Official WARMACHINE Muster the Troops Contest!

[Jomblic]

Favorite warcaster? Captain Jeremiah Kraye. Why? Well I work at a hobby shop in Alaska and have recently gotten into Warmachine. Just in time for our big annual gaming tournament Brimfrost; which unfortunately this year was our last one. Any-who, I was able to get the day of the Warmachine/Hordes tourny off so I decided to start the game and get my trial by fire in the tourny. I chose Cygnar as my army because most everyone else around plays the other armies and there isn't a lot of love for them up here so I chose them. Then as I looked through the new FoWM: Cygnar book and everyone at the shop complained about how good every warcaster in the book was; BUT! no one ever mentioned Kraye. So at the tourny I was able to take 2 lists and chose which one I want for the round. So I took him and Kara Sloan, because I was going to use her as a crutch if I faced someone who I honestly didn't think I had a chance against. I took First place at the tourny with Kraye and without an ranged jacks. It was close but I won. And Kraye won it for me. So basically Kraye is never complained about how powerful he is (until I won), I'am originally from Texas and his name plus his looks clearly make him seem like hes from the confederate army so he touched the southerner in me as well. And he's just down-right cool! :cool:

[Fellmonster]

Goreshade the *******- He is just a commanding power captain. He is able to dominate a huge region of the terrain, able to create cryxian warrior allies, and can place his jacks wherever he would like, with a bit of skill.

Having a huge troop based army allows someone to creep all over the board, and with a little assistance a general should be able to protect their army against AOE and spray attacks.

In melee, Goreshade is a terrifying slaughterer. Do the math and see how quick this guy can terminate super tough generals like Kreoss or the butcha, once he gets close enough and has plenty of stolen focus at his disposal.

This ******* is just a lot of classic march and destroy wargaming, and you don't even have to keep this guy alive.

[skyzanon]

I'll have to go with Orsus Zoktavir for he was not only my first caster that I got to play in not only my first tournament, but also my first local Con. The models for him have only gotten better and his story is very well written. The name of his weapon Lola seems to be the name of a very important woman that was in his life and her death is what I think drove him to or possibly awakon his Orgoth blood and become something akin to living rage. His loyalty to Khador is beyond fanactical and the image of him on the field of battle makes most men run in fear. The entry for him in Thr Gavyn Kyle Files showed how great his battle prowess is and what others in the Iron Kingdoms thought about him.

[C-Dub]

My favorite warcaster is Irusk because seeing his concept art made me decide to start playing Warmachine. I thought the game looked cool but I was on the fence about starting another miniature game (I was a 40k player at the time). Then I saw this warcaster who looked a little like M. Bison from Street Fighter and I was sold.

The fact that I also like his playstyle is just a bonus.

[Dragonic]

My favorite warcaster has to be Strakov because he has unmatched maneuverabiliety.

[Gergle]

My favorite Warcaster is Commander Coleman Stryker, because of his well rounded spell list.

[demi_morgana]

The best warcaster, the best warcaster...

Once again it's hard task to choose only one warcaster but I think after several years of gaming my favorite one is Deneghra aka Dirty D.
First of all she's hot chick - I love goth style and she fits it so well! Especially alternative version of sculpt.
Second of all - the rules:
she is just top supporter and thanks to stealth and witch barbs the can run on the battlefield much safer than other Cryx casters delivering evil magic and dirty tricks wherever such are needed.
And her feat is just the rotting cherry on the Toruk's diabolical cake: within a second she can turn eneny army army into crippled and useless mob waiting to be wiped out!
I choose Deneghra - no doubts about it!!! :D

[Ulf188]

The best warcaster, without a doubt, is Magnus.

He's got one of the most engaging storylines of any 'caster. The fact that he's been branded as a traitor even though all he's doing is staying loyal to his king makes him more of a tragic hero than a bad guy. Even though Cygnar has decided that he's a villain, Magnus doesn't think of himself that way, and those are the best kinds of antagonists. He knows he's right, but the political winds aren't blowing in his direction. But he doesn't let that dissuade him from fighting the just fight.

No one thinks they're the villain of their own story, after all, and Magnus exemplifies this. It makes him a compelling character.

He also has ties to multiple armies; Cygnar, Mercs, and Skorne, and a backstory with personal relationships with both world-changing NPCs (Vinter), and multiple warcasters & warlocks; Caine, Stryker, Morghoul & Makeda. He's the one character who's had his hands in more plotlines and other characters' histories than anyone else. And through it all he's remained this determined, scrappy, resourceful, die-hard loyalist, fighting for his cause when all others have abandoned it, with his nose to the grindstone and his feet in the mud.

In a certain way, he's like the Robin Hood of Warmachine.

[Yertle4]

Sweet, the potential to get free stuff for signing up to a forum :)

My favourite warcaster is Kommander Orsus Zoktavir. This is because he crushes his battle opponent's balls and is your number one choice when everything absolutely, positively has to die.

[ImpactHammer]

Even while I only play the Protectorate of Menoth and the Legion of Everblight, my favorite warcaster is still Victoria Haley.

Usually, blondes have more fun, but in this case, the blond is out for revenge. The road, which eventually brings her into contact with her lost but-now-turned-to-evil sister, is littered with obstacles, but Haley overcomes them all. In the process she looses an arm, upgrades her weapon, gets the Cryxian pirate queen Skarre to beg for her life, cuts her evil twin in two, bonds with a Lancer warjack and plays a significant part during the Khadoran assaults. Where a lesser woman would balk at the misfortune directed at her, Haley presses forward with an almost arrogant swagger: she wants to be victorious, and will use everything in her power to make that happen.

If I had to make a reference it would be to Lara Croft, except for the fact that Haley is more headstrong, prone to use her own judgment instead of listening to her mentors and peers, and gets herself into trouble more than once because of her character flaws. She shall be the last one to admit she needed to be rescued.

In-game, she utilizes a lot of support and disruptive spells: in a game in which bashing each other in the face has priority over the shooting, Haley makes it possible to field an army which relies on shooting instead of close combat, while retaining enough diversity to take the fight to the enemy, disrupt his/her plans and choose in what way she controls the battle.

Overall, Victoria Haley is an interesting and playable character which fiercely contests the place of number one female in Warmachine, next to other, very competitive and interesting warcasters.

[HeKnows]

Deserter, rebel, betrayer, dissident, outlaw, runaway, renegade, defector, mutineer, turncoat, apostate, backslider. Magnus the Traitor it shall be then.

I really am fond of his fluff, always thought the bad guys to be much more interesting than all the Luke Skywalkers out there. And gamewise, he's a blast to play. Resource management is easy with him and so he became my first choice right after the Battlebox became available. Ah, those were the days of Raining Steel... Two handed strike, anyone?

[TemplarCoyote]

Allistar Caine is my favorite warcaster. I enjoy the fluff around the character as a kind of desperado that is actually an act and working to insure the survival of his nation. I also enjoy the play style of either version of the warcaster as it promotes quick, bloody games that can end suddenly without your opponents permission. This play style is fluid and fast and can threaten multiple areas at once with your army while also using Caine to help out.

[Dalazer]

Magnus: Am I the meanest?
Mercenaries: Sho'nuff!
Magnus: Am I the prettiest?
Mercenaries: Sho'nuff!
Magnus: Am I the baddest mofo low down around this town?
Mercenaries: Sho'nuff!
Magnus: Well who am I?
Mercenaries: Magnus!
Magnus: Who am I?
Mercenaries: Magnus!
Magnus: I can't hear you...
Mercenaries: Magnus!

Barry Gordy's The Last Dragon references aside, Magnus is just plain B.A. Baracus, that is. He's lean, he's mean, and he doesn't mind stepping on people to get his goals accomplished. He's got the drive and focus to do what it takes, and did I mention, he has a metal freakin' arm! Yeah, game over for everyone else.

[Cowman2697]

My favorite warcaster would have to be Feora...

Raised from childhood to be the model of faith, and drawn at an early age to the mastery of conflagration, Feora embodies to me all that is the Protectorate.

Who can't giggle at the ability to set everything "evil" in her control radius on fire. There is some simple satisfaction in realizing that you once again do not have enough fire tokens to mark her crispy targets. Add to that the joy of popping up a wall off fire behind a few unsuspecting enemies and then forcing them back into the flames to burn as they should for their sins. Burst one of your jacks into flames as it is being attacked and watch the aggressors fall to the ground smoldering... it just gives me shivers. And then, when Feora is in danger of attack herself, watch her "power up" and go toe to toe with all but the very mightiest of warcasters, having of course softened them up with those gorgeous wrist mounted flame throwers as they approached. I have been know to actually involuntarily laugh as I watch my opponents' armies burn... burn... BURN!!!! :D

And then things get epic... :eek:

As Protector of the Flame, Feora's mastery knows no bounds! She and her units once again set fire to the battlefield and all that is "evil" within it... burning with such furious heat that it cannot be extinguished. Her Power can propel her jacks forward at great speed, and if she chooses, those same jacks can offer her an increase to her already incredible armor value. I am once again moved to giggling as an opponent moves in to engage Feora in melee, only to be engulfed in a ball of fire as she magically sidesteps the attack. and once the flames are burning hot and high, she harnesses the power of the inferno to power up her warjacks and let them lay waste to all who oppose her... leaving only the glowing embers of her enemies' remains. Muhuaahahaha!!! (Oops... i did it again) ;)

Feora... I think I love you....

"Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
When all we see.. is the view to a kill"

[Adeptius Brushworks]

I would have to choose feora-protector of the flame.

In the defense of Sul, Feora faced a humiliating defeat. Left for dead among the wreakage of her prized devout, and narrowly escaping death. The daughters of flame helped her Reforge faith and weapons. With her rallied troops , has taken a vow to purge all Cygnarans from her city. May there souls be cleansed by the purest fire! For there trespass against sul shal never be forgotten. Rekindled By a single foot step upon her beloved city's streets.

[I am Legion]

Being new to the whole Privateer Press world (been playing HORDES for just over a month now) I am basing my answer solely on the figures have looked at on the Privateer Press website.

Every time I log on my eyes are always drawn to the Cryx. I supose because of their uniquness inthat they maccarbly fuse the unliving flesh with that of machiney. They appease my own twisted imaginings and dark side wholely.
But as for my fave Warcaster- Well, that'd have to be Goreshade the *******. A figure that sets itself above the rest with its dynamic pose and detail. A warcaster that warrents crossing the street if seen coming towards you if ever there was one.
:)

[Nutcase168]

I would have to say my favorite warcaster still remains to be Stryker in his epic form. Not just for rules but in fluff.

