Part three – Your first games, learn as you go
So, you have decided to give Warmachine a go…. good for you. Here is
your “play like you have a pair” T-Shirt and matching cap, pick up your tesla
cannon at the door. Welcome to the revolution comrade.
I’m not going to go into the
rules, that’s far too complicated for a blog post. Your first game will almost
certainly be a confusing experience, there is a lot going on in this game… what
I can offer is some maxims and advice for how to pick up the system, and how to
maximise your learning experience
I covered some of this in an earlier post, but I will remind you that it
is easier to learn off a veteran player. So find a friend who plays or track
down a “press ganger”, they should be easy enough to find at your local games
store or on the privateer press forums
Start small
Take small steps when
learning the system. The worst thing to do is to dive straight in and try to
play a massive battle with multiple casters and 100 figures. Your brain will
melt. The good thing about Warmachine is it works really well with only a
handful of models. Start with what is called a battlegroup or a warpack. This
is one Warcaster with a small group of warjacks and/or beasts.
Your
first game should be a simple assassination mission. So the only objective is
to kill your opponents Warcaster without losing your own.
Ask Questions
Never, ever be afraid to ask
questions. If you are confused about something that is happening just shout out
to whoever you are playing. Your not stupid for asking questions, I’ve played
very experienced players and they still need to ask about various units
abilities from time to time.
Learn your models powers
Starting small means you
only have a few units to remember. Get to know them well and what they can do.
Often the difference between a win and a loss is remembering that a model can
do a certain thing that you forgot about until after the game.
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| Skorne Warpack |
Know your enemy
Sun
Tsu said “know yourself and know your enemy and you will totally crush everyone
with your massive biceps of doom……” or words to that effect.
Ask
to read your opponents cards and ask them if there is anything you should
really know about (like that their entire army is ghosts and can only be shot
with magic bullets). If a model does something that sounds odd or you haven’t
encountered ask, about it.
Keep your caster safe – Line of sight
Most new players get killed
by caster assassinations, we don’t quite realize how quick and deadly the game
can be and want to use the casters awesome cool powers. Keep your caster
covered until you are more confident with their capabilities.
Also, note the line of sight
rules. If you can be seen you can normally be shot.
Pick up the rules, do this after you have
played a game
Reading
the rulebook cover to cover before you play the first time probably won’t help
you that much, it a lot to take in. Pick up the rules after a game so you have
some context for how everything works.
Get a postgame debrief
Talk about the game once it’s done. Often you can feel like you have
been crushed only to find out that your opponent was really worried you might
have done X instead of Y. Sometimes it’s just one mistake that means the
difference between winning and losing. Find out what they thought of the game
and how it went. I learn a lot from post match debriefs with good players
 |
| Everyone needs a mentor |
Find a
mentor – Talk to people
This should probably be the person teaching you the game. When you are
learning its good to be able to talk about what you have done and what you plan
to do next game (Shout out to Sean and the rest of the Port Nicholson
Privateers).
Most gamers are keen to talk about the game they love, so just get
involved in the conversations that happen…. Even if that means just listening
in to what’s going on.
Go online,
but don’t drink the Kool Aid
There are some great resources online, battle college , Forward Kommander and the Privateer
press forums are good.
However, don’t buy into all the BS that happens on forums and don’t use “prepaged
army lists”. Forums can lead to a group think that says “X is the winner, Y is
the loser” and a lot of what is said is theory or relevant only to that persons
local group.
I say read what is said, think about it, but don’t take anything as
gospel (except this guide of course)
Losing doesn’t mean you suck
You
need resilience when playing this game. When I started playing I heard that
“You need to play 20 games before you start to win any”. While I have done a
little better than that the sentiment is entirely true. The game is hard, its
vicious and there are people who play it very well. Don’t expect to kick everyone’s
butt straight out the gate…. This is especially true if you were very good at
other wargames.
Look for the
challenge
View
the game as a challenge, ask yourself “how do I get better”, “What did I do
wrong” and “How overpowered is that?”. I think of Warmachine like it’s a big
complicated puzzle. I love figuring out how I messed up and what I can do
better.
.
.
Also, DON’T BUY ANY
MODELS YET!
I can’t stress this enough,
don’t waste your hard earned (borrowed or stolen) cash on models for a game you
might not end up enjoying. We shall leave the advice of loading you up with
models for a game that you end up not liking for other game systems.
Beg, borrow or steal models
until you know what you want to play and that you actually like the game.
.
.
Have fun!
I cannot over emphasis this
enough. If you aren’t having fun, don’t play. It’s just a game after all.
Part One - An Introduction to Warmachine and Hordes
A quick highlight of the differences between the two systems, what they have in common and how they differ.
See also
Part One - An Introduction to Warmachine and Hordes
Read this to see if the game is for you
Warmachine and Hordes has a lot of options, figure out what one works for you
A quick guide with some advice on how to put together an army list, and some of the common pitfalls new players fall into.
Part Six - Tournaments for Noobs
Part Six - Tournaments for Noobs
Considering going to your first tournament? Don't be too scared, read the helpful guide!
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