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{{Sidebar}}
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{{FH1|Welcome to Warmachine University}}
__notoc__
 
= Welcome to Battle College=
 
Battle College is currently under a '''major''' overhaul because of the release of Mk3, and due to this you will find a lot of missing pages, broken pages, and pages with very little content. We apologise for that, and also ask that you help us get back up and running!
 
{{Tipbox|width_total=70%|The old Battle College can still be accessed [http://battlecollege.wikispaces.com/Battle+College+-+Home on wikispaces]. }}
 
 
 
==What is Battle College?==
 
 
{{Iconbox
 
{{Iconbox
 
                   |fgcolor=#1e90ff
 
                   |fgcolor=#1e90ff
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                   |leftbox=[[File:Info icon.png|40px]]
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                   |leftbox=   
                   |heading=Battle College Mission Statement
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                   |heading=Warmachine University Mission Statement
                   |content=Battle College was created, and is maintained, for the purpose of helping Warmachine & Hordes players of all skill levels improve their game through knowledge of the game itself.
+
                   |content= [[File:BattleCollegeLogo.png|right|250px]] Warmachine University is a fan-made site that was created, and is maintained, for the purpose of helping Warmachine & Hordes players of all skill levels improve their game through knowledge of the game itself.
 
}}
 
}}
 +
__toc__
 +
==What's on this website==
 +
* '''Model Entries''' - Warmachine University is perhaps best known for having an article on every single model in the game where we recap its rules, then break that down into what the model really does in a game, its combos with other models, and so on.
 +
** Explore the Faction pages on the left-hand sidebar, and you'll soon navigate to these specific model entries.
 +
* '''Newbie Guides''' - We have guides on everything from "what Warmachine is" to "Cygnar for beginners" to "probability calculations when rolling dice". Its all work in progress, but maybe you want to help us?
 +
* '''And more''' - Poke around in [[The Vaults]] and you'll find lots of useful information.
 +
 +
=='''New (or returning) Players - Start Here!'''==
 +
We've got articles to help you whatever stage you're at:
 +
* [[What is Warmachine?|What is Warmachine and Hordes?]] If you've only just heard of this game.
 +
* [[What is Warmachine?#Where should I start?|What do I need to buy/borrow?]]
 +
* [[Faction Overview]]. If you're still trying to decide which Faction to buy.
 +
* [[Starter Products]]. Cheaper ways to start collecting an army.
 +
* [[Cheat Sheets]]. Fan-made quick reference stuff.
 +
* [[Info for returning players]] if you used to play the game several years ago, and want to know what's changed.
 +
* [[Learning to Play the Game (LPG)|Basic Training series]]. If you're trying to learn the core rules. (Still a WIP)
 +
* [[Learn Objectives, Tactics, & Strategy (LOTS)|Intermediate Training series]]. If you're trying to become a better player. (Still a WIP)
 +
 +
==Creating/Editing Content==
 +
===Who writes Warmachine University?===
 +
Warmachine University is a public wiki, which means anyone can edit it.
 +
 +
Historically this meant everything was written by volunteers of varying skill levels, experience, and writing ability - but as of May 2018 the reins were taken over by the [https://www.loswarmachine.com/ Line of Sight] team who are putting together a team of writers to do the lion's share of writing. But still, if you have something to add, feel free to add it!
 +
 +
* Check out the guides in the [[Template:Index Help|Contribute]] section before diving in to editing willy-nilly.
 +
* Talk to other Warmachine University editors on the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/battlecollege/ Facebook group page]
  
===How do we do this?===
+
===Articles that need work===
* '''Model Entries''' - Battle College is perhaps best known for having a short article on every single model in the game where we explain what it is capable of, and give a brief breakdown of its merits and downsides.
+
{{Main Page anouncement}}
** Explore the Faction pages, and you'll soon navigate to specific model entries.
+
===Warmachine University is not a source of Official Rules===
* '''Newbie Guides''' - We have guides on everything from "what Warmachine is" to "the best way for Cygnar players to defeat Khador players" (this is still really really WIP)
+
Warmachine University (WU) is not officially endorsed by Privateer Press (PP).  
* '''And more''' - Poke around and you'll find lots of useful information.
 