Fluff:

He started out the the do gooder of the IK, always trying to do the right thing. Trying to do what was best for crown and country. He served his king, stood tall against the enemy and came out physically in tact. But war changed him, he became cold, hateful and down right cruel. He took his new armor, exiled menites or put them in camps and lead a siege against Sul not caring about the good, but just because he "had" to drive the menites back. It wasn't until he saw how far he could go in his hate like Feora that he stepped back and helped people despite their faith again. He was wounded in the process, was healing when he tried to take on Voyle, and only with the help of the harbinger was he able to defeat him.

Rules:

The guy is a cruise missile of destruction. His ability to increase his strength makes him dangerous to anything. Add in is combined arms style spell list and he comes a great caster to build an army around. Also his def/arm stat-line is probably the best in the game, making it hard to hit and hard to kill at the same time.

[Barnaby]

For me it has to be the Witch Coven of Garlghast.

First off you get to paint 4 Gorgeous Miniatures- including 3 exotic and dangerously sensual women. Oh and a creepy Lovecraftian Sphere.

Then you get to play a completely unique caster, one who can split its turn up- allowing you to play in a different way than any other caster in the game. You can split up your actions, make strategic choices and respond to them with your most powerful tools- allowing you to alter plans in mid stride.

But wait... there's more. You get 9 Focus, which may not be floating virginal god queen level, but hey thats pretty damn good! You also get the lovely ability to set up an awesome looking scene- the Triangulation - and get rewarded with cheap magic.

Speaking of Magic they get Ghost Walk and Infernal Machine: letting them send a terrifying pile of Soulsteel, Clanking Gears, and Screaming Metal flying through the night to burst forth on enemy lines in a howling torrent of death- no matter where your enemy chooses to put himself. They of course will be wrapped in a veil of mist, or hidden in shadows, and should you draw their attention they will cut the threads that bind you to this world or LITERALLY PULL YOU INTO HELL.

Oh and their Story? The Macbethian Arch typical Witches Three, arriving with prophecy for a powerful king- but will it push him towards downfall or inevitable victory? Who doesn't feel the stirring of Epic Potential there? They even have their... well.. its not a cauldron- but its close! Its a floating Cauldron! A Cauldgore!

Finally they get the awesome distinction of being one of those casters that when you are loosing, but manage to turn it around and win, its really impressive. Loosing one or two of the witches - only to come back and win the game- that makes people notice: especially considering how fragile they are.

Scale of dragon; tooth of wolf;
Witches' mummy; maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark;
Root of hemlock digg'd i the dark;
Liver of blaspheming Menite;
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse;
Nose of Toruk, and Tartar's lips;
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,—
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingrediants of our caldron.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

[_link_carsten_]

My Favourite has to be Grand Scrutator Severius because he is cool and I collect a Protectorate of Menoth Army

[Xir]

Pirate Queen Skarre. Her ability when fielded with Satyxis Raiders along with her new rescuplt and the pirate theme are what made me select her in the first place. Every time I field her I cannot help but think of the Goonies. Perhaps if I were to do the truffle shuffle, even without the requisite mass around my middle, I might disorient my opponents enough to make me win occasionally. =)

[mikkleslatr]

I've only just started playing Warmachine in the past couple of months, so haven't had much experience with the game, other than with Khador.

I would have to say my favourite caster to date so far is Kommondant Strakhov. He's a good allrounder warcaster in my opinion. High focus, good troop support nice weaponry, and a really nice feat to drop to surprise your opponent.

[Daimeon]

My favorite caster is Captain Phinneus Shae. He's got so much character going for him as the confident, swashbuckling scallywag who's willing to do whatever it takes to defend his ship.

The sculpt and artwork exude cool bucaneer prowess with a fresh young face which I can really relate to. He's also not played as much as he should be due to the limited amount of models he is able to take, so I feel good being one of the few to play as him consistently(at my LGS anyway). His spell list and abilities are amazing and I think the reason he's kept on such a short chain is he could break the game if paired with some of the other merc casters like Ashlynn and Gorten. However; I still hope that in the upcoming forces book he gets a bit more freedom. If not, I'll play him in anticipation of the next set of awesome privateer releases.

[Tygon]

My favorite warcaster would be Kommander Sorscha.

The mini (with the hammerscythe over her head) is just cool and very dynamic and I like her background as well as her abilities.

[kryzenbeastfang]

Ah, my favorite warcaster, well, that's hard to say, considering I haven't actually started playing Warmachine yet...

All I've been able to do is gaze at the figures, and dream of owning some...

All sappiness aside, I'd have to say that my favorite is probably Grand Exemplar Kreoss. I come from a rich background of Dungeons and Dragons and traditional RPGs, so when I first saw this paladin, I can assure you, I was smitten right away (pardon the pun :P).

But yeah, Grand Exemplar Kreoss is awesome; first off, Kreoss is a totally awesome name. And Grand Exemplar? Only sweetening the deal~ Secondly, he looks pro. He looks like he's ready to go smite some undead ne'er-do-wells. Also, personality-wise, he's just awesome. He is the definition of retribution; avenging every fallen ally, his brethren, his comrades... however you want to put it, they know that should they pass on, Kreoss will avenge them. His story is masterfully written as well.

So, yeah...
*crosses fingers and hopes to win his first warmachine army ever (clearly Protectorate :V)*

[Iron Kolossus]

Kaelyssa, Night Whisper has to be my favorite caster. I love that both of her weapons are capable of siphoning focus from casters and warjacks. Her stats are good, above average focus, spells are good. Runebolt Cannon has awesome range and good damage, Vengeance with POW of 6 and P+S of 12 is OK. Damage of 16 means she can take a lickin' and hold her own against the best of them.

[Warhawk-77]

My favorite is Skarre epic or the normal.

I really like the pirate feel and she has the "Great Rack" what is not to love?

The miniature is very well done it just screams to be on a super detailed base.

[TakJack33]

I have to say I love Major Victoria Haley she has great fluff coming from such a tragic background and having such a strong thirst for vengeance, her stories through the books is amazing especially her fights with Denegra at the Orgoth temple. And now the twists and not knowing where her relationship with her sister is going. Plus she killed a Litch Lord. As a caster you have to love her extra movement and Temporal Shift Feet is awesome how doesn't like messing up your opponents activations.

[skarreslave2]

My favorite caster is Skarre Ravenmane. She is a dark instrument of evil for Toruk's plans to destroy his dragon children. She comes from the blighted evil Satyxis; probably my favorite female figures from any miniatures line. Tall horny women with "great racks" appeal to almost all gamers. Her rules are also fun, she can fight really well when she needs to, but can also support her army well. Skarre is a well rounded as a warcaster. She can support a horde of infantry or just bring a few and have a large Warjack force at her command with equal ease. Skarre is my go to caster. Her artwork is amazing, her 2010 resculpt is one of the best Privateer has done yet and her rules can help her handle almost any challenge.

Skarreslave:D

[Valkine]

My favorite Warcaster is a tough question. I could pick one whose style I think is the coolest, or one whose fluff I like the most, but I think the most important criteria is the Warcaster that I like to play the most. I most enjoy playing a 'caster that is in the opponents face leading from the front. For this reason I like the style and general idea behind both Butchers but since I don't play Khador I cannot speak for how they actually play. So instead I think Colman Stryker may be my favorite Warcaster, especially in his epic form. I like his normal form because he is a break with the Cygnar standard of high defense and low arm but his Epic form is just so much more in the opponents face. I have very little experience with him, sadly, and so I should really sit down and play him a lot more (the transition to Mark II has made this much easier since it removed the 750 point requirement). I think he's got a cool style and is a really nice model with some great mechanics to back him up.

[theumbrean]

My personal favorite would be Vlad, the Dark Prince. Aside from being a histprical Dracula fan, the guy just exudes magical power! He doesn't even use warcaster armor! I also like the whole "dark secret" thing about his past. Failing any of these, then I'll use three words: Blood of Kings.

[Dicewraith]

Goreshade

In either incarnation he has some of the best monikers, The ******* or The Cursed. Both are telling that he has had an illustrious history. The ******* launches and I look into his rules and the story as to how he was created. Then Retiribution book comes out and he is fleshed out even more. The *******s rules also fit his descriptive. There is not much that he cannot handle or shrug off. Then there is the Cursed. The fluff of looking at a freshly thawed out Nyssor, trying to kill him, then when fails he grabs the Gods weapons and ominously threatenes, I will kill you with your own sword. Yeah, he is afraid of nothing. Shoot he even handed over the location of a dragon spawn to Thagrosh for a distraction to getting at Nyssor.

[sasori]

Ashlynn.

For me one of the strengths of Warmachine is the way the fluff and the rules combine, and Ashlynn is one of those casters where I read her background in the No Quarter Magazine where she was first mentioned, and I thought, 'Damn I have to play her.' Once the mini came out, I got her on the field and I was impressed, not only with her versatility, and the way she slotted right into my play style, but by how effectively the rules translated what I thought her fluff said about her. I was hooked.

Her transferal to MKII rules has done nothing to diminish my love for the little rebel.

Also, you gotta love that feat!

The only thing wrong with the little blonde bombshell is that she has yet to go epic!

[TooMad]

I am going to have to go with eVlad. I had been away from Warmachine for some time his themed list drew me back giving me a fun way to explore this warcaster before branching out. Might of Kings, Blood Legacy, and the bamf doesn't even wear Warcaster armor.

[Flager]

My favorite warcaster is the Old Witch.

This is largely because of how I decided on a faction. I had spent a larger amount of time than I'd like to admit skimming through the old WM&H books when my LGS started stocking it to see if I'd even like the game, and then to decide what faction I wanted to Invest in. After much indecisiveness I eventually just asked what was the least played faction locally, which I was told was Khador. (At the time this was true, more have picked it up since then, however) So I grabbed the battlebox and started with them.

I knew going into it that the stereotypical Khador axe to face wasn't really my playstyle, but I figured, the hell with it. After I gave Old Witch a try, however, I loved Khador. To me OW really represents that there is a robust enough selection that even in a faction that was probably the last thing I would have picked on my own that there is still a caster that I feel fits my style perfectly.

Not to mention she's the only way to get Scrapjack, who has more character than any other unique warjack if you ask me.

[Bruan]

The Dark Prince, by far, is my favorite warcaster. His abilities and fluff both demonstrate a great deal of importance and power in Khador and throughout the Iron Kingdoms.

In Prime and Escalation, Vlad was the one responsible for taking care of and tutoring Sorscha. Towards the very end, he sacrificed himself to save his soldiers from hordes of thralls. He was rescued by the Old Witch, the embodiment of Khador itself, and restored to greatness. His blood is prophecy. Ironically enough, he was linked to the Harbinger. In Apotheosis, Vlad was responsible for preventing the Orgoth relic from falling into Cryx hands. He protected the Harbinger from Asphixious (... by killing her.)

