Techmarines. Good or not?

[hamani]

If you have 50pts and an elite slot spare, are techmarines any good?

 

Also, what do people think of there second ability? Because it specifies 'ruins' only, how useful is the ability going to be in tournament play?

[Fatuous]

With RAW it is only ruins, but discuss it with you opponent before the game. So far I've pretty much always been able to re-enforce something (when I remember of course), but in a tourni, you my well find you can't always (my mates and I dont have huge amounts of scenery, so there is usually a ruin some where on our tables).

 

I use a MOF in every game, and have to say, if you are going to take a tech marines, I'd consider the full harness mandatory. In which case you may as well stump up the extra few points it costs to take a MOF instead, for the extra wound, etc........ that is assuming u have a free HQ slot of course and the points.

 

The fixing ability is less useful than it appears on paper, as youcan only fix 1/3 of the damge rolls, which isn't so great, but if you invest in venerable dreadnaughts (something I'm trying atm) you do get a bit more out of them, due to the damage reroll. As the fix it ability is a bit hit or miss, I do not invest points in this ability, certainly not servitors! Using the harness mostly for the fire power it brings (plus a plasma pistol for double plasma shots if I want it) and still having a 50% chance of a fix if the situation arises, which for me so far has worked out ok.

[Koremu]

I have used a Techmarine with Servo-Harness in a Razorback with a 5 man Tactical Squad. He adds quite acceptable deterrent with his Power Fist attacks, and his Repair roll is occasionally very handy (best use ever: repairing a damaged Vindicator Cannon three times in one game - I never got to fire the cannon, but the sheer firepower soak it created won me the game). Bolster is ok but limited to your own deployment area - best use here is for a Rifleman Dreadnought (assuming you have large terrain pieces).

[Brother Xeones]

Bolster is ok but limited to your own deployment area - best use here is for a Rifleman Dreadnought (assuming you have large terrain pieces).

...and assuming you have a Rifleman :)

 

The bottom line is that both special abilities are somewhat situational —but when those situations come up, they are quite handy. I'd take Techmarines mostly because I think that the models look cool and, for me, Ad Mech and techmarines are one of the elements that really sets 40K apart from other sci-fi universes. I'd take a MotF over a techmarine 9 times out of 10 since I like the ability to take heavy support dreadnoughts and I often find myself with all my elite slots filled anyway.

 

So I'd say techmarines are cool, but if you are looking from a purely competitive perspective, most lists would likely benefit more from something else for those 50 points.

[Fatuous]

Bolster is ok but limited to your own deployment area - best use here is for a Rifleman Dreadnought (assuming you have large terrain pieces).

...and assuming you have a Rifleman :teehee:

 

The bottom line is that both special abilities are somewhat situational —but when those situations come up, they are quite handy. I'd take Techmarines mostly because I think that the models look cool and, for me, Ad Mech and techmarines are one of the elements that really sets 40K apart from other sci-fi universes. I'd take a MotF over a techmarine 9 times out of 10 since I like the ability to take heavy support dreadnoughts and I often find myself with all my elite slots filled anyway.

 

So I'd say techmarines are cool, but if you are looking from a purely competitive perspective, most lists would likely benefit more from something else for those 50 points.

 

I 2nd pretty much all of this. The repair can be useful, as can the terrain mods, but I mostly take mine for the extra dreads, and doubt I would ever take a standard tech marine, the MOF is just more useful for me.

 

I have to take a HQ anyway, so I take a MOF.

 

Obviously the more vechicles that you have the more use he can and will be, but then he really needs a transport or it limits your deployment too much, and he has to 'borrow' some one elses, which kinda wrecks the perfect oppertunity for a conversion..... well can still do it I guess, but it isn't HIS so somehow doesn't feel quite right. Anyway, a minor annoyance at worst.

 

These things aside, I still think the tech marine and MOF really excel at adding some extra fire power to a tac squad. Take a melta gun for example and those 10 guys have access to all the special weapons available to marines. Such flexibility may not be the best option, but you can soon, for limited points, turn a tac squad in to a pretty evil, hard hitting unit.