  
 +
Historically this meant we could not give readers exact stats/rules (because of Copyright and Intellectual Property issues) and had to give more vague 'pseudo-rules' instead. However, this all changed in 2016 when PP announced that they were going to go fully digital with their rules '''and''' provide ''all'' their rules ''for free'' '''and''' allow third-party websites (like WU) free reign to share ''exact'' copies of the rules.
  
==Who writes Battle College?==
+
Since that announcement we have edited nearly all our pages from 'pseudo-rules' to exact copies, but we don't always get it right (for various reasons).
You do. Nobody takes responsibility for the content of BC. It's our own responsibility - all of us.  
 
  
Everything here is written by volunteers - if there's something you want to add or correct, simply sign up for an account and soon you'll be editing away.
+
What this all adds up to is simple: '''We try our best, but there ''are'' mistakes on this website'''. Don't trust everything you read on the internet, and always play the game based on the official rules. Meanwhile, if you see a mistake, go ahead and fix it!
* Check out the guides in the [[Template:Index Help|Contribute]] section before diving in to editing willy-nilly.
 
{{Tipbox|Talk to other Battle College editors on the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/battlecollege/ Facebook group page]}}<br>
 
  
Many players tend to not be able to get away from the idea that BC is "someone". That you can talk to BC and give it advice. ''"Hey BC, I think you should fix [...]" "Hey BC, [...] needs a new image"''. But you can't; if you try to talk to BC, you talk to yourself and the only answer is silence. Because there is no point in pointing it out - if you think it should be changed, change it. Most likely nobody else is going to do it for you. Other editors probably want to work on the things that interest them, not the things you spot and point out.
+
===Contact Us===
 +
* If you need to contact an admin, refer to the [[Talk:Main Page#Contact Us]].
 +
* If you want to talk to other Warmachine University editors, use the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/warmachine.university/ Facebook group page].
  
 
==Rules and Rules Clarifications==
 
==Rules and Rules Clarifications==
At the top of every model page you will find a '''Rules summary'''. These rules are ''not'' the exact rules used in game (because that would be a copyright violation). Instead these summaries serve the purpose of informing new players what a model is capable of, and reminding veteran players which ability does which effect when they're researching a new faction. If you wish to get the exact model rules then you should download the official Warroom app.
+
At the top of every model page you will find a '''Rules summary'''. These rules used to be "pseudo rules" to avoid copyright, but are currently being changed over to exact copies (as mentioned above).
 +
 
 +
At the bottom of most model pages you'll find a list of '''Rules Clarifications'''. These clarifications are typically unofficial, except those with an '''[[Infernal Ruling]]'''. However each and every clarification attempts to ''"use the rules to explain how this works"'' rather than just ''"it works this way because I say so."''
 +
 
 +
The clarifications are from discussions on the official [http://privateerpressforums.com/forumdisplay.php?92-WARMACHINE-amp-HORDES-Rules-Questions Rules Questions forum], and can be considered the ''"communally accepted proper way to play the rule."''
 +
 
 +
==Warmachine University - A brief history==
 +
====The beginning====
 +
Warmachine University started life as Battlecollege.com way back in Mk I. It was a non-wiki wesbite run by a single person, '''Ringsnake'''. Unfortunately, when Mk II happened (2010) Ringsnake did not feel he could maintain or update the site.  
 +
 
 +
====The wikispaces era====
 +
The site would have died then, but for the efforts of '''StJason''' who archived and transported the content to the "wikispaces" website (wikispaces.com/battlecollege) which, at the time, was a free service sort of like 'wikipedia lite'.
 +
 
 +
As a wiki it lets everyone have a say, rather than just showcasing the opinions of one individual. As the games grow and evolve, so does the wiki. By letting a more general consensus appear, not to mention the voices of dozens of you mad tactical geniuses, we can get a more accurate, more inventive, and more dastardly tactica set up for the beginner. Who will turn around and invent something even more nasty?... Sharing is caring!
  
