So far, The Dragons of Jupiter has received 15 reader reviews: 10 on Amazon, 3 on Goodreads, and 2 on Smashwords. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5. It’s absolutely wonderful to hear from people who enjoyed the story, and that certainly makes all the hard work feel worth it. Here are some excerpts from recent reviews:
“An excellent futuristic military science fiction novel that does not just deal with the larger struggle between planets but the personal struggle between the main characters.”
“I finished it very quickly and when I did have to put it down, I looked forward to being able to get back to reading it.”
“This book contains a lot of action (and gory violence!), some drama, and a whole lot of suspense and thrill. It was well-written and even contains some passages that make you think about family, what it means to be a human, the concept of God, and religion.”
I’m particular happy to receive that last comment. Not bad for a novel that’s 90% about action and explosions, I think. 🙂
On a more personal note, H.P. and I arranged to have the local library carry my book. And wouldn’t you believe it, but there is a waiting list for my book at the library! Granted, it’s not a huge waiting list, just three people in the queue last we checked. But still. Seriously. A waiting list for my book? This is awesome! Piece by piece, word about my book is spreading, and this is how it makes me feel.
Oh yeah, I brought out the big smiley face! But don’t think that H.P. and I are just going to sit back and relax. Heck no! We’ve been hard at work. Not only are we getting close to releasing Time Reavers, but we’re also working on a revised cover for The Dragons of Jupiter. Robert Chew’s artwork still takes center stage, but H.P. and I have learned a lot about what goes into a good cover, and we’re putting those lessons to work with an improved graphic design.
I think you’re going to like it!
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Time Reavers: Cover Preview!
Daniel held a single finger to his mouth. They were close to where Nicole had been when time stopped, next to the frozen subway train just emerging from the tunnel.
Nicole hardly breathed. She strained her ears. Every little sound they made was like thunder in the silence, but on the very edge of hearing …
It was a most peculiar sound. Like someone furiously typing on an old-fashioned typewriter: distant, but heavy and metallic. The sound grew louder and seemed to come from the closest train tunnel.
Nicole looked at Daniel, who was suddenly all business.
“Reaver,” he whispered.
“What’s a reaver?” she whispered.
“You’ll see. Don’t worry. I’m a professional.”
“For some reason, I’m still worried!” she whispered, following him closer to the subway car.
Daniel reached into his trench coat. There was a brief metallic whisper and suddenly he had a long, elegantly-curved sword in his hand.
The rapid metallic clicking grew louder. Daniel had to speak up so she’d hear him.
“Stand back,” he said, grasping his sword two-handed and lowering his stance. “No need to panic. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Nicole shuffled back from the subway car, but bumped into a frozen pedestrian and almost tripped.
The sound continued to crescendo.
“Is it supposed to be this loud?” she shouted.
“Must be a big one!” Daniel shouted back. Nicole thought she heard an uneasy waver in his voice.
The metallic chattering grew louder and louder as the reaver came closer.
“How big do they get?” Nicole shouted, putting hands over her ears.
But Daniel didn’t respond. He lowered his sword slightly and turned around. What Nicole saw then scared her more than anything so far. Deathly fear covered every inch of his face.
Excerpt from Time Reavers, by Jacob Holo
Oh yeah! Here we go again! The cover art is almost complete. Robert Chew, a.k.a CrazyAsian1, brings his impressive talents forward once more. Please enjoy this small preview of the awesome artwork that is to come. 🙂
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The reavers lurk outside our reality, watching the Earth with hunger and malice.
The boundaries between our worlds are falling. The guardians at the gate are dead.
The reavers are almost here.
Warmachine Cygnar Cosplay: Kara Sloan
Presenting H.P. Holo’s Warmachine Cygnar warcaster cosplay: Captain Kara Sloan!
Yes, this costume was about as much work as it looks. But it was worth it!
H.P. constructed the armor from Wonderflex, a thermoplastic that becomes extremely malleable at oven temperatures, but will hold its shape once cooled. The armor took two months to construct, including a few all-nighters for both of us in order to finish everything for Dragon*Con.
H.P. Holo also received support from one of the Holo-Moms, who contributed her formidable sewing skills to the project. The skirts and belts were her work, and were made pretty much from scratch.
