Warmachine and Hordes, The Setting

What makes a wargame is not just having a good set of rules and interesting miniatures, but having an interesting and flavourful background to play in. 40K is a prime example, the rules may not be as good as some, but the setting makes up for much of its flaws.

Warmachine and Hordes has an awesome setting, combining classic fantasy with steam punk elements and black powder firearms, to create a world that is unique and full of variation that makes it a joy to play in.

Set on the world of Caen, upon the continent of Immoren, Warmachine focus's on the conflict between the 5 major powers, the kingdoms of Cygnar and Khador, the Protectorate of Menoth, Cryx and The Retribution of Scyrah.


Cygnar
The most technologically advanced human faction, Cygnar could also be called the most benevolent, but only in comparison to its enemies. Its knowledge of firearms is unsurpassed, but their most powerful asset is their powerful electrical arcane knowledge which can fry an enemy from a distance. Their army centre around a strong ranged force with most of their units having a ranged attack of some sort, including the cavalry. Unlike some ranged focused armies, they do maintain some excellent melee units, as well as strong support spells to turn middle of the road units into some of the strongest in the game.


Khador

Striding through the chaos of battle, Khador warjacks are feared, not just for their strength in combat, but for the amount of damage they can shrug off. Mounting the highest armour values of any faction, and most damage boxes, a Khador warjack makes up for its lack of speed by guaranteeing that it will take a concerted effort to take it out. Khador's warcasters can usually be found on the front lines, supported by the elite Demo Core troops, steam power armour the size of a light warjack. Excelling in close combat, Khador's troops are specialists so expect to be outnumbered.


Protectorate of Menoth
A fanatical theocracy, the Protectorate of Menoth is waging a holy war to convert the world to the worship of Menoth, by fire and by sword. Lacking much of the magical power the other factions command, they make up for it in divine power, and fanatical troops that are willing to die for the cause. Many of their units use fire as a weapon, and the death of allies will only go to power their drive. Menoth armies depend on synergy with the other units in the force to win in battle. Individual units will not match other factions, but when combined with some very powerful supporting units, they can outshine all.

Cryx
Lead by the Dragon God Toruk, Cryx is a blighted land of the undead. The necrotech forges produce no end of expendable undead infantry, augmented with fiendish steam powered devices. Cryx bone jacks are a feared sight as they allow for spells to be cast through them, expanding the range of the warcaster with them. Fast, but fragile, they depend on dirty tricks to line up the perfect kill shot. Each of the warcasters have their own playing styles, meaning that every Cryx army feels different.

Retribution of Scyrah
A new comer to the on going war, the Retribution are the militant arm of Ios, the elven kingdom. Masters of arcanotech, their goal is the destruction of human sorcerers, who they view as the cause of their race's decline. Their myrmidon warjacks feature advanced armour and weaponry, and their infantry are powerfully armed. Retribution is the toolkit army, with a wide variety of options when it comes to play style and units.



With the introduction of Hordes, 4 more factions became available, Skorne, Trollbloods, Legion of Everblight and Circle of Orboros.


Circle of Orboros
The most mobile of all the forces, Circle is an alliance of druids who call upon stone constructs and savage woodland beasts to wage war. Mobility is a key factor of the army as most of the units don't hit massively hard, nor can they take a lot of damage. Circle tactics rely on setting traps, and should you fall into one, they can take you apart. Good unit synergy, a mix of ranged and melee units and a few powerhouse units.

Skorne
Slow moving, but implacable, Skorne are a race who live out to the East of Immoren over the deadly Bloodstone Marches. They carve out an existence enslaving the local beasts to serve them, using pain and torture to pacify even the mightiest creature. Their armies feature powerful warbeasts, melee focused units and armour values that almost rival Khador. Even in death they continue to fight as the souls go on to power obsidian constructs.

Legion of Everblight
The Legion are made up of elves, corrupted by the dragon Everblight to serve his purposes. Alongside spawned creatures that will terrify your average infantryman, they are a mobile army that depends on ranged attacks to whittle the opposition down to size. They lack significant defense stats, instead depending on their ability to see through concealment and their own stealth abilities. Once they do strike, they do with overwhelming force, hoping to destroy the enemy before they can retaliate.


Trollbloods
The troll communities have banded together to try and save their territory and their people. Trollblood armies are made up of tough trollkin warriors, supported by their more bestial cousins the trolls and dire trolls. All share a great strength and amazing regenerative abilities. They also have access to a wide range of buffs, emphasising their community feel. Most of the models in the army are on medium or large bases, and don't expect to get many for your points. 




As well as these factions, there are a number of mercenary or minion factions you could play, including the fun pirate themed faction.


Another long post, and I'll be honest I've only really scratched the surface of the setting. For a more in depth description of the setting, I suggest checking out Privateer Press' website where they go into much more detail. Even better, the rule book, and the faction books give a great overview of the setting. There is also a number of RPG books that are available as PDFs from DrivethruRPG. 


Right, in my next post, I'll be looking at the types of units you can field in an army, as well as finally explaining the difference between Warmachine and Hordes.