Codex: 38th Company (Part 6) · 11:08pm May 4th, 2015
Codex 6 Supplemental – Dark Mechanicus
This section contains rules for fielding Dark Mechanicus units in a 38th Company army. As a disclaimer, the vast majority of the DarkMech background lore is my own headcanon and interpretations; the organization is very rarely referenced and described in the canon 40K novels.
The next codex will probably be the various wargear tables for this supplement. I guess? Who knows!
The Dark Mechanicus is a strange organization, even to the lost and damned that make up the humans and Astartes sworn to the causes of the Dark Gods. Unlike the traitor Guardsmen and Space Marines, whose new service and goals are little like their military campaigns as loyalists, the Dark Mechanicus is a gruesome mirror image of its original organization. Despite working for Chaos, the Dark Mechanicus is still mainly preoccupied with maintaining stable industrial centers for military production, seeking out banks of resources for new forge worlds, and hunting for STCs and technological artifacts. They even have the same general objective as the Adeptus Mechanicus: to seek out and discover ancient secrets and hidden knowledge. This is bizarre to most Inquisitors and even most traitors, who presume that heretical allegiance would place them primarily at the service of the Dark Gods and their destructive whims.
That said, there’s little mystery to how the loyalist and traitor Mechanicus differ. The Dark Mechanicus is fully mercenary, hiring out its resources and expertise to any who are willing and able to pay the price in slaves and raw materials. Some claim they would even serve the Imperium itself, the first and foremost enemy of Chaos, if an Imperial General were willing to part with the resources and risk almost certain execution for heresy. Such a claim has never been tested, but it is rumored that the organization has worked with several alien forces that acquired the ability and nerve to contact them. Another obvious departure from loyalist doctrine is the DarkMech’s indifference to conduct considered “radical”, “heretical”, or “blatantly and horrifically cruel”. To the clerics of the Dark Mechanicus there are no boundaries that cannot be crossed and no knowledge too dangerous to learn. The Chaos Gods themselves are honored, but actual worship and fanatical deference to a particular God – in the fashion of many Chaos Space Marines, for example – is frowned upon among the Techpriests’ ranks. In part this is because the cult of the Dark Mechanicus believes that the undivided pantheon of Chaos is the Omnissiah, and that deference to one Dark God is to deny and shun the other “components” of the Machine God. For some, the reasoning is more practical; they don’t want insane mutants, howling daemons, or blood-soaked séances mucking up production schedules in their forges while they’re trying to work, and so they try to keep the spooky rituals to a minimum.
Unsurprisingly, the Dark Mechanicus and the Iron Warriors Legion have always been close allies, having similar worldviews, values, and operating principles. Through the 38th Company’s pirate operations, the Iron Warriors also secured a reliable income of resources for the forge worlds, making them among the favorite “customers” of the Dark Techpriests for arms, armor, and machines. In time this alliance was formalized, and a complete Dark Mechanicus detachment was assigned to the 38th Company to maximize its productivity and support its operations. Although it is hardly uncommon for the Dark Mechanicus to fight alongside Chaos Space Marines of other Legions and warbands, the vast majority of these engagements represent the payment of a favor owed to the Dark Mechanicus; Legions that cannot pay for their equipment in metal and bodies pay in blood by seizing new territory or defending threatened manufactorums. Outside of the Iron Warriors and Abbadon’s armies, very few Dark Mechanicus detachments serve Chaos Space Marines directly as subordinates.
The role of the Dark Mechanicus in the 38th Company is primarily for scavenging operations, production, and maintenance. While the Chaos Space Marines and hired mercenaries take to battle at the front, the Mechanicus servitors and Scavurel swarm over seized territory to capture spare munitions, disabled vehicles, and wounded personnel. Entire buildings have sometimes been disassembled and hauled away as captured loot during the course of a battle, and many enemy tanks have been left immobilized but mostly operational by a 38th assault, only for the confused crew to suddenly find their vehicle hatches being cut open by melta torches.
Despite having a primarily non-combat role, it would be laughable to consider the Dark Mechanicus ill-prepared to face battle. Their operations are inevitably dangerous, taking place deep within enemy territory with an army too small to effectively secure and hold ground. Enemy ambushes, outbreaks of resistance, and acts of sabotage are common threats to the engineer-cultists, and they take to the field with all the tools they need to counter and subdue such counter-attacks. On some occasions, it is necessary for the Dark Mechanicus to assist the other detachments of the 38th Company directly as part of an assault, and the Scavurel warriors are quite used to acting as reserve forces when the Iron Warriors find themselves overwhelmed with targets or stuck with damaged vehicles.
When they are brought to battle, the Dark Mechanicus favors a disciplined firing plan that places heavy emphasis on targeting special weapons and disabling enemy vehicles. When conducting independent operations, the Dark Mechanicus often works with a small escort of Iron Warriors in case they need a hardened defensive point or shock troops to lead an attack, but the combat philosophy of the Scavurel warriors has always been that any foe that reaches close combat with them should already be too badly wounded to pose a threat.
