New Campaign Including Ad Mech

[Battybattybats]

I'm just happy he found his CAWL-ing ;D

Where's the Dislike button?!? Where's the Dislike button?!?

The pun is likely deliberate on GWs part.

All the Forgeworld HH Automata are Mechanicus-designed variants of ancient automata designs (AKA 1st ed 40k miniatures).

The Heresy Castellax is a variant of the original Castellan (now spelt Kastellan for copyright purposes).

The Vorax is a variant of the Crusader.

There were 3 other 1st ed 40k robots and the Cult Mechanicus book has only given us 1 of the 5.

So it's possible we might be getting one or more of the others as releases from the coming campaign book.

Which would you expect to be most likely for GW to work on? Apart from the Crusader the others look very similar to the Kastellan/Castellax. I suppose the Colossus could be an anti-vehicle/siege variant but most of the others look like they would be minor variations on what we already have in Cult Mechanicus.

Rumours in the past suggested a dual-build kit for 2 more of the humanoid automata and others suggested a seperate crusader kit. I expect the Collossus and Conquerer if those are true, the Cataphract i think might be the least likely. I both hope for and expect that the Crusader will come out as the Vorax seems quite popular and it's a design Jes Goodwin had revisited in unused design sketches where we can see a clear design ancestry for the current Kastellan.

[JeffTibbetts]

Side note: why do people pretend to hate puns so much? Serious question. But don't answer it because the mods will kill me.

[Magos Takatus]

Side note: why do people pretend to hate puns so much? Serious question. But don't answer it because the mods will kill me.

Some people are a glutton for punishment.

Seriously, I think Batty has a sensible idea of what to expect. The Kastellan has mid-range strength ranged fire covered and a heavy close combat loadout. The Conqueror and Colossus appeared to field ranged anti-vehicle weapons (lascannon and autocannon?). I'm not sure if the autocannon would be too similar to the heavy phosphor blaster in performance to be a modern option?

I was considering the Crusader to be the most likely for a distinct kit but if there is a dual unit box then I'm not so sure.

Do you think there is any possibility to find some of the smaller imperial robots like this guy?

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0b/e8/a4/0be8a4986b6246d77a49a0c7e1b70bc1.jpg

I like the appearance of these smaller robots and having another platform for the phosphor blaster would be nice. It would fit in nicely for the main gun or the shoulder-mounted support weapon and still stay true to the sketch. The Infiltrator-style helmet already fits in with the current model range.

[Tyriks]

That'd be nice, and I think could be an easy dual kit with a more CC oriented option, or at least leave the bayonet and have it be useful is assaults and shooting (but not crazy good at either).

[Battybattybats]

I think the smaller robot design became the infiltrators, though I wouldn't rule it out entirely.

[JeffTibbetts]

Side note: why do people pretend to hate puns so much? Serious question. But don't answer it because the mods will kill me.

Some people are a glutton for punishment.

Seriously, I think Batty has a sensible idea of what to expect. The Kastellan has mid-range strength ranged fire covered and a heavy close combat loadout. The Conqueror and Colossus appeared to field ranged anti-vehicle weapons (lascannon and autocannon?). I'm not sure if the autocannon would be too similar to the heavy phosphor blaster in performance to be a modern option?

I was considering the Crusader to be the most likely for a distinct kit but if there is a dual unit box then I'm not so sure.

Do you think there is any possibility to find some of the smaller imperial robots like this guy?

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0b/e8/a4/0be8a4986b6246d77a49a0c7e1b70bc1.jpg

I like the appearance of these smaller robots and having another platform for the phosphor blaster would be nice. It would fit in nicely for the main gun or the shoulder-mounted support weapon and still stay true to the sketch. The Infiltrator-style helmet already fits in with the current model range.

Hold up... Compare that pic to the fuzzy one behind Belistarius Cawl in the artwork Batty shared. Look at the shoulders. I think that might be exactly what it is. As Bats pointed out, they sort of stole the helmet already, so maybe they nudged it to the cyclops pill like an updated Thrall, and there you have it. Infantry bots. I know I'm stretching, but I forgot about that picture and it seems very plausible all the sudden.

[Castellan Cato]

That would make sense if they're going to keep the cult mechanicus in the cybernetica direction.

