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I'm just starting to build AdMech and have picked up a box of these guys. I am building them and looking at their weapons and have a few questions:

1. What seems to be the most popular way to build them out?
2. I kinda like 3 shooty weapons, so no fists, is this a mistake for melee? Am I missing something very powerful about the fists?

I am very new to the army so any help or suggestions for these guys is very much appreciated.

Cheers!

The 3 shooty version is actually one of the strongest units the ad mech have access to at the moment.

I feel like my Admech army is missing a Close Combat winner and I was wondering about the punchy robots.

I have:
4x TechPriests Dominus
6x Kataphron Destroyers
30x Vanguard
20x Rangers
3x Sydonian Dragoons
5x Sicarian Infiltrators
4x Onager Dunecrawler

So far in 8th the Infiltrators failed to impress me. I need a fighty unit that can survive vs MEQ, are any of the electropriests better than punchy robots? Ruststalkers?

3rksum wrote:I'm just starting to build AdMech and have picked up a box of these guys. I am building them and looking at their weapons and have a few questions:

1. What seems to be the most popular way to build them out?
2. I kinda like 3 shooty weapons, so no fists, is this a mistake for melee? Am I missing something very powerful about the fists?

I am very new to the army so any help or suggestions for these guys is very much appreciated.

Cheers!

The three Heavy Phosphor Blasters is probably the most popular as it gets three shots each with no bonus from cover and if you got the protector protocol on they get to shoot twice so that is 18 strength 6 AP -2 shots in the shooting phase each. I do like the fists though as I recently has a small game against some space wolves and I brought to Kastelans one with fists one without and during the game it got into melee against some thunder wolf cavalry and the one with fists just wrecked them, especially after giving them the protocol that allows them to fight twice in the fight phase. Release it is up to you how you intend to use them. I like variety so I did a mix.
Also look at this:

don't you want a robot that can strut it stuff like it can.

verticalgain wrote:I feel like my Admech army is missing a Close Combat winner and I was wondering about the punchy robots.

I have:
4x TechPriests Dominus
6x Kataphron Destroyers
30x Vanguard
20x Rangers
3x Sydonian Dragoons
5x Sicarian Infiltrators
4x Onager Dunecrawler

So far in 8th the Infiltrators failed to impress me. I need a fighty unit that can survive vs MEQ, are any of the electropriests better than punchy robots? Ruststalkers?

The infiltrators are lacking in this ed and with the resent rule change they lost an attack which is even worst. I can't really see either the electro priests or the ruststalkers being better then the robots in melee. The ruststalkers got nerfed like the infiltrators and though the priests got a good buff it would take a good amount of them to really be effective.

AdMech is pretty much a gunline army only this edition, your melee units should be counter-assault and cheap screens which the tesla electro-priests do a really good job at.

get Cawl, he is an auto-take.

 3rksum wrote:
I'm just starting to build AdMech and have picked up a box of these guys. I am building them and looking at their weapons and have a few questions:

1. What seems to be the most popular way to build them out?
2. I kinda like 3 shooty weapons, so no fists, is this a mistake for melee? Am I missing something very powerful about the fists?

I am very new to the army so any help or suggestions for these guys is very much appreciated.

Cheers!

Most prefer the guns. Which are fairly brutal for taking down infantry of all varieties and even tanks in a pinch. However, they are only a 4+ to hit and 110 points each. A dunecrawler with the Icarus array also hits ground infantry on a 4+, gets slightly more shots for 130 points, and hits all flying units on a 2+. The kastellans ignore cover and can double their shots with the correct protocol, but the onager has almost twice as many wounds and doesn't take a penalty to moving and firing. Generally speaking. A hard choice. However, given the shape of this edition so far, you may find you want both, particularly as each onager eats a slot unlike kastellans who come in squads.

Melee kastellans similarly fill primarily an anti tank and MC role. With a flat 3 damage, str 10, and the ability to fight twice with protocol, they can rip apart almost any tank in remarkably fast time, and the combuster allows them to move advance and shoot all without worrying about their BS. They can also handle most elite infantry like primaris and terminators well, particularly with the protocol. Other anti tank does exist for mechanicus, mostly ranged which doesn't put out damage as quickly but is more reliable. So again, worth considering.

Personally, I'd say it depends on what you have in your army. The fist version has mobility and anti tank, the shooting version has anti horde. Take whichever your army currently lacks. Mine are set up for shooting, but I am considering getting more and setting them up melee style.

I only own two Robots for now, back from 7th edition. Equipped with twin HPBs and Incendine Combustors. So far I like them but my meta is really shifting towards big tough units like super-heavies or big MCs and even then with all their firepower they lack punch against that. So I'm planning on a second unit kitted for CC, so both with Fists and Combustors, set to Conqueror Protocols the turn before they charge, and I'll get to punch some Baneblades to death. With the canticles you can roll or choose the one that let's you reroll 1s in CC, that may be useful, or the Litany of the Electromancer, which could deal mortal wounds.

So against a nid army, do you think it's worth kitting them with fists to face the tide or should I stick to dakka and just blast them?

I really appreciate the responses! I decided to go full dakka but I am also thinking I'll get some more robots for some fist action as well. If I were a better hobbyist I'd magnetize all the options...

And I should have listed what I currently own to make the answers easier:

Currently Own
Cawl
3x Tech Priest Dominus
3x Onager
30x Vanguard/Rangers (currently have 10 Rangers and 10 Vanguard built, not sure about the other 10 yet)
2x Kastelan Robots
Cybernetica Datasmith
5x Sicarian Infiltrators

Non AdMech
Imperial Knight
Culexus Assassin
Vindicare Assassin

Near Future Purchases
10x Electro-Priests (I know I want Fulgurite, will see how the others play)
2x Ironstriders
2x Dragoons

Again, many thanks. As I get stuff built I'll start asking about builds for combat!

EDIT - To place the Non Admech closer to the Owned category because I do have them but it read like I was buying them later.

SilverAlien wrote:
A dunecrawler with the Icarus array also hits ground infantry on a 4+, gets slightly more shots for 130 points, and hits all flying units on a 2+.

Agree with most of your post, bust just wanted to grab out that bit...

Icarus array vs many fliers is still a 3+

The Onager hits on 3+
Flyer's "Hard to Hit" rule makes it 4+
Icarus array rule cancels that out and brings it back to 3+

Of course there are some flyers without the airborne/supersonic/hard to hit rules trifecta, which would be 2+ as you say.