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Mechanicum List help - 2000 points! How to equip and run Tech-Priest Auxillia?  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
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Made in ca
[DCM]
Dankhold Troggoth






Shadeglass Maze

Hey guys,

So after a looooong hiatus I have moved, and am now local to a 30K group! I also had most of my Mechanicum painted up by Nerdfest in the interim and so am trying to put together a 2000 point list (to which I could add my Knight Atropos if someone wanted to play 2500).

Here's what I was thinking. Very open to revisions / feedback!


Edit: Spoilering my original list, scroll down to my next post for the new list

Spoiler:

HQ
Magos Dominus w/ Master-crafted Conversion Beamer (joins Thanatar) - 105

Elite
Tech-Priest Auxillia (Lacyraemarta) - 1 Adept, 8 Servo-automata w/ 4 Flamers - 105
----- Dedicated Transport, Triaros Armoured Conveyor - 135

Troops
3 Thallax w/ 1 Phased Plasma Fusil - 145
3 Thallax w/ 1 Phased Plasma Fusil - 145
3 Thallax w/ 1 Phased Plasma Fusil - 145
Adsecularis Covenant - 20 Tech-thralls w/ The Rite of Pure Thought - 80

Fast
Vultarax Stratos-Automata - 175
Arlatax Battle-Automata - 175

Heavy
Thanatar Siege-Automata - 250
2 Krios Venator Battle Tanks (in squadron) - 300
3 Myrmidon Destructors w/ Photon Thrusters - 240

Total - 2000


I have some questions, mostly regarding the Tech-Priest Auxillia and the Myrmidon Destructors:

- I read about a way to make the Tech-Priest Auxillia unit Relentless, which would let me equip the servos with Multimeltas, by attaching a relentless Magos. Does this actually work / how does one do this??? Right now the unit feels a bit pointless, so I'd definitely shuffle things around to give them Multimeltas if this works somehow

- Also regarding that unit, does the Tech-Priest need a Cortex Controller? How problematic is having only one in the back of the army going to be for the Vultarax and Arlatax? Should I just scrap this idea completely and run them as Scyllax instead? (These are actually the models I'm using, as I prefer them over the servo-automata models and they look very similar)

- I don't see how the Myrmidon Destructors will live to shoot, since they don't seem that survivable and are such an attractive target for the enemy to shoot at. Is the way I've equipped them good, and how do you use them? I could also put them in the Triaros instead, or just drop them entirely to buff up all the other units (like making a real Scyllax deathstar and sticking the Magos in there). It does feel like I might have one too many units to equip all the others properly! This would also allow me to split the Krios tanks into two separate squads.

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 2020/04/17 16:02:50


 
   
Made in de
Regular Dakkanaut





I'll try to answer a few of your questions and give a bit of feedback on your list.

For your first question, yes attaching a character with the relentless special rule will give it to the entire unit. The only unit capable of doing that, that I can find in the book, is an archmagos prime with the myrmidax upgrade. For that he would have to be your warlord however. In its current state the unit does look a bit out of place. It doesn't have a real purpose and isn't strong enough to threaten anything except hord units with its flamers (and if something gets into combat with them they are too weak to defend themself). Currently their transport is the more dangerous of the two.

If you want to keep the tech-priest, he definitly needs the cortex controller. Having only one is a huge liability as without it you can't fully controll your automatons. Another option would be to give one of them the paragon of metal upgrade, to make them more independent.

On the Myrmidons, they are similar to heavy weapon teams for them space marines in that regard. Always remember that Myrmidons are relentless, which allows you to start them behind cover and idealy out of line of sight, in order to keep them alive until they get to shoot themself. They also share a similar enough profil with the Thallax, which means if your opponent shoots at the Myrmidons your Thallax get to live longer and the other way around.

For your Magos I would defintly dump the Conversion Beamer and generally advice against shooting weapons on most Magos. Normally you want them to use Cybertheurgy, which makes them give up their shooting.
Adsecularis get a lot stronger if also equiped with carapace armour, as the 4+ armour means that Bolter no longer get to ignore their save.
   
Made in ca
[DCM]
Dankhold Troggoth






Shadeglass Maze

Jorim, thank you so much for the amazing feedback!! I also broke out my tomes of knowledge and it looks like to confer the ability to the unit, the rule would need to be Slow and Purposeful, rather than just Relentless, and no wargear I can find will do that. Yay for tomes of knowledge




So, here's another crack at it! This time, putting the Magos and Adsec unit in the transport. This makes it a cheap mobile scoring unit, along with the Magos making it a mobile Cybertheurgy and Cortex Controller platform (since he doesn't need LOS for either ). And hopefully not too juicy of a target...