The boiler was constructed using foam board and PVC piping. It’s attached to the back with industrial strength Velcro. In fact, pretty much everything is being held together with industrial strength Velcro. This made getting into and out of the armor easy as long as one person helps out. Bathroom breaks at the Dragon*Con were not a problem, which was a good thing. That armor is hot, and we were both guzzling water to fend off the heat exhaustion.
Spitfire, Kara Sloan’s impressive rifle, was built around a block of wood cut by the Holo-Grandpa. H.P. located the original Kara Sloan concept art, took the drawing for the rifle, and created a pattern for the Holo-Grandpa to follow. The rest is a combination of PVC piping and Wonderflex.
I think H.P. did an absolutely awesome job on her costume. But, that’s not all we have! Oh no! I had a costume too! Presenting Jacob Holo’s Warmachine Cygnar cosplay: Captain Lynch of the Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team!
My contribution to this costume was providing the Cygnar rulebook. H.P. and the Holo-Mom did all the rest. What an awesome job they did! They picked out the material, and then made everything from scratch! It looks awesome, but it doesn’t breathe at all! Heat was a major concern for both of us at the convention, but we managed to spend a whole day in costume. At least 30 people took our picture (mostly because of H.P. :-)), 4 recognized the Kara Sloan character, and 2 even recognized I was playing Lynch! Very impressive!
At Dragon*Con, we even got photographed by one of the Privateer Press studio painters. He knew EXACTLY who we were. 🙂 I wish I had written down his name, but in the chaos of the convention, stuff like that got missed.
I like to think of these costumes are Mark I versions. There are plenty of improvements we can make to them, plenty of details from the original characters we can add. For example, I’m not much of a gun mage without a gun. This was my first time cosplaying and it was H.P.’s first time embarking on such an ambitious project. I think we did really well, but I know we can do better for Dragon*Con next year.
Also, the very first change we’re making to the Kara Sloan armor is to put some fans in it. No, seriously. I’m an electrical engineer, and I am building some fans into that armor! That thing is a sweatbox!
So, what do you think of our Warmachine Cygnar cosplay? Please let us know in the comments below. 🙂
Dredd 3D – Movie Review
IN SHORT: In a dystopian future, a vicious gang leader locks down a skyscraper in order to kill two judges. Unfortunately for her, these “judges” come packing some serious heat.
WHAT IT IS: A tight, exciting action movie that entertains from start to finish. Dredd 3D is a great example of a compact, focused, well-executed story that knows what it wants to be and accomplishes it.
WHAT IT IS NOT: Well, it’s not kid friendly. That’s for sure. It’s not slasher gore, but it is a graphic movie that earns its R rating. The movie also lacks depth. The characters and the world they inhabit are interesting, don’t get me wrong, but they’re clearly not the focus. The action is.
WHAT I THOUGHT: Let’s just get this out of the way. Dredd 3D is a fantastic action movie. My first reaction after finishing it was to watch it again. It’s been a while since I saw a pure action movie that just hit all the right notes. Dredd 3D is that action movie.
The mood of the movie is well done. Here is a dystopian future where hundreds of millions live within one massive, unbroken city stretching across the eastern coast of North America. The city seethes with the energy of too many people crammed too tightly together. Its scattered law enforcement can barely hold the chaos at bay. Even though we only get glimpses of this future outside the main story arc, it still manages to feel believable.
The action is exciting, well paced, and very violent. It’s a fun movie to watch. However, all of that focus on action is going to take its toll elsewhere. Judge Dredd, the titular character, isn’t much of a character. He’s more an unstoppable, bullet-spewing force of nature than a human being. His emotional range includes: the scowl, the intense scowl, and the super extra scowly scowl.
There are some brief moments where the movie humanizes Dredd, such as when he stuns two kids holding him at gunpoint instead of shooting them dead (his normal response to problems), but these moments are few and far between.
His sidekick, the rookie judge Anderson, fairs much better. Her story arc is a predictable progression, but it is fun to watch her grow from an unsure newbie that Dredd views with contempt to a capable partner he respects. Her journey is the most interesting in the movie … probably because it’s the only character arc actually in the movie.
To sum it up, Dredd 3D doesn’t try to be a whole lot of things. It sticks to a few core ideas and gets them right. In the end, that’s why it succeeds and why it’s a blast to watch.