The addition of ponies to the 38th Company has been met with widespread indifference and criticism among the Dark Mechanicus, but the same is certainly not true of the Tau’s Earth Caste engineers. The Earth Caste workers are completely unsuitable for battlefield duties, but even the most xenocidal of the Dark Techpriests can’t deny that the alien “volunteers” have proven a boon to their operations. The advanced combat subroutines for the Riot Drones, long an awkward staple of the 38th Company, and the addition of optimized power and shielding systems have proven a definite advantage. The Earth Caste engineers, unfortunately, cannot say with any honesty that they feel better off for studying the cultist mysticism of the Dark Mechanicus, and frankly still can’t understand the basic principles of daemontech. Too bad for them.
Rules
• Dark Mechanicus units can be fielded as legal units for a 38th Company detachment, either as a standalone detachment or as part of a Chaos Space Marines or Astra Militarum army fielded using 38th Company rules.
• For alignment purposes, a Dark Mechanicus detachment and units have the same alliance disposition as Chaos Space Marines.
• Dark Mechanicus soldiers are, obviously, well-versed in mechanical workings of war machines, and are equipped first and foremost to disable and capture vehicles for salvage and recovery. To that end, many DarkMech models have the Combat Engineer special rule.
• Combat Engineer: A model with this special rule is adept at striking vehicles in close combat in such a way as to guarantee or avoid damaging an unstable reactor or munitions supply. When a close combat attack by a model with this special rule causes a vehicle to lose its last hull point – whether by exhausting its hull points one-by-one or by rolling an Explodes! result on the Penetrating Hit table – the model with this rule may decide whether the vehicle is wrecked or explodes. This can even prevent super-heavy vehicles from exploding, causing them to become normal, inert wrecks instead (usually a very good idea for the warriors that are already dangerously close to it).
HQ
Kaelith (200 points)
The highest-ranking member of the Dark Mechanicus detachment of the 38th Company, Dark Magos Kaelith has long distinguished himself among the merciless reavers. Whether it comes to robbing a manufactorum block blind in the middle of a desperate firefight, returning a devastated armored spearhead to fighting condition, or simply organizing the removal of a million tons of loot and salvage in a matter of hours, Kaelith guarantees success and never tolerates underperformance from his soldiers. Elements among his forces that don’t perform as expected are highly likely to find themselves “recycled” if they’re unlucky enough to survive their failures. The contrast between his approach to army management and Solon’s is striking.
Unlike many of his Techpriest brethren, however, he looks at his service to a Chaos Space Marine army as an unfavorable post, and is quite clearly bitter about his position subordinate to Warsmith Solon. Most likely he simply finds the Warsmith a complete buffoon, like most of the Iron Warriors (and the human soldiers, and the Tau, and some ponies, and even a few Orks here and there who have met him and survived). However, it has been supposed by some that he is also jealous of the casual ease with which Solon reproduces and modifies alien technology that Kaelith doesn’t even understand. Kaelith himself stubbornly denies any such thing, as envy is considered an emotional frailty in the Dark Mechanicus. Or at the least, it is when the envious Magos doesn’t rip apart the subject of its jealousy and take whatever it is that it wants. Despite Solon’s disastrous record for duels, Kaelith has shown no appetite for resolving their differences that way.
Kaelith (character) | BS: 5 | WS: 4 | S: 3 | T: 4 | I: 5 | A: 2/6* | W: 4 | Ld: 10 | Sv: 3+/4++ |
Special Rules: Combat Engineer, Independent Character, Feel No Pain, Preferred Enemy: Armies of the Imperium, Strategic Logis, Tacticae Protocols, Lord of Machines
Wargear: Scyeen Exoskeleton, Welding Arrays*, Ion Beamer, Shield Generator
Strategic Logis: Kaelith is a creature of cold, ruthless logic, and will not allow for tactical movements that are not a deliberate strategic decision, regardless of how many underlings are cut down by enemy fire. So long as Kaelith’s unit is able to use his Leadership for a Morale, Pinning, or Regroup check (so a unit would not be eligible if he were to turn down a challenge, for example), the unit may choose whether to pass or fail without having to roll. This does not affect Fearless units, of course, who find explanations about sensible retreats and taking cover to be annoying distractions from the fighting.
Lord of Machines: A model with this special rule may use its Shooting Phase to attempt to repair a damaged vehicle rather than firing a weapon. The vehicle must be in base contact with the model at the beginning of the firing phase, and the repairing model must not be falling back, have Gone To Ground for any reason, or be locked in combat. Roll a die. On a roll of 3-4, the model repairs one Hull Point, Weapon Destroyed, or Immobilized result suffered by the vehicle. On a roll of 5-6, the model restores one Hull Point in addition to repairing a Weapon Destroyed or Immobilized result, or an additional Hull Point. Additional Servo Arms working in support of a Lord of Machines may add modifiers to this roll, but a roll of 1 will always fail to repair any damage.
Scyeen Exoskeleton: This is largely what remains of Dark Magos Kaelith after his extensive augmentations and numerous battlefield repairs. Suffice to say he’s more machine than human, but his body has been crammed with so much archeotech and daemonforge devices that such a form is impossible to replicate. It is likely that even Kaelith himself is unaware of how some parts of his body function, as many times his repairs and augmentations were performed by Solon himself.
The Scyeen Exoskeleton grants movement type: Beast, +1 Toughness, and +1 Wound, as well as providing a 3+ Armor Save.
