Mechanicum and Dark Mechanicum lists after Liber Strategia

During the weekend, I had constructed Legions Imperialis lists for my Knight Household, Solar Auxilia and Collegia Titan armies. I wanted to see how much has changed for my Dark Mechanicum, who are supposed to be the antagonists for this weird story I had in my head about my Knight Household and their Cybernetica retainer cohorts, plus Collegia Titan allies.

Unfortunately, I've been returning home late every night. I literally reached home past midnight yesterday, and I couldn't write more than a two paragraphs before I gave up and went to bed. So I ended up continuing today instead. Ugh. Anyway, I'll begin with the Mechanicum list, then Dark Mechanicum. As usual.

Before Liber Strategia

Legio Cybernetica Cohort (Loyalist)

Archmagos Prime on Abeyant (45)

2 (x3) Thallax (25)

2 (x3) Thallax (25)

4 (x3) Castellax battle-automata (140)

2 Tech-priests Auxilia (30)

2 (x3) Vorax battle-automata (80)

2 Vultarax Stratos-automata (70)

2 Triaros Armored Conveyors (30)

Points: 445

Dark Taghma Sub-covenant

Archmagos Prime on Abeyant (45)

4 (x5) Adsecularis Tech-thrall Covenant (30)

6 (x5) Adescularis Tech-thrall Covenant (42)

4 (x3) Thallax (50)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Destructor Host (30)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Destructor Host (30)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Secutor Host (30)

4 (x3) Ursarax Cohort (40)

2 Triaros Armored Conveyors (30)

Points: 327

Terror Protocol Cohort

1 Scintillax Cyclops Noospheric Stalker Network (75)

4 (x3) Harpax Swarmer Scout Hosts (30)

4 (x3) Harpax Swarmer Scout Hosts (30)

1 Errax Butcher Assault Stalker Cohort (45)

1 Errax Butcher Assault Stalker Cohort (45)

Points: 225

Purge Protocol Cohort

2 Serperos Overlord Heavy Stalker Maniple (175)

1 Tenebrax Archer Battle Stalker Cohort (35)

1 Tenebrax Archer Battle Stalker Cohort (35)

1 Scintillax Cyclops Noospheric Stalker Network (75)

2 Serperos Overlord Heavy Stalker Maniple (175)

Points: 495

Total (Dark Mechanicum only because Legio Cybernetica is Loyalist): 1,047

Now, what happens after Liber Strategia? Just how much has changed for both the Mechanicum and Dark Mechanicum? Or perhaps the reduction in Titan points makes the most difference for how the Dark Mechanicum goes to war?

After Liber Strategia

Legio Cybernetica Cohort (Loyalist)

Archmagos Prime on Abeyant (45)

2 (x3) Thallax (25)

2 (x3) Thallax (25)

4 (x3) Castellax battle-automata (135)

2 Tech-priests Auxilia (30)

2 (x3) Vorax battle-automata (75)

2 Vultarax Stratos-automata (65)

2 Triaros Armored Conveyors (44)

Points: 444

Uh, thanks to the Triaros Armored Conveyors going up by 7 points each (14 for 2), I only save 1 point. I was going to originally make this an allied detachment to my Purgigatus Heavy Maniple and Collegia Titanica Support Cohort, but the Warmaster has gone up by 100 points, so that's moot. Oh, well. Solution is simple - because I'm over by 75 points, all I need to do is simply remove the Vorax, and there you go. But I might consider the alternative.

Legio Cybernetica Cohort (Loyalist)

Archmagos Prime on Abeyant (45)

4 (x3) Thallax (45)

4 (x3) Thallax (45)

4 (x3) Castellax battle-automata (135)

2 Tech-priests Auxilia (30)

2 (x3) Vorax battle-automata (75)

2 Vultarax Stratos-automata (65)

4 Triaros Armored Conveyors (88)

Points: 528

Yeah, that means my guys have gone over by 159 points now. I suppose I'll have to remove a single Thanatar and the Vultarax to get under 3,000 points. Yikes. That hurts, but you can't have everything in life, I suppose. Especially since I'm taking 3 heavy Titans in this list already. Fair enough.

