Warmachine Primer: How to learn your caster

[rustyguns]

Hey folks, my buddy and I are working on a website that does game reviews and articles of all kinds. I wrote up a Warmachine Primer (The Hordes one will come later) for any new players who've just picked up their battlebox. Check it out, show your friends, and leave a comment or two!

Warmachine Primer, Pt. 1
http://outofcredits.com/miniaturewar...machineprimer/

Warmachine Primer, Pt. 2
http://outofcredits.com/miniaturewar...e-primer-pt-2/

[Bonesaw]

I like it and would recommend it to new players. The more sites on the web that are devoted to W/H is a plus for us as players and PP. Keep up the good work.

[VanDahl]

I'm a new warmachiner and found these articles very uselful. Looking forward for nice article about Cygnar

+1 for the site.

[rham7649]

Great write ups, these will help a lot of new people wrap their heads around the game a little quicker. Can't wait to see more.

[rustyguns]

Hey folks, thanks for all the feedback! We're currently working on getting some battle reports up, and the Faction Battlebox Primers are coming very shortly. Also, let me know what else you'd like to see on the site. Thanks again!

[Sand20go]

My only quibble (how about THIS to start a debate) is the idea of using caster control measurement to "cannily" check the other distances. That is one of my great pet peeves. I think it is at least 90 degrees off from Page 5. Playing like you've got a pair has an analogy to golf - you might be able to "get away" with something but the idea of sportsmanship is that you don't. The game says no pre-measurement except for checking for control. Live by that.

[Sand20go]

My only quibble (how about THIS to start a debate) is the idea of using caster control measurement to "cannily" check the other distances. That is one of my great pet peeves. I think it is at least 90 degrees off from Page 5. Playing like you've got a pair has an analogy to golf - you might be able to "get away" with something but the idea of sportsmanship is that you don't. The game says no pre-measurement except for checking for control. Live by that.

And just to be precise, let me cite an example. You have your caster. He has a Control range of 12 inches. You have a Heavy 2" ahead that with a speed of 5 inches and get that 3 inch charge. The enemy model (if you were measureing) is 11 inches away. You don't have reach.

Now yes, you can USE your command range check to sit there over these three models staring intently from 180 degrees above as you beathlessly measure to the little pebble in back of the enemy unit while you do the math in your head to find you are 1/2 of an inch short. But that flies in the face of the spirit of the rule.

Having played a Cryx player that did that constantly (and to great advantage) I can not tell you how irritating it is. Indeed, I watched him use P.'s theorem on a calculator after measuring off to figure out charges distances and, in other cases, do some nifty trig For the life of me I don't see how that stands up to the spirit of the rules. I can not believe the game is designed to allow those with a scientific calculator an advantage.

[rustyguns]

You raise a fair point. I can understand how that could be seen as against the spirit of the rules, and someone using a scientific calculator to try and figure out exact measurements is quite ridiculous. Like any rule, it can be abused and overused.

My intention here was to help new players get a feel for their ranges. Often, when people start playing warmachine, and tabletop games in general, they underestimate the length of, say, six inches. I myself would usually assume I was out of range even when I was a good 2" in. This method is supposed to be used to let players get a good estimate of the distances involved, not get exact pre-measures. That's what Reinholdt is for.

I rarely use my control range for measuring charges and the like anymore, but when I started it was extremely helpful for teaching me what my poor, slow Khador 'jacks could actually do. Hopefully, this helps other new players learn their ranges as well. Oh, and if you see that Cryx player, whack him with his calculator. Electricity isn't in the spirit of a steampunk robot game!