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Aaaand we're out of the tanks and into the CULT MECHANICUS INFANTRY, starting with everyone's favourite gun-zombie horde.

Adsecularii Tech-Thralls (Troops, Power Rating 3)

10-20 Adsecularii Tech-Thrall: M 5"; WS 5+; BS 5+; S 3; T 3; W 1; A 1; Ld 6; Sv 4+

If this unit contains 11 or more models, it has Power Rating 6. Every model is equipped with: las-lock.

Wargear

Wargear Options

All of the models in the unit can have their las-lock replaced with 1 mitralock each.

Abilities

Canticles of the Omnissiah: See Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus, pg 84-85.

Bionics: Models in this unit have a 6+ invulnerable save.

Mindlock: While this unit is within 3" of a friendly <FORGE WORLD> TECH-PRIEST unit that is not performing an action, it has the CORE keyword, and models in this unit have a Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill characteristic of 4+ and a Leadership characteristic of 9.

Purity of Thought: This unit cannot perform actions or control objectives unless it is within 3” of a friendly <FORGE WORLD> TECH-PRIEST.

Keywords

Faction: IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS MECHANICUS, CULT MECHANICUS, <FORGE WORLD>

Keywords: INFANTRY, SERVITORS, ADSECULARII TECH-THRALLS

Points Costs


New Stratagem: Revenant Alchemystery (1 CP)

Adeptus Mechanicus - Battle Tactic Stratagem
Arcane preservatives and forbidden stimulants are piped through the veins of this forsaken tech-thrall covenant, driving them back to their feet until their service is done.
Use this Stratagem in your Movement phase, when a <FORGE WORLD> TECH-PRIEST model in your army uses its Master of Machines ability to repair a model in a friendly <FORGE WORLD> ADSECULARII TECH-THRALL unit. Add up to D3+3 of that unit's destroyed models back to it with their full wounds remaining. Models added back to a unit in this way can be set up within Engagement Range of enemy units that are already within Engagement Range of that unit.

A bit tricky to figure out how to fit these in, now Skitarii are just 8 points, but I think this works; they're a 6-point horde unit that's shockingly cheap for its durability, but needs a TECH-PRIEST babysitter to do basically anything, including hold objectives or perform actions. If that doesn't work as a downside, they'd need to be bumped up to 7 points and I'd give them a slightly better gun:

Two things:

What about the Mitralocks?

For Revenant Alchemystery I am not sure about the +2 for having a tech-priest nearby. Having models come back on a 2+ seems a bit too strong for me. This is mitigated with it only being for 6 models and a unit only being able to be effected once so I am on the fence.

6 points sound a bit cheap, but I'm not sure. As you mentioned, they can't perform actions etc. without a techpriest.

Note though that BS5+ RF1, 4/0/1 is almost the same as BS4+, RF1, 3/0/1 (Guardsmen) even without a techpriest against typical targets. The chance to hit and wound per shot is 0.17 against T4 for both, 0.22 vs 0.25 against T3. And standing still they are already better then 5.5 points guardsmen on the offense while also having better saves.

Edit: thinking about it a bit more though: Without orders they are in the rough ballpark of guardsmen and seem fairly priced compared to them... I guess.

 KingGarland wrote:
What about the Mitralocks?

A lot of the Forge World models come with options on their sheets that simply aren't there on/available for the models - where that's the case, I've just left those out, because it saves me time and complexity and makes the rules easier to directly apply.

I will level with you - I 100% thought mitralocks were one of these "hypothetical" options, so I just folded them into the "charge" conceit for laslocks. I had no idea that Forge World actually did used to sell mitralock Tech-Thralls as separate models. That's my mistake. Now I can either rewrite them as two separate options, or just awkwardly shrug and say "uhhh yeah the AdMech does a lot of bespoke work crazy how laslocks can look so different from each other haha". Gonna need to think.

 KingGarland wrote:

For Revenant Alchemystery I am not sure about the +2 for having a tech-priest nearby. Having models come back on a 2+ seems a bit too strong for me. This is mitigated with it only being for 6 models and a unit only being able to be effected once so I am on the fence.

I balanced it at about the same points-for-CP as the equivalent Poxwalker Stratagem; much weaker on 4+, but slightly stronger on 2+.

 Pyroalchi wrote:
6 points sound a bit cheap, but I'm not sure. As you mentioned, they can't perform actions etc. without a techpriest.

Yeah, it's tricky to judge how much the whole "Tech-Priest surcharge" should actually be worth. Without a Tech-Priest they can't hold objectives or perform actions, with Guard-tier shooting and the same durability as regular Skitarii, and failing Morale easily. Under those stats, would you take them even for 2 points less than Rangers or Vanguard? Kind of doubt it. The Tech-Priest is 100% needed for them to fill their only viable role, which is slightly cheaper (60/120 vs 80/160) objective squatters than Skitarii. And at 3", that's hugging.

 KingGarland wrote:
What about the Mitralocks?

Alright, I've split the las-lock profile into two distinct weapons: las-locks and mitralocks. That makes each individual option less interesting, but does slightly reduce the overall power of the unit, which is fitting considering how on-the-fence I was about pricing.

Without a Tech-Priest, these are now effectively Guardsmen with no special weapons (in terms of offensive output) and -1M/Ld, who can't hold objectives or take actions, aren't CORE, and cost +0.5 points each. In exchange, they get +1Sv and a 6+ invulnerable save.

With a Tech-Priest, they get +1 to hit, better Leadership, and CORE, and can also take actions and hold objectives. That effectively makes them Skitarii Vanguard with no special weapons and guns that are half as good, who have -1M and can't Advance-and-shoot, and who don't have Rad-saturation. In exchange, they cost -2 points each (before factoring in the 55 points and a HQ slot for the Tech-Priest).