Blades were deployed to the left of the Lancer, taking a position on my right. I deployed my jacks down the center across from his Long Gunners and Ol'Rowdy. Harkevich is standing behind Black Ivan who was flanked by the Juggernauts. I then deployed the Widowmakers in the hill and forest to my right and the Mechaniks behind my Battle Group. The Kayazy Assassins deployed next to the Battle Group with the intent to run up and kill.

Turn 1: Plarzoid: He started by pulling 1 Focus point from the Squire and allocated 6 focus points to Stryker, 1 to the Lancer. The Journeyman allocated 2 to himself and 1 to the Charger. The Journeyman advances forward and casts Arcane Shield on the Charger. The Charger ran 10". Stryker casted Snipe on Long Gunners, Arcane Shield on the Lancer, Blur on Storm Blades and advances 6". The Squire advances 6". The Storm Blades ran 10". The Lancer ran 12". Ol'Rowdy ran into base to base contact with Stryker. Finally, the Long Gunners ran 10". Like I said, he's got some amazing buffs and all of them are up Turn 1!

Turn 1: Andrew Myers: I respond by allocating 4 focus points to Harkevich, 1 point to Juggernaut #1 (the primed, unpainted one) and 1 point to Black Ivan. The Widowmakers advanced 6" to the right and took shots at the Storm Blades, only killing one grunt due to Blur DEF 15. Needing 8s and higher is pretty tough stuff to roll! Harkevich casts Escort (indicated by a dark blue bead next to his base) and casts Fortune (likewise indicated by a light blue bead) on Black Ivan, he then advances 6" onto the Hill for the Elevation bonus (DEF 17 v ranged and magic attacks). Juggernaut #2 advanced in front of Hark to block LOS on the Hill. Black Ivan advanced 6" forward into the edge of the forest and shoots at the Long Gunners, making a direct hit and killing 3. Then, Juggernaut #1(the painted Juggernaut) ran through the forest next to Black Ivan. The Mechaniks run into position behind the Battle Group, ready to patch up any damage Plaroid might inflict! Lastly, the Kayazy Assassins run 12" forward, spreading out as best as they can in order to avoid potential casualties from blast damage made by the Storm Blades and minimize the number of models that could be knocked down by Earthquake.

Note: Normally, the Kayazy Assassins would relatively safe from the Storm Blades, Stealth protects them from their ranged attacks and the Underboss's Tactics: Duelist would make them DEF 16 against the Storm Blades's MAT 7. However, the ranged attacks made by Assault can bypass Stealth because they are made at point blank range and the UA has the Storm's Eye ability. Storm's Eye makes it so that when a Storm Blade directly hits with a Storm Glaive Blast attack, it becomes a 3" AOE, that means that POW 8 blast damage rolls kill Kayazy Assassins on 4s. Ouch.

Turn 2: Plarzoid: It's time for Plarzoid's counter-attack! He begins by pulling another focus point from the Squire, drops Blur from the Storm Blades and upkeeps Snipe on the Long Gunners. The Journeyman allocates 1 focus point to the Charger. First, the Journeyman casts Arcane Shield on himself and advances 6". Next, the Charger runs 8" to the edge of the water. The Long Gunners stand still for the aiming bonus and receive the Dual Shot benefit, and shoot Black Ivan with 2 four-man Combined Ranged Attacks (RAT 10 v DEF 14, the first shot hits and inflicts 5 damage to column 5, the second shot hits and inflicts 4 damage to column 3). 


He's laying on the pressure put this means the Mechaniks can go to work! The Lancer advances 5" to my right. Stryker then casts Snipe on the Storm Blades and casts Earthquake through the Lancer at a Kayazy Assassin. Stealth forces the Earthquake to auto-miss and it deviates 3.25 inches to direction 1. This knocks down 2 Kayazy Assassins and 2 Widowmakers. Stryker then advances 6" onto the hill, ends his activation and Squire advances next to him. Ol’Rowdy runs near the Lancer. The Storm Blades use Assault Order and charge the Kayazy Assassins and the Widowmakers. Most of the attacks miss, Plarzoid rolled double 1s against a knocked down Kayazy Assassin, poor luck. In the end, the Storm Blades killed 2 Kayazy Assassins. 

