Welcome to Impact 3!

Howdy everyone!

This is Impact 3! A new Runewars Miniatures Game resource where I plan to have regular content covering several different aspects of the game from following my journey as I learn to play to battle reports and strategy articles. However, before jumping into any of that, I wanted to take the time to introduce myself in this first article, discuss why you should bother reading anything I write, and what to expect in the future.

My Gaming Background

I will first start off by saying I am new to Runewars. I recently jumped into the game after watching a demo for another player at the local shop and instantly falling in love with the depth of the game coupled with the simplicity of the rules. The idea of being able to go up against my opponent and having the chance to outsmart him or her at every flip of the dial drew me in immediately. That mind game aspect of it ("I can clearly not take the glass in front of you" -Princess Bride) truly makes the game excel, and I end every game wanting to play more.

Aliana of Summersong's dial. She is one of the champions currently
available for the Latari Elves and known as one of the most maneuverable
units in the game, thus a perfect fit for the mind games aspect of Runewars.

Although I may be new to Runewars, I am not new to tabletop miniature games. I first picked up Warmachine/Hordes 7 years ago and have played at least half of the factions in that time period at a semi-competitive level. I have also dabbled at times in several other games including Infinity, Guildball, Malifaux, and X-Wing. While each of those games are great in their own right, Runewars offered a different level of depth for me that I couldn't find in any of those games, and I am really enjoying it so far.

What Made Me Want To Start Impact 3
After jumping into the game without knowing too much about it, I quickly did what I think most gamers do when getting into a new game. I went to the internet and tried to learn as much as I could about the game. However, after searching the web, I realized that Runewars did not yet have the vast network of player content that is available for some of the other games I have played. While there are some fantastic podcasts for Runewars, as well as the always helpful forums and wiki, there was not a place that offered the in-depth articles that I was looking for (or at least not one that I was able to find). I saw this as a fantastic opportunity, while I was still new to the game, to start a series of articles following along as I learn the game that will hopefully be helpful for both new and veteran Runewars players alike.

Why I Think You Should Read Impact 3
First off, I think my experience as a competitive Warmachine/Hordes player gives me an insight into Runewars that is probably different than most people who come to the game from the likes of Warhammer 40k or other FFG games such as X-Wing or Armada just due to the differences between the games. Additionally, I live and play in San Antonio which had 2 of the largest Store Championships for Runewars in 2018. So although I may be new to the game, I have a very solid community to learn from that tends to play at a very competitive level. Finally, I think following a new player as they learn to play can offer insights for almost every Runewars player as I hope to bring to light common pitfalls players often run into as I encounter them and ways to avoid or address these pitfalls.

Actual footage of you avoiding common pitfalls after reading Impact 3!

(Disclaimer: readers will not be able to do flips over muddy water by reading Impact 3!)

What You Can Expect In Future Articles
I plan to start three different series going forward to cover a wide variety of topics with at least one article posted each week, although this may vary from time to time. These three series are:

1. "Learning to Play" which will allow you to follow along as I learn the ins and outs of both Runewars and Latari, my chosen faction. I will cover things such as list building and why I made the decisions I did, common pitfalls of new and veteran players alike, and various other topics helpful for newer players.
2. "Battle Reports" which will cover the games I play as well as possibly some guest battle reports if I can convince any of the other locals playing to write up a report now and then. I hope to reference these throughout the Learning to Play series to key in on various things learned throughout each game as they occur.
3. "Strategy Guides" which will provide a deeper dive into various topics including the comparison of different upgrades, strengths and weaknesses of each faction and how to play against them, and other core topics including deployment, terrain, etc. However, as I am a new player, I plan to bring in several others to help out in these articles whether through interviews with more knowledgeable players or having them as guest writers to cover specific topics.

So, now that you know a little bit about me and what to expect going forward, hopefully you are as excited as I am for what the future of Impact 3 holds. Please comment below with any suggestions or articles you would like to see in the future! Until next time, may the Morale deck always flip in your favor!