Wanting to start a 30k army..

[James Q]

So I really want to start a Mechanicum army, I love the looks of the models, Love the idea of them. But my question is this.. will the new 40k rules/book when it comes out effect them in any way? I know I will also need the Horus Heresy book 3 for the rules/army list for Mechanicum. Is there anyone on here that uses them and can point me in the right direction on how to start with them? I usually play fantasy, and used to play 40k but 30k has really got me wanting a different army to use and they dont look much cooler then these guys!

[YorkNecromancer]

The rules for the Mechanicum are actually across each of the three books - they are three discreet armies, not one. There's the Ordo Reductor in the first book, the Legio Cybernetica in the second, and the Taghmata in the third. If you want to use more than one army list, at the moment you have to ally them! (Which means you can only field two of the three extant lists!) Whether this will be changed in 7th edition? Probably not.

The core of the AdMech is basically Thallax (the only Troops choice the Reductor have) or Castellax Robots (which the other two armies can field). The tach-thralls are basically human grots who cannot be fielded in sufficient numbers to blob (apart from in the Taghmata list).

From what I can tell, the Taghmata list is the broadest, but the Cybernetica list is the most powerful - Castellax are terrifying: think of a Carnifex with T7, 2+ save, two flamers and a heavy bolter that's str 6, AP3.

Yeah.

The other gem of the list is Myrmidion Destructors who OH MY GOD live up to the name.
I have a 5 'man' squad of AM Myrmidion Destructors equipped with Volkite Culverins.
That's these guys:

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Images/Product/AlternativeFW/large/Myrmadon-destructors5.jpg

This gives them 48" of range, plus 6" if they move - they are relentless, so they can always shoot.



This gives them 20 shots at BS5 - with preferred enemy (everything)- meaning they will hit 97% of the time, so 19 hits should strike.
Volkite Culverins are S6 AP5 - also preferred enemy (everything) - meaning they will wound T4 models 97% of the time, so of those 19 hit inflicted, 18 should wound.
They then have deflagrate, meaning those 18 wounds explode, inflicting a further 18 hits which wound with the same stats as above, for a further 17 wounds, for a grand total of 35 wounds.
Against MEQs, 11 or so should go through armour.


In a single round of shooting, barring a super-unlucky roll (which is very unlikely considering the sheer number of dice being rolled) 5 Myrmidion Destructors with Volkite Culverins will reliably delete a standard sized Tactical squad from the battlefield.

For 300 points. And they're are T5 W2 3+.

Yeah.

So AdMech are really very good. If you're serious, either buy the Horus Heresy books (vol 2 and 3 do NOT have the Space Marine Legion List BTW) or check out the 1D4chan article on the Mechanicum. It's got a good breakdown of most units.

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000/6th_Edition_Tactics/Mechanicum_%2830k%29

[ElectricPaladin]

I'm seriously considering having the Mechanicum be the army I represent if/when I start Horus Heresy...

[YorkNecromancer]

They are absolutely bloody awesome (in the case of the Myrmidions, quite literally so. That level of firepower? Jesus).

[James Q]

They sound awesome. But don't really want to spend 200pound on the books. Guessing u can't use the army without all 3 books though?

[Amaunator]

They sound awesome. But don't really want to spend 200pound on the books. Guessing u can't use the army without all 3 books though?

You need 2 books.
The first one for weapon and wargear rules, and the third one for the army list. You are missing out on tarantula sentry guns and 3 fliers by not having the second book, and you can't use castellax as compulsory troops with the third book. Other options that return from book2 are improved in 3.

@Yorknecromancer: I thought volkite weapons and the deflagrate rule worked on unsaved wounds? Myrmidon destructors are cool I agree, but the extra hits come after the first round of saves. Castellax are rules-wise the same in both books (besides the non-compulsory core-thingy), you don't really need the reductor list (taghmata has access to AM land raiders and stuff anyway, without allying). Of course, you don't actually have the rules for them without the books, but you don't need allies to use them if you had the rules.

Taghmata (book 3) is the broadest and most powerfull, since it includes pretty much everything the other 2 forces have (in the same state or even better, castellax had a little nerf but not that bad one) and much more.

[James Q]

Im guessing though with the new book being released I will be able to build an army or is that more focused on a marine army?

[Amaunator]

Im guessing though with the new book being released I will be able to build an army or is that more focused on a marine army?

You are able to build an army now :) Taghmata omnissiah-list (book 3) has:
4 HQ choices (2 of them SCs and one of those is from book 1)
2 elites
3 troops (Thallax from here have upgrades that changes the FOC slot from troop to others, didn't count those into other slots)
5 fast attacks (3 flyers and tarantulas from 2, 2 from 3)
4 heavy support (AM land raider from 1, rest from 3)
7 lords of war (3 from book 3 as knights, bigger titans and SM legion superheavies as the rest).

We don't know yet what the book 4 will have (or at least I don't), but the AM portion of the books has so far increased in all of the two books we got after 1. Sample size isn't big enough there yet to make conclusions IMO :P

Also, another correction for Yorknecromancer: castellax are indeed T7, but their save is "just" 3+/5++ (6++ in CC) :) Admech has very few 2+ saves in their list, thanatar automata (the huuuuge one we've seen in blurry pics) and myrmidons of both kind, but magos for example can't have that, special or otherwise.

[MajorWesJanson]

Book 3 added all sorts of awesome units that we are now waiting on the models for. Thanatar is like the evil hybrid of a wraithlord and riptide, but slower. That model has been shown, and hopefully will be out soon.

There is a lighter version of the Castellax, build on a different robot frame, with power blades, rotor cannons, and a lightning gun, smaller but better suited to chewing up light infantry. There are assaulty versions of the thallax too, with IIRC lightning claws and a short range volkite chest beam. And there is an awesome awesome transport vehicle- expensive but so worth it. We need models for all of these!
Some HH models for techpriests and some of the magos options would be nice as well.

It won't be soon, but we can probably expect a Mechanicum "codex" like the SM Legion and Legion specific units just got. Can't wait for that day.