<< Dark Mechanicus >>

[Deathorglory]

the machines and a lot of other stuff with definately be twisted in an insane meld of chaos and science though

[IncubiLord]

The player may choose either a Fleshcraft Magos or WarpCraft Magos. This will influence elements in the army allowing different variations and perhaps allow access to mutually exclusive units.

I'd say it's Fleshcraft, Warpcraft (including technomancy), or Forgecraft (heretic mechanical tech, not warp/biological).

For a unique "doctrine" system, how about giving the player 9 10-point technocraft slots to fill before roster creation.

You can fill each slot with flesh-, warp-, or forge-craft and then add up the slots for the maximum percentage of your army that can be in that field.

Then each unit would be labeled as 0-3 of the technocrafts and their points would be divided evenly amongst the 'crafts they are in (unless the unit specifies a different division - some options may count towards a specific craft while the unit does not).

So, if you want a Magos who's just considered an outlaw because he uses Eldar, Ork and Tau technology, you could fill all 9 slots with forgecraft and all your army could use forbidden Xenos-tech-style gear.

If you wanted a Magos who's pretty far towards Chaos, you could pick all Warpcraft and have a lot of daemonic and possessed things.

A Magos who experiments in all of it could fill 3 slots with each, one who fears Chaos could do 5 in forgecraft and 4 in fleshcraft, and there might be one who's primarily dealing with forgecraft but dabbles in one or both of the other crafts.

With this system, it would be possible for any DM force to use a bit of another craft, but they would have to sacrifice some of their main concern. You'll note that not quite all of the army can belong to a craft - this means you'll have to take some things that are not new and exciting tech.

[Flame of Udun]

I was thinking that in the units of Heretic-Skitarii, you could have the option of including a heavy-weapons servitor, perhaps 1 per unit. Kind of give it that "combined" arms feel.

I'm sure I included that option in my stats post for the skit.

@ Incubi: I like that idea, gives you flexibility to tailor your force to a unique style either generalist or very specific in their disciplines.

The above would be radically different to a Draconis sect

I assume you are refering to the cult of the Dragon? Hmmm should this be something we include? Could be a different angle with access to Necron tech (LIMITED of course). I mean they are Heretics in the eyes of the Ad Mech but are they bad enough to be considered Dark Mechanicus?

PS forgot to add:

(cheap troops, slave-pulled gun batteries, slave-carried siege equipment and so on)

Hellcannons! Hellcannons! Hellcannons! (minus the chaos dwarfs)

[Kensai X]

So if I understand correctly we've decide they're 4 "types" of DM, We have those who utilize the warp as a tool to increase their power without directly making them actually worship it... (Like Chaos Dwarfs in fantasy) Perhaps utilizing that point system the more point placed into the "chaos" deposit the closer they are to directly worshiping it with ability to start taking marks and daemons once you've such a level of specialization.

We also have fleshcraft this would involve genetic experiments perhaps with humans, ogynns, bio-chemical weapons, those albino guardsmen made with the DNA of past heroes that I can't think of at the moment.

Also have Draconis Cult that heavily delves on the worship of the dragon all things necronish which when you have certain amount of points invested might learn of Necron secrets, weapons, and maybe even access to the infamous living metal that they strive to learn of.

Finally, we have a statdard renegade cult of DM that involves perhaps young up and coming priests with ideas on how to create new powerful weapons without support from the higher ups or ancients brothers and Inquisitors finding half blueprints for STC's and finishing useing Xenos Tech, or hell just have some obsessed with using the most powerful weapons imaginable.

Then finally having one perhaps obsessed specifially with screwing around with Tyranids... I don't really know I'm just throwing around a lot of random ideas that come to me...

[Captain Ardias]

Is it to late to join the team?

[Flame of Udun]

Not at all mate, hop on board

[Captain Ardias]

Cool, so what shall I start to work on?

