Forces of the Taghmata

[ No filterArchimandriteCyberneticaLacrymaertaMacrotekMalagraMyrmidaxReductor ]

‘Core’ and ‘Expanded’ Army List Profiles

The Mechanicum at War: Building a Mechanicum Taghmata Army

Allegiance and the Forge Worlds of the Mechanicum

• Archimandrite
• Cybernetica
• Lacrymaerta
• Myrmidax
• Reductor
• Malagra
• Macrotek

Faction Traits and Mechanicum Taghmata Detachments

Mechanicum Wargear

• - Cortex controller
  +10 points

• - Augury scanner
  +10 points

• - Cognis-signum
  +15 points

• - Cyber-familiar
  +20 points

• - Servo-arm
  +15 points

• - Melta bombs
  +10 points

• - Rad grenades
  +20 points

• - Nuncio-vox
  +10 points

Mechanicum Magos Wargear

• - Rad furnace
  +20 points

• - Machinator array
  +20 points

Mechanicum Magos Weapons

• - Paragon blade
  +15 points

• - Corposant stave
  +10 points

• - Archaeotech pistol
  +15 points

• - Disintegrator pistol
  +15 points

Mechanicum Pistols

• - Bolt pistol
  Free

• - Volkite serpenta
  +5 points

• - Plasma pistol
  +10 points

Mechanicum Ranged Weapons

• - Volkite charger
  +5 points

• - Maxima bolter
  +5 points

• - Meltagun
  +15 points

• - Graviton gun
  +10 points

• - Flamer
  +5 points

Mechanicum Melee Weapons

• - Power weapon
  +10 points

• - Thunder hammer
  +15 points

• - Power fist
  +15 points

• - Chainfist
  +10 points

• - Chainsword
  Free

• - Chainaxe
  Free

• - Heavy chainsword
  +5 points

• - Heavy chainaxe
  +5 points

Cybertheurgic Rites

• Overcharged Reactors
  +5 Points

• Cogitator Purge
  +10 Points

• Chastise the Machine Spirit
  +25 Points

• Programming Interrupt
  +20 Points

• Flesh-knit Protocols
  +5 Points

• Omega Protocols
  +15 Points

• Deactivate Limiters
  +5 Points

• Unseal the Portal
  +20 Points

• Fury of Ages
  +5 Points

• When a Unit is selected to move during the Movement Phase, but before any moves are made for that Unit. Invoking a Cybertheurgic Rite in the Movement Phase restricts the Invoking Unit from Rushing in that Turn, but it may otherwise be moved as normal after a Rite has been Invoked.
• When the Unit is selected to make a Shooting Attack during the Shooting Phase, but before any Shooting Attacks are made for that Unit. Invoking a Cybertheurgic Rite in the Shooting Phase restricts the Model that is the Focus of the Rite from having any attacks made for it as part of a Shooting Attack, but does not restrict other Models in the Unit from having attacks made for them. If a Shooting Attack is made for the other Models in the Unit, it does not have to target the same Unit as the Cybertheurgic Rite.
• When the Unit is selected to make a Charge during the Assault Phase, but before any Charges are declared or resolved for that Unit. Invoking a Cybertheurgic Rite in the Assault Phase does not restrict a Unit from making a Charge, but if a Charge is declared for it then that Unit may not make a Volley Attack.

• It, or any other Model in the same Unit, is under the effect of any Tactical Status.
• It is Locked in Combat (this refers only to the Focus of the Invocation, each individual Cybertheurgic Rite will specify if the Target Unit may or may not be Locked in Combat).
• It is Embarked on another Model.

1. Declare the Model for which the Cybertheurgic Rite is being used. This Model is the Focus for the Invocation.
2. Declare the Target Unit. This Unit does not have to be in Line of Sight, but at least one Model in the Unit must be within a certain Range of the Focus, with this Range being set by the Cybertheurgic Rite being Invoked. This Unit is the Target Unit for the Invocation.
3. Make an Invocation Check (see below).
4. If the Invocation Check is successful then apply the effects of the Cybertheurgic Rite to the Target Unit. If the Invocation Check is failed then there is no further effect, unless the Cybertheurgic Rite being invoked specifies otherwise (but no further Cybertheurgic Rites may be invoked in that Turn for the Focus or any Unit it is part of).

Invocation Checks

• The Difficulty Value of the Cybertheurgic Rite is applied as a negative Modifier to the Focus’ Intelligence Characteristic.
• If there is more than one Model with the Cybertheurgist Trait in the same Unit as the Focus, add a +1 Modifier to the Focus’ Intelligence Characteristic.
• If the Focus cannot draw an unobstructed Line of Sight to one or more Models in the Target Unit, then apply a -1 modifier to the Focus’ Intelligence Characteristic.
• If any Models in the Target Unit have the Malefic Sub-Type then a -1 Modifier is applied to the Focus’ Intelligence Characteristic.
• If no Model in the Target Unit has any variant of the Mechanicum Trait then a -1 Modifier is applied to the Focus’ Intelligence Characteristic.
• If the Target Unit is an enemy Unit, then compare the Intelligence Characteristic of the Model in the Target Unit with the highest Intelligence against the Intelligence Characteristic of the Focus. If the Model in the Target Unit has a higher Intelligence Characteristic then apply the difference as a negative modifier to the Focus’ Intelligence Characteristic.