For Dark Mechanicum, on the other hand, the calculations have gotten more complex. I'll take out the Thallax and Triaros since they have gone over to my Loyalists, though I'd like to do a comparison first to see how points have changed before I adjust my list.

Dark Taghma Sub-covenant

Archmagos Prime on Abeyant (45)

5 (x5) Adsecularis Tech-thrall Covenant (40)

5 (x5) Adsecularis Tech-thrall Covenant (40)

4 (x3) Thallax (45)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Destructor Host (30)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Destructor Host (30)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Secutor Host (30)

4 (x3) Ursarax Cohort (55)

2 Triaros Armored Conveyors (44)

Points: 359

Yeah, the total cost went up by 32 points, rather than go down. Mostly because of the Triaros Armored Conveyor going up in points, but apparently both the Adsecularis Tech-thrall Covenant and Ursarax cohort rose in costs too! Ouch. The good news is that the Adescularis Tech-thralls are split into 5 bases rather than weirdly 4 or 6, and you can take up to 10. Cool, but I need to fulfil 2 compulsory cores anyway. Of course, I plan to adjust the list by removing the Thallax and Triaros, so now they cost this much instead. Also, there is no change to the points costs for the Dark Mechanicum stalker constructs, so no discount there. Oh, well.

Dark Taghma Sub-covenant

Archmagos Prime on Abeyant (45)

5 (x5) Adsecularis Tech-thrall Covenant (40)

5 (x5) Adsecularis Tech-thrall Covenant (40)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Destructor Host (30)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Destructor Host (30)

2 (x2) Myrmidon Secutor Host (30)

4 (x3) Ursarax Cohort (55)

Points: 270

Terror Protocol Cohort

1 Scintillax Cyclops Noospheric Stalker Network (75)

4 (x3) Harpax Swarmer Scout Hosts (30)

4 (x3) Harpax Swarmer Scout Hosts (30)

1 Errax Butcher Assault Stalker Cohort (45)

1 Errax Butcher Assault Stalker Cohort (45)

Points: 225

Purge Protocol Cohort

2 Serperos Overlord Heavy Stalker Maniple (175)

1 Tenebrax Archer Battle Stalker Cohort (35)

1 Tenebrax Archer Battle Stalker Cohort (35)

1 Scintillax Cyclops Noospheric Stalker Network (75)

2 Serperos Overlord Heavy Stalker Maniple (175)

Points: 495

Total: 990

So what do I do for the rest of the 2,010 points?

Titans. They've gone down in points. Each of the formations allow me to take Titans, and they count as primary, not allied. Yay! So the Terror Protocol Cohort allows me to bring 2 Warhounds in a single hunting pack for 600 points, and I'll grab a 350-point Dire Wolf and a 850-point Warmaster Iconoclast Titan for 1,800 points to bring the total up to 2,790 points. That leaves me with 210 points. I think I'll get a second box of Dark Mechanicum Stalker Constructs, doubling the Errax Butcher Assault Stalker Cohort (40 for the second), Tenebrax Archer Battle Stalker Cohort (still 35, unfortunately) and Harpax Swarmer Scout Hosts (25 for 4 additional). Alternatively, I can get a 2 squadrons of 3 Krios battle tanks (one fitted with irad scourers) for 200 points total (100 each), but I'll decide when the time comes.

Only thing left to do now is to get those Titans and second box of Dark Mechanicum Stalkers (or a box of Krios tanks, depending on what I feel like assembling), and my Dark Mechanicum will be complete. Once that's done, I'll have to paint them one day and create a diorama of my Knight Household clashing against the Dark Mechanicum. Or my Loyalist Titans against the Dark Mechanicum for a literal clash of Titans. That will be fun!

Liber Strategia

I finally got my hands on the new Liber Strategia! Yay! Now it's time to pore through the changes and see what affected me the most. I don't have any Legiones Astartes stuff for Legions Imperialis, so I won't talk about them, but I'll mostly see how my Solar Auxilia, Mechanicum, Knights and Titans have been affected. Knights, especially! Mechanicum, I'll do in another article because they haven't seen many points changes, so I won't cover them in this article.  Specifically, Dark Mechanicum - there's not many changes for my Cybernetica Cohorts, so I'll just run through what minor changes they have here, and focus on Dark Mechanicum in a future post.

