Entry Cost into Warmachine?

[Squirrel_Fish]

So after downloading the rules, I decided to throw together a quick list for your opinions. This list is mostly based on how much I like the rules and how much I like the models...Mostly how much I like the models.

35 Points
Lich Lord Asphyxious
Deathripper
Deathripper
Cankerworm
Slayer
Deathjack
Tartarus
Bane Knights

Lich Lord Asphyxious? He looks awesome. His feat (combined with a sacrifice of Tartarus + Bane Knights) sounds like I could use it to quickly slaughter some worn down enemies. His spellcasting just screams awesome to me.

Deathrippers - cheap. Maybe effective? Arc Nodes are helpful mainly because it gives Asphy (is there a better acronym for this guy?) a more flexible casting range.

Cankerworm - Looks cool. Its Armor Piercing Bite seems like it'd be good at tearing through Light Jacks pretty easily.

Slayer - Points I didn't know what to do with.

Deathjack - With a name like the Deathjack, I'd be crazy not to take this guy. He seems pretty scary.

Tartarus and Bane Knights - Tartarus seems like he'd work well with Asphy and I don't want him going around alone. Since I thought the Knights looked cooler than the Thralls, I went with the Knights.

CC?

[GentleBen]

Sounds like a solid list. The Deathjack will help relieve some of the focus burden generating 2 extra focus per turn. With necromancy thats even an extra caustic mist you can put down to help shield your advance from incoming fire. 4 caustic mist clouds will also screw with enemy infantry because they'll die if they try to go in it. You got some arc nodes to make sure you can put parasite on whatever you need to assuring the deathjack will be able to trash probably any single target per round. Asphyxious's feat with the Bane Knights adds some assassination threat. Its definitely competitive. If you really want some hardcore analysis sign up on the PP forums and post this in the cryx list discussion. I'm sure if there are any major flaws they'll find them.

[Irdion]

I'm going to regress a little bit i the conversation to hit upon price again.

For new players, I HEAVILY encourage people to begin with the battle box. It is indeed true that the best competitive models in the game are not included in them, but the combination of the models and rules to play the game is perfect for players just starting out. If you rush into the game too quickly, you may find that you've developed an army in which you don't particularly like the play style. As a Press Ganger I've seen numerous individuals get into the hobby really quickly, throwing down a lot of money to put together a force as quickly as possible - only to eBay it as soon as they don't like how it plays. In contrast, almost everyone who buys the battlebox will get at least a few games out of it before getting tired of the contents. It's also relatively cheap for the hobby, and will help you and your friends get introduced to the rules gradually rather than immediately running into the 35 point level.

The best starting point level I've found is about 25 points, a little bit under the established standard. It gives you enough leeway to try out a few things you think you might like, including a nice mix of infantry and warjacks, without sacrificing too much in the way of initial investment. After you play for a month or two at the 25 point level, then try building up to 35 points and see what kind of things that the additional points will buy you.

Now that I've gone and spouted my opinion everywhere, I'll take a look at your Cryx list

35 Points
Lich Lord Asphyxious
Deathripper
Deathripper
Cankerworm
Slayer
Deathjack
Tartarus
Bane Knights

Cankerworm and Asphyxious go together like peas and carrots, and veteran Cryx players swear by this combination as one of the most effective duos in the game. Cankerworm's unique abilities combined with Asphyxious's ability to rust or otherwise cripple large targets makes the unison of these two almost a gimme. Likewise, Deathrippers are great little engines of irritation for your opponent, as they create an incredible threat range from their high SPD and the high Focus values of Cryx Warcasters. The ability to get spells where you need/want them is going to start becoming second nature as a Cryx player, as proper combinations of offensive spell and attacking models is essential to the fundamental Cryx strategy. Tartarus and Bane Knights are a heavy hitting cannon, and they provide a high threat for your opponents to deal with. If they aren't popped off, they WILL kill an essential piece of the enemy army, in incredibly short order. Make sure to defend them because most players know of this, and new players will quickly learn

The bit where I'm a little concerned is the inclusion of the Deathjack and the Slayer. Asphyxious loves his focus for his repertoire of nasty and devilish little tricks, and anything which takes away from that quickly reduces the effectiveness of your Warcaster. Warmachine is a game of economics, with focus management being the essential principle. These two heavy warjacks do provide a solid center, but they also require a lot of fuel in the form of focus to be effective. The Deathjack is hands down one of the most lethal instruments in Warmachine, but that comes at a rather hefty price tag. Consider dropping one of the other for a supporting element to your Warjack heavy force, namely something to deal with a large volume of infantry. Since you've already mentioned you aren't too fond of the zombie element, consider adding Satyxis raiders as a complement to your force. Their high MAT and damage output can unsettle opponents the first time they meet it, and the Unit Attachment gives them a huge boost in mobility and a couple nifty abilities to deal with various targets. Experiment around, and see what works for you.