The dude is the man. He is one of two people that doesn't wear warcaster armor. Just armor. He's the salvation of Khador!

[toebeeone]

The Butcher of Khardov, his models are awesome, and he is a man who can topple a jack with a single swing of an axe, what is not to like about that.

[mechjag]

I like Stryker. Coleman Stryker is the original good guy. He has had dark moments but is still the good guy. As for the game, he is a good mid line caster. Not a tournament winner (not every time at least) but can play a good list. People love to hate him, but I still like him the most. Some other casters have great rules, but I don't like there fluff as much. Others have great fluff, but craptacular rules. I like Stryker. Just my opinion.

[sanguinophore]

Welcome to the BoLS Lounge Privateer Press fans, and make yourselves at home. Today's question is:

Tell us who is your favorite warcaster and why?

Good Luck everybody!

Blessed you in the name of Menoth the creator,

How dare you to compare false gods worshippers to Severius ! Do they have the Eye of Menoth that guide the hands of the faithful in striking Menoth's adversaries ? Dare you to defy him , whose gestures grant his followers Protector's Ward so that they can serve the true faith to their utmost extent! Listen to me fools, so immersed himself in the glory of the Creator, that he cannot be harmed by faithless arcane manipulations those heretics are using! Suffer him, because so intimate is his personal communion with Menoth, that he may call upon Creator's Divine Wrath thus revealing how insignificant their arcane skills are being lacking of Menoth's blessings and LO! they become so humbled that for an instant they refuse to let their true core tainted further by using magics. But alas, their dark gods clouded their judgement once again.

Heed my warning! Menoth's boon knows no bound to us, yet you have squandered his blessings like scattering ashes in the wind! From Ashes to Ashes ! By conflagration, heretics and false gods worshippers shall be reclaimed by Menoth, and through his proxy, my Idol, His Holiness Grand Scrutator Severius.

In Menoth's Name,
Sanguinophore

================================================== ===============

Seriously, it has to be said that the old man Grand Scrutator Severius is my favourite caster. As I play Menoth. His high focus, and good selection of buff and defensive spells simply outstanding and allow great tactical flexibility. His low point would be that he is physically very weak, a couple of slaps could bring him down and his feat doesn't really affect Hordes factions as much as Warmachines ones .

[CrimsonGuard]

To choose my favorite warcaster turned out to be harder then I thought, but in the end there's really only one choice.

The Butcher of Khardov

Really, who doesn't love to have a giant, crazy, murderous lunatic to lead an army of steampowerd killing machines? A man that can force these lumbering giants to kill with more precision and from greater distances than any enemy would have guessed beforehand. A man that will "inspire" his troops to hit harder, or to hold their ground against enemy attacks way longer then they normally would (and by saying inspire I mean utterly scare them to death because they know the alternative is to be horribly butchered by their own commander). A man that causes all his troops and jacks to go in a killing frenzy which will annihilate their enemies.

A man who hits harder then ANYTHING in this game, and then some.

[Hendybadger]

My favourite Warcaster has to be - Karchev the Terrible

There is really only one reason. He is a Caster wearing a Jack. It doesnt get much cooler than that!

[Tamrielo]

While I rarely play her now, my first and true warcaster love will always be Haley, in either incarnation.

I cut my teeth on Warmachine with that little hooded spear-y warcaster girl, slowly picking up the core mechanics and the subtleties of focus management through constant loss. My win/loss record with her is abysmal, because I always picked her up first while learning for her forgiving 7 focus and versatile spell list. My early forays with her left her impaled on the end of a Spriggan, cloven in twain by the Butcher, shot to pieces by Caine, burned to a crisp by Kreoss, flattened by the Deathjack... yet I still learned something with every game I played with her.

I took a brief hiatus with Cygnar early in my time playing WM in order to pick up Menoth, which was a change of perspective that really made me understand how everything worked together. When I returned to Cygnar after my study abroad, Haley was ready, and went from forgiving teacher to relentless battlemage in a heartbeat.

When I finally graduated to 750+ games and epic warcasters, the first one I tried was Haley, and in a single game I saw both the forgiving warcaster teacher and the unstoppable spellslinging sorceress that reflected myself both at the start of and much later in my Warmachine playing career.

Haley is the single warcaster that I have seen fit to get a commissioned custom paintjob for, and while I almost always prefer painting my own miniatures, having Haley as the fantastically epic centerpiece of my Cygnar force continues to inspire me to improve my own painting skills.

Maybe she's cliché, maybe lots of other people like Haley, too, but for me she's both the nostalgic symbol of my newbie days and the cutting edge of my competitive play; even though I play mostly Retribution now, I still sneak in a game with Haley every so often, and she's a centerpiece in my Savage Iron Kingdoms game.

[Kamahin]

My favortie Warcaster has to be Magnus the Traitor. He combines a fluff i enjoy with a devastating battlebox. I remember my first game with him I played against a Cryx army with the Deathjack. I took the Deathjack down on the first turn, I knocked it down with his mechanical arm, lowered its ARM by 4 with Gorman di Wulfe's Rust grenade (back before MKII), and sawwed it apart with the Renegade.

Now that they gave him the ability to upkeep spells for free in MK II I can't help but play him in every game.

[Warpstone]

I am a big fan of the Cryx Faction mainly due to the fact that they are the bad guys and I have always enjoy playing a side that no one likes.

Which leads me to my favourite warcaster while I have not played Goreshade the most the reason I rate him higher than any other is due to his background he is a I'll do things my way and you can't stop me sort of guy. After reading his background it made me enjoy Warmachine so much more and read about more my own faction and others.

I have great fun when I play with him though as I bring him along to fight against my mates Retribution of Scyrah and we always have a blast :)

[Razorx1970]

Hands down the Prime Butcher. He's one of the very first, and still one of the most effective warcasters in the entire game. His spells and feats are some of the most useful, he's a WeaponMaster+Reach, and if and when he gets close to something it usually dies quick.

He's one of the few casters that can usually take out a heavy warjack without a lot of effort.

The original sculpt still looks great. Even tho there are 2 newer versions, I still find that I enjoy the original, just because he IS the original beast Warcaster for Warmachine.

[Crant]

Considering that my name is Magnus my options are very limited. Out of the 2 Magnus the Traitor is my favorite. With Resourceful and Iron Agression and Snipe how can you not love him?

[fastlane37]

My favorite warcaster is the Harbinger of Menoth. Prettiest sculpt in the whole PP range, IMO. Fluff is great too. Her abilities are all awesome, and she has the most focus/biggest control area I've seen on a warcaster to boot. What's not to like?

[bailey]

I'd have to say that my favorite caster is epic Nemo. He has a spell for any occasion, puts the "war" in warjack to a whole new level, and makes some of the peskiest solos around more than just pesky. He is caster to play, regardless on whats on the other side of the table.

[jamieibz]

I actually began learning the game playing Hordes, playing Legion, and my wife playing Trollbloods, and I always played against a buddy of mine who played Cygnar. After getting sick and tired of a certain OTHER games-maker, I sold my army of tanks and vietnam-lookalikes to said buddy, and bought his entire Cygnar army.

I now have a trencher army to make Seige Brisbane proud, complete with a new set of ten commandos, and one of the simple things that make Brisbane fun is how tough he really is - I've played both versions of Stryker, the new 'caster Kara Sloan, and now Seige, and he's the only one who's taken on the Butcher and straight-out clobbered him. In my most recent game, my 'jacks lead the offensive, with the Trenchers fighting a more defensive battle, steadily falling back and taking out shock-trooper after shock trooper, all the while setting up for an assassination run. Bingo, the opportunity presented itself, my Hunter hit the butcher for 1/2 his armour value, and then Seige did it again by popping his feat. And just in case that wasn't enough (it was...) Reinholt was there to reload him and clobber the Butcher again. My opponent was... surprised, to say the least.

Seige also has a high LCF (look cool factor), and I've painted him up in the armour colours shown in the new Cygnar book, all flashy white & blue with gold trim. One of my better painjobs.

[saxnviolin]

Hi there; I don't actually have a Warmachine army, so it's kind of difficult to pick my favorite, though I did do my research on them!

I've always been a nice person in life, which is why Skarre the Pirate Queen is my favorite warcaster. She is everything I am not! A baddie, an adventurous pirate, a satyxis, and a warcaster. Also, her playstyle seems like a lot of fun. I am planning on army that uses all kinds of models that make more models, to constantly fuel sacrificial strike and ritual sacrifice; necrotechs, necrosurgeons, cephalyx mind slavers, and so on. The Necrotech is also there to heal me through Life Trader and Blood Magic, so I feel really confident in my theoretical army!

So, I hope I win!
Thank you for presenting this opportunity, and I hope I win!

[TurboNitroMonkey]

There is no moment in Warmachine fluff that compares in magnitude, cool factor, and sheer badassery (and I will sock-jack anybody who doesn't think that is a word) than when Irusk meets Vlad in the forest before a siege, and Vlad offers him Berserkers for assistance.

Irusk asks Vladimir how many Berserkers he brought with...

Dark Prince Vladimir Tzepesci replies:

"All of them."

Vlad is for certain, the coolest cat in the Iron Kingdoms.

He gets my vote.

[Kaltzephyr]

My favorite warcaster is easily Mr. Gurvaldt Irusk, non-epic. Literally everything about him is awesome. Gurvaldt is an incredibly awesome name, fluff-wise he's basically a ridiculous cross between Sun Tzu and General Patton, appearance wise he looks like M. Bison from Street Fighter, and he's got a sword cannon. Seriously, how do you trump a sword cannon in the battle of coolness?

Gameplay-wise Irusk epitomizes a jack-of-all-trades caster with no real flaw who always has the right trick to foil his opponent's plan. Inhospitable Ground mires any advance, Battle Lust'd troops can crush any wall, Iron Flesh'd troops can hold any line, and Airburst picks out any problem troopers or solos before they can get in range. Top it off with Superiority which removes the usual weaknesses of Khadoran jacks and Grind as a solid 'bolt' spell and you have the strongest, most well-rounded spell list in the game.

Irusk may not be a very strong melee character when compared to other Khadoran casters, but he's certainly the top when it comes to ranged combat with the still insanely cool Sword Cannon and his "Shoot, Charge, Shoot" combo is a pretty awesome image, even if rarely happens. Irusk's feat may not be the most flashy or memorable feat but it excels at allowing you to make otherwise risky or crazy plays relatively safely, which means you can do alot more fun things with your troopers with less punishment for your antics.

AND he's got a Sword Cannon. You just can't beat the Sword Cannon.