Cybertheurgic Statuses

• A Cybertheurgic Status only applies the effects specific to that Status and not any of the general effects applied by Tactical Statuses.
• A Cybertheurgic Status cannot be removed by a Check during the Status Phase, nor by any Special Rule that would remove a Tactical Status. Furthermore, the Restore option of the Battlesmith (X) Special Rule cannot remove Cybertheurgic Statuses.
• Models with the Automata Type can gain and be affected by Cybertheurgic Statuses.
• If a Model gains the Routed Tactical Status it removes all other Tactical Statuses and all Cybertheurgic Statuses.

Cybertheurgic Statuses

Cybertheurgic Status: Quicken

Cybertheurgic Status: Fortify

Cybertheurgic Status: Guide

Renegades, Madmen and Visionaries

For most followers of the Mechanician, the doctrine of the Omnissiah was absolute and unquestionable. It placed strict restrictions on the extent of technological innovation and the realms of science into which its adherents could delve. The Emperor himself had strung these chains about the heart of the Mechanicum, proclaiming it for their own protection, that the curse of Old Night remain sealed away and forgotten. However, for some these chains were not immovable barriers to be respected from afar, but rather cautious warnings to be explored and negotiated.

Some tested the boundaries of orthodoxy with the best of intentions, seeking new technologies to better Mankind, but many did so purely to further their vainglorious desires. With Mars and the adepts of the vigilant Malagra hard pressed to monitor all the far-flung domains of the Mechanicum, there were many opportunities for the weak-willed to stray. Few would label themselves ‘dark’ and none intended the overthrow of that order which they served, but all would be changed by the secrets they dared to lay bare.

Heterodoxists

Heterodox Cybertheurgic Rites

Not truly in defiance of the laws of the Omnissiah, those practices considered heterodox tested the limits of what the Mechanicum was willing to countenance. However, many among the Malagra considered these practices a stepping stone to true heresy and spared no effort in tracking and prosecuting their practitioners.

• Ætheric Amplification
  +10 Points

• Scrap-code Infection
  +10 Points

THE UNSTOPPABLE SUB-TYPE

Unstoppable

Some war machines and warriors are utterly indifferent to the lesser fighters that swarm about them, whether due to great stature or force of will. These engines of destruction go where they will on the battlefield, unhindered by the efforts of the foe to hold them back.

• A Unit comprised entirely of Models with this Sub-Type is never Locked in Combat, and during the Movement Phase may move normally even if there is an enemy Model in Base Contact with it. Enemy Models in Base Contact with such a Model in the Assault Phase may attack it as though they were Locked in Combat and engaged with it.
• A Model with this Sub-Type may move through enemy Models if it began the Movement Phase in Base Contact with one or more enemy Models - but may not end a move in the Movement Phase in Base Contact with an enemy Model.
• A Model with this Sub-Type may never Embark on a Model with the Transport Sub-Type, even if another Special Rule would allow it to do so.
• While there are one or more enemy Models in Base Contact with a Model with this Sub-Type, the Model with this Sub-Type may not make Shooting Attacks, even though it does not count as being Locked in Combat.

Aegis of Pain

The Thallax of the Ordo Reductor are not automata, but rather living organisms reduced to little more than a nervous system and bound to an iron body. The cruel procedure that creates them grants them new power on the battlefield, but also leaves them tormented eternally by pain, with only the cybertheurgic limiters placed on their cortex preserving the last fragments of their sanity. When these limiters are deactivated, the Thallax can unleash their full power, but at the cost of a torment so terrible that their screams resound across the battlefield.

Armour-breaker (X)

Some weapons are designed to crack armour and deal massive damage to internal components of armoured fighting vehicles. Few tanks can withstand the firepower of such weapons for long.

Battle Meditation

To the devotees of the Myrmidax Cult a duel between champions is the apex of wisdom, pitting one combatants’ knowledge of battle against another. Such contests are the ultimate form of meditation to such warriors, to be sought after and relished. When engaged in such a duel a Myrmidon will put forth their utmost effort, ignoring even the worst of injuries in order to claim victory and the wisdom it will bring.

Command Throne

By dint of advanced communication gear, cybertheurgic skill or simply a loud and commanding voice, some leaders are able to keep better control over the warriors under their command.

• If the Reacting Unit is not in Line of Sight of the Commanding Model, modify the result of the Check by +4.
• If all Models in the Reacting Unit are more than 12" from the Commanding Model modify the result of the Check by +2.
• If the Reacting Unit includes a nuncio-vox or command vox relay then modify the result of the Check by -1.

Compact

Some automata are designed to facilitate transport on the various armoured conveyors available to the armies of the Imperium. Some are flexible enough to fit through apertures intended for smaller beings, some are created so they can be folded into a compact travel mode and others are simply small.

