Tech-Marines: Yay or Nay?

[iamnothere]

I've got one half built at he moment and can't decide to run him with the OSR or the Beamer. Really tough choice as both appeal to me in 2000pts.

 

I may even run him with my assault unit out of my raven instead and just laod up with grenades.

[Wildfire]

+1 to whomever said adding the techmarine to henchmen. Rad, stave, 2-4 DCA and a bunch of ablative wounds will wreck just about anything short of hammernators. Don't forget that he's got 2 S8 attacks on top of his normal attacks, plus a flamer and plasma pistol.

 

He can also do well in a SS and the like, giving hammerhand while they activate force swords (or even just as a bit of redundancy in case the one or the other fails their psychic test).

 

I do wish they still had 2 wounds, tho...

 

Beamer I'm not too impressed with, I'd rather get a OXI for a lot less there. I'm not really a fan of beamers anyways, although in a GK list they may do better than most by encouraging the enemy to get closer.

[The Rose Princes]

you can have both relay and conversion beam... why not?

[Wildfire]

you can have both relay and conversion beam... why not?

 

Points? Losing power fist attacks?

[Gentlemanloser]

Not being able to shoot both at the same time? :lol:

[Joasht]

+1 to whomever said adding the techmarine to henchmen. Rad, stave, 2-4 DCA and a bunch of ablative wounds will wreck just about anything short of hammernators. Don't forget that he's got 2 S8 attacks on top of his normal attacks, plus a flamer and plasma pistol.

The only downside of the Techmarine in an assault unit is that being an IC, there is a good chance the opponent would snipe him off early - your Grenades would still go off, but he's fairly soft for a ~100 point model (after upgrades). A dead Techmarine no longer attacks, and most importantly, no longer grants ATSKNF....

 

But still, I'm not saying its a bad idea, its just that I'm thinking it would need some playtesting first to see if it is a viable option or not.

[Ashe Darke]

I tihnk Ashe was thinking people were talking aobut attaching a Techy to an Eversor, or the like. Not DCA. :)

Yeah, serves me right for posting before going to work. Far too early for thinking, god knows why they think I can work in that state!

[Wildfire]

+1 to whomever said adding the techmarine to henchmen. Rad, stave, 2-4 DCA and a bunch of ablative wounds will wreck just about anything short of hammernators. Don't forget that he's got 2 S8 attacks on top of his normal attacks, plus a flamer and plasma pistol.

The only downside of the Techmarine in an assault unit is that being an IC, there is a good chance the opponent would snipe him off early - your Grenades would still go off, but he's fairly soft for a ~100 point model (after upgrades). A dead Techmarine no longer attacks, and most importantly, no longer grants ATSKNF....

 

But still, I'm not saying its a bad idea, its just that I'm thinking it would need some playtesting first to see if it is a viable option or not.

 

That's the reason for the stave, to give a 2++. I've found in the past that an IC with a 2+ save often discourages an opponent from throwing any attacks at him at all, and I see no reason that a 2++ shouldn't do the same with the (usually) scarce number of armor ignoring attacks.

 

If it's a fairly small unit he's assaulting, it should be possible (with proper placement during the movement phase) to keep him out of combat as well.

[Joasht]

+1 to whomever said adding the techmarine to henchmen. Rad, stave, 2-4 DCA and a bunch of ablative wounds will wreck just about anything short of hammernators. Don't forget that he's got 2 S8 attacks on top of his normal attacks, plus a flamer and plasma pistol.

The only downside of the Techmarine in an assault unit is that being an IC, there is a good chance the opponent would snipe him off early - your Grenades would still go off, but he's fairly soft for a ~100 point model (after upgrades). A dead Techmarine no longer attacks, and most importantly, no longer grants ATSKNF....

 

But still, I'm not saying its a bad idea, its just that I'm thinking it would need some playtesting first to see if it is a viable option or not.

 

That's the reason for the stave, to give a 2++. I've found in the past that an IC with a 2+ save often discourages an opponent from throwing any attacks at him at all, and I see no reason that a 2++ shouldn't do the same with the (usually) scarce number of armor ignoring attacks.

 

If it's a fairly small unit he's assaulting, it should be possible (with proper placement during the movement phase) to keep him out of combat as well.

Hmm yeah I guess it depends on the situation. I should go check how much the stave costs on a Techmarine later.

[Cmdr Shepard]

I wanted to play Techmarine/Vindicare combo in order to increase the Assassin's "survivability". Maybe I should try it. I'm usure about the use of Conversion Beamer.

What's your experience?

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Conversion beamer is pretty random, it's more for funs than effectiveness. I'm considering the OSR after my last game with conversion beamer (because I faced a lot of squishy Guardsmen and had no artillery to frag them with :( ).

[Cmdr Shepard]

Conversion beamer is pretty random, it's more for funs than effectiveness. I'm considering the OSR after my last game with conversion beamer (because I faced a lot of squishy Guardsmen and had no artillery to frag them with :P ).

The issue with OSR is scattering. Anything smaller than a tyranid or ork hordes have a high chance to remain out "damage area". I want to play OSR since the first time I wrote down a GK list but everytime I use those points for something else. Against hordes, or with Karamazov, it should be worth of invenstiment.

[Ashe Darke]

Conversion beamer is pretty random, it's more for funs than effectiveness. I'm considering the OSR after my last game with conversion beamer (because I faced a lot of squishy Guardsmen and had no artillery to frag them with :P ).

