Today, our review of the new Mechanicum Battlegroup for Legions Imperialis is covered by Princeps Lex:
Wow. The Legion Imperialis release for the Mechanicum really has me feeling a lot of different things, mostly good things. The Topline takeaway for you is this: Yes. Good. I recommend it.
As someone who likes stompy warmachines (which is why we are all here at Titan Owners Club, yes?) the Mechanicum always had a special draw to me that the Space Marine Legions and Solar Auxilia never did. Having just built some 30k scale Mechanicum, I was excited to dig into their smaller counterparts.
There are two components here, and both of them deserve a full review, although it is impossible to do either justice without having those reviews overlap somewhat. I am going to try and cover The Rise of the Dark Mechanicum book and the Mechanicum Battle Group box set in one flowing piece, we will see how well that works out in practice.
Overall Theme
Let’s start with the overarching themes of the book, and then move into the box set and how its units stack up.
The Rise of the Dark Mechanicum is, in my opinion, the most exciting rules release for Legion Imperialis to date. It adds new factions, creates a ton of new flexibility for the Knights and Titans we love, and introduces some really wicked Dark Mechanicum units that have never been seen before on the tabletop.
As a Titan Owner and just general lover of all things Titan, the new flexibility for Titans and Knights is a god-send. There two new ways to get more big stompies on the table:
First, Titans and Knights can now serve as primary army lists. The book makes a note for each that doing so is mainly intended as a thematic choice, because either force will struggle to play an objective based game, but the option is really nice. If I have a criticism here, it is that I feel like this could have been done back in the core rules, or in Great Slaughter. It seems like Games Workshop spent a lot of time tiptoeing around just making Titans a legitimate army in mainline Legions Imperialis. Maybe they needed time to assess that Titans were not overpowering the game or something, but it is nice to see they finally came around on that.
A Collegia Titanica army is a fairly simple thing. These lists come in maniple formations that roughly mirror some popular maniples from Adeptus Titanicus, with some new ones thrown in, particularly ones that incorporate Warmasters. Unlike in AT, or in formations for the other factions in LI, none of these get special rules. They just come as a force org chart for what Titans you can take. This is fine, but seems to be more evidence of what I said above about Games Workshop’s level of comfort fully integrating titans. At any rate, even if it is not that competitive, being able to just drop an AT maniple down as an LI army and not have to paint a bunch of new things makes the game a lot more accessible to me, and probably to many other readers of this blog.
Knight Households get brought in as primary armies too, and Games Workshop seems a bit less afraid of them. First of all, Armigers are removed as an upgrade and turned into their own detachment. This time with a tactical strength of 3, which makes Knight Households more of a real army than Titan Maniples. That change stands my initial review of Epic Scale Armigers for Adeptus Titanicus on its side - at the time I said they were fantastic models at small scale, but their rules rendered them marginally useful in games and their staggering cost made it hard to recommend them. Now I think they have real utility in LI, but their dollar (or pound, etc..) cost is still really high for something that you likely want to run multiples of. Really hoping this heralds an upcoming release of plastic armigers.
Household lance formations also get real special rules. Honestly I think this is an even bigger deal for Knights than for Titans. As strategic assets I think Knights struggled to demonstrate value compared with Titans - you really had to make exacting choices under the 30% quota. Now I can see people running a household army as a fluffy thing to do at the very least. Will it stand up to massed Space Marine infantry and Dreadnoughts or a withering barrage from Leman Russ Vanquishers and Basilisks? Probably not. But you might just have some fun in the struggle.
Second, and probably more meaningfully in terms of actual gameplay, Knights and Titans fill some of the optional detachment slots in Mechanicum and Dark Mechanicum formations. Which means now you can bring them without burning down your 30% allied quota in an army that otherwise has real options for taking objectives.
Anyway, I promise this is the only blog post any site does on this book that is going to lead with that stuff instead of geeking out over Mechanicum itself. None of the Titans or Knights get any new detachment rules or options. The changes to Armigers in a household list and the formation bonuses for Knights are the whole ballgame there.
The Mechanicum
Now to the real meat of the book - the Mechanicum. First off, the campaign here looks really nice and compelling, but I have never been much of a campaign player and this review is already going to be long, so I am not going to get into that here.
