Dankelblarg » Game Aids

MkII Hordes Cards’ Improved Aesthetics

Dankelzahn — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:58:09 +0000

The Hordes MkII cards were previewed a while back but now that I have mine in hand I'm noticing something I glossed over before. The Warmachine MkII cards seemed to receive a negative reaction on the forums, but it looks like PP took some of the feedback and made a change that I much prefer.

Spirals aside, I definitely think that the Hordes cards came out looking better than their Warmachine counterparts. The contributor is the card backgrounds themselves. Where the Warmachine card backgrounds are gear-filled and busy, the Hordes cards have more organic and subtle designs without light-effects. They encourage the eye to look past them instead of jarring the eye to stare at them like the Warmachine cards do. The cards just feel less busy overall, and as a result also feel more spacious and less cluttered.

The spiral issues is just a personal gripe of mine that isn't going to change one way or the other. Spirals aren't going to change (unfortunately) so it's just something I have to accept. Although I will say the MkII Spirals are definitely better than their MkI counterparts. The spirals are larger and each aspect has a different colored background, making it easier to follow them around the spiral.

So overall the MkII Hordes cards are definitely a step in the right direction. There are a few areas of design that could be improved but overall it will definitely service for the next couple years.

Wall of Fire, MkII Style

Dankelzahn — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:47:56 +0000

When MkII was released Privateer Press resized the "wall template" used by some spells, making the fold-up cards that came with models like Feora and Gorten obsolete. Although I liked the fold-up wall for ease of handling, I decided to make a new flat set so models could be placed directly on them if necessary.

Buh-bye now

The actual construction of the new templates is pretty rudimentary. The template itself is sized at 4" x .75", so I cut the required shape out of a piece of balsa wood I had left over from an old terrain project. A simple cut-out would have been more than sufficient as a template, but I went online and found a fire texture that I resized and printed out to glue to the template. Making a template "pretty" is hardly necessary but the most convenient templates and game aids are those that are immediately recognizable for what they are at only a glance.

4" x .75" Wall of Fire template

Just like the tokens that I create, I used UHU glue on the templates, since it doesn't warp thin surfaces when applied like PVA glue will. But first I took a sharpie and edged the wood black to make it look more finished. You can do this after applying the label but then you run the risk of marking over it. Edging the template first means you can afford to be a little sloppy.

After that dries, I apply the glue thin enough and make sure the edges are covered (so the paper won't peel up) and then apply the printout, making sure to affix it evenly.

Old & new wall size comparison

I only applied the fire to one side of the wall templates. I could have done both just so I didn't have to bother with flipping the template if I grabbed the wrong side, but if I ever play a faction that has access to the other wall spells - like Searforge - I'll place their wall on the reverse side for convenience.

The Missing Piece

Dankelzahn — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:03:01 +0000

I've talked before here and on the Iron Agenda about being more than ready for the arrival of MkII, but I'm still hesitant. I've finally realized why I haven't been willing to forsake MkI completely - the lack of official stat cards. That in turn made me realize just how convenient stat cards are for play.

I haven't played as many miniature games as some people and for the past few years Warmachine and Hordes have been my game of choice. And in that time I've become so spoiled by having everything I need in front of me without having to reference a book or flipping through printouts, that playing from those types of media feels like a lot of work.

Granted, the rules play just as well either way, and there are plenty of communities that are using the MkII printout exclusively and aren't having any issue. It's really just a psychological thing, but since the MkI rules are still solid enough to play, I'm finding it difficult to give up my cards for some printouts.

January can't get here quick enough.

Better Smoke Templates

Dankelzahn — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:22:00 +0000

Any Warmachine player that has encountered a trencher-loaded Cygnar army knows the necessity of having a dozen or so smoke templates. One of the most common solutions I've seen is the 3" cardstock template. Those works great if there is space for the template on the table but sometimes you need to drop smoke on other models.

Around St. Louis, cut-out cardstock templates have been replaced by brass rings that can be found at most craft/hobby stores. These rings are found in 3", 4" and 5" diameters, making them perfect for the various AOE template sizes that Warmachine and Hordes use for cloud effects.

The handy thing about these rings is that you can drop them around and between models with little difficulty. It's possible that you may still have to drape one over a model if it's standing right on the edge of where you want to place your template, but 90% of the time using rings grants you a flexibility in template placement that a solid cutout doesn't provide.

As a side note, most folks carry these these by clipping them to the side of their army transport bag with a carabiner key chain. When it's time to play you can unclip them from your bag and carry them to the table, using the carabiner to keep them together when not in play.

You can see from the link above how cheap a handful of rings is, so I recommend picking up a handful to try out the next time you're in your local craft store.