VERDICT: Strongly Recommended.
Warmachine Cygnar Cosplay Preview!
Here’s a small preview of H.P. Holo’s Warmachine cosplay: a Cygnar warcaster! Can you guess who she’ll be for Dragon*Con? Leave a comment if you guess it! 🙂
Here’s her armor, made of a heat-activated material called Wonderflex.
This may not look like much now … but just you wait! 🙂
H.P. Holo colored her hair for this cosplay.
Do you know who she’ll be? Leave a comment below and wait for the end of August early September. You’ll find out if you’re right. 🙂
UPDATE 8/30/13: After two all nighters in a row (which were totally worth it to finish her costume :-)), H.P. and I are off to Dragon*Con. Due to the time crunch, we’ll post pictures of our costumes after we return.
The Dragons of Jupiter – New Amazon Reviews! Five Stars!
Two new five star reviews for The Dragons of Jupiter! That makes three on Amazon.com!
Review by: ChemTeach
Great Action Story
Jacob Holo is a wonderful story teller. Even in this futuristic setting with all kinds of cool tech toys for the warriors, the characters’ personalities still pop. There is not one false or phony turn in this action-packed story of two brothers. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-constructed plot with great characters.
Review by: John Bingham
Really good cover to cover
I bought it to check out a new author and was really glad to see we have a young and upcoming author who has a great way with sci-fi and keeping it interesting. The story line was easy to follow and moved along without dragging. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!
Both reviews are for the paperback edition. You can see the reviews here on Amazon.com.
Awesome! Two more five star reviews and two more satisfied customers! And you know what this means? Yep, I’m breaking out the big smiley face!
So who’s in the mood for an action-packed novel? The Dragons of Jupiter is a tale of two brothers who must face each other in a war-ravaged future. If you like your sci-fi novels full of intense battles and bitter, personal conflicts, then this book is for you.
Those who enjoy calm, sedate novels full of peace and harmony may wish to look elsewhere. 🙂
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The Dragons of Jupiter: Another Reader Review! Five Stars!
I just got my first Amazon.com reader review for The Dragons of Jupiter! Here it is.
Review by: L Ingraham
Rich and Original
Very good read. This book takes you on a wild roller coaster ride through the Solar System with action and adventure at every turn. Jacob Holo paints a detailed picture of the future that is rich in story and original in its content.
The review is for the paperback edition and can be seen here.
Again, what can I say? I think I can call this another satisfied customer. Thank you, L Ingraham. I’m very happy you enjoyed the book!
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Time Reavers: Cover Color Studies!
Time Reavers – The monsters are real, and time is their weapon.
Fed up with bad teachers and daily fights with her sister, sixteen-year-old Nicole Taylor yearns for something better. Sadly, she’s in for a letdown, because the world ends next week.
Nicole discovers she has a rare gift. She can bend time around her and even stop it completely. With her powers awakening, she must face the Reavers: horrific killing machines that exist outside our time. The Reavers know about her now and have unleashed their cruelest hunters.
Plagued by nightmarish visions and ambushed by terrifying monsters at every turn, Nicole has one chance to stop their genocidal invasion. With help from a chain-smoking pyrokinetic, a neurotic sword-wielding assassin, and an icy Goth chick with a crossbow, she may stand a chance. But the Reavers are tireless foes, and Time is on their side.
Oh, man! This is so exciting!
Robert Chew (a.k.a. CrazyAsian1) has been hard at work rendering the front and back covers of Time Reavers, a young adult urban fantasy novel. Above, you can see the first color study of the front cover. Seriously, how cool is this?
The color studies look great. Robert and I are going to play around with the colors a little bit, and then he will begin the detailed painting. The reavers look absolutely fantastic. I’m so happy with how they are taking shape. These creatures, implacable combinations of metal and flesh, have been swimming around in my head for years, and it’s so gratifying to see their artwork take form.
When designing the titular villains of the novel, I made a very conscious decision to make them intelligent. These are not brutish monsters. They’re an army. They engage the heroes with coordination and purpose. They will lay ambushes. They will fake an attack to throw defenders off balance. Not only can they outfight the heroes, they can outthink them as well. It is their intelligence that makes them a truly formidable foe.
Here’s the back cover color study featuring the Mantis: general of the reaver invasion.