The issue with OSR is scattering. Anything smaller than a tyranid or ork hordes have a high chance to remain out "damage area". I want to play OSR since the first time I wrote down a GK list but everytime I use those points for something else. Against hordes, or with Karamazov, it should be worth of invenstiment.

The other day I saw someone using the Interceptor shunt move on a 5 man unit to get really close to a tank and then pop it. If you're sneaky you can take limited damage while still popping the tank.

[the_Dave]

Question: does the conversion Beamer scatter? The profile doesn't say it but the description sais measure distance after scatter.

All in all I'm quite fond of the techmarines. Between bolstering, fixing dreads and decent long range support they can fill multiple roles decently. Although as impossible as the concept sounds I wish brotherhood champions were in their spot :D

[Brovius]

I wanted to play Techmarine/Vindicare combo in order to increase the Assassin's "survivability". Maybe I should try it. I'm usure about the use of Conversion Beamer.

What's your experience?

 

Unfotunately, ICs can't join a unit that only ever consists of a single model. For instance, a Tyranid Prime can attach to a lone Carnifex, as they have the option to be fielded in broods of up to 3, but it cannot attach itself to a Trygon.

Just a random bit of info. I discovered it a short while after my BA-playing friend was considering fielding Mephiston with a small army of attached Librarians to make a mega-psyker squad.

 

... and then Codex: Grey Knights came out :)

[Cmdr Shepard]

I wanted to play Techmarine/Vindicare combo in order to increase the Assassin's "survivability". Maybe I should try it. I'm usure about the use of Conversion Beamer.

What's your experience?

 

Unfotunately, ICs can't join a unit that only ever consists of a single model. For instance, a Tyranid Prime can attach to a lone Carnifex, as they have the option to be fielded in broods of up to 3, but it cannot attach itself to a Trygon.

Just a random bit of info. I discovered it a short while after my BA-playing friend was considering fielding Mephiston with a small army of attached Librarians to make a mega-psyker squad.

 

... and then Codex: Grey Knights came out :)

I never said I want the techmarine to join the Assassin. I mentioned the possibility to play both of them (thus the "combo") and maybe placing them inside the same ruin.

[Captain Psycho]

Question: does the conversion Beamer scatter? The profile doesn't say it but the description sais measure distance after scatter.

 

The conversion beamer is a blast weapon so it goes by the rules for blasts in the BRB (2D6 scatter minus the BS of the firer). However if your target is within 12" of a servo skull the scatter is reduced to 1D6, so a techmarine with BS4 firing at a target within 12" of a servo skull will have a max scatter of 2" and no scatter on a 1 - 4.

 

Despite the possible scatter and the fact that the strenghth of the blast varies depending on the distance of the target I still like conversion beamers for an alpha strike on turn one, and against MSU mech lists it will be very useful for several turns (especially with a midfield littered with cheap servo skulls). I'm planning on taking 2 techmarines with CBs in my deep strike list.

 

Quick rules question - if a techmarine is embarked on a land raider is that considered in base contact for his repair ability or does he have to disembark first to use the ability?

[number6]

I never said I want the techmarine to join the Assassin. I mentioned the possibility to play both of them (thus the "combo") and maybe placing them inside the same ruin.

A minimum of 235 pts and two Elites slots for this "combo" does not excite me. On the contrary, it seems incredibly wasteful and hopeful. You better hope you have a ruin in your deployment zone, to start with. You also better hope you don't need any more Elite slots or those 235 pts on your army basics. That's a rather massive points investments into what are, ultimately, frivolities. Potentially useful, but frivolities nonetheless.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Don't be a killjoy Number6 :D . We're all aware Tech-Marines are pretty marginal in terms of competitiveness, it's a thread about how run them/how people find they work in practise. Once I've finished painting a third Purifier squad I'll replace the Tech-Marine/Vindicare combo with them, but for now it's mainly for lulz.

[chaplainmeliadus]

I put my techmarine in my stormraven with psybolt ammo. Keeps the thing going much longer.

[number6]

Don't be a killjoy Number6 <_< . We're all aware Tech-Marines are pretty marginal in terms of competitiveness, it's a thread about how run them/how people find they work in practise. Once I've finished painting a third Purifier squad I'll replace the Tech-Marine/Vindicare combo with them, but for now it's mainly for lulz.

On the contrary, I think GK Techmarines are one of the cooler things in the codex and can actually be very viable in terms of competitiveness. Just not for the purpose of helping to keep a Vindicare assassin alive while shooting an orbital strike off. :huh:

[HB66]

I want to run a Techmarine with:

- stormbolter, psybolt ammo, nemesis force stave, and OSR

 

Then I plan on sticking him with a Henchmen squad thats shooty based....hopefully stick them in some ruins, combined with some Jokero in the Henchmen squad.....just sounds like a really awesome shooty/dug in unit ^_^

 

HB66

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

What use is the warding stave for a Techmarine? Am I missing something here?

 

G ;)

[number6]

What use is the warding stave for a Techmarine? Am I missing something here?

It's just as useful for the techmarine as it would be for any other GK model. ;) Which is to say, you buy him one if you think he needs it. And don't if you don't. :)

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

So I was thinking the warding stave works like a NFS but it appears I was wrong. It comes with a hefty price tag but I could definitely see it being a good investment.

 

G -_-