Jump to content

Dark Mechanicus........how to?


Adeptus-Alaska

Recommended Posts

Probably play them as regular admech, and just convert everything to be mutated and spikey. If you wanted them to ally with other Chaos books though it gets harder, as you'd likely need to do some mix of tons of counts-as from existing chaos codexes and the Renegades and Heretics list. It's probably more effective though to play them as "Imperial" admech, and run any allies the same way (eg Traitor Knights played with loyalist rules, chaos guard with Militarum rules, etc).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What kinstyfe said. A hellwright dataslate isn’t enough to build an actual chaos army around and R&H are so bad they basically unplayable.

 

That having been said, dont be afraid to get crazy with counts-as... the dark mechanicus is not bound by orthodoxy like their loyalist brethren. All sorts of crazy conversions are possible... just be consistent!

 

I like subtly incorporating Dark Eldar parts into the creations of my fallen admech.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have a few options. There's a few Dark Mechanicum units in the FW IA Book. Nothing crazy, just Helwrights. They're useful for repairing vehicles but not much else.

 

You could, as previously mentioned, create a Dark Mechanicum army using the Adeptus Mechanicus codex. This would pose a problem regarding allies in Matched Play, but if you're gaming in a relaxed community or with friends I'm sure no one would care.

 

You could use the Chaos Space Marine codex and use the Cultists as Thralls, Marines as various Taghmata selections, and the HQ choices for Magos'.

 

Finally, you have smaller games like Kill Team (still using Ad Mech) or even INQ28 where you could run a legitimate Dark Mechanicum Coven or something.

 

I'm hoping GW caters to the Dark Mech fans at some point, it's a huge portion of Chaos that's unfortunately been ignored for the most part.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has it been mentioned that the Dark Mechanicum uses corrupted tech stolen from all the other factions?

 

Shouldn't they have access to a few corrupted technologies from the Dark Age of technology?

 

 

Dark Mechanicum is much more diverse than any Astartes or Chaos faction

 

 

-Either follow Undivided or one Chaos God

 

-Chaos Psyker Techpriests!

 

-Due to their cloning and fleshcrafting tech they can mass produce bodies for Daemons to possess

 

(Imagine a single Chaos Tecchpriest having hundreds of thousands of Possessed Combat Servitors)

 

-A Tzeentch Chaos Skitarii armed with a stolen Splinter Rifle which fires Inferno Ammo with 99% accuracy!

 

-Khornate Possessed Battle Automata

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd go with the CSM codex, using a Hellwright as a HQ and cultists as troops, filling up on daemon engines and renegade Knights. I think a Khornate / Forge World Sarum based army would look really good, with plenty of the FW Khornate engines, and cultists being a mash of tech thralls, the house Cawdor models and Skitarii heads/bits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"stalk tank counts as defiler" was the go to for lost and the damned armies before renegades and heretics.

 

The big choice is loyalists vs chaos: both can be made to represent dark mechanicum, but both have different strength and weaknesses in terms of rules and ease of conversion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has it been mentioned that the Dark Mechanicum uses corrupted tech stolen from all the other factions?

 

Shouldn't they have access to a few corrupted technologies from the Dark Age of technology?

 

 

Dark Mechanicum is much more diverse than any Astartes or Chaos faction

 

 

-Either follow Undivided or one Chaos God

 

-Chaos Psyker Techpriests!

 

-Due to their cloning and fleshcrafting tech they can mass produce bodies for Daemons to possess

 

(Imagine a single Chaos Tecchpriest having hundreds of thousands of Possessed Combat Servitors)

 

-A Tzeentch Chaos Skitarii armed with a stolen Splinter Rifle which fires Inferno Ammo with 99% accuracy!

 

-Khornate Possessed Battle Automata

in my mind, the dark mechanicum used Human AI and Darkage/golden age tech that was prohibited.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chaos Undivided doesn’t exist anymore

By that logic neither does the Imperial Guard.