Welding Arrays*: These rows of laser welders and melta cutters are fashioned so that they can easily be used as weapons, throwing out sweeping beams or superheated gases on anything foolish enough to wander within arm’s reach.
In close combat, Kaelith may choose to attack using one of two profiles:
Melta Cutters (2 Attacks) | Range: M | S: 8 | AP: 1 | Melee, Armorbane, Master-Crafted |
Laser Welders (6 Attacks) | Range: M | S: 4 | AP: 6 | Melee, Master-Crafted |
Ion Beamer: The ion beamer is Kaelith’s prize possession, as it is the most effective and complex piece of xenotech he’s managed to reverse-engineer and modify himself rather than having Solon do it for him. Some might suggest that letting the Warsmith look over the device might address its underwhelming power output compared to standard Tau devices… if those same individuals wanted to become test targets for the weapon. The ion beamer is a ranged weapon with the following profile:
Ion Beamer | Range: 18” | S: 3 | AP: 3 | Assault 2, Haywire |
Dark Magos (100 points)
The Dark Magi are the highest ranking Techpriests of the Dark Mechanicus that are likely to find themselves on a battlefield. The Hierophants of the Dark Mechanicus, the highest rank, are often secluded, cautious individuals entombed more-or-less permanently in giant manufactories or void stations, having given themselves over to a level of cybernetic integration that even the Archmagos of the Adeptus Mechanicus find abominable. The Dark Magos must still oversee their minions and holdings in more mundane ways, and on occasion lead their forces into battle. It is less their access to extraordinary weapons and equipment that turn the tide of battle and more often their ability to form hyper-efficient command-and-control nodes through the noosphere and vox networks. In this way they guide their units through the thickest enemy resistance and organize perfectly-timed flanking maneuvers. A single Dark Magos can accomplish alone and unencumbered what mundane commanders only manage with a host of supporting personnel and a room full of equipment to aid them.
In personal combat the Magi are far from vulnerable, however. Possessed of exotic and fantastic wargear – much of which is directly integrated into the Magos’ body – they can easily be turned into walking weapons platforms capable of ripping a tank apart or vaporizing an entire squad of troops. The addition of daemonic weaponry and arcana can boost their abilities even further, making them true terrors on the battlefield. All these technological wonders and dark power comes at a cost, of course, but it is a cost that is carefully calculated by the Magos in question, and usually shunted onto an underling whenever possible.
Dark Magos (character) | BS: 5 | WS: 4 | S: 3 | T: 3 | I: 4 | A: 3 | W: 3 | Ld: 10 | Sv: 3+ |
Special Rules: Combat Engineer, Independent Character, Tacticae Protocols, Master of Mechanisms, Feel No Pain
Wargear: Power Armor, Smart-link Lasgun, Servo Harness, Power Axe
A Dark Magos may select wargear from the Dark Mechanicus Armory, Augments, and/or Chaos Relics lists.
Tacticae Protocols: This special rule allows a Magos to use their advanced knowledge of the battlefield to give precise orders to key units in a similar way to traditional military commanders. The difference being that traditional military commanders don’t have their minds deeply integrated with a local-area network. Each turn, during the Psychic Phase, the Dark Magos can issue up to two Protocols to any other units with the Combat Engineer special rule (this is, obviously, not technically a psychic action, and doesn’t consume Warp Charge or offer a chance to Deny the Witch). It may issue the order to its own unit as well. A unit may not receive more than one protocol per turn, and the effects of each protocol last until the beginning of the owning player’s next turn.
Overcharge: The unit activates extra reserves of energy in auxiliary battery packs and expends special ammunition supplies to ensure that every hit counts. All ranged weapons may re-roll failed Wounding and/or Armor Penetration rolls during their Shooting Phase.
Scavenge: This protocol can only be given to a unit currently controlling an objective. The unit begins scavenging the objective, securing vital supplies and gutting any important devices in the area. It may not shoot or charge this turn, but enemy units may not deny control of the objective or control it themselves so long as the scavenging unit remains within 3” of the objective marker, even if the enemy unit has the Objective Secured special rule. In addition, a scavenging unit may re-roll all failed Morale tests.
Search and Destroy: A surge of psycho-stimulants and the transmission of key melee tactics give a unit an extra edge as they launch a devastating charge. The unit gains the Furious Charge and Fleet special rules.
Obscure: The Dark Techpriests concentrate their broad-spectrum electronic warfare efforts to blind the enemy to the exact position of a particular ally. Meanwhile, the unit itself activates auger countermeasures, optics scramblers, or even simple smoke grenades in order to withdraw or advance as necessary. The unit may not shoot this turn, but gains the Shrouded special rule.
Master of Mechanisms works as per the special rule in the Chaos Space Marines Codex (under the entry for a Chaos Warpsmith). The repair roll can be improved by any available servo arms as with other repair abilities.
Smart-link Lasgun: These weapons have been specially calibrated and heavily customized to its user, and are often built directly into them as replacements for more mundane and dynamic limbs (hands are overrated, anyway). These weapons also feature enhanced logis engines and independent aiming servos, allowing them to aim themselves as much as their wielder does. This not only aids in tracking a target under normal circumstances, but even affords the weapon some measure of accuracy under circumstances in which the wielder is unable to aim properly.
