Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Also known as another reason I really need a life.

Basically, I've been writing and drawing this stupid codex for months now and it is coming close to completion, so I'm looking for some playtesters to run the rules through and check point costs, etc. If people are interested, I'll post a WIP version of the list for playtesting.

Just so you know I'm not foolin', here's a screenshot of some of the army list section. The actual codex will have a 20 page background section, tons of drawings, and full-page profiles for each unit. It's about 70% done in that regard.



Feel free to ask any questions about the project here as well.

How about you just post the damn thing instead of waiting to see "if people are interested"? Just assume that someone somewhere will want to read it.

Because it isn't finished. I don't want to put an incomplete project that I intent to update and change up, it's just confusing. I have no doubt people want to read it, but I'm one person working alone without the time to playtest this thing and I'd like to know the points I write down are at least reasonable. On top of that I'm a little bit of a perfectionist about my writing and the idea of putting up half-completed drawings or stories bugs me. (Strangely, I don't feel that way about Warhammer figures, likely because I'm not terribly proud of my painting or converting ability.)

I like how its going so far, can't wait for the finished article, keep it up!!

LL

I think you should make the Battle Servitors Initiative 2. They're pretty bad as it is, even for 4 pts/model...

Also - is the Scattergun a ranged weapon? If so, how do the BS 0 Servitors use it...?

The scattergun automatically hits. However, each time you fire one you roll a die, and on a 1, a stray shot hits a servitor, though you still hit the enemy too. Basically scatterguns are blunderbuss-type weapons that fire chunks of metal in wide arcs at very short range.

As for the servitors point cost, the special rule servitors basically means that they are fearless. However, they must be within 18" of a Tech-Priest or they simply stand there, automatically hit by enemy weapons, and unable to act in any way. Servitors function as tarpits, screens, and, properly upgraded, shock troops.

I have yet to modify the cybernetic upgrade prices, but the servitors are getting them cheaper, I think. If you want to strike faster, reflex enhancers will boost them to I3.

What do the upgrades and weapons do? It's pretty hard to work out what a unit will be like without this information. I'd consider raising the minimum unit size on the battle servitors. What models are you using for this?

Ah, I didn't really intend that picture be used to actually get the rules for these guys, it's just an example...

Well, I'm going to make this an open playtest. I'm going to crunch together a usuable list tonight and post it ASAP.

In the meantime, here's a quick rundown of some of the weapons and upgrades there.

Assault Gun - A four shot, S3 assault weapon with a 12" range. Makes for one hell of a shooting phase, but it's hard to avoid combat after unleashing it all over your enemy.
Chain Rifle - The LMG of the Mechanicus Milita. Basically, 18" range, S3, Assault 6!
Scatter Gun - A two shot, 12" gun that auto-hits, but basically gets hot.
Shard Blaster - A flamer-type weapon with S2 but AP1. It too gets hot, but it will basically explode if that happens!
Auto-Flail - D6 additional attacks on the charge.
Mechanicus Arcanium - The classic gear-axe, this is a power weapon the adds +1 to the user's strength.
Power Lance - A Power Weapon that delivers strikes at I10 in the first round of combat if attacking or defending, but at I1 for further combat rounds.
Javelin Cannon - A ranged weapon that hits at S8. It's AP is equal to the range it is firing at divided by four, rounding up. (IE, fire it at it's max range of 24", it's AP6. Fire it at 3 inches, it's AP1!)

and upgrades...

Reflex Enhancers - +1 Iniative, to a minimum of I3.
Improved Cognation - +1 BS
Motion Predicator - +1 WS
Achilles' Pistons - Fleet of Foot
Mono-Edged Blades - Rending close combat attacks.
Steel Carapace - +1 save, to a minimum of 5+

As for models, I've drawn designs and artwork for every unit, though obviously stand-ins will be nessesary.

Well, I'm going to try and get the list together, but feel free to ask other questions.

Sounds interesting. I like the direction you're taking with these weapons.

The Javelin cannon seems like more trouble than it's worth. Also, it doesn't make sense to me that distance would change its AP but not its Str. Since its max range is 24", why not try just giving it three profiles for 24", 12" and 6"? It could be S8 AP5, S9 AP3 and S10 AP1 respectively. Would be quicker in practice and more intuitive. (Would also need to be more expensive, naturally.)

This is exactly why I wanted to test this list. I'm really bad at logic sometimes. I love the idea.

Now, I'm still sticking together the list so in the meantime, heres a quick list of the units in the army.

