WAR MACHINE

Warmachine is a tabletop wargame produced by Privateer Press. The game is played with white metal miniatures manufactured by Privateer Press representing military characters from the Iron Kingdoms D20 Role Playing Game setting. Battles are fought between warcasters from rival kingdoms, the large steam-powered warjacks that the warcasters control, and troops consisting of humans and fantasy races. For the compatible companion-game involving the savage factions.

Warmachine's most distinctive feature is the inclusion of warcasters and warjacks (the war machines from which the game derives its name). Warjacks, or 'jacks for short, are techno-magical constructs designed for waging war. They are, in general, powered by a coal-burning steam engine and guided by an arcane supercomputer-like 'brain' called a cortex. Heavily armored and often carrying over-sized weaponry, 'jacks fill a role similar to traditional military armor such as tanks and artillery. Many times more durable than normal troops, they pack a harder punch as well. They are also, however, far more costly than troops.

Warcasters are the pivotal characters of the game. Warcasters are powerful spellcasters who have learned to control warjacks. Warcasters serve multiple roles: in addition to guiding the warjacks' destructive power, they are the army commanders and potent combatants. Each Warcaster has a special feat that can be used once per battle; their effects range from subtle to explosive and can be enough to change the tide of battle.

In addition to warcasters and warjacks, armies can field supporting infantry troops of many varieties. Some are infantry or gunners, while others have more specialized roles, from warjack repairmen to spellcasters. Most of these troops come in groups and move in formations, but there are also independent characters called solos.

Warmachine is similar to many other miniature wargames in that each army consists of several units, each of which acts during a turn. Individual units move, attack, and may perform other actions such as repairing a warjack or casting a spell. The primary mechanic unique to Warmachine is the use of focus points. Each warcaster receives a certain number of focus points each turn, which represents that caster's magical power. At the beginning of the turn, focus may be spent to pay for ongoing abilities and allocated between the warcaster and 'jacks in the caster's battlegroup. Focus allows warjacks to become more accurate and powerful by "boosting" their attacks, and to perform special actions such as slamming or throwing an enemy model. Additionally warcasters can use focus to cast spells that perform all manner of arcane effects. Good focus management can often be the difference between winning and losing.