Before Liber Stategia

Let's start off with Solar Auxilia, though. We'll calculate the original points from before the Liber Strategia. I have a Solar Auxilia Mechanized Infantry sub-cohort with a Solar Auxilia Armored Company, and Titan Hunter Company. My Legate Commander Detachment (16 points), 2 Auxilia Lasrifle Tercios (one has a couple of flamer sections in them) would cost me 72 points, a full Auxilia Veletaris Storm Section about 60 points, and a single Auxilia Ogryn Charonite section for 50 points. They all ride in 10 Dracosan Armored Transports (7 with demolisher cannons, 3 with lascannons), (37x3 + 42x7 = 111+294 = 405). We have 2 squadrons of 4 Aethon Armored Sentinels for 60x2 = 120 points and 4 Lightning Fighters in a squadron for 305 points.

The Armored Company has 2 Valdor tanks in a squadron for 140 points, 2 squadrons of 4 Leman Russ Executioner tanks for 175 points each (350 for both) and 2 Stormblades for 240 points (1 being the Tank Commander), and 2 Baneblades for 190 points.  The Titan Hunter company has 4 Shadowswords (2 in a squadron, plus tank commander) for 560 points.

Solar Auxilia Mechanized Infantry sub-cohort: 1,028

Solar Auxilia Armored Company: 920

Solar Auxilia Titan Hunter Company: 560

Total: 2,508 points

The remaining 492 points are for allied Knights and the like. Honestly, to adjust this list, I'll probably take out the Charonite Ogryns and their transports, which would free up 134 points, so a total of 626 points for Knights (3 Knight Lancers for 605 points). I don't know what to do with the remaining 21 points, but whatever.

Anyway, speaking of Knights, I did have a few lists from before Liber Strategia.

Barony Guard Lance

3 Questoris Knights Errant with missile pods (535)

3 Questoris Knights Paladin with missile pods (535)

3 Cerastus Knights Lancer (605)

3 Cerastus Knights Castigator (605)

Points: 2,280

Bonded Household Lance

2 Questoris Knights Styrix (390)

2 Questoris Knights Styrix (390)

2 Questoris Knights Magaera (390)

2 Cerastus Knights Atrapos (455)

1 Acastus Knight Asterius (270)

Points: 1,895

Knight Household Aegis Cohort

2 Acastus Knights Porphyrion (500)

1 Cerastus Knight Castigator (215)

4 (x3) Castellax battle-automata (140)

2 Domitar battle-automata (65)

2 Arlatax battle-automata (75)

4 Thanatar siege-automata (210)

4 Thanatar siege-automata with Sollex heavy-las (230)

Points: 1,435

Knight Household Retainer Cohort

1 Cerastus Knight Lancer (215)

1 Vultarax stratos-automata (35)

1 Vultarax stratos-automata (35)

2 (x3) Vorax battle-automata (80)

Points: 365

Purigatus Heavy Maniple

Warmaster Heavy Battle Titan (750)

Warlord Battle Titan (600)

Points: 1,350

Collegia Titanica Support Cohort

Warlord Battle Titan (600)

2 Arlatax battle-automata (75)

2 Domitar battle-automata (65)

4 Thanatar siege-automata (210)

4 Thanatar siege-automata with Sollex heavy las (230)

Points: 1,180

I'll include the Cybernetica points for Mechanicum, briefly. Fortunately (or unfortunately), there aren't any major changes to Mechanicum Cybernetica units, except for 5 points discounts for additional 2nd detachments for the Castellax, Vorax, Vultarax and Thanatar (but additional 3rd and 4th detachments cost the same). Oh, well. Or I'll write about Dark Mechanicum in a separate article, but I feel like Solar Auxilia, Knights and Titans are more than enough ground to cover for this one. Anyway, let's see how much have changed after the discounts in Liber Strategia!