HQ
Fabricator-Officer - Basic choice, a captain-esque character with lots of options. Only taking him allows for you to take more Skitarii, by making Tribune Guard a troop choice and making Hypapists no longer count against the Troop limit.
Celestia Mechanicus - The Machine Angel, a man who has over the centuries replaced every part of his body with machinery. Binding his soul to the machine has untold costs, but he makes for one hell of a close combat general, and allows Crusader robots to be taken as troops, and Cataphrates as Heavy Support.
Knight Lord - What happens when a big dreadnought leads armies. About the same power as a Dreadnought, with better firepower. Taking him alone gives you Micro-Knights as Troops.
Tech-Adepts - A wierd HQ choice consisting of 6 low-power characters, with lots of options and the ability to specialize into a variety of powerful roles called "Magos Specialization", giving the a Shokk Attack Gun-like weapon, or a sniper rifle, for example. They are taken with a squad of Hypasists, whose equiptment can be upgraded depending on this specialization.

Elites
Micro-Knights - Picture Tau Battlesuits, but with the ability to stab you if it wants.
Praetorian Servitors - Finally something I didn't just make up! Big Orgryns with heavy weapons, basically.
Skitarii Tribune Guard - Elite soldiers, basically a whole squad of sergeants with equiptment options to match. The only squad in existance that lets you take a plasma gun per model (if you really want to pay 34 points per, and deal with an average of 3 overheats a shooting phase...)
Cataphrate Cohort - The old cataphrates were really well armed man-sized robots. My cataphrates are similarly well armed, but also basically a squad of small monsterous creatures that are mechanical gorillas. Unique rule allows them to fire a special weapon into any combat they are fighting. Watch out for blast templates, as if the controlling Magos dies, his robot pal goes nuts and basically becomes a four ton goblin fanatic...

Troops
Skitarii Hypaspist - The basic troops, dropping 4 shots a turn at close range. Their special rule Bodyguards makes them immune to moral when near to a nominated unit like a cybernetica cohort.
Battle Servitors - Instant tarpit of doom!
STC Track - THE ULTIMATE dedicated transport. No weapons, no real options, but it's next to invicible and rolls over terrain. However, it's good only to get people where they need to be, it can't even tank shock.

Fast Attack
Crusader Robot - Another ressurected oldie, this one transformed into the lethal machines comparible to Necron Flayed Ones, with less skin-removable and more options. Rather than preprogram rules, which are silly, they simply go nuts if the ratio of controllers to robots falls too low.
Ippotii Cohort - An original unit, these are Skitarii on mechanical horseback. They can either be short ranged fire support, firing way too many shots per turn, or close combat Rough Rider-like units.
Stalker Knight - Picture a really tall, really skinny Wraithlord with a skull for a face, carrying an oversized bundle of weapons, and you have the right idea. Walks over terrian like open ground and fires over it easily too, designed to kill off pesky infantry hiding in cover. Special rule makes all glances penetrating hits, but you are at -1 to hit the thing in the first place.

Heavy Support
Land's Autogyro - When the Anti-grav technology was first dug up, Mr. Land of Land Raider and Land Speeder fame wasn't sure it could keep something afloat on it's own. So he drew up plans for a helicopter-looking thing with lots of weapons. 10,000 years on, the Landite Cult, a persicuted group of the mechanicus that advocates "scientific method", have translated Land's backward handwritting into a lethal hovering machine with more weapons that should be allowed. It may have next to no armour, but it can produce a frightening amount of shooting.
Battle Knight - Big, hunched over walker with guns on the ends of it's arms AND it's shoulders. It's got a rather short ranged, but how else are you going to use a weapon called a "Giga Bolter?" It's your army's tank.
Bombard Platform - Fans of Epic know of the Centuro Ordinatus, the ship-board weapons mounted on tracks and scafolding. This is the little version of that. Comes in three flavours, with Hyper-Mortar, Nova Serpentine, or Micro Lance. That is to say, short range big boom, long range smaller boom, long range line of sight holes in stuff.

That's basically it. I avoided using tanks as I wanted a unique feel to the army; they arn't just imperial guard with shiny bits on!

What is the point of giving Improved Cognation to a Battle Servior...?

have to see the rest butt from the start seems like the line squads are crazy good for their points 155pts gets you 32 S3 shots and 4s7 shots at BS4

and a awesome transport to acutaly get them in range to shoot (Y). what will the army have as antitank though?