<< Dark Mechanicus >>

[x-esiv-4c]

Ok, so lets deviate from the Ad-mech. They have an obvious rift in flesh /metal, our guys embrace the harmony of such.

What I liked about the book was that the Mechanicum had no restraints over technological progress, thusly some of their creations were tainted by warpcraft but it lead to some really exotic units.

[Kensai X]

Oooh I'm interested in helping out in this project in any way I can.

I'd like to stay away with aligning these guys with any of the powers. I'd imagine that the possessed skitarii would be the core troop choice. I was thinking of a weapon akin to the lasgun but you have the option to "Overcharge" the weapon making it, say strength 4 but is subject to "Gets hot!" rules.

Well, as far I know Skitarii are supposedly some of the most elite all the guard regiments so I wouldn't go as far as say that they should be the regular troops. Also when a lasgun is "overcharged" it considered firing HotShot rounds which is already implemented in the rules as a Hellgun, with the Str of 3 and an Ap value of 5...

[x-esiv-4c]

yes but the lasgun-plus would still have no AP but instead have a strength of 4 and "gets hot" this could be attributed to the insane machinations of a warp-crazed techseer.

[Deathorglory]

do any of you guys remember the story about the emperors champion when the latest one was released? that was a cool story about a dark magos and varies cyborg traitor IG

[x-esiv-4c]

Can't say that I quite recall.

As for HQ structuring:
You have something like a Dark-Magos who has something like Doctrine points, depending on whether the magos follows flesh-craft or Warp-craft will determine the price of certain doctrines. A fleshcraft magos only spends 1 point on, say some kind of biological enhancement for X units whilst needing 2 or 3 points for something mechanical based.

[IncubiLord]

I'd agree with something along those lines.

Where should we start?

I think determining the basic Troops choices would be a good place, since we're already debating the amount of bionics the basic guy has.

[x-esiv-4c]

Ok lets focus on the troop choice.

Are we looking for a standard unit that is comparible to an IG or perhaps something somewhat stronger?

[Flame of Udun]

Skitarii are better trained soldiers than general IG. I would suggest the following stats:
Skitarii : ws-4 bs-4 s-3 t-3 w-1 i-3 a-1 ld-8 sv=4+
Veteran: ws-4 bs-4 s-3 t-3 w-1 i-3 a-2 ld-8 sv=4+

Cybernetic enhancement options for the veteran to allow an increase in one stat i.e. enhanced sensors +1I, Extensive augmentation +1W or +1T something like that.

[IncubiLord]

I'd say that we should use something IG-ish, Daemon Packs, and a couple of variants on the IG-ish option for minor bionics/fleshcraft/warpcraft.

[x-esiv-4c]

Ok.

So we definatly have a difference between a Fleshcraft and Warpcraft DM army.

[Flame of Udun]

I think there should be a degree of crossover though.

[Deathorglory]

Kensai, skitarri are not infact IG aty all but very augmented people, if people at all.... the troops choice should either be traitors (u know the LatD ones) ot skitarii, perhaps traitors that can be upgraded with various stuff if a magos is present???

and i searched through 4 years of WD's to bring you this story (the ending paragraphs of the EC story): 'The blast door ground aside on ancient pistons, and the charging balck templars were met by a scene that could only have been conjured by a heretic twisted beyond sanity. Servitors lined the walls of the massive chamber, grasping mechandrites attached where their eyes should have been, snaking around their heads. Traitor guardsmen advanced with a stiff-limbed, awkward shuffle, each man sporting an array of crudely implanted bionics.

But the figure at the centre of the room was the only opponent Bethuel acknowledged. The Techno-Heretic Ark Heiron stood as tall as any of the Black Templars, a dark halo of mechandrites flailing around his cowled head while each arm bristled with implanted weaponary.'

There are a few more paragraphs after but those are the ones that matter. As you can see the magos should have perhaps S5??? definately a ridicolous variety of wargear on demand with various hoorible daemon/science melds. Also notice about the augmented guard. Dark magos tend to work alone and thus don't have stuff like praetorians and skitarii as they tend to guard magos expeditions or forge worlds. therefore i beleive the list should be made up of a variety of odd, twisted things bristling with various gubbins and dakka etc etc

[x-esiv-4c]

Thanks Deathorglory!

Yes, the Techno-heretic / dark magos should have quite an array of devastating weapons and abilities open to him.

Also, FoU, I agree there should be cross over but I think there should be a penalty for a Fleshcraft army taking warpcraft "doctrines" or upgrades....

[Deathorglory]

still i don't think there should be any stuff like skitarii or praetorians as i have said what do you think of that?

[x-esiv-4c]

I don't like the idea of taking something that is in place like skitarii and just "chaosing" it up. I prefer to go with something new and original, what do you guys think?

[Flame of Udun]

Actually a large number of the Mechanicus rebelled against the imperium during the horus heresy so I think we should have Praetorian equivalents and so on.

@X-esiv-4c, why would there be a penalty?

[Deathorglory]

i repeat........AUGMENTED TRAITOR GUARD!!!!!!! man they would be cool....

and FoU they were generally hunted down only the chaos marines really survived

also note that many so called dark magos aren't really evil or chaotic, just extremist. All magos are known to go to any lengths including murder to save their work and then are hunted and forced to turn to chaos....but bear in mind the magos are a very extremist faction in general and will go to any lengths to acheive their objectives

[x-esiv-4c]

Ok, then lets go with "Equivalents" who knows what could happen after 10,000 years in the warp.

[Flame of Udun]

and FoU they were generally hunted down only the chaos marines really survived

So who builds the defilers and other Daemon engines and Planet Killers and so on?

[Deathorglory]

the sorcerors and marine artificers....thats why the furiso was created by a marine artificer, the marines build they're own stuff