After Liber Strategia

Again, let's start with the changes to Solar Auxilia. My Legate Commander detachment, lasrifle tercio, and Veletaris Storm sections have not changed at all, but Ogryns went up by 20 points! Ouch! However, they are now 2 wounds each! What the hell?! Aethon Heavy Sentinels cost the same, but we have an extra attack for our light missile launcher (still hits on 5+, though, but now twice, while the anti-tank didn't change). Oh, Leman Russ Vanquisher squadron stayed the same, but Leman Russ strike squadron (the battle tank) has gone down by 15 points to 160 for 4 as opposed to 175, plus extra tanks cost 150 points for 4. Nice! Speaking of which, the same applies to my Leman Russ Executioner squadron, which is now 160 points for 4 instead of 175, yay! And my Valdor now has a 2+ save and a drop in points from 70 to 60, and 55 for a 2nd instead of 70 again!

Baneblades cost the same - 100 points, 90 for the second, but they now have 3 wounds each! That's actually incredible! Stormblades went down by 10 points (110 now, 100 for second), and they get 3 wounds too! Did I mention the plasma blastgun went up to 3 shots from 2? That's insane. You know what's even crazier? Shadowswords. My Titan Hunter Company. They went down from 140 to 120, and 110 for a second tank, plus they also get the 3 wounds treatment. No change to the volcano cannon, but I'll take it, for sure. Dracosans did go up 5 points per model, but they are 2 wounds each now. Damn! Still 5 points for the demolisher cannon upgrade. Lightning fighters remain the same.

So, effectively, my tanks got tougher, cheaper, or both (Dracosans got tougher but more expensive). Let's see how many points they are now.

Solar Auxilia Mechanized Infantry sub-cohort: 1,098

Solar Auxilia Armored Company: 845

Solar Auxilia Titan Hunter Company: 480

Total: 2,423 points

My Solar Auxilia is now 85 points cheaper, with more durable tanks and more wounds spread across them! I now have 577 points for Knights, which means I can bring more of them! As usual, I can remove the Ogryns and their Dracosan armored transports to free up 164 points for a total of 741 points. I can bring 3 Cerastus Knights and 2 Questoris Knights!

Questoris Knights have gone down by 50 points (to 130), with subsequent Knights being 60 or 100 less for 2 (120 and 240). They also get 2+ saves and 3+ ion shields now! Rocket pods still cost 5 points, no change there. Mechanicum Questoris Knights now only cost 10 points more (though extra Knights are about 130 each). Cerastus Knights are now 160 points - a 55-point discount - with extra Knights costing 150 each, as well as the 2+ saves and 3+ ion shields (Knight Lancers get 2+ ion shields!). The Cerastus Knight Atrapos is still a 20-point upgrade, but it means he keeps the 55 point discount. Extra Knights are 170 points each for the banner. Nice. Acastus Knight Porphyrion is 230 points each, 20 points cheaper, and 220 for the second. The Asterius upgrade is an additional 10 points, which makes him 30 points cheaper than previously! Awesome!

Armiger Banners have gone down from 180 to 120 for the normal variants, and 135 from 200 for the Moirax, plus they get Tactical Strength of 3 instead of 1 in Knight Households Formations. Their datasheets see no changes whatsoever, with the remarkable exception of the Helverin, who now has 3 shots for his autocannon, hitting on 4+ instead of 2 shots and 5+ previously. Too bad I have no Armigers, and I won't get them until they're released in plastic.

