Using Ad Mech in your battles

The Cult Mechanicus has staked a claim in the capture and later examination of any new alien weapons, vehicles or lost non-STC yechnology that may be uncovered during the course of the campaign. In order to seek out, recover safeguard these items The Cult Mechanicus has dispatched it’s own strike cruisers carrying Techmarines and Retriever Cohorts to be distributed around the battle groups and deployed wherever rumours of any suspected items are rife.

Ad Mech in your army

Including the adherents to the Cult Mechanicus in your army is an excellent gaming twist, and will add another layer of interest to the Destroy: Veck campaign. There are two unit types you can include for those who intend to use these mysterious tech-fanatics any army embarked upon the Destroy:Veck campaign.

A few groundrules first. They may only be in your own army. If you don't have techmarine models to hand don't worry, you can use any Space Marines as the usual what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) rules are waived here to allow maximum freedom to include them. But you must inform your opponent what weapons/wargear your additional units have before the game commences to stop any later confusion.

In order to use these Ad Mech Retriever Teams rules you must have access to Codex: Space Marines. I am also indebted to Tim Huckelbery, whose Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus I have plundered to create these rules.

These new additions should be quite fun for those who want to use them and may be used in conjunction with the Veck Clues rule from week four but may NOT be used with the Hunt for Veck Sympathisers rule.

The Ad Mech options

0-1 Retriever Veteran Techmarines Maniple [Elite choice] points vary [100 points per Techmarine].
These fully trained and experienced Techmarines follow the statline and rules from Codex: Space Marines Techmarines, except where noted below.

Unit size: You may include 1-3 Veteran Techmarines as a single Elite choice that doesn't take up any room in the Force Org chart. Only one such unit may be deployed (thus a maximum of three Veteran Techmarines per army). They are Independent Characters and although taken as a single unit but they do not need to remain together once on the battlefield.

Options: They are always equipped with a full servo-harness, but no other upgraded weapons or wargear. Each may also take Servitors as per Codex: Space Marines. One Veteran Techmarine without Servitors may join an Adeptus Mechanicus Retreiver Cohort (see below).

Skills: One Veteran Techmarine may take Scions of Mars Chapter Trait as per p44 from Codex: Space Marines; he will become an HQ choice but may not lead the army.

Transport: Veteran Techmarine Maniple (and any attached Servitors) may select a Rhino, Razorback, Drop Pod or Land Raider as a transport provided they can fit in. Points as per the Codex Space marines.

0-1 Adeptus Mechanicus Retreiver Cohort [Troops] Points vary.
These follow the basic rules for a Space Marine Tactical Squad, p34 of Codex: Space Marines.
These Cohorts contain marines who although not yet fully-fledged Techmarines, are currently undergoing thorough indoctrination and training by the Cult of Mars. These Cohorts are entrusted to Veteran Techmarines, or are used on their own on questing missions for the retrieval or the protection of retrieved items.

Weapons: All models have a bolter. They also each have an auspex and a signum for no additional points cost. One Cohort member may swap his bolter one of the following weapons: a plasma gun, meltagun or flamer for the points indicated in the Tactical Squad entry. One Cohort member may swap his bolter for one of the following weapons: a plasma cannon, missile launcher, heavy bolter, lascannon or multi-melta for the points indicated in the Tactical Squad entry. Note that due to the expertise in weaponry, the plasma weapons do not suffer the normal overheat problems.

Options: The sergeant may swap his bolter for a bolt pistol and close combat weapon for no extra points cost. He may take a powerfist or a power weapon for the points indicated in the Space Marine Armoury. In addition, the sergeant may take a servo-arm for 10 points. No other weapons or wargear upgrades may be taken.

Transport: A Cohort of six models or less may take a Razorback as transport. Cohorts of ten models or less may take a Rhino, Drop Pod, or Land Raider as a transport. Points as per the Codex Space marines.

Tech Quest Special Rule. {Yielding Bonus Points}

All Ad Mech forces engaged in the hunt for Veck will make every effort to seek out lost, alien or non-STC technology. They will follow any course of action that might yield information as to the whereabouts of such items. This includes the capture and interrogation of those believed to have such knowledge of its location.

So to represent this, roll a D6 at the start of any game. If the result is a 4, 5 or 6 then one enemy character has knowledge that renders him the target of your tech quest.

This enemy character can be an HQ or Elite Independent character, or an upgraded character that forms part of a unit from the start of the game, such as a unit/squad leader, standard bearer, apothecary etc.

Choose this character randomly (by dice throw or whatever means you like) at the start of the game so all participating players in the game know who he is. If he is killed or destroyed during the course of the game, replace him with a marker. If one of your Ad Mech units can get to base-to-base contact with this marker before the end of the game then either then the tech information is deemed to be captured and yields an additional D6x10 victory points in games that use victory points to determine the winner. (Note that the character is considered killed for all game purposes.)

The victory points benefit can make a difference (up to 60 points) to the overall outcome of a game, and the successful Tech Quest will yield your assigned Battle Group additional campaign points – these are worth having.

You will also need to tell me in your game results if any tech information identified in the enemy force was captured or not. So can you please add the following information in addition to all the usual result details:

Tech knowledge in enemy army recovered [yes/no].

 

[Adeptus Mechanicus:
models and image courtesy of Alexander Bews from www.witchhunter.net.]