Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Adeptus Mechanicus (section)

===={{W40Kkeyword|Cult Mechanicus}}====
Kataphrons are the big guys of the Cult Mechanicus are closer to tankettes than they are to people: their Ogryn-sized T5 frames make them difficult to remove from an objective, and with W3 your HQs can actually repair them. Their long-ranged firepower doesn't suffer the penalty for moving, since they're {{W40Kkeyword|Biker}}s that ignore Breachable terrain like infantry, beasts, and swarms do. ''Great'' firepower coming from Troop units, and very easily buffed by your mostly-shooty HQ section.

'''Jokes on you, the Q1 2023 Balance Dataslate gives Kataphrons the {{W40kKeyword|Core}} keyword, this changes everything about them.'''
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<tab name="Kataphron Destroyers">
*'''Kataphron Destroyers:''' Dedicated anti-MEQ gunships. Though well-protected against small arms (3+/6++), they are a prime target for your enemy so they have to be defended. Park them in cover with a Dominus and they can turn it into a miniature bunker with a good bit of firepower.
**'''Guns:''' 
***Heavy Grav Cannons are reliable; 30" Heavy ''5'' S5 AP-3 D1 deletes weaker targets, and D2 against anything with a 3+ save melts heavy infantry and can even dent monsters and tanks.
***Kataphron Plasma Culverins cost more: 36" Heavy 1d6 S7 AP-3 D1, Blast and can Overcharge for S8 and D2, but 1s to hit deal the shooter a mortal wound.  
****Only ever worth it if you fire them in Overcharge mode, and even then, remember you're sinking a lot of points into BS4+ dakka here. Furthermore, against most targets, the heavy grav-cannon outperforms the culverin simply due to costs - the culverin makes the model cost 25% more for usually less than 25% more dakka, even ignoring the mortal wounds you suffer.
**'''Sidearms:''' Their Phosphor Blasters are the budget option to use against targets of opportunity. However, Cognis Flamers are ''radically'' more damage per point against everything in the game if the target is within 12".
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<tab name="Kataphron Breachers">
*'''Kataphron Breachers:''' Trades some firepower for 2+ armour but, most importantly, ''at discount price''. Enough to be heavy speedbumps yet disposable. Breachers bring 9W for 105pts and their Heavy Arc rifles  (36" Heavy 2 S6 AP-2 D2) are not only basically anti-infantry autocannons, but also tear D3 chunks out of vehicles and autowound them on 4+, so they can even help your overworked Onagers. Unlike Destroyers, Breachers aren't defenseless in combat, with four WS4+ attacks using Arc Claws (S6 AP-3 D1/D2 vs vehicles). With those stats, they are a screen by themselves. If you NEED an objective to be positively, absolutely defended, activate '''Acquisition at Any Cost''' and they'll be very difficult to remove, with ''4A'' and a 2+/5++ save. (Alternate take if supported by vanguard S6 Ap-1 still wounds marines on 2's and a unit of 6 will kill 3.75 tac marines) their not gonna touch a dedicated melee unit but can still give a bad day to enemy troops or small characters) and now we have unlimited warlord traits prime hermeticon increases their melee output by 50%
**Torsion Cannons are hard to defend. S8 AP-4 is nice but they cost a lot, ''are single-shot'' and D1d3+3 is all it provides. Likewise, Hydraulic Claws are like power fists...but with only AP-2 instead of the AP-3 of Arc claws they will struggle to go through their targets' armour Sv, and Breachers aren't ''dedicated'' melee units, could throw one into maybe kill Vehicles and Monsters in melee.
**Agripinaa breachers are really strong if you have a huge amount of CP as a 6 man squad can potentially bring 5 back from the dead and relocate if just one survives. Which considering their tankiness is quite possible. Do this a few times and count the firepower you've soaked.
***The clue is in the name for these guys though; the above chap is absolutely correct in his analysis for the average game, but GW covers bases for more narrative games too: Fortifications & other Immobile units are auto-hit so when you need to <i>breach</i> through some Fortifications you have at least 9 S10 -2 AP auto-hitting hydraulic claws vs the S6 of arcs, and that's 9 lots of 3+ rolls instead of iffy 5+.
**** In 9th edition this is staple unit for holding objective for a turn, something that Skitarii realistically cannot do. Keep them below 6 count and they will give you a relatively cheap and tough scoring unit that is needed sorely for narrative and matched games.
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<tab name = Notes>
*It's worth noting that these puppies can be a huge fire magnet. A smart opponent will point medium weaponry at these guys and frankly, they're not quite as tough as they seem. Point efficiency and multiple wounds don't mean a lot when a punisher cannon can delete a 3 man squad in one round of shooting. 
*To compensate, provide them with the Stygies VIII Dogma or Agripinaa's stratagem to increase their survivability considerably.
*Or take as Ryza plasma destroyers hoping you'll play a knight list and can make your points back in one round of shooting accepting there won't be a second round.
*Or Lucius and deepstrike them in guaranteeing destroyers one round of fire.
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