Barony Guard Lance

3 Questoris Knights Errant with missile pods (385)

3 Questoris Knights Paladin with missile pods (385)

3 Cerastus Knights Lancer (460)

3 Cerastus Knights Castigator (460)

Points: 1,695

Bonded Household Lance

2 Questoris Knights Styrix (270)

2 Questoris Knights Styrix (270)

2 Questoris Knights Magaera (270)

2 Cerastus Knights Atrapos (350)

1 Acastus Knight Asterius (240)

Points: 1,400

Knight Household Aegis Cohort

2 Acastus Knights Porphyrion (450)

1 Cerastus Knight Castigator (160)

4 (x3) Castellax battle-automata (135)

2 Domitar battle-automata (65)

2 Arlatax battle-automata (75)

4 Thanatar siege-automata (210)

4 Thanatar siege-automata with Sollex heavy-las (230)

Points: 1,325

Knight Household Retainer Cohort

1 Cerastus Knight Lancer (160)

1 Vultarax stratos-automata (35)

1 Vultarax stratos-automata (35)

2 (x3) Vorax battle-automata (75)

Points: 305

As you can see, my lances went down by 585, 495, 110 and 60 points respectively. I can actually take a Barony Guard Lance and a Knight Household Aegis Cohort together now, no problem! Just need to get rid of 4 rocket pods. Alternatively, I can remove 2 Thanatar and 1 Thanatar with the Sollex heavy-las, plus 3 rocket pods (because I want to be thematic and run them in banners), and add a second Cerastus Knight to the Aegis Cohort. Similarly, I can run a Bonded Household Lance with a Knight Household Aegis Cohort, remove a single Arlatax, and add 2 more Cerastus Knights. Pretty much 3 Cerastus Knight Lancers or Castigators in the Aegis Cohort. That is a lot of Knights, but with automata support! Nice.

I can even combine my Barony Guard Lance with Knight Household Retainer Cohort, add a second Cerastus Knight (the Castigator) to the Knight Lancer, and then fill the remaining 850 points with my Warmaster Titan! Woohoo!

Now, the Titans. The Warlord Titan, unfortunately, still costs 600 points, but he has 7 wounds now instead of 6, and his void shields increased from 6 to 8. Time will tell if he's still worth taking. The Warlord-Sinister Titan receives the same treatment, still costing 675 points, but also has 7 wounds and 8 void shields now. The Warmaster has seen an increase to a whooping 850 points from 750, with 8 wounds now instead of 7. Still retains 12 void shields Really? Really?! You're increasing his cost by 100 points for a measly wound? Needless to say, the same applies to his Iconoclast counterpart. Ugh.

For the Titans I don't have (but I might in the future, for Dark Mechanicum), Warhound Titans have dropped from 330 to 300, and each subsequent Warhound costs an additional 300, as opposed to 330 and 640 for 2 more in the original. Like the others, they have an extra wound - 5 instead of 4. The Dire Wolf has seen points dropped to 350 from 385, and similarly, he has gained a 5th wound just like his less heavily armed brethren. Reavers are cheaper by 15 points - now 400 - and also have an extra wound (6 now). Like the Warlord, the Warbringer Nemesis Titan has unfortunately remained at 525 points with no discounts, but he does have an extra wound now (6), like the Reaver. All of them have the same number of void shields (2 for the Warhounds and Dire Wolf, 4 for the Reaver and 6 for Warbringer Nemesis, so no change there).

Purigatus Heavy Maniple

Warmaster Heavy Battle Titan (850)

Warlord Battle Titan (600)

Points: 1,450

Collegia Titanica Support Cohort

Warlord Battle Titan (600)

2 Arlatax battle-automata (75)

2 Domitar battle-automata (65)

4 Thanatar siege-automata (210)

4 Thanatar siege-automata with Sollex heavy las (230)

Points: 1,180

Uh...that leaves 370 points for a tiny allied detachment. Fortunately, Knights are cheaper now, so 3 Questoris Knights without rocket pods? Or even 2 Cerastus Knight Atrapos if I want to be mean. Hey, that actually works! Perfect!

Veletaris command section

I assembled a Veletaris command section! Do you guys remember the Heresy 1.0 first edition rules of old when the Lord Marshal could take a household retinue? The one where you can take a Veletaris Storm Section an Elites choice and they get Preferred Enemy (Infantry). They're supposed to be the Marshal's bodyguards, get WS4 (which we already do get in 3.0), and people would arm them with storm axes. For the Marshal and his household retinue to charge into glorious combat and hack even the vaunted Legionaries of the Legiones Astartes to pieces. Because we mortals rock.

