Blood Angels Techmarine..

[tahrikmili]

If you HAD TO field one, how would you field it?

 

I can't help but compare it with the Sanguinary Priest..

 

+ 2+ Save

+ Servo-Harness

+ Bolster Defenses

+ Blessing of the Omnissiah

+ Free Jumppack

+ Servitors armed with Servo-Arms (A1 Power Fists basically)

 

- Not an Independent Character, stuck with costly WS3 BS3 S3 T3 Servitors

- Can not take a transport

- No Furious Charge bubble

- No Feel No Pain bubble

- Servitor weapons are expensive

 

Personally, I would simly forego the servitors completely.. Devastators and Sternguard do everything they could possibly be tasked with for a lot cheaper. I can see only one use for this unit and it's for Earth armies, which are very rare BA builds.. Basically, just take a barebones Techmarine, bolster defenses for one of your Troops on an objective, then walk him up the field behind your walkie Dreadnoughts..

 

Anything else anyone can think of? I know the Techmarine is a STINKING BAD unit in our codex, but I want to paint one up, so I'm trying to find at least SOME way to use it, from time to time.. :P

[Rybnick]

I've seen people use them as deepstriking melta delivery systems, but they are a tad pricey for that role. The army as a whole would still benefit from his bolter defenses though.

[shatter]

If I had to make a list it'd be alone these lines.

 

Libby, shield & FoD

priest

 

2x

techmarines

-2 servitors: Plasma cannons

 

2x

Scouts: 9 sniper, 1 ML, cloaks

 

2x

Devastators: 4 Plasma cannons, 4 additional models (to make better use of cover options)

 

LR

sb, hk, mm (yes, redundant 'weapon destroyed' options)

 

2x

Baal pred AssHK

 

1748

 

At 2k, I'd upgrade the techmarine units for repair rules (fist servies &/or harness), and add an HG.

 

 

About the CC servies. Their servo arm is an additional I1 attack, so if they charge, their output is 2 attacks at I3/4, 1 at I1 (at str 6/7).

[tahrikmili]

CC Servies have I1 S8/9 attacks, the Servo arms aren't power fists, they always hit at S8.

 

I was expecting a bit more contribution fro B&C by the way :)

[vahouth]

Shatter is partially right.

Their servo arm is an additional I1 attack that strikes at str8, so if they charge near a priest, their output is 2 attacks at I3/4 str 4, 1 attack at I1 str 8 (no FC bonus here).

 

To be honest tahrikmili, I wouldn't field a Techmarine.

If I ever do, it will just be in a list with a lot of armour and Devastators so that I can benefit from his repairs and cover.

I would probably use 2 of them with Servo Harness and a retinue of 3 plain Servitors each.

I just miss them having 2 wounds though... ;)

[tahrikmili]

W1 is OK, what really bugs me is that they are not ICs.. If it was really such a game breaking balance issue the SP wouldn't be an IC either, as he is a million times better when joined with a squad..

 

The Servo Harness is a bit too costly for a 50 pts non-IC 1W unit IMO.. I plan on painting and fielding one with no upgrades and just a Bolter to tag along with my AC/CCW Dreadnought, to see if they synergize at all. If they do, I may replace my Devastators with another Dreadnought. If they don't, I can always replace him with a SP..

 

How about something really stupid like this:

 

1 Furioso

1 Dreadnought

1 Techmarine

1 Sanguinary Priest

 

Walking their way up the board merrily, drawing fire and shaking it off..

 

OK It's a bit stupid, but how stupid? ;)

[Zeller]

Here's a 1k list I wrote 2 weeks ago for PC overkill plus the techmarine use.

 

Librarian

 

Techmarine

-servitor with plasma cannon

 

Tac squad (10)

-ML, F

 

Tac squad (10)

-HB, MG

 

dev squad (5)

-4 PC

 

dev squad (5)

-4 PC

 

dev squad (5)

-4 PC

 

Priest

 

1 ruin.

 

3+ cover, 3+ armor, 4+ FNP, dakka dakka dakka.

[Brother Chris]

EDIT: Brother Chris, you're not a mod- so please dont tell other frater what to do. If you have an issue, please use the report function.

[TheMouth]

who said you need to run the techmarine as a techmarine...why not go with a "counts as" for a game.

 

Personally my fav set up since the dawn of 2nd is XoX big Xs = dreadnoughts o = techmarine...base to base and blasting away at stuff. :P Blow an arm off, fix it right there and then go about your day. B)

 

I am also working on how to have a techmarine in my army, I have always thought they where fun...but its rather difficult to do with the rules the way they are...who knows.

[Zeller]

What weapons are you running on your dreadnoughts, TheMouth?

[shatter]

Shatter is partially right.

Their servo arm is an additional I1 attack that strikes at str8, so if they charge near a priest, their output is 2 attacks at I3/4 str 4, 1 attack at I1 str 8 (no FC bonus here).

 

oops, yip. brain fart.

 

edit:

 

Their base attacks are str 3/4 not just 4.

[Khorneeq]

I've been trying to use a Techmarine as tank hunter.

Little deal with devastators, he gives them cover, they give him razor. :D

Techmarine rides with servo-arm armed servitors... in theory this means lots of S8 attacks.

In practice it has never reached enemy tanks (about 4 games trying to do it).