HQ
Magos Dominus - 75

Troops
3 Thallax w/ Destructor upgrade - 150
3 Thallax w/ 1 Phased Plasma Fusil - 145
3 Thallax w/ 1 Phased Plasma Fusil - 145
Adsecularis Covenant - 15 Tech-thralls w/ Mitralocks - 50
--- Dedicated Transport, Triaros Armoured Conveyor - 135

Elite
Tech-Priest Auxillia (Enginseer) - 2 Adepts, 8 Servo-automata w/ 1 Servo-arm - 110

Fast
Arlatax Battle-Automata w/ Arc Scourge - 185
Vultarax Stratos-Automata - 175
Tarantula Sentry Gun Battery w/ TL Mauler Bolt Cannon - 40

Heavy
2 Krios Venator Battle Tanks - 300
Thanatar Siege-Automata - 250
3 Myrmidon Destructors w/ Photon Thrusters - 240

Total - 2000


The Tech-Priest Auxillia unit would now stand back near the 2 Krios and Thanatar and be ready to make two repairs per turn on a 2+ roll. I didn't put in a Cortex Controller since the Thanatar ideally wouldn't be within 12" of any enemy unit to trigger his Target Priority programmed behavior. Other tweaks: Added an Arc Scourge to the Arlatax since he's my main (only!?) CC threat, squeezed in a Tarantula Sentry Gun for even MOAR AP3, changed one Thallax unit to have Tank Hunter since I actually seem pretty light on anti-tank, and shaved off a few Adesc to make the points work.

What do you guys think of the list overall? Does the transport make more sense now? I feel like I'm light on troops, but super shooty . Thoughts very welcome!


This message was edited 8 times. Last update was at 2020/04/17 16:22:52


 
   
Made in gb
Quick-fingered Warlord Moderatus







So, you seem to have made an oversight with the tech-preist auxillia - you list the techno-arcana 'engineseer' , presumably denoting the two together but you only need one to trigger the upgraded unit rules; it affects both.
So electing one of the two adepts to be a laceraemarta will also give the unit FNP etc
only sting in the tail is if that adept dies the FNP goes too.

I liked the Reductor/Laceraemarta conversion-beamer mix.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-px27tzAtVwZpZ4ljopV2w "ashtrays and teacups do not count as cover"
"jack of all trades, master of none; certainly better than a master of one"
The Ordo Reductor - the guy's who make wonderful things like the Landraider Achillies, but can't use them in battle..  
   
Made in ca
[DCM]
Dankhold Troggoth






Shadeglass Maze

Man, that would be awesome, but in reading it again just now I think the wording doesn't support it, unless there's a FAQ:

Spoiler:
The Techno-Arcana rule says "Each Tech-Priest Auxillia must chooose one of the following Techo-Arcana, which applies to the unit..."

Each option then starts with "Adepts are" or "Adepts gain", etc. So, to me, it looks like the unit (Tech-Priest Auxillia) must choose one of the options, which then references what it gives the Adepts or Servo-automata. But if each Adept got to pick one, the main rule should say "Each Adept must choose one of the following..."

Heck yeah I'll add Lacyraemarta to the list if it works, though

What do you think about the list overall? One thing I'm really considering is magnetizing and converting my Myrmidons so they can be run as Secutors or Destructors. That would let me split the Krios into two separate units, so they're not such a juicy target to distribute damage between.

In that case, though, with the Secutors' short range, they probably want to ride in the transport. Do you like the Adsecularis in the transport as it is now (for a mobile troop option, and to keep them safe so they don't just evaporate) or should I use it as more of a threat and put a killier unit in there, like the Myrmidons? In that case, I might also drop the sentry gun to give the Magos some killing power with those points - would love to know how you equip your Magos!

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 2020/04/20 14:23:47


 
   
Made in gb
Quick-fingered Warlord Moderatus







Ah, nuts. i didn't read that top text properly.

I didn't feel i could really comment on the list because i think you already own the models and i wouldn't want to recommend not using the stuff you already have.
especially after that goof i just made.

i think myrmidons are great (bought three squads of each) but i never finished the secutors. the destructors had a fun 'heavy weapons squad' kind of appeal that i felt happy taking mixed weapon sets but the secutors feel a little too single-purpose; the phased plasma fusil is their best trick but mixing them with the other options feels flawed rather than tricky. they really suffer in comparison for not having preferred enemy (everything)

So my typical loadout for 3 destructors was 2 volkites and a photon thruster. if i had a second unit out i'd have two irradiation engines and a volkite culverin or two photon thrusters and a volkite culverin
That said, a unit of two volkiites and two photon thrusters had great punch long range while still not being the primary target until they take a big scalp

I'd put the secutors in the triaros but the adsecularis feel a little weak for footslogging to me (no RoPT or RA upgrades)
I mean, they are pretty much hangars for participation medals and maybe plate carriers, but against most opposing forces the thralls are bad fodder in that setup because it's fairly easy to trigger total unit death by Ld checks off the board or sweeping advance - admittedly, that can be fun if you have 6 units of them and a Lachrimallus Magos Prime

good times.
Apart from that one game against eldar.


