Where'd all the robots go?

[BloodyB]

Hey all, just a question regarding the Imperial robots, in particular those seconded to the Legionnes Astartes. That question is: where are they now? Were they returned to the mechanicum, locked away in the armouries of the chapters or just melted down? I doubt the last one, but is there any fluff to say where they ended up? I remember an old White Dwarf that had the Desert Lions chapter fighting alongside some Battle Brobots, but nothing else. Any help would be appreciated.

[Noserenda]

They fell down a plot hole when "Fires of Cyraxus" got cancelled, so all we really have is the old fluff. The Cybernetica still exist as a shadow of their former glory and Imperial Robots are still around but no details. 

Hopefully the new FW indexes will include them and fingers crossed with some fluff too! 

[Beren]

What I do recall from the Cyraxus previews is that all the automata to be featured in that campaign had been locked away in that Forgeworld's vaults for centuries, and were somewhat insane as a result. They were only released due to the immediacy of the Tau threat on the world.

[Brother Tyler]

 

THE LEGIO CYBERNETICA

The automatons of the Legio Cybernetica are counted amongst the mightiest servants of the Machine God. When roused to wrath their powerful claws flex, their rasping voxes emit praise-blurts to the glory of the Omnissiah, and their guns spit hot death into the enemy. Truly these machines are blessed, for unlike those warriors who bear the curse of flesh, the robots of the Cult Mechanicus harbour neither doubt nor weakness.

 

...

 

Though the robots of the Legio Cybernetica once numbered enough to shatter entire alien empires, a great many have been lost to the ravages of time. The secrets of their construction are all but forgotten. Because of this it takes a Tech-Priest of surpassing rank to sanction their use, and absurd lengths are taken to retrieve those that fall in action. Yet these stoic machines remain a common sight in the armies of the Cult Mechanicus. For a religious brotherhood that believes flesh to be weak and metal incorruptible, to wield such mighty war constructs is to command the angels of the Omnissiah himself.

 

Based on the principles of the Codex Astartes and the reorganization of the Imperium's military forces subsequent to the Horus Heresy, it seems likely that all Cult Mechanicus forces that had been seconded to the Legiones Astartes, minus those that were destroyed or which followed the traitor legions, were returned to the Mechanicum/Cult Mechanicus. It is unlikely that they were destroyed outright, except for those that may have been corrupted or damaged beyond the point where they could be repaired.

 

From a real world perspective, it's probably a matter of GW's plans for the overall Adeptus Mechanicus. We've seen recent expansions to the Skitarii and it's possible that we'll see further expansions that include Legio Cybernetica kits. Many hobbyists, myself included, would also like to see the various Forge World Mechanicum kits (and maybe future kits) become usable in Warhammer 40,000 (and not just in the Horus Heresy setting).

[Marshal Vespasian]

The drastic design difference between 9th ed mechincum and 30k mechanicus to me is incredibly annoying. Its not that I dont like the 40k ranges design but the whole 50s/60s Sci-Fi design+steampunk doesnt fit really well with the brutal industrialism I see in the 30k ranges design.

 

I also kind of dislike the normal gw knights when compared to their fw counterparts.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Marshal Vespasian

[BloodyB]

Thanks for all the responses! It seems I'll have to wait to use some cool automata in 40k, just settling for the Kastellans until we see the elusive Fires of Cyraxus show up. But I suppose if we got plastic sisters, then anything can happen. I suppose it makes sense for the 'bots to get repo'ed by the mechanicus, just thought I would ask before I converted up a 40k-era praevian. Shame, guess I'll just have to do with icky, flesh-filled dreadnoughts instead of robots.

 

Thanks again for the help.