Secutarii Axiarch - A Leader for the Titanguard

The rules have been there for a bit, but now comes the model, and boy is this thing SWEET! The Secutarii Axiarch was revealed by Warhammer Community yesterday and we think they phrased it best:

"When the Titan Legions go to war they bring with them death and destruction on an unimaginable scale, obliterating fortifications and columns of tanks in the blink of an eye. But while these towering God Engines are duking it out with their opposite numbers, they remain uniquely vulnerable to being mobbed by infantry, especially those equipped to exploit their unique weaknesses.

This is where the Secutarii step in – honour guard and protectors of the Titan Legions, led by a Secutarii Axiarch. These individuals are selected through a series of arcane criteria that require them to have both displayed impressive battlefield acumen and to have been involved in the defence or retrieval of a God Engine."

Yeah, these are your frontline commanders for the Secutarii and will be there helping to keep your beloved Titans safe.  There's also an interesting tidbit of lore that has been dropped on us:

"Their upgraded bodies are then fitted with Titanshard armor, nigh-impervious plate that has been crafted from the fallen Titan the Secutarii saved."

Okay, talk about the holiest of holy things if you're Mechanicum, right?  You get to wear a part of a Titan you helped recover!  And just look at how amazing that model comes off.  The rules for the Axiarch are already in Liber Mechanicum - Forces of the Omnissiah and the model itself will be coming out in Forge World resin.  What do you guys think of this model?

Legendary...or Just Legends?

Today dropped a nugget on everyone about the Forge World models produced for Horus Heresy that have historically been allowed to pull double duty in Warhammer 40,000.  With the new edition coming, everyone is wondering how the game will play and what will still be legal as built or even useable anymore.

In the coming weeks we'll review how Titans and Knights are expected to function in the new edition, but also any other things that catch our attention.  And boy did today do that.

Secutarii have been moved to the Legends section.  This means they are no longer able to be taken in a competitive scene and will not receive rules per the normal update cycles.  Essentially, these are a one-and-done set of rules that will receive sporadic updates at best.

What do you guys think about this one?  Hit us up in the comments.

Secutarii Get 8th Edition Treatment

Companies make decisions based on their consumer's pocket books, and our hobby is no different.  In both 30k and 40k, Titan owners are more than willing to part with their hard earned money to have some infantry to protect their giant God-engines.  A few weeks back, during the Forge World stream, it was revealed that there were no plans to move the Secutarii Hoplites and Peltasts to 8th edition in 40k.  This left many 40k Titan owners who love to be thematic and fluffy in the cold, and it seems that a little frostbite was to be in Forge World's future.

Since the indices dropped and Forge World didn't cover the Secutarii, it was only a matter of time before enough players got antsy.  Throw in that stream, and things were set for a flood of comments.  Those comments got GW and Forge World's attention, leading to this wonderful development:

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/06/15/15th-june-new-rules-by-popular-demandgw-homepage-post-2fw-homepage-post-1/

The Secutarii are back in 40k!

You can download the rules at:

https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/warhammer_40000_secutarii_peltasts_en-1.pdf

https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/warhammer_40000_secutarii_hoplites_en-3.pdf

It's great to see a company listening to its fan base, and better to see that it wasn't just a token effort.  These rules look pretty sharp.  What do you think?

Secutarii Giveaway Winner

When we hit the 200 Titan mark last month, we promised you two giveaways.  Today, we reveal the first of our winners.

We're happy to announce that the owner of MRT398, Angelus Vitae, Vignes K. has won the Secutarii upgrade pack.  We'll be reaching out to him soon to inform him about his new set of toys.

Want to know who won the Warlord's Lucius-Alpha head?  Check the blog tomorrow and we'll reveal that.

Secutarii in 8th Edition- Forge World Responds

BigJon recently got in touch with Forge World about the Secutarii rules and their status in 8th Edition since many have noticed that they aren't in Imperial Armour- Index: Forces of the Astra Militarum.  Here was the response he received:

"Hi Jonathan,

Thanks for the email, As far as we are aware the Mechanicum Sekutarii and the Ordinatus that all had a warhammer 40,000 stat sheet will have a new data sheet in the forth coming Forge world campaign book Fires of Cryxis.

We are requesting that the rules team release these data sheets ahead of the book release as it would be great for all of those that own these units to start using them as soon as possible.

Whilst we wait for our rules team to get back to us regarding this we would ask that you bare with us as it may be a few weeks before we hear anything further.

Until the New campaign has been announce and released we are not sure what other Mechanicum units will make the leap from the 30k universe to the 40k universe though we eager and exited to find out.

Please keep an eye on our community forum updates and Facebook posts for all of the latest and official announcements regarding rules and products.

Thanks again"

Is this welcome news, Princeps? Or is it heartbreak in the process?  Let us know in the comments section what you think.

