WARMACHINE

The rise of the miniature gaming scene saw another competitor throw its hat into the ring, as the RPG company Privateer Press released the ingenious steampunk wargame system, Warmachine.

Set in the same Iron Kingdoms setting created for the company’s first release, the D20 system campaign “The Witchfire Trilogy,” Warmachine see’s players fielding an elite warrior-wizard known as a Warcaster, who’s capable of manipulating huge mechanical machines called Warjacks, used for fighting and defeating other Warcasters. The object of the game is to eliminate the opponent’s Warcaster, making them similar to the King in chess, with players alternating turns to move, shoot and melee their way through the enemy.

Each Warcaster can gather focus, magical energy used to cast spells and empower allies, with careful attention needed to make sure focus is used effectively. Unlike its RPG predecessor, the game uses a D6 system similar to other miniature wargames, with many comparisons between this system and those of Game Workshop’s Warhammer franchises being drawn. However, instead of charging players hundreds of pounds to field swathes of models for standard play, Warmachine armies are comparatively svelte, with a single Warjack capable of taking a pummelling that would wipe out a squad of Space Marines, tracked using the game’s wipeable damage grids and tracks, which are also used to track things such as damaged weapons systems.

The game launched with four playable factions, adding a fifth in 2009, as well as an entire game system for fielding monstrous creatures called Hordes in 2006, with both systems designed to work with one another.

The system was awarded by Origins Awards for “Best Fantasy Miniatures Game” in 2003 and won “Game of the Year” in 2005. Now in its 19th year, the system continues to be supported, with thousands of Warcasters around the world still battling for supremacy in the Iron Kingdoms.