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Jeez, you'll be telling me next that not everybody cuts all the base tabs off the feet and trims out all the excess plastic from the undercuts on their infantry.

Designing the Dark Mechanicum

The new article has two nice images that show the size of the new Dark Mech machines compared to titans and Mechanicum units:

The article also confirms that the stalkers will be available later this year.

Whilst the models are quite cool (giving me a strong War of the World vibes), the vibe of that force feels a bit...well..dull to me. I feels like an army of a few giant spiders with Titan support. I also wouldn't be surprised if this is it for the Dark Mechanicum. But perhaps I'm being too pessimistic!

Was hoping they'd cover just a little about the Titan and Knight formations, as thats the reason I'd like the new book. It would be really crap if all they get is like 2 pages or something.

I don't even know the right place to ask this, is there anyone out there doing homebrew legion stuff? Legion specific units, other armies, etc?

I'm sure there is, Cole1114. I was doing a little for AT, and there's another member Crablezworth who was always whipping stuff up for others to use.

 cole1114 wrote:
I don't even know the right place to ask this, is there anyone out there doing homebrew legion stuff? Legion specific units, other armies, etc?

There is a fair amount of discussion on that kind of stuff over at Bolter and Chainsword. They have dedicated forums for LI. There is also a good LI group on Reddit. Those areas are dedicated to LI.

Thanks,
Duncan

SamusDrake wrote:
Was hoping they'd cover just a little about the Titan and Knight formations, as thats the reason I'd like the new book. It would be really crap if all they get is like 2 pages or something.

There is a choice of manilples and lances in the book. You can have pure titan or knight forces but will be at a servere disadvantage for objective control. Titans and Knights do turn up as optional extras to Mechanicum formations and the Dark Mechanicum do not get access to everything from the 'regular' Mechanicum (just most things).

MarkNorfolk wrote:


There is a choice of manilples and lances in the book. You can have pure titan or knight forces but will be at a servere disadvantage for objective control. Titans and Knights do turn up as optional extras to Mechanicum formations and the Dark Mechanicum do not get access to everything from the 'regular' Mechanicum (just most things).

You've seen the book already? Awesome.

If the T&Ks can be part of the Mechanicum formations then that certainly adds value to the book. Its thrown me off my original purchase plans for tomorrow, but the Mechanicum bundle might be worth the investment...

Cheers, Mark.

MarkNorfolk wrote:
the Dark Mechanicum do not get access to everything from the 'regular' Mechanicum (just most things).

Dees that mean a DarkMech army can't use all the models from the battlegroup?

Dark Mech can't use: Arlatax, Domitar, Castellax, Vorax, Vultarax, Thanatar. But that is detailed in list of usable units. They don't actually have the 'Loyalist' keyword, so there is scope for 'allies' shenanigans.

Odd, because weren't there a lot of the Legio Cybernetica (the whole robots subfaction of the Mechanicum) who very willingly joined the Traitors?

 Malika2 wrote:
Odd, because weren't there a lot of the Legio Cybernetica (the whole robots subfaction of the Mechanicum) who very willingly joined the Traitors?

Well, on another glace, the Dark Mechanicum Army chapter badly states that Dark Mechanicum can be an allied contingent to a Mechanicum army.

Mechanicum. Do doo de do-do!

 Malika2 wrote:
Odd, because weren't there a lot of the Legio Cybernetica (the whole robots subfaction of the Mechanicum) who very willingly joined the Traitors?

Spot on.
Legio Cybernetica wanted their sillica animus

If they care about the fluff of the setting, then allying in an army of Ordo Reductor should allow loyalists to use darkmech roboto-san.

Final article of the day is one of Mechanicum paint schemes

https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/lozfp6ga/behold-the-martian-taghmatas-fresh-from-our-community-painters-forges/

Just thinking ahead, is there any fluff around Mechanicum paint schemes from big 30k/previous books - other than the red being the default? (E.g. just wondering if that is Mars specific or loyalist specific etc)

I'll be doing Martian loyalist Mechanicum to go with my Legio Ignatum, so just wondering whether that means fluff-wise I should stick to red or whether there are some other options!

Pretty sure all the Black Books after their release had colour plates of them. Would have to check but I know Inferno does for sure.

Mars - near-rust red with black and cream detailing
Lucius - scarlet red with white and black detailing
Agripinaa - very dark grey/black with cherry red and white detailing
Metallica - white with dark grey and cherry red detailing
Ryza - rust orange with black detailing

The card pack says there are 4x formations each for Mech and Dark Mech and 5x Dark Mech detachments so no more units for now.

But Mechanicum has 19x detachment cards. The battlegroup only has 14x different units, 15x if the Thanatar gets split into two different weapon options.
With the Karacnos and Krios thats 17x, 18x if the Krios also gets split into two with weapon options.
So either all three krios weapons are in the kit or there is one more unit left that we don't know about yet

Not sure why they wouldn't put all 3 guns in the krios kit. Doesn't have sponsons so plenty of room on a 3 tank per sprue

 MajorWesJanson wrote:
Not sure why they wouldn't put all 3 guns in the krios kit. Doesn't have sponsons so plenty of room on a 3 tank per sprue

Its not too surprising but still nice to basically get confirmation

 Matrindur wrote:
The card pack says there are 4x formations each for Mech and Dark Mech and 5x Dark Mech detachments so no more units for now.