So that's what I did. Gave almost everyone, aside from the Captain and the vox operator, a storm axe. Whee!!!!

I even kitbashed a Veletaris with a command vox. He has a volkite charger by his side. I mean, it makes no sense for the vox operator to be armed with a storm axe...his job isn't to charge into melee, but to stay back and keep the vox channels open for communication.

"Bro, where's your storm axe? Why aren't you charging?"

"Mate, can't you see the heavy vox-pack on my back? You want me to run straight at the enemy while carrying all this equipment? Nah, go on ahead. I'll just shoot from afar with my trusty volkite charger."

"...right. Okay, everyone else! CHARGE!"

Not sure if you can see it, but the Captain (or Veletaris First Prime) has a volkite serpenta to pair with his power sword. As befitting his status as an officer, y'know? And also to mark him as an officer when contrasted against the Veletarii sergeants that lead the Veletaris storm sections. I also gave another guy an Auxilia vexila, to make it more command section-ish. He gets a storm axe because that's how he inspires the other Veletarii.

At least I can unlock my Veletaris Tercio now! YAY!

Dark Angels Contemptor Dreadnought

I finally assembled my Dark Angels Contemptor Dreadnought! I bought the plastic version to combine it with the resin Dark Angels torso.

I also assembled all the weapons, just in case I need them for a future Contemptor Dreadnought. You'll never know...anyway, my Osiron-Contemptor Dreadnoughts have an extra volkite culverin now! Maybe I might get one for Imperial Fists in the future, but I don't know. Depends on my budget, but for now my Dark Angels are on their way to becoming a more fully fledged out force.

I glued the plasma cannon because I want this guy to be plasma. Dark Angels = plasma. And I like plasma. Doesn't matter if they got nerfed or whatever. He'll go well with my Interemptors and other guys. Hopefully, I'll get more stuff for my Dark Angels - I intend to kitbash Mortalis Destroyers! Eventually...we'll see!

My Imperial Knights now Feel Pain

It's official, fellow Lords and Ladies. Imperial Knights are losing their 6+++ Feel No Pain.

Warhammer Community has revealed the 4 Knight Detachments in our new codex. I don't know if I'll get it, at least not in the near future (maybe a few months later). Not only have I run out of money, I'm currently focusing on Horus Heresy. But I'll get the Knight codex...eventually.

Anyway, Noble Lance is no more. No more 6+++ Feel No Pain. In his place, we get the Valorstrike Lance, which gives our Knights Assault and rerolls for advance. Oh, well. I'm probably more inclined toward Dauntless Defenders because Ryuusei Katanas used to be known as the Draconian Defenders. I think.

I won't be covering all the rules revealed - you can read the Warhammer Community article for that. I would love to, but I'm exhausted. I've been regularly working until past 8 or 9pm for the last couple of months, and by the time I finally sit down to catch up on news, it's almost 11.30pm. Hell, it's almost 1am now when I'm writing this, and I have to work again tomorrow. I couldn't even drop by Gamers @ Pi to pick up my Veletaris and Contemptor Dreadnought (I told you I'm focusing on Horus Heresy) because by the time I got off work, the game store had already closed.

...oh, well.

By the way, that yellow Knight might appear to be bearing the Ultramarine symbol on his shoulder pauldron, but he's House Hawkshroud. No, seriously. That ultima symbol is also a Hawkshroud thing. Also, the Knights for Dauntless Defenders are House Raven.

Anyway, I'll just go to bed now. Have fun reading the article. Honestly, aside from Crusade, I can't say I'm excited about the new Knight codex. Losing our Feel No Pain hurts (pun very much intended), and I'm not really a fan of Heroes of Legend because I feel like the Deeds are hard to complete (for me, anyway). I also like my Titanic Knights more than Armigers, so the Spearhead-at-Arms detachment don't really interest me. Valorstrike Lance seems like the old Knight Errant Bondsman ability, which is cool, but doesn't really fit my playstyle. In the end, it's either Questor Forgepact or Dauntless Defender (which probably wins by default, though I see the appeal in running my Skitarii alongside my Knights).

