Favorite AdMech units/tactics

[Tyriks]

I was wondering what people enjoy most about playing the Adeptus Mechanicus. So, what about it pulled you in? What kept you in? What units (or formations or strategies or anything) embodies that for you?

 

For me, I was first intrigued by the aesthetics of a lot of the Skitarii models. I loved how clearly in human they are for a human army. I also have really loved the sheer brutality of Skitarii. I love the withering damage we can pour out right off the bat, and then how quickly we get hit back. I think it feels a lot more like a real battle when both sides are losing models in droves.

 

As far as favorite units, I haven't been able to decide all day (hence why I want to hear your thoughts!). Everything Skitarii has is fantastic, and everything Cult has besides electropriests is cool. Even priests I do want to eventually field just because they look cool.

 

I think with Skitarii something that I really like is that even the troops are awesome and cheap. Every other army I have seen, their basic troops are boring. I don't even mind troop taxes with Skitarii because our troops are so lethal!

[Carlson793]

Been playing SM since I started a few years back, but there were just too many options for me to get into it. All those options were making it hard to decide what to run in any given game.

 

AdMech, however... fewer units, fewer options for those units, most options are strong, and each unit has a defined purpose.

[gmaleron]

Vanguard hands down are my favorite unit not only for their looks but their versatility. Especially seeing the new pics of the FW upgrade kits something tells me I'm going to have a lot of them in the future, probably somewhere between 60 to 80 of them.

 

Tactics wise I'm curious what Special Weapons you guys have found to be the best with a particular unit? Honestly Arc Rifles I feel are compatible with both Rangers and Vanguard while Plasma really only seems to be the best with Vanguard and the Arquebus with Rangers.

[Tyriks]

I haven't liked the plasma or the TA enough to include them very often. The cost is just too high for weapons that haven't tended to get much done. If I want plasma I will bring Kataphrons, since they can take the wounds better and will dish out more carnage. Arc rifles are great, but I like running rangers in msu to grab objectives (maybe with arc if I have points) or vanguard with just an omnispex to keep it cheap and just overwhelm stuff with wounds. I have run msu of vanguard to charge stuff, to eat overwatch and lower toughness, but they can't keep up with the stuff I want them working with so I don't do that much now.

 

Really though both units are so versatile that I say just try it all out and see what you like, you will find something.

[misterkho]

Most of the games my vanguard with omnispex and plasma calivers tend to get of warlordkill. There aren't many units who can survive 21 shots  and 6's do double wounds..and on top of that 9 strength 7 shots apt and all -1 cover save..

It's just a matter of pacing and keeping them long enough alive. Next comes the iron strider formation. Every opponent just gets panicked when there are three walkers with armor 11 all around in their lines on turn 1 hehe.

[gmaleron]

I've had a lot of success in the handful of games I've played utilizing two squads of three Dragoons running up the flanks. More often than not my opponent will focus fire on them more so than my Vanguard pushing up the middle, definitely hoping we get a transport of some kind with the upcoming FW release because we could sure use it!

[Akrim]

I would have to say the awesomeness of the model range; the Sicarians, Kataphrons in particular.

 

I was deterred for a while by the cost of the kits, but the Start Collecting sets drew me in finally.

[DeStinyFiSh]

Yeap, I too love the models ! Sicarians, Dragoons / Ironstriders and Tech Priests in all variations (I have got 3 Tech Priests, 1 Magos, 2 Data Smiths and the Enginseer, they all look very different), followed closely by Rangers / Vanguard, the Onager and the Destroyers.

I like that they are very flexible when it comes to monouvering them across the battlefield. Scout, Crusader, Dunestrider, Move Through Cover etc. makes a lot more fun than a static gun line. With the Canticles and the Doctrinas you can play very tactical as well and you need to think a bit ahead to get the maximum out of them. That combined with the overwhelming firepower makes a lot of fun, but with the easy-to-kill Scitarii and and slow-as-fu*k cult units they never feel overpowerd.

My favourite units are my Infiltrators, because they can hurt a lot ! One of my favourite combinations are the Infiltrators with a Grenade Juggling Inquisitor.

I also like my Destroyers, but I finished them just recently and had just 3 games with them.

