Editing Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Cult Mechanicus (section)

==Wargear==

===Melee Weapons===
*'''Power Axe:''' Given to the Techpriest Dominus, naturally. S+1 and AP2 is good, but it makes you strike last (Unwieldy), which isn't a problem since the guy is I3 anyway.
*'''Power Fist:''' Stock weapon for the Datasmith and an option for Castelan Robots. Arguably more effective on the former.
*'''Dataspike:''' A CCW with Haywire and the Dataspike rule, which lets it make a bonus attack with it at the Initiative 10 step, regardless of which weapon you make your other attacks with. Remember that, unlike the Ruststalkers' Prehensile Dataspike, this version is ''not a specialist weapon'' and thus gives +1 attack.

===Ranged Weapons===
*'''Heavy Arc Rifle:''' It's a 36" 2 shot Haywire gun with S6. Comes default on Breachers. Use it to pop open any vehicles giving you grief or to reveal the tasty transported center.
*'''Cognis Flamer:''' Sounds redundant, right?  After all, template weapons already deliver d3 automatic hits on overwatch, so what's the deal?  This gives you 3 instant hits on overwatch, every time.  Goodbye, mobs.
*'''Macrostubber:''' S4, but shoots 5 shots even though it's considered a Pistol. Could be fun against hordes. But since their premier user is the Tech Priest Dominus with his BS5, it might even kill a MEQ.
*'''[[Volkite Weaponry]]:''' In a huge, blatant nod to Forge World's Horus Heresy line, we can now also use the awesome Volkite weaponry used in the Horus Heresy. And since 40k has (marginally) fewer MEQs running around, this might be their place to shine. They come stock with the Deflagrate rule, which means that for every unsaved wound the gun causes, the unit takes another identical hit. New hits do not themselves cause new hits.
**''' Volkite Blaster:''' It's a S6 AP5 three shots, 24" blunderbuss.
*'''Phosphor Weaponry:''' All Phosphor weapons come stock with the Luminagen rule. This means that, if the gun scored at least one wound/glance/pen, all squads re-roll failed charge distances against the affected unit, and their cover save is also lowered by 1. Just as it was in the Skitarii book, the Luminagen rule doesn't care if your allies are Come The Apocalypse, they can use it, too.
**'''Phosphor Serpenta:''' It's an 18" Assault 1 Heavy Bolter. Honestly, unless you're shooting at Orks outside KFF range, you won't be killing anything with this.
*** Alternate Opinion: The Dominus's Phosphor Serpenta has one advantage, and that is applying Luminagen at a longer range than a Phosphor Blast Pistol. By that, it has some support potential for long-ranged units, like Skitarii Rangers, with which you won't typically be planing to get into pistol range anyway.
**'''Phosphor Blaster:''' As above, but it's now 24" and Rapid Fire. 
**'''Heavy Phosphor Blaster:''' Now we're talking. Three shots, Strength 6, AP3 and 36" range. It's an awesome MEQ killer and a unit of Castelans fully loaded with them might even glance transports to death.
*'''Plasma Culverin:''' 24", 2 shot Plasma Cannon. Yes it still Gets Hot and small blasts are usually pretty meh, but when you can have entire units full of these things, they get scary.
**''' Plasma O'death:''' In a normal squad this is 6 plasma blasts! If you aim for an area where the enemy is packed (several units) you can with some luck see the blasts scatter and hit more than the unit you were aiming for. If you use the re-roll canticle you can reroll the bad scatters and hold on to the other ones. Use the phosphorous blaster before for some anti-cover shenaigans. Add in a Haemotrope Reactor and watch vast swathes of the enemy vanish, note the new rules errata states the ability to re-roll 1's to hit allows re-rolls to blast weapons gets hot- use the Benediction of Omniscience to prevent the servitors from suffering wounds.
*'''Heavy Grav-Cannon:''' 30", Salvo 4/6. Just like the Space Marine Grav Cannon, the Salvo part is irrelevant and the gun is pretty much Assault 6 in all but name. Blows holes into MEQs and TEQs and has enough shots to squash any vehicle regardless of AV, but is utterly useless against hordes and Daemons.
*'''Gamma Pistol:''' A nice toy your Datasmiths get to play with, it's a S6 AP2 pistol with Armourbane. In practice, it's better than a Meltagun between 6 and 12" and worse than a Meltagun at lower ranges.
*'''Torsion Cannon:''' The other gun that the Breachers can take. One shot at Strength 8 ap 1 with a unique rule that allows you to take off D3 wounds/Hull points for an unsaved wound or penetrating hit, though not for a glancing hit. However, if you use the Holy Requisitioner formation, they might be useful, since you could deep strike in a way that might allow you to target the side/rear armor values of big things like Imperial Knights and Lords of Skulls. ''Note all the subjunctives in that sentence, though.''
*'''Incendine Combustor:''' Stock gun on the Kastelans and proof that sometimes (only sometimes) GeeDubs does consider what an army needs and then actually gives it to them. Before the Castelans came out, the Mechanicus was in desperate need of flamers. Now you have Torrent Flamers to toss into blobs! It isn't an amazing gun by a long shot, but considering that every single Castelan has one at no additional cost...
*'''Eradication Ray:''' Oh look. It's another bloody reverse variant of the Conversion Beamer! This one is actually pretty good. Between 0 and 12" it's a single shot S8 AP1 haymaker, because fuck those Paladins in particular, and between 12 and 24" it's a S6 AP3 blast, because fuck MEQs in general. The only downside to using it is that you have to pay 15 points ''and'' give up the equally cool Volkite Blaster to get it.