[Zero-One]

There is no competing with the Harbinger of Menoth. She is simply the most powerful caster in the game. While many casters are 'jack or troop specific, she has more than enough focus to manage a legion of 'jacks, and at the same time all of her troops are utterly undying. She is also one of the only large-based casters, that has saved me from a few tramples and spells (tendrils on two occasions). On a final note, any caster that makes your enemies stumble over themselves in awe of her deserves to be called the best.

[Vosage]

I love Daruis, he may be lacking in the tricks and fancy bitz on the tabletop, but seeing a guy who is all about machines running around effectivly in a machine is just to cool for words. he is a Warmachine himself and thats why he was my first caster, i wanted to play a war game with Machines and Darius fit that bill better than any other caster i found. j

I LOVE BIG D!

[oconlan]

Irusk is a soldier's soldier. He commands absolute respect from his troops because they know he will get the job done. This 'caster is a perfect example of story and rules synergy. Everyone of his abilities (feat, rules and spells) highlight how he both supports his army and is willing to get into the fight himself.

When picturing Irusk in combat you have two images, the Kommandant who controls the battle from the midst of his troops and the soldier who flings himself into the fight to finish his enemy. Assault and Quick Work are examples of the latter. Everything else in his box of tricks speaks to the former. Undying Loyalty is a feat with so many useful components: Fearless, Tough (on a 4+), +2 to attack rolls and cannot be knocked down buffs his troops amazingly. Couple that with Battle Lust and Iron Flesh and Irusk's men can both dish out damage and survive it. Inhospitable Ground allows him to dictate the terms of battle and Airburst means no enemy troops are safe.

He doesn't ignore his 'jacks either. Focus 7 is plenty to share and Superiority is possible the best 'jack buffing spell in the game. While rarely used Grind is great for finishing off those pesky Cryxian Arc Nodes.

Irusk is a fantastic 'caster with a formidable array of tricks. Cross him at your peril.

Owen

PS In case it's not obvious, Irusk is my favourite 'caster!

[bucklem]

i would have to go with skarre not only does she have a great rack. But she has single handly won games for me.

She has a great chemistry with troops and on a feat turn you boost jacks as well was your troops.

She is everything evil and badass you could want in a caster and now on top of all that you can build a entire army around her race. I dont know about you but i would be distracted with that many racks on the table.

[Martyr of the Cause]

By far, my favorite warcaster is the Iron Lich Asphyxious. First, the concept of a steam-powered lich alone is extremely entertaining, replacing brittle bones with iron and steel and leaving just a skull floating on top. Aesthetically, he is very stylish and steampunk, with big vent pipes and a glowing ribcage. An eyepatch on a skull also ties him into the pirate-theme of Cryx, while also making you wonder why bother with an eyepatch when you don't have eyeballs in the first place? Beyond all this, Asphyxious has a fascinating history, with his background as a blackclad, now an outcast never spoken of among that order. That he still uses that same sort of split spear they do is a beautiful tie-in to the Hordes faction as well. And is schemes over the Orgoth shrine were fantastic! After all, he killed his overseeing Lich Lord and turned his remains into his new weapon and key to become an undead god! That's awesome!

And then on top of all that Iron Lich Asphyxious is fantastic to play in Warmachine/Hordes. His feat is extremely solid, and gives him a fantastic reserve from which to punish his enemies. The POW 5 damage roll from it, with a Parasite applied first, makes for some very dead light troops ... and that's just a secondary effect of the feat! Throw in Sustained Attack and Teleport plus the ever-ruthless Breath of Corruption (AOE 3 with POW 12 to all within = EVIL!), and you have one serious killing machine.

Iron Lich Asphyxious has always been my favorite warcaster, and is ultimately what got me into Warmachine in the first place.

[sneezi]

I've played with a few casters, mostly Menoth but there isn't much that can compare with the fluff and damage sponge qualities of Gorten Grundback.

The model is perfectly sculpted. OK he is slow, but everything bounces off him anyway. He's like an old school zombie slowly coming after you and you just know he will catch you and tear you to pieces.

Seaforge rules!

[DonJean]

For me it has to be Siege.

He's hard, takes no nonsense and just wrecks face. Also how could you forget the thousands of Siege Norris Jokes.

The fact that he just fits my play style doesn't hurt either. :)

[RobertShepherd]

A difficult choice, but in the end I have to go with Durgen Madhammer. A loud, dangerous pyromaniac, there are few experiences so enjoyable as carpet bombing large swathes of the table (to the point of using your own troops as incendiary devices!) and Durgen's the master of it. He went from tricky but interesting in Mk1 to one of the Mercenary Players' best all-round casters in Mk2, and it's only gotten better with recent releases.

Plus, he has one of the best taglines in the game - "Bloood? Blood is for butchers! I will give them fire!"

[Razhem]

Well... I'll go for fluff reasons, and although I love my churchies, the warcaster I like the most has to be Goreshade. He is the type of character that fascinates me. He believes that he is his people's saviour and could very well be the end of their damnation, yet he could also be their last step into the abyss. He literally sold his soul to the devil to be able to save the souls of his once time brethren and for all we know, he isn't just doing things based on madness, he may really have the answer to the salvation of the souls of Ios, though the price may seem too high.

After reading the retribution fluff, it really started to be clear how much he was suffering for the plight of the soulless, his heart probably broke the moment his grandson was born without a soul and one has to wonder how he reacts when he thinks of the long distant past and of his family and if he ever feels unsure about the decisions he has taken.

He has depth, a lot more than one would expect and I would gladly read a book dedicated to his memoirs to get more hindsight on his thoughts and possible madness. He is the tragic villain that may well be the dark hero nobody is capable of being.

Also, the guy stole a sword from a God and uses it as his own, few can be as badass as that.

[Ultran]

When i started to get into the game not long ago, there was something that catched me at first. It was some pointy eared angry mages with big gloves and cool tricks. Then he was shown to me... the boss of this angry mages. He was called Rahn and he was my first caster, he still is the main guy i go to beat faces. He has the power with his huge focus pool and is full of resources. He can move, melt, burn, push and obviusly... he has the big gloves!
Whats not to love with Adeptis Rahn Shyeel?

[bofdar]

Well I am fairly new to warmachine, but I think I would say that I like Iron Lich Asphyxious. I mostly like him on a visual level, but the whole breath of corruption is awesome from my perspective (bear in mind I have no clue on the power of abilities yet I just lach on to cool and pray it works out :P)

[Jaradakar]

Lich Lord Asphyxious (epic) is my favorite -- Because how cool is steam punk armor on an undead being that raises the dead? Pretty darn cool really.

I love the green skulls/souls swarming up to look at their new master.

[The 13th Doomreaver]

Personally I like Koldun Kommander Zerkova the best. While she may not be the most powerful on the tabletop, she has a lot of tricks and versatility. I also think her fluff is quite interesting. She is caught between the Retribution and a hard place, gets shot a lot by Kaylissa, escapes with a frozen elven god in a train car, and lives to tell about it. Very "Bond Villain"-esque to me.

[Gorgar]

Epic Lich Lord Asphyxious is my favourite.

I haven't even played yet but the model looks great. He seems hard enough to assault with but then use the teleport power to whisk himself away. Hit & Run.

[sheepster]

i love karchev the terrible, the brute force and speed combined in the hull of a warjack is just great!


cheers
sheepster

[jsolo]

I love Skarre, because her outlook closely resembles that of my first girlfriend.
Finally, she has these horns..

[DanteSuper]

The first warcaster I used and still love today... Kommandant Irusk. He never let me down... nobody can hit him !!!...unless they are lucky...

[Vertebrae]

I'm new to Warmachine. Like 2nd week into the game new. After half a decade of playing 40k, I stumbled across the new model of Lich Lord Asphyxious and instantly fell in love. After reading up on the faction, my heart was cemented in a Cryx warband with Asphyxious taking the lead.

Not only does he have amazing models (Seriously, they all kick ***), his rule sets are solid and his fluff is amazing.

[pantorts]

I would have to say that my favorite Warcaster is Heirarch Severius. What really did it for me was the model. I mean the fact that he has two guys whose jobs are to be his stepping stools! Then I read his abilities and liked him even more. To sum him up:

His Stats: Horrible..worst in the game (except for focus!)
His Spells: Good. Influence had my friend literally *****ing for a week, and Creator's Wrath actually makes him decent* in melee (despite the fact he's a grumpy old man!)
His Abilities and Feat: Awesome! If your opponent is using infantry, the pure disruption caused by his feat is awesome. The first time I took my friends greylords and lined them up to spray themselves, plus their nearby friends, I knew that I had discovered my favorite caster right there. Same game, Severius took down a Juggernaut by himself, and with his ability, killed all the infantry and solos within 5" of it.

I don't use him all the time, but man, he is my favorite!

[steeldragon]

Magnus The Traitor is my favourite warcaster. I've always liked the concept of mercenaries and was very excited when it was first released a long time ago... it was my first warcaster and I bought the boxed set twice to get all his custom warjacks...

I used him even if he was not that good, loved the idea of deserters and I always came back to use him... now with MKII rules and Magnus Agenda dedicated list he looks cool and wins more often :D

Andres

[gdmnw]

While I have seen plenty of PP stuff on the internet I don't know anyone who owns any of their models or games locally. When I saw this competition on BOLS I thought it could be the perfect way to start a PP collection. Coming from a background in Bloodbowl and Warhammer, I thought 35 points would be a couple of miniatures. You can imagine my surprise when it turns out to be a sizeable army!

To arrive at a favourite I visited the Privateer Press website and read about the game universe and the six factions. I have to say this didn't help too much as all of the factions sound fantastic in their own way. I was particularly drawn to the menacing Cryx and the Retribution of Scyrah. Unable to decide based on the descriptions of the factions I looked through the miniature ranges and arrived at a clear preference. The Retribution model range is fantastic. As someone who is perhaps slightly more assembler and painter than gamer the hobby opportunities provided by these miniatures are just too much to pass up on.

With a faction selected I just needed a favourite Warcaster. The answer was immediate and obvious, as soon as I opened the gallery page the dynamism of the Adeptis Rahn miniature stood out. The pose makes it look as though Rahn is handling lines of force or energy invisible to others. The pose was great and I especially like his gauntled hands. A quick browse of the discussions and tactics posted for Adeptis Rahn only strengthened my decision.

I've neer played the games before but the synergistic style and the fluff around the rules, espcecially things like the Force Field are really evocative. You can imagine Rahn striding forward toward the enemy, incoming rounds pattering off an invisible barrier or losing momentum and falling to the ground, all the while barking instructions to his troops and directing his Warjacks. Awesome stuff.