And, of course, I like my Knights, just because they look amazing on the table

I also started a Taghamata list, because I want many more big bad robots. So fingers crossed the rumours are true and we get 2 more Robos with the next codex plus a few FW Robos with the next IA

[Tiger9gamer]

I love my vanguard and Onagers to the point that my mechanicus lists are basically exclusively those (4 squads of arc rifles, 4 onager neutrons) with a dominus maniple thrown in. I am holding off for the new stuff before I dive into the Cult Mechanicus completely though, so I only have the dominus and one squad of kataprhons. Even if my list is technically "spam" I love how it plays and how hard it can hit with so many pie plates getting thrown around!

 

Used to play my army unbound with rhinos too. Man, that was bloody fun! I barely lost any guys while traveling upfield and always managed to unload in someone's face and turn them into paste while my neutrons acted like artillery! Killed many enemies using that, and even wrote my fluff to match my own playstyle before the FAQ ruined it. Ah well, I just have to be patient.

 

I will say, even if I have 40+ of them, I hated putting together Vanguard models. The arms NEVER fit together with the ones the instructions said would go together, the legs were so hard to paint in my color scheme and the kits came with so little of the stuff I wanted that I was fuming and looking for alternatives. \

 

Favorite model in all the mechanicus has to be the FW archmagos:  https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-US/Archmagos-Draykavac-Archmagos I bought him as soon as I could and am getting him commission painted now as my own personal warlord. it's a great model to be sure.

[SydonianDragoon404]

The model range and the fluff is what really got me into Admech, the rules are just icing on top.

[Tyriks]

Vanguard are tough to assemble. I like doing the assembly line method but that does not work at all with them. I will say, having just finished my second get started box, the vanguard were a bit easier this time but the onager was MUCH more fun and easy the second time!

[MajorNese]

My entry into AdMech was simply decided by the fact that there now are skitarii. Back when I started in 5th Ed, I wanted to do skitarii, but converting IG was too much for a beginner. Now they are here, and besides the goofy-looking dragoons (and lack of praetorians), they turned out exactly as they should.

 

Cult was a nice addition, but electro priests and kastelan just look too childish. The techpriest and kataphron are exactly as they should, I only wish for more options in the codex, to fit all those scratchbuilt priests and combat servitors. Most novels have gene-bulked ogryns, controlled by implants, with implanted armour and heavy weapons, those are definitely lacking.

 

The rules are solid, having played fast-paced IG for a while, skitarii fit just fine. The profiles are almost identical to IG carapace vets, the vehicles resemble light-medium IG ones (just lacking transport), and they are as non-static and fast-paced as I want. It's only a pain to explain all the special rules to someone who has no idea, that takes time, and sometimes sound as if you are making this up on the go. ("Oh, I need to reveal an objective at the other side of the board. The priest always has an equipment thing that can do exactly that.")

[gmaleron]

So my twin brother play Space Marines and he has the angels of death supplement book and I just took a read through it and came up with a pretty ridiculous idea somewhat based around fluff. Since I will be purchasing a minimum of two more of the Skitarii Start Collecting boxes I will have a total of 3 Techpriest Dominusis, and after reading through the angels of death supplement there are some psychic powers that I think would be very fitting fluff wise for an AdMech army.

 

Using all three of them as Iron Hands librarians from the Librarius Conclave I'm interested in trying out both the following lores as both could easily be interpreted as Techpriests using some Advanced technological weapons or abilities:

 

*Note: not copying these word for word from the book so not plagiarizing*

 

Fulmination: basically lots of lightning/electric based powers which would make perfect sense for a techpriest to use. My personal favorite is Electrodisplacement - "WC2 blessing, 24". The Psyker's unit and the target unit swap places on the battlefield. If one of the swapping units is locked in combat, the other unit takes their place and is locked into that combat. Swapped units can still charge, so swapping Scouts with a unit of your choice can potentially set up a turn 1 charge, with your deathstar chilling in the back until the switcheroo, if you get this power."

 

I'm just imagining swapping with an enemy Squad and depositing a large squaf of Infiltrators or Rustalkers in the opponent's backfield or sticking his warlord in the middle of our army for a quick and easy First Blood and Slay the Warlord.

 

The other psychic discipline that I feel would make sense (and honestly the one that I will probably use the most as it makes the most sense fluff wise) is Technomancy which basically involves the manipulation of machines. Lots of cool powers to buff or damage your opponent's vehicles and army, my particular favorite is a malediction which lets you take over an enemy units weapon and have it shoot, could be really nasty especially if they have a super heavy.