The Mechanicum as a faction is an interesting addition to the game. Special rules-wise it kind of falls between Space Marines and Solar Auxilia, with its Cybernetica Cortex rule giving detachments two orders to choose from unless another unit nearby has the Cortex Controller rule. This lets battle automata (most of the units that have the Cortex rule) operate with a bit more flexibility than the tercios and tanks of the Auxilia, but less than Marines.
In terms of what is available, broadly speaking, Mechanicum is a bit strange. They get some interesting options, but by dint of having a smaller range than Marines and Auxilia, they have a lot of holes that will need to be plugged by allies (although practically they never have to weigh allies against strategic assets, which is nice). Their strongest units are probably their infantry and transports, and they have an absolute wealth of walkers on hand to cram into the support slot. I think their biggest weaknesses lie in the fact that some of the walkers do not have a clear role in light of what others can do, and they are not as sharply optimized as, say, Charonite Ogryns or Leviathan Dreadnoughts. Also they just have nothing at all by way of aircraft (I mean, Vulturax, but those are skimmers rather than flyers) and no anti-air except for what some Titans can bring in (and allies of course). I hear that massed units with Tracking and/or Accurate can usually stand in for dedicated anti-air, but there is precious little of that here too. They do actually get tanks, which seem pretty reasonable, if less optimized than some Solar Auxilia tanks. These are not in the Battle Group, though, so while we have rules now it will be an undisclosed amount of time before we get models.
Models
Alright, the models themselves! The Mechanicum Battle Group box comes with two of each sprue and makes what Games Workshop claims are “146 models,” a number that counts individual figures rather than bases for Legion Imperialis. Two of the sprues are a grab bag of different infantry and walker units, one sprue is all Thanatars all the time, and the last is two Triaros Armored Conveyors per frame.
When the first sprue is inevitably released separately, it will probably be called something like Mechanicum Infantry. It contains the following (numbers by base, rather than model):
1x Archmagos Prime on Abeyant
Could be built as just an Archmagos Prime by leaving it off of the Abeyant.
1x Tech-Priest Auxilia
Includes 1 tech priest and 4 servitor style machines per-pase.
1x Myrmidon Secutor Host
2x Myrmidon Destructor Host
2 x Ursarax Cohort
In two pieces for each model - torso and legs.
Legs are shared with Thallax.
4 x Thallax Cohort
In two pieces for each model - torso and legs.
Legs are shared with Ursarax.
5 x Adsecularis Tech-Thrall Covenant
This is a nice mix of useful models. The Archmagos is your HQ and is visually the most impressive of any HQ in my opinion when on Abeyant. That also makes it the most expensive HQ by just under double the points of Legion Command. You can match those points without the abeyant, but lose a little toughness and weaponry. All versions have Cortex Controller and Battlesmith. Tech-Priest Auxilia detachments fill the support slot and can bring along three tech priests that can each be attached to different detachments. Their greatest utility is in providing Battlesmith to give your walkers more toughness and Cortex Controller.
The Myrmidons offer some specialized close combat and ranged support with secutors and destructors respectively. They do not have the Cybernetica Cortex rule, so can be issued any orders. They each come in detachments of 2 (which can be upgraded) and are a bit expensive for their points I think. Secutors are really missing Rend. Destructors have nice ranged weaponry for an infantry base, but their small detachment size makes them less points efficient than something like Legion Missile Launchers. Their models look good, and have fewer unsightly undercuts than comparable Auxilia and Marine infantry models. The only downside is that each kind of Myrmidon only has two models, so bases of them will look same-y very fast. Also, Destructos have two options for ranged weaponry, but only one model variant for each gun, and the instructions have you mixing them on the base so WYSIWYG is kind of out the window for them, if you care about that on LI infantry models.
Your core units are Adecularis Tech-Thralls and Thallax. The former are even less killy than Auxilia Tercios (CAF of -1), but they are equally cheap and they have - morale, which means they never have to take morale tests. Honestly, I think that kind of makes for great backfield objective holders. They will get beat by almost anything else in the game in a straight fight, but for cheap infantry they can hang around longer than their nearest competitors and score some solid points. Oh, and they lack Line, but for backfield things that probably does not matter too much.
Thallax are on the other end of things as perhaps the most lethal core units of any faction. They are faster than similar infantry, have jump packs, and get three shots per base between their two weapon types. They come in base detachments of 2, so end up being a little more expensive per base than specialized marines. I still think their speed and sheer volume of shots make them viable. Neither core unit is subject to Cybernetica Cortex, so they can be issued any order you like.