Just look at that face! This is not a guy you want to meet in a dark alley!
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Warmachine Convergence of Cyriss Review: Solos & Battle Engine
IN SHORT: The new Convergence of Cyriss rulebook is here, and with it Privateer Press delivers a whole faction of big, mean robots! Oh, yeah!
On a presentation level, Privateer Press continues to set the bar high with a gorgeous full-color spread. Convergence models have a clean robotic look that is both very unique but also feels perfectly at home in the wider Warmachine universe. The rulebook comes fully loaded with 5 warcasters, 11 warjacks (including a Colossal!), 7 units, 1 universal unit attachment, 7 solos, and a battle engine.
Wow! Privateer Press has been busy.
Today, let’s take a look at the Convergence of Cyriss solos and the battle engine.
SOLOS
ACCRETION SERVITORS: Like all servitor solos, the Accretion Servitors come in packs of 3, but this group only costs a single point. For this bargain bin price, they bring Bodge and Strip. They can repair friendly warjacks and damage enemy warjacks, 1 point of damage at a time. They also must be base to base to do this.
A single point of damage may not seem like a big deal, but there are three of them, and their abilities always work, unlike Repair which requires a skill check. Got a point left over? Throw in some Accretion Servitors.
ALGORITHMIC DISPERSION OPTIFEX: This guy costs 1 point and you can take up to 4. He’s sort of like an arc node. When this Optifex is within 6” of a Convergence warjack, not in melee, and inside the warcaster’s control area, that warcaster can channel spells through him.
Some warcasters are going to love this guy, such as Syntherion with his Magnetic Hold debuff spell. Also, like all Optifex models, he comes with Iron Sentinel. Place him base to base with a Convergence warjack and he gets +2 DEF and +2 ARM, which takes him up to a respectable DEF 15 ARM 14.
ATTUNEMENT SERVITORS: For 2 points, here’s another set of 3 servitor solos. The Attunement Servitors come with Lumichem Ampules, a 7” range 4” AOE that does no damage, but reduces the DEF of anything hit by -2. With good speed and a wide AOE, they shouldn’t have much troubling hitting their intended targets. Any army can make use of these guys. Seriously, who doesn’t like hitting more often?
ELIMINATION SERVITORS: Another set of 3 servitors for 2 points. These come with Spike Ejectors, 9” ranged weapons with Puncture. They do an automatic point of damage against anything they hit. With RAT 5, they’re somewhat underwhelming … until you pair them with the Directrix and her Backlash spell against a Warmachine opponent. Then they become absolutely sick!
ENIGMA FOUNDRY: Do you like Convergence infantry? Well, here’s a solo that can bring them back from the dead! Most Convergence infantry are Clockwork Vessels. That means they drop soul tokens. Well, the Enigma Foundry collects Convergence soul tokens in its command range. It can then cash in those souls for more troops, either 1 medium based model or 3 small based models a turn. As a bonus, it comes with Repair [10], just in case a Convergence force needs even more access to Repair.
With a large base, the Enigma Foundry is a tempting target. ARM 18 and 10 hit boxes helps, but I see this guy hanging back, using the full extent of his command range to collect souls, then cautiously approaching the front lines to deploy extra troops.
REFLEX SERVITORS: Here’s one last set of 3 servitors for 2 points. Reflex Servitors are basically 4” AOE mines that explode at POW 7, and they have plenty of rules that help them be extra annoying.
They come with Advanced Deployment to help them get into position. Counter Charge lets them react against enemies that close within 6”. And finally, they can Dig In to take their base DEF 12 up to DEF 16! I can see these being annoying against infantry heavy forces.
STEELSOUL PROTECTOR: ARM 17, 8 hit boxes, and Shield Guard on a 2 point model. Not a bad deal. Need something to not die from shooting? Stick a Steelsoul Protector near it and let it absorb the incoming flak. It even comes with Defensive Strike, letting it poke would be attackers when they come in range. Not exactly flashy, but definitely useful for warcasters and models like the Enigma Foundry.
BATTLE ENGINE
TRANSFINITE EMERGENCE PROJECTOR & PERMUTATION SERVITORS: Wow. What a name. I love it! I think Privateer Press may have had a little too much fun with this one.