[x-esiv-4c]

I'm of the opinion that we should stay away from the Necron side of things. I really like Incubi's suggestion of having 3 divisions being Fleshcraft, Warpcraft and Forgecraft, this is essentially comparible to the "books of chaos" or "Craftworlds". We are going to have to refine what craft points allude to what but I think it's a good foundation.

[Flame of Udun]

I agree, the Dragon Cult is still fairly confined to the ranks of the Ad Mech and perhaps doesn't come under the banner of "Dark" Mechanicus. They are very much a sub cult within the mechanicus and not a total breakaway faction like the Dark Mechs.

@ Captain Ardias: Have a read through the thread and if you've got an idea throw it into the mix so that we can prod it and disect it and if people like it then it stays, if not it goes onto the scrap heap. Thats the way it works. PS it will help if you've read Dark Adeptus aswell.

[Deathorglory]

yes the dragon cult is, as of the moment utterly unknown to the imperium and i like the ideas of the other 3 crafts. i think (i'm not sure if this is already included in a craft) that we should have one for an abosolout genius yet insane magos and the majority of 'dark' magos are actually just insane therefore outcast and forced to use traitor guardsmen etc for their experiments and therefore deemed heretics immediately when they are just simply odd do you think we should include them?
ps i'm getting dark adeptus then lending it to crashbang

[x-esiv-4c]

Perhaps the absolute genius could refer to a special character?

[Flame of Udun]

i think (i'm not sure if this is already included in a craft) that we should have one for an abosolout genius yet insane magos and the majority of 'dark' magos are actually just insane therefore outcast and forced to use traitor guardsmen etc for their experiments and therefore deemed heretics immediately when they are just simply odd do you think we should include them?

Ok I don't quite follow what you're getting at here? also why do all heretics/chaos worshippers have to be insane? Sure some probably are but not all of them.

[Flame of Udun]

Ok getting back on course. So we have The Warpcraft list, Fleshcraft list and Forgecraft list. How much should we keep as standard to the 3 lists i.e. troops choices etc?

Also how about servitor squads as a troops choice? maybe 4-8 in a squad accompanied by a Dark Priest. Give them lasguns or bolters upgrade one in a squad to special/heavy weapons?

[crashbang]

servitors would be good as troops me thinks

im gonna draw up a very quick army list concept

HQ
greater and inferior warp/forge/biomass priests

ELITE
data daemons

TROOPS
skitarii
servitor squadrons

FAST ATTACK
fast servitors with close up weapons (melta guns, cc etc)
i feel like making a hydra type machine for this. bwahahaha

HEAVY SUPPORT
all sorts of deranged ideas

forgive me for lack of knowledge of list

PS: TO MEMBERS OF XENARCH PROJECT. do i have permission to update the list for last time on blog. then maybe send to GW. answer in xenarch bit plse

[Flame of Udun]

The only problem I see with data daemons is that in Dark Adeptus they are confined to moving through the data crystal stuff that made up parts of the complex. That is if we were to lift them direct from the source. I suppose if you change the exact nature of them they just become daemons again.

[crashbang]

hey all.made some rules for corporeal data daemons. that is, ones that have been brought into reality and are skilled at hindering enemies with their abilities.

CORPOREAL DATA DAEMONS
pts-12 ws-2 bs-2 s-3 t-3 w-1 i-3 a-0 ld-8 sv-none/3+

weapons:none you can see...

special rules

anti-fire adapted: data daemons use a variety of techniques to reduce the effects of incoming firepower. they have a 3+ invunerable save. however this is not usable in combat.

hit and run

nerve assailants
data daemons can use their powers, to probe deep into a beings nerve systems, to hinder them to a certain extent, and sometimes to even wreak carnage in a vehicles internal workings

for every 4 data daemons in the unit, the unit may activate one of the following powers in the movement phase, against any enemy unit whithin 18.

