Faction Action 2 of 4

We’ve looked at Cygnar and Menoth as factions last time around (being just recently), so let’s continue our Faction Action with….

Cryx

Fluff: The Nightmare Empire of Cryx is the home of Toruk, the Dragon lord who vomited blight all over the Scharde Isles, in turn creating undead Lich Lords, Blighted Ogrun, maggot-infested pirates, and a slew of scantily clad, navel baring hotties. The Scharde Isles would be the perfect vacation spot for geeky males if not for the intense evil oozing out of every pore.

Cryx is evil for evils’ sake, partaking in genocide (if I have my facts straight) and grave-robbing to feed and develop the necrotite-driven industries of the Nightmare Empire. The thralls and blighted denizens of the Cryx are nothing more than tools in the mysterious machinations of the Lich Lords, who are as often plotting against each other as they are plotting for Lord Toruk. They’ve got a good taste in women, though. They pick the hottest, most virile ladies to become warcasters (ok. This may be the figment of my imagination, but I’ve found no proof otherwise).

If being evil gets you all excited, then Cryx is the faction for you. Remember the kid from high school? The one who wore thick-rimmed glasses, always sat in front and was an overall nerd? Then he grew up to form a death metal band, surrounded by a legion of groupies? Well, he’s just a thrall of Cryx. His record producer? Cryx.

I don’t like the fluff of Cryx, to be honest. they are an awesome faction though.

Aesthetics: The main color scheme of Cryx is a brackish black, with rusty brass as trimmings, and a sickly green glow representing necrotite usage.

The warjacks are almost organic in nature, what with the usage of bones in building ‘em. The warcasters, solos and units are either undead or blighted. What really turns me off Cryx is the almost fetishistic use of spikes and sharp objects. It may appeal to some, but I don’t see why. There’s fluffy reasons for that though.

Rules: Cryx, by virtue of being evil, is the faction to go for sneaky assassinations. It is a faction heavy on debuffs and offensive spells, and at the same time allows its warcasters to perform assassinations from afar. The units, solos, and warcasters are generally difficult to kill. Some units even gain back their numbers as enemies desperately try to thin the crowd.

The warjacks have much higher defense than those from other factions. Arcnode assassinations are infamous, and the sudden appearances of heavy jacks in your face are not too uncommon either.

Cryx are fast, deadly, and don’t allow for mistakes from the enemy. They will punish you, and cackle with glee. If you are a player seeking a fast, tricksy army, Cryx is for you.

Khador

Fluff: The Khadoran Empire spans much of the Northern wastes of the Iron Kingdoms, and hence are known to be hardened and cold-hearted. Their wish to expand into the warmer Southern regions have been met with much resistance from Cygnar and Llael. Now, if you are cold and freezing, dying to get into your warm house, only to be greeted frigidly by occupants who aren’t even supposed to be there, what would you do? That’s right, break in and start a fight. Call me bias (I am a Khador player, afterall), but it is reasonable to believe that Khador has every right to take back what’s rightfully theirs, even if they have to resort to unsavoury tactics.
That’s what drew me to Khador as a faction. They have a right to bear arms, yet are labelled greedy, violent expansionists just because their opinions differ vastly from the majority (that majority being Cygnar, Llael and Ord). Draws very similar comparisons to the real world, doesn’t it?

If you are the type of player who’d get down and dirty to get the job done, Khador’s the faction for you. Remember that kid in high school? The unpopular underdog? Just because he had a different accent? Who tries vainly to fight for his right to live? His big, burly brother is Khador.

Aesthetics: The main color scheme for Khador is red, with gold or black trimmings. Its warjacks are huge, chunky tanks on legs. The designs are very WW2ish. Not as technologically advanced as Cygnar, but not old like Protectorate as well. There’s a strong Russian/Eastern European theme going on for the warcasters, units and solos, what with furry hats and a penchant for all things frigid. The Khador Man-o-War (MoW) units are unique as well. Huge, steam armored soldiers, slow as mollasses and hits like a ton of bricks.

The warjacks are the reason I bought into Khador. There’s something about the stark contrast of red, giant machines against a white backdrop. The non-MoW units are rather lacklustre save a few, and I cannot care less for the Doomreavers.

Rules: Khadorans in general are hardy, cold folk, and it is reflected in the rules as such. Khador can dish extra-ordinary pain, and take it as well. Its warjacks are the biggest and meanest in the game, and whatever they target is as good as dead. The troops are deadly in melee, and are among the toughest nuts to crack. There’s a mild ice theme going for several models, and there are alot of buff spells to help warrior models either in melee, or to get to melee. Although Khador jacks and MoWs are the slowest models in the game, Khador packs surprising speed that can catch unwary enemies off-guard.

If hardhitting armies that can take as much as they dish out are your thing, you’d find Khador to your liking.

Mercenaries

Fluff: Mercenaries are not a faction fluffwise, but are officially a faction in the game. Several contracts allow different combinations of mercenaries, but like their namesake, mercenaries can usually be found working for other factions.

Mercs fall into 4 different flavors. There’s Magnus and his custom warjacks, who would’ve been called the Bastard had that moniker not been taken. And just because he does not agree with the current ruling elite, he’s been called a Traitor. He now has his own personal army, though no one knows his Agenda but he.