Turn 2: Andrew Myers: Ok then, it's time to pull out the big guns! I allocate 1 focus to Harkevich, upkeep Escort, allocate 3 focus points to Juggernaut #1, and 1 focus point to Black Ivan. Harkevich advances 3" and pops feat (models in Harkevich's Battle Group gain +3 ARM, gain an additional ranged attack ignoring ROF and can charge or slam without spending focus) and shoots Ol'Rowdy with his Hand Cannon doing 4 damage to column 3. Then, Juggernaut #1 charges Ol'Rowdy, boosting his attack roll and hit with 10 (3,3,4) and triggers critical stationary. He does 6 damage to column 2, uses his fist to punch out 3 damage to column 2, buys 2 additional Ice Axe attacks and does 9 damage to column 6, 8 damage to column 3. That's some hurt right there! 


To continue the push, the Widowmakers advance a few inches to the right, one grunt stands and sacrifices movement. They open fire and manage to kill the Standard Bearer and Base Unit Leader. The Kayazy Assassins begin their attack. They  pop Killstroke (a strong mini-feat granted by the Underboss that allows them to advance past models if they have enough movement to do so, ignore intervening models when declaring a charge and ignore free strikes) and charge Ol'Rowdy, the Storm Blades, and Stryker himself. They do a fine job, completely boxing Ol'Rowdy, killing 5 Storm Blades, and even inflict 1 point of damage to Stryker. Then the Mechaniks activate and repair 6 points of damage from Black Ivan. Black Ivan advances 4" and shoots the Long Gunner Super Leader and catches another grunt with the blast, killing both. Using his last shot he shoots the Super Leader of the Storm Blades and misses, deviating 1 to direction 5, doing 2 damage. Juggernaut #2 advances 2" in front of Harkevich to act as a bodyguard. Now that's a counter-attack!

Turn 3: Plarzoid: For starters, the Long Gunners pass their command check and so do the Storm Blades.    Plarzoid pulls 1 last focus point from the Squire.Stryker drops Snipe. The Journeyman drops his Arcane Shield and allocates 3 focus points to the Charger. The Lancer runs 12" back around through Ol'Rowdy's wreck marker to my left. Stryker casts Earthquake through the Lancer at a Mechanik in the middle of the unit, is short on distance and auto-misses, and deviates onto Black Ivan and Juggernaut #2. He casts another Earthquake at the same Mek, doing the same thing and deviates way off to the side where it affects nothing. The Long Gunners stand still for the Aiming Bonus and receive the Dual Shot benefit to perform a pair of 2-man Combined Ranged Attacks, shooting Black Ivan for 0 damage. POW 12s got nothing on ARM 23! The Charger moves 5" and shoots Black Ivan, using 1 focus point to trigger Powerful Shot (boosts the attack and damage roll for 1 focus point), doing no damage. Plarzoid buys an additional attack (gotta love ROF 2), but inflicts no damage again. Boosted POW 12s got nothing on ARM 23!

Note: I don't have a decent enough photo for Plarzoid's 3rd turn. Sorry about that! 

Turn 3: Andrew Myers: I allocate 3 focus points to Harkevich, 2 focus points to Juggernaut #1 and upkeeps Escort (I love Escort!). Harkevich advances 5" and casts Jump Start to stand up Black Ivan and Juggernaut #1, then he casts Fortune on Juggernaut #1. Everyone's favorite killers, the Kayazy Assassins charge and kill the Squire, finish off the Storm Blades and tie up both the Charger and Lancer. Juggernaut #1 charges Stryker, boosting his to-hit roll and hits (5,2,5) with critical stationary and does 7 damage. He punches a stationary Stryker for 8 damage. Black Ivan tries to shoot Stryker and misses, deviating into nothing. Juggernaut #2 moves to protect Harkevich. Plarzoid surrenders.

So...there you have it, our first Battle Report here at The Theory Machine! That was an epic first fight that really captured some cool moments and demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of both Warcasters. I was impressed by both the mobility offered to melee-based Warjacks by Harkevich and the sheer amount of versatility of Prime Stryker. He's got some great general buffs. So, let's look at what our two players had to say after the battle.

Plarzoid’s Thoughts: Kayazy Assassins are disgusting. The Long Gunners did the only thing they could do and weren’t very good at it. Their horrible stats dictate that there must be some protection on them and at 1 point a model they are extremely expensive. The Storm Blades’s rules were crazy to keep straight but they were very cool to use as a full unit. Forgot to pop feat due to thinking about other combos. 

