The Griffon has a pokey stick and a shield. What abilities will they have? Will the Griffon be keen enough to be named Jeffrey?
I’ve spent very little time reading that thread in General Discussion since the images went up Wednesday night. I’ve added some people to my ignore list, and I’ve thought about an exchange I was lucky enough to have with Matt Wilson on Thursday. And the more I look at the Retribution models, the more I hear people say they “don’t fit,” the more I can’t wait to get them, paint them and play with them.
I’m not just trying to be contrary. I’m not being a “fanboy” and liking everything that Privateer Press has done (Morrow knows I despise the Skorne trooper models, and um, Hordes tokens). I like the look and feel of the Retribution because they’re different from anything else in the Iron Kingdoms.
Yes, different is good.
But disliking a model doesn’t mean it sucks. The fact I don’t like the look of the Skorne Venators or Arcurii or Agonizer doesn’t mean they’re awful, it means I don’t appreciate the aesthetic. A lot of people on the forums (and yes, I get that we’re talking about internet forums) seem to think that because they don’t like the way something looks, it can’t play well or be a viable army. They seem to think that Privateer Press, the creators of the Iron Kingdoms, has no business introducing a faction that is “out of place.” Never mind that the setting was invented by Matt Wilson, Brian Snōddy and Matt Staroscik. Really?
Bullshit.
It’s their freakin’ world. Seriously. I suppose that if, storywise, they could find a way to add fuzzy pink trout that walk on land and eat Warjacks, then dammit, there would be Warjack-eating fuzzy pink trout in the IK. Doubtful that they ever would, but you should see my point.
I’m not trying to persuade people to come to the Elf Side. I’m just going to make my points, in my blog and call it good. For the record, I am an elf-hater. I do not like the pointy-eared bastards any more than Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy loved those green-blooded, pointy-eared Vulcan bastards. Sure, we can get along, but take the banana hammocks and the tra-la-la-ing through the forest and go somewhere else. Frolic with unicorns, play the pan flute, just do it elsewhere.
Here’s the thing: Matt & Crew changed my mind about elves. The Retribution doesn’t wear banana hammocks, nor do they tra-la-la through the forest. These are pissed off, ass-kicking, heavy-armor wearing elves. They have bad-ass looking robot friends called Myrmidons. And did I mention they’re angry? Very, very angry. That happens when you kill a civilization’s gods.
"Now, for any of those who haven't figured it out yet, there is only ONE warcaster featured on the cover. You've got a couple solos, a couple examples of Myrmidons, and a bunch of other cool units and stuff. Again, this is just a taste. There is so much more where this came from." -- Matt Wilson
I said from the start that Myrmidons would be make or break for me. Remember that part where I said I hate elves? I really do (granted, I’m collecting Wood Elves, but that’s more for the angry trees than the fruity tree humpers). But I saw the cover art for the Retribution book and knew I was going to be adding another faction.
Seeing this quote from Matt in this thread served to steel my resolve further:
… I want to take my hat off to Chris Walton, staff concept artist. I think that this is actually the first book, and definitely, the first faction, that I personally didn’t do any concept work for. Chris is responsible for every bolt, blade and badass that you’ll see in the Retribution, and I’ve got to say that I’m in love with every single one of his designs. Which is good, because I put him through the ringer on this stuff. Chris spent months just exploring different ideas, shapes, themes and styles to bring the Retribution together, and this was no easy task. We’d discuss designs, experiment with different approaches, and he took my very difficult, if not sometimes uncertain direction with the grace and enthusiasm that only a truly talented professional like himself could muster. When we started, we didn’t have a clue where this was going to end up, and Chris has probably got as many pages of stuff you’ll never see as he does finished work. This faction, more than any other that has come before it, truly embodies a singular vision, and you’ll see that in the final composition of the army. We wanted something that was very uniform, very stylized, completely different from any other faction, and yet had the tech-fantasy look that we wanted to bring to life. When you look at the Retribution, you’ll see an army that was conceived of with a purpose, like none of the others so far. There’s no goofing around here, these guys are all business, and it shows. It was an incredible amount of work, and in the grand scheme of things, done on a ridiculously rigorous timeline, and it was all Chris Walton.
Dawnlord Vyros concept art by Chris Walton.
Dawnlord Vyros studio master.
One of the things I really like about Chris Walton is his art style. I can’t draw to save my life. OK, if I could save my life with stick figures, I might survive. Seeing Chris’ sketches on his Deviant Art page really got me to appreciate his talent. The other thing I like is how well his concept art translates into the finished models. Take a look at Wrong Eye & Snapjaw, or Calandra or any of the Monsterpocalypse concepts. The models are dead on.
On top of all that, Chris is a nice guy. I like nice guys. And he has a cool looking Khador army. My one regret from the Invitational was not getting to chat with Chris enough or play against him.