At the bottom of every model page you find a list of '''Rules Clarifications'''. These clarifications are unofficial, except those with an [[Infernal Ruling]]. However each and every clarification attempts to "use the rules to explain how this works" rather than just "it works this way because I say so." The clarifications are based upon discussions between players on the official [http://privateerpressforums.com/forumdisplay.php?92-WARMACHINE-amp-HORDES-Rules-Questions Rules Questions forum] and can be considered the "communally accepted proper way to play the rule". In saying that though, we editors are human and do make mistakes; if you find a poorly explained Rules Clarification on Battle College then please bring it to our attention, either via the [[Talk:Main Page]] or on the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/battlecollege/ Facebook group page]
+
In 2014 '''juckto''' came into the picture and basically said "Battle College has gotten a bad reputation for ''giving bad advice more often than it gives good advice'', so let's restructure how we're giving players info." He drew a line in the sand between the fact-based 'Basic Info' section vs the opinion-based 'Thoughts On' section; introduced standardised templates for abilities; and expanded the 'Thoughts On' section with sub-headings such as 'Combos & Synergies' and 'Drawbacks & Downsides' so that each model got a more holistic review.
  
==Battle College - A brief history==
+
====The dot org era====
The original Battlecollege.com website was run by '''Ringsnake'''. Unfortunately, he did not feel he could maintain or update the site after the change from Mk I to Mk II. Most of the starting materials here are based off his work. By making this a wiki, our hope is to let everyone have a say, rather than just showcasing the opinions of one individual. As the games grow and evolve, so will the wiki. By letting a more general consensus appear, not to mention the voices of dozens of you mad tactical geniuses, we can get a more accurate, more inventive, and more dastardly tactica set up for the beginner. Who will turn around and invent something even more nasty?... Sharing is caring!
+
Near the end of 2015 the '''Monocle Society''' company generously offered to take over the running costs of the wikispaces host software (which by then had not been free for several years) and also purchased the battlecollege.org domain name, and their offer was happily accepted. Also around this time the website had grown to the size and complexity that it the underlying wikispaces code was struggling and glitching quite often. So when Mk3 was announced (mid-2016), the decision was made to leave the old wikispaces site behind completely and instead run modern wikipedia software engine on a new server (battlecollege.org).
  
In 2014 '''juckto''' began pushing for a more organised approach to the model articles, to try and curtail player's negative opinions towards Battle College. He fleshed out the 'Basic Info' vs 'Thoughts On' distinction, introduced "ability templates", and standarised subheadings in the 'Thoughts' section.
+
====The LOS era====
 +
In early-2018, after the site went offline a couple of times, the CEO of Monocle Society announced that he needed to pass the torch of hosting over to someone else. He didn't have the time to manage it anymore and, asides from the cost, it really does need better love and attention. The CEO gave the other admins the password for the server account and then went almost completely incommunicado. Unfortunately an extra layer of security implemented by the server host service meant the other admins were unable to gain access even with the password.  
  
In 2016, we had outgrown the capabilities of the wikispaces software (plus it was no longer free). With the release of Mk3 the decision was made to move to a proper wikipedia engine on a private server, which is generously paid for by '''Kinkade'''.
+
After a month or two of trying to contact the server host and/or the CEO and getting nowhere, juckto decided the best way forward would be to create a brand new account with another server host and manually copy the site content to a that different server host. juckto didn't have the technical expertise to do any of that himself, so he made a public plea for help. This was answered by many players, but the most organised bunch were the '''[https://www.loswarmachine.com/ Line of Sight]''' team who did a fantastic job of setting up the server you are currently reading and copying everything across.

Revision as of 21:34, 8 April 2019

Welcome to Warmachine University

   

Warmachine University Mission Statement

BattleCollegeLogo.png
Warmachine University is a fan-made site that was created, and is maintained, for the purpose of helping Warmachine & Hordes players of all skill levels improve their game through knowledge of the game itself.

What's on this website

  • Model Entries - Warmachine University is perhaps best known for having an article on every single model in the game where we recap its rules, then break that down into what the model really does in a game, its combos with other models, and so on.
    • Explore the Faction pages on the left-hand sidebar, and you'll soon navigate to these specific model entries.
  • Newbie Guides - We have guides on everything from "what Warmachine is" to "Cygnar for beginners" to "probability calculations when rolling dice". Its all work in progress, but maybe you want to help us?
  • And more - Poke around in The Vaults and you'll find lots of useful information.

New (or returning) Players - Start Here!

We've got articles to help you whatever stage you're at:

Creating/Editing Content

Who writes Warmachine University?

Warmachine University is a public wiki, which means anyone can edit it.

