Techmarines

[Olgerth Istaarn]

Met someone at the GW today who was pounding his frail chest and extolling the virtues of techmarines, and how he supposedly loads up on the Techmarine+4 Heavybolter Servitors squads, and it's just bleedin' awesome.

I never really considered a techmarine, or seen one in action... I mean, they are pretty cool on paper with all the servo arms and such, but are they really worth it?

The 4-servitor setup that was referred to as a "mini-devastator squad" is 215 points, has no ablative wounds, saves on 4+ and takes up an elite slot, if the techmarine has full servoharness. Without it, it's 180.

A 7-man devastator squad that delivers the same 4 heavy bolters, saves on 3+ and has more bodies is 180 points.

Doesn't seem like much of a bargain to me, unless someone's looking to load up on heavy bolters... but I'm not experienced by any means. What's your opinion on the techmarine?

[ShortStroke]

I don't have a lot of experience playing with them because, well, you said it all. I've never seen any reason to use them. Your assessment of them is about what I've always thought. So I'm kinda wanting to see what people say about them as well.

[Exetus]

In a game where there are enough points to field one, I like fielding a techmarine. I commonyl play high points games, however, to get everyone in our area involved and I have the points to usually take on just about everyone at the same time =P. I would never take him in a lower-points contest unless I was playing with an ally and I had the role of fire support, simply because I much prefer to fill my Elites choices with assault termies or dreadnoughts, which I prefer even more.

On the field of battle, tooling your Techmarine out is certainly helpful. Plus you get a repair bonus by adding the extra servitors, which is always nice. Adding the other servitors also gives you techmarine a meat shield that can shoot back with effective firepower while he does his job. With the full servo-harness, he gets the benefit of the twin-linked plasma pistol (plasma cutters) and the powerfist, which is always helpful. Add his power weapon and he can hold his own in a fight.

The problem is that he's best used to support and fix all the broken sh*t that your enemy has laid waste to. As such, like I said before, he remains a bit pricey for your average smaller game of 1850, IMHO.

[The Farseer]

I would say if you are not getting into combat, don't take the Servoharness, waist of points. But being a Blood Angel's player, I keep considering a Techmarine as a nice juicy secondary character. Give him the Honours and Harness and throw him into a squad that doesn't have a fist and he'll be fine. I just need to find money to actually get myself said techmarine so I can't actually say for certain how it would work out.

[Magus Zeal]

Plus you get a repair bonus by adding the extra servitors, which is always nice.

Heh, not quite. You only get that bonus if you're using Technical Servitors. Combat Servitors and Gun Servitors don't grant that bonus.

But as far as their effectiveness? I can't see it. They can only fix either an immobilised result or a destroyed weapon for each turn. Now, perhaps if they could fix several things on a turn for a single vehicle, each repair result requiring another roll for balance (and perhaps some of their weapons being dropped), I would consider using them in my Guard armies (Techpriest Enginseer, but close to the same thing).

In their current status, with the equipment they're given, they're fitted more for combat than they are as a mechanic, and they seem to excel at neither.

[The Farseer]

The other problem I find with 'fixing' vehicles is that they have to be in base to base at the start of the turn they are wishing to repair in. I prefer to either help out a devistator squad or get into the thick of things in combat.

[cfoley]

Don't use him to fix vehicles. In a six-turn game, He'll only be able to realistically have a chance of fixing one, and to give him a good enough chance of succeeding, you'll be spending almost enough for an extra tank.

Don't use him for gun Servitors for the reasons Damar Stiehl mentioned. In fact, don't use Servitors full stop. The lack of ablative wounds is a problem.

I reckon he's best used either as an IC added to an advancing Tactical Squad or to help out a Devastator Squad. In the case of the latter, leave the full harness at home.