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How do you recommend I start a Mechanicum army? I wrote this list out, but the upgrades on the HQs are just so varied that I have no idea what I'm doing. Figured the Cybernetica Battlegroup was a good start (I like robots), and made a list around it, so Legio Cybernetica is the plan. I need advice on starting, if Cybernetica is a good idea, my questionable listbuilding skills made a decent list, etc.
I pretty much like every Mechanicum model, so expanding over time and playing plain Taghmata is an option. The list below is about 2000 pts.

Revised

Remember that only troops score in 30k. You have a total of six scoring models (your troops giant robots have a "this is not scoring" rule) and they aren't all that durable. IOW you will lose every objective game.

That was the thing that put me off the legio cybernetica - you are pretty much comitting yourself to tabling the opponent in order to win.

@verviedi: What are you doing?! master-craft that photon thruster!!

Peregrine wrote:Remember that only troops score in 30k. You have a total of six scoring models (your troops giant robots have a "this is not scoring" rule) and they aren't all that durable. IOW you will lose every objective game.

I could toss in the Secutarii Swarm if I need to, just the fact that they aren't giant robots kinda turned me off to that.

SirDonlad wrote:That was the thing that put me off the legio cybernetica - you are pretty much comitting yourself to tabling the opponent in order to win.

@verviedi: What are you doing?! master-craft that photon thruster!!

Whoops! Edited in.

Keep in mind I haven't got anything other than my Secutarii yet, so I'm not exactly committed to Cybernetica. From my reading of online stuff, objectives are a pain for Mechanicum, so I'm interested in hearing solutions for that.

My plan is to use the other troop slots for thralls to get some scoring units down - incorporating a lachrimallus magos and lacyraemarta tech-preist auxillia to bring 'em back occasionally and ramp up the fnp so they can weather the inevitable hail of bolter shots.

 Verviedi wrote:
I could toss in the Secutarii Swarm if I need to, just the fact that they aren't giant robots kinda turned me off to that.

You could take some more thallax. They're not bad units (reasonably tough, JSJ mobility, enough offense to threaten "normal" units), you just need more than six models to win objective games. You don't even pay a very high MSU tax on them, so bring at least two more squads for your other troops slots and consider giving them transports for even more durability. It's less thematic for an army of giant robots, but it gives you a much better chance of winning.

Depending on your reading of the battlesmith and cyberthurgy rules, there is a better way to feild your magos dominus.
Take the irad cleanser off the magos dominus, replacing it with a maccinator array and putting him inside a macrocarid explorator with the servo-rig - the battlesmith rule allows him to restore a wound on a battle automata if he has a cortex controller "instead of firing a weapon" and the cybuthergy rule says you can use a power "in the shooting phase instead of making a shooting attack"

In my book that allows you to use the servo-rig on the macrocarid to restore a lost wound and then use cyberthurgy in the same turn from the safety of the vehicle thanks to the shoot two weapons mechanic from the maccinator array.

Any use?

Also, give your archmagos a power fist - the ordinator armourbane rule applies to it and is therfore a bargain for 5 points!

Peregrine wrote:

 Verviedi wrote:
I could toss in the Secutarii Swarm if I need to, just the fact that they aren't giant robots kinda turned me off to that.

You could take some more thallax. They're not bad units (reasonably tough, JSJ mobility, enough offense to threaten "normal" units), you just need more than six models to win objective games. You don't even pay a very high MSU tax on them, so bring at least two more squads for your other troops slots and consider giving them transports for even more durability. It's less thematic for an army of giant robots, but it gives you a much better chance of winning.

I will make it so. I guess they are close enough to robots to work. I'll add Triarii as I expand, because I want some anyway.

SirDonlad wrote:Depending on your reading of the battlesmith and cyberthurgy rules, there is a better way to feild your magos dominus.
Take the irad cleanser off the magos dominus, replacing it with a maccinator array and putting him inside a macrocarid explorator with the servo-rig - the battlesmith rule allows him to restore a wound on a battle automata if he has a cortex controller "instead of firing a weapon" and the cybuthergy rule says you can use a power "in the shooting phase instead of making a shooting attack"

In my book that allows you to use the servo-rig on the macrocarid to restore a lost wound and then use cyberthurgy in the same turn from the safety of the vehicle thanks to the shoot two weapons mechanic from the maccinator array.

Any use?

Also, give your archmagos a power fist - the ordinator armourbane rule applies to it and is therfore a bargain for 5 points!

Hm, that interpretation seems legit, although it definitely seems like a question for YMDC. If you haven't already, I'll post a thread in there later. When I pick up a Macrocarid, I'll try it out.
And I'll do that, huh, I didn't know it applied to CC as well.