So here’s the Convergence Battle Engine, and it’s awesome! It’s basically an artillery piece. Looking at its stat line, we have RAT 4 on a 10” spray attack at POW 10. It also has Auto Fire [2] for two shots. Not exactly impressive stuff, but that’s where the Firing Formulae comes into play.
You see, the TEP&PS probably has the most versatile gun in the whole game. Here’s how it works. After the TEP&PS moves, it deploys three satellite servitors (which can later absorb incoming fire). The positions of the satellites are key. Each servitor can either (a) add an Auto Fire shot (b) add a die to all attack rolls (c) add a die to all damage rolls. And you can do this in any combination you want!
You can conceivably roll 5 dice for attack rolls! Or 5 dice for damage rolls! Or shoot the gun 5 times! Or any combination in between! Seriously, that’s a lot of versatility in an attractive 9 point package.
SUMMARY
Okay, I’ll admit it. I love my Cryx, but man, I’m seriously tempted to branch out and collect some Convergence. These guys are pretty solid. Plus they look fun to paint and fun to play.
The Convergence of Cyriss is an exciting new faction with gorgeous models and solid rules. As more of their models get released and people get used to their new abilities, I look forward to seeing their full might displayed on the tabletop.
Should be exciting!
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Time Reavers: Back Cover Rough Sketches!
Time Reavers – The monsters are real, and time is their weapon.
Fed up with bad teachers and daily fights with her sister, sixteen-year-old Nicole Taylor yearns for something better. Sadly, she’s in for a letdown, because the world ends next week.
Nicole discovers she has a rare gift. She can bend time around her and even stop it completely. With her powers awakening, she must face the Reavers: horrific killing machines that exist outside our time. Nicole may be the only one who can stop their genocidal plan, but the Reavers know about her now and have unleashed their cruelest hunters.
Plagued by nightmarish visions and ambushed by terrifying monsters at every turn, Nicole has one chance to halt their invasion. With help from a chain-smoking pyrokinetic, a neurotic sword-wielding assassin, and a Goth chick with a crossbow, she may stand a chance. But the Reavers are tireless foes, and Time is on their side.
I am really enjoying this part of the project. It’s fun getting to see my characters for the first time.
Robert Chew (a.k.a. CrazyAsian1) continues his exceptional work on the cover art for Time Reavers, a young adult urban fantasy novel. This time, he’s provided some rough sketches of the back cover. Unlike The Dragons of Jupiter, Time Reavers will feature separate art for the front and the back.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce the Mantis: general of the Reaver army and main antagonist of the novel. He’s about a friendly as he looks, and wow, does he look cool or what?
As always, Robert has provided multiple sketches to help us zero in the final design. Here’s another version. It’s really hard to choose my favorite!
Wickedly cool, huh?
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Warmachine Convergence of Cyriss Review: Units
IN SHORT: The new Convergence of Cyriss rulebook is here, and with it Privateer Press delivers a whole faction of big, mean robots! Oh, yeah!
On a presentation level, Privateer Press continues to set the bar high with a gorgeous full-color spread. Convergence models have a clean robotic look that is both very unique but also feels perfectly at home in the wider Warmachine universe. The rulebook comes fully loaded with 5 warcasters, 11 warjacks (including a Colossal!), 7 units, 1 universal unit attachment, 7 solos, and a battle engine.
Wow! Privateer Press has been busy.
Today, let’s take a look at the Convergence of Cyriss units.
LIGHT INFANTRY
CLOCKWORK ANGELS: These mechanical ladies prefer to engage at range, and they have plenty of abilities to help them do that. With SPD 7, Advanced Deployment, and Flight, Clockwork Angels are fast. Reform gives them a 3” move after they’re done attacking, which helps them hold the distance open. They also have Blade Shield, which gives them +2 DEF to ranged reprisals.
Offensively, their primary weapon is the Binomial Beam. It has 10” range and POW 10. Nothing special, but the Clockwork Angels can use Combined Ranged Attack. When all 3 of them (they only come in units of 3) combine, that attack becomes RAT 8 and POW 13. Very nice!
Like most Convergence infantry, they are clockwork vessels. Basically, they’re not living models, but they do generate soul tokens. They also have magical weapons, which is something Convergence doesn’t have a lot of.
