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First off, hey everyone. I'm new to 40k and have been playing AoS for a little over a year. I've posted elsewhere, but thought I could get some extra advice here. Anyway, I'm looking to take on a pure AdMech force but I'm unfamiliar with good\bad units and how to properly structure an all-comers list for 40k. The local meta is filled with around 20+ players and there is literally a little bit of everything from Knights, Eldar, Astra Militarum, Space Marines, Chaos...you name it.

Any and all CC is welcome and definitely needed before I go building into an army. Again, I'm trying to make a list that can do a little bit of everything, however that is my AoS mentality coming in and may not exactly translate well into 40k:




++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Adeptus Mechanicus) ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Forge World Choice: Forge World: Mars

+ HQ +

Belisarius Cawl

Tech-Priest Enginseer

+ Troops +

Skitarii Rangers: 4x Skitarii Ranger
Ranger Alpha: Galvanic Rifle

Skitarii Rangers: 4x Skitarii Ranger
Ranger Alpha: Galvanic Rifle

Skitarii Rangers
Ranger Alpha: Galvanic Rifle
2x Skitarii Ranger
2x Skitarii Ranger (Transuranic Arquebus): 2x Transuranic Arquebus

+ Heavy Support +

Kastelan Robots
Kastelan Robot: Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Two Heavy Phosphor Blasters: 2x Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Kastelan Robot: Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Two Heavy Phosphor Blasters: 2x Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Kastelan Robot: Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Two Heavy Phosphor Blasters: 2x Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Kastelan Robot: Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Two Heavy Phosphor Blasters: 2x Heavy Phosphor Blaster

Onager Dunecrawler: Broad Spectrum Data-tether, Icarus Array

Onager Dunecrawler: Broad Spectrum Data-tether
Neutron Laser and Cognis Heavy Stubber: Cognis Heavy Stubber, Neutron Laser

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Adeptus Mechanicus) ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Forge World Choice: Forge World: Graia

+ HQ +

Tech-Priest Enginseer

Tech-Priest Enginseer: Relic: Raiment of the Technomartyr
Warlord: Warlord Trait (Graia): Emotionless Clarity

+ Troops +

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

++ Super-Heavy Detachment +3CP (Imperium - Imperial Knights) ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Household Choice: House Terryn, Questor Imperialis

+ Lord of War +

Armiger Warglaives
Armiger Warglaive: Heavy Stubber

Armiger Warglaives
Armiger Warglaive: Heavy Stubber

Knight Gallant: Character (Knight Lance), Heavy Stubber, Heirloom: The Paragon Gauntlet, Reaper Chainsword, Thunderstrike gauntlet, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Landstrider

++ Total: [134 PL, 1998pts] ++

If you can fit them in anywhere (possibly dropping 1 pair of kastellans), some sydonian dragoons with taser lances can really help.
S8, -1AP, D2 weapons that for the measly cost of 1CP per squad hit on 2+, and any hits of 4+ cause 3 hits instead of 1. they can sweep right through many squads of 1-2 wound models thast might get to your lines e.g. ork mob, etc.
and since the weapons are S8 they can also strip wounds off vehicles as well.
you may wish to keep them for a more of a counter attack option, or you could send them out to capture objectives etc. because they move 10" and again for 1CP per squad they roll 2D6 when advancing and add them together.


another cheap option for a MARS list is 10x Sicarian Infiltrators with Taser & Flachette Blasters (180pts). the Taser has a similar effect to the Dragoons mentioned above, but what you really take them for is the 50 shots per turn they put out.
now 50 shots at S3 is not to shabby on their own, but for 2CP in a MARS list 6's to wound cause a mortal wound in addition to other damage. drop them in turn 2-3 near an opponant firebase and watch them unleash the pain.

ALso you could swap one of the Warglaives for a Helverin. as they can really hurt high wound models - with the flat 3 damage weapons, and you do not have much that will take chunks out of opponants vehicles apart from your two onagers (the phosphor bots should really be shooting at infantry otherwise the guns are not so effective).

 The Forgemaster wrote:
If you can fit them in anywhere (possibly dropping 1 pair of kastellans), some sydonian dragoons with taser lances can really help.
S8, -1AP, D2 weapons that for the measly cost of 1CP per squad hit on 2+, and any hits of 4+ cause 3 hits instead of 1. they can sweep right through many squads of 1-2 wound models thast might get to your lines e.g. ork mob, etc.
and since the weapons are S8 they can also strip wounds off vehicles as well.
you may wish to keep them for a more of a counter attack option, or you could send them out to capture objectives etc. because they move 10" and again for 1CP per squad they roll 2D6 when advancing and add them together.


another cheap option for a MARS list is 10x Sicarian Infiltrators with Taser & Flachette Blasters (180pts). the Taser has a similar effect to the Dragoons mentioned above, but what you really take them for is the 50 shots per turn they put out.
now 50 shots at S3 is not to shabby on their own, but for 2CP in a MARS list 6's to wound cause a mortal wound in addition to other damage. drop them in turn 2-3 near an opponant firebase and watch them unleash the pain.

ALso you could swap one of the Warglaives for a Helverin. as they can really hurt high wound models - with the flat 3 damage weapons, and you do not have much that will take chunks out of opponants vehicles apart from your two onagers (the phosphor bots should really be shooting at infantry otherwise the guns are not so effective).

