The Omnissiah and you: Techmarines. how do you feel about them?

[papa smurf]

Hello all, papa smurf here. i'm just wondering what all you space marine players out there think of techmarines. fluff-wise chapters couldn't function without the constant work that techmarines do to repair and maintain a chapter's war machines and wargear. On the table though, i can't say that i have ever played against one, although i regularly field them. What do you usually see or run when playing against or using techmarines?
The two builds i use are quite different. one is a bare bones, no upgrade techmarine with a servo arm and the humble bolter. he usually just sits around in the most important transport or landraider, just to repair things. he is usually there just to provide that wonderful bonus cover save to my scouts with camo cloaks, making them extra sneaky.
the other build is a little more active. with a full servo harness, a plasma pistol and a power sword this guy rides around in a las/plas razorback with a combat squad with a PF/combi-plasma sarge and a plasma gun battle brother, and 2 powersword and 2 servo-harness attacks are nothing to take too lightly. they basically go around headhunting, making terminators wet their pants. not the most efficient thing to do i know, but it's fun to see an opponent's face when his squad/monstrous creature is shot at with up to 8 plasma shots, 3 of them being twin linked.

so what do you guys do with your techmarines? are they in the front lines, fighting to recover a piece of ancient technology, in the back just bolstering your defenses and doing repair jobs, or maybe manning a thunderfire cannon?
this includes masters of the forge as well,maybe even tech-priests if you play IG, just anything omnissiah you can think of! what do you guys do with your servants of the machine-emperor?

[MarneusCalgar]

Well, I don´t usually use them, and here in Spain you can barely see them on the tables when gaming... People tend to use the Biblio brothers...

Hope it is really useful, just as company for the cannon or for repairing vehicles and dreads...

[slxiii]

2 papa smurfs in one thread!?
I play space wolves, and rarely use the techmarine equivalent. He's like a normal techmarine, but only 1 wound, cant join units, cant have a servoharness. But Hey! he can have a big wolf.....

[energongoodie]

Master of the forge, conversion beamer, on a bike. BOOM

[fuzzbuket]

In the paper BA dex they look like killers
full harness and servitors=
2+ sv
6 fists( servo arms)
plasma pistol
flamer

in CC (charge)
4 S4 I4 power wpn attcks
6 S8 I1 Power wpn attacks
8 S3 I3 cc attacks

and a flamer template and S7 ap 2 plas pistol

200pts and 6 wounds!
or even pricier

In a Lr crusader
with leremates (fearless+ re rolls to hit)
575pts!

but it'd look cool

Fuzz

[Matthew Rider]

I always run a Master of the Forge in my Iron Hands, for 2 reasons other than fluff.

First is obviously the repair rate. I keep him with the Vindicator, Predator, or Dreadnoughts, (or all of them if I can,) and with his 2 tech Servitors he can fix on a 2+. I also take 2 Heavy Bolter Servitors in the same squad, just so they can deal out relatively large amounts of firepower, and I don't have to kill the techs after rogue shots.

Second is the fact that I like my Dreadnoughts, but also like my Terminators and Sternguard. Master of the Forge allows me to take one as Heavy Support.

And of course the bolster defences is very usefull, assuming the table has a ruin.

[asmodai650]

my entire army is based on them. I ran techmarines as counts as sargeants, use servitors for my specail and heavy weapons, and run MotF for HQ's. I've some photos up over on Bolter & Chainsword under the same screen name as on here.

[Tynskel]

Master of the Forge, Marius
MotF, Power Weapon, Digital Weapons, Combi-Plasma.

I run 'em in a razorback with a Combat Squad. Actually, very similar to yours, papa smurf.

I like the extra Plasma Shot on the get go- 3 from the MotF, 2 From the Sgt. 2 From the Plasma Rifle, 2 From the Razorback. 9 Shots! w00t!

Then I just switch the Flamer.

Another one I like to use (if I am using more Close Combat):

Master of the Forge, Marius
MotF, Power Weapon, Digital Weapons, Plasma Pistol.
Combat Squad, Plasma Pistol, Powerfist, Meltagun
Dedicated Transport: Razorback with Twin-Linked Assault Cannons.
That's 3 Plasma Shots (or two Plasma and a flamer), a Melta Shot, and the assault cannons. More infantry munching than previous- but this one can charge after it fires.

[UltramarineFan]

2 papa smurfs in one thread!?

Should I kneel?

Seriously though i think that techmarine are really quite fun and awesome(even better if it weren't for the fact that they're metal) The only problem is that it seems difficult to get them in a situation where they can actually win their points back which is a shame I think.

[Tynskel]

Techmarines also earn their points back by keeping the Tanks firing. Most Support Characters never directly earn their points back.

I like using the Vulkan/Calgar combo, for example.

Vulkan never directly earns his points back- in fact I usually get him killed. However, all of those twin-linked weapons really make a difference.

Calgar, by definition , almost always makes his points back. But he's a front line character, not a support character.