Both are nice models, the Thallax in particular look very crisp, though being two-piece helps. In some ways the Adsecularis are more impressive for being one piece and not looking undercut at all. Oh, interestingly they are modeled after the old resin Adsecularis moreso than the recent plastic Tech-Thralls for Horus Heresy. I kind of prefer the less zombie-looking old versions, so these are appealing to me. If you like the new flavor, though, you might be disappointed.
Finally, you get Ursarax, which sit in the vanguard spot. These are nice, reasonably cheap, quick, and killy infantry. But the vanguard spot has two other, perhaps more interesting options and Mechanicum gets pretty sparse access to vanguard except in a Legio Cybernetica Cohort - where it competes with extra support slots. The models are nice, but you only get three torso variants replicated twice across the sprue. More variety would have been appreciated.
The second sprue will probably be called Battle Automata, because you get a lot of them on it.
1 x Arlatax Battle-Automata
1 x Domitar Battle-Automata
1 x Vultarax Stratos-Automata
1 x Vorax Battle-Automata
2 x Castellax Battle-Automata
Each of these is a multi-part model, and some of these are a real doozy to build. But they are possibly the most detailed epic scale models smaller than a tank that now exist. All of these friends get Cybernetica Cortex and very much benefit from hanging out with Tech-Priests and Archmagi.
The Arlatax is a brand new model in any scale. Built with a similar body to the Domitar (one day they will probably share a body sprue for Horus Heresy), but featuring a massive jet pack and claws in place of a missile launcher and graviton hammers. These quick walkers get Cybernetica Cortex with Advance and Charge, three shots across two ranged weapon types, a fairly high CAF, Armoured, Jump Pack, and an Invulnerable Save of 6+. With two wounds they are even tougher to kill than dreadnoughts.
The Domitar is the chassis sibling of the Arlatax and it is possibly the most difficult model to build in the entire set. It is one automata to a base, but its arms and cables are just so fiddly. Fortunately, once you do get it together it seems sturdier than you might expect. Coming one to a sprue, these only get one pose. Gameplay wise they seem strange to me. They have the same missile launcher as a space marine missile launcher base, but at a significantly higher cost per base they are going to get less shots. They also get graviton hammers, which make their close combat actions -2 AP and give them Wrecker. They have a decent CAF of +4, but at their cost I feel like they will ultimately offer only middling close combat performance - lacking rend and being easily outnumbered. So, I feel like in the end these do not know whether they want to be mid range missile support units or building destroyers and I feel like they pay a lot of points to sort of be both.
Vultarax are some of my favorite automata because they just look so much different than anything else in the Mechanicum arsenal, while still clearly fitting in. I really thought these models were going to be embarrassingly fragile with super long mech-tentacle arms, and so I was stunned that they are actually quite durable for what they are. They look nice, and being sort of gun-blimps they suffer less for being monopose without variants. Gameplay wise these fill the vanguard slot and are one of the things that I think outcompetes Ursarax by dint of being your only source of Outflank in a Mechanicum army. Their guns are competent and one brings Neutron-Flux to the table, which is kind of an anti-mechanicum rule that gives it Armourbane and Shred when firing at models with Cybernetica Cortex. Oh, and they are skimmers.
Vorax are the last vanguard detachment and they bring the Rend. Also the Forward Deployment. Those seem like pretty nice things to pack into one package. They also get 5 shots a base between their lightning guns and rotor cannon. The downside is that this detachment is expensive, with the equivalent cost of a basic detachment of Veletaris for only one base. This is the only detachment not to have “advance” as one of its Cortex orders, instead featuring charge and march. These are pretty fiddly models to build too, but after my first sprue of them I kind of figured out how to get the arms and legs on more comfortably and they were less of a pain. I have never loved the “bug” look of Vorax, but they have a really distinct silhouette even at this scale, and I appreciate that.
Castellax are a Walker support detachment that seems set up to behave like very tough infantry. At least per-base. For their cost I am not sure how much more longevity you might get out of them, though. As far as the models, these go together easy once you figure out how to get the ammo belt on the mauler bolt cannon to align. They look nice and chunky too.
