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View Full Version : The Omnissiah and you: Techmarines. how do you feel about them?



papa smurf
02-23-2010, 11:04 PM
Hello all, papa smurf here. i'm just wondering what all you space marine players out there think of techmarines. fluff-wise chapters couldn't function without the constant work that techmarines do to repair and maintain a chapter's war machines and wargear. On the table though, i can't say that i have ever played against one, although i regularly field them. What do you usually see or run when playing against or using techmarines?
The two builds i use are quite different. one is a bare bones, no upgrade techmarine with a servo arm and the humble bolter. he usually just sits around in the most important transport or landraider, just to repair things. he is usually there just to provide that wonderful bonus cover save to my scouts with camo cloaks, making them extra sneaky.
the other build is a little more active. with a full servo harness, a plasma pistol and a power sword this guy rides around in a las/plas razorback with a combat squad with a PF/combi-plasma sarge and a plasma gun battle brother, and 2 powersword and 2 servo-harness attacks are nothing to take too lightly. they basically go around headhunting, making terminators wet their pants. not the most efficient thing to do i know, but it's fun to see an opponent's face when his squad/monstrous creature is shot at with up to 8 plasma shots, 3 of them being twin linked.

so what do you guys do with your techmarines? are they in the front lines, fighting to recover a piece of ancient technology, in the back just bolstering your defenses and doing repair jobs, or maybe manning a thunderfire cannon?
this includes masters of the forge as well,maybe even tech-priests if you play IG, just anything omnissiah you can think of! what do you guys do with your servants of the machine-emperor?

MarneusCalgar
02-24-2010, 12:06 AM
Well, I donīt usually use them, and here in Spain you can barely see them on the tables when gaming... People tend to use the Biblio brothers...

Hope it is really useful, just as company for the cannon or for repairing vehicles and dreads...

slxiii
02-24-2010, 01:11 AM
2 papa smurfs in one thread!?
I play space wolves, and rarely use the techmarine equivalent. He's like a normal techmarine, but only 1 wound, cant join units, cant have a servoharness. But Hey! he can have a big wolf.....

energongoodie
02-24-2010, 02:47 AM
Master of the forge, conversion beamer, on a bike. BOOM

fuzzbuket
02-24-2010, 10:36 AM
In the paper BA dex they look like killers
full harness and servitors=
2+ sv
6 fists( servo arms)
plasma pistol
flamer

in CC (charge)
4 S4 I4 power wpn attcks
6 S8 I1 Power wpn attacks
8 S3 I3 cc attacks

and a flamer template and S7 ap 2 plas pistol

200pts and 6 wounds!
or even pricier

In a Lr crusader
with leremates (fearless+ re rolls to hit)
575pts!

but it'd look cool

Fuzz

Matthew Rider
02-24-2010, 12:34 PM
I always run a Master of the Forge in my Iron Hands, for 2 reasons other than fluff.

First is obviously the repair rate. I keep him with the Vindicator, Predator, or Dreadnoughts, (or all of them if I can,) and with his 2 tech Servitors he can fix on a 2+. I also take 2 Heavy Bolter Servitors in the same squad, just so they can deal out relatively large amounts of firepower, and I don't have to kill the techs after rogue shots.

Second is the fact that I like my Dreadnoughts, but also like my Terminators and Sternguard. Master of the Forge allows me to take one as Heavy Support.

And of course the bolster defences is very usefull, assuming the table has a ruin.

asmodai650
02-24-2010, 12:40 PM
my entire army is based on them. I ran techmarines as counts as sargeants, use servitors for my specail and heavy weapons, and run MotF for HQ's. I've some photos up over on Bolter & Chainsword under the same screen name as on here.

Tynskel
02-24-2010, 01:36 PM
Master of the Forge, Marius
MotF, Power Weapon, Digital Weapons, Combi-Plasma.

I run 'em in a razorback with a Combat Squad. Actually, very similar to yours, papa smurf.

I like the extra Plasma Shot on the get go- 3 from the MotF, 2 From the Sgt. 2 From the Plasma Rifle, 2 From the Razorback. 9 Shots! w00t!

Then I just switch the Flamer.

Another one I like to use (if I am using more Close Combat):

Master of the Forge, Marius
MotF, Power Weapon, Digital Weapons, Plasma Pistol.
Combat Squad, Plasma Pistol, Powerfist, Meltagun
Dedicated Transport: Razorback with Twin-Linked Assault Cannons.
That's 3 Plasma Shots (or two Plasma and a flamer), a Melta Shot, and the assault cannons. More infantry munching than previous- but this one can charge after it fires.

UltramarineFan
02-24-2010, 01:38 PM
2 papa smurfs in one thread!?

Should I kneel?

Seriously though i think that techmarine are really quite fun and awesome(even better if it weren't for the fact that they're metal:mad:) The only problem is that it seems difficult to get them in a situation where they can actually win their points back which is a shame I think.

Tynskel
02-24-2010, 01:54 PM
Techmarines also earn their points back by keeping the Tanks firing. Most Support Characters never directly earn their points back.