*half a units ws untill the end of your turn
*half a units bs untill the end of their next turn
*make a unit unable to fire its heavy weapons the next time they have the option
*the affected unit may not fleet in their turn
*a vehicle takes a glancing hit


what do you think? i thought id try something new, being me and data daemon to me = virus, something annoying and unwanted that corrupts what it touches.

[Flame of Udun]

Intriguing idea, crash. Personally I was thinking that data daemons should be used as an anti vehicle weapon. On a roll of 1-4 they trash the vehicle and kill any crew, 5-6 they take control of it. Could only be used against things larger than bike size so attack bikes, vypers, etc wouldn't be taken over just destroyed.

Any result of vehicle destroyed/explodes/annihilated roll on the following table:
D6 - Event
1 - Vehicle destroyed
2 - Vehicle destroyed and passengers killed
3 - Vehicle explodes
4 - Vehicle annihilated
5 - Posessed
6 - Posessed

[Puffin Magician]

I figure I'll chime in rather than keep lurking, if only to help develop the idea of a Dark Mechanicus force moreso than develop a specific armylist for them.

I really like Yodhrin's "Sect/Doctrine/Subdoctrine" setup, although that might get very complicated and a wee bit too-specialised. The combinations would be huge and you'd have to write rules and prevent overpowering combos exponentially.

I also really like Kensai's "Warp/Bio/Dragon/Heretical" idea. It think it could make the basic list just as flexible as the huge spectrum of IG armies - from Deep-Striking, to Mechanized, Infiltrator or Heavy Infantry. Relatively minor changes to a broad list that really narrows-down the whole premise, strategy and overall appearance to the force. Primo!

Both of the above ideas have been jotted down in my own "Chaos Squat/Dark Mech" armylist idea heap.

I like Crashbang's Data Daemon "effects", although they might be a bit powerful. 12pts for a model that can very likely survive any ranged attack as well as disrupt enemy actions; and if coordination is right, cripple squads and prime them for a real ass-whopping.

The Nerve Assailants effects could also be amusing "mishaps" like the enemy unit suffering from Gets Hot!, Ordnance scattering the 2 highest of 3d6", and the like.

An idea for Warp-based unit could bend weapons fire [a la black holes] by using the Scatter Die, teleport foes into harm's way/out of cover/etc, or shift terrain about.

I've had an idea for a while based on the old rules for Chaos Squat Androids - by their very chaotic nature, they do not like being issued orders. IIRC they were prone to being ordered around by the enemy player, this could be neutered down to a d6 "chart of disobedience", or kept the same - roll a d6 every turn, on a '1' your opponent commands the Androids.

[IncubiLord]

we should have one for an abosolout genius yet insane magos

This seems logical to me.

You should have the option of playing a Rogue Magos or a Mad Magos. I think this should be seperate from the technocrafts though, and it would be the difference between having a reliably consistant force and playing something that resembles 2ed Orky gear (for the young 'uns, that means lots of random effects).

An idea for Warp-based unit could bend weapons fire [a la black holes] by using the Scatter Die, teleport foes into harm's way/out of cover/etc, or shift terrain about.

Hmmm...
How would the scatter dice work with weapons that don't have a blast marker? Would you place a small coin, or would you simply assign hits to the next unit in that general direction?

a d6 "chart of disobedience", or kept the same - roll a d6 every turn, on a '1' your opponent commands the Androids.

Now that's something to keep in mind when creating the various units. Higher-level AIs, bound Daemons, and implant-controlled aliens could all be candidates for the disobedience roll.

Speaking of which, I was thinking of a Daemonhost Servitor for a unit. Take the DH Daemonhost and add a weapon...

[Captain Ardias]

Ok some suggestion from me, first you choose your main doctorine: warpcraft, fleshcraft or forgecraft, which then enables you to choose which subdoctorines you want too use. For exaple: If I choose warpcraft, I will be able to choose a limited number (say 3-4) warpcraft subdoctorines.