Faction Loyalty

After yesterday's great Domination event (which you can read about here) I realized that I really love the Hordes side of Warmachine/Hordes.  After the conclusion of the event, several of us local players sat down and talked shop, discussing options for Templecon, discussed some theories about combos, and heard some tales of the playtesting for Domination (a bunch of local players are PP playtesters).

Throughout the conversation I kept coming back to the realization that I really enjoy Hordes factions more than Warmachine factions and one of my buddies from Regular Team agreed with me.  While we maintain our first Warmachine factions and are still pretty attached to them, we find Hordes to be more fun.  Perhaps it's the fury mechanic, perhaps it's the originality of each faction, or the unique nature of warbeasts over warjacks, but I find myself having way more fun managing fury than focus.  This got me to thinking about something I've been considering for some time: trading away my privateer mercenaries.
I was originally interested in the privateer mercenaries because of Bartolo "Broadsides Bart" Montador.  I loved the idea of the swarthy pirate captain who was all about firing fusillades of cannon fire into the opponent.  I love the look of the Mariner warjack, and his tier list made them super affordable at only 7 points.  As I've played with him, however, I have been pretty disappointed.  Perhaps he just doesn't match my playstyle, but I can count on two hands the number of times I have won with him.  Sure, the games have been fun, but I feel like the current meta is very anti-shooting and I think Bart doesn't have the tools available to him to push him beyond it.  Sure, there are warcasters out there who can do shooting well (Cygnar comes to mind) but I feel like Bart struggles to do what he needs to do.  Bart feels like the underdog, especially when you're in the same sub-faction as Shae, who's tier list is just too good to not take.  At least Bart isn't as lousy as Fiona, but I still find myself struggling with him.

Shae, why do you make Bart
look bad?  :-(

So I have decided to retired my privateers for now.  I will not be selling them (yet) and I feel like I owe them that much since I do have a Mercenary coin from the Wrath release event.  I will be bringing them to Templecon, as I told a friend that he could try playing around with them for the whole event, but I think my faction loyalties have shifted.  So what's next for me?  I'm going to finally take the plunge into the army that I have put off more than a few times:  Trollbloods.


Trolls have a special place in my heart because I played against them a lot when I was first learning to play Hordes.  They're a fun faction and I love their fluff, as a race who's been marginalized and is trying to protect their culture and way of life.  They also have some of my favorite models (despite some criticism that their hands are too big) and I have had this list knocking around in the back of my head for some time that I wanted to try.  Playing around with eBaldur has made me realize that I love the attrition style of play, and I think that this list will be very similar in playstyle:

Runes of War (Tier 4) - 35 points
Hoarluk Doomshaper (+7)
- Troll Bouncer (5)
- Earthborn Dire Troll (10)
- Mulg the Ancient (12)
Krielstone + Scribes - min (3)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Janissa Stonetide (3)

The models are sooo awesome!

I think this list will seem very similar to my eBaldur list, as it heavily relies upon surviving my opponent's attacks and then punching back even harder.  The tier benefit for Runebearers is awesome, making them really great for their point cost (although they are $-wise pretty expensive).  For 1 point per model, you get an ARM 15 model with Magic Ability [7], Tremor, and Rock Hammer, 5 damage boxes, and they're still tough and they can't be knocked down!  Whoa!

Oh and her pickaxe is armor piercing

They are their own super solos but with Janissa nearby, they also gain force lock - meaning that enemy models will get locked in place as soon as they try to move around them.  They will be a great denial unit which can take a punch and then smack back with some reliable POW 14 magic attacks that are also AOEs.  Throw in there a nearby Krielstone (which pDoomy will be able to fill pretty easily) and suddenly your Runeshapers are looking pretty sweet for only 1 point per model!  Janissa also can throw out a Rock Wall (which I appreciate so much more now after playing eBaldur) to add to survivability and for a reliable ARM boost for the Earthborn.  This army is going to brick up into a chunk of high ARM and should survive most of what you throw at it, then hit back even harder and hopefully deliver an angry Mulg to the forehead.

I think it's even better at 50 points:
Hoarluk Doomshaper (+7)
- Swamp Troll (4)
- Troll Bouncer (5)
- Earthborn Dire Troll (10)
- Mulg the Ancient (12)
Krielstone + Scribes - full (4)
- Stone Scribe Elder (1)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Trollkin Runeshapers (3*)
Janissa Stonetide (3)

While pDoomy is an extremely squishy warlock, this list definitely makes him a little more difficult to take down thanks to the Bouncer and Swamp Troll (animus) and he will likely be spending most of his time near that Krielstone, camping on some sweet armor.  Spamming even more Runeshapers is hilarious and the thought of saving 6 army points makes me giddy inside!  Sure, I wouldn't take him against a Warmachine army, but he would certainly have fun against other Hordes armies.

If it's one thing I've realized, it's that what I lack in faction loyalty, I make up for in consistency in my playstyle.  Oh and I love rocks, apparently.