Search the Community

Greetings all! So recently I've been playing 40k online with a friend a lot lately, and it gave me a hankering for a good custom army, specifically Dark Mechanicum. What started out as just an idea of a simple handful of units from the Adeptus Mechanicus and Chaos Space Marine lists quickly grew in ambition and scope until it turned into a full 120 page homemade codex, borrowing and/or modifying some units, but also creating a bunch of fresh ones. I'd love to share with the community here, both because I'm pretty pleased with the result, and also to get feedback and maybe help refine it further. Especially with regards to tabletop, I'm more into the lore and models than the gaming, so I'm sure there are aspects of the actual rules or points values that need a lot of work. That said, please keep in mind this is intended as a fun little project rather than an attempt to make a watertight set of perfectly balanced rules. Oh and this is all based in 8th edition, as I haven't been following the 9th details so much yet. Anywho, I'll start posting here, and naturally I'll be removing anything taken from GW's published materials. Opening up with general army rules: HERALDS OF THE TRUE MECHANICUM <HELLFORGE> Most of the forces of the Dark Mechanicum belong to a Hellforge, or other similar force. Some datasheets specify what Hellforge a unit is drawn from. If a DARK MECHANICUM datasheet does not specify which Hellforge it is from, it will have the <HELLFORGE> keyword. When you include such a unit in your army, you must nominate which Hellforge that unit is from. There are many different Hellforges to choose from; you can use any of the Hellforges described in Games Workshop's books, or make up your own Hellforge if you prefer. You then simply replace the <HELLFORGE> keyword in every instance on that unit's datasheet with the name of your chosen Hellforge. <QUESTOR TRAITORIS> & Dreadblades [sEE RULES IN CODEX: CHAOS KNIGHTS] ABILITIES The following abilities are common to several Dark Mechanicum units: Supplications of the Octed: The followers of the Dark Mechanicum have long since abandoned the beliefs and dogma of the Imperial Mechanicum, and in their place taken up worship of the Ruinous Pantheon. In battle their fervent prayers and benedictions are often answered with direct and devastating effect. All units with this ability gain a bonus during battle depending on the Supplication currently in use. At the start of each battle round, pick one Supplication from the below list to be in effect for the duration of that battle round. The same Supplication may not be picked twice during the same battle. Alternatively, you can randomly determine which Supplication is in effect by rolling a D6 and consulting the list. Note that if you randomly determine a Supplication, it takes effect even if the same Supplication has been in effect earlier in the battle. If you have a Battle-forged army, units only receive the bonus if every model in their Detachment has this ability. D6 1 - Litany of Blood Hellish beasts of brass and iron snort and snarl, furnaces burn the weak into billowing clouds of ash, and boiling blood is used to oil the gears. Such is the prayer to the Blood God. All affected units gain +1 Attack in the Fight phase 2 - Invocation of Rust The adepts steel themselves with the knowledge that all will rust and shatter with time, and welcome the entropic touch of Grandfather Nurgle. All affected units reduce damage by 1 (to a minimum of 1) 3 - Communion of Innovation The Architect of Fate is beseeched to guide his followers' weapons to points of weakness, and to infuse their bolts with the power of sorcery. All affected units increase the AP of all weapons by 1 4 - Incantation of Excess All feel the gaze of the Dark Prince upon them, driving them to push themselves and their engines harder in the hopes of retaining the ecstasy of his attentions for just one more moment. All affected units may add +1 to Advance and Charge rolls 5 - Scrapcode Benediction The unholy prayers of the Scrapcode are recited and broadcast, foiling the weaponry and targeting systems of the unenlightened. All affected units gain a -1 to hit buff vs. enemy shooting 6 - Machine-Prayer to the Omnissiah Undivided Just as other heretics may revere the united pantheon of Chaos Undivided, so do the Dark Magi worship it as the embodiment of the Omnissiah, whose gifts will empower the faithful. All affected units regenerate D3 wounds Death to the False Mechanicum: The Magi of the Dark Mechanicum believe themselves to be the true followers of the Omnissiah, unrestrained by the petty concerns and limitations of the Adeptus Mechanicus. There is none they despise more than the servants of the False Mechanicum. Each time you roll a 6+ for a model with this ability in the Fight phase, it can, if it was targeting an ADEPTUS MECHANICUS unit, immediately make an extra attack against the same unit using the same weapon. These extra attacks cannot themselves generate any further attacks. Infernal Regeneration: The Daemon Engine creations of the Dark Mechanicum are built as much from daemonic aether-flesh as they are from metal. Empowered by warp energies, these monstrous machines will repair themselves before their foes' eyes, plates of metal knitting together and lost weapons or limbs reforming and growing back in mere moments. At the start of your turn, this model regains 1 lost wound. Daemonic: The denizens of the warp do not have a true physical form; they are beings of energy, given fell shape and terrible purpose. Such a creature defies the natural laws of the universe and many of the most powerful weapons are all but useless against them. This unit/model has a 5+ invulnerable save. Marks of Chaos Many Dark Mechanicum units dedicate themselves to a single Chaos God, whilst others worship the entire pantheon in all its dark glory, often in the form of the Omnissiah Undivided. The Chaos God a unit is dedicated to is denoted by the Mark of Chaos that it bears. Some datasheets specify the Mark of Chaos for a unit. If a Dark Mechanicum datasheet does not specify which Mark of Chaos a unit has, it will have the <MARK OF CHAOS> keyword. When you