Anyone used the termite drill in 40k?

[mertbl]

I'd like to add one but will probably proxy a few games with something else until I pull the trigger on the forgeworld model. Probably fill it with hoplites or ruststalkers.

 

Anyone have any in game real world experience with one?

[Kozz]

Ive picked one up along with 20 Hoplites but i've yet to get them on the tabletop. I'm also pretty curious how it/they will do, will keep you posted when i find out.

[SydonianDragoon404]

Ive used it three times now, works very well. I put 2 squads of vanguard with 2 plasma calivers each inside. A flexible unit choice. Im tempted to use hoplites but ive refrained for fear that go up against daemons or nids.

[mertbl]

Why the fear of demons and nids? Smite spam?

 

 

Ive used it three times now, works very well. I put 2 squads of vanguard with 2 plasma calivers each inside. A flexible unit choice. Im tempted to use hoplites but ive refrained for fear that go up against daemons or nids.

[SydonianDragoon404]

That's because Hoplites would be useless against them. When you have something coming out of the termite, you kind of want that unit to be a threat. Plasma threatens everything. 

[mertbl]

Wouldn't the mass of attacks out weigh the high ap of the plasma shots when dealing with demons?

[Frostglaive]

The problem I see with that is Hoplites won't get enough attacks unless they make the 9" charge. Their ranged weapons are only Assault 1 compared to carbines at Assault 3 or calivers at 2. Yeah, if the Hoplites make the charge they got a good amount of attacks, plus the shield to maybe deflect some mortal wounds onto them. But I'd rather play it safe (and cheaper) and just run some Vanguard with higher volley of fire.

[Heliomanes]

If you run termites with priests or hoplites, I think you'd try to infiltrate them with the Stygies stratagem. That way you can get them in turn 1, and within charge range. Deep striking them turn 2 becomes the consolation price if you can't get turn 1, so it's more reliable through redundancy than simply "all eggs in one basket" priest infiltration.

[Tiger9gamer]

I mean, i've been teleporting omnispexed plasma cavilers since the codex dropped  ( smug smug lucius smug smug) and I have to say,  it's really good when paired with the protector doctrine on the pop-out, so I assume similar attacks with termites would be good. kinda wish we had melta guns instead of arc rifles, but we can't have everything we make apparently.

 

I assume the termite does add a lot of fire power as well, so that shouldn't be discounted. a perfect support unit to charge and help wreck things / abosrb overwatch so our squishies can get into combat easier.

[DeStinyFiSh]

I played mine last Sunday for the first time and it is pretty solid!

 

Drill

11 Jazzhands

1 TPD with Eradication Ray and Pater Cogtooth

a bit more than 400 points

 

With Wraith of Mars they managed to kill a Predator on arrival.

Priests got killed by lots of bolter fire in return.

The turn after arrival the Drill killed 5 Terminators (2 in the shooting phase, 3 in CC). Next he ate a Terminator Chaplain, then a Captain (Warlord) and Leutnant.

 

Because of the Forgeworld Keyword he benefits from the Canticles. With Mars I had +1S (giving his CC attacks S16, wounding Knights on 2s, no armour save allowed !) and reroll 1 in CC. Reroll 1 in shooting because of the TPD. This is killer.

T8 makes him very durable, small arms fire will only wound on 6es.

8 Bolter shots after arrival are just icing on the cake.

 

For 134 Points this thing is an amazing and unique transport in my oppinion.

Next time I think 10 Plasma Vanguard, 1 TPD and the Ryza Stratagem should be fun...

[ItsPug]

Because of the Forgeworld Keyword he benefits from the Canticles.

 

From the datasheet: Also note that if it is from the Adeptus Mechanicus Faction, this model does not have the Canticles of the Omnissiah ability, but including it in a Detachment does not prevent other models with this ability from using it

[SydonianDragoon404]

Damn it forgeworld really? Really? That's ridiculous. I didn't even see that until pug pointed it out. Forgeworld just does not know how to write rules. That's just straight up not necessary at all.

[DeStinyFiSh]

Damn it... but thank you for clarfying

[Tiger9gamer]

Damn it forgeworld really? Really? That's ridiculous. I didn't even see that until pug pointed it out. Forgeworld just does not know how to write rules. That's just straight up not necessary at all.

 

yea, considering how even imperial knights can get canticles, it's really baffling. but, we should be happy that we even got these table scraps from FW in terms of models...

 

you know, despite the literal thousands of dollars worth of robots and awesome tanks we could be buying right now to play with if they just released a bloody index for them that had no fluff. that could very well get more people interested in mechanicus and make it worth their time to have a full army of weird, advanced tech-worshipers, most of which can be played in both systems. but, it would be way to hard to follow the conversion of 7th to 8th rules when half the stats these guys got can be directly taken from other models with similar stat lines.

 

but hey, we need more custodians first.

[Stray]

FW are pretty clearly busy with 'something', or are being refocused in someway. When you look at the number of end of line notifications there have been of late, the growing number of 'specialist' games it's their task to support, the new facilities they've opened to better support the US...