Update Reaver Titan No.1915- Rex Submersi, 2-5-17

Dan continues to work on his Titans and the forces that fight alongside them.  He even had some pictures to give us:

"Hey, here are some pics of the full maniple including their Secutarii.  Oh how I wish the Ordinatus came with a certificate!  I'll sneak it into an update pic somewhere down the line (probably finish off the weapon / kill banner for the laser blaster and hide the Ulator in the background somewhere:))

There's a couple of unfinished WIP  magos here as well.  I have my dominus all finished, and I'm working on Cawl, Drakavac and my Lacrymera (the floaty magos who is a conversion from a fantasy wraith kit).

Man I'm psyched!"

UPDATE PICTURES:

A lovely family photo.

Rex Submersi awaits to find all others wanting.

Sussuri Mortem and the Secutarii are ready to fight.

The hoplite alpha is ready to lead the charge.

While the peltasts are preparing to make the long-range kill.

Lovely work- TOC

Rumored Upcoming Secutarii Expansion

Natfka recently posted about a potential expansion of the Secutarii forces coming to the Horus Heresy.  As of right now the Secutarii Hoplites and Peltasts are a 40k only force and seeing them come to the Age of Darkness would be heralded with many a cheer.  So, what's being discussed right now?

From Natfka's blog:

HH Weekender 2017
Secutarii are a new branch of the Taghmata army list. Can never have
automata in the detachement; big focus on infantry and transports.
Secutarii Psiloi, fast attack.
Secutarii Hetairoi, elite.
Secutarii Hypaspists, elite.
Secutarii Heleposis, open topped transport (20 capacity).

You can find more information at his blog post here:

http://natfka.blogspot.com/2017/01/rumors-for-horus-heresy-weekender.html

What do you think?  And if true, what do you hope to see as part of this expansion?

Titans and Defense

Today we've got something a bit different.  No Titan update, no new Titan, no special coverage.  Think of this is whetting your appetite for the inexorable return of Collegia Titanica, which is coming relatively soon.  We have explored the weapons of the Titans in the past and we'll explore more of that in the future, as well as Titan stats themselves and even other items pertaining to them.  

But what's a dirty truth to using Titans in game?

They're massive killers, but once you can lay the hurt on them they feel it quickly.

Titans live and die not by the strength of arms they posess, but by what keeps them alive and defended.  Yes, a Titan can outkill what threatens it, even the scrappy Warhound can down a Warlord if fate is so kind, but they can only kill so much and so fast.  The smaller the Titan, the more likely they can be overwhelmed by large numbers, or outgunned.

How does a Titan, then, avoid an unfortunate case of death?

1.) Void shields.  Titans live and die by these things when it comes to range, especially the scout Titans.  Lose the void shields and now you're open to nasty stuff.  Often these are popped by smaller heavy weapons just so that Titan can be exposed to the harder hitting stuff, especially D weapons.  Warhound owners know that those two void shields are often their best friends.

2.) Heavy support elements.  Other super-heavies, big tanks, you name it.  If it's big and can draw attention or make it rain fire they can keep your Titan going by taking some heat or killing what threatens it.  These are great for defending your Titan from other Titans or tanks.

3.) Infantry.  Secutarii, Skitarii, Astartes, anything that moves on the ground near your Titan's feet is the best close combat defense your war machine can hope for.  They become expendable in that sense, but they do more than just beat things up.  They keep a Titan from being punched in the heel and looking like Achiles.

Interestingly, 63 percent of the Titans registered on TOC have maniple brethren or support of some form.  This means that almost two out of every three Titans has another Titan backing it, a Knight at its side, some sort of infantry keeping it from being boarded, or another form of help.

Obviously this is only a brief look at your options to defend a Titan and keep them alive.  It's something that we could easily explore more in depth.  Leave a comment below, tell us what you think about defending a Titan and what works best for you and your lovely God-Engine.

The Secutarii Arrive! Early Thoughts and Review

Greetings all.

A long awaited moment for Titan owners came about today as Forge World announced the general release of the Secutarii Titan Guard.  These currently take the form of the Hoplites and Peltasts.  Even better, we were given their 40k experimental rules for us to use them as soon as we get them built and ready to fight.

Lets dive into a quick review of them and see what they can offer to the Collegia Titanica forces.

First off, they are part of Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus- Skitarii and they take up Elites slots.  This really isn't a bad thing since they are going to be an effective unit and have some very specialized gear.  In the long run, it likely won't be an issue since most of us are taking our beloved Titans in Apocalypse games where these slots really don't matter.

Here's the real kicker though about them.  Their faction is NOT Skitarii or Cult Mechanicus.  Their faction is actually ADEPTUS TITANICUS!  No units currently have that as their faction designation, not even the Titans themselves.  This could mean that a Codex: Adeptus Titanicus may be coming, or far more likely that the faction will be created in the supposed Imperial Armour book that will pit the Mechanicus and Red Scorpions vs the Tau.  This could be an early portent of what is to come.

So, what's going to make the Secutarii special?  