Smart-link Lasgun | Range: 24” | S: 3 | AP: - | Rapid Fire, Smart-link |
Smart-link: Similar to the Cognis function of many Adeptus Mechanicus weapon, smart-link weaponry has been further enhanced by highly customized neural links and intelligent aiming systems that would be considered dangerously independent to more conservative Techpriests. Weapons with the Smart-link special rule add +1 to the firing model’s Ballistic Skill, even if the model is making Snap Shots.
Dark Techpriest (60)
The Dark Techpriests are the middling rank of the Dark Mechanicus. A broadly-used term, the rank actually encompasses a great number of levels of authority within the cult, most of whom possess a specialty of craft or analysis. Many end up taking to the battlefield, however, to aid in the securing of slaves and material and overseeing the Scavurel armies. Unlike the lofty Techpriests of the Loyalist Mechanicus, the Dark Techpriests cannot simply post a surveillance craft in orbit and have their leaders command the battle below like a mere computer simulation. Putting aside the fragmented command structures of Chaos armies such as the 38th Company, such an arrangement simply isn’t feasible during the lightning raids and boarding actions that characterize the Company’s operations. So the Dark Techpriests are trained and armed to take to the field themselves, and have learned the warrior’s arts accordingly.
Dark Techpriests lack the extensive level of modification of their Dark Magi masters, and also do not possess the command-and-control abilities to process tactical protocols over the noosphere and guide the flow of an entire battle. Nonetheless, their presence in a unit can enhance its operating capability substantially, and in the absence of a Magos the Techpriests can lead a Scavurel force otherwise lacking in direction. As such it is just as common to see Dark Techpriests directly leading units of Scavurel or clustering together to form emergency repair squads as it is to see them guiding a battle from behind the lines.
Dark Techpriest (character) | BS: 4 | WS: 4 | S: 3 | T: 3 | I: 3 | A: 2 | W: 2 | Ld: 9 | Sv: 3+ |
Special Rules: Combat Engineer, Independent Character, Cult of the Cursed Device, Strategic Directive, Feel No Pain (6+)
Wargear: Power Armor, Smart-link Lasgun, Smart-link Laspistol, Melta Bombs, Servo Arm, Power Axe
A Dark Techpriest may select wargear from the Dark Mechanicus Armory or Augments tables.
The inclusion of a Dark Techpriest model only takes up an HQ choice if there is no other HQ selection taken for a given detachment. In this case, the owning player may designate one Dark Techpriest as the Warlord, and that model will act as the detachment’s HQ selection. Otherwise a Dark Techpriest does not take up a Force Organization selection, but counts as a Troops choice for all other purposes.
Cult of the Cursed Device: During its firing phase, if it does not fire a ranged weapon or run, and is not locked in combat, the Dark Techpriest can either attempt to repair a friendly vehicle or sabotage an enemy vehicle.
Repair: The Dark Techpriest selects one damaged vehicle model in base contact and makes a repair roll. On a roll of 6+, the Dark Techpriest restores one Hull Point, repairs one Weapon Destroyed result, or repairs one Immobilized result. The roll is modified by +1 for every model with a Servo Arm in the Dark Techpriest’s unit, so long as those models did not shoot, run, or already assist a different repair. The bonus can be withheld from certain models if the controlling player wishes to use them for other repair attempts, and a natural roll of 1 will always fail.
Sabotage: This can be used on any enemy vehicle within 12”. The Dark Techpriest must be able to draw line of sight to the target (it can use a fire point if no other model is using it during that phase), but can target a different model from the rest of its unit if it wishes. A single roll is made, and on a 4+ the vehicle suffers a Vehicle Shaken result. This does not cause any Hull Point damage, does not affect models being transported inside the sabotaged vehicle, and will not affect models that are normally immune to this damage result.
Strategic Directive: Dark Techpriests tend to specialize in a particular technological field, and this organizational habit often carries over into their field operations. A Dark Techpriest must select one of the following specialties on the Army List:
Covert Directive: The Dark Techpriest and its unit gain the Infiltrate and Stealth special rule.
Glorify Chaos: The Dark Techpriest gains the Zealot special rule.
Interception Directive: The Dark Techpriest can choose to give its unit the Skyfire special rule at the beginning of any Shooting Phase.
Anti-Armor Directive: The Dark Techpriest and its unit gain the Tank Hunter special rule.
Xenotech Study: The Dark Techpriest trades its Smart-linked Lasgun for a Pulse Rifle, is equipped with Plasma Grenades, and its Close Combat Weapon becomes AP 2.
Mechanicae Directive: The Dark Techpriest may add +1 to its repair rolls, cumulative with all other bonuses (a roll of 1 still fails to repair a vehicle). In addition, its close combat attacks have the Haywire special rule.
Gaela (100 points)
A relatively recent acquisition from a very successful raid on the Starhaven Imperial shipyards, Gaela has taken to the dark half of the Cult Mechanicus with an enthusiasm that surprised her superiors (to say nothing of her former colleagues, several of whom she murdered on the occasion). Gaela had never been exceptionally loyal to the more conservative tenets of the Cult Mechanicus, loathing its restrictions regarding the research of xenotech in particular. She possesses a palpable sense of curiosity for foreign technologies to the point that it concerns even other Dark Techpriests. Even among the heretics, deference to and preference for human technology is the norm, which is why their soldiers aren’t equipped with Eldar or Tau weaponry. Gaela, on the other hand, shows her species no greater loyalty than she did the Adeptus Mechanicus; as far as she is concerned, this is a missed opportunity. She was the primary advocate both for arming the 38th Company with surplus pulse weapons captured by the Tau and arming the ponies with surplus human weapons looted from the Imperium.
