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As you guys know, the Ordinatus Ulator model has finally been released! I have been waiting and saving for months, pre-ordered it the very day it was announced, received it Friday and built it Saturday.

Now, I have to decide how to use it! In 40k it should be simple, as it's simply a LOW for a Mechanicus/Skitarii army (though that -does- mean one must field a CAD of Cult Mechanicus troops rather than the conventional detachment). For 30k, I am thinking a Leviathan detachment, though whom the allies should be is a mystery. I am considering declaring the Leviathan detachment to be an Ordo Reductor detachment, allowing Taghmata allies but I am uncertain if the red book still permits Mechanicum to ally with itself. The only other army I have for 30k is Solar Auxilia.

Also, what tactics should I use for the Ulator? Any insights I have missed? I get the basics down, such as kill all the major threats while the Dispersion Shield is at high power for the first two turns, though don't worry too much as -1 Str. and -1 D-chart rolls is still fantastic even if the shield has degraded that far. As far as actual battlefield tactics, normally I deploy LOW in the center if I am deploying first, allowing them to react to battlefield changes as it becomes necessary. However, I am considering trying to deploy the Ulator on an extreme flank, allowing it to be covered on one side (except against outflankers, whom I will be aware of and can react to accordingly) and allowing it to hopefully hit more enemy models as its beam is travelling diagonally rather than in a straight line.

That said, is it worth the 375 points more than the Belicosa pattern? If you -do- only hit one or two targets, the 10" D with Machine Destroyer might be better than a variable strength 7" blast (for all intents and purposes) with some special rules. (Though Ignores Cover, Instant Death, Armourbane, Primary Weapon is pretty sweet!)

The Volcano Cannon is more useful as its easier to use due to using a convential targetting method and being a D weapon with machine wrecker it'll very nearly always strip off multiple HP from vehicles and remove more troops per turn.

The Ulator needs a large clear fire lane to work as you can't shoot it and have your troops directly front of it. If you can deploy second then this isn't going to be a problem but if you have to deploy first I would suggest keeping as much as possible in reserve that can't be deployed behind it, otherwise your opponent will just keep your units between the Ulator and his units so you can't fire.

As its going to be next to impossible to remove the first couple of turns outside of massive games (so you are unlikely to get tabled early game) I would go with deploying just the Ulator and keep everything else in reserve that you'd want to move up the table.

I'd recommend pairing it with the artillery options that you can deploy behind, make a proper gun line and castle in one of the corners with tech priests to fix any damage. Couple it with anything you can outflank.

Yeah if I -can- ally in a Taghmata detachment I would use a Macrotek Magos and make enginseer troops so I can just have a repair party following the Ulator around.

The Belicosa does seem great with its regular targeting, but lacking Ignores Cover means that it's actually unlikely to do anything at all, really. I mean, take the amount of damage it would cause and then halve it for 4+ cover saves. *shrug* not that exciting to me for 700 points.

10" template that wounds anything on a 2+ (rerollable against tanks) is going to force saves for an awful lot of what it hits and have a chance to deny any saves of any type. Against a Spartan I'm going to need 4 from 2d6 just to glance to take off 1 HP with the Ulator. Against what I normally see I'm going to spend on average three turns stripping down Spartans with the Ulator.

The Belicosa would fit into a smaller game, 3k I think? if you have to stick to the 25% rule.

I'd rather run it in a FoC as the LoW choice, personally I'd run it in one of the Reductor LoW slots as it gives access to an awful lot of artillery in the four heavy slots allowed. Coupled with Thallax as compulsery troops, keep the Thallax in reserves and deep strike them in as needed.

 Looky Likey wrote:
10" template that wounds anything on a 2+ (rerollable against tanks) is going to force saves for an awful lot of what it hits and have a chance to deny any saves of any type. Against a Spartan I'm going to need 4 from 2d6 just to glance to take off 1 HP with the Ulator. Against what I normally see I'm going to spend on average three turns stripping down Spartans with the Ulator.

The Belicosa would fit into a smaller game, 3k I think? if you have to stick to the 25% rule.

I'd rather run it in a FoC as the LoW choice, personally I'd run it in one of the Reductor LoW slots as it gives access to an awful lot of artillery in the four heavy slots allowed. Coupled with Thallax as compulsery troops, keep the Thallax in reserves and deep strike them in as needed.

Either one will have to be run in a Leviathan, really, unless you're playing a 3k game.

My secret plan if I run the allied detachment as a Reductor is to give the Ulator the Master of Destruction special rule that the Magos Reductor can bestow. Since it's Primary Weapon, Armourbane it already gets 3d6 and add the two highest for penetration, with +1 on the damage chart for AP2. At this point, it would be 3d6 and add the two highest with rerolls for penetration and +2 on the damage chart. You're very nearly guaranteed to cripple the Spartan, almost as guaranteed to do as much damage as the Belicosa.