[Battybattybats]

Just got my January white dwarf!

 

Here's what I gleaned from a quick skim of the data.

Cawl has his own canticles of the archmagos that can buff imperial vehicles as well as mechanicus units. His gun is some sort of crazy melta-thing, the cog on his back is a noospheric relay, one of the keys is for some special stasis chamber on his ship (the contents of which apparently won't be revealed this book) He starts out fighting orks on some other world before going to cadia to look at it's pylons and we get a scenario for the ork fight in the campaignbook. He appears to come in a set with the inquisitor and Celestine and her bodyguard for $140 Australian.

[JeffTibbetts]

They're sold in a box set? How bizarre... But that all sounds like really interesting fluff. Is the noospheric relay just an enhanced version of the data-tethers, you think? I wonder what project he's been working on for 10K years, and how the pylons might work into that. I thought I read the pylons were Necrontek? 

[Battybattybats]

The pylons are necron, Trazyn also shows up, releases the inquisitor from his maze and helps out the imperium!

 

He apparently has some special relic in stasis and we don't find out what plus some special patron and we don't find out who.

 

Much of a page is spent detailing what all the bits on the mini do, though little about game terms. Apparently his axe has a built-in data-tether.

[Battybattybats]

Gun is a 'solar atomiser' mixing thermic and melta waves into a short ranged blast. He also has an 'arc scourge array' to destroy heretic war engines with inbuilt biologic sample needle.

 

I particularly like the mention of a 'warmode consciousness' running the gun and a repair servo-skull controlled by a tertiary consciousness, plus the spider thing near his feet is semi-autonomous.

[Battybattybats]

I'm reading the battle report. Cawl uses two Canticles in one turn, Benediction of Omniscience and... War Hymnal of Fortitude giving all vehicles in 12" a 5+ invulnerable save. His gun appears to have multiple effects at different ranges as it's mentioned a target is outside melta range yet still hit by the solar atomiser.

[Carlson793]

Batty, shut up! I'm going broke just hearing you tell us about Cawl!

[Tyriks]

Batty, shut up! I'm going broke just hearing you tell us about Cawl! :P

Heresy! I need the data!

[Battybattybats]

Also in the battle report he's described as losing several limbs which 'he miraculously repaired'. The miniature has a repairing servo-skull modelled on it, but the mechanism of this, regeneration or a repair roll etc, is not described.

Going back to the page that describes all his bling, the book he's standing on is an 'ancient tome of techno secrets' and that it's 'believed' a servitor always places the book beneath one of his feet as he walks showing his mastery of technology. Very 40k idea, but might just be white dwarf team having a laugh on that one.

The weird thing in front of his face is apparently a "Binharic converter and translater (binaric, high and low gothic)".

There's some design talk from the sculptor saying they envisaged him regularly changing his mind about what designs he likes as he upgrades himself over millennia hence the many different types of legs etc.

Cawl was doing technoarchaeology work on Eriad VI when he gets attacked by an ork scavenging fleet (which gives us one of the 4 game missions in the campaign) he leaves partly from being overwhelmed by the orks, partly to protect whatever he has in stasis on his ship (The Iron Revenant) and partly from some pact with his mysterious benefactor he cannot break. He then gets coaxed to continue his research that leads to Cadia by another mysterious ally from his past. They outright tell us we won't learn the secret of the benefactor and the stasis in this book (and seem pretty confidant our speculations won't figure it out) but don't say if we'll learn who this other mysterious ally is or not.

The campaign book includes the characters rules of course, also a formation including them all, "new relics and arcana for the ecchlesiarchy and Adeptus Mechanicus respectively", inquisition tactical objectives and a chart for the effects on games of Empyric Storms (which is used in the battle report, messing with psykers and daemons especially, causing random effects good bad or both)

[DeStinyFiSh]

So all we get out of this book is:

 

A new HQ Character

New Relics

ONE formation that includes 2 non Ad Mech Characters as well

 

If so, a little disappointing.

Also the question: What else will be in the book? As I said earlier, Chaos has got a lot of toys to play with, Inquisition and Soros had some stuff in IA Codex... so what elso will be in there to fill the pages?

