Starting Mechnicum, in whichever flavour.

[Frostmourne]

Hello boys and girls. I really hope you can help me here.

 

I play a 30k/ 40k ultramarine army. The reason for this is very simple. Locally to me, the competitive scene doesn't allow 30k. But in my local groups and gaming clubs, it's encouraged. Because it's awesome.

 

But now I am very very interested in moving my collection towards a Mechanicum army.

 

The trick is, I love both rule sets and some models from each of the ranges. That being 30k, Skitarii and CultMech.

 

So here's a question. How best, can I make a 40k army and a 30k army. Using models from both, that can proxy as others. So that I can use 40k rule sets and 30k rule sets as I wish.

 

For example, the new HQ model from the CultMech. I could easily pass as a Magos in any of the forces right. As can a Castellax also be a Kastellan. Because the FW model is better.

 

But can Vanguard be Tech Thralls? Can breathers be Myrmidons? Etc etc.

 

Any thoughts, hints, tips, he'll even lists! Would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

[MindOfMetal]

Going to assume you're using the Taghmata list, as its the more varied of the three.

Vanguard and Rangers both work pretty well as Tech Thralls.  Carapace armour is pretty obviously there for them. If you wanted a unit with mitralocks and one with laslocks then you can use the Vanguard for the shorter ranged mitralocks and the Rangers to be equipped with the longer ranged laslocks-or just use rangers to show one squad of them and the vanguard to show the other.  The Skitarii backpacks make for a pretty suitable Induction Charger too.

Breachers work well for Myrmidon Destructors too.  The arc cannon as the volkite culverin, the torsion cannon as photon thruster cannon/conversion beamer.  If you don't glue the gun shoulders onto the model and the guns onto that shoulder piece you can switch between the four guns and use the plasma cannon thing as a rad engine and the grav cannon as a grav imploder. The only problem is difference in base sizes, the breachers are on bigger bases than Myrmidons.

 

The tech priest dominus and datasmiths shoulder be able to cross over as Magos Primes or Tech Priest Dominus' for 30k with relative ease.

 

At a push, maybe using the infiltrators as Scylax.

[Frostmourne]

I'm not a competitive player, I don't mind putting things on bigger bases even given the disadvantage really.

 

But thanks man. Any tips for a starting list for Thaghmata? Want to avoid single wound models beyond tech Thralls and go all out for the bi lads really.

[MindOfMetal]

Thallax are usually a good place to start for Taghmata troop choices, I run 2 units of 6 with multi meltas. Usually put a jetpack magos prime with one of these two units. Have a unit of converted Ursarax that goes around with them too, a pretty mobile force and tough too.

 

Castellax are pretty good just for how scary they are and how much people tend to worry about them. Same I've found with Thanatar too-tend to run 2 solo Thanatar with plasma mortars.

 

Tech Thralls are good for objective grabbing, though rite of pure thought is a must for them.

 

Myrmidon Destructors are awesome too, haven't yet figured out my favourite gun for them.

 

Haven't used the Krios tanks-though using a dunecrawler as one of the Krios battle tanks might work.

[Battybattybats]

You play 30k Ultramarines.. well then the cognomen info involving a carnivore from the new HH book which i spotted in someone's pics may interest you.  As it involves an old piece of background involving the Mechanicum that you may find very cool.

And for those not wanting the fun of the clues i just dropped i'll be direct in a spoiler tag:

Turns out the Ultramarines were previously called the Desert Lions. In old 1st ed 40k Robots lore the Desert Lions during the scouring used Robots on Istvaan to deal with sniper heretics, having them walk in front and get shot so the Marines could work out where the shots were coming from. The Marines were so impressed that the surviving Robots were Inducted into the Chapter! Honorary Robot Space-Marines!

And to really throw in a jibe for other marine players learning that the Desert Lions were actually Ultramarines means that while the Ward codex said other marines wish they were Ultramarines turns out the Ultramarines think Legio Cybernetica Robots are good enough to be Ultramarines!