REVIEW: Forces of Warmachine: Cryx

Presentation: 9/10

The book is pretty, I can’t say anything better for it. It’s sleek, eye catching, and the colors are rich and vivid. The actual construction value of the book is fantastic and it feels as though the book was made to withstand the rigorous wear-and-tear that it might experience living in a gamebag or constantly being carted to game store and back. The stylish laminated look that the main picture and texts incorporate act to add additional layers to the visual details before-mentioned, giving the book a robust appeal that is sure to catch a few eyes.

This whole package, to me, goes hand in hand with the stylish visuals that Privateer Press has tried to present for their product over the years, and in this case (well, in the case of all the recent army books), I feel this effect was captured perfectly. The art on the front depicts a lush, rich scene that peaks interest in the goings on, a perfect eye-catcher, which to me is one of the most important aspects of any rulebook or army codex. The presentation alone gives me high hopes for the overall quality of the product.

Fluff/Story: 6/10
Now, don’t get me wrong here, a 6/10 is an average rating (cuing just how above-average the presentation score was- it’s really that nice), so don’t get the idea this book is lacking in fluff or story, far from it. The Cryx book, like the army books that preceded it, is loaded with back stories, settings, and little tidbits of lore-enough to sat the most avid of readers appetite. As usual, the Privateer Press writers are top notch, the character conversations flowing naturally and the scenery and settings described with great detail, as well as inner monologue and emotions being conveyed in a clear and thought out manor (ie, when a character is nervous or worried, it is made clear without being blunt, if a character is supposed to have an air of mystery around their words, it is not simply said that they speak mysteriously, etc). No, the issues here are in the fact that, since Warmachine/Hordes is a persistent story, eventually the writing that prologues the rest of the army book will one day become irrelevant- not in that it will not matter at all, but that eventually the story will advance beyond it, thus making it obsolete.

The main issue I see in this is that, years down the line, should a new player pic up their chosen army book, the story they are reading will be taking place sometime in the past of the actual gameline, and probably a random time at that (under the idea the player had not read the entire company-spanning backstory). It may sound strange, but I feel almost as if I would have preferred some generic story or history lesson over some current plot reveal. And yes, I do understand that is available in the main rulebook, and it risks repeating itself to ask for it here as well, it is simply a matter that I foresee complications as a result of placing context/storytime material at the forefront of your army book.

Art: 8/10

As I have mentioned earlier, if it is one thing that Privateer Press has got down-pat it’s style. Flipping through the book I could not find a single bit of art that, on it’s own, would not have made a kick-ass poster. The only exception to that rule being the pictures that have been seemingly copied and pasted from the original Prime Rulebook.

It is evident in these pictures of the increase in quality compared to the original Privateer Press artwork. From it’s humble days as black and white works I would think closer akin to sketches to the lush, rich works of art that adorn the pages of this book it is plain to see the growth that Privateer has experienced, starting from a ragtag company wishing to stake it’s claim in the miniatures world to a full scale company rising to rival even Games Workshop.

I could go on and on about the art, but I believe I’ve said enough- it’s good, it’s really good.

Rules: 7/10
One of the issues I have with this book really isn’t the books fault itself, but I must make note of it. One of the big draws for the army book is the inclusion of the Cryxian Tier lists, which, for those of you who do not know, are basically a special set of rules bearing certain restrictions and benefits that one can choose to take when making their army, all centrally focused around a certain Warcaster and play-style.
The only complaint is that the rules you are getting in this book are already available on the stat cards that everyone should have bought anyway. So it’s a bit redundant to be buying this book specifically for unit rules, point costs, etc. The main draw here is the Tier lists..

Painting Guide: 3/10
I was surprisingly disappointed with this section of the book. While I usually enjoy and respect Privateer Press’ modeling and painting work this was a drop in quality and instruction. The work-in-progress shots they use for each section seem sloppy, giving little more direction than “ok, now highlight with this color and make it look like this picture”.

The in between shots for each “level” of painting and shading ranges drastically as well. There were times when I simply didn’t understand how they achieved the results of the next picture in correlation to the technique they said to use, and in the most extreme of cases it looks like they skipped steps, literally at one point moving from finalizing base coats to showing a fully painted model!

Not only this, but the work does not look like that of a professional painter, at least not to the quality that I usually expect from Privateer. Some marks and shading fall flat, looking more like amateur lines and slip-ups than the precise and specific motions of a seasoned painter.

It’s odd, but if you’re looking for painting advice, there is a tone better available online, a lot of it, ironically, on Privateer Press’ own website and forum.

Final Score: 8/10
If you’re looking for a book with art and story then the purchase is completely worth it. I feel this product is on the same level as buying a deluxe graphic novel, in both quantity and quality. The book is big, a massive 144 pages, and I am currently on day two of delving into the stories and content available in it and am scarcely a fourth done. From a pure reading/storytelling perspective the book is worth the cost on that merit alone. For the rules savvy players who just want to gain more insight and tactics onto their favorite army… Well, it’s a little lacking in that area. It does hold all the unit rules and information in one easy to access location, but the deck of stat cards does that as well, at close to half the cost.

In the end the great story and writing, coupled with the fantastic artwork make this well worth the sticker cost, simply as a great book. The fact it has all the rules and stats for your chosen (or opposing) army is just an added benefit. So if you can’t wait to see the latest soap drama from the Nightmare Isle, or just enjoy good solid writing about cool undead liches and the sadistic women who serve them, pick up Forces of Warmachine: Cryx and you won’t be disappointed.   More on the new Cryxian units very soon! ~ Mr. Black