in the minority with only one faction?

[tau4eva]

I've been playing Warmachine for about a year now at two different FLGS. I have built up a pretty large Retribution force (~100 pts) which is about 80% painted. I've noticed lately that most people seem to have at least three or more armies they rotate through. Unfortunately, a lot of those armies are bare metal and/or plastic.

I realize it's easier to collect multiple armies in WM/Hordes compared to 40k/Fantasy. But I really don't have interest in starting another faction right now. I just want to become the best Ret player I can be. But I guess the really good players collect and play multiple factions.

Do most WM/Horders players have two or more factions they play? Is it possible to get good at this game sticking with one faction?

[tonyzahn]

In my area there's lots of folks with multiple factions. I've got 1 WM (Khador) and 1 Hordes (Legion).

I'm sure if you concentrate on just one faction you should get pretty dang good with it. It's mostly about people who want a change of pace. Every so often I want to use Fury instead of Focus, or be fast and squishy instead of slow and smashy.

[wittdooley]

I also have one Warmachine (Cygnar) and one Hordes (Trollbloods) with a smattering of Mercs/Minions. Mine are about 40% painted.

I've seen what you've seen, though, here. Lots of the "hardcore" turds have multiple armies, with next to nothing painted, or painted so poorly I feel bad for the metal.

[plasticaddict]

We have several very good local players who play only one faction, we also have several who play multiple factions. Some play only Warmachine or Hordes others play both systems. It really matters how you like to play, I play Mercs as my go to army and have recently started a Circle army as well. For myself, over the last several years I have played every Warmachine faction and with my Circle army I have now played every Hordes faction. And I do paint my models even if it does take me a while.

[Marshal_Wilhelm]

I've been playing Warmachine for about a year now at two different FLGS. I have built up a pretty large Retribution force (~100 pts) which is about 80% painted. I've noticed lately that most people seem to have at least three or more armies they rotate through. Unfortunately, a lot of those armies are bare metal and/or plastic.

I realize it's easier to collect multiple armies in WM/Hordes compared to 40k/Fantasy. But I really don't have interest in starting another faction right now. I just want to become the best Ret player I can be. But I guess the really good players collect and play multiple factions.

Do most WM/Horders players have two or more factions they play? Is it possible to get good at this game sticking with one faction?

I found that in 40K, my ability with Templars improved a lot when looking at both Space Wolf and Tau tactics and blogs. I was able to transfer that knowledge across.

I would imagine that would be the same when playing a second faction - it gives you a new perspective on how to play your original army. It is kind of like reading good blogs. Different dudes have had different experiences, some that you might never think to theorymachine about, let alone have the chance to play against. Going on the Space Marine forum improved some of my tactics and builds in SM too.

Whilst I have not yet played a game with my RoS, I am also starting a Gators force. I like having my second army quite different from my first. Fresh fluff, miniatures, painting style, rules and playstyle. Even if the Gator tactics don't improve my RoS play, they'll help me playing against Hordes, at the very least.

And I am thinking of pretty much getting out of 40K, or dropping to one army, so that will offset the dollars spent on WM/H

:)

[under]

You will see greater and faster improvement by sticking to your main faction for a significant amount of time then by expanding out too rapidly and by significant I mean 50-60 games per Warcaster/lock at your groups point level.

If improvement is important then bear in mind we're all humans here. The same thing is always the answer when it comes to improvement. You don't improve at being a Forward in whatever sport you want for an analogy by splitting your time in any manner other then one that gives the lion share of time to the responsibilities of the Forward's role.

That can be very boring for people, obviously do what's fun, jump about factions as you please. I've been playing Retribution for two years now with just under 250 games at 50 points and I've only recently moved to my fourth Warcaster. I've only spent so much time on so few Casters and one faction because I've enjoyed doing that. It's a great advantage in Warmachine/Hordes that your opponents provide an enormous amount of game-play variety, a quick count has over 130 different Warcaster/locks in the game.

As to the other question, in my area most people keep current with 3-5 different warcaster/locks at a time which are usualy from two-three different factions.

[Mr.Pickelz]

Sticking with one faction really allows you to go the extra distance, in finding the good combos(aka what works and what doesn't) and makes you a better player with that faction and their playstyle, but only that style. I personally started with Khador for Warmachine, but also wanted the opposite, and i like the Fury Mechanic better then Focus personally, so i went with Legion. I usually play Primary Butcher (aka beatstick of doom) and then also have a tier 4 Abby for legion. This polar opposite allows me to see the same game from two different perspectives and overall i feel like i get a better sense of the whole game as i switch between the two extremes, whereas with sticking to only Khador or Legion would give me the singular perspective of either slow but powerfull, or mobile and squishy(although Warbeasts imo are better then Warjacks). Also, you never know, you might just like the second faction's style as well. ;)

[Harmonious Borealis]

So I guess I've found some of the Ret players from the Gnarls league...

I only have Circle because I spend too much time selling the stuff to actually paint/play with it, a situation I recently started to rectify. I've played somewhere around 5 games, and put basecoats on models in the last couple of days.

In our fledgeling playerbase, our Khador player has at least 80pts, and maybe 60% painted. He also has a bit of Menoth due to the 2-player starter. Our Cygnar player (~95% painted) also has Mercs, apparently largely because I got him McBain for X-Mas on a friend's suggestion.

Second armies have an insidious way of sneaking in here... And generally seems to involve me selling things, even to myself :cool:

[Dyrnwyn]

I have 3 armies myself - Circle is my primary army, but I also have small Magnus and Trollblood forces - mostly for a change of pace. I could see myself picking up Ret as well, but probably nothing else. The thing is, sometimes people like specific style of play that isn't exclusive to a faction. I for instance, like to play jack and beast heavy, so I look for casters in various factions that allow me to do that - Baldur/Kaya in Circle, Hoarluk in Trolls, Magnus in Mercs. The only reason I'm not already building a Ret force is that while I like the look of their forces, there's no Jack-caster for them yet.