I've heard it said that Warma-hordes is where 40k players go when they grow up. I've been aware of the other mainstream choice for wargamers for quite some time, but never made the leap. I had painted a starter box of Troll Bloods a few years ago, which was fun. They ended up being ebayed off to the far corners of the earth, and it wasn't until I was contacted by a local player that I had occasion to go back and see what had transpired in the meantime.
Wow.
The first figure I painted was Saeryn. It was refreshing to see a female that wasn't hyper-sexualized by the sculptor. She had a good balance between a feminine presence without giving up too much bulk thanks to her armored half. Speaking of armor, the intricacies of the detailing were mind boggling. It took several layers of washing and highlighting to get it just right. Saeryn was a treat, but she was nothing compared to the second warcaster...
Lylyth just blew me away. After painting hundred of static space marines waving chainswords over their heads and screaming at the top of their lungs, this model was a real eye opener. The sculpt conveyed a true sense of grace and movement. You could write volumes about her face, and she only has half of it showing. Such cold, calculated indifference is unique and intriguing; a blend of substance and subtlety.
I painted the models in a different color scheme according to how the owner wanted, conveying a sense of extreme cold. He wanted the warcasters to have light green skin to reflect their semi-draconic nature, while the heavier warbeasts would be much darker...
Puns aside, the Carnivean was a beast to paint; I was not used to dealing with such a sophisticated position. Painting a Carnifex was a good warm-up for the Legion of Everblight, but that's all it was.
For me this model sums up the main different between GW and Privateer. When you paint a GW model, you're working with a generally open stance, upward-facing angles, lots of plastics with lots of options; it's all very user-friendly and inviting. They give you lots of generic options and invite you to fill in the blanks with your own details. You become immediately invested in the product itself because of its personal aspect.
Privateer Press stands in bold contrast, offering two options: their way or the highway. The sculptors of the Carnivean decided that this hunched, predatory position was best suited for this creature of war, and you know what? They were right. It didn't matter to them that the thing weighed a pound when fully assembled and the pose made it virtually impossible to paint some angles. Nothing was sacrificed in the name of the final product.
In Warmachine/Hordes, every character has a name, and a story that has been predetermined by the creators at Privateer. They aren't so much inviting your input on the game so much as they are inviting you along for the ride. They're incredibly good at what they do, some might argue the best, and they know it. You're signing up for a very different experience when you invest in this system, and even though I had to spend extra time to conform to Privateer's standards, it was worth it.
Is this game/hobby right for everyone? Definitely not. You have to be willing to give up some of the control that you've gotten used to with GW in order to make the leap. You won't be getting that custom force of plastic marines whose personal backstory you've written in google docs during work hours (you know you did). As I said before, this is a ride where you are the passenger, but man what a ride.
I have to say I'm intrigued to continue working with this force as it builds to 35 points. I have some Nyss troops lined up for the next slot in a few weeks. But that will come later, it's time to shift again with something (yet again) completely different!