All in all, a nice ranged harassing unit at only 3 points.
OBSTRUCTORS: Basic, cheap, dependable Shield Wall unit. They come with Combined Melee attack and a Chain Weapon with Reach, so they can also act as an anti-Shield-Wall unit. Nothing too fancy, but solid nonetheless.
OPTIFEX DIRECTIVE: Coming in units of 3 and costing 2 points, the Optifex Directive brings 3 useful abilities to the table that support Construct models in the army (of which there are plenty). They can add Pathfinder to the model for a turn, make its weapons magical for a turn, or perform a Repair [8] action. All of these actions require them to be right up against their targets, though, so keeping them safe could be tough. However, having so much access to Repair in a Convergence army is worth bringing them by itself.
REDUCTORS: With stat lines similar to the Obstructors, Reductors give up their shields for shotguns! Each of them comes with a 6” spray attack at POW 13. Even better, they have the Clear! rule. Their ranged attacks automatically miss friendly models. Combine this with how spray attacks ignore shooting into melee penalties, and the Reductors are at home shooting into melee to support other Convergence models.
RAT 5 isn’t anything special, but they’re cheap and Convergence has plenty of ways to increase accuracy.
HEAVY INFANTRY
ERADICATORS: If you’re looking for heavy infantry that can mulch high DEF targets, the Eradicators can deliver. Each comes with two P+S 12 attacks with MAT 7 and a 2” Side Step move when they hit. Not bad, but what really makes them scary is their Variable [melee] rule.
You see, Eradicator weapons have two modes. They can either add +2 to attack rolls, boosting their MAT to an incredible 9, or acting as bucklers, boosting their ARM to 17.
With two MAT 9 attacks, there isn’t much they can’t hit, and with the high ARM on the approach, they stand a good chance of reaching their targets.
RECIPROCATORS: Now here’s a Shield Wall! With base ARM 16 and 8 hit boxes, Reciprocators are tough to put down. Put them behind a Shield Wall, and they’re ARM 20. Even better, they can switch between Set Defense and Empowered Attack. Set Defense takes their DEF up to 14 against charge attacks and the like. Empowered Attack boosts their P+S to a beefy 14. They take hits like a champ and dish it out hard. What’s not to like?
PERFORATORS: High ARM models beware. It’s a whole unit of heavy infantry equiped with Armor Piercing javelins. How cool is that? By itself, the Protean Javelin doesn’t look like much. 6” of range and POW 6. Pretty measly, right? Well, for starters, it’s Armor Piercing, so anything not on a small base has its ARM cut in half. After that, the Perforators can either add Snipe for extra range or Empowered Attack for extra damage.
They also come with a P+S 12 melee attack. And thanks to the Assault rule, they can use both weapons on the charge. Nice!
UNIT ATTACHMENT
TRANSVERSE ENUMERATOR: And finally, here is the universal unit attachment. This guy can be attached to any Convergence unit. Any of them. Even the Directrix’s unit!
So what does he bring for 2 points? Well, he’s got Repair [9]. Not a bad start. He brings Tactics: Ranked Attacks so that friendlies can ignore models in the unit when determining line of sight. That’s definitely useful, especially with Shield Wall units. CMD 9 can boost the low CMD 7 of many Cyriss units, letting the units spread out for more tactical options. He even comes with a flame thrower.
But the real gem is Realignment, the Enumerator’s mini-feat. Once per game, models in his unit can reroll failed attack rolls and skill checks. This is what makes the Enumerator very worth taking. He takes any Convergence unit and makes it better.
SUMMARY
Convergence has no shortage of solid infantry and comes stocked with plenty of ways to support them. Honestly, the whole codex looks solid and fun to play.
The Convergence of Cyriss is an exciting new faction with gorgeous models and solid rules. As more of their models get released and people get used to their new abilities, I look forward to seeing their full might displayed on the tabletop.
Should be exciting!
Check out the complete list of Warmachine and Hordes articles here.
Warmachine Convergence of Cyriss Review: Warjacks
IN SHORT: The new Convergence of Cyriss rulebook is here, and with it Privateer Press delivers a whole faction of big, mean robots! Oh, yeah!
