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I just got a Codex: SM and going through the book, I was wondering... Why don't techmarines and servitors get taken on lists? I see the tactical value of them in larger games, since I can see why 500-1000 point games might not use them.


Just wondering.

You end up paying a chunk of points for a one wound model. The techmarine takes an elite slot, which are valuable. Once you give him a few toys, you could be taking a MotF, who has a much better stat line and gear options.

In almost every scenario, you are better off just taking a scout squad over servitors.

If you are taking the tech and servitors to fix tanks, just buy another tank with those points. The fact that you need to be next to the tank to fix it might work well if you are castling up, but I find myself moving around to much for that to work.

If you want a heavy tech feel to your army, take MotF and thunderfire cannons, both of which are quite nice. I want to like my techmarine, but he's been camping the shelf for a while now.

Ah, I see. Okay, that makes sense. So, techies are better for mechanized planetstrike games than anything else, huh?


Edit: also, random thing... I looked at my new tac squad (that I can't assemble quite yet), and I have no bases for them in the box... Should I just ask my FLGS if they have spares?

If standard Techmarines were W2 and you could take more than 1 per elite slot I think they would be more widely used. As it is you're better off using those points for dreadnoughts or something. And if you really want a techmarine in your list then the MotF is only marginally more points, and if you want to fortify more ruins or take more servitors for some reason then a thunderfire cannon is just better.

That said, I am playing around with an 8 techmarine list for 1850 games.

BT uses them to great effect. Screw Guilliman.

It is actually an area where GK lose out! Shock horror! The GK techmarine has no servitor option so is even more pointless, he's a very expensive, unreliable mechanic who won't last long at all, just like a real world one then...

IMO the only reason people really take the MotF in the first place is for the conversion beamer, i have never heard any one taking techmarine or a MotF to repair tanks even in 2k games

The reason you take the MOTF is to unlock dreads in the elite slot. It just so happens that people will also take the conversion beamer, on a bike normally.

Heavy you mean right?

For a basic 100 points, the MotF is BS5 (good for manning guns) and has a nice assortment of weapons and 2+ save. Not a bad buy if you just want a basic HQ.

I take him for 2+ armor and x2 plasma shots. I give him a PA and never a CB. He's usually in a DP with sternguard.

My ironclads are now heavies and sternguard and terminators fill my elites.

Isengard wrote:
It is actually an area where GK lose out! Shock horror! The GK techmarine has no servitor option so is even more pointless, he's a very expensive, unreliable mechanic who won't last long at all, just like a real world one then...

I actually completely disagree. I think the GK one is the only one worth taking. the servitors are the part of the techmarine that I think are the least vaulable. Having an IC with the huge array of tricks that the Gk techmarine can bring. (melta bombs, psyker abilities(hammerhand and reroll repairs), special issue grenades(rad, pycho, brain minds) and a 2+ save. he can actually be rather useful in closecombat as well. If you need extra long range shooting, he can bring a OSR or a conversion beamer as well(although a Ordos Xenos Inquis does that better with div powers).

I haven't used him much in 6th edition (Mostly due to playing my Tau more often), but in 5th edition he was a much feared aspect of my army.