The Battle Barn

35 Pts - Mercenary Army

-Battlegroup (4#, 15 pts)
---1 Fiona the Black, 15 pts (Feat - Dark Omen; Affliction; Influence; Nonokrion Brand; Roth's Mercy; Soulfire; Telgesh Mark; Cultists; Whiplash)
-----1 Viper (Blessed; Grievous Wounds)
---1 Rocinante (Affinity [Damiano]; Defensive Strike; Guard Dog)
-----1 Cannon
-----1 Battle Blade
---1 Talon
-----1 Shield
-----1 Stun Lance (Powerful Charge; Stall)
---1 Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker (Arcane Secrets ( * Action ); Arcane Assist; Retribution Partisan; Spiritual Conduit)
-----1 Staff of Seeking

-Sea Dog Crew (11#, 10 pts)
---10 Grunts, (Gang; Point Blank)
-----1 Pistol
-----1 Hand weapon
---1 Mr. Walls, The Quartermaster (Gang; Monkey Bite; No Quarter; Point Blank; Tactics: Advanced Deployment)
-----1 Heavy Pistols [x2]

-Captain Sam MacHorne & the Devil Dogs (7#, 10 pts)
---1 Sam MacHorne (Drive: Pronto; Iron Wall)
-----1 Hand Cannon
-----1 Stun Sword (Stall)
---5 Grunt
-----1 Slug Gun
-----1 Net (Entangle; Heavy)
-----1 Picke Axe (Trash)
---1 Vanguard (Assault; Shield Guard)
-----1 Shield Gun
-----1 Tower Shield
-----1 Guisarme (Set Defense)

So I will be the first to say I have no clue what I am doing...Just looked through some of the Merc Casters and I do like Fiona. (Army builder is telling me she doesnt count as a caster?)

Took the Sea Dogs because she counts them as cultists and can benefit from them...I think.

Rocinante was taken for the cool factor and a long rang big gun that is also a guard dog for fiona. Taalon is my favorite looking Jack.

The Devil Dogs simply looked cool to me and the fact that Sam Machorne can jump up on the Vanguard and drive it forward seemed appealing as well.

Don't think I mashed things too well...did as well as I could without the pdfs and such.

Any input would be appreciated.

I am considering a Cryx army with Fiona at the forefront...which would lose me the Devildogs but keep most other things and allow me to take more things.

For army building purposes either get the ibodger app for a smartphone or use http://www.forwardkomander.com. Army Builder sucks for Warmachine/Hordes. You have six points left over on this list because AB didn't factor in Fiona's 6 warjack points.

The list looks fine aside from the fact that you do have 6 more points to spend. Very Merc-y indeed. You cannot, however, run a Cryx force with Fiona. Mercs can be kind of confusing but essentially when you're playing a main faction you can supplement your force with mercenary units and solos but it must always be led by a faction warcaster.

All-merc armies are technically run under either the specific caster's theme list or one of three "contracts" listed in the book: Talion Charter, Highborn Covenant, or Searforge Commission.

Like I said, confusing, especially when you don't have the book. Fiona happens to fall under the Talion Charter contract (they're the pirates) so you could take anything from their army list with her.

After looking more into Fiona's tiers and how to increase them...I don't quite have feel the appeal so much.

I don't want four units of pirates running about for tier 2...

Well...this is why finding a good caster that suits your pllay takes some research.

Not all the tier forces are worth the benefits.

Take a look at Ashlynn D'Elyse's tier force. Cygnar Gun Mage's are pretty awesome and the two solos you're required to take seem solid. The tier benefits are all good too, T1 allows you to take Gun Mages. T2 allows you to redeploy your solos. T3 gives her battlegroup, that means Warjacks, advance deployment. T4 gives you a free unit attachment (UA) to one of your Gun Mage units.

Here's a 35pt T4 Ashlynn force;
Ashlynn D'Elyse
Battlegroup
2 Vanguard (required)
Units
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (required)
Gun Mage Officer (free T4 UA)
Jack Marshalled Mule or Mariner
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (required)
Captain Sam Machorne & the Devil Dogs
Solos
Anastasia Di Bray (required)
Rutger Shaw
Taryn di la Rovisi (required)

I feel like I should point out that you could field your earlier list legally (+6 points) under the Four Star Syndicate contract.

That's a fun looking list too though Mike, and Ashlynn is pretty awesome.

Gun Mage...sounds too cool not to investigate...

They're a Cygnar unit. They are a very cool unit, especially when they're accompanied by an Officer. Their models are pretty too.

I was always a fan of Gun Mages. With the officer they rock, and are a great shooty unit.

All right...i do like the look of this...

Battlegroup
-Ashlynn d'Elyse
---Vanguard
---Vanguard

Units
-Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts)
---Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer
---Mule
-Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts)
-Precursor Knights (Leader and 5 Grunts)

Solos
-Anastasia di Bray
-Rutger Shaw
-Taryn di la Rovissi

Now the only issue is it costs $245 at Privateer Press prices.

The starting force would be

Ashlynn d'Elyse
Vanguard
Vanguard

Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer
Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts)

Anastasia di Bray
Taryn di la Rovissi

Because I am not sure how common Tier 4 at 20 points is...

Yeah, don't be fooled by the swords they're holding. If they have reason to use them then they're already dead.

In addition that starter list lacks a real heavy bitter, you'll struggle to do any damage against heavies from other factions. Maybe a nomad? Its a solid and cheap heavy.

Here's a non-tier Ashlynn list I put together after doing a bit of research on her.

Ashlynn
--Mule
--Sylys Wyshnalyrr

Arcane Tempest Gun Mages
--Gun Mage Officer
--Mule

6 Steelhead Riflemen

Rutger Shaw
--Nomad
Taryn di la Rovissi

Buying this from http://www.miniaturemarket.com it's only $175.

The Gun Mages with the Mule...pretty sure that's going to be the foundation of what I want currently...

Liking the looks of

Gun Mages
Rover
Vanguard
Talon (probably my favorite model)

Honestly...how things play comes second to me...I think these models look sweet.

I effing love the Rover. Go nuts dude!