As far as her performance is concerned, Gaela’s skills are regarded to be merely adequate by the harsh standards demanded by the Dark Mechanicus. Much more valuable than her talent as a fighter or scientist is the deep rapport she built with Warsmith Solon. Solon has always been deeply respected by the Dark Mechanicus as a valuable ally and source of patronage and supplies, but the fawning attachment that Gaela shows to the Warsmith comes uncomfortably close to actual affection. Their strange relationship has led some to consider her the Warsmith’s personal bodyguard (or “attack dog” for the impolite), although she would contest that an individual of his power needs such a thing. Sliver disagrees emphatically, and is quietly thankful that Gaela is often on hand to keep Solon’s comatose body stabilized after he loses a fight.
Gaela (character) | BS: 4 | WS: 4 | S: 5 | T: 3 | I: 3 | A: 3 | W: 3 | Ld: 9 | Sv: 3+ |
Special Rules: Combat Engineer, Independent Character, Friendship is Logical, Slay Aliens – Acquire Techs, Cult of the Cursed Device, Warsmith’s Hound, Feel No Pain (6+)
Wargear (from the Forge of the Warsmith): Ion Blaster, Power Axe, Power Armor, Master Bionics, Melta Bombs, Servo Harness
Gaela has the same Force Organization conditions as other Dark Techpriests.
Friendship is Logical: For reasons not understood by anyone in the Company, least of all Gaela herself, she’s built a surprisingly strong rapport with the Elements of Harmony. Most of them have developed a deep respect for her despite her extraordinary lack of empathy or humor. Fluttershy is just plain terrified of the woman, which she often mistakes for respect anyway.
A model with Friendship is Logical does not have the Friendship is Magic special rule, but does not negate the FiM rule for other models when joining a unit that does; as long as every model in the unit has either FiM or FiL, those with FiM gain Preferred Enemy as normal. Models with FiL in this arrangement will NOT benefit from Preferred Enemy unless they acquire it through a separate special rule.
Slay Aliens – Acquire Techs: Gaela has studied alien races extensively. Her studies mostly revolve around their engineering abilities (and thus do not include the Orks or Tyranids), but she is hardly above the odd bit of vivisection to learn what makes the foe tick. Which helps get them to stop ticking.
Gaela has the Preferred Enemy rule against models from the following army factions: Eldar, Dark Eldar, Necrons, and Tau.
Warsmith’s Hound: Gaela can join Warsmith Solon’s model and form a unit just like she can join units of infantry. In addition, she can use her Cult of the Cursed Device ability to repair Warsmith Solon as if he were a vehicle. If she does so, he restores one Wound lost earlier in the battle.
Master Bionics: Gaela’s bionic arms were rebuilt by the Warsmith himself, and (obviously) function much better than the very best equipment provided by her Dark Magi masters. Master Bionics gives Gaela +1 Strength (included on her profile above) and allows her to ignore the Unwieldy special rule.
Ion Blaster: A weapon built into Gaela’s left arm after having her flesh-arm sliced off by Voidsong, the Ion Blaster is a scaled-down ion weapon scavenged from wrecked battlesuits and re-built by Warsmith Solon into a more compact integrated weapon.
Ion Blaster | Range: 18” | S: 4 | AP: 3 | Assault 3, Armourbane |
Dark Techpony (25 points)
Yeah, okay. Why not.
Dark Techpony (character) | BS: 3 | WS: 2 | S: 4 | T: 4 | I: 3 | A: 2 | W: 2 | Ld: 7 | Sv: 4+ |
Special Rules: Friendship is Magic, Combat Engineer, Earth Pony, Independent Character, Cult of the Cursed Device
Wargear: Smart-link Lasgun, Combat Armor, Servo Arm
A Dark Techpony may select wargear from the Pony Armory and Wargear from the Forge of the Warsmith selection of the 38th Company army supplement (but not Corruptions or Sacred Relics), and/or from the Dark Mechanicus Augments table (but not the general Armory)
A Dark Techpony is considered an HQ choice for the purposes of classification, but does not take up an HQ selection on the Force Organization chart and can never be your Warlord. Nobody is going to follow these guys into battle; the humans don’t take them seriously and even the other ponies think they’re a bunch of creepy nerds.
Troops
Scavurel (40 points)
The Scavurel foot troops form the bulk of the Dark Mechanicus fighting forces and salvage teams. Although not exceptionally well-trained by Imperial standards, they are relatively well-equipped, and many units have modified and customized their equipment to pose a unique threat to an unwary foe. That said, the Scavurel are used to acting as fire support and mop-up forces behind the much hardier Iron Warriors, and dislike a fair fight. When they do take to battle, they prey on the weakest elements of the foe; crippled vehicles and regrouping infantry are favorite targets.