===Special Issue Wargear & Armour===
*'''Artificer Armor''': 2+ goodness, just like in any other army.
*'''Kastelan Battlehide''': 3+ armor save.
*'''Kataphron Breacherplate''': Also a 3+ armor save.
*'''Kataphron Dataplate''': 4+ armor save.
*'''Conversion Field''': 4++ invulnerable save, and makes all units within 6" of the bearer take a Blind test if the save is passed, friendlies may reroll. Take this. Always. It's only 5 points for a much more reliable save that might cripple the enemy right before a charge.
**Or it cripples you right before the enemy charges. FUN times!
*'''Refractor Field''': 5++ invulnerable save. Not great, but everything that ''can'' have it already ''does'' have it, so no looking a gift horse in the mouth.
*'''Digital Weapons''': Re-roll a single failed To Wound roll in the Assault phase. 
*'''Infoslave Skull''': The bearer gets +1 Ld and Acute Senses, the latter of which is close to useless for Cult Mechanicus.
*'''Mechadendrite Harness''': Counts as being armed with a Dataspike, and the user can fire all his ranged weapons in a single Shooting phase.
*'''Scryerskull''': At the start of each turn, identify a single Mysterious Objective.
*'''Stasis Field''': When Going To Ground, gain a 2++ invulnerable save but lower WS and BS to 0. Sure, you won't be hurting anyone with this, but as long as you Go To Ground you'll be virtually untouchable. Do '''not''' give this to a Datasmith! You will just waste 15 pts as units containing Monstrous Creatures can never go to ground.
*'''Voltagheist Field''': Grants a 5++ invulnerable save, allows HoW attacks at S4, and cancels the Initiative penalty for charging through Difficult Terrain.