So, my favourite? Adeptis Rahn, cool faction, good fluff, great sounding rules and above all a brilliant miniature.

-gdmnw

[poisonfrog]

no doubt my all time favorite warcaster is queen skarre, as for why she is pure evil fluff, and a pirate goat lady to boot. you dont get more amazing in my eyes.

oi oi
frog

[BAGBRO2]

I personally like the Vice Scrutator Vindictus. The sculpting on this model is so nice, and the paint job that PP has on the web site is great as well. I wish more of the Menoth models (including the 'jacks) would take a hit from this sculpt!

http://privateerpress.com/warmachine/gallery/the-protectorate-of-menoth/warcasters/vice-scrutator-vindictus

[luvdiscgolf]

My favorite warcaster has always been Magnus the Traitor. A friend showed me the Warmachine minis when they were pretty new (Magnus and Gorten had just been released) and I was still into Mechwarrior: Dark Age and Confrontation from Rackham and was quite hesitant to get yet another minis game. After looking at the minis available, none of the main factions really got me excited but when I saw the grimy, dirty Magnus and his somewhat cobbled-together battlegroup, I couldn't resist and I've never looked back!

[Hydriatus]

For me, it has to be Strakhov. Not only does he make his entire army pull off a blitzkrieg, running across the board as if equipped with nitro, he's a nice hard hitter with that trench sword of his. Then there's the fact he's immune to fire and corrosion, give assault kommandos pathfinder, runs around with molotovs, has some interesting spells like sentry and occultation, and you end up with a warcaster who requires a touch more finesse than the likes of the Butcher, but is more forgiving than Sorscha. Focus management with him is also a tad more complicated, juggling it between 'jacks, spells and armour once you get into range.

As for the miniature, it clearly evokes the assault kommandos on which he's based, yet gives him that slight elaborateness to make him stand without resorting to layers of details. Its a relatively simple model, comes in two parts, and an utter pleasure to paint.

My latest 'caster and my favourite.

[Dino-Czar]

My favorite caster would have to be Commander Styker. Not Lord Commander, just little ol' pStryker.

There isn't any great reason or trick behind why, he just makes your army better. Plug him into nearly any list and you can have a good time. His feat is deceptively powerful, ditto his spell list. Winning with Styker also carries a certain cache. He isn't a trick and he doesn't really "combo". A win with him is a win through strong play alone.

[Little Pete]

I think it has to be Epic warcaster Captain Alistair Caine.

He brings the deadly shooting prowess of Cygnar to a whole new level (you can tell this just by the sculpt) and requires that you bring an army that is self sufficient.

Other casters spend more time, focus and effort in boosting their army to a level that can compete effectively. Captain Caine does not. His soldiers must recognise that their captain is their to win the battle and eliminate the foe single-handed if need be. They must work together, bringing the military strategies and power of Cygnar to the field to support one another while their commander works his own battle.

To fight with Captain Caine requires that you can fight with only the strength of the common (and uncommon) soldiers of Cygnar in the most tactical and thoughtful way possible. Caine will then step in and provide the deadly icing on this battlefield cake that will bring victory over the foes.

Use your soldiers as though you must win the battle alone with them and then Caine will raise the ability of his army many times over.

[Selestine]

I would have to go with Sorscha. I don't actually play Khador, but her lore with Vlad really tempts me to pick up an army. I'd kill to read a book from her point of view and find out more about her!

[Anaxandrides]

My favourite caster is epic Vladimir Tzepesci. The model is beautiful, and everything about him screams Khador. From his grim demeanor to the hulking armour plates on his shoulders, eVlad is everything a Khador warcaster is meant to be.

Lorewise, his romance with Sorcha recommends him highly as a flesh and blood person rather than simply an engine of destruction or pawn of the state. I really can't overstate how flavorful this is. His fall to Cryx and salvation at the hands of the Old Witch make it clear that he is a pivotal figure in Khador - perhaps more so than any other caster around.

In the end, he is the archetype of a fallen hero. But he has risen again, and I cannot wait to see what further developments lie in store for him.

[skyydragonn]

Welcome to the BoLS Lounge Privateer Press fans, and make yourselves at home. Today's question is:

Tell us who is your favorite warcaster and why?

Good Luck everybody!

It's heresy for me to type this being a protectorate player but I have to say captain Victoria Haley. The original story involving haley and her sister Deneghra was one of the first things that drew me into warmachine (and the kickass box art on the battleboxes) ever since then I've loved following the stories of each warcaster and how thier personalities evolve as the countless battles take thier toll.

[Smakkit]

Grand Scrutator Severius... the cranky old man Severius. He have the ability to boost the entire force with his spells. Always loving magic this sealed the deal, he is not any fighter, he is a leader. He is not on the battlefield to defeat his enemy with brute force, he uses his wits. In all the stories about Severius he is always realistic, he is no great superhuman warrior, he is not some kind of immortal man, he is old, frail and experienced.
And that´s why I love Severius, he is a sweet old man that gives you candy. (Why do think people follow him?)

[uruk-hai]

My favorite warcaster is Orsus Zoktavir. Why? Because he is the Butcher thats why!!!

[crazybaldhead]

Choosing a favorite warcaster is a tough task, but I have to go with Karchev the Terrible, the man in the machine. His body broken in battle, he was grafted into a new mechanical body to allow him to continue destroying the enemies of his beloved Motherland.

The mini is amazing, and who wouldn't want a warcaster that's a warjack too? Does that disqualify him as a choice for favorite warcaster? ;)

[Quirin]

My favourite warcaster is Goreshade, the Cursed. I always liked his fluff, that he is not a real crixian, but one that uses Cryx supllies, and that his undead being is not from Toruk. In game terms he has great features too. And now i get to know more about him in the Retribution of Scyrah book too. What a real ******* he is :P

[Seraphim]

Lich lord Asphyxious
Great story, great rules and most importantly awesome miniature. It has it all.
I only use 3 different casters and 2 of them are Asphyxious. In mark 1 I couldn't use him as I didn't play that big games. Having that beautiful thing painted and not able to use it was killing me. Now in mark 2 he is definately my main man.

[Traitor4Coin]

My Favorite caster is Magnus the Traitor. He is a sneaky SOB who despite many injuries has managed to not only elude Cygnar's authorities, but has also been able to further the goals of his "boss" Vinter. He is the arch rival of pretty boy Stryker, has a mechanikal arm, and is one of Cygnar's most wanted. He does lots of shady back alley deal, but still has a Mercenaries code of honor. He has many spies and other mercenary companies indebted to him. He is great at feigning, and sneak attacks.
From a game play stand point Magnus is awesome! He is hard to kill, and can dish out the damage when he needs to. He has a great spell list, and the ability to upkeep spells on models in his battle group for free makes focus manipulation an easy task. His feat allows balls-to-the-wall assault without fear of repercussion,or the chance to tie up solos, units, casters, and jacks with suddenly speedy manglers and renegades. I challenge anyone to come up with a caster who is as well rounded and as infamously awesome as Magnus.

- A loyal subject of the True king of Cygnar

[Krakart]

Even if it was not the first warcaster i bought, my favourite warcaster is surely Magnus:
1) I really like the model (especially the epic one, but also the "basic" one)
2) I really like the rules (the basic is a well-rounded very jack-oriented warcaster, and i love jacks, while the epic one is a maybe more generic warcaster, but still jack-oriented, with a very tactical feat and an armor piercing weapon...).
3) I like very much the background (i'm Loyal to the true Cygnar King too ;))

[theummhmmguy]

A grizzled old Pirate, sails right into his quarry seemingly outgunned and outnumbered. His crew is efficient by pirate standards, as they work tirelessly to load and re-load Deck Guns mounted along the ships rail as well as under the arm of each Mariner in a row along the deck. Spaced between the Mariner's are the Mules with a shorter range but much more deadly explosive rounds, the Mules begin to build pressure in their steam tanks to extend their range. For the time being the old pirate's quarry think they have the upper hand knowing full well the slow rate of fire of the old Pirates War-Jacks. The Pirate stands with one leg on the deck rail surveying his enemy and waiting to signal his cannons to fire. He beings his barrage and by sheer force of will compels his men to load the faster and the Cannons on the War-Jacks to shoot at nearly twice their normal speed blanketing his quarry in a hail of explosive cannon fire. The guns do not relent as the old Pirate's ship closes with its quarry and the Sea Dog Crewman begin to board the enemy ship. Once again the old Pirate uses his unearthly ability to summon a Storm the blow his enemies over and even send their shots off with the wind. Into the fray the Pirate goes taking three men down with one shot from his gun Ace. He begins a swashbuckling dance of death through his enemies seemingly gaining strength and momentum from each foe that falls by his blood drenched sword.

His enemies recognize him now and know their fate is sealed as they cry out in fear the name of the old Pirate, "Broadsides Bart!"



From his look right down to his abilities this Warcaster is easily my favorite. The ability to make his battlegroup fire so many extra shots softens up any enemy he faces. Then he closes into melee reducing the enemies chance to hit while wading through them with ease. This guy makes scenario play a nightmare for anyone facing him. He has great support for the ranged Mercenary Jacks and can get the job done in melee when get finally gets there.

[Tuckers]

I would have to say that my favorite warcaster would have to be Ashlyn. A revenge bent, sword slashing, gunslinging, skirt wearing, *** kicking chick. I love how she plays, letting me get my army up in my opponents face while the gun mages and mules launch a barrage of fire. Ashlyn herself can rush in, and her gamble feat is more of a loaded dice than chance.

[tuttleboy]

I love me some eStryker. The guy's a total badass and the whole +3d6 in exchange for 3d6 damage is one of the funnest risk/rewards of Warmachine.

[bashamer]

My favorite caster would have to be Magnus the traitor.

For me it starts with the model, and he has a great model. Unlike many models it is one you can look at and get a complete picture of the warcaster. It is one of a broken man that doesn't know how to stop, one that stands alone as a sole survivor. To capture the essence of a the background in a model that well is quite impressive.

After that I consider the play style and the differnet aspects.
First, it is a diverse caster to play. His spells and feat have both offensive and defensive uses, and he can support a large range of armies. Both ranged and melee find ample support in his spells. He is also an excellent Jack caster and I like to play with warjacks; this means that he fits my style well.

The next thing I look at is if he is fun to play against. He is a control caster to some degree but he controls my mobility and treath range extension on his own force. He has few spells and abilities that prevent an opponent from playing the game. Even when I use his feat to run away after an initial assault, it isn't like I took a turn from my opponent as he/she can still play the turn even if it is just to catch up to me.

The combination of an excellent model, diverse play-style, and fun games for both players makes Magnus my favorite caster.

