The Battle Distance Shuffle

[Cowzrnomatoh]

So I've only played a couple games, and so I know the only real way to judge distance is by using the control area measurement. But I always find myself in a difficult spot around knowing where 10-14inches is at.

So Im here to ask, do you usually have a little shuffle with your enemy so that your not forced to come into there charge/control area on your turn? I know thats the ideal objective is to softness and lauch an attack once their mostly in your range. Or like, how often are you forced to make the first advance into enemy territory, What should a Ret player be looking for in order to lauch our awesome charge.

[Ghyrrshyld]

I like to soften them up with our stealthed ranged units/solos first, so that there is little chance for retaliation. Then, once they have been softened up enough, I send in my heavy hitters.

[hausdorff space]

So Im here to ask, do you usually have a little shuffle with your enemy so that your not forced to come into there charge/control area on your turn?Not often.
I usually ensure I am well out of the charge range of certain key enemy models, but try to bait the rest of his army.

If he attacks the models I am letting him attack, it's all good by me; and if he's running away, it's all good by me too.

...If he's somehow attacking models I didn't want him to attack, I've made a serious error somewhere.

[Cowzrnomatoh]

Ah, Just what I was looking for!
Okay, So I get hvy are heavy and lights are light and sentinals are tough.
What models are you 'letting' get hit? Which unit do you use for bait?
Im too concerned with letting my heavies get hit, Im afraid they'll just fall to pieces!
lol

Like, I get what models and units do, I just dont have anything to compare it too. Like in battle how useful is it, which i guess I'll learn sooner or later by playing more often, I just dont know how tough something is compared to something else, and I dont want to lose because I didnt know that.
I'm kinda a sore loser :P

[hausdorff space]

Ah, Just what I was looking for!
Okay, So I get hvy are heavy and lights are light and sentinals are tough.
What models are you 'letting' get hit? Which unit do you use for bait? This is highly dependant on yours and the enemies force.

Like, I get what models and units do, I just dont have anything to compare it too. Like in battle how useful is it, which i guess I'll learn sooner or later by playing more often, I just dont know how tough something is compared to something else, and I dont want to lose because I didnt know that.
I'm kinda a sore loser :PYou can always read your opponents cards, to understand what you are up against.
But IMO the best way to get a feeling for tactics within the game is to play plenty of low point (Bbox or 15pt) games, and try things... throw the game away on a chance, just to see what works and what doesn't.

[Cowzrnomatoh]

Ah, Okay. And Is there any way to get a deck box for Ret? Or just buy all the models?

[Loveless]

Ah, Okay. And Is there any way to get a deck box for Ret? Or just buy all the models?

The Forces book has everything currently available for Retribution, outside of a handful of Mercenaries (Aiyana & Holt, Cylena, Lanyssa, Corbeau, Dahlia).

There's no deck for the Retribution as it has no use - there were no Mk. I cards, so there's nothing to replace. Similarly, you won't be low on any cards as you'll get the appropriate count in each box.

Come to think of it, you'll actually get more cards than you need, as you'll get a unit card for every unit box you buy (you really only need 1 card for single-wound infantry, regardless of the FA of the unit).

[Cowzrnomatoh]

Ah, Dragons lair is lame and doesnt have the force book. And I dont think the gameshop has it either.

S.J. said theyre going to order a bunch of Ret soon. Dont know when yet.
Iron Nerd has been beating me up with eFeiroa while Im playing Cygnar. I keep missing calculating distance. and I dont really know what Im doing with cygnar.

[Loveless]

If they're slow on getting the book in, I'd suggest heading to Dungeon Trader or The War Store and just ordering it from one of them. Otherwise I'm sure someone at one of the shops has a copy you can look at.

[Mazinger]

Ah, Dragons lair is lame and doesnt have the force book. And I dont think the gameshop has it either.

S.J. said theyre going to order a bunch of Ret soon. Dont know when yet.
Iron Nerd has been beating me up with eFeiroa while Im playing Cygnar. I keep missing calculating distance. and I dont really know what Im doing with cygnar.

Retribution won't fix that. Those are basic skills of playing a table top game and you need to learn them no matter the faction you play (Cygnar may even be easier as they tend to be more forgiving as they have so much range and ways to make your stuff harder to kill). You just need to develope your range guessing skills.

As for what you sacrifice and what you don't it depends on the game. Some times you have to pin a unit down so you run up to it and take the first punch in the face, other times it's the opposite and you need to be ready to counter charge or minimize the damage done. This is where the game is it's most difficult, because you have to value each unit and each enemy unit to try and make sure you are only "trading" your lower value stuff for their higher value stuff.

Lets take a Mage hunter assassin, she has the ability to commonly put 15 or so damage on a light Warjack, but she can also just outright rape an enemy 'caster. You need to judge when taking a light jack out of the game is worth trading her. Say against an arc node warjack, that 15 damage maybe what you need to disable the 'node and forcing your opponent to bring their 'caster more forward. You trade the MHA for better board position.

The thing is in Warmachine everything is destructive and very little can take a hit to the face. The game is designed so hitting first and hitting hard always beats defending (Some feats like Styrkers reverse this for 1 round though). You have to put yourself in a position to do that while not losing anything you need for later in the game, but your opponent is also doing the same thing. The mentality of "all my models are valueable" is something you have to discard quickly while playing WM, because you WILL lose models, but you have make sure you're losing them on your terms not your opponents (controling the battle). If you lose 90% of your army but it allows you an assassination, then you made a trade in your favour.

I don't think you need to rush out and buy a new army, I think you need to get to grips with the game. Retribution and Cygnar play quite similar in style and if anything Cygnar is easier to use (Arcane shield, better feats and more basic warjacks), so jumping into Retribution because you don't get Cygnar is just going to put you out of pocket and having gained nothing.

[Cowzrnomatoh]

I was merely playing Cygnar to learn the game, My friend had 2 armies so I played the other army which happened to be Cygnar, Im used to guessing distances from Warhammer, it just this is on a much smaller scale. Ret is the force I like and the one that fits my playing style. I was also merely explaining to my friend loveless Omaha's(the city) lack of caring about WM and Ret.

I know what my units do in Ret, but I didnt really have the time to just spend time and study Cygnar right off the bat 5 mins before a game.

But your other information was useful about the trade off and control the field.

Its like learning Chemistry, when all youve ever known was Physics.

I'll try out some 15 pts mangled metal games with IronNerd, he's been too eager to play 25 pts so he can get his menoth support in there.

[hausdorff space]

Its like learning Chemistry, when all youve ever known was Physics.... why would you ever want to learn chemistry, when you already know physics? :p

[Loveless]

... why would you ever want to learn chemistry, when you already know physics? :p

Most of my friends seem more intent on studying biology.

/bad joke

[Auroth]

Most of my friends seem more intent on studying biology.

/bad joke

So they're more into playing Hordes?

/Really bad joke