On a presentation level, Privateer Press continues to set the bar high with a gorgeous full-color spread. Convergence models have a clean robotic look that is both very unique but also feels perfectly at home in the wider Warmachine universe. The rulebook comes fully loaded with 5 warcasters, 11 warjacks (including a Colossal!), 7 units, 1 universal unit attachment, 7 solos, and a battle engine.
Wow! Privateer Press has been busy.
Today, let’s take a look at the Convergence of Cyriss warjacks.
VECTORS: All Convergence warjacks are considered vectors, which brings a few interesting wrinkles with it. First, they take their controlling warcaster’s MAT and RAT stats as their own. Second, they don’t have a cortex, making them immune to abilities that prey on cortexes, such as the Cryx Machine Wraith.
Finally, there’s Focus Induction. When a vector spends a focus point, it can allocate a focus point to another vector within 6” that’s in the same battlegroup. You can literally have the same focus point get used by every vector in the whole battlegroup. Not too bad.
LIGHT WARJACKS
COROLLARY: Meet the Convergence warcaster’s best friend. The Corollary accumulates free focus when near its controlling warcaster, extends said warcaster’s control range, can store up focus for later, and can power up nearby warjacks. And it does it all for 3 points. For a support piece, its 18 hit boxes are nothing to sneeze at either.
So, yeah. Get used to this guy. You’ll be seeing a lot of him.
DIFFUSER: Here’s a 3-point light warjack that I can see fitting in a lot of lists. Its main call to fame is the Homing Ripspike. Hit an enemy model with this and friend models can charge it for free. They also get +2” on the charge, so it helps both warjacks and infantry out.
Now, that’s great, but the Diffuser has to hit its target first, and some of the Convergence warcasters have really low RAT. So, should they leave the Diffuser at home? Well … not necessarily. You see, the Homing Ripspike has Luck. It rerolls misses.
With boosted range attacks from Focus Induction and rerolls from Luck, a bad RAT score means a lot less than you might think. The Diffuser is an excellent supporting light warjack.
GALVANIZER: For 3 points, you get a decent POW melee attack and the ability to Repair with a solid skill check of 9. The Repair skill is pretty awesome in Convergence, especially since some of their warcasters are Repairable, and the Galvanizer can attempt a repair even if it’s on its last hit box. Nice!
MITIGATOR: Here’s a 4-point warjack with a quirky gun called the Razor Bola. It’s an AOE 3 with Puncture and Quake. Anything hit automatically takes a point of damage. Not bad for clearing infantry behind a shield wall. And if the target is directly hit, everyone hit is knocked down. Pretty cool, huh?
The catch? The Razor Bola’s range is only 7”.
HEAVY WARJACKS
ASSIMILATOR: Packing the ridiculously named Dissevering Microswarm, the Assimilator means business. This gun can perform the Ground Pounder special attack. Place its 4” AOE anywhere completely within its 11” range and make one ranged attack roll (oh, and boost this roll while you’re at it, just to be safe). This attack ignores concealment, elevation, Stealth, doesn’t scatter, and doesn’t need LOS. Whew! That’s quite a list! Anything hit suffers a POW 12 damage roll.
With the ability to ignore so many special rules, the Assimilator will find a welcoming home in many lists. It even comes with a solid melee attack. It’s only P+S 14, but it has Weapon Master to compensate.
CIPHER: Versatility is the Cipher’s middle name. Its Servipod Mortar is a two-shot 4” AOE with three useful modes. It can perform POW 6 blast damage, can create craters of rough terrain, or inflict enemies with -2 DEF. And when it’s done shelling the enemy, it can close in with its two P+S 18 Piston Spikes. It’s also built solid with Steady, ARM 19, and 32 hit boxes: traits it shares with the Inverter and the Monitor.
With so much flexibility built into a single model, I can easily see the Cipher becoming Convergence’s go-to heavy warjack. Even with low RAT from some warcasters, its multiple, flexible AOE blasts can still get the job done.
CONSERVATOR: This heavy warjack wants to get in close and personal, and goes great with supporting infantry. Not only can it protect vulnerable models by taking ranged hits with Shield Guard, it also benefits from infantry casualties with Hand of Vengeance. If a Convergence warrior model falls within 5” of the Conservator, it gets +2 attack and damage rolls for that round. This can take it as high as MAT 9 with Axiom or even MAT 10 with the Directrix on feat turn.