Comptroller (X)

The armies of the Mechanicum are made of a host of terrors, from hulking automata to gruesome fusions of man and machine. Yet, while these war engines are capable of immense destruction, it is the tech-priests and magi of the Taghmata that direct them, and without these frail human components the Taghmata has little strategic unity or focus.

• The Unit controlling the Objective includes any Models with a different Faction to that of the Model with this Special Rule.
• The majority of Models in the Unit controlling the Objective have the Command, Specialist or Champion Sub-Types.

Firestorm

Many units within the Legion conduct warfare at pointblank distances, blasting their foes with a deluge of short ranged firepower.

Implacable Advance

The wargear of many Legiones Astartes warriors and war machines incorporates a variety of targeting and stabilisation systems, enabling larger weaponry to be brought to bear even at close ranges.

Limited Autonomy

Some automata include only a very limited cybernetica cortex, capable of processing only a limited set of instructions without outside input. Such automata are generally assigned as assistant units to magi or tech-priests or restricted to ver)’ specific duties. Despite these limitations, the specialised abilities of such units often make them indispensable on the battlefield.

Master of Machines

The Magi of the Mechanicum are well versed in the vagaries of automata, and in many cases can operate alongside them more easily than they can more conventional units.

Melta (X)

The beams of energy generated by melta weaponry dissipate over long ranges. When used at close quarters, however, their effect on armoured vehicles is devastating.

Overload (X)

Some weapons are almost as dangerous to the wielder as to the foe. Supercharged powerpacks can explode in combat or volatile munitions can jam or even detonate, all of which can prove deadly to those charged with deploying such weapons.

Phased Refractor Shields

Leveraging the powerful atomantic reactors of their combat automata, the Tech-priests of the Mechanicum calibrate the refractor fields protecting them to repulse enemy fire with greater efficiency. This has little effect on close range attacks, the frenzied strikes of melee, but allows bolt and blast to be repelled more effectively.

Rapid Tracking

Some weapons feature augmented motility and enhanced targeting systems, able to track and lock onto fast moving targets with ease.

Repair Automata

Created for the singular purpose of repairing and rebuilding other devices and engines of war, these automata can accomplish feats similar to those of their masters. When deployed en masse they are more than capable of performing routine maintenance and even complex repairs in the field.

Rite of Pure Thought

Tech thralls are granted a number of technological enhancements to boost their strength and toughness, but also have several of their higher functions burnt out and neutered. This serves to dull their reactions to pain, fear and discomfort and render them dependent on the direction of their callous masters. While this does make them more durable on the field of battle, it also makes them slow to react to the changing face of battle.

Shock Ram

The shock ram focusses a field of arc energy into the frontal plating of an armoured vehicle, making it more deadly when ploughing through the ranks of the enemy. Such devices are power hungry in the extreme, and while effective are considered a dead end technology by most magi.

Augury Scanner

This energy scanning device pierces weather, camouflage and obscuring smoke, alerting the user and their squadmates to the concealed presence of enemy troops in the vicinity, allowing attacks to be directed more effectively.

Cognis-signum

The cognis-signum is an advanced array of sensory devices, cogitator-assisted communications and telemetry arrays. Installed into a purpose-modified suit of armour, these enable the wearer to coordinate battlefield data with blinding speed.

Cortex Controller

This device allows the wielder to witness the battlefield through the senses of the battle-automata under their command, and direct them accordingly.

Cyber-familiar

Utilised by Techmarines and the adepts of the Mechanicum, cyber-familiar is a term that encompasses a variety of semi-autonomous devices such as servo-skulls and other smaller drone units tied into the direct neural control of their operator. These are an extension of their master’s will and provide them with a host of additional senses and capabilities.

Flare Shield

Another of the Mechanicum’s specialised systems that only their high adepts truly understand, a flare shield is a directional electromagnetic flux field generator, rumoured by some to be a product of Dark Age technology from a source best left forgotten.

Frag Grenades

This class of grenade contains only a small explosive charge, and is intended primarily to disorientate and distract the foe while closing on a fixed position.

Machinator Array

A more complex system akin to the common servo-arm, the machinator array is a semi-autonomous repair system. Unlike the servo-arm this system is not directly controlled by the wielder and instead works to a fixed set of orders, making it less useful as a weapon of war, but vastly more potent as a device for repair and maintenance under fire.

Nuncio-vox

A nuncio-vox is a beacon and communications array that allows constant coordination with other elements of an army, allowing a commander a measure of control and the ability to direct their forces, even during the most chaotic battles.

Rad Furnace

Most of the creations of the Mechanicum draw their power from atomantic or fusion reactors, but some few rely instead on so-called rad furnaces. These devices are based on ancient technology that burns far stronger than modem reactors, but floods the area with deadly radiation, rendering them useless for most applications. However, in battle the deleterious effect on radiation on the enemy becomes a benefit rather than a drawback - though it means that only the most extensively augmented magi can accompany such units into battle.

Searchlights

Mounted ilium-beacons or simple electric torches, many vehicles mount some kind of portable light to aid in target identification and destruction in darkness and poor weather.

Servo-arm

Many mechanically-minded combatants take to the battlefield bearing additional mechanical arms mounted upon their armour, or even upon their body itself to aid repairs to armoured vehicles.