 

Want anti horde, a flamer, combi flamer, with the MOF and your popping out 3 flamer templates, plus all the bolters.

Anti heavy inf. A plasma gun and plasma pistol, and that's 4 every turn. Chuck in a combi plasma on the sarge for 2 more on 1 turn, or a nother plasma pistol if u are brave :D

 

Certainly for me, and elite tech marine....... not so useful, but a MOF, alot more use, as I have to take a HQ anyway, and they rock!!!!

[Ryjak]

Basic advice is to avoid the 50 point Tech-Marine, and either plus-up to the Master of the Forge, or divert to the Thunderfire Cannon with the "free" Tech-Marine... Or is it a Tech-marine with a free Thunderfire Cannon?

 

The only reason to get an Elite Tech-marine is for the cheapest access to Bolter Defense or Servitors. With Servitors, you're either getting two plasma cannons, or you're building a Repair Crew. Both have value in certain specific builds, but I'm guessing neither applies for the OP.

[Ming]

The game is too short to use a tech marine as a repair device. He is great as a way to create a better location for a special weapons crew, such as devs or snipers. He can then hang around an objective or key point to apply his own weapon or his extra S8 cc attacks. A local player used a tooled up techmarine in a tournament and it was the closer on killing opponents dreads, kans, or MCs. He accompanied it with a tac squad to go where he was needed. If you already use a captain with a PF, may want to consider a techmarine for the same job.

 

If you have not seen it yet, go to Shiny Rhino's blog and see his scratch built MOF. I've seen it FTF, and it is wayyyy cool. If you could get him to make and sell you one it would be worth it.

[Frosty the Pyro]

A techmarine is fairly solid, Bolster is quality (remember to bring your own ruins though), and repairing can be quite usefull. Also a space marine sergent with a fist is 51 points (26 for serg and 25 for the fist). Buying a servoharness gives him some fairly signifigant short ranged shooting power also. However even with with his 2+ save and considerable damage output, he is still a 1 wound IC, meaning he can be picked out in CC. This is why the Space Wolf and Blood Angel versions are combat supierior (Not IC and thus can hide in their unit of servitors/wolves).

[Xeonic]

It's worth noting that the BT and DA techmarines are also handled as an IC and their retinue, and thus he cannot be picked out in CC... The BT tech even has 2W to boot. B)

 

EDIT: I've used the MoTF with beamer and found him to be a good value, and techmarines in narrative missions, but never in a remotely competitive list. Mainly because they're a 50 pt. single wound IC(aka free KP), and taking one with servitors as in codex space marines is basically giving away two killpoints.

 

Repair is really situational, and bolster is nice, but you can get bolster from a motf or thunderfire gunner all the same and both bring more useful things to the table than a 1w IC with a few nice toys.

[Jakobus]

I guess it comes down to the synergy with the rest of your army on how worth the Techmarine will be.

If for example you have a 10 man scout squad with camo cloaks that you plan of sitting in a ruined building rain sniper fire on the enemy a 2+ cover save is pretty cool.

 

But its probably not worth it if you don't have something that will use the cover, well thats pretty plain to see it won't help you.

 

Here is something though, notingthat I don't have a techmarine exact wording or the stat line for a Dread.

A Dread is a vehicle, so has to run the Obscured Target version of Cover saves.

 

In short, does Bolster help since "Vehicles do not benefit from cover in the same way as infantry"?

[Sawtooth]

I think I read that some people have good luck with them in a Sternguard squad. Anyone have experience using them that way, and do you think it's worth the slot and points?

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Considering everything else we have in the Elites section, no, I don't think they're worth the slot. I'd rather have Terminators and Sternguard and Dreadnoughts; I can have plenty of all three if I take a Master of the Forge, who is WELL WORTH his HQ slot. The ability to take up to six dreads is a blessing for pure drop pod armies since that's only the way (outside of silly BA Land Raiders) or deep-striking anything with an armor value.

 

Techmarines not good.

MotF awesome. With a power weapon, pistol, and digital weapons, he's even a decent CC character (DECENT, not awesome). And never underestimate the power of the Conversion Beamer.