Okay, so magos loadout varies depending on base type
Calleb Decima - everything. obviously no 'decima invictus' upgrade when playing pre-heresy or mid-heresy
Archmagos Reductor - macchinator array, abeyant, cyber familiar, Protectiva, swap lucifex for photon gauntlet, master-crafted photon thruster, cyber occularis, djinn skein, augury scanner
Archmagos Malagra - jetpack, abeyant, four cyber-occularis, cyber familiar, Protectiva, paragon blade, master-crafted paragon blade, rad grenades, djinn skein
Magos Lachrimallus - as the archmagos reductor; basicly the backfeild artilleryman and fixer-upper.
Magos Ordinator - as the archmagos reductor but with four cyber occularis
Magos Dominus - macchinator array, abeyant, cyber familiar, swap maglite for archeotek pistol, master crafted photon thruster, augury scanner

so i have them working in the backfeild like a smart artillery peice usually; i tend to kamikaze Calleb Decima in an intresting vehicle and the Archmagos Malagra provides assured deep-strike after deploying (it works as soon as it's put onto the table so i deploy them first) and the magos dominus is a straight up Thanatar shepherd.

so, quite heavily tooled up. i don't like giving away slay the warlord.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/04/23 18:19:46


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-px27tzAtVwZpZ4ljopV2w "ashtrays and teacups do not count as cover"
"jack of all trades, master of none; certainly better than a master of one"
The Ordo Reductor - the guy's who make wonderful things like the Landraider Achillies, but can't use them in battle..  
   
Made in ca
[DCM]
Dankhold Troggoth






Shadeglass Maze

Thanks SirDonlad, I really appreciate the detailed thoughts! While I do have the models, I am open to units I haven't shown here, so if there are some you love please feel free to share

The Magos loadouts are definitely helpful, I probably should spare some points for mine (such as by dropping the Gun Battery). I've always cheaped out on HQs, but do have a nicely converted Magos on Abeyant for when I want to run a heavier one (modeled to be Anacharis Scoria, but could represent a generic Magos, too)
   
Made in gb
Quick-fingered Warlord Moderatus







Scoria really is something else, i don't want to use him against my friends..
Inar Satarael though - I want a model for him! MCHQ has a nice feel to it..

to be fair, overspending on HQs is one of my issues and has become a bit of a crutch i think?

So i'll only recommend fitting any mechanicum HQ with cyber familiar at minimum (then macchinator array, then abeyant depending how many points to sink into dedicated protection) plus whatever master-crafted weapon needed for the role.

slap some weapons on some of the servitors if they are standing around doing nothing - a las-lock is 1 ppm so 7 extra points for 7 S4 at 18" in a desperate situation? your call.

That list is four castellax away from being legio cybernetica...

did you do an arlatax conversion? planning my own but nothings really jumping out at me design-wise and curious about how you dealt with the fluff link to the domitar

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-px27tzAtVwZpZ4ljopV2w "ashtrays and teacups do not count as cover"
"jack of all trades, master of none; certainly better than a master of one"
The Ordo Reductor - the guy's who make wonderful things like the Landraider Achillies, but can't use them in battle..  
   
Made in ca
[DCM]
Dankhold Troggoth






Shadeglass Maze

I had an Arlatax conversion done for me but man, is it sweet! It is based on the Domitar model. I will be posting up pics once I have the army ready to compete (my group is planning to start back up in the summer after the pandemic eases). I'll link to it here when I've got it up

Yeah, I have noticed that expensive HQs are, well, scary so might try to free up some points to at least beef mine up a little. Scoria I'll save for a huge 3000 point game if I ever join in one of those! And that would let the Arlatax be the Homonculex, too . It does seem like his unit / transport would get blown off the table, though, if he's in the army... can't imagine anyone wanting him to get close
   
Made in gb
Quick-fingered Warlord Moderatus







i will appreciate that link!

Buy him some toys, go on! i would scrap the lone sentry gun (they are cool though) and re-use the points on a cyber familiar for your warlord. at this point with 25 points remaining you could beef up your HQ further or apply it to other problems

my only point of concern is there isn't an anti-air threat in the list - i can think of a way to provide it but it's highly situational (thallax with icaian upgrade and Multi-Melta)

Yeah, scoria wins 'distraction carnifex of the decade' imo!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-px27tzAtVwZpZ4ljopV2w "ashtrays and teacups do not count as cover"
"jack of all trades, master of none; certainly better than a master of one"
The Ordo Reductor - the guy's who make wonderful things like the Landraider Achillies, but can't use them in battle..  
   
 
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