Warmachine

Warmachine

A metal Juggernaut model from the Khador faction.
Manufacturer(s)	Privateer Press
Publisher(s)	Privateer Press
Years active	2003 to present
Players	2+
Random chance	Dice rolling used for task resolution

Warmachine is a tabletop steampunkwargame produced by Privateer Press.

The game is played with white metal and plastic miniatures manufactured by Privateer Press representing military characters from the Iron Kingdoms setting. Battles are fought between warcasters from rival nations, the large steam-powered warjacks that the warcasters control, and troops consisting of humans and fantasy races.

Warmachine has been the recipient of the 2003 Origins Awards for Best Fantasy Miniatures Rules and Best Fantasy Miniatures Series. In 2005 Warmachine won Game of the Year at Origins and Gamers Choice for Best Miniatures.

A compatible companion game involving the savage factions is named Hordes.

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. They are several times more durable and powerful than normal troops, but are far more costly.

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 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.

In the first expansion, Warmachine: Wrath, battle engines were introduced. Battle engines are huge mechanical constructs that are not warjacks and thus does not require focus. Each faction has one battle engine available at the moment.