Their stat lines are pretty vanilla and boring.  They are what you expect of Skitarii with no real noticeable differences other than they are BS4 (vs the standard Skitarii's BS3) and the unit Alpha has one less wound than standard Skitarii Alphas (this may be FAQed later on).  They retain the standard 4+ armor save, even though they have Secutarii Warplate instead of Skitarii Warplate.  They also retain Doctrina Imperitives, Relentless, and Feel No Pain (6+) meaning that they are Skitarii with a different rules set.  However, this means they will mesh well with your current Skitarii and benefit from everything that the codex does.

The biggest draw of the Secutarii is their specialist nature wargear.  All Secutarii have the Kyropatris Field Generator which will make them a considerably more survivable unit.  The short of this is that as long as the unit numbers five (5) models or more they can re-roll failed armor saves of one (1).  In addition, as long as the squad numbers 10 or more models, then all shooting attacks against them have their strength reduced by one (1).  As the minimum size of the Secutarii is 10 and the maximum is 20, it means you'll be able to build a unit that has a surprising amount of durability for what is only a T3, 4+ armor unit.  Even Space Marine bolters in rapid fire could have a tougher time taking this guys out.

The Hoplites come with an Arc Lance (a long-range Arc Maul, basically) that has two profiles.  This gives the Hoplites the ability to engage the enemy in close range, meaning they are the ones tying units up in combat to keep the Titan from meeting several power fists, and the ability to have a ranged attack before being set upon.  While not hard hitting, these weapons will be effective and can even give power armored foes a run for their money.  Furthermore, the Arc Lance has haywire, meaning that the unit has increased versatility and will effectively shock vehicles to death before they can also attack the Titan.  The final thing the Hoplites possess is their Mag-inverter Shields, which grants them a 5+ invulnerable save and makes them excellent at surviving the heavy weapons that are likely to target them to bypass their armor and Kyropatris Field Generators.

Source: Forge World Website

The Peltasts will sit back at range and pelt (pun intended) the enemy with shot from their Galvanic-casters.  Secutarii Peltasts have the same equipment as the Hoplites except they trade out the Arc Lance and shield for their guns.  The Galvanic-caster is an all-comers type of weapon in terms of killing infantry.  Where the Hoplites are designed for tying up units that get too close to the Titans and are well suited to tank killing, the Peltasts are designed to butcher infantry and can even crack power armored units.  Their guns have three different firing modes that can lay down a volley of shots with shred, hit targets out of their line of sight, or even have a 30" range that wounds most enemies on a 4+ and is AP3.  Furthermore, they have a Blind Barrage ability that allows them to grant Shrouded to a friendly unit, even super-heavies if two units use the ability on it.

Source: Forge World Website

The only real issue with the Secutarii is that they lack the fluffiest thing about them, Titan Guard defense.  Titan Guard are sworn to protect the God-Engines of the Adeptus Mechanicus and will lay down their lives without hesitation for them.  They are stalwart defenders who are pitiless in their duties and fearless in the presence of the Titans.  No rules for the Secutarii reflect this or even mention the Titans themselves.  

Combined with the standard Skitarii there is quite a lot that the Secutarii can add to the defense of a Titan.  They do not stand ridiculously far from their Skitarii brethren, but their rules and weaponry certainly indicate that they are among the elite of their kin.  The Secutarii will certainly be defensive of the Titans in terms of their durability and ability to take down whatever will go after the God-Engines.  Furthermore, many combinations that are currently available to the Skitarii (such as the Vanguard's -1T effect and the Infiltrators' nerf effects) will make the Secutarii even deadlier than their current weaponry would indicate.  These will indeed be a worthy addition as your Titan Guard.

Let us know in the comments section what you think of the new Secutarii release.

Secutarii Fully Revealed

While the Battle Bunnies were at the Forge World Open Day today, Drake and the others scooped some pictures of the fully revealed Secutarii upgrade kit. 

Unlike what was originally hoped for, they are resin upgrades only.  You'll still need to get the base Skitarii kit to build them, sadly.  Feel free to hit up the Battle Bunnies site and check out the pictures. 

Very well designed!  :)

http://battlebunnies.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/mechanicum-secutarii.html

Titan Legio Secutarii are previewed

Brilliant news for those out there who think their Titan Battle Maniple needs some foot soldiers keeping those Melta Bombs etc away (or fear that your Princeps and Titan may be captured if it falls over), Forge World are showing off their Secutarii. 

Hopefully we will be able to see a list for these as Titan Guard in the next Horus Heresy Black book, where Legio Mortis walks with the Vlka Fenryka. 

Titan Owners Club. 

Secutarii Fully Revealed at Warhammer Fest

Drake snapped these nice photos at Warhammer Fest for us.  Those of us Titan owners who can't wait to have Titan Guard running around the feet of our God-Engines just got a step closer to that reality.  We're also hearing that it is not a resin upgrade kit only, but that the plastic parts that will be necessary for the build will be included.

What do you think of the Secutarii?