Dawnguard Invictors concept from www.privateerpress.com
Dawnguard Invictors unit. Are they plastic? We can hope, right? Edit: Sorry kids, these aren't plastic. That's official from Biggie. Apologies for any earlier confusion.
More from Matt:
We knew, by the nature of what the Retribution was supposed to be and the fact that we’d barely seen the tiniest glimpse of Iosans so far, that we were going to be throwing out some radical new content in the Iron Kingdoms. The point was to really make them stand apart to shine the light on the disparity between the Iosans and the human kingdoms. They have so very little in common, of course they’re going to want to exterminate each other! That said, we knew some people wouldn’t be into the stuff as well, and that’s a good thing because if everyone all of a sudden starts playing Retribution, the battlefield is going to get a little monotonous. More than anything, though, I want to say how pleased I am at how it has come together. While we’re always concerned with what our audience will think, we first and foremost believe in being true to ourselves. I can honestly say that I don’t know of a single person at Privateer who isn’t completely psyched by how the Retribution has turned out.
Bill Cosby has a great quote: “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
So, we set out to please ourselves, and my theory is, that because we are a lot like you, then a lot of you are going to be pleased as well. That’s how we approach everything, and so far, I think it’s working.
Viva la Retribution!
Still, a good number of people are missing the point that the Retribution is supposed to be different, that it’s not supposed to appeal to everyone. Some folks have gone as far to say it will ruin the game and they “ban” the faction from their tables when they play because they can’t stand the look of the models. You know, I can’t stand the way some people look, smell or act. Do we get to ban them from life? I’ll say it here because I’ll get in trouble on the big boards: Get a fucking clue. That’s got to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. Ruin the game? Mk II was supposed to ruin the game. Plastics were supposed to ruin the game. Higher prices were supposed to ruin the game.
Guess what kids, they’re still here. The building is still standing and Matt & Crew are still making games. Did you read the above quote? “So, we set out to please ourselves, and my theory is, that because we are a lot like you, then a lot of you are going to be pleased as well. That’s how we approach everything, and so far, I think it’s working.” The naysayers will disagree with this, but they’re wrong. Privateer Press has done something very few companies are able to with its customers: They have earned loyalty. Loyalty and respect are very much on the same page. You don’t start out with them, you earn them. Don’t forget that these guys are gamers — don’t you think Matt & Crew would make miniatures they would want to paint up and play with? It’s not some grand conspiracy to sell more models; these guys love what they do. I’ve talked with them, I’ve played with them. They genuinely love and believe in their products. Don’t believe me? Ask them.
Even before I became a PG, I felt loyalty to Privateer — Warmachine is my first tabletop miniatures game, so being first, it will always be special (this isn’t always the case with all firsts, if you know what I mean). First and foremost, I’m a gamer. I like cool toys to play with and paint. The fact I get to promote the game I love and interact with the folks who make it is an added bonus. When new models come out, I react to them as a gamer. How would I paint that? Can I afford it? Would it be fun to play?
But I digress.
I want to see how the Retribution plays, I want to see the rules for the Manticore and the Phoenix, the Sentinels and the Invictors. I want to paint the models and play them at my LGS. Most importantly, I want to give them a chance.
This isn’t about what I feel Privateer owes me or what I’m entitled to. This is about the game I’ve been playing for four years and the game I want to keep playing for years to come. I think the Retribution will be good for Warmachine in that the models are unlike anything we’ve seen. There’s very good reason for this.
From Chris Walton’s deviantart.com page:
So one of the major complaints that I’ve been hearing about the look for the Retribution is that they don’t look like they “fit in” with the rest of the Iron Kingdoms, or that they don’t have a steampunk “feel”. Make no mistake, this was purely intentional from start to finish. The elves of Ios are a cloistered xenophobic race that has had very little to do with the rest of Immoren for a very long time. This is a society that trades with no one and kills any who dare to cross their borders. For a time their gods walked among them helping their empire reached undreamt of heights of power, and their technology base is radically different from anything anyone has seen in the rest of the IK. It would have been very easy to throw some rivets and chunky plates on them and call it a day. But that would have cheapened the entire faction – totally disregarding the mystery and alien qualities of the elves in the WARMACHINE setting. In the end, I’m really glad that we took them in the direction we did. The new and the unknown are often scary, and that’s exactly how nature intended it.
Even with a word from the artist, it’s not good enough for some people. I really don’t get it. I guess people are afraid of change, and like Chris said above, the new and unknown are often scary. So we’re dealing with a bunch of chickenshits. Got it.
One kit, three choices of models. It's new and unknown, and not a damn bit scary.
As I mentioned earlier, Myrmidons were make or break for me. In the end, it was this model that sold me:
I love the sword. I can't wait to paint the Phoenix.