But Mechanicum has 19x detachment cards. The battlegroup only has 14x different units, 15x if the Thanatar gets split into two different weapon options.
With the Karacnos and Krios thats 17x, 18x if the Krios also gets split into two with weapon options.
So either all three krios weapons are in the kit or there is one more unit left that we don't know about yet

I wouldn't get too hung up on the card counting; the last deck had mixed numbers with some units having 2 copies and others having 1 copy.

Also given that they weren't formally unveiled yet, I'm not convinced that Krios & Karacnos are in this rulebook.

 xttz wrote:

 Matrindur wrote:
The card pack says there are 4x formations each for Mech and Dark Mech and 5x Dark Mech detachments so no more units for now.

But Mechanicum has 19x detachment cards. The battlegroup only has 14x different units, 15x if the Thanatar gets split into two different weapon options.
With the Karacnos and Krios thats 17x, 18x if the Krios also gets split into two with weapon options.
So either all three krios weapons are in the kit or there is one more unit left that we don't know about yet

I wouldn't get too hung up on the card counting; the last deck had mixed numbers with some units having 2 copies and others having 1 copy.

Also given that they weren't formally unveiled yet, I'm not convinced that Krios & Karacnos are in this rulebook.

Sure but the last pack also had a bigger difference in numbers, here it is so close that I doubt they would just print 2-3 of the 14 units double.
Also the book has a Battle Tank section for Mechanicum and I don't think any of the bots will fit in that slot so pretty likely Krios and Karacnos are in

 MajorWesJanson wrote:
Not sure why they wouldn't put all 3 guns in the krios kit. Doesn't have sponsons so plenty of room on a 3 tank per sprue

And yet the new Mechanicum models that share core bodies with others didn't get varied weapons. Thanatar Cavas Siege-automata and Triaros Armoured Conveyor both have alternate version that with a different weapon part basically build a different unit. However they were single kits without the additional parts.

I've wondered if its part of GW steadily shifting some models/brands/elements toward mono-kits instead of multi-kits as a response to 3rd parties producing spare parts. So instead of people buying 2 or 3 kits for all options they are buying one and then using 3rd party; so GW might be taking some limited form of shield against that by reducing what optional parts come in kits in the first place.

That or its something less obvious like a a simple budget limit and they couldn't justify another sprue in the budget for the optional parts so it winds up getting pushed into an entirely new product investment.

 Matrindur wrote:

Also the book has a Battle Tank section for Mechanicum and I don't think any of the bots will fit in that slot so pretty likely Krios and Karacnos are in

Just had confirmation that the Karacnos, Krios, and Krios Venator have unit entries in the book. Which is pretty unusual as GW normally properly announce all new plastic kits before a book releases.

All we've had is a photo that may be accidental.

 Overread wrote:

 MajorWesJanson wrote:
Not sure why they wouldn't put all 3 guns in the krios kit. Doesn't have sponsons so plenty of room on a 3 tank per sprue

And yet the new Mechanicum models that share core bodies with others didn't get varied weapons. Thanatar Cavas Siege-automata and Triaros Armoured Conveyor both have alternate version that with a different weapon part basically build a different unit. However they were single kits without the additional parts.

I've wondered if its part of GW steadily shifting some models/brands/elements toward mono-kits instead of multi-kits as a response to 3rd parties producing spare parts. So instead of people buying 2 or 3 kits for all options they are buying one and then using 3rd party; so GW might be taking some limited form of shield against that by reducing what optional parts come in kits in the first place.

That or its something less obvious like a a simple budget limit and they couldn't justify another sprue in the budget for the optional parts so it winds up getting pushed into an entirely new product investment.

Likely the size of the sprue required.

The Predator tank has two variant kits, and between them I think we get every option. But there, it’s relatively straight forward. Gun barrels, alternative bits for the ammo locker thing on the back of the turret.

Triaros to Karacnos is considerably more involved, as the entire roof is different, and it’s a pretty long vehicle (longer than the Spartan from the pics I’ve seen)

The Krios? It’s more a self propelled gun in terms of design. And that takes up more sprue space.

I've got a review of the Mechanicum Battle Group box with high-res sprue images: https://taleofpainters.com/2024/10/review-legions-imperialis-mechanicum-battlegroup/

 xttz wrote:

 Matrindur wrote:

Also the book has a Battle Tank section for Mechanicum and I don't think any of the bots will fit in that slot so pretty likely Krios and Karacnos are in

Just had confirmation that the Karacnos, Krios, and Krios Venator have unit entries in the book. Which is pretty unusual as GW normally properly announce all new plastic kits before a book releases.

All we've had is a photo that may be accidental.

Think they did that with the last book. There’s a few weeks before we get the book in hand when they could do a reveal along with a catch up release in a month

£95 for the Battleforce feels pretty nice, though of course I don’t know what the points look like.

But discounted to £76 by Element is feeling close to irresistible.

The only thing stopping me is the two unfinished HH battleforces of Mechanicum on the table next to me!