WARMACHINE players take on the role of warcasters as they lead their titanic forces into battle. Warcasters possess significant martial prowess of their own as well as having hardened warriors and magical spells to bring to bear. Players collect, assemble, and paint fantastically detailed models representing the varied warriors, machines, and creatures in their armies. WARMACHINE is fully compatible with its feral twin, the monstrous miniatures combat game of HORDES.
A WARMACHINE warcaster's true strength lies in his ability to control and coordinate the mighty combat automatons at the heart of his forces�his warjacks. Each and every warjack is a looming ironclad behemoth, a coal-fired engine of destruction with a primitive magical brain in addition to its unique weapons and capabilities. On its own a warjack is capable of only the most rudimentary actions, but when controlled by a warcaster its efficiency and deadliness increase dramatically. Using his warjacks wisely can decide a battle for a seasoned warcaster.
A crucial component to a player's strategy in WARMACHINE is how he uses his warcaster's focus points to boost his army's abilities. Focus points can be used to enhance a 'jack's already impressive combat power or spent on powerful spells to decimate opposing units or provide powerful benefits to a warcaster's own troops. Properly allocated, a warcaster's focus points can turn his army into a momentous engine of destruction.