[BassWave]

Between this and the new FW campaign on the horizon, I'm growing impatient. Everything is just out of reach! Im really curious to see if Cawl truly is 455 points. Clearly he's meant to buff the army, and by being more costly than Knights, I hope it's a considerable buff. So far Im not impressed by a 5++ for vehicles within his bubble. Although, I'd have to wait for the rules to be in front of me. Depending on wording, one might get 2++ invul onagers for a turn thanks to their squadron rules.

[Battybattybats]

So all we get out of this book is:

 

A new HQ Character

New Relics

ONE formation that includes 2 non Ad Mech Characters as well

 

If so, a little disappointing.

Also the question: What else will be in the book? As I said earlier, Chaos has got a lot of toys to play with, Inquisition and Soros had some stuff in IA Codex... so what elso will be in there to fill the pages?

You forgot:

the scenario of Mechanicus with Cawl Vs Orks (1/4 of the scenarios of the campaign! So not that shabby)

+ a starring spot in an ongoing narrative that is confirmed to continue into the next part of the campaign

 

We also don't know if that's the sole amount we get either, or how much this may be built on later. I've mentioned all i've spotted for Mechanicus so far in the White Dwarf. As for what's there for others?

 

Well the Inquisition gets a psyker Inquisitor character plus tactical objectives, narrative about her and a place in the multi-faction scenarios.

 

Sororitas/Ecclesiarchy get new relics/arcana too a special character they already had presumably with improved rules and with a bodyguard and narrative.

 

Space Marines get an Imperial Fist desperate stand white dwarf scenario that implies the Phalanx might get destroyed which will upset some folks if that is what happens. As for Black Templars the battle report mentions a Wrathful Crusade formation.

 

Guard get the biggest name faction losing their homeworld.They also are part of the Wrathful Crusade formation.

 

The formation may also include Sororitas and Scions from what i gather.

 

Necrons get to enjoy that Trazyn is messing about helping the good guys, for now at least.

 

Orks get to be in a scenario with the Mechanicus and a bit-part in the narrative.

 

Chaos gets, according to the battle report multiple formations and they use 3 of those: the bringers of despair (abbaddon, terminators), the hellforged pack (warpsmith, helbrutes forgefiends), black legion warband (unspecified part of the army list) and all the fluff narrative fun.

 

Everyone gets, that warpstorm messing with things chart.

 

But who knows if that's all there is for anyone/everyone? It is after all just what White Dwarf has in it, i have no idea what else might be in the actual book.

[Castellan Cato]

Thanks for your summary work Batty. I'm really interested to see what else is in the book too.

 

And just FYI, all those chaos formations exist already in traitor legions. I'm pretty sure they've clarified no chaos until part 2.

[Canadian_F_H]

Thanks for your summary work Batty. I'm really interested to see what else is in the book too.

 

And just FYI, all those chaos formations exist already in traitor legions. I'm pretty sure they've clarified no chaos until part 2.

Not surprised. Chaos for its big setup for this campaign via traitor legions.

[Battybattybats]

Thanks for your summary work Batty. I'm really interested to see what else is in the book too.

 

And just FYI, all those chaos formations exist already in traitor legions. I'm pretty sure they've clarified no chaos until part 2.

You're welcome :)

The battle-report says they are from the Fall of Cadia so either the white dwarf battle report is wrong (wouldn't be the first time) or they reprint them in it... actually i just double-checked and it definitely says "I started by looking at the new formations in the Fall of Cadia and found three that suited the collection at my disposal...", it says they are new, so your guess is as good as mine there.

[Carlson793]

So far Im not impressed by a 5++ for vehicles within his bubble. Although, I'd have to wait for the rules to be in front of me. Depending on wording, one might get 2++ invul onagers for a turn thanks to their squadron rules.

I doubt that'll be the case, as Field Harmonics specifically affects the Emanatus Force Field saves.

[caladancid]

His rules make me hopeful there are more vehicles coming for Mechanicus. Although maybe you are supposed to use that rule solely with Dragoons and Onagers? Seems like a waste if that is the case.

[Canadian_F_H]

Apparently it works with all imerium meta faction vehicles... at least that's what it seamed like

[Battybattybats]

Actually the white dwarf says "all vehicles", it's used on some guard leman russ tanks including that of tank commander Pask on the battle report.