Then there are the Rhullic dwarves. They’re in it for the coin, mostly, since trade’s kinda their lifeblood. Their warjacks serve the dual purpose of work and war, and if warjacks could be called cute, Rhullic jacks would take the cake. They’ve got a soft spot for the ogrun.

Next up are privateers, or pirates most likely, as their MO doesn’t steer far from loot and plunder. They’ve got seafaring warjacks, upgraded from waterfront steamjacks, as only pirates know how.

Lastly are every other mercenary that run the gamut from the most villainous scum, to wandering mad alchemists and musicians, to La Resistance chicks, to soulless elven hookers. The mercs are like Wal-Mart. Everything under one roof.

Mercenaries are the fluffiest of fluff, and thus hold the most numerous unique rules this side of Immoren. The character and stories of the various mercs are truly some of the best. Orphan on a vengeful path? Check. Outcast? Check. Former loyalist planning an overthrow of the current ruling elite? It’s there.

My first army was mercenaries. However, I just couldn’t find a cohesiveness to army building. The choices are limited to contracts. Pieces don’t play well with each other. Not much synergy. The pirates came along, and there was extreme synergy between them, but that’s about it. I like mercenaries, I really do. But at the moment, they don’t really do it for me. If you like to run a bunch of misfits who don’t really belong (and who doesn’t, really?), the Mercenaries are for you.

Do you remember that kid in high school? The jack of all trades? The handyman that everyone calls on for help? The one who didn’t really belong? He’s a Merc.

Aesthetics: The Mercenaries are very individualistic. There’s no design similarity between them. Warjacks fall under 4 categories, mainly Magnus’ custom warjacks, Rhullic jacks, seafaring privateer jacks, and others (mostly old Cygnar designs).

Units, solos and warcasters are equally different, the only ones sharing similar aesthetics being the privateers (pirates, really) and the Steelhead Company.

What I can attest to, however, is that every mercenary, be it warrior or warjack, is characterful. Their sense of world-weariness, grit, charm, steely ambition is etched into every part of the model. Be it Magnus’ crutch on his limp right leg and mechanikal arm, or Gorman’s myriad of alchemic concoctions, or Rhupert’s sad but grim melody on his pipes, or even the cocky determination of Sam MacHorne and her Devil Dogs. Every one of them is a testimony to the craftsmen at Privateer Press.

If beautiful, characterful models are your thing, Mercenaries are for you. At the very least, buy them to paint them.

Rules: They are mercenaries, therefore they don’t have strict rules guiding them. Magnus and his warjacks are slow, but hit devastatingly hard. He’s also a sneaky bastard, and so he has a few tricks up his sleeve. The Rhullic dwarves and warjacks are extraordinarily slow, stunted legs and all, but are rather resilient and hit quite hard. The Llaelese (only 2 at the moment, so this is just a theory) are fast, nimble, hard to hit, but fragile.

The Steelhead Company troops aren’t stellar on their own, but work rather well as a unit. Most of the privateers can’t be knocked down, and are virtually useless on their own. But as a team is where they shine. Their warjacks aren’t nimble, but pack a surprising punch and have a myriad of abilities, much like the privateers.

Like I said, you can’t pin them down since they are not really a faction and so do not have faction synergy or similarities. They are however, fun to play.

Retribution of Scyrah

Fluff: Do not mess with elves, especially after you’ve unknowingly killed their god. These are not your everyday tree-hugging, peace-loving elves. They are soulless, and the only reason they hug trees is so that they can climb up and drop down on you, skewering you with their massive swords in the process. Either that, or they send multi-ton warjacks called myrmidons with giant, crap-in-your-pants-when-you-see-it weapons and photon cannons (probably not photon, but they sure are glowy).

They are pissy, emo elves with the hair to boot. They are not your friends. You have been warned.

Do you remember that kid from high school? Emo hair, black goth make-up, doesn’t do anything to offend anyone, but hates the world anyways? Then one day a jock accidentally tears of the head of his emo Emily voodoo doll? Yet he still doesn’t do anything? Beware. He’s Retribution.

 

Aesthetics: The Retribution have a white scheme for their armor, with a teal glow to represent arcanika. I know it’s been said that the Retribution compare to Eldar or Tau in their design. I don’t play Warhammer, but I’ve seen the Tau and Eldar, and, in my ever so humble opinion, I think the Retribution has a rather unique design. Akin to anime, yet very befitting to the Iron Kingdoms.

I can’t say I like the way the models turned out (judging by what we have so far), however. Chris Walton’s concept sketches were stellar, and yes, the models have turned out pretty much exactly as he drew them. Apart from the Mage Hunters, though, the others look…static. Ho hum, even. I have yet to see everything else that the Retribution has to over, so my opinions may change.

Rules: The Retribution are not out yet, but from what I’ve gleaned from the forums, they look like a faction heavy on denial. The myrmidons are unique in that they’ve a ‘force field’ of sorts that can be regenerated.

And….that’s about it, really. I don’t have my No Quarter yet.

 

That’s it about Warmachine. Khador has been my choice merely for the fact that it has the fluff I like (anything Russian/Cold War-ish gets me), models I love (the warjacks, man, the warjacks), and rules that require not much thinking (mostly).

Up Next: Angry, Hungry Trolls, and a faction that’ll put your name to the test.

Advertisement