Alright, phew, now we are onto the single unit sprues. First up Thanatars! The Thanatar sprues contain four Thanatars a piece. Two Cavas and Two Calix. They share legs, but have different torsos and weapons. Much like their 28mm counterparts. Take care not to clip the hydraulics off of the leg pieces because from some angles they kind of look like sprue excess. Oops. These are your bastion units and slots for them are pretty sparse except for in Ordo Reductor formations, where they are the centerpieces. Both types are listed in the same detachment sheet and operate as weapons variants. The Cavas gets a plasma mortar that hits at 3+ and -3 AP with Demolisher and Ignores Cover. They are slightly shorter ranged, but honestly that is a tasty weapon and might be the better variant. The Calix trades the mortar for a Solex Lascannon that gains 4” of range and otherwise operates like a Leman Russ lascannon that trades Anti-Tank for Armourbane (so, benefitting all around) as well as a Graviton Ram that provides Wrecker (2). Like the Domitar, this is an automata that does not quite know whether it wants to be up close, or at some distance. And you have to pay some points to upgrade to Calix too. Both variants get a Mauler Bolt Cannon. Oh, and I think you can cram these in transports. More on that below.
Final sprue is the Triaros Armored Carrier which is a solid little vehicle model. I usually feel like Legion Imperialis renders vehicles better than the assorted infantry and walkers. That is not true for this set, but not because the Triaros is a slouch in any way, just because the walkers are so good. This is still a solid, well rendered model. As for the rules, fellow Princeps, I think this thing is really good. I think this might be the model that makes Mechanicum work. For just one and a half times the cost of a Rhino you get a Large Transport (4). Now, it only has movement 8”, which puts it on par with the likes of the Spartan and Dracosan rather than nimble Rhino, but it has twice a Rhino’s capacity and it can cart Walkers around (they count as 2 models). The rules were pretty obviously set up to allow the Triaros to shuttle Castellax around, but it can also move Domitars, Vorax, and even Thanatars. It is decently tough with a 3+ save and packs some respectable close range weapons with Volkite Calivers and a Mauler Bolt Cannon. They cannot be easily ignored once they dispense their cargo. And of course, while they can cart Walkers around, they can also just sling four bases of Thallax or Ursarax just fine too. Seriously, to get all of that for so few points is really incredible. Mechanicum mechanized infantry could really be a thing.
As far as the Triaros models go, they are pretty nice. Much easier to build than a big Triaros. And minimal very tiny, fiddly parts. The hunter killer missiles are pretty fiddly, but you do not actually need them for anything other than flavor in LI. There are no stats for them. I liked building these a lot more than Rhinos or Dracosan. Do not even get me started on drop pods.
So, that is what we get in the box set, and therefore everything mech you are likely to see on the table in the nearish future. There are still a few things I have not covered, but they will not be available with this release, so I will cover them quickly.
Tanks: Mechanicum does get tanks and they are in the book. They have far fewer options than Solar Auxilia and Marines, pretty much the things that are available already in Horus Heresy, but not Ordinatus engines or any of the really big guns. Krios, Krios Venator, Karacnos. The Krios is a solid battle tank, if not really top tier. The Krios Venator is an armor killer, but quite short ranged. The Karacnos is a fun artillery option, but less optimized than something like a Basilisk. Honestly, it probably just means it will get some work done without being an objectionable headache to everyone you ever play. So that is probably nice.
The Dark Mechanicum has kind of been the big news with this book’s release, but the walkers are already very much out of the bag. The models look nice in pictures, but I do not have them. Gameplay wise, I have a really hard time assessing them. They have some interesting options, but a lot of Light and Light AT weapons. Most of their heavy hitting weapons are exceptionally close ranged. They might end up being good, though, I just have not seen them on the table and they are different enough from what exists now that I find it hard to predict.
Dark Mechanicum can also use many of the Mechanicum units in its formations. Everything but the Battle-Automata. But the book also says you can use ordinary Mechanicum formations with the traitor allegiance to represent more traditional Dark Mech contingents alongside dedicated corrupted formations with walkers. So… in the end you do not really lose out on anything. Which does make Dark Mechanicum a faction that just gets stuff its loyalist counterparts do not without missing out on anything else. If that bothers you, well, that is what is goin on here.
Final Verdict
Ultimately I think this is a really exciting release, and I cannot wait to get these on the table at the Mid-Atlantic Legion Imperialis Campaign Event (MALICE) next month!
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