Andrew Myers’s Thoughts: My Widowmakers did almost nothing and make mes think I should’ve just brought a Widowmaker Marksman. This means I would've had 2 extra points for maxing out the Mechanik unit and getting a Wardog. This means I would have been able to play Harkevich farther forward. Running Harkevich with a melee focus is sweet, but the second Juggernaut played bodyguard most of the game so I think replacing it with a Destroyer with the extra 2 points from trading the Widowmakers for the Marksman would be a good way to still have melee and some shooting support. 

The Theory Machine is up and running!

Hello all and welcome to The Theory Machine! This new blog is dedicated to providing high quality and first hand player information about three very popular and well-developed table-top steam-powered games; Warmachine, Hordes and Malifaux. I am your host Andrew Myers and I will be upgrading and fixing The Theory Machine in order to produce better examples of gaming awesomeness!

For those of you who aren't completely familiar with these games, here is a small introduction to each of them and why they are unique.

Warmachine is set in the world of Western Immoren where the clashing Iron Kingdoms meet on the battlefield. They appear with the devastating instrument of war called the Warjacks; multi-tonne smoke-belching, coal-driven, destructive semi-autonomous steam-powered constructs who are controlled by arcane magic-wielding war-mages called Warcasters. The many factions of Warmachine are:

Cygnar - The Crown Jewel of the Iron Kingdoms wield the most advanced technology in Western Immoren. Their soldiers are well-trained and well-armed, boasting strong electrical armaments and incredible ranged capabilities. The Warjacks of Cygnar are equipped with strong weapons and are ever-becoming the most advanced in the world. Cygnar is highly balanced and is a strong army to play for a combined arms approach.

Khador - The Motherland herself fights with an indomitable spirit that asserts itself in the strength and will of her soldiers. The Warjacks of Khador boast the strongest and thickest armor, creating walls of iron that advance with relentless resolve. Khadoran armies can conquer their foes through strength of numbers, unstoppable onslaughts of armor and even simply by outlasting their foes.

Cryx - The Nightmare Empire is commanded by the Dragonfather Toruk. His vision seeks to dominate all life under the sun and will not stop until he has the world in his grasp. The unending hordes of ghostly horrors spill forth, ravaging everything in their path. As the tides of the Dragonfather threaten to swallow the world, all of Western Immoren awaits in fear. Cryx plays a strong game using de-buffs and fast melee forces to overwhelm its enemies.

The Protectorate of Menoth - The followers and worshippers of the Creator of Man are as zealous to prove their faith as they are to test their steel. The holy crusades of the Menites march forward with protective layers of enchantment and buffs to bring out the full potential of Menoth's followers in battle. Soon, all will bow in reverence of the Lawgiver and know the True Law. The Protectorate utilizes many  army-wide buffs and magic to protect, strengthen and overpower those who would stand against the Creator of Man.

The Retribtution of Scyrah - These elves fight to eliminate all human spellcasters from the world, believing their arcane misuses to be the reason for their gods' disappearances. They fight with a thirst for vengeance against those who would defile their remaining gods. The Retribution themselves play a very combined arms approach, with access to strong ranged talents especially.

Mercenaries - They fight for coin, country, coin, revenge, more coin and most importantly: coin. Most mercenaries, like the Steelhead Company, are happy to fight for anyone who can afford their skills. Others prefer to fight for their own reasons. No matter what, if you have the money, they have the guns, steel, warm bodies, utility and darn well everything else that you don't! Mercenaries are as varied as they come and have a great presence on any battlefield.

So there you have it, those are the factions of Warmachine that duke it out all over Western Immoren. Now, here's an introduction to the other side of that coin; Hordes. In Hordes, savage and ruthless Warbeasts tear the battlefield to bloody bits and the only force that can hold back those powers and ease the fury are the Warlocks who control them. Both games can be played against or with each other and represent the fight between civilization and nature. Here's a look at the Hordes factions.

