101 - The Statblock

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This article is part of Warmachine University's Learning to Play the Game (LPG) series, which is "Intermediate Training" aimed at new players who are still learning the core rules.
(See also Basic Training and Advanced Training.)


You've just started playing Warmachine or Hordes, you're looking at the cards, and wondering what all those numbers mean. Not what they "are" (the rulebook explains that pretty well) but what's "good"? What's "average"? Is this model a good deal for its points cost, or vice versa?

Statblock

SPD, Speed

A model's movement rate

  • The average is 5 or 6, depending on faction.
  • In a speedy faction such as Cryx or Legion 6 is considered average and 5 would be a slow model.
  • However, in a slower faction like Cygnar or Trollbloods 5 is considered average and 6 would be a speedy model.

STR, Strength

A model's physical strength in melee combat.

  • This is (almost) completely irrelevant for all models except warjacks and warbeasts.
  • Warjacks and warbeasts can perform Power Attacks, which do damage based on STR, but in (most) other cases, knowing the P+S (Power plus Strength) of a melee weapon is much more useful.
  • For this reason, Warmachine University typically omits giving the STR value for non-warjacks & non-warbeasts.
  • Warjacks: The average STR for lights is around 9, heavies is around 11, and colossals is around 18
  • Warbeasts: The average STR for lights is around 8, heavies is around 10, and gargantuans is around 17

MAT, Melee Attack

How good you are at hitting people with melee weapons.

  • The average is 5 or 6.
  • Average MAT is measured vs average DEF. Since the average DEF is around 12-13, and the average roll on 2d6 is 7, we get to an average MAT of 5-6.

RAT, Ranged Attack

How good you are at hitting people with ranged weapons.

  • Similar to MAT, the average is 5 or 6, although different players debate this point.
  • Most players view average RAT as being "lower" than average MAT (ie they consider 5 is average and 6 is good), because ranged attacks can get the Aiming Bonus and because you can strike your opponent first.
  • On the other hand, players who think RAT 5 is decent also tend to play factions with longer ranged guns, so get the Aiming bonus and/or extra attack more often. This can bias their perception of what a reasonable RAT value is.
    So while RAT 5 might be considered average on a unit of shooters that sit in the backlines and pepper the enemy, it would be unappealing on a model that is expected to get up close and personal.

DEF, Defence

How good you are at not getting hit.

  • The average is 12-13.
  • Simply put, someone with average MAT/RAT will hit someone with average DEF an average amount of the time.
  • Because the most common roll on 2d6 is 7; so MAT/RAT 5 (or 6) plus 7 equals DEF 12 (or 13).

Average DEF can vary widely with model type: Heavy warjacks/beasts sit around DEF 10-12, lights are about DEF 13-14, infantry is DEF 12-13, and casters 14-15.

ARM, Armor

How good you are at not being damaged, once you are hit.

  • The average is 14-17, although as with DEF it varies widely depending on model type.
  • It's also very important how many hitpoints you have - if you have only a single wound (as most infantry does) then it doesn't really matter if you're ARM 10 or ARM 15 - chances are someone is going to roll about 17 for damage and you'll be just as dead either way.

CMD, Command

How good a leader you are.

  • The average is 7-8.
  • For units, it measures how much the unit can spread out.
  • For everyone else, it's (almost) always irrelevant. The exception being a few special abilities.

FOCUS & FURY (warlock)

How powerful the warcaster or warlock is.

  • The average is 6-7.
  • Similar to MAT/RAT, the average FOCUS/FURY is determined by comparing it to how hard it is to hit average DEF models on 2d6.
  • You'll note that the average is +1 compared to MAT/RAT - this is because warcasters and warlocks are more awesome than average troops.

WJP & WBP

Warjack Points & Warbeast Points

  • The average is 24-28

FURY (warbeast) & THRS, Threshold

How good a warbeast is at fighting.

  • The average is 3-4 FURY and 6-7 THRS.

Non-Statblock Stats

MA, Magic Ability - How good a model is at spells.

  • The average is 5-6
  • Similar to MAT/RAT, the average MA is determined by comparing it to how hard it is to hit average DEF models on 2d6.

HP, Hitpoints (or Damage Points) - How much damage you can take before you die.

  • The average varies depending on model type - the average heavy warjack has a lot more hitpoints than the average solo. See the next section for more info.

PC, Points Cost - How much a model costs to add to your army.

  • The average varies depending on model type - the average heavy warjack costs a lot more than the average solo. See the next section for more info.

RNG, Range - How far a weapon can attack. (Sometimes renamed Reach for melee weapons to help differentiate them)

  • The average is 8"-10" for ranged weapons.
  • The average is 1" for melee weapons.

POW, Power - How much damage a weapon can do.

  • The average is 10-12 for ranged weapons.
  • POW is omitted for melee weapons in favour of the P+S stat.

P+S, Power + Strength - How much damage a melee weapon does (after adding the weilder's STR)

  • The average is 12-14
  • Heavy warjacks and warbeasts are generally expected to hit a lot harder than average, though, so a warjack with P+S = 16 may be described as "pillow fisted".

Spell Cost - How much focus or fury it costs to cast a spell.

  • 1 is a cheap spell
  • 2 is on the cheap side of average
  • 3 is on the expensive side of average
  • 4 is an expensive spell

Animi - How much fury it costs to cast the given animus

  • 1 is a cheap animus
  • 2 is an expensive animus

(this is a rule of thumb, which needs some clean-up in the descriptions)

FA, Field Allowance - The number of units of that type allowed in your army

Hitpoints and Points Costs

There are a few things that vary so wildly between model types that they can't be easily pigeonholed to a single average value. Namely, hitpoints and points cost. In this case we assign averages that are relative to that model type.

For instance

  • The average light warjack costs about 9 points, but the average heavy warjack costs about 15 points.
  • The average hitpoints of a warcaster is about 16 HP, but a Colossal has about 56 HP on average.
Average Cost Average Hitpoints
Warcaster N/A 16 - 18
Light warjack 8 - 10 18 - 20
Heavy warjack 14 - 16 27 - 29
Colossal 38 - 39 56 - 58
Warlock N/A 16 - 18
Warbeast pack 9 5 each
Lesser warbeast 3 - 4 13
Light warbeast 8 - 10 18 - 20
Heavy warbeast 14-16 27-29
Gargantuan 35 - 37 55 - 58
Solo 4 - 5 5
Unit 1.6 to 2 points per model See note
Battle Engine 15 25 - 30

Note: HP for units varies widely in and of itself.

  • Most troops have 1 hitpoint
  • Officers, heavy infantry, and cavalry have 5 hitpoints
  • Super-heavy infantry have 8 hitpoints

"Missing" Stats

On this website you'll notice some models are "missing" some stats, such as CMD or RAT. This is because they don't use that stat to do anything in-game, so we don't bother to show it. For instance, a model with zero guns doesn't need to have its RAT shown.