Many compare the Scavurel to the Mechanicus Skitarii, acting as the foot soldiers of the Techpriests in command, but the comparison is flawed. Scavurel divisions are part of the Mechanicus cult and subordinate to the Techpriests, but maintain a fierce sense of independence and a strictly mercenary outlook toward their service. They look upon the Loyalist Skitarii with contempt, disgusted at the way they gladly throw their lives away by the hundreds, allow their minds to be subsumed by their Techpriest masters, and wield weapons that destroy the wielder almost as quickly as the foe. A Scavurel is sworn to serve the Dark Mechanicus and its masters, but such oaths fool no one; a Scavurel always serves itself first.
Scavurel Dreg | BS: 3 | WS: 3 | S: 3 | T: 3 | I: 3 | A: 1 | W: 1 | Ld: 6 | Sv: 5+ |
Scavurel Core (character) | BS: 3 | WS: 3 | S: 3 | T: 3 | I: 3 | A: 2 | W: 1 | Ld: 7 | Sv: 5+ |
Special Rules: Combat Engineer, Feel no Pain (6+)
Wargear: Flak Armor, Smart-Link Lasgun, Close Combat Weapon, Krak Grenades
Unit Composition: 4 Scavurel Dregs and 1 Scavurel Core
A Scavurel Core may select equipment from the Dark Mechanicus Armory and Augments lists.
For every 5 models in a Scavurel unit, one Scavurel Dreg may trade their Smart-Link Lasgun for an Arc Rifle for 20 points, a Plasma Gun or Grenade Launcher for 15 points, a Melta Gun for 10 points, or a Flamer or Daedtech Rifle for 5 points.
The unit may purchase options from the Unit Mods table.
A Scavurel Unit may take up to 15 additional Scavurel Dregs at a cost of 7 points each.
A unit of Scavurel numbering no more than 10 models may take a Scav Crawler as a dedicated transport.
Daedtech Rifle: Although the Dark Mechanicus quite infamously dabbles in the darker powers and utilizes Chaotic rituals in its manufacturing and operations, these methods tend to be unreliable and dangerous as a rule. Other examples are simply exhausting in time and resources; the sacrifice of a hundred souls to cool the forging of a power weapon with the blood of the victims works quite well and even reliably, but is unfortunately difficult to replicate on an industrial scale. The Daedtech Rifle is a rare exception; it is a weapon that uses sorceries of Chaos that are unusually simple to apply and can be built into a production line, and it doesn’t even suck out the user’s soul when it overheats! The fact that its ammunition must be hand-etched with blasphemous runes and cooled in tainted fluids does restrict its release to entire units, but it’s reliable and hard-hitting enough that it’s become a favorite weapon for those Scavurel fortunate enough to be assigned one (or be nearby when the previous owner of the weapon expires).
Daedtech Rifle | Range: 24” | S: 4 | AP: 4 | Rapid-Fire, Shred, Rending |
Scav Crawler (25 points)
The Scav Crawler is the primary transport vehicle of the Dark Mechanicus foot soldiers, being of cheap construction and simple repair. Albeit, their cheap construction is a result of their being largely scavenged and re-assembled vehicles, and their repair is only simple to the warriors who specialize in constructing and maintaining such haphazard devices. The vehicles that are blanket-designated Scav Crawlers come from a variety of hull types salvaged from vehicle wrecks, each one modified and rebuilt such that they all eventually perform the same function even with very different construction types. Rhinos, Chimeras, Tauros, and many other Imperial vehicles are refurbished into these transports, inevitably inviting comparisons to the Orks’ looted vehicles.
The Dark Mechanicus, however, takes far more pride in its creations than the Ork Meks, low a bar as that might be. The Scav Crawlers, for all their recycled parts and quick modifications, are sturdy and reliable vehicles, and the units that take to battle in them are quite glad to have them. Some are heavily modified with additional scavenged parts and upgraded guns, although the Dark Mechanicus discourages the practice; the added firepower and armor sometimes encourages the pilots to treat them as primary combat vehicles, a role they rarely live up to once they’re sighted by a main battle tank.
Scav Crawler | BS: 3 | FA: 11 | SA: 11 | RA: 10 | HP: 2 |
Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank)
Wargear: Smoke Launchers
Transport Capacity: 10 models. Models with the Bulky, Very Bulky, or Extremely Bulky special rules may not embark on a Scav Crawler.
Fire Points: A Scav Crawler has several assorted hatches and firing slits, the combination of which are treated cumulatively as four fire points at the top of the vehicle.
A Scav Crawler may purchase any one of the following as a turret-mounted weapon, and may purchase a second weapon from the list as a forward-fixed hull-mounted weapon: a Lascannon for 20 points, a Multi-Laser or Plasma Cannon for 15 points, an Autocannon or Multi Melta for 10 points, or a Heavy Flamer or Heavy Bolter for 5 points.
A Scav Crawler may increase its Front Armor to 12 for 10 points, add an assault ramp for 25 points, and/or take a Servo Rig for 20 points. It may also select any other options from either the Astra Militarum or Chaos Space Marines vehicle upgrade lists.
Servo Rig: This heavy servo claw and other assorted tools are used by the Dark Mechanicus to salvage and load cargo on the field, make repairs, and can even help defend the transport when it is being attacked at close range by enemy infantry. A vehicle with a Servo Rig has the Objective Secured special rule, and counts as having a servo arm to aid in the repair roll of any one vehicle within 6” (which may be itself). Additionally, any models attacking the vehicle in close combat are at -1 to hit. In circumstances in which a model would normally hit automatically, it will instead hit on a 2+.
