Crazy Idea: Techmarine Dreadnought

[Grenadier]

So is it safe to say that a Techmarine may well be the most badassed member of a Space Marine chapter. Better than even Terminators?

I don't know. Being fully upgraded would boost them beyond the superhuman level of regular marines. But at the same time they'd be losing a lot of things that the flesh has an edge over machinery. Such as being able to touch and feel, taste and smell. By losing more of their humanity it might lower certain capabilities of the marine. And then there is the psychological aspect. I'd imagine when you're more of a machine than man you'll be in a completely different frame of mind. Your mind will work like a computer analyzing everything. You may be less or more prone to taking risks. And you may well lack the compassion and fellowship that allows you to fight alongside your brothers. So you may be less apt to aid a brother in need during the middle of a fight.

[Javin]

I would think Ironclad with some extra upgrades, perhaps like the comptemptor style upgrades. Give it rules to repair itself or other vehicles.

[kellyj]

I built one ages ago; essentially replaced the DCCW with a Tech-marine servo pack and gave it the bolster and repair rules (yes, it could repair itself, the same as an embarked Tech could fix its own transport).
For fluff my Chapter was cut off by Warp Storms. Their last tech-marine was mortally wounded in battle. To prevent the loss of that last asset he had his servitors modify an available dreadnought hull and had himself entombed in the device...bringing him closer to the Omnisiah than any of his brethren before him.

For regular games he counted as a regular dreadnought, the servo-arm acting as the DCCW equiped with a heavy flamer.
Unfortunately I lost him a few years back when someone stole my Army.

[commissar camenzuli]

didnt they make an adeptus mechanicus baneblade? why not make a techmaribe specufic veichle?

[gendoikari87]

So is it safe to say that a Techmarine may well be the most badassed member of a Space Marine chapter. Better than even Terminators?

I don't know. Being fully upgraded would boost them beyond the superhuman level of regular marines. But at the same time they'd be losing a lot of things that the flesh has an edge over machinery. Such as being able to touch and feel, taste and smell. By losing more of their humanity it might lower certain capabilities of the marine. And then there is the psychological aspect. I'd imagine when you're more of a machine than man you'll be in a completely different frame of mind. Your mind will work like a computer analyzing everything. You may be less or more prone to taking risks. And you may well lack the compassion and fellowship that allows you to fight alongside your brothers. So you may be less apt to aid a brother in need during the middle of a fight.

Yeah, pretty much they'd be nigh unstoppable save for two things 1) they don't really see any combat time. and thus have less experience and 2) their upgrades are focused on fixing things, not breaking them. Sure you can bash someones face in with a wrench but a lascannon is much better.

Secutors on the other hand devote their lives to the study of warfare, and weaponsmithing their bodies into being the perfect weapons. They, in the fluff, are some of the most frightening opponents on the 40k battlefield.

[Grenadier]

It's funny, I like Techmarines more and more now. I only have one in my army but I very rarely fielded him. Mainly because his limited role as mechanic wasn't as useful to me in the game. I always kept him in back with his own Razorback to take him to any vehicle in need. So he never really saw any action. Once or twice he got to take some pot shots at nearby enemies. But by and large he just runs about the battlefield trying to fix things.

[Mud Duck]

My thoughts on the subject of tech dreds.
1.The number of dreadnoughts in a chapter is limited. The modifications to the frame may work for gearhead Bobby there, but be wasted or even in the way when bother Tommy is interned. Plus, this things are Relics! We can't go around modding a Relic! It just isn't cricket!
2.Any marine interned is a marine of untold bravery, courage, battle lore and skill, the epitome of the Chapter's ideal ; and for the most part a tech marine is/has most of these qualities. Ok, this is more or less for codex Chapters; but the tech marine has split loyalties between the Chapter and Mars which negates the 'Ideal' to the Chapter. This I see as the major sticking point to a tech-dred.
3. A Techmarine is largely modified to point that any damage that would be to the point of interment, would probibly just straight out kill the Marine in question.

As for the models here in the thread, Cool! I see/hear in my mind the "BRRRRAAAAAPPPPPP" and a horde of things disappearing in a cloud of dust and red mist.

[Grenadier]

So no new dreadnought frames are ever constructed? I'd imagine a techmarine, being trained by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and having so much experience maintaining the armory, would at least have some knowledge of how to build them. After all, some parts would be entirely destroyed in battle and necessitate creating new parts. Surely there's some spark of creativity that would allow a techmarine to at least create parts of if not the entire dreadnought.

This made me remember another questions:

Can a techmarine repair non-Marine vehicles? I'd imagine so. But let us think in game terms. I field Guard and Templars both, often in the same battle. Could my techmarine then repair an Imperial Guard vehicle? Or a techpriest repair a marine vehicle?

[Vangrail]

new dreads are made, ven dreads are not bc of they have old parts.

also i am doing the contempter conversion!

[Wolfshade]

Surely there's some spark of creativity that would allow a techmarine to at least create parts of if not the entire dreadnought.

There may have been creativity, but the whole technology/priesthood of mars would frown upon such endeavours. Technology is their cult and any progression/deviation/inovation would be seen as heretical