I like using the Vulkan/Calgar combo, for example.

Vulkan never directly earns his points back- in fact I usually get him killed. However, all of those twin-linked weapons really make a difference.

Calgar, by definition :), almost always makes his points back. But he's a front line character, not a support character.

gilbert93dt
02-24-2010, 08:16 PM
Really, I have never witnessed Calgar gain his points back. He normally charges into battle with his bodyguards or a beefed up squad of some sort, takes out a squad, and gets the entire army's bullets into his dome.

papa smurf
02-24-2010, 09:14 PM
Seriously though i think that techmarine are really quite fun and awesome(even better if it weren't for the fact that they're metal:mad:) .

I definitely agree with you on the metal part. that's why i converted both my regular and servo harness techmarines. servo arms are really easy to make using imperial guard lasguns or scout shotguns, combat knives that come as bitz for marine units, a standard space marine backpack, and then just a techmarine head and shoulder pad from pretty much any vehicle kit. fun and easy kit-bash for space marines.
some day maybe i'll post some pics of them and make another thread more in detail about the modelling process, but that's a really good way of making simple plastic techmarines and not having to put out for the metal GW models.

Squirrel_Fish
02-24-2010, 11:10 PM
Really, I have never witnessed Calgar gain his points back. He normally charges into battle with his bodyguards or a beefed up squad of some sort, takes out a squad, and gets the entire army's bullets into his dome.

Well, he (along with Captain Lysander) probably wouldn't have that problem if he wore a helmet.

Steven Bradley Taylor
02-25-2010, 02:00 AM
I run them in two forms.

The first being a Master of the Forge on a bike with a conversion beamer. I have found that very few people really know what he is capable of until it is two late. As well as having that powerful a weapon being able to fire after a 12'' move should always result in very painful results. Not to mention the conversion possibilites! I made my from a hellblaster volley gun and mounted it in the side car of an attack bike. Loved how it turned out.

Second is as a converted Necron Lord for with a destroyer body. My beloved "Techrons" He is a close combat killing machine with his three wraith body guards. After careful study of the necron codex there are only four entries that have independent thought: Lords, The Deciever, The Nightbringer, and Immortals. The rest of the army runs on predetermined programing with occasional input from the before mentioned units. So in theory, if you could broadcast the proper programming, without interferance from Lord or Ctan, you could direct a Necron force at any foe you saw fit. So with a little cunning and conversion I got remain loyal to the Imperium and still play another cool army.

Tynskel
02-25-2010, 02:06 AM
I tend to run few marines, so I am very wary of that situation that an outnumbered force can face. He doesn't always 'get his points back', however, I have always had him at the game changing moment. When I need a charge to work, Calgar is the guy I send in. Often, I will aim remove the squad I need to remove from an objective- winning the game. In that case, he's more than made his points back.

AirHorse
02-25-2010, 08:25 PM
I like techmarines, shoving a barebones techmarine in with an important vehicle or just standing next to my predators to keep them going that bit longer is my style. I dont own a thunderfire cannon model but ive used a proxy a couple of times and found it quite effective if the terrain works in your favour.

I seriously wish techmarines, or at least servitor units could take their own dedicated transport though, i would use servitors more often if they could. It annoys me a great deal as I am building my whole army to have its own method of transportation and I dont really want to be giving every techmarine a landraider to make it legal! Im just buying extra rhinos anyway and for games of appocalypse asking my opponents permission to allow it so I can use my army in all its fluffed up glory :)

Tynskel
02-25-2010, 08:33 PM
You could get around this with land raider for troops, razorback for Techmarine- First turn hop aboard the respective vehicles.

A little annoying, but workable.

AirHorse
02-25-2010, 08:46 PM
Meh, it just doesnt feel right mostly :/ I dont want to have many landraiders as Im trying to build my force as a company from my own chapter, and it doesnt feel right having many landraiders. I also feel that for power armoured units rhinos and razorbacks look way cooler than massive landraiders, I save that for my terminators :)

daddy troll
03-02-2010, 10:01 AM
I run a tech with a thunderfire cannon regularly. For a mere 100 points you get an awesome unit. 2+ save, 2 powerfist attacks, TL plasma pistol and a flamer (both of which can fired in the same shooting phase) and top of all that the cannon itself, which is much underrated in my opinion. Bolster the ruin he deploys in (assuming there's one on the table) and he's very survivable. Being a techmarine you can still take a unit of servitors, although he can't join them until (and if) the cannon is taken out but they can still form a screening unit. If the cannon does get blown, join the servitors and go and kick butt.

Fellend
03-02-2010, 12:17 PM
I play Black Templar and I haven't founda single use for them. With exception of Rhinos I have few units in the army that needs repair both the podded dread and the landspeeders are sacrificial units and no one ever targets the Predator in the back.
It would be nice to be able to repair the Rhinos is they break down but since i have to run out and get into assault asap they really wouldn't be of much use anyway.