[wiresurfer]

Welcome to the BoLS Lounge Privateer Press fans, and make yourselves at home. Today's question is:

Tell us who is your favorite warcaster and why?

Good Luck everybody!

Major Markus "Siege" Brisbane is my favorite warcaster.

As Stryker is the Lightning, Siege is the Thunder for Cygnar. He works perfectly with almost any army you want to field, from raining death on an enemy from a far, or getting up close and personal, putting that personal touch on the battle. Siege can support his army offensely with spells like explosivo, defend them with fox hole, and control the battle field itself with rift. And being able to once per game, unload the "Breach" feat making even the most heavily armored enemy tremble with fear.

And who doesn't like a cool looking model. I think Siege is one of the coolest looking models made. He looks like he was meant for war, with havoc in hand and the rocket cannon on his back. Armed and armored to the hilt.

Can't you feel him bringing the Thunder!!!

[Valrus]

My Favourite Warcaster has to be Karchev. His model is abosolutly fantastic and the first one I really put some effort into painting and getting just right. Sure every caster HAS some warjacks, but Karchev is the only one who practically IS a warjack. In fact my opponents often ask "where is your caster?" when I've got him on the table mixed in with the wall of metal he regularly brings to the table. Karchev makes his wrajacks dance like puppets on strings and when you want to Big K can always walk in and do the work himself. Not to mention he can simply stand back and crack the ground open with sheer brute force.

[Grizwald]

Tell us who is your favorite warcaster and why?

The Butcher of Khardov is my favorite Warcaster. It all started back in 2002, the last year that Gencon was in Milwaukee. I was wandering through the dealers’ hall when I came across this new miniatures company, Privateer Press. They were demonstrating this new game that they were coming out with, Warmachine. At that time all they had available for sale was a box of blue guys with guns and hammers, some white guys with flails, a robot with a spear and a guy in read armor with a big axe. I was just going to pick up the guy with the big axe, but they were running a deal. Buy a box set and when the rules come out, they would send you a copy of the rules. My thought at the time was “even if the rules are crappy, I got some cool figures to paint.”

Several months went by and finally a package arrived with my copy of the rules. It was then I found out who this big red guy I had picked up was. The Butcher of Khardov. He had the highest MAT in the game, able to kill anything in a single swing and angry, ever so angry. All he was missing was the ability to fly. Alas I did not spend much time with him during the Mark I years. I truly fell in love with Warjacks and played casters that could support them. After a while I started expanding my army focus. Trying new things, in an attempt to become a better player. I still came back to The Butcher every now and then when something had to die. Because that was what The Butcher did best.

Then Privateer Press announced a major change in rules, Mark II. During the playtest I made the choice to start another faction, so that I would not to be brought down buy how my figures use to be. I was going to limit myself to Elves for a time and then go back to my beloved Khador. Then two things happened when the final draft of the Mark II rules came out. First, jacks were so much better than before. It was no longer a “disadvantage” to put them on the field. Second, The Butcher gained Full Throttle.

This one new spell changed The Butcher from a guy that hits hard into someone that could make jacks awesome. And he could still kill anything that came within 10”. This for me was like taking a steak and wrapping it in bacon or getting chocolate cake ala mode. At that point I added The Butcher to my list of casters that I would only play in Mark II. To this date my Elves are still in boxes, waiting to be assembled and all I’ve been playing is The Butcher with a whole mess of jacks. And that makes me happy.

[dancater]

My favorite Warcaster

Captain Jeremiah Kraye
From the model perspective the figure simply looks awesome, unique, evocative and generally amazing. I fell in love with the miniature from the moment I saw it with its superb historical inspiration melded with the genre look creating a first class piece to lead an army.
From the gaming perspective he is a Warjack style caster which fits my vision of the primary focus of the Warmachine game. Additionally he is not an assassin and his spells and feats are a meld of enhancements valid for different situations meaning the Battlegroup he leads requires thought in order to maximize its utilization, he is not a blunt instrument to smash but a surgeons scalpel to wield. Additionally his Jack enhancements make him absolutely and completely individual unlike any other caster in any other force, his Warjacks play completely differently. Truly unique.
Finally I love my history and Kraye is more than just a fantasy figure on a games table. His figure clearly evokes the late 19th century US cavalry officer. More than this however the cavalry warrior, scout and rider is steeped in all military mythology and has been for 5000 years. From Mongol Horsemen to Armored Cavalry, from the glorious Light Brigade to Civil War raiders, from shining Knights to Napoleonic Hussars when I think warfare and battlefields the horseman is never far from my vision. The laconic scout providing the army its eyes, the hardbitten raider harrassing the enemies lines and supplies, the golden charger smashing the enemies lines with the steel shod charge, this is warfare since civilisations genesis.
Kraye from figure to rules to spells to feat superbly and completely encompasses all these things for me. He is without doubt the standout gaming figure for me not just in Warmachine but as a character in any Wargame I've played in the 25 years I have been involved in tabletop figures.

[redphantasm]

My favorite warcaster would have to be Kraye, Jerimiah Kraye that is. I love him for the feel that the model evokes. His fluff is a bit boring, but the model just has that look of neverending war wearynesss to it. No gallant charge, no snipers bullet, just endless mudslogging and battles. A soldiers warcaster.

[swsCHEN]

My favourite warcaster is Lieutenant Allister Caine because he is like an alternate-galactical but possibly parallel time-period version of Han Solo, and we all know how bad-*** he is. Difference is, if it were Allister Caine, there wouldn't be any doubt to who shot first...and second :cool:

[killionaire]

Commander Adept Sebatian Nemo.

For there is no task his arcane power cannot accomplish, with the crash of thunder and the power of magnetism. His powerful spells and trusty Arc-Nodes fry enemy troops by the half dozen with Chain Lightning. His allies are protected from enemy fire by Deflection over a wide area. His mighty Warjacks crackle with energy as they speed down the field under Locomotion, crushing targets with the power of Disruption Field and defending themselves from attacks through Electrify. Finally, Nemo can stop an enemy battlegroup cold with Voltaic Snare, magnetizing one poor victim and his nearest friends until they can be dealt with at his leisure. When caught up close, Nemo's lightning rod's arcantric generator blasts the enemy with the force of a cannon.

There isn't anything the old man can't do.

[Neomorte]

My favorite warcaster would have to be epic Butcher. The original Butcher was the model that got me to play Khador. A tragic story backs the utter brutality of the character and it was well translated into game rules. With the release of epic Butcher, the hostility and aggression of the character was expanded and refined into the pure emotional hate of a sponsored serial killer.

With the release of the newest edition of Warmachine, his transformation is complete with the release of his themed list. Doom Reavers are the only ones that feel comfortable around the mad man and he can find commonality with such nefarious creatures as Fenris makes any force he leads a death filled typhoon where only despair and hate can survive.

[Dougernaut]

I would have to say it's definitely Asheth Magnus for me. He has gotten beaten down more times in his life then can be counted, but always manages to survive on a diet of pure, unfiltered rage, sprinkled with the wreckage of his enemies. On the table he's full of tricks, while still being able to bring a simple combo of beaty-ness and survivability with his jacks. I love fielding warjacks, he accomodates that, and he does it while looking cooler than anyone. Dude is totally amazing.

[coyote_down]

I'd have to choose Captain Kara Sloan.

I've only played 1, count em 1 game of Warmachine, so I'm choosing her just because the model looks and sounds really cool, very steampunk-esq. One of the guys at our local hobby store brought in a bunch of different armies and talked me into a battlebox game since there wasn't any 40K going around. I have to say I really like the system and would love to get in on it.

[wickednerd]

I am gonna say Allister Caine both versions, when I saw my first game of warmachine there he was Lieutenant Allister Caine just absolutly lone wolfing himself all over the board killin some dudes. I bought Prime Remix that day and dug him even more fluff wise; problems with authority, drunken disorderly, spending quality time with noble ladies, and generally being a pain in the backside. But what spoke to me was no matter how destructive his behavior he is so good at getting the job done he is still a warcaster for the Swan.

[Fiery-Gecko]

I am new back to WM with MKII after playing it for about 45 minutes in MKI a few years ago.

I'm still waiting on the force book to delve really deeply into the story behind each of the protectorate casters but purely on rules and models I would probably have to go with Feora, Priestess of the Flame. What isn't there to like about this girl? She likes to get in there and mix it up with the big boys beating them in the face and setting the world oh fire! Burn baby, burn!

The only catch is she may yet be usurped by The Harbinger, if the tier sneak peek is anything to go by I may be changing camps soon. But for now, at least until I get hands on time with the new Force Book, I still have to say Feora!

[Onii]

I've played Khador ever since my gaming group first picked up the battle boxes, and the first miniature I picked up after that was the Butcher of Khardov. His backstory grabbed me when I first read it, and since then he's just gotten more and more awesome. I love that nobody knows for sure where he came from, or what happened to turn him into the crazy man he is today, but I find it fascinating that he has so much rage and destructive power inside him. That the Empress uses him as a threat to her enemies in the court and like a rabid dog in the field of battle makes him even scarier.

On the battlefield, I like him because he has power, and lots of it. He's like a mini-warjack, and can take a lot of punishment before he goes down. If I can get him to your warcaster, you lose. If I can get him to your warjack, you will have a pile of scrap metal. My opponents find him intimidating, and that works in my favor. He has weaknesses, but the sheer power of the Butcher is what scares my opponent, and the fact that he can and will take apart anything that gets into melee with him is an awesome psychological weapon.

[Mentat_Canis]

I am big fan of Feora Priestess of the Flame because well nothing is better then lighting everything on fire and then getting your own hands dirty for the caster kill.

[digitalbias]

Servath Reznik is my favorite because there is nothing better than putting infidels on the Wrack.

[AluminumFalcon]

This response is probably going to be a little long, so I apologize in advance.

I've been mulling my response to this question over since the contest was announced, but it took me a long while to narrow my answer down to just one warcaster. When deciding to dive head first into the game and the world that Privateer Press created, I took a long look at every warcaster from every faction, and there isn't a one that isn't appealing in at least some way, shape, or form. I didn't think my entry would be valid if I responded with a simple,"they are all cool," so I finally decided on Major Victoria Haley (eHaley) as my absolute favorite caster. Warmachine is an awesome, nay, freaking awesome game for many reasons, and, in my humble opinion, Major Haley is the embodiment of all of them.

First of all, there is the tabletop. A model is only worth its pewter if its rules give you the desire to play it. Major Haley doesn't just give you the desire to put her down on the tabletop as your warcaster, she makes you bring paper towels so you can wipe the drool from your card covers after reading about all of her insane abilities. She is that good on the tabletop. You want to support jacks? Do it. You want to support soldiers? Do it. You want to sling spells across the tabletop like Harry Potter on steroids? Do it. Heck, if the circumstances are right, you can even throw around your opponent's spells. The look on an opponent's face when you finish him or her off with one of their own spells is a joy that ever Cygnar player should get to experience. What more can you ask for in a warcaster?

