binty learns magic!

This weekend was so exciting! Ian and I have been so busy lately that we haven't really had time to play much (ahem.. other than Marvel Legendary.. ahem) and so this weekend we managed to get together and devote some real time to the beautiful game.

NO NOT FOOTBALL. Warmachine!

If you remember, we had slowly been implementing different rules in each game played in order to get my thick skull wrapped around them. Since I had been out of action for a while I was getting increasingly apprehensive about playing again. I get all flustered and run away easily if the rules become too overwhelming. Since my last blog, we'd added playing with 'focus' to boost dice rolls, to buy extra attacks and to charge our warjacks instead of walking them. Focus is a points system that warcasters can use for spells and extra abilities. My warcaster Sorscha has a focus stat of 6, which means I get to spend 6 points of focus in each round boosting my army or casting magic attacks. We had to sit down and have a gentle recap game, which turned out to be fantastic as I remembered so much more than I thought I would! Since it was going so well Ian suggested that we could introduce the rules of 'Feat.' A feat is a powerful game changing spell that a warcaster has the ability to use once during a battle.

Dani: Khador vs Ian: Cygnar!

We've been playing on a 4x4 foot table with no terrain as a practice arena and usually our first moves are spent running like hell at eachothers armies. Ian went first, but I managed to draw first blood using focus to boost my Destroyers attacks against his Ironclad warjack! YEEAH!

During the next round however, when we're all in position, Ian brought the pain! He has a Charger warjack in his Cygnar battlebox that has a duel cannon. In his words 'its focus efficient,' and he can use it twice due to a rule called Rate Of Fire. He spends one focus point and the dude can just keep on shooting with boosted damage rolls! He totally mullered my warcaster by 10 damage points! Yeesh! It was only the second turn!

First assault!

This turned out to be a great re-introduction match with Ian finishing it very quickly by going straight for my warcaster Sorscha. The game ends if the warcaster falls.

For the next game, with my whistle well and truly whet, we decided it would be fun to add in the rules of Spells! A warcaster has the ability to use focus to cast magic in battle, either as attacks or as cloaks or beefing up the odds in your favour. Sorscha has some cool magic abilities and I couldn't wait to try them out!

Post tantrum

 

I'll tell you what though, there is no crushing disappointment quite like spending 4 focus to cast a spell, only for the dice to land unhappy side up... I have had many paddywhacks in my time, but I full on double fist slammed and yelled 'WHO THE FUCK ROLLS THREE ONES!?' in the whiniest pitch complete with bottom lip. Sorscha, baby, what's wrong!? What did I do!? Not only did this happen to me once (it was a spell called Tempest I was trying to cast, a nasty little attack that would knock down the target and pummel it with a power 12 damage roll) but I tried casting it again later on and the exact same thing happened, leaving me wide open with no focus and looking like a very sorry army...

I was surrounding one of Ian's warjacks at the time and had a great idea of casting Tempest and then finshing it off with my hand cannon AND my Juggernaut. Waaah.

Ian told me there is a website called Bad Dice... I'd better join. I had the worst rolls for the entire match. Looking back, it was so funny!

The dice favour the brave!

But, it has been enough to get me hooked. I even took my cards to work today to read. Now that I know what all the stats mean, like, actually mean, I can read them and try to come up with scenarios or battle plans! I took my Cryx cards too and have been soaking up the Battle College wiki pages.

Can't believe I have to build my own toy! (ahem, thanks Ian :D)

In the meantime, I have been cleaning up my Cryx battle box and I have currently one completed warwitch! Ian showed me how to clean up a model ready for assembly. As a n00b, I am flummoxed as to why I have to do this myself! *mumbles..paid all that money... it's in bits..grumble...*

However, I am nothing if not a good sport (HAH!) so I'll give it my all! :D

I cleaned up the mould lines on the little pieces of warbastards with a scalpel and then glued them together! Ta-DAAAA: Warwitch Deneghra.

Ain't she a beaut? I've been getting excited reading the stats cards that came with my Cryx battlebox. So far, since my Khador army were already assembled by Ian as my Christmas pressie, I have been playing and training with them exclusively. I can't wait to try out my Cryx army. They have such tricksy abilities! I'd better get them built first! :D

We are going to Firestorm again soon. Ian will be playing someone else and I'll be watching but I am going to take my battlebox with me incase I get the chance to play my first game on actual terrain! I hope so ^-^ 

Over and out, warbitches!