So I'm just using lascannons and melta as far more reliable anti-tank in my army and he gets back on the shelf... sadly :)

[shatter]

Yarp, they need an assault vehicle for that kind of thing.

[fivepointedstar]

I do a tech marine with a razorback, and 5 servitors. 3 have pf's, and two having either a heavy bolter, or a MM. and since most folks would go after the techmanrine thinking the servitors suffer from mindlock there wrong if, and i say if they manage to kill my techy, then that means i now have 5 suped up scouts (since servitors, and scouts stats are alike) with pf's and heavy weapons charging in.

[Demoulius]

a few of my first lists bad a techie AND a Sp. basicly, i used the bolster defences on home objectives (or on kill point missions the biggest piece of terrain that i could use for a firebase) and the upgrade alone won me a few games. the techie himself though is hilarious. hide him behind units (or place him behind them) and people will assume hes an IC. if they dont ask dont tell :P then when you need to, charge him at a different target (can do this with an IC as well but this way the non-IC is protected ;) )

 

his 2+ save isent to be underrestimated. and if a SP is close by to give him FNP he becomes a great deal more nasty as well. i gave mine a power weapon and kept him cheap. the extra power weapon attacks are nice and tbh, with a 2+ save and some lucky rolls he can be a real pain in the rear end for your opponent :D

 

other games i kept him back near my home objective, the extra cover save the techie himself provided kept AP2 attacks at bay and he can pack quite a punch for a single guy.

 

if you take him for the upgrade keep him cheap. i gave mine a PW for the extra punch (the extra PF attack is really nice to) youd be suprised on what you can do with him :P

[Drachnon]

If I ever field one it will only be for the bolster defence. Though I find the idea of jump packing techmarine with 5 jump packing servitors hilarious but I'm not sure if that options is also for the servitors. (anyone who knows for sure?)

[shatter]

They're infantry (not jump infantry).

 

edit: oops

 

You're quite correct. This is an issue!

 

Servo arms can be swapped for jump packs for either techmarine or servitors. The upgrade list doesn't specify who it's limited to at all... yet the list also includes servo arms on servitors being upgraded to servo harnesses! (lol?!?)

 

I'm going to start an Official Rules thread on it.

 

*salute*

[biglou666]

wow, what a thing to notice! :) suddenly, we have super fluffy flying servitors! xD im just going to double check to make sure our eyes dont decieve us! :P

 

(edit) yes, ive just checked, and there is nothing standing in the way of us on the options page! :P

[Redo]

Techmarines are sadly a woeful choice is an already crowded elite section. Nearly everyone is saying it and IMO the best place for the techmarine is in the Army case or as a display model with his servitors. The Techmarine deserves veteran stats and IC and to make the unit attractive Servitors need something like 'Relentless' to differ them from Devastators (which get weapons for way cheaper). A transport option would also be valid. Fancy a techmarine without an option for a tank transport.

 

Basically I reckon that the techmarine is probably the worst thought out unit in the codex and never should see the light of day (on the playing field).

[biglou666]

hmm, i agree the statline is rubbish, but i still think its quite funny that the lack of attention to this unit means that you can give servotors jump packs and thunderhammers! :D

 

hehe, id love to see the look on an opponents face when i pulled a six man squad, with six power weapons, and two plasma cannons out of the case! ( and with jump packs ^_^ ) and with the ability to deepstrike, and repair vehicles! possibly this was on purpose, a hidden little laugh in the usualy quite rubbish unit? lol.

 

Mabye, a cheeky little do and die unit, deepstrike a techmarine, with two servitors, , a combi melta, and two multimeltas. All with jump packs of course. just pop behind an enemy tank, and.. pop! lols

[tahrikmili]

Unfortunately you can't give them heavy weapons AND jumppacks, both require replacing the servo arm, so you can replace for one but not both.

 

You can actually field and/or deepstrike a Jummpack Techmarine with Thunder Hammer and 5 Jumppack servitors (possibly with power weapons but I'd rather not, at 15pt they are a waste on an I3 S3 W1 unit..) Fun thing is, since the Techmarine is NOT an IC he can't be targeted. So you can actually bang around with the hammer quite a bit..

 

Techmarine, Jump Pack, Thunder Hammer, Combi-Melta

Servitors x4, Jump packs x4

Comes in at.. 150 points..

 

Not bad.. Or is it?

[Drachnon]

Should be a pretty good squad to hunt down tanks :P too bad that the techmarine has the basic marine stats except for armor.

[tahrikmili]

Should be a pretty good squad to hunt down tanks :P too bad that the techmarine has the basic marine stats except for armor.

 

Yeah well, it's not even that.. The basic Assault Squad with a Hammer and a Meltagun is better than this at everything.

 

Ahh, I give up..

[biglou666]

tahrik has a point, for practically the same cost, you can a squad with the same amount of men, all with better stats, just no 2+ save. and with melta guns, if you want. hmmm, even with the j-packs, the techy with servos does seem a dead end unit. still, i want a squad of packing servos, just to see the looks on opponents faces! ;D

[Deschenus Maximus]

- Not an Independent Character, stuck with costly WS3 BS3 S3 T3 Servitors

 

 

LOL oh WOW! I always has assumed it was an IC, giving it some possible use by riding along with a RAS in razor, providing repairs when needed... no go, it would seem...