Second of all, the model is gorgeous. I have yet to paint her because I know that I will not be at all happy with the paint job that my novice miniature painting skills produce. I can't hope to show off the fine details in her now mechanical arm or the shadows produced by her cloak. I'm saving her for when my painting has improved because I want to make sure I do the model justice. Of course, that means there is a chance that she will forever rest in black primer.

Finally, there is my favorite part of this game, and that is the character and the story. These are why I play this game. The models are cool, and the rules are fun, but it is the fluff that finally pushed me over the edge of trepidation. This is the area where I feel that Major Haley delivers in abundance. First, there is Haley: A WARMACHINE Story. If you haven't read it, stop reading my post and head here (http://privateerpress.com/iron-kingdoms/fiction/haley-a-warmachine-story) now (unless of course you are judging this competition ;) )! It establishes the feud between Haley and Deneghra that defines both characters, and it really gives you an insight into what makes the character of Haley tick. In my opinion, this story gives her and Deneghra more character than any other warcaster in the game. I just wish I could find copies of all of the fluff, so I could read about the conflict that results in Haley losing her arm. If you're like me, the fluff hooks you into the game. If you're like me, Haley has enough character to make you an addict.

Well, I think I've rambled on enough here. If you think I am just a wee bit too into this game, you are probably right, but I have my favorite warcaster to blame.

[samuelstockton]

My favorite is Kommander Strakhov because he is the Bruce Willis of Immoren. The story in the Khador book with the trenchers proves my point. He is fast, strong and can bring the pain like no one else.

[Shibori]

Since I don't have much experience in the different models, gameplay-wise (I've only been able to get one demo game a while back) I'm going purely on appearances. ^^;;

My choice is Ravyn, Eternal Light from Retribution of Scryah.

First of all, her weapon is just plain awesome. I love the colouring and the style of it.

Her armour, much like her weapon, just screams cool to me. It also looks very similar to the armour an RPG character of mine wore way back when, so it brings back fond memories. ^_^

The blurb on the Privateer site draws my interest as well, very interesting sounding character.

Finally, I just really like elves. ^^;;

[Entropy]

My favorite caster is Epic Sorscha. I played her for multiple Hardcores in MK1 and always raised eyebrows because she was so rarely seen. She was not the easy button of prime Sorscha or Epic Vlad and I had a great time supporting the underdog. I love the tweaks she got in MK2 and how much fun winter guard are with her.

[menothschoir]

There's a lot of things to like about Feora. She has 2 flame throwers that will ruin
any unit, solo or casters day. She has an amazing feat which sets all enemies ablaze.
And when using Engine of Destruction paired with Truth & Consequence, it is a known
fact that you do NOT want to be within 11.5" of her. (At this point if you're sitting
there wondering '"why?" I'd be more than happy to show you in a game.)

Who doesn't love a good burning? Come feat turn, she says the magic words "burn baby
burn" and everyone around her goes up in flames. Now, while fire may not be the most
powerful attack out there and sure it goes out after a while and may not box all
those high armor models. We all know for sure that you've definitely got some 3rd
degree burns going on. So don't try and fool her by saying "hah, the flames went out,
I'm still alive." She knows you're in pain and your strength is crumbling at the
core. And if not, she'll get you good next turn.

So just so we're clear. One of two female Protectorate of Menoth casters, loves fire,
engine of destruction, loves fire, insta-fire feat, loves fire, 2 melee weapons,
loves fire, and on top of all that, she has 2 spray attacks. The best thing your
enemies can do when facing Feora is to run around in full nomex fire suits along with
their own personal water boy to douse the flames.

[jdelrio22]

My favorite warcaster is Allicaster Caine.

I always think about The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Caine is the good, and when he sets foot on the board, my games often times end with "And then he got LoS". My opponents view Caine as "The Ugly" because if he isn't getting into trouble with his own faction, he is making trouble with theirs.

[orkus dorkus]

Amon Ad-Raza. No armor, no troops, just a boat-load o' 'jacks and a HUGE ball on a chain.

[WigoJ]

Of all the warcasters in love there is one who stands out a little bit extra, that man is a wrack-making, 12" charging maniac why can just as easily wreck a Khadoran Juggernaut as he could wreck a wrack.

Not only is he a warcaster but the High Executioner of the protectorate, but does pesky borders stop him? Meh he needs to kill that dude somewhere over there so he just hops on the next train to there (I assume he does this because frankly, that would be hilarious)

Something that really puts a smile my face is when he is wracking the enemy caster. Seriously, can there be anything more impressive han seeing on the tabletop the butcher put on a wrack to later support you with focus, I dare say no.

[Splinter]

My favorite warcaster is Kommander Strakhov. When I first started playing WARMACHINE about a month ago, I was really torn between choosing Cygnar and Khador. While I was trying to choose, I was looking through my friends older WARMACHINE books. After awhile, I started really liking the warcasters of Cygnar, but didn't really like any of their 'jacks, however, I loved the Khador 'jacks, especially the Kodiak, but there really wasn't a warcaster that stood out to me. After awhile I decided to check out the Privateer Press Website to look at the warscasters that I was trying to choose between and found one that wasn't in any of the older books I was reading. So i looked him up and found out about Kommander Strakhov. Not only was his model one of the coolest in the game, but his rules made him an excellent warcaster for the type of player I am trying to become.

After finding Strakhov, I was sold on Khador. He was one of two additional models I bought with my battle box, and so far is my favorite warcaster to put on the table.

[fire4effekt]

My favorite Warcaster?


Alistair "F-in" Caine baby! Hes the Iron kingdoms Han Solo. He smooth(he gets the ladies) hes cool(hes got two(TWO) spellstorm pistols) and he challenges athority(no need to reference). HEs Han solo and James bond rolled into one blue armored package working for people we could only dream about, but if we did then freddy kreuger would have to kill us because we know so much. Yeah, hes kinda like that.



Thunderstruck!

[Grønlykke]

Karchev. The man in the machine - it says it all. I like the whole fluff around the big K and I like him being a big badass, but playing the assassin game.

Grønlykke.

[azaminkor]

Goreshade is my favorite caster. He is a man (man?, I guess that's right) on a plan, a plan to KILL a GOD. Come on, he almost did it too if it weren't for those meddling kids. Goreshade doesn't take sh*t from anyone, he does what he wants. And if you get in his way I am sure there will be a number of banes there to stop you. Oh wait you didn't see those there a second ago. Not to mention "He stands ready to unmake Caen if he must."

Oh and rolls with his own ladies.

[Robinson29]

The Butcher of Khardov

He is a bad mammy jammy!
and one hell of a great sculpt....

[Commander Y]

Kommandant Gurvaldt Irusk.

In a war game, how can you not love the man who literally wrote the book on warfare? Even his enemies have read it, and respect him.

But really, he's my favorite warcaster because he is the first one I ever played, in my very first game of Warmachine, at GenCon about 3 years ago. And that's where I learned that Warmachine is simply the best damn tabletop miniatures game out there.

In that game, through the casting of Superiority, he allowed one Kodiak to pick up another Kodiak, and chuck it into a mass of Magnus's Long Gunners. The thrown and Superiority-d Kodiak then went to town on the ones he didn't squish coming in. And that cinematic moment made me fall in love with the game.

So - thanks, Gurvaldt. I appreciate it.

[RTGamer]

My Favourite is Oleg Strakhov. I know he is new on the block so to speak but his back story is pretty solid. He plays just how I want to play Warmachine. Hard and fast. Seriously I used to play the butcher but then when Strakhov came out I switched and never looked back. He Ducks around the battlefield exactly how I picture him in the background and his desperate all or nothing feat is great. With a great feat comes great risk gives my feat turn more excitement than anything else!

My regular opponent of Menoth is hating his fire resistance and his ability to make my Juggernaught move a hellava lot quicker than he used to.

Don't get me started in his tiered list as it is awesome!

[Bonchampignon]

Deneghra is by far my favorite warcaster. She is the definition of a Cryxian with her debuffs and glass-hammer playstyle.

[BloodySen]

When I started playing Warmachine a few months ago, I was drawn to the Protectorate because of the paint scheme. I immediately decided that Feora, Priestess of the Flame was my favorite warcaster after looking at the 2009 version of the model. Pose-wise, she's amazing. Nothing says, "I am zealous and will burn you to the ground, " like that stance.

In game, her rules reflect her personality perfectly. She burns her enemies as she advances, then fills herself with righteous fury (engine of destruction) before tearing her opponents to pieces.

Great miniature, great rules. What more can you ask for?

[MyD10GoTo11]

Ravyn, Eternal Light. That name could not be more perfect for my favorite warcaster.

Every time I place her on the battlefield, I hope for victory and a successful future. Her feat allows me to play exactly to my style of stand back and shoot. She strengthens my army tenfold.

I also love having her as the backbone of my army because she enhances my desire to take multiples of my favorite warjack, the Phoenix.

How could any model be as perfect? The answer is they cannot. It took years of training with the fane and a weapon like Hellebore for Ravyn to reach so close a standard of perfection.

[Krysus]

My favorite warcaster is definitely Durgen Madhammer.

Just imagine the sheer amount of sulfur in the air as you see this short midget on top of a hill, raining down death and laughing maniacally. The battlefield morphs into what looks like an artillery test site with bodies strewn all over the place, regardless of which side they are on.

Normally, I am not one for gun-line lists, but there is definitely something fun about the raw amount of devastation you can deliver in a single turn with his feat. He plays very uniquely when compared to any other shooting list. With an extremely versatile amount of devastation he can deliver with his gun, you always feel you have the right tool for any occasion.

[magi]

There are so many great warcasters, but I would have to say my favorite is Dawnlord Vyros of the Retribution of Scyrah. Well, not of exactly of the Retribution… more like using the Retribution. His ambition and duplicity are what I appreciate most about his character. He gives the outward appearance of being a loyal and upright commander that embodies the ideals of the Dawnguard, but secretly his work with the Retribution is only to fuel his ambition to become Narcissar of a stronger, greater Ios. I find this very compelling, and it makes me anxious to find out where his tale goes from here. His love of falconry and his desire to finish what he started when he battled Ghyrrshyld are also quite intriguing.
In the game itself, his ability to hit extremely hard and accurately are useful game-ending qualities. In addition, his ability to support both jacks and infantry equally as well, with a feat that allows his jacks to use the hitting power of the infantry under his command to reap massive destruction on enemy lines. He works extremely well with the Griffon light myrmidon, a great little jack with amazing speed that he can make go even faster, through most terrain without penalty. He also has great synergy with the Phoenix heavy myrmidon, using its arc node to extend his assassination range through liberal application of Eliminator and tearing things up with the Phoenix’s sword on his feat turn. Mobility just adds to this threat potential.
All in all Vyros is a singularly powerful Iosan warlord with ambition to match. Gotta have the cojones to go with that massive ego!