Historically this meant everything was written by volunteers of varying skill levels, experience, and writing ability - but as of May 2018 the reins were taken over by the Line of Sight team who are putting together a team of writers to do the lion's share of writing. But still, if you have something to add, feel free to add it!

  • Check out the guides in the Contribute section before diving in to editing willy-nilly.
  • Talk to other Warmachine University editors on the Facebook group page

Articles that need work

Warmachine University is not a source of Official Rules

Warmachine University (WU) is not officially endorsed by Privateer Press (PP).

Historically this meant we could not give readers exact stats/rules (because of Copyright and Intellectual Property issues) and had to give more vague 'pseudo-rules' instead. However, this all changed in 2016 when PP announced that they were going to go fully digital with their rules and provide all their rules for free and allow third-party websites (like WU) free reign to share exact copies of the rules.

Since that announcement we have edited nearly all our pages from 'pseudo-rules' to exact copies, but we don't always get it right (for various reasons).

What this all adds up to is simple: We try our best, but there are mistakes on this website. Don't trust everything you read on the internet, and always play the game based on the official rules. Meanwhile, if you see a mistake, go ahead and fix it!

Contact Us

Rules and Rules Clarifications

At the top of every model page you will find a Rules summary. These rules used to be "pseudo rules" to avoid copyright, but are currently being changed over to exact copies (as mentioned above).

At the bottom of most model pages you'll find a list of Rules Clarifications. These clarifications are typically unofficial, except those with an Infernal Ruling. However each and every clarification attempts to "use the rules to explain how this works" rather than just "it works this way because I say so."

The clarifications are from discussions on the official Rules Questions forum, and can be considered the "communally accepted proper way to play the rule."

Warmachine University - A brief history

The beginning

Warmachine University started life as Battlecollege.com way back in Mk I. It was a non-wiki wesbite run by a single person, Ringsnake. Unfortunately, when Mk II happened (2010) Ringsnake did not feel he could maintain or update the site.

The wikispaces era

The site would have died then, but for the efforts of StJason who archived and transported the content to the "wikispaces" website (wikispaces.com/battlecollege) which, at the time, was a free service sort of like 'wikipedia lite'.

As a wiki it lets everyone have a say, rather than just showcasing the opinions of one individual. As the games grow and evolve, so does the wiki. By letting a more general consensus appear, not to mention the voices of dozens of you mad tactical geniuses, we can get a more accurate, more inventive, and more dastardly tactica set up for the beginner. Who will turn around and invent something even more nasty?... Sharing is caring!

In 2014 juckto came into the picture and basically said "Battle College has gotten a bad reputation for giving bad advice more often than it gives good advice, so let's restructure how we're giving players info." He drew a line in the sand between the fact-based 'Basic Info' section vs the opinion-based 'Thoughts On' section; introduced standardised templates for abilities; and expanded the 'Thoughts On' section with sub-headings such as 'Combos & Synergies' and 'Drawbacks & Downsides' so that each model got a more holistic review.

The dot org era

Near the end of 2015 the Monocle Society company generously offered to take over the running costs of the wikispaces host software (which by then had not been free for several years) and also purchased the battlecollege.org domain name, and their offer was happily accepted. Also around this time the website had grown to the size and complexity that it the underlying wikispaces code was struggling and glitching quite often. So when Mk3 was announced (mid-2016), the decision was made to leave the old wikispaces site behind completely and instead run modern wikipedia software engine on a new server (battlecollege.org).

The LOS era

In early-2018, after the site went offline a couple of times, the CEO of Monocle Society announced that he needed to pass the torch of hosting over to someone else. He didn't have the time to manage it anymore and, asides from the cost, it really does need better love and attention. The CEO gave the other admins the password for the server account and then went almost completely incommunicado. Unfortunately an extra layer of security implemented by the server host service meant the other admins were unable to gain access even with the password.

After a month or two of trying to contact the server host and/or the CEO and getting nowhere, juckto decided the best way forward would be to create a brand new account with another server host and manually copy the site content to a that different server host. juckto didn't have the technical expertise to do any of that himself, so he made a public plea for help. This was answered by many players, but the most organised bunch were the Line of Sight team who did a fantastic job of setting up the server you are currently reading and copying everything across.