Warmachine Rekindled

A lot of gamers started with Warhammer, but that wasn't my story. Sure the first thing I ever bought and painted was a Fantasy paint starter set from GW, but I never played the game. The first game that ever grabbed me hard, and got me putting models on the table was Warmachine way back in the days of MK1. I participated in the play test for MK2, and then played that for years but eventually, as all things do, it fell by the wayside. Newer, shinier, more innovative games game along and drew me away. Part of that was because of my group's focus on skirmish level games, which Warmachine hasn't really been in a long time, and part of it was simple burnout. 

Years passed and I played a lot of Malifaux and Guild Ball, and dabbled in Infinity, Marvel, Bushido, Dark Age, Wrath of Kings and others and even spent a year playing a lot of Heroclix. The whole time I was searching for a world that would pull me in the way that the Iron Kingdoms had, and a game that would entertain me the way Warmachine (and later Hordes) had.

The release of MK3 caught my attention but by then my regular group had moved on and away and I thought my chance had passed me by. Recently though I discovered that there is a small but passionate community playing at one of my local stores and with that, I was back in. I've got a game coming up tomorrow, and once again I'll be flying the Cygnus in battle for Cygnar learning to play my favourite game all over again. 

I'm going to be the first to admit that I'm trepidatious. I have powerful and important memories of playing hundreds of games of Warmachine during my young adult hood. I made friends, I learned the real value of sportsmanship and most of all I got to explore exciting stories and adventures on the tabletop and in the fiction (some of which is genuinely good). Chances are that it won't be as good as I remember, it never is when you go back, but I'm still excited to get back to the table. 

I'll report back with the outcome of the game, and some impressions of Mk3 once it's all said and done. Who knows, maybe you can go home again. 

-Chris