Riot Drones (40 points)
Riot Drones are the most obvious fruit of the 38th Company’s plundering of alien armories; Tau drones are manufactured in the thousands for combat, and are typically found among supplies looted from their bases. On other occasions, a savvy commander can knock out the command-and-control nodes used to deploy drone squadrons on the battlefield, deactivating the active weapons such that they can be picked up off the ground like spare rifles. The 38th Company’s Dark Mechanicus division set about re-programming the Tau drones, which proved a considerable but surmountable challenge. The Tau did not use wetware engrams anything like those employed by Imperial automata, and a crude operating system eventually had to be developed from scratch. Further complicating the matter was the nature of the drones’ unit network, which left each individual drone with a severely underpowered processor.
Although the Dark Techpriests eventually modified and deployed the drones as battlefield assets, they were thoroughly relieved to receive Tau engineers to update the machines. It took the engineers some time, but eventually they succeeded in completely reversing everything the Dark Techpriests did and restoring the weapons to some form of tactical functionality. They then went about teaching the Dark Techpriests how to integrate the drone network programs with the (frankly archaic)Mechanicus noosphere systems. This re-programming has made the riot drones far more effective as a combat asset, but no matter how they try, the Earth Caste Tau can’t convince the Dark Techpriests to let them remove the spikes, skulls, and chains that now embellish the weapons.
Riot Drone | BS: 2 | WS: 2 | S: 3 | T: 4 | I: 2 | A: 2 | W: 1 | Ld: 6 | Sv: 4+ |
Unit Type: Jet Pack Infantry
Special Rules: Stubborn, Drop Dispenser
Wargear: Twin-linked Pulse Carbine, Spikes and Blades
Unit Composition: 5 Riot Drones
A unit of Riot Drones can take up to 5 additional models at a cost of 8 points each.
Drop Dispenser: Riot Drones are deployed directly into the thick of combat or into densely inhabited areas in order to frustrate enemy defense efforts and draw attention away from more important targets. They are typically launched directly at the surface of a world in a small, disposal capsule similar to a drop pod, although on rare occasions such carriers are teleported into combat when this isn’t feasible.
All Riot Drone units must be placed in Reserve and Deep Strike. Dispensers are deployed during the normal course of Reserve rolls and Deep Strike deployments with their Riot Drone units. When Deep Striking, Dispensers function exactly as Drop Pods in that, after scatter, they will be moved away from any enemy or friendly units by the minimum possible distance in order to determine their final deployment location. After placing the dispenser, the Riot Drone unit must immediately disembark from it (from any point), and the dispenser becomes a piece of impassible terrain. If the Riot Drone unit cannot disembark for any reason, then it is destroyed.
Spikes and Blades: As annoying and unnecessary as the Chaotic embellishments are to the Tau engineers, the grisly protrusions do generate an additional threat factor when the Riot Drones crash headlong into foes, making them considerably more dangerous at very close range than the Tau equivalents. The Earth Castes’ claim that the drones shouldn’t be programmed to hurl themselves into enemies when they have perfectly functional ranged weapons systems has not swayed many.
A model with Spikes and Blades has the Hammer of Wrath special rule.
Heavy Support
Black Praetors (40 points)
The Black Praetors are the heavy troopers of the Scavurel divisions, designed explicitly for combat and well-suited to the role. A fusion of daemon, man, and arcane machine, their construction and proficiency in battle inevitably draw comparisons to the feared Chaos Space Marine Obliterators. In the 38th Company, which boasts no Obliterator Cults, the Black Praetors have often been called upon to fill the role, although the Iron Warriors complain that they are a poor substitution. The seething, armored flesh and bristling lasers, though impressive without question, cannot support the numerous horrific mutations that twist the Obliterators into the fearsome killing machines that they are without having an Astartes body at its core. The Dark Mechanicus, meanwhile, feels that if the Chaos Space Marines find the Praetors inadequate, then they should stop demanding their services; more than one Scavurel band has called for the support of the Black Praetors only to be wryly informed that they were at the front supporting the Iron Warriors.
Unlike the Scavurel light infantry, Black Praetors are not free-minded creatures, and their services are not negotiated. The monstrous warriors are crafted from entirely unwilling subjects, and their bodies are implanted with numerous neuro-slave engrams and self-destruct protocols to ensure that the final product remains loyal… or at least mindlessly servile. Scavurel soldiers rightly fear being selected for Praetor conversion, and the process is used as a punishment for various crimes and failings. Fortunately for them, the ritual for creating a Black Praetor is cumbersome and inefficient enough that the Dark Techpriests cannot feasibly submit large numbers of their soldiers to the procedure. There are many Magi, obviously, who would much prefer an army of daemonic predator-soldiers to the stubbornly independent Scavurel clades.
Black Praetor | BS: 3 | WS: 3 | S: 4 | T: 4 | I: 3 | A: 2 | W: 2 | Ld: 8 | Sv: 3+/5++ |
Special Rules: Combat Engineer, Relentless, Fearless, Daemon
Wargear: Power Armor, Smart-Link Lascannon, Smart-Link Multi-Laser, Melta Bombs
Unit Composition: 1 Black Praetor
A unit of Black Praetors may take up to 3 additional models at a cost of 40 points each.