Trollbloods - The United Kriels fight to carve out a homeland for themselves that they never had. Made up of Pygmy Trolls, Trollkins, Full-Blooded Trolls and the perilous Dire Trolls, the United Kriels are lead by leaders of their people who have risen up to defend their loved ones from death and destruction. The Trollbloods are a highly adaptive faction that can buff themselves to deal with any situation. The Trolls adapt by utilizing the weapons of their enemies, strengthen their own abilities in combat and even evolve to suit their environment or battlefield!

Circle Orboros - This cabal of druids worships the Devourer Wurm and believes that the advancing creep of civilization and technology with destroy the world itself. Dedicated to hit and run tactics, they don't usually try to make themselves known as a frontline force. They have been forced to come out of the shadows in recent events and must use the powers of stone, storm and beast to combat their enemies. The Circle fights by out-maneuvering their foes, suppressing their magic and taking them down bit by bit, just like a pack of ravening wolves.

Skorne - This imperial race has come from beyond the Bloodstone Marches in the east to conquer and acts with a militaristic and organized modus operandi. The Skorne are a formidable melee-based army that seeks to enslave all of Western Immoren. The Skorne have tempered and controlled the beasts of the Marches; four-armed and thick-bodied Titans, the lizard-like and terrifying Drakes, the one-eyed Cyclops who possess a strange foresight and a host of other monstrous creatures. The Skorne fight in an organized manner...until they unleash their full power upon you!

The Legion of Everblight - The dragon Everblight has been very productive in the north beyond Khador. He has made an army of dragonspawn that soullessly and coldly do his bidding. His heartstone, his athanc, is held within Thagrosh, an ogrun warped and empowered by Everblight. The Legion play with intense speed and grace of the battlefield. Their assaults strike with crippling effect and the gaping maws of the dragonspawn consume everything they can.

Minions - A new force has risen among the forces of Hordes and they are the Minions. Once similar to Mercenaries in that they once only supplemented an army, they now have two subfactions of their own. They are the Thornfall Alliance, the forces of the Farrow, lead by Lord Caver, Bringer of the Most Massive Destruction the Third, and the Blindwater Congregation, a cabal of the Gatormen and other swamp-dwelling creatures.

Those are the many factions of Warmachine and Hordes, both award-winning games that have been created and produced by Privateer Press Inc. I have been laying both games for several years now and just recently I have picked up a new game, a "new challenger" if you will.

Welcome to the the world of Malifaux. Produced and developed by Wyrd Miniatures Inc, Malifaux is set in an alternate Earth, where a portal called the Breach has opened and the world of Malifaux has been unlocked to the people of Earth for the first time. In this place of steampunk horrors, magic, monsters, Victorian-style mayhem and a touch of Old West for good flavor, we have the city of Malifaux. Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to the factions of Malifaux:

The Guild - These folk represent the Law in Malifaux and exert an iron-fisted control over the city, or what they desire to patrol at least. The Guild is highly concerned with the production of Soulstones, almost more than the safety of the citizens they swear to protect. They have strong melee and ranged abilities and have an Old West theme.

The Arcanists - This collaboration of spellcasters and magic-users work together to make magic and Soulstones more available to the people. The Arcanists are made up of representatives of the Miners and Steamfitters Union, The Order of the Chimera, the Cult of December and even a group of Showgirls. They have control over many elemental magics, and have a host of constructs and beasts at their disposal.

The Resurrectionists - These necromancers are concerned with looting the ruins and secrets of Malifaux for themselves. They command the undead and have incredible resiliency on the table-top. As the dead accumulate, they raise them to fight for their cause.

The Neverborn - These folk are supposedly the original inhabitants of Malifaux and have many connections to the world's ancient past. The Neverborn possess great speed and deadly melee ability, surging across the battlefield to raze the settlers who've entered their world.

The Outcasts - Sometimes some people don't associate as well with others and here are where the Outcasts come in. They can be recruited to fight with the other factions and can act as their own force as well. Living on the fringes of Malifaux means they out for their own interests.

Although I haven't been playing Malifaux for as long as I have Warmachine and Hordes, I love all three games and will do my best to operate The Theory Machine for optimized output of steampunk table-top awesome. Now you may have many questions and I'm sure one of them is, "There's all these factions, which ones do you play?", well...I play Khador and Mercenaries in Warmachine, Trollbloods and the Blindwater Congregation in Hordes and the Arcanists in Malifaux.

The Theory Machine has been calibrated and set to operate. Let's begin!