The Assimilator/Conservator/Modulator chassis is somewhat squishy with only ARM 18 and 28 hit boxes, so the Conservator comes with two bucklers to lift its ARM to a very respectable 20 and Pathfinder to help it get to grips with the enemy.
INVERTER: With only SPD 4, the Inverter is going to take its time getting to the enemy, but when it does, watch out! Its Macropummeler is P+S 20 and inflicts knockdown! Yes, you read that right. P+S 20 on an 8-point warjack.
To balance this absurd power, the Macropummeler can only be used once a round, so the Inverter must rely on its Meteor Hammer for all other attacks. In this case, a still impressive P+S 17 Chain Weapon with Reach.
The Inverter, ladies and gentlemen. Slow, but really hard hitting.
MODULATOR: This heavy warjack is dirt cheap at 6 points and has some interesting anti-infantry abilities. It comes with two Emitter Surges, POW 10 guns with 11” range. Whenever they hit a target, draw a line between the target’s center and the Modulator’s center. Anything in that line gets an automatic POW 10 electrical zap.
Defensively, it has Plasma Nimbus. Any infantry that engage it has to contend with more automatic POW 10 electrical zaps whenever they land a melee hit.
If the Modulator can get off a good shot, it can fry a whole mess of infantry. But still, lining up an Emitter Surge shot for maximum effect can be tricky and can leave the Modulator vulnerable to counter attack. Unfortunately, it is poorly equipped to go head-to-head with other heavy warjacks or even heavy infantry.
MONITOR: This heavy warjack feels like a sniper to me. Its gun, the Ellipsaw Flinger (I love these names!), has 13” range and POW 13. Pretty good for a Convergence warjack. But better yet is True Sight! It ignores concealment, Camouflage, and Stealth. Combined with the Ellipsaw Flinger’s Critical Brutal Damage, the Monitor can deliver some impressive pain at range.
And for when things get crowded, it can pound away with its Spring-Spike Fist, which can make Sustained Attacks. So once it hits, it can keep on auto-hitting until it’s out of focus. All in all, a pretty well-balanced warjack. There are a lot of annoying soft targets running around with Stealth, and the Monitor can make short work of them.
COLOSSAL
PRIME AXIOM: And now here’s the big boy! So what is there to say about the Convergence’s colossal? Well, for starters, it’s one fine colossal!
Let’s start with the fundamentals. SPD 5, ARM 20, and 58 hit boxes. Solid. It gets two P+S 20 melee attacks with Open Fist and Sustained Attack. Now, Sustained Attack on something that hard hitting is really nice. Also, it’s a vector, naturally, so it benefits from Focus Induction and will take on the MAT and RAT of its warcaster, for better or for worse.
For guns, it has a really nice spread. Its Accelespiker can fire twice with Auto Fire [3] for a total of 6 shots. Not bad for a range 13” POW 11 gun. But the real stars are the Tow Cables!
These two beauties come with 11” range, Drag, and Puncture! Combined with the Prime Axiom’s SPD 5, it can pull in models up to 16” away and wallop it repeatedly with P+S 20 melee attacks. Ouch!
Oh, and it also spits out a servitor solo every turn. Just in case it wasn’t awesome enough. Never mind that most Convergence warcasters come with plenty of support for this beast.
Syntherion can boost all of its ranged attacks, among plenty of other tricks. The Directrix can give it MAT 8 RAT 8 for a turn. Lucant can give it +2 melee attack and damage (along with everything within 3”), and he can hide effectively behind its huge base.
Even Axis can use it by boosting all of its melee attack rolls. Boosted MAT 7 sweep attacks anyone? Bulldoze on a huge base? His Rat 2 is going to be a liability, but the Axiom can still boost to hit and drag in enemy heavies for a pounding. Heck, even Aurora can use it for some Drag and Refuge shenanigans on feat turn, though she’s better suited for warjacks that can use Apparition and Admonition.
All in all, the Prime Axiom is a great colossal.
SUMMARY
For a faction fresh out of the gate, Convergence has some really impressive warjacks that mesh well with the army as a whole.
The Convergence of Cyriss is an exciting new faction with gorgeous models and solid rules. As more of their models get released and people get used to their new abilities, I look forward to seeing their full might displayed on the tabletop.
Should be exciting!
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