[PG.Geist]

As a long time warmachine player I would have to go with Goreshade is one of my favorite casters.

Goreshade has a wonderful amount of backstory and history behind him much of which only recently became more common knowledge with the release of the Force of warmachine: Retirbution book. While he is now an eldritch working in service for Lord toruk hes sitcking his fingers in everyone elses pie, and working the field to help save the elves of Ios in his own twisted ways.

In Game goreshade is also a monster in his regular form and in his epic form he has wonderful board control.

-Geist

[Calsipher]

The Harbinger of Menoth
she is really charismatics and I love the spell Cataclysm.
I have started playing WM when i saw her model on coolminiornot!

[fiddybucks]

my Favorite caster is Lich Lord Terminus, I love the look on my opponents face when i make way more tough rolls than I should :D

[ButcherOfCharlotte]

I have to go with the Butcher of Khardov. I run a 'jack heavy list and he augments them beautifully. The troops I do run are all Pikemen he can make them very difficult to kill when you combine IronFlesh and the Shield Wall.

[Mateldar]

If you Ask me wich one of the casters is the one I like the most...

MMM...

;)

I woud say That Dawnguard Vyros is the one.
He is the caster that made me take the desition to play warmachine, and after reading and reading and playing with him, I took the conection within my iner elf and Vyros..
The fact that he`s not only a caster but a dawn guard leader to, was something that enlightened me in a way that I could not resist, Each time I took him to battle I feel this special conection that cheers me to anihilate my oponent in the name of Scyrah.
The model is one of the nicest models I ever seen, the pose with the falcon over his arm and the way he keeps his sword is magnificent.
I know that in rules he is not the best caster, neither of the iosians or the others factions, but for me, he is the one, I know that he woud not disapoint me so, I coud not disapoint him leaving him in the case, so I chose him almost all the time.

So, the answer to wich caster I prefer?

Well Vyros always!!

:D

[SableWolf]

My favorite caster is Skarre because of her ability to make every single one of your warjacks into a beast. Her ex-post-facto boost ability as well as extra jack movement (not to mention a game changing feat) just make her into a tacticians dream come true.

[JustinKase]

Hard not to pick Magnus as my favorite. Saw him when he was first released at Gen Con and picked him up - even before I actually started to play the game;)

There was somehting about the model that just looked like he had a story to tell, and I wasn't disappointed.

I've enjoyed watching Magnus become the poster boy for 'the Merc Faction' (before all these upstart privateers started to show up), even as his beloved Cygnar became enamored by his nemesis, the pandering sycophant Stryker.

Magnus' story has been epic in its own right (oh, and did I forget to mention he is the only Merc Warcaster to go Epic?), stretching through both the Warmachine and Hordes gaming systems. I've actually purchased all the Hordes books, just because I wanted to be able to continue to read his tale (well, that and maybe thoughts of fielding a Skorne force beside him), and discovered new depths to a character that I thought I had known so well.

Magnus is a complex man, who is th master of intrigue and manipulation, his one driving goal is to see his country in a position of strength again (and maybe see Stryker take a fall).

You may call him Magnus, the Traitor, but I call him Magnus, Loyal Son of Cygnar.

[James Harrison]

Ravyn
Eternal Light

All seemed lost, darkness and foes were everywhere. They would overwhelm us at any moment. Death had come. There was no hope… And then hope came.
A light in the darkness. A lone figure sweeping through ethereal mist. A swirl of destruction, death in her wake.
Ravyn, eternal light.
The graceful arc of her blade swept up, over and round, slicing, thrusting, piercing, while from its end golden energy burst, illuminating her still features, leaving none standing. Radiant light streaked out from her hand and was mirrored in her eyes, blossoming crimson amid more distant enemies.
She briefly spoke, words of devotion and duty, and as she did faith welled up in us. A steely determination gripped us; we fought for our race, for our redemption, for our goddess, and we would not fail. We knew now we would prevail.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Why does my mind’s eye see eternal light shining brighter than all else? You tell me.


http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac7/JamesArthurHarrison/Warmachine%20-%20Retribution%20of%20Scyrah/Phoenix_Nebula_Small.jpg http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac7/JamesArthurHarrison/Warmachine%20-%20Retribution%20of%20Scyrah/ravyn.jpg

[ArmoryDave]

My favorite warcaster, without hesitation, is General Adept Sebastian Nemo. I started playing Warmachine specifically because of warjacks, and nobody can out-warjack Nemo.

Character wise, Nemo is embodiment of a patriot for Cygnar, tirelessly fighting for his country no matter the odds, the situation, and even in defeat, as in his rearguard defense retreating from Northguard.

On the tabletop, General Nemo commands his warjacks to do great things, enabling them better strength in combat, protective abilities, and keeping them running longer than any other warcaster could. The General also has a few useful abilities to tie up enemy warjacks and help his troops get the charge on the enemy.

All around, General Adept Nemo is an amazingly deep and fun warcaster to use. Nobody runs a large battlegroup nearly like he does, and that is why he is my favorite.

[Wolfshirt1982]

My favorite warcaster is probably Denegrah. She epitomizes the Cryx ethos of playing dirty and hyper mobility. Most of her spells are powerful debuffs that render her foes unable to do many thing as well as being very weakened. Also the fact that she can pretty much dance about the battle field is appealing to me too.

[ApocalypseRAT]

My Favorite Warcaster would have to be Magnus and here's why.

If someone asked me why I started to play Warmachine my answer would be because of the Mangler. Now of course I know this is supposed to be about my Favorite warcaster but that's my answer. I wanted to play with the Mangler. Of course at the time I didn't know that you could only use it with Magnus in MKI but I didn't mind. For once I played with this mad genius, I was hooked. His story is compelling and he is someone I really could Identify with. Magnus' stats are more solid then ever and his creativity and perseverance is something that anyone can admire.

Magnus was a loyal and favored subject of the Elder Raelthorne, Vinter. Until Leto, the Younger Raelthorne, threw a coup over Vinter. After succeeding in the halt of a khador invasion because of Magnus' efforts, Magnus gets demoted and thrown into the brig. 'Why?' you may ask, because one Coleman Stryker reported so called tortures on Khadorians by Magnus. He then had to serve under Stryker, who after casting an earthquake to stop a Crusader, falls on Magnus destroying his arm and crippling his leg. The line "Clinging to life only through sheer Hatred" sums up his stay at the Infirmary pretty well. I am in total agreement in what happens next. He rides back to the front line and joins Stryker in battle only to thrust a blade deep into the dog's back.

As Stryker spurts blood, he goes in for the kill only to realize he is outnumbered and has to flee. He has connections with not only Vinter loyalists in Cygnar, but with sects from Skorne and indebted Mercenaries that would follow Magnus into Ur-Caen itself. He then builds the warjacks Renegade and Mangler from other kingdoms' junk and his own ingenuity. He also does the impossible, constructs an arcnode from scrap. Sometime later in his run in with Allister Cain, Magnus convinces Cain to throw down his Magelock pistols. He has his hand in so many parts of the story, not to mention his own reasons for doing what he does, that I could go on for hours. So to sum it up, Magnus is a man with many secrets that I can relate to. So here's to Magnus!

The introduction of MKII makes Magnus a more solid warcaster. He has an arsenal of tactics and weapons he can bear in battle to win the day. There is nothing as formidable as the Renegade, a devastating weapon in melee and ranged warfare. The Renegade can deliver the pain across the table with the Obliterator Rocket, a massive shrapnel missile designed for one purpose, to cause a mass explosion sending enemies flying to the ground. It also has an arcnode that Magnus built himself which channels his spells farther.

A good tactic I like to use is to arc Arcantrik Bolt through the Renegade and then charge with it. Snipe on the Obliterator will always catch your opponent off guard and Temper Metal give this light jack armor like the Khadorian Jacks ARM 20! His other creation, the Mangler is a power house in itself. Upkeep Iron Aggression for a lot of power attack options or Thresher to clear out that pesky infantry. An 8 inch spray ranged attack is nothing to scoff at, Foecleaver and Foecleaver X bring powerful attacks to the table and make your focus go further, resourceful makes upkeeping spells on his battle group and focus management a breeze. Both Magnus' feats control the board, with his tier ability to use trenchers or long gunners with their UAs he has even more options to bring the hurt.

As for the physical model itself, Mike McVey did a wonderful job. How he sculpted all of Magnus' hatred for Stryker and his battered story into Magnus is beyond me. He did an awesome job with all of the models. I personally love converting things and for me that ties in perfectly with Magnus because Magnus created his own unique warjacks. I felt that McVey captured this perfectly in his sculpts.

A madman who will stop at nothing to complete his agenda. Magnus. I love Magnus so much I keep his card and his battle group cards in my wallet. If that doesn't prove he is my favorite warcaster. I don't know what does!


-ApocalypseRAT

[Zorz Muaddieb]

Drago (or a vanilla Bers) and Vlad for Khador... dice dice and more dice hitting hard and fast. :)

Caine and a Defender.... much Dakka in Warmachine. :)

-Z

[Guinny]

My favourite warcaster? Well, technically there's three of them: The Witch Coven of Garlghast. They're brilliant models (and really, who doesn't like a weird floaty ball of death?) with buckets of focus and great spells, and seeing your opponent's face as you measure out a 36" control range to your Stalker never gets old!

[momogogi]

Captain Allister Caine is by far my favorite warcaster. Who better embodies the awesome world metal, magic, gears, and gore better than Cygnar's own Epic Warcaster/Gunmage? When you play as Caine you feel like a true master of the Spellstorm Pistol. His enemies can't hide from his aim, he can shoot enemies resistant to magic spells ,he teleports, and he can pump you full of so many rune bullets you explode. Not to mention he is his own master, but still maintains his loyalty to his kingdom. The essence of Warmachine is the bond between the characters and the Jack's they make war with, the gunmage takes this further as he is also shares a spiritual connection to his weapon. Allister is a master of both...not only can he control the massive engines of war known as Warjacks, he himself is also a dealer of death...and lead.

[flekkzo]

My favorite caster is either version of Victoria Haley. She's a good caster to play but what really sells her are the sculpts. I play her and I like it:)

[zhandao]

Damn, hard to pick. Since I'm going Cygnar, I think Haley is probably the less "boring" of their warcasters.