===Arcana Mechanicum===
*'''Autocaduceus of Arkhan Land''' - It's Arkhan Land's personal pimp cane. If he canes a hoe (or Kataphron, as the case may be) on the ass with it, they repair themselves. What this means is that it grants IWND to the bearer and his unit. It's also pretty expensive at 30 points. Can only be taken by the Techpriest Dominus
*'''Anzion's Pseudogenetor''' - [[Awesome|It's a tangle of mecha-tentacles that can vivisect enemies in the midst of battle]]. That's justification enough to use it. It's also pretty useful, as it allows a model using it to make D6 additional S4 AP5 melee attacks with Shred in addition to its normal melee profile. And it's only 15 points, too! If your Dominus even thinks about getting into combat, slap this on. Hilarity has a pretty good chance of ensuing if you get the Warlord Trait that gives all your close combat attacks Haywire.
*'''Raiment of the Technomartyrs''' - 2+ armor that grants the wearer's unit (so long as they're Cult Mech or Skitarii) Cognis weapons.  This makes allying with Skitarii absolutely lovely with cognis-plasma calivers. It's also prohibitively expensive at the price of a Plasma Caliver.
**Alternate Opinion: Nope. Nooope. You're paying a premium for a very useful special rule and a 2+ armour save together, when everything that can take this ''already has'' Artificer Armour. Pretty much the only thing that would make it worth using would be a huge unit of Breachers you want to put on anti-air duty, which can be done cheaper and better by a pair of Icarus Onagers.
***Another look: Or you could put this in a Cohort Cybernetica with Phosphor blasters and maybe a couple of incendine combustors, and have no one want to charge you ever. Invisibility or flying monstrous creatures getting you down? Well how does 24 str 6 ap 3 shots at BS 2 sound? Did I mention that half of them are twin linked? Expensive though, but worth it for the fact that it's in a super durable unit that can fire at different targets.
****One final look: If you are fielding Belisarius Cawl then you won't ever be choosing this over Memento-Mortispex. For the same points (30) the Mortispex offers the option of cognis, skyfire, tank hunter or monster hunter on a turn by turn basis. If only the Raiment offered an invulnerable save instead of its redundant armor save.
*'''Mask of the Alpha Dominus''' - Allows Kastelans or Cohort Cybernetica formation within 12" to automatically change their protocol and use it, but you lose access to the protocol you had before using it.
**Interesting fact: The rule description for the Mask says that you can use this effect ''at any time''. As in, your Kastelans just fired Overwatch twice, now you switch to the CC protocol and make the enemy eat 5 Power Fist attacks per model. Just, make sure not to break the Feel no Pain protocol, m'kay?
**Another thing to consider: If you give this to a Dominus, you can still change Protocols even if the enemy picked off your Datasmith, which you otherwise wouldn't be able to do. In other words, if you use a unit of Kastelans, ''strongly'' consider giving this to your Dominus.
*'''The Scryerskull Perspicatus''' - In addition to acting like a Scryerskull, it can be used on a vehicle to make all friendly units with the Cult Mechanicus or Skitarii faction reroll failed armor penetration rolls and the chance to reroll glancing hits scored against that vehicle for the duration of that turn. Another Arcana that can only be taken by the Dominus.
**Nowhere does it state that this relic replaces your normal Scryerskull. Meaning, you can either identify two Mysterious Objectives per turn (works especially well with the ''Archeotech Specialist'' Warlord trait) or identify one Mysterious Objective and scan a vehicle. Still, quite expensive for what it does.
*'''Uncreator Gauntlet''' - An odd relic that can be used in the Fight sub-phase in lieu of normal close combat attacks. To use it, nominate a vehicle the owner is in contact with (yours or the enemy's) and if the attack hits (or if you chose to use it on a friendly vehicle), roll a d6 and use the table below. If you're lucky, it can take a LR out in one strike or fully repair a vehicle that's about to be wrecked. Just hope you don't roll a 1. Invulnerable saves can be attempted against the HP loss, though each one has to be saved against individually. The fluff says this relic is used to rejuvenate machines back to the prime of their operative lifespan - ''maybe'' those cogheads should use it on the golden throne instead of striking shady deals with xenos, or maybe they'd end up with a great big hunk of parts and a manual by IKEA if they punched the Throne with it.
**1: Your opponent decides whether the vehicle is repaired for 1 HP or loses one HP. (All other results allow the user to decide whether it repairs or damages a vehicle).
**2-3: The vehicle is either repaired for 1 HP or loses 1 HP.
**4-5: The vehicle is either repaired for d3 HP or loses d3 HP.
**6: The vehicle is either repaired for d6 HP or loses d6 HP (!).
***Note that you can do this in addition to your Master of Machines rule. In other words, repair your vehicle in the shooting phase, then punch it with the Glove. Worst case, you roll a one, your opponent takes off the HP you just restored. Best case, your Knight that was down to 1HP is fully repaired now.
====Fall of Cadia====
The new book is giving us a new set of Arcana, some of which are pretty awesome! You can take items from it in any of the new formations or if you include Belisarius Cawl in your army.

*'''Numinasta's Casket of Electromancy''' — This is basically the Skull of Elder Nikola from the Skitarii list, but for Cult Mechanicus. 30 pts, can be used instead of firing a weapon, automatically hits everything including Flyers and FMCs in range. 2d6", S 3, AP -, Assault 1, Haywire, One Use Only.
*'''Quantum Annihilator''' — [[Awesome|AdMech Shokk Attack Gun]]. 30 pts, 18", S 2d6, AP 2, Assault D3. Roll for Strength after the target unit has been chosen, if you roll above 10, it [[Anal_Circumference|wounds/pens automatically with Instant Death]]. With the blessings of our Lord RNGesus, you can erase any pesky character or Monstrous Creature from existence with a single shot, or roll badly and simply wound some Terminators.
** It is worth noting that this will usually not be that good- an average roll on this makes it an 18" assault 2 plasma gun for 30pts.
** In most occasions in which you can access these relics, you can also field Skitarii. This can prove its worth as a good weapon for a Vanguard Alpha.
*'''Sacrifactum Autorepulsor''' — 15 pts, enemies charging the bearer suffer a -2" penalty on their charge move. With most HQs in this Codex, you WANT to be in close combat, though. Situational.
*'''Memento-Morispex''' — The big cheese. Remember all of the Grav, Plasma and Haywire in this army list? Now, for just 30 pts, you can apply Cognis, Skyfire, Tank Hunter or Monster Hunter to any unit by attaching a Dominus to them. Perfect for a large blob of Kataphrons armed with plasma- or grav-cannons, or a shooty Cohort Cybernetica maniple.
*'''Omnissiah's Grace''' — 10 pts for a 6+ Invuln or a +1 to an existing invuln to a max of 3+. Your Dominus can now have a storm shield for 15 pts.
*'''Saint Curia's Autopurger''' — The upgraded Pater Radium. 25 pts, enemy units get no bonus attacks for charging, and all models which are locked in combat with the bearer and their unit must pass a Toughness test at I10 step or suffer 1 saveable Wound for every failed test. Yes, this does stack with Skitarii Vanguards' Toughness penalty, and, if you're really cheap, Ordo Xenos Inquisitor's Rad Grenades. Your answer to being outnumbered by Orks and Tyranids.