Editing Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Mechanicum (30k) (section)

===HQ===
*'''Magos Reductor Caleb Decima:''' ''Probably the most [[Fluff|misrepresented]] character in all of 30k''. His ability to [[Awesome|command enemy tanks]]? [[Rage|Gone]]. His Thallax bodyguard? Replaced by an optional (and hideously expensive) [[Derp|Servitor retinue]]...which don't even help his Battlesmith rolls! But at least he gets a retinue, unlike other Magi. Even his crunch is poorly written. He has Archmagos stats, with one less WS/BS but one more S/I. Having high Initiative and Strength for a Magos, but [[Fail|only WS3]] though thanks to his MC ''Unwieldy'' Poweraxe (which makes him S6), MC Bolt Pistol (for two re-rolls and an extra attack) and his two extra Machinator attacks he's still pretty decent in melee, though with his longest re-usable ranged weapon being a MC Boltpistol he's certainly not a shooty character.  So, is he worth it? '''''YES'''''. Because of his special rules, Caleb is an awesome, if somewhat expensive ''support'' HQ, specially when taken as an allied one as the book intends to. Not that he isn't good in a primary detachment either. Unfortunately, unless used as support he's a little awkward to use, being too fragile to go solo and his retinue not having enough dakka. He can add some firepower/melee to a squad, but Thallax lose their mobility advantage when having him ([[Fail|just in case you wanted to be true to the fluff for some silly reason]]). Therefore, the easiest way to use him is having him tend to your siege engines with his Battlesmith and Master of Destruction.  With the addition of Tempest he can now be in a unit of Scyllax, which works out much better since, even though his toughness drops by one, all five of his attacks ID MEQ's since the Marines he'll be up against are T3! His special rules are:
**'''Master of Destruction:''' Gives all of his attacks the ''Sunder, Tank Hunters and Wrecker'' Special Rules, but most importantly, he can grant these rules to a nearby Heavy/Ordnance weapon if he doesn't shoot (which he usually wont unless he's near an enemy tank), including his customized Land Raider DT. The best part? It's an inherent rule instead of a Warlord Trait, so you can benefit your Legion stuff when taken as an ally ([[Anal_circumference|MoD Vindicator Destroyer!]]) or combine it with Mechanicum WTs, not to mention helping your Titans.
**'''Curse of the Omnissiah:''' Makes him a death sentence to anything less than a Titan (provided you get a good roll), being able to unleash 2D6 Haywire shots, which means he can [[Awesome|scream a Spartan to death]] on a single turn. This counts as firing a weapon. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to use, being Heavy One Use and having only 18" range. And being ''only'' T5 with a 3+/5++ save and no access to transports with fire points or Relentless (like the Magos Reductor) means Caleb will face danger to use it ''and after'' using it, [[Derp|because it Gets Hot]]. Feel free to move when targeting a flyer, though. If you want to use it you'll probably need staying power, so take a Cyber familiar for a 4++ invuln and an Abeyant for IWND & Hardened Armor.
**'''Castellan Reductor (Campaign only):''' It gives you much needed flexibility, allowing you to add the next entries to your army:
***'''Elites:''' Techmarine Covenant with 'Stubborn' instead of 'Legiones Astartes'. They are meant to [[count as]] Myrmidons...which have been released now, so [[Rules_lawyer|probably]] ''you can field Myrmidons in a Reductor army''.
***'''Fast Attack:''' Avenger Strike Fighter, instead of a Lord of War like normal Reductor lists.
***'''Heavy Support:''' Legion Artillery Tank squadron. ''Now you'll be able to get them without needing Astartes allies''.

*'''Magos Reductor:''' ''Because Caleb can't be everywhere at once''. HH2 gave us a less supportive version of the Legio Cybernetica's Magos Dominus, swapping their [[Omnissiah|machine psychic]] powers for Tank Hunters + Wrecker (which he can't confer to anyone [[Derp|or use effectively]]), fitting our siege theme, while getting access to stuff they don't get (''at last!'') like Rad grenades and up to three Phosphex bombs and Breaching charges. Like all Mechanicum characters, he has a ton of options and can fill a number of roles. Just remember, even if he starts cheaper than Caleb, the costs WILL add up quickly, and he'll need to make back all those points somehow, needing to fulfill multiple roles that are usually mutually exclusive, but you aren't Thagmata, so you must get by using what you get.
**'''Support (i.e. Naked)''': Because not everyone can be a Chapter Master and Ordo Reductor [[Derp|lacks Techpriests]]. The cheapest build, focusing instead in bringing more siege engines and herding your Thanatars around, which are too valuable to have them melee at stuff. Don't even think about getting him guns - his shooting phase will be spent repairing shit, and if he isn't, you're [[DISTRACTION_CARNIFEX|not trying hard enough]]. Too frail? Give him an Aurugy scanner to deny infiltration and stick him in a Thallax bodyguard instead of an Abeyant, maybe give him a Machinator for good measure (+1T, +1 Battlesmith). This means not only he gets some dudes to take hits for him, but you can also bring ''yet another'' Land Raider DT, kited with Lascannons so it can function as another siege engine. ''A LR on the front, two Thanatar at each side, Thallax at the back and the Magos in the middle. [[Get_shit_done|That's your Ordo Reductor list right there]]''. And if you have models in Reserve, you can give the LR an Explorator Web. Doesn't look that cheap, but take into account that you were already going to bring LRs and Thanatars, so ~95 pts total.
**'''Melee:''' Fortunately, you can make your Magos a 4W T6 3+/3++ monster. Model-wise, this is the most expensive loadout, but it's a good way of using the Reductor's exclusive Rad grenades, Phosphex and Breacher charges (10 pts a piece, ouch). Make him an Archmagos with the obligatory Machinator array so you don't have to worry about the breacher charge either scattering or insta-killing you. ''Only 125 pts so far, suck on that Caleb!'' Add invuln for that AP3 weaponry. Maybe also an Abeyant for +1 Wound and sweet IWND. And don't forget the Rad grenades. No guns here, the Machinator's meltagun and flamer are more than enough. However, you can fire the meltagun and another weapon, so throw a Phosphex bomb. Or a Rad-cleanser. And a Breacher charge to treat challengers with non-Unwieldy S8 AP2. Look again, your model now costs ''~205 pts'', not to mention he still needs a retinue, which cost as much as Terminators (but Ferrox Thallax hit hard and Scyllax are customizable and outright scary). ''Srsly, why are you meleeing in a siege list?''
**'''Ranged:''' A normal Reductor with a Photon Thruster/Conversion beamer and Augury Scanner is an interesting tactic and definitely one to consider for your Thanatar-Calix shepherd. It's cheap, makes you durable, and can help bring much needed high Strength/low AP firepower to the field, protect your side from deepstrikers and heal your Thanatar when it needs it, without being unreasonably expensive. You could put this guy in a unit of scyllax when rounding up your Thanatar because he will make them fearless and then their bolters can then fire at deepstrikers as well as the Magos's heavy weapon. ''Just ~100 pts there.''