The Belicosa has AP1 and auto-pens, so is about the same but has the option to remove 2 more hullpoints than the Ulator can. Unless the Spartan is in cover, in which case it has a flat 50% chance of outright ignoring the D weapon (unless you roll a 6 of course but I won't make battle plans around rolling sixes), while the Ulator does not care at all.


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I also like the Ulator because it's far better against MCs and GMCs and can actually hit Flyers, FMCs, and FGMCs.

Against most MCs it kills them on a 2+ when it hits them and allows only invulnerable saves whether flying or not. I literally have to roll one die and if it isn't a 1 they explode in a shower of gore.

Against most GMCs it does 2d3 wounds when it hits them, unless I roll a 6 in which case it does 6+d6+d3 wounds, again allowing only invulnerable saves (or no save on a 6).

That's a pretty nasty combo!

I'm lucking in that I don't see many Spartans camping in cover, they are usually barrelling down the table to deliver something nasty. With the Ulator they'll try and avoid the fire lane, so I'd have to funnel them into something else.

I'm not planning on taking mine anything less than 3k, don't really play anything smaller than 3k, and normally play 4k+ so its easier for me to fit it in.

Less than 3k and you are less likely to come up against anything that can cause it real problems outside of CC till late game. Less than 3k I'd be tempted to march it up the table with everything else behind it.

Against anything flying, particularly super heavy flyers, its just plain amazing. If the Stormbird becomes popular then mine will be out every game!

MCs and GMCs I just don't see enough off in 30k to make much of a difference yet. They'll become more popular over the next couple of books though.

The problem is this is legal for use in both 30k and 40k, so having a D weapon with Instant Death is hilarious against WKs and other GMCs like the Supremacy Armour.


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And also hard-counters Tyranids even more than Mechanicus already did.

The fact that it's legal in 40k is something I'd missed!

Definitely put it out on the flank. Cover that flank edge with something competent - a siege automata or something - and Bwaaaammmmaway along the diagonal up the board. Mechanicum play defensively quite well because you've got good medium-range firepower.

The Bellicosa and the Ullator both do impressive damage to an vehicle, but the Ullator is good at clearing off screening units in the process. With essentially 2+ to wound and ignoring most protection, you only need to hit a squad once to do impressive damage.

I can see it eating most things in 40k. The Green Tide would be a particular tasty snack.

Anyway to reliably give it outflank? Coming side on would be very useful.

 Looky Likey wrote:

Anyway to reliably give it outflank? Coming side on would be very useful.

Brutal. You won't be very popular with your opponent as you force him to pack away most of his army

I can't think of a way. But thunderblitzing on before VOOMing everything would be pretty hilarious.

Yeah I think I'm out of luck with 30k, 40k Creed should be able to give it to the Ordinatus? Or am I missing something?

Its too much fun to not try it for a single game.

Yeah maybe Creed if he gets the right Warlord trait for the Guard.

Took out my Ordinatus for its first game last night, 10k a side.

I had a Reaver, 2 Warhounds, 1 Ordinatus and about 14 Knights of various types.

They had 1 Phantom, 2 Revenants, 5 Wraith Knights, 2 Scorpions, 1 Cobra, bunch of little stuff that didn't do much.

They went first. I lost the Reaver first turn due to the Phantom and the Revenants ganging up on it then my first turn so my Ordiantus was prime target from turn 2, they ignored it till then due to the -3 on the flare shield for turn 1.

The Ordinatus lasted till turn 4, it had 1 HP took off in turn 2, 7 HP took off in turn 3 and the remainder in turn 4. Very durable considering it took the entire shooting of the Phantom from turns 2 to 4; I took out both Revenants turn 1.

The damage output was impressive from the Ordinatus, it literally cleared a path of scenery and large models (MCs and up) in its path. Against the higher T infantry (Wraith Guard) it was not so reliable, only removed a few models from each unit each turn.

A void shield generator would have been a very useful addition.

Hm, a void shield relay with 9 layers and a harness on an Archmagos could make this thing nasty. With a Macrotek in the army you could have 2 relays for a total of 19 void layers.

That would be pretty useful.

I'm thinking the Arch Magos following behind would be the more practical solution, we had to keep the Ordinatus moving otherwise we ended up restricting the field of fire.

A gunline behind multiple void shields and the Ordinatus would be very tough early game, they really struggled to strip HP from it even with many times its points in fire power.

Greate battle! I wish there were more gamers with a passion for Big Walking Mech-things in our town to be able to play something alike.

And can you please tell me a size of this thing (height, length, width)? I'm going to build one myself (with a little help from Omnissiah, of course ) and want it to be as close to the original one as possible. Thanks in advance.