include such a unit in your army, you must nominate which (if any) Mark of Chaos that unit has. You then simply replace the <MARK OF CHAOS> keyword in every instance on that unit's datasheet with one of the following: KHORNE, TZEENTCH, NURGLE or SLAANESH. Note that PSYKERS cannot have the KHORNE keyword. You do not have to choose a Mark of Chaos for a unit if you do not want to; if you do not, it is assumed that the unit has not dedicated itself to a specific Dark God. Vehicle Equipment: Bound Daemon Spirit - Any model with this upgrade does not suffer any penalty for moving and firing Heavy weapons. Smoke Launchers - [as per Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus]. Broad Spectrum Data-tether - [as per Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus] but applying to <HELLFORGE> units. Hellish Defence - At the end of the Fight phase, roll a D6 for every enemy INFANTRY model within 1" of this model. On a 6+, that models takes 1 mortal wound. Helram - If a vehicle with a helram charges, add 1 to hit rolls made for it until the end of the ensuing Fight phase. Bellow of the Battle Lord - Vehicles with the Mark of Khorne only. On the turn that a vehicle with this upgrade charges, enemy units within 1" of it suffer a -1 penalty to their Leadership. Cloud of Flies - Vehicles with the Mark of Nurgle only. Any ranged attacks targeting a vehicle with a Cloud of Flies suffers a -1 to hit penalty. Time Sphere - Vehicles with the Mark of Tzeentch only. Once per battle, at the end of one of your Movement phases, a vehicle with this upgrade that is within 1" of an enemy unit may be removed from the battlefield and placed anywhere within 12" of its previous location, provided it ends more than 1" from any enemy models. Lashing Tongue - Vehicles with the Mark of Slaanesh only. A vehicle with this upgrade gains the following weapon in addition to any others it possesses:Lashing Tongue - R: Melee | T: Melee | S: User | AP: 0 | D: 1 | When the bearer fights, it makes 2 additional attacks with this weapon and no more than 2 attacks can be made with this weapon. WARPFORGED HORDES Visionaries Without Limit The Heretek Priests and their infernal creations push forward with the certainty that they carry the flag of the True Mechanicum, their advances on the battlefield mirroring the progress they push forward for all of humanity. If your army is Battle-forged, all Troops units in DARK MECHANICUM Detachments gain this ability. Such a unit that is within range of an objective marker (as specified in the mission) controls that objective marker even if there are more enemy models within range of it. If an enemy unit within range of the same objective marker has a similar ability, then the objective marker is controlled by the player who has the most models within range of it as normal. Hellforge Traits There are Hellforges and Heretek factions scattered throughout the galaxy, some within the madness of warpstorms, others hidden within the Imperium itself. Heretek Priests are free from the constraints of Adeptus Mechanicus dogma, and it is no surprise that each Hellforge follows its own path and behaves differently upon the battlefield. If your army is Battle-forged, units with the appropriate keyword will receive the corresponding Hellforge trait, detailed below, so long as every other unit in their Detachment is from the same Hellforge. If you have chosen a Hellforge that does not feature on this list, you can choose the trait that best suits the fighting style and battlefield strategies of the warriors that hail from it. XANA II: MASTERS OF DAEMONCRAFT The Dark Magi of Xana II are legendary masters of their craft, experts in both the construction and perfect usage of warp-powered weaponry. All units with this trait gain +1 to hit in the shooting phase. SARUM: SURGE INTO CARNAGE The dread lords of Sarum have calculated that their biggest hindrance to slaughter in Khorne's name is getting their forces into melee, and so they devote a significant portion of their time and energy to overcoming this with new bionics and technologies. All units with this trait add +1 to all advance rolls and +2 to all charge rolls. POLIX: WARP-SATURATION Those of Polix are so immersed in their never-ending studies of warp energies that they end up saturated with it, giving it off like a deadly radiation. Reduce the Toughness characteristic of enemy units (other than VEHICLES) by 1 whilst they are within 1" of any unit with this trait (this is not cumulative). TEMPORIA: STEADY SUPERIORITY The forces of Temporia are so sure of themselves and their inherent superiority, they calmly wait as lesser beings hurl themselves in close, only unleashing their devastating firepower at the perfectly calculated moment. When firing Overwatch, units with this trait hit on a roll of 5+, instead of only 6+, irrespective of modifiers. THE LOGICIANS: DELETION SQUADS While many Hellforges make ample use of disposable chaff soldiers, the Logicians believe that the use of small, highly-trained squads of elites is much more efficient. Any Troops unit at minimum size can re-roll hit rolls of 1 in both the Shooting phase and the Fight phase.

Hey everyone, DiscipleOfTheWord here. A few years back I started my 9th host with a topic here in the B&C, but quickly gave up due to poor camera quality, and eventually drifted out of the hobby. But, with the release of 8th edition, I've decided to get back into it, and restart. Although I already have some Word Bearers models assembled and a small number painted, I'm going to repaint details on all of them at some point, so I'll post pictures of them once that is done. Once I've got a few units fully painted I will start making some fluff for the army, but at the moment all I have is the name of my Dark Apostle, the number of my host and a few other names here and there. Anyway, enough talking, I'll start with some pics of the few models I have painted (fully) at the moment. First Acolyte Sor Talgron: Helbrute: Possessed: Bloodletter: Marines: Malefic Lord: Cultist: Heldrake: And what's on my paint station at the moment: (You have no idea how long it took to paint that script) More photos soon. Please tell me what you think!