Legio Cybernetica

[Xisor]

So. I've been painting my Kastellans at the weekend (a nice base of celestra grey armour plating and some hazard stripes on the fists), but the faceless robots have been getting inside my head. I've been intermittently examining the new Apocrypha book, as well as the Cult Mechanicus Codex - and I have HH1:Betrayal, but haven't peeked in it recently.

 

What do we actually know? Old lore stipulated a maniple was usually one data smith and four robots (Apocrypha Imperialis), and in modernity, we've got a maniple as we know and love it, with a cohort at minimum size being 3:4 clergy to robots.

 

Do we know much of larger forces? Of complete sections and formations and rheir progress through a war? What of reforms and major engagements? What about internal structures to the Legio? Of transport and deployment? What of the order of the data smiths? Modern heresies and schisms?

 

How about the robots themselves? What sort of 'personality' (idiosyncrasies?) do we know can proliferate even without courting heresies? And what of heretical cases themselves?

 

More than all that: what are your favourite lore nuggets? What about your own cortexcanon and memetic doctrines particular to your own forces?

[Magos Takatus]

This is something I would like to know more about myself. I started in the hobby after Rogue Trader so I don't know much about the previous lore. One of the strangest pieces of lore about them is in the Cult Mechanicus book, claiming that some of the Kastellan robots pre-date the Imperium and can happily turn up to a battle, fight until it's conclusion and then vanish mysteriously.

 

I can believe this with the Legion of the Damned, but Kastellan robots? They would probably make the ground shake when they walk. How would nobody notice them leaving? Again, I can understand that other more complex robots could have their quirks but Kastellans seem to be much simpler, it seems odd that they could work out a way off a planet if most of them fall into ditches if not given the correct punch card. :p

 

Perhaps these rogue robots are Callidus Temple operatives that are particularly good at their infiltration? Whatever the real reason, the mystery created in that small snippet of background material makes the codex that bit more enjoyable to me. I do like the idea that even the simplest robots the Mechanicus create could attain their own quirks over time. I'm looking forward to getting more information when the next Imperial Armour book drops regarding the Castellax and other variants, but it still feels a very long way from now. :/

[N1SB]

In whispered code, because I know it is dangerous to share this, let me point out some ancient records from Rogue Trader and even game mechanics from 30k (which pays a lot of homage to Rogue Trader), because they are relevant to this topic.  Please do not dismiss this outright, because as of late GW has been drawing a lot from 1st ed 40k (Kastelan Robots, Genestealer Cult, even Armageddon), but with a disclaimer - looking at Rogue Trader is great for general knowledge, but lousy for specifics, which I'm gauging in my own response here.

 

 

+++ Rough Numbers +++

 

 

A Maniple is a squad of typically about 4 robots, with a Techpriest leading them.  It is said battles involving more than 4 or 5 Maniples are rare, citing those of the Horus Heresy as extreme exceptions.

 

A Cohort is a company of Maniples, rarely more than 100.  A Cohort is usually spread through an entire Marine force of SEVERAL Chapters.

 

The Legio itself is made of "thousands" of such Cohorts.  It is NOT specified how many thousands, but it does say only a percentage of them are active at any time.  As was typical at the time, they left it very vague.

 

I have my own "ballpark number" of how many Robots are known to exist, and of course you can estimate your own, but clearly in a universe of untold billions of souls these are extremely rare pieces of archeotech as a result.

 

 

+++ Engineering Issues +++

 

 

In 30k, they directly reference Rogue Trader lore.  They mention the Vorax chassis (a Fast Attack slot unit in the 30k Mechanicum list) was based on a previous Robot design, the Crusader.  I'll just link 2 images so you can judge for yourself:

 

The Vorax (Forgeworld): https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-ES/Mechanicum-Vorax-Battle-Automata

 

A bunch of Robots, including the Crusader (Rogue Trader): http://www.solegends.com/citrt2/rt4009robots/index.htm

 

In fact, it's this specified lineage that makes me feel it's relevant to invoke Rogue Trader lore, in moderation, here.  In fact, the Cult Mechanicus Kastelan resembles the Rogue Trader Castellan design, too.

 

In addition, even the Cult Mechanicus codex seems to make a subtle but explicit nod to the Rogue Trader material.  In the Cult Mech codex, it describes ancient patterns of Robots as being "animalistic", dangerous, feral-like.  In the Rogue Trader compendium, they casually mention the Robots' original firmware was based on that of animals, citing dogs for their inherent loyalty to Man as a positive.  Not to mix fact with fiction, but that sci-fi concept of the '80s is mirrored in current research now for supercomputers/A.I., where new systems have an architecture imitating mammalian brains, often described as "neuromorphic" or "synaptic".

 

In short, the beast-like Robot firmware that's treated as heretechal in 7th ed 40k was painted as a really good idea in Rogue Trader.

 

Moreover, it shows how Battle Automata designs evolved almost organically over the years, and Techpriests understood that at least in 30k.

