Comming from Warhammer(fantasy and 40k) to Warmachine, I can say that I find Warmachine to be far more engaging and creative, both in it's elements, and in the kind of tactics required to play. Unlike Warhammer, where the vast majority of winning vs loosing comes from pre-game conditions(armylists, who gets first turn, terrain, scenario, ect), Warmachine offers alot more tactical flexability with what kinds of actions a model can make each turn. Rather then where in warhammer you simply can -and cannot- perform certain actions, in Warmachine, you can do just about anything thats plausable, all with matching advantages and disadvantages. Almost ontop of everything else being how much tactical flexibility is offered by your Warcaster, who can simultaniously take on the roles of hard-hitting spellcaster, melee fighter, buffer, and leader, focusing on as much or as little of each as the controller wants.

As far as the issue of being steampunk goes, I can understand the non-steampunk perspective. Since it's true. Warmachine is not Steampunk. It's definatly steamtech-based, but there is very little 'punk' to the game. No post-apocalyptic grunge-setting. No street-gangs, or any of the other typical cyberpunk/steampunk traditional settings. Outside of the warjacks themselves, basically everything else about the world is archetypical of any other fantasy-setting. Now, that said, it has alot of steampunk-friendly content, alot of the things that would attract a person to the steampunk genre are also present in Warmachine, so it gets the best of both worlds. It appeals to fans of the steampunk genre, but it's not tied down to the label.

Iron Kingdoms is an awesome setting, and is so steampunk my nose sometimes bleeds. I mean, they got two story robots powered by coal and magic. What more could you ask for? And everybody wears goggles. Its the height of fashion and also stops soot from getting in your eyes. The miniatures game is rewarding as well, since you only need a handful of models to play with, as opposed to GW games, where entire armies are necesary for a rewarding game.

What can I say, Privateer Press, the company who makes then, has made me some kind of mindless lackey to their cause.

I dont know why thay avoid the lable os steam punk like the plage ........ actualy thinking about I should rely ask them i have a cuppleof buddies who work for them.........any hoo
Its mutch cheeper than war hammer I think I recall that the point was when nthay set up that thay where all sick to the back teath of expencive war games that where just about roling dice so this has a lil more stratagy and the jacks on the bed site dont actaly give the best impreshion of what thay look like

Think partly the aversion is fear of loosing fantasy gamers or being associated with GURPS. Then again they might also be hewing to a stricter definition where magic doesn't fit. What I read of the background materials, which are thoroughly written, there's little notion of scientific rationalism internal to the universe. Crafters seemed to be cranks channeling mechanical forces, Newton's on crack and not Dr. Stirling's.

Either way, their writers definitely don't mind using steampunk source. Khador feels like Alexander II era Russia. I could easily see a whole People's Will campaign coming from Privateer, especially since they have a Vladamir running around in the background.

I admit I find it a little strange when people choose to deny any involvement with Steampunk - perhaps there is a negative connotation that I've so far managed to blissfully avoid? *smiles*

But I wouldn't post it if I didn't think it had things to offer someone who loves Steampunk. (I like the mercenaries 'faction' the most so far - some of the warjacks are a little too Warhammer 40k otherwise for my tastes.)

In my opinion, Warmachine *is* steampunk, no matter what they call it. I guess I'm the "call a spade a spade" kind of man. Haven't tried it yet, but I might pick it up if I get some money over (miniature games eats money faster than you can blink). And it's about time that Games Workshop - who's for many years had monopoly over practically all the fantasy miniatures market - finally gets competition. Especially from a steampunk game, since that means that steampunk miniatures are easily aviable on the market now. The future is looking bright for us.