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Soooo...

where may one find the rules for the Mechanicum forces from 30K? Is it HH book 2 & 3?

Also, talking about 30K, for those that play it, is 30K really worth the hefty price tag? I hear good things, but I'm frightened by the idea that I may only be able to play with my super-expensive 30K army once in a great blue moon. It just doesn't seem likes its played all that much.

Do you typically find yourself playing against 40K stuff or other 30K players? Does the basic SM vs. SM matchup ever get old or is there enough depth in the different legions and units to really give you a diverse enough game?

HH3 has mechanicum.

That said I will simply be using my 30k mechanicum as 40k equivalents. Thallax become Sicarians, Myrmidons become Kataphrons, Castellax become Castellans and all my tanks are onagers. Tbh 30k is either on the level or worse than 40k but god forbid you ever won you'd hear nothing but shining about "FW bs". So, I'll be happily using the 100% more powerful skiitari/cult mech rules for my mechanicum.

"You were butthurt about my Castellax? Here, let me tell you what THESE do."

All books feature Mehanicum in some fashion:

Book 1 - Ordo Reductor list - pretty simple list that can uses, in essence, Magus Caleb, Thallax and the Mechanicum Land Raider (Plus the Warhound and Reaver Titans)

Book 2 - Ordo Cybernetica List - much more detailed than book 1 and includes the Castellax and some other goodies and expands the Book 1 list as well)

Book 3 - Full Taghmata List - includes most things released but not all rules (Titan Rules and Mechanicum Land Raider rules are only in Book 1 but nothing significant).

Book 4 - Full Knight list - far superior to the GW Codex.

Book 3 is your best bet to start. Though, beware - it can draw you in and tax your wallet! In terms of worth? Well, that's only something that you can answer really. I've got myself a 30k Alpha Legion, 30K White Scars and a budding 30K Mechanicum list. I love the stunning models and am a complete Forgeworld nut. Also, I find 30k v 30k games a lot more balanced and, ironically, richer in terms of background and 'Forging of Narratives' than typical codex battles. The subtle rules to distinguish between legions is a much better way of doing things and you get a ridiculous amount of toys to pick and choose with more being added. 40K vs 30k games are perfectly workable. Though, the 30k Lord of War limits and Destroyer weapon changes are something that should be expanded across the entire ruleset to be honest.

HH Books 2 and 3 will offer the most complete selection of Mechanicum stuff (not all of the weapon/unit rules are in HH3). HH3 has the biggest list, though, and is the better place to start.

As said, people may balk at first when playing against Mechanicum (because Forgeworld ), when the new AdMech/Eldar/Necrons are leaps and bounds above it. 30K and 40K are perfectly compatible, but it may take some convincing to get a 40K player to play against you (and be sure you go through ALL the rules before the game, as the Mechanicum is filled with special rules).

Myself, I have an Emperor's Children army, a Mechanicum army, and plan to do a small Ultramarines force when their models come out (and I plan to paint them in the old school bright 2nd Edition way).

People dislike mechanicum because it has a solid matchup vs power armor. And everything in 40k is judged by "does it beat space marines and make them feel less powerful"

Hence the "OP" tau.

Get book 3 extermination, the taghmata list has a lot of fun stuff! It also has stuff for the ordo cybernetica and takes a few bits and pieces from other IA/HH books
Book 2 cybernetica allows castellax as core troop choices.
4 has relics for non unique characters.
5 appears to have rules for the two new types of thanatar as well as the 'domitar class battle automata' and 'scyllax'
Basic rules for the thanatar-calix and scyllax can be found in forgeworld's 'downloads' section - scyllax bieng core troops for taghmata forces and Thanatar-Calix are a heavy support choice for all flavours of mechanicum! Huzzah!.

If you think you're going to join the Ordo Reductor (blind hope says a proper Ordo Reductor list is in the making) you'll need books (or at the very least, parts of) 1, 2, 4 and 5 - 1 is our core, 2 has our warlord traits and our non-unique hq unit, 4 has mechanicum relics and 5 (or the free download) for Thanatar-Calix.

So, and I realize I may be opening a can of worms here, what exactly are the different 'divisions' of Mechanicum?

They are perfectly compatible. Probably 90% of my games are 30k marines vs 40k armies. They are just lesser marines with different abilities, costs, and toys. I say lesser since they will turn and run and while legion lets them regroup under 25%, they are lacking ATSKNF and have to pay 10 points(only a couple squads get this option too) to get a vexilla to allow a reroll on leadership(also can be sniped I suppose). That said I found I do fairly well, even against the OP lists because I have been playing my army for so long and know the ins and outs of it for the most part. Knights and wriathlords tend to go down pretty easy when you expect to meet them.

 godswildcard wrote:
So, and I realize I may be opening a can of worms here, what exactly are the different 'divisions' of Mechanicum?

Soo...

In the game itself you have the Ordo Reductor, the Ordo Cybernetica andfinally the Taghmata Omnissiah.

Ordo Reductor (wootwoot!) are primarily nomadic siege breakers, dealing with heavy weaponry and artillery level weaponry

Ordo Cybernetica deal with all types of robots/automata

Taghmata is whatever assets can be collected from mechanicum aligned system in response to a threat or request for reinforcements.


In the 30k fluff..

top dog of a mechanicum aligned/controlled planet is the 'Archmagos Intendant' who will owe fealty to either a local forgeworld or a more powerful forgeworld.
under him are the Ordo Reductor (wootwoot!), the legio titanicus, the prefecture magisterium, the skitarius, the basilikon astra and the holy synod of the lords magos (where your 'archmagos' comes from).
under the holy synod is the Taghmata Omnissiah which is split into the Legio Cybernetica and the Magos Militant/Secutarius.
They control the 'Principle Tactical Divisions of the Taghmata' which include (without limitation) the Autokrator, Bonded Cybernetica, Macrotechnia, Munitoria Logis, Lacyraemara and Associated Orders & Sub-Cults Militant.
The Knight Houses of the Questoris Familia are under the Legio Titanicus, but appear to have links to the Principal Tactical Divisions of the Taghmata.