 

 

+++ Compatibility With Dreadnoughts...at that time +++

 

 

Another engineering issue is compatibility.  2 damaged Robots could swap parts to enable at least 1 of them to return fighting; 2 wounded humans, even Space Marines, can't do that.  Thus, there is a benefit to them beyond the logistical benefits compared to people as they don't eat, sleep, can be transported in the vacuum of space, etc.  They basically supply themselves, manage their own force depletion, etc.

 

Furthermore on the compatibility issue, much of the Robot chassis was said to be compatible with Space Marine Dreadnoughts.  Now, we look at the Boxnaught Dreads of today, and can see they don't fit.  But back in Rogue Trader days, Dreadnoughts looked more like Contemptors...which is a little bit more Kastelan shaped, so it's more relevant for 30k.  On that note, I once considered a 30k Cortus Contemptor mixed with Robot parts, to reflect they're a little bit damaged.

 

Gameplay mechanics-wise, there was a reason to specify that compatibility during the Rogue Trader era.  Robots and Dreadnoughts, as units for army lists, were "built" using a similar ruleset, but Robots were a bit cheaper.  When they reach the battlefield, however, you see why that difference exists.

 

Robots only acted according to a complex programming game mechanic, where BEFORE the game you had to layout tokens in a flowchart (or just write out, tbh) like Start, GoTo, Charge, GetObjective, etc.  The Robot will follow that list of commands in sequence, like BASIC or LOGO programming, and cannot change the programming in the middle of a fight.  To compare, Dreadnoughts, having a Space Marine pilot, acted normally like a regular unit, able to adapt.

 

Compatibility is a logistics issue, as much of engineering is dealing with logistics, that is less prevalent now but was part of the concept.

 

 

+++ How Practices Have Changed from 30k to 40k +++

 

 

A cool aspect of 30k is the game mechanics actually reflect the fluff.  The biggest example is how 30k Marine Legionnaires are organised much more like 40k Chaos Space Marines than their Loyalist counterparts, to reflect how they hadn't updated their tactics in the last ten thousand years whereas Loyalists have.  The Datasmith represents a similar evolution.

 

This isn't so much comparing apples to oranges as it is comparing a new Macbook to a Macintosh.  Much has changed, but certain design philosophies remain.

 

In 30k, there's 2 units that can play a role similar to that of the Datasmith in 40k.  The 1st is a HQ unit called the (Tech) Magos Dominus that's a little more costly than a Datasmith and specialised for the role, with buffs similar to a psyker and can actually join a unit of Robots, like a more advanced Datasmith, or control them from afar.  The 2nd is a Techpriest Auxilla that's a more flexible unit and can get wargear to merely direct giant Robots from a distance, but not specialised and is probably a less cost-effective when you account for all the gear and buffs a Datasmith can offer Robots in 40k.  Both are also Battlesmiths, i.e. can repair Vehicles, etc.

 

Tracing that progress, it's similar to how a lot of roles/responsibilities/requirements evolve even in real life.  The Datasmith is much more "niched", more specialised; their only role is to control Robots, and do it really well, whereas their 30k counterparts can do other things like repair vehicles or carry exotic heavy weapons.  They're trained more specifically for that purpose at the trade-off of flexibility, so they're more efficient in that regard but less effective in others, and they're stuck in that role.

 

(Example for comparison - a Magos Dominus can join a tarpit of fearless Tech-thralls, directing and buffing Robots from a certain distance so the Automata can be distractions while his squad safely scores an objective from behind.  The Datasmith can only join the Robots, doesn't have those options, but probably does it more cost-effectively.)

 

In 1 word: optimisation.  Datasmiths were optimised just for their role at the trade-off of other things they could do, but I can totally understand why.  And they're probably better at managing Robots reliably, but that's all they really do compared to their 30k predecessors.

 

 

+++ I'll stop here, except to say this +++

 

 

So. I've been painting my Kastellans at the weekend (a nice base of celestra grey armour plating and some hazard stripes on the fists), but the faceless robots have been getting inside my head.

 

 

Excellent communing with the Omnissiah, fellow magos.  Blessed is the binharic song that is in-tune with the Machine God's hum.

[Charlo]

 

So. I've been painting my Kastellans at the weekend (a nice base of celestra grey armour plating and some hazard stripes on the fists), but the faceless robots have been getting inside my head.

 

Excellent communing with the Omnissiah, fellow magos.  Blessed is the binharic song that is in-tune with the Machine God's hum.

 

Altogether now... 0.1.0.1...

 

MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIND RECEPTORS WITNESS GLORY FROM THE BURNING OF THE FLAME...

 

A little thing of note, is that in the Cult Mech 'dex some robot maniples are described as "famous"; having long and storied histories and commended for their work - even though a Kastelan is just a machine that goes forward and hits things until it's told to stop or shoot, how well it performs that job is still celebrated.