A unit of Black Praetors may purchase upgrades from the Unit Mods table.
Tykan-Pattern Battle Automata (50 points)
The Tykan-pattern fire support automata is a popular design among civilians looking to outfit their personal forces with heavy weaponry, boasting a sturdy chassis, reliable combat engrams, and an outsized gun mounting. Unfortunately, the weapon’s twin-linked system requires a substantial portion of its construction devoted to spare ammunition; after all is said and done, the machine boasts much lighter armor than a weapon of its offensive payload should possess, much reducing battlefield survivability. This has given it a reputation for being hard-hitting, but too fragile for dedicated military use; a “glass cannon”, as it were.
The Dark Mechanicus finds the automata easy to maintain, and have captured several of the automata during their predations, seeing how the weapons are frequently employed as security drones. As such, the machines are often deployed as middling heavy support to aid their operations, especially when the necessities of the campaign keeps the Black Praetor units otherwise occupied. The Dark Techpriests have been able to add some additional armor by using superior reinforcement techniques and optimizing the reactors, but ultimately the automata usually survive a battle by keeping to cover or outranging their opponents.
Tykan Automata | BS: 3 | WS: 3 | S: 4 | T: 4 | I: 3 | A: 2 | W: 2 | Ld: 8 | Sv: 5+ |
Special Rules: Relentless, Move Through Cover
Wargear: Reaper Autocannon, Smoke Dispensers
Unit Composition: 2 Tykan Automata
A unit of Tykan Automata can take up to 3 additional Tykan Automata for 25 points each.
Any model in the unit can replace its Reaper Autocannon for a Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter or a Multilaser at no point cost.
Smoke Dispensers: Similar to the smoke launchers of vehicles, smoke launchers are sometimes attached to automata units to improve survivability when incoming fire becomes too intense. It is a crude method of protection, but it tends to work better to shelter the withdrawal of the man-sized automatons than an entire tank.
A unit with Smoke Dispensers may use them once per game rather than shooting or running in the Shooting Phase. If it does so, it gains the Shrouded special rule until the beginning of its next Shooting Phase.
Kaion Heavy Battle Automata (125)
The Kaion Heavy Battle Automata is the ultimate expression of the creed of the Dark Mechanicus and its claim of superiority over its Loyalist counterpart. A Kaion Automata is constructed from heavily modified, ancient designs and is a testament to all that is to be gained by abandoning the tired and neurotic “principles” that guide the Cult Mechanicus. Bristling with weapons stolen from clever aliens, fueled by daemonic energies bound by fell sorceries, and guided by an unbound machine intellect, it is no exaggeration to consider the Kaion Automata heresy incarnate. It is a walking blasphemy that eagerly demonstrates why the Imperium fears such machinations, and it slays its targets with a predatory fury and lust for destruction entirely out of place in a mere program.
Kaion Automata | BS: 4 | WS: 4 | S: 7 | I: 3 | A: 4 | FA: 13 | SA: 11 | RA: 10 | HP: 4 |
Unit Type: Vehicle (Walker)
Special Rules: Daemon, Rage, Furious Charge, It Will Not Die, Unfettered Will
Wargear: Eldar Dark Lance, Tau Burst Cannon, Combat Claw
A Kaion Heavy Battle Automata may replace its Dark Lance with a Necron Tesla Destructor for 10 points, or an Eldar Pulse Laser for 20 points. It may replace it’s Burst Cannon with a Heavy Burst Cannon for 25 points or replace both the Burst Cannon and the Combat Claw for a Chainfist for free. It may take an additional Heavy Flamer, mounted on the front of the hull, for 15 points.
Unfettered Will: Any time a Kaion Automata loses a Hull Point it will inevitably unleash a furious assault on its attacker, even in defiance of orders… and even if it was the product of innocent friendly fire. At the beginning of the Shooting Phase, if a given Kaion Automata has lost one or more Hull Points since its last turn, it automatically fires all of its remaining weapons at the last unit to inflict Hull Point damage against it, treating them as if they were Twin-Linked. It will do this at its normal Ballistic Skill, even if it is Shaken or Stunned, and even if the last model to inflict damage was a friendly model. If it cannot fire upon that particular unit for any reason (it being destroyed first being most likely), then the Kaion Automata may act normally.
Combat Claw | Range: M | S: User | AP: 2 | Melee |
Well now we have Gaela and her rule set to support Solon but is there a rule set for Solon out already? If not is it coming soon? I can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve. I scoured the other entries but was unable to find one for him.
I do truly enjoy these releases, thanks for all your hard work!
3045321
Not yet, I figure the actual 38th boys will be the last one out... until I add even more characters.
As for "hard work", these piecemeal Codex entries are actually my way of goofing off at work
I can think of few better ways to goof off than worldbuilding.
Where are the toasters you promised us?
3403969
Hey, c'mon, I have been writing my ASS off lately!
Between the AoI group and the Ranma crossover and the new Iron Hearts sequel, you can wait a little longer for your toasters!
3403969 ......................................
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3404417
Yes, I know what you were referring to.
However, I thought it was ALSO a reference to how I said that the DarkMech wargear list would be next. Guess not.