Well, I did have another list idea that was pure AdMech that involved 20 Hoplites for a screen and 10 Infiltrators for exactly what you described. I was sort of convinced that dropping all of that and instead establishing a gunline in combination with Graia would work well to make the Vanguards tankier with a 6++ and increase their damage output when they get charged. Packing around a Knight, 2 Armigers and 2 Onagers isn't something I'm a huge fan of, but it seems that having around a Gallant to hit other knights\high T targets is best..But competitively\meta-wise I'm uncertain since I'm new to 40k as a whole.

The other list was definitely more infantry\dragoon focused and used Stygies for the pre-game movement + the -1 to be hit to make sure the Dragoons could get in range:



++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Adeptus Mechanicus) ++
Forge World Choice: Forge World: Mars

+ HQ +

Belisarius Cawl

Tech-Priest Enginseer

+ Troops +

Skitarii Rangers: 4x Skitarii Ranger
Ranger Alpha: Galvanic Rifle

Skitarii Rangers: 4x Skitarii Ranger
Ranger Alpha: Galvanic Rifle

Skitarii Rangers
Ranger Alpha: Galvanic Rifle
2x Skitarii Ranger
2x Skitarii Ranger (Transuranic Arquebus): 2x Transuranic Arquebus

+ Elites +

Secutarii Hoplites: 19x Secutarii Hoplite
Hoplite Alpha: Arc Lance, Mag-inverter Shield

Sicarian Infiltrators
Infiltrator Princeps
Flechette Blaster and Taser Goad: Flechette Blaster, Taser Goad
9x Sicarian Infiltrator (Flechette/Taser): 9x Flechette Blaster, 9x Taser Goad

+ Fast Attack +

Ironstrider Ballistarii
Ironstrider Ballistarius: Twin Cognis Lascannon
Ironstrider Ballistarius: Twin Cognis Lascannon

+ Heavy Support +

Kastelan Robots
Kastelan Robot: Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Two Heavy Phosphor Blasters: 2x Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Kastelan Robot: Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Two Heavy Phosphor Blasters: 2x Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Kastelan Robot: Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Two Heavy Phosphor Blasters: 2x Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Kastelan Robot: Heavy Phosphor Blaster
Two Heavy Phosphor Blasters: 2x Heavy Phosphor Blaster

Onager Dunecrawler: Broad Spectrum Data-tether, Icarus Array

Onager Dunecrawler: Broad Spectrum Data-tether
Neutron Laser and Cognis Heavy Stubber: Cognis Heavy Stubber, Neutron Laser



++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Adeptus Mechanicus) ++
Forge World Choice: Forge World: Stygies VIII

+ HQ +

Tech-Priest Enginseer

Tech-Priest Enginseer
Warlord: Warlord Trait (Codex 1): Monitor Malevolus

+ Troops +

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards: 4x Skitarii Vanguard
Vanguard Alpha: Radium Carbine

+ Fast Attack +

Sydonian Dragoons
Sydonian Dragoon: Taser Lance
Sydonian Dragoon: Taser Lance
Sydonian Dragoon: Taser Lance
Sydonian Dragoon: Taser Lance

++ Total: [124 PL, 1994pts] ++


The Ballistarii are there for some extra AV with the Onagers, Dragoons\Infiltrators for AI (or to dump MW's on a key unit as you described) and the Kastellans for...well, whatever they want I guess due to volume of fire. To be honest, I'm really unsure what to go with for an all-comers style list. I suppose if I really wanted, I could at least bring a lone Knight along in an Auxiliary detachment and not bring Warglaives.

It depends on what you really want to do. You mentioned CC being good but you have two warglaives and a warden, are you thinking you need more? Admech is a shooty army as it is.

I would work on outlining what problems you think your list has based on what you are playing against. If it is hordes then you need mass fire or screening units for your firing line, if it is elites you need the proper weapon strength and ap in order to deal with those threats. If it is many monsters or high toughness units you need answers for those.

Your initial list looks fine to me. If you want more close combat you could just get punching robots or make your 2nd battalion stygies and run a blob of electro priests.

Ceann wrote:
It depends on what you really want to do. You mentioned CC being good but you have two warglaives and a warden, are you thinking you need more? Admech is a shooty army as it is.

I would work on outlining what problems you think your list has based on what you are playing against. If it is hordes then you need mass fire or screening units for your firing line, if it is elites you need the proper weapon strength and ap in order to deal with those threats. If it is many monsters or high toughness units you need answers for those.

Your initial list looks fine to me. If you want more close combat you could just get punching robots or make your 2nd battalion stygies and run a blob of electro priests.

I generally like the shooty aspect, but I feel like I need to throw some CC in there. Knights are not ultra prevalent in my local meta I believe, so I don't know that I need a Gallant\Warglaives to have an answer. I've started to lean more towards a list without them, but I do like the suggestion for priests. Would 1x10 be enough? Or is 1x20 considered minimum for effectiveness? I'm thinking of 10 so I can squeeze in 3 extra Vanguard units to run up alongside them but perhaps they don't need it and I would be better off with more priests. I think the Dragoons will definitely get left out, but I still feel I should bring at least 2 Ironstriders, although I'm unsure whether or not to use Auto\Lascannons. Same situation with the Onagers...seems many people aren't fans of the Neutron since it's swingy and things are likely to have an invuln against it? Maybe better off just running 2 Icarus with +1 to hit stratagem?

Like I said, I'm trying to just cover all my bases. Jack-of-all-trades may not be the best thing to do, but if it does decently on average then I'll settle with it.