Warmachine: High Command (2013) Board Game

Warmachine: High Command is a deck-building card game set in the world of the Warmachine tabletop miniatures game. Designed by Privateer Press, the game was released in 2013 and is suitable for 2 to 4 players. Players take on the roles of Warcasters leading their armies to victory on the battlefield.

Game Components of Warmachine: High Command

Card Deck: Includes resource cards, army cards (such as support units, warriors, and warjacks), and location cards.

Reinforcement Deck: Constructed by choosing three detachment sets based on the detachment colors of the selected warcasters.

Resource Tokens: Command (CMD) and War (WAR) resources.

Location Cards: Represent central locations to be captured.

Warcaster Cards: Define the detachment colors and unique abilities.

Detachment Sets: Six sets per faction, each with 12 cards, differentiated by color (orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and red).

How To Setup Warmachine: High Command

To set up the game, each player constructs their reinforcement deck by selecting three detachment sets based on the detachment colors of their chosen warcaster. Each player starts with a basic resource deck and four face-up cards from their reinforcement deck, which form their reserves. The location cards are placed in the center of the table, and each player’s starting resource deck is shuffled and drawn from.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Deck Building: Players use resources to purchase cards from their reserves, either adding them to their deck or rushing them to central locations.

Resource Management: Players manage Command (CMD) and War (WAR) resources to buy and deploy army cards.

Location Control: Players aim to capture locations by deploying more cards than their opponents at those locations.

Combat: Combat involves counting up the power and health values of deployed units, with special abilities modifying these values.

Victory Points: The game ends when the Day of Reckoning card is drawn, and players capture locations where they have more cards than their opponents. The player with the most victory points wins.

Player Experience

Playing Warmachine: High Command can be a mixed experience. The game offers a unique blend of deck-building and area control, allowing players to customize their army decks and strategize over resource management and location capture. However, it has been criticized for its lackluster combat mechanics, which boil down to simple number comparisons without the excitement of interrupts or complex combos. The game also suffers from issues with deck tuning and can become sluggish with more than two players.

Pros

Customizable Decks: Players can construct their reinforcement decks to fit their preferred play style.

Resource Management: Managing Command and War resources adds a strategic layer to the game.

Unique Factions: Each faction has its own theme and play style, enhancing replayability.

Strategic Depth: Requires balancing resource acquisition, deck building, and location control.

Cons

Lackluster Combat: Combat is simplified to counting power and health values without dynamic interactions.

Deck Tuning Issues: Limited abilities to manage or draw through the deck, leading to a “deck adding” rather than “deck building” experience.

Multiplayer Issues: The game becomes unbalanced and sluggish with more than two players.

Repetitive Gameplay: Capturing locations can lead to a back-and-forth trading of characters without real drama.

Personal Thoughts on Warmachine: High Command

Warmachine: High Command is best suited for fans of the Warmachine universe and those who enjoy deck-building games with a strategic twist. However, it may not appeal to players seeking complex combat mechanics or dynamic multiplayer interactions. Despite its flaws, the game offers a unique experience in the Iron Kingdoms world, making it a good choice for those invested in the lore and willing to overlook its shortcomings.

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