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View Full Version : Shhh... Don't tell my 40k buddies!



the_puritan
11-11-2009, 09:17 PM
Almost none of my gaming buddies are into Warmachine, but there is a very healthy tourney scene here at my FLGS... and I'm a competition junkie.

Anyway, I kinda feel like I'm cheating on my friends, but I just ordered myself some Cygnar models.
*dun dun DUNNNN!!!!!*

I know practically nothing about the game but, if my years of playing Euthanatos in Mage: The Ascension has taught me anything, Gun Mages are going to be amazing.

So, to that end, I got myself:

Allister Caine
Defender
Sentinel
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages
Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer
Gun Mage Captain Adept

Anyway, any ideas of where to go from here?

GentleBen
11-12-2009, 12:31 PM
First you need the Black 13th to complete the theme. Their brutal damage will help put the hurt down on heavy 'jacks.

You also need more heavy 'jacks of your own, but I would wait until January for an Ironclad so you can get one of the cool new plastic kits. You could get a Hammersmith or Centurion though since there isn't a resculpt due soon. That we know of. Lots of people hate the centurion but I can't figure out why. The Stormclad is also really good but it combos well with stormblades, which you don't have yet.

Caine also does well with LongGunners, so you should think about them. And every Cygnar player needs a Journeyman Warcaster. They are just too good not to take.

Faultie
11-12-2009, 01:10 PM
Look into what Mercenaries you can hire, and of those which ones you like and which ones fill gaps you can't readily fill.

the_puritan
11-12-2009, 05:53 PM
First you need the Black 13th to complete the theme.
lol... I asked Santa (aka: my wife) for them for christmas for exactly that reason!

Drawing on a 40k perspective, I'm thinking I'd need a assault heavy unit of some sort.

Is the Thunderhead a giant points sink or it is really the giant kick-butt machine it looks like?
Shooting 3 times at POW14 seems pretty solid to me... along with 2 open fists with sustained attack.

pgmason
11-13-2009, 09:17 AM
Caine is a caster that doens't want to be overburdened with 'jacks. He wants to use focus for shooting stuff and teleporting out of trouble, not for powering jacks. I run him with just a Hunter in his battlegroup, since he relies a lot on mobility, and the extended control range helps with that a lot. I also run a Journeyman Warcaster with a Defender in my Cain armies.

GentleBen
11-13-2009, 05:15 PM
Is the Thunderhead a giant points sink or it is really the giant kick-butt machine it looks like?
Shooting 3 times at POW14 seems pretty solid to me... along with 2 open fists with sustained attack.

The Thunderhead is, sadly, one of those things in Warmachine that is kind of good at a few things and not really great at anything. I don't feel that it is worth its points and for a little perspective, I think I'm generally more positive about things in MkII than a lot of people. It has a small infantry clearing electricity pulse that will kill anyone not immune to electricity (including friendlies). It has low P+S on its fists so it is unlikely it will really kill any heavies. Its fists have crit. disruption and sustained attack, both of which are decent abilities but they counteract each other. If you can get it within 6" of an enemy caster it can do nasty things to them with its electric coil but most opponents will see that coming. All in all I would probably only take it with eStryker or eNemo. But I love the mini so much that if I started played Cygnar I would probably get one anyway.

the_puritan
11-15-2009, 10:28 PM
Ok, I finally got to play my first 2 games with my brand-spanking-new (as yet unpainted... THE SHAME!!!) Cygnar Gunmage list.
We played MKI rules, first against Khador and then against Circle. I, of course, lost both games, but walked away with a wealth of knowledge.

Things I learned:

1 - This list sure does kill the infantry.
I had my Gunmage Officer "Jack Marshalling" the Sentinel and kept combining its Strafe attack with Riccochet for ludicrous amounts of attacks against his Khador Pikemen and Circle Chicks-Riding-Wolves.
...then there was Caine's feat. Even though I forgot to shoot my normal shots before popping his feat in both games, he gets to shoot EVERYBODY.

2 - This list has a tough time punching holes in armor.
With only the Defender with POW over 12, I found myself hitting with no effect way too many times. I kept meaning to combo the Strafe with the Shocker shot to strip his Jacks of their cortex... but I don't know where it would have went from there.

3 - The Gunmage Captain Adept is cool.
...but that's really it. I KNOW I am not using him to his full potential (and he's the only regular guy who can boost his own damage) but he just didn't have the kill ratio I was fanboying for. He did outflank some Widowmakers and break the unit... and almost single-handedly take down a Circle Rock-Golem-Thing... so, I guess I really have nothing to complain about, right?

4 - I played like a sally.
I never once assaulted with my Defender. That was dumb. I've realized my mistake. I'm past that now.

5 - Deadeye rocks when cast on the Gunmage unit.
Duh.

6 - Victory really does favor the bold.
I had a couple of oppertunities to take shots on his caster and I instead went after the bigger threats that were closer. I'm convinced that this was a mistake. I had a chance at possibly slightly hurting a nearby jack or I could have taken the same slight chance to end the game... in retrospect, it seems really really obvious.

7 - Painted models perform better.
I beat this guys all the time with my painted 40k armies. Today, his forces were painted and mine were not. You do the math.

8 - Slamming a Heavy Jack into a Warcaster is hella fun.
Not only does Thunderstrike do POW 14 to all involved and knock them both down, it gives me an excuse to belt out ACDC lyrics.

All in all, good times.
As far as n00b batreps go, mine is no different: got annihilated, had fun, got some ideas, and can't wait to get back at it.

PS: Don't worry, the primer should be dry enough to start painting the tomorrow.