[Charlo]

I made a thread a couple weeks back for using Librarians as super Tech priests. Such a great idea IMO and fluffy if you keep to the right disciplines :)

[Akrim]

Ahaha that's funny MajorNese I find the exact same thing when I talk about the rules, people think it's not real. Albeit I often joke around about my guys having fictional rules, you shouldve seen the reaction to Stasis Fields.

 

That is one other aspect I like about AdMech is the exotic nature of their weaponry and wargear.

[Chaeron]

I've wanted to do a Skitarii force since when they were mentioned in days gone by - and like others, had toyed with conversions, and so when they actually did come out - I really wanted to utilise them! Although I've currently built a force around Drop Pod deployment with Flesh Tearers, I think ti's the utility and visual aesthetic of the Vanguard which is one of the sustaining reasons for my liking of them. And, it's something very different to the other armies I play - so I like being that bit more diverse!

[Tyriks]

Ahaha that's funny MajorNese I find the exact same thing when I talk about the rules, people think it's not real. Albeit I often joke around about my guys having fictional rules, you shouldve seen the reaction to Stasis Fields.

That is one other aspect I like about AdMech is the exotic nature of their weaponry and wargear.

Same here, I had to show a lapsed player the doctrinas rule because he just refused to believe you could do stuff like that (I think he thought it was permanent, to be fair). I liked Charlo's idea about allied tech-brarians, I'm considering what models to use for it before I decide I am going to. Using extra domini would be nice if they were a little more posable, but as it is I think they'd look too similar. If i was better at conversions and had relevant bits, maybe. I also would probably want to put them on bikes or jump packs so they'd have to be doable.

 

I think lack of variable poses is probably my biggest complaint about Skitarii right now.

[Charlo]

 

Ahaha that's funny MajorNese I find the exact same thing when I talk about the rules, people think it's not real. Albeit I often joke around about my guys having fictional rules, you shouldve seen the reaction to Stasis Fields.

That is one other aspect I like about AdMech is the exotic nature of their weaponry and wargear.

Same here, I had to show a lapsed player the doctrinas rule because he just refused to believe you could do stuff like that (I think he thought it was permanent, to be fair). I liked Charlo's idea about allied tech-brarians, I'm considering what models to use for it before I decide I am going to. Using extra domini would be nice if they were a little more posable, but as it is I think they'd look too similar. If i was better at conversions and had relevant bits, maybe. I also would probably want to put them on bikes or jump packs so they'd have to be doable.

 

Yeah, a jump pack/ bike would be a a must - I plan to put some on my Enginseers that I have. I recently also got one of the old Skullz priest models for this as well.

 

I think even just standing on some Kataphron Treads would be enough. A nice little observer platform :D

[Tyriks]

 

 

Ahaha that's funny MajorNese I find the exact same thing when I talk about the rules, people think it's not real. Albeit I often joke around about my guys having fictional rules, you shouldve seen the reaction to Stasis Fields.

That is one other aspect I like about AdMech is the exotic nature of their weaponry and wargear.

 

Same here, I had to show a lapsed player the doctrinas rule because he just refused to believe you could do stuff like that (I think he thought it was permanent, to be fair). I liked Charlo's idea about allied tech-brarians, I'm considering what models to use for it before I decide I am going to. Using extra domini would be nice if they were a little more posable, but as it is I think they'd look too similar. If i was better at conversions and had relevant bits, maybe. I also would probably want to put them on bikes or jump packs so they'd have to be doable.

 

Yeah, a jump pack/ bike would be a a must - I plan to put some on my Enginseers that I have. I recently also got one of the old Skullz priest models for this as well.

 

I think even just standing on some Kataphron Treads would be enough. A nice little observer platform :D

That'd make for an interesting "bike" model... maybe make the treads look a bit more like an atv or something (or if you're really feeling like a challenge mount a bike chassis on the treads or something). I forgot about Enginseers as possible librarian conversions, I'm going to go look into that!

[gmaleron]

The Electo priests would be a pretty good start for librarian conversions I would think

[Tyriks]

I've thought about that. You could use green stuff to make harnesses and just glue jump packs to them. Or something like that. I'd have to look at the models more to see if it would work.