 

It's a small team of people with only so much time you know? We shouldn't forget that they also went and added in some of the stuff we asked for (secutarii, the drill itself etc). Sometimes it's simpler when you're strapped for time to avoid a potential rules issue and have something stand alone - so you remove the interaction with canticles etc knowing you can put it back in an FAQ based on feedback later anyway.

 

If you feel strongly about something like this, and can construct a solid argument with evidence as to why it should be the way you believe, mail them. They've proven to be receptive to it. Hell, Secutarii rules appeared two weeks after I raised it as question with the head of FW on a live stream - and he said they didn't want to port across those units from 30K! I'll never know for certain, but perhaps that triggered conversation and thought about those units. Especially given the time frame. Don't think you can't have an impact by asking constructively.

 

Finally, it should be noted that Knights can certainly get canticles... but not without giving up a LOT from the Knights Codex. Remember, canticles can only affect a Knight in a detachment by itself - not ones containing other Knights. So no Lances, and essentially only ever SHAD's - which are very restrictive if you want to use traditions and the like.

[Heliomanes]

Still, it is simply unnecessarily clunky rules design that adds to the logistics and record keeping of playing 40k. "And yeah, you see those guys over there? Those don't have that army wide rule. You still with me?"

And yes, if they'd make an index in the beginning of 8th for some of the Mechanicum range (with proper changes, like in the fanmade dex), they'd make enough money from me and my friends alone to cover the expense of writing the thing. There are still people using their Ordinatus engines as shelf warmers, and that's just inexcusable. I'm a huge FW fan, it was pretty much just they and Black Library who got me back into the hobby - but they have been badly mismanaging the rules for their range since the switch to 8th.

[Tiger9gamer]

FW are pretty clearly busy with 'something', or are being refocused in someway. When you look at the number of end of line notifications there have been of late, the growing number of 'specialist' games it's their task to support, the new facilities they've opened to better support the US...

 

It's a small team of people with only so much time you know? We shouldn't forget that they also went and added in some of the stuff we asked for (secutarii, the drill itself etc). Sometimes it's simpler when you're strapped for time to avoid a potential rules issue and have something stand alone - so you remove the interaction with canticles etc knowing you can put it back in an FAQ based on feedback later anyway.

 

If you feel strongly about something like this, and can construct a solid argument with evidence as to why it should be the way you believe, mail them. They've proven to be receptive to it. Hell, Secutarii rules appeared two weeks after I raised it as question with the head of FW on a live stream - and he said they didn't want to port across those units from 30K! I'll never know for certain, but perhaps that triggered conversation and thought about those units. Especially given the time frame. Don't think you can't have an impact by asking constructively.

 

Finally, it should be noted that Knights can certainly get canticles... but not without giving up a LOT from the Knights Codex. Remember, canticles can only affect a Knight in a detachment by itself - not ones containing other Knights. So no Lances, and essentially only ever SHAD's - which are very restrictive if you want to use traditions and the like.

 

you raise some good points, but it still stands to reason they can do something. half the kastelan stats could be mirrored to the castellex, the myrmadons can be easy to port over, and they could probably look at other AV13 vehicles for the units. nothing really is that hard to stat out, and many things could just have the special rules transfer over easily without too much of a fuss. heck, try and borrow a rules writer from 40k for an afternoon and release a play test with the rules they have, or even get the guy who made a homebrew in on it to make his stuff official.. it could give us at least something to play with and give us some reason to buy it.

 

and I say this as a guy who has a full blown cybernetica army. I want to play my krios and thanatar, dammit. I dont wanna just use my dominus bots as fist bots, but so far that's all they are doing.

 

I don't really think that myself alone could sway them to release more rules, but maybe a community effort could, I have no clue. With the new warehouse in america it would be a great idea though.

 

but I agree with Heliomanes when it's clunky rules design for the stuff we got. it's confusing in game too to go "Oh yea, everyone has shroudpsalm but those guys... right. and they can't re-roll from the dominus... good thing they are only 90pts." 

[Stray]

I suspect at least in the case of the 30K Mechanicus stuff, the problem's that the work has been done, and is sitting in a half edited copy of Fires that no-ones being assigned time to finish. I think the guy that wrote it said as much in that same stream - he's since been given a different position or something?

 

It's... crappy. I don't disagree in all honesty. It could have been done before now, it (imo) should have been done before more 'banana-warriors' content was pushed out... but the cynic in me suspects it comes down to sales sadly. Small team, targets to hit and I'm guessing the Custard boys generate more sales than the Mechanicus :/

 

I reckon the drill is fixable though. I haven't looked, but if it can utilise the synergetic options via keywords or special rules that some of the other factions that can field it have, you'd have a decent argument to present in terms of why the AM should too.

[Vel'Cona]

FW really is something of a mess RN.  I think a lot of their effort has been tied up in cleaning up production/distribution for their products more in-line with GW's main product lines, at least based on what I've seen with the news releases related to FW.  Hopefully once those aspects are cleaned up they'll be able to re-focus on getting the rules up to snuff.