The new edition of WARMACHINE—MKIV has been announced- check out what to expect with the newest edition of the game!
We’ve heard some rumors, but now that Privateer Press confirms it, we know it’s happening for real. Especially considering there has been a noticeable absence of releases, this all makes sense! We’ll cover the timeline and what to expect, but also what possible new minis might be on the way. Let’s check it out!
WARMACHINE: New Edition MKIV Announced by Privateer Press!
Obviously, the dates are subject to change, but there are even bigger reveals coming soon in Gen-con and plenty more with new starter sets sometime in late September or early October. So, the timeline is all well and good, but let’s check out some of the details on the new edition.
Why the Change?
Considering this is their change, we’ll let them tell you more about the why:
• New editions are controversial but necessary.
• “Living Games” have a shelf-life.
• Maintaining positive perception requires a constant stream of releases.
I’m going to start with the hard stuff.
Changing editions for a game that has enjoyed twenty years on the tabletop is a nearly insurmountable task. It’s not the making of the new edition that is so difficult; rather, it’s making everyone who has a vested interest in the game happy that you’ve done it. The meme goes, “There are only two things wargamers hate: the way things are. And change.” So, we’re starting from a position squarely lodged between the proverbial rock and hard place.
If we know a new edition is going to be controversial, why wade into that battle? We wrestled with this question for a long time. We’ve been making games for over twenty years—award-winning games, no less! We love making games and like to think we aren’t half-bad at it. And new games are fun to make. But new editions of existing games…that way lies madness and pain. We considered encasing WARMACHINE in amber and calling it a “finished” game, only to be touched through occasional updates to maintain balance. But in the end, we love the game and community too much to ever walk away from it. And as we headed toward the sixth year of MKIII, we found many reasons to take on a new edition.
The funny thing about miniatures games is that, unlike a board game you can play and shelve and then play again years later even though nothing new has been added to it, there is a perception that a miniatures game is thriving only if there is a constant stream of new releases. There is no sense that a miniatures game can ever be complete or that it could be just as playable five or ten years from now as it is today if nothing new has expanded its catalog. But there comes a point in the lifespan of a perpetually expanding game—and we surely hit it—where continually adding to the catalog reaches a point of diminishing returns. The icing gets spread too thinly on the cake, and the new releases are no longer as sweet as they once were. But the effort and cost that goes into creating new content doesn’t change, and it’s at this point that a new edition needs to be considered.
Beyond feeding the perception that WARMACHINE is a “living” game, there are very practical reasons to change editions. Over time, the audience for an ongoing game wanders and atrophies. A new edition provides an opportunity for lapsed players to come back and for new players to jump in for the first time. Further, trends that might have been popular years ago don’t necessarily stay as popular as the years move on, so a new edition gives us an opportunity to update the game and embrace the times. For the existing community of players, it’s a chance to renew excitement, to introduce the game to new friends, and to savor that new warjack smell. And for us, a new edition is a thrilling opportunity to put twenty years of experience and wisdom to work and make the best version of WARMACHINE that has ever been done!
Big Faction Changes Coming
A fundamental change in MKIV is that you will no longer play a Faction; you will play an army that is part of a Faction. The Storm Legion, for instance, is an army under the Faction banner of Cygnar. While it will possess many different model options from which a wide variety of army compositions can be built, armies will effectively be finite and closed. Each new army will have its own selection of warcasters and warjacks, units and solos, all of which can only be used in that army. And while we’ll always reserve the right to add new content to an army, armies will not be continually expanded in perpetuity. Our current schema for an army includes three warcasters, two warjacks, five to six units, and a handful of solos.
Cadres are smaller subgroups of a Faction, usually specialists, that can work with multiple armies within a Faction. So as a completely hypothetical example, let’s say we create a Gravediggers army for Cygnar in the future. Then, any models in the Stormsmith Cadre would be able to be used in a Storm Legion or Gravediggers army. Similarly, larger and more expensive models like Colossals and Battle Engines will most commonly be available to multiple armies within a Faction, providing more bang for the buck for those interested in exploring different armies within a Faction.
MKIV Gaming Highlights
- MKIV is an evolution of the game.
- MKIV will support 50-, 75-, and 100-point battles
- MKIV introduces Command Cards, which provide one-off effects (like mini-feats) and can be purchased as part of your force construction.
- MKIV warcasters have customizable spell racks.
- MKIV warjacks are customizable with multiple weapon and head (cortex) options.
That does it for this one, and this is only a portion of what they covered, so click the link below to see all the changes!
Click Here to Learn More About WARMACHINE—MKIV!
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
