First Warmachine/Hordes game

So Saturday I had my first game of Warmachine/Hordes. A friend of mine plays both games and invited me to a introduction game of the gaming system. So we met for a standard game and he gave me a brief crash course in the rules and stuff. But theory isn't the only thing, so we started a 25 points game where he gave me his Khador Winterguard troops and he used his Blindwater Congregation crocodiles (which he never played before). I tried to make some pictures while we played but please don't expect a fully fledged battle report because most likely I can't tell you what exactly we did, because it was really lots of stuff to think to learn and to do (and to drink!).

But it was enough to get me very interested in the game and I ordered the Hordes 2-player starter box yesterday. And already found some people in my area who play Warmachine/Hordes instead of WHFB/40K. Pretty interesting. Don't want to spend too much money on the game so I will try to boost the both starter troops with the least money effort possible.

But now to the battle. I had a list containing :

• Epic Kommander Sorsha
• Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich
• Juggernaut
• Kodiak
• Battlemechaniks
• Winterguard with Bazookas, Officer and Standard
• Mortar

My oponent had something like:

• Bloody Barnabas
• Blackhide Wrestler
• Ironback Spitter
• Croak Hunters
• Feralgeist
• Gatorman Posse

In the first 2 rounds I was surprised how well those gators can hide themselves. Throw a swamp, get into it and tata. No shooting on them possible. So my mortar more or less did a unprecise bombardmen although bossting it. My Winterguard moved up and did nearly nothing.

 Meanwhile those nasty Croak Hunters moved up on my right flank and targeted my Mechaniks and started killing them. So I had to send my Kodiak to mosh them up and letting him out of my command area.  

While the crocos advanced I could get some lucky shots with the mortar and the bazookas but nothing really serious. One thing I totally underestimated was the Tough rule until I saw in the end what this rule could mean on a unit as the Winterguard. Thus I spent with more or less wasting them because I believed the are not really worth in melee combat. I should have used them as tarpit for the Blackhide Wrestler...

But since I didn't do that, my Devastator had a hard time moving into range of the Blackhide Wrestler, because always those nasty swamps where in the way and I didn't want to risk to be pushed into the water. Don't know if I got the rule correctly but as far as I understood it that would be really bad for my Warjack...

After some acid Turtlespitting and strategic positioning of the crocodiles it was my turn again.

Luckily my Kodiak could go back on his own and move in to block the way to Sorsha, just to be surrounded by the Gatorman Posse. And since Barnabas used his Treat in that round, that was really really painful (auto hits and being charged makes no happy kitties).

Not even his special attack could help him too much and he crumpled with only causing one casualty in the posse.

My Devastator didn't do anybetter. After eyeing this big croco too long he also was pushed down and charged, which nearly killed him in one round. The next Turtlespitting didn't help much either. 

In my round I tried to repair as much as I could possibly do and using as much focus as possible to bring the Wrestler down, but had no luck. The only thing possible was to move my Sorsha and trying to get her ready for a catapult move...

Since the game was more about learning the game and how things work, I got lots of help and the crocodiles did some errors in the next round (and I forgot to take pictures). Therefore I was able to land a lucky punch to Barnabas by catapulting Sorscha into melee range with her Cyclone and using my feat and all remaining focus to wipe him out. Two times! Because of though! If I had known that earlier for my Winterguard...
That was my last resort move because my 2 warjacks were already eaten up by those crockodiles.... Nasty things they are!

Hope that was not toooo confusing (as the game was for me in the beginning) and enjoyed the "report". Had a great time while playing, drinking beer and just enjoying ourselves.
Looks as I will slowly turn away from Warhammer Fantasy and turn my attention to Kings of War and Hordes. Maybe then I will get some more games going because they are so much faster...

So long,
Paradox0n