I’m not 100 percent certain where Myrmidons fall in Iron Kingdoms. It seems as if they’re somewhere between constructs and Warjacks. It will be interesting to see if they have a cortex and use focus. Some quick searching on wikipedia yields the following:
The Myrmidons (or Myrmidones; Greek: Μυρμιδόνες) were an ancient tribe of Greece. They were very brave and skilled warriors as described in Homer’s Iliad, and were commanded by Achilles.[1] Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of Phthiotis who was a son of Zeus and “wide-ruling” Eurymedousa, a princess of Phthiotis. She was seduced by him in the form of an ant. An etiological myth of their origins, simply expanding upon their supposed etymology — the name in Classical Greek was interpreted as “ant-people”, from μυρμηδών (murmedon) “ant’s nest”[2] and that from μύρμηξ (murmex) “ant”[3] – was first mentioned by Ovid, in Metamorphoses: in Ovid’s telling, King Aeacus of Aegina, father of Peleus, pleaded with Zeus to populate his country after a terrible plague. Zeus said his people would number as the ants on his sacred oak, and from the ants sprang the people of Aegina, the Myrmidons.
And:
The Myrmidons of Greek myth were known for their loyalty to their leaders, so that in pre-industrial Europe the word “myrmidon” carried many of the same connotations that “robot” does today. Myrmidon later came to mean “hired ruffian” (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) or “a loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity, unquestioning followers.” (Dictionary.com).
Myrmidons is also the title of the first of a trilogy of plays by Aeschylus, collectively known as Achilleis. The other plays in the trilogy are Nereids and Phrygians. See Achilles (play) for more.
I suspect this use of the term hits closer to their role in the Retribution. But I like the idea of skilled warriors that are loyal to their leaders. Again, the fact that Myrmidons look nothing like Destroyers or Ironclads seems to rankle some folks. I doubt the Phoenix will rival the Centurion for my affections. Then again, if the stat line supports it, I could very easily end up with four of em.
From a painting stand point, I’m looking forward to something new. I think that’s why I started Wood Elves (who are really fruity to the extreme despite a lack of banana hammocks); they’re a painter’s army, much as I believe the Retribution will turn out. Smooth, flat surfaces will be a challenge and encourage lots of smooth blending and freehand — two techniques out of many that I really need to work on.
From a gaming standpoint, we’ll just have to wait for the Retribution book to drop at Gencon. Cygnar is my first faction and my true love, followed by Protectorate, Trolls and Mercenaries. The Retribution will be the “new shiny” for quite sometime after they release in September. Although the naysayers seem to be the most vocal, there are plenty of people who are excited about the new faction — really kids, it’s a new faction — and can’t wait to get started.
Look familiar? Yup, another Iron Kingdoms character crosses over. Say hello to the darker, angier Narn.
Warmachine is my game. While I like many of the Wood Elf models, every single time I purchase something from “the other company” I feel like I’m cheating. It might sound silly to some of you, but that’s how deep my loyalty runs. Privateer Press has given me a world to play in. They’ve given me models I enjoy playing with and models I get paid to paint. They’ve given me a hobby that has brought me joy for the past four years, and introduced me to a group of people I never would have met otherwise. I don’t love every single thing Privateer has done, I don’t agree with every single rules change in Mk II. I do trust Matt & Crew to do right by their fans and customers, as they have since the beginning.
I’m not sure what I’ve achieved with all of this. I guess I just wanted to write about the Retribution again. But there are three important points I want to leave you with in closing: 1. I will be joining the Retribution. You have been warned. 2. A Myrmidon shall be named Jeffrey. 3. Just say no to War Dancers!
Matt, I swear on my treasured Press Gang coin that I will not allow this model, or any of its ilk, into my Wood Elf army. Cross my heart, hope to die, shove a Dervish in my eye. This elf should be angry — angry at that 'do and choice of wardrobe.
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So we had the PAX Masters qualifier tournament on Saturday. Turnout was smaller than I would have liked to have seen, but the lists were nasty and the games were close.
Posted by bobaferret 
Retribution is at hand! Hidden behind their impenetrable borders, a sect within the long-secluded nation of Ios is preparing for war. Once outlawed as dangerous and radical, the Retribution of Scyrah has come from the shadows to offer the elves of Ios a chance at salvation. The Retribution is convinced that by ending the rampant spread of mankind’s magic they can stop the slow death of their god Scyrah and save their race. Armed with the power of arcanika and backed by mighty myrmidon warjacks, the armies of the Retribution of Scyrah are prepared to hunt down and eradicate every last human magic user in western Immoren.
Dawnguard sentinels charge into the enemy as an overwhelming tide of cleaving blades. These heavily armored knights use their great swords to expertly carve through any adversary willing to stand against them. Sentinels embody sheer determination made tangible in flesh and steel and view themselves as the timeless essence of their order. Dawnguard Sentinels come in a box. A player may field two Dawnguard Sentinel units for each warcaster in his Retribution army.
bobaferret
brotherscott
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