 

Things get renamed but you still have benefits for being unmarked, including the use of a unique icon. Chaos Undivided as a term might not get thrown around, but it still exists.

 

As far as the dark mechanicus using xenotech, some fluff entries for units like the decimator hint that they were crafted using alien technology.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Brother Alaska, great ideas above.  I also played 30k Mechanicum, and was brainstorming a lot with my friends.  Here was 1 particularly interesting idea, as a "core":

 

Tech-Thrall Lacrimallus Uberlord (for objective securing) - start with Chaos Space Marines codex and choose Iron Warriors (fluffy as they're closely aligned with the Dark Mechanicus).  You're doing this for their Warlord Trait (rather than their Legion Tactic), Cold & Bitter.  Cold & Bitter make any unit within 6" of the Warlord immune to morale tests.

 

So apply that to whichever Chaos Space Marine HQ you want, put blobs of Chaos Cultists, representing Tech-Thralls, around him.  It's like a Tech-Magos directly controlling a horde of Tech-Thralls.  You can even use the Tide of Traitors Strategem to bring them back from the dead...just like the 30k Lacrimallus Tech-Magos.

 

As for what that Warlord is, unit-wise, I think the combination I would go with is Daemon Prince with twin Malefic Talons and the Iron Warriors-specific Relic Fleshmetal Skeleton (2+ armour that regenerates Wounds).  Probably represented with some Daemonic conversion of a Battle Automata model.  There's instances where Tech Priests replaced their bodies with basically big stompy robots.

 

+++++

 

That's essentially an unbreakable screen of Tech Thralls.  Then I'd probably add more Daemon Princes represented by Battle Automata conversions with twin Malefic Talons to help out in close combat, using the Tech Thralls to absorb ranged fire, supporting with close combat.

 

Then add Forgeworld units that could go with a CSM army to your taste, just for that extra Mechanicum flavour, or any of the cool things mentioned above.  The best bang for the buck ranged unit, however, seems to be the relatively new Armiger Helverins with their super-Autocannons from the free Renegade Knights codex.

 

Just some ideas.  The only thing that's holding me back is I don't want to paint a horde right now.  The concept came from when that Commissar-lead horde got nerfed and we found a better alternative in Chaos Space Marines, of all things.  It's the same principle, but with better toys, thanks to the more diverse options for Chaos (such as Daemon Princes) including Renegade Knights now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For what it's worth, I'm dealing with this very question with a blend of these suggestions. First I'm building an 'autonomous' Forge World called Atrum Laboris using the AdMech codex and I'll be adding a Titan/Ordinatus Guard using the AM codex; being forever lost to The Warp, I'm not interested in creating any true loyalist collections but the AdMech line appeals to me so much that it's the one faction that compelled me to find a way to alter my stance. Once I have the core of the autonomous Forge World collection complete the force is going to take a very Dark turn and I'll create an overtly Dark Mechanicus force that will represent the other 'mirror-mirror' side of Artrum Laboris, but I'm still not quite sure which rules I'll be using to represent the Dark Mech side, and hope that maaaybe GW will have introduced them as a proper faction by that point. With their new appetite for content so they can keep creating new kits to tempt us into making a purchase, I'm all but positive it's only a matter of 'when' and not 'if' GW will be adding them. Their keyword is already out there, if only very sparingly, so I'm counting that as a good sign.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For pure fluff and mechanics, your best bet - as most people have said already - is just to run Mechanicus.

 

The alternative is to pluck out the Hellwright as an Auxiliary Detachment (w/e the -1 CP is called) and use the Renegades & Heretics list elsewhere. Marauder Squads can select the Heretek option and from there you could utilise the Troops in whatever form you want; slaves, mutant hordes, scrap horrors, thralls, etc. The only real benefit to this is giving you the Chaos keyword and allowing you to ally in Daemons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.