Frankly, I'd much rather play Horus Heresy with my titanic Knights and Yeomanry mesnie or automata talon, than 10th Edition. I don't know. I swear it's not because of Valrak, I just am not feeling it. Oh, I'll definitely play Crusade, though! I would love to play Crusade, for sure! Maybe that's what I need, focus on narrative, and to hell with the Detachments. I'm gonna create a story for my Knights.

Adios. じゃね。再见。See ya. (I'm going crazy because I'm exhausted, so don't mind me)

Imperial Militia is here!

The Imperial Militia is here! Games Workshop released a PDF for the army for Horus Heresy yesterday! I wanted to write about it then, but I worked until past 2am, and by the time I reached home, it was almost 3am. Obviously, I wasn't in any shape to write...well, anyway.

So, what has changed? Seems like the Imperial Militia has gotten more flexible and even had units added to their roster, particularly those from Necromunda and Genestealer Cultists from the 40K line. Their rules have a glowup - they are Irregulars, which allows you to score or contest objectives with them even when they suffer tactical statuses. Of course, they're limited to only scoring 1 victory point and Line doesn't count, but it still helps a lot to even the scoring despite having lots of them die. They do die if they get routed and run all the way to the edge of the table, though.

Vehicles retain their Third-Line rule, but now it means you suffer a hull point's worth of damage if you get glanced. I assume Armorbane weapons will deal 2 hull points worth of damage (or 1 + the damage of the Armorbane weapon). Super-heavy vehicles also suffer two hull points worth of damage if glanced. Ouch.

Now, on to the fun part: Provenances of War. They're more flexible than before, allowing you to mix and match without as many restrictions as during the first and second editions. Some are locked to specific allegiances, such as Traitor, though. So no running Tainted Flesh or Debased Rabble with Talons of the Emperor, for example.

Also, Imperial Militia only get one Provenance now. Hang on, calm down before you start screaming about nerfs. It's actually a buff because if you take a Force Commander with his Planetary Overlord Trait, you get a second Provenance, so you go back to square one - but it's a buff if you're taking an army without a Force Commander. Say, if for some reason you don't want to use the Special Assignment Prime Advantage to turn a Command into a High Command slot, or you just want to run several command troops for their amazing Officer of the Line (3) that unlocks 3 auxiliary detachments. Yes, you readd that right. Officer of the Line (3). Hell, yeah!

Anyway, what are the Provenancess of War?

Abhuman Master: Irregulars (basically non-vehicles and non-walkers and non-Ogryns) get +1 Strength, +1 WS, -1 BS, Impact (LD), and access to assault shields for 1 point each.

Alchem-jackers: Ignore negative modifiers to Leadership or Cool when making checks for Tactical Statuses, and access to Frenzon for 1 point each, which gives them Hatred (infantry, cavalry, automata) and Heedless.

Armory of Old Night: My good old Provenance for Ryuusei Katanas (or Household Militia). We keep our volkite chargers and volkite serpentas (for officers and sergeants), and they cost 5 points each now. Volkite culverins are now heavy weapons that cost 15 points each, so now my Grenadiers suddenly lost access to them and their loadout is illegal. However, they can take special weapons (2 per squad), which means they gained volkite calivers for 10 points each. Sure, I'll just swap the volkite culverins out for volkite calivers then.

However, the most insane upgrade is that now my Ryuusei Katanas have their Armor saves improved by +1, the tradeoff being they are Slow and Purposeful. That means my Grenadiers now have 3+ armor saves, putting them on par with Astartes legionnaires in terms of armor saves! WHAT IN THE HOLY EMPEROR'S NAME?!

Arms of the Omnissiah: Hooray, they combined the two pseudo-Skitarii rules! Now your Skitarii-wannabes have access to las-locks for the standard infantry troops (Grenadiers already have access by default, and they cost an extra point each), plus arc rifles in special weapons (again, 2 for Grenadiers, 1 for infantry troops). Not only that, they now can ride in Triaros armored conveyors as heavy transports and take an armored detachment of Krios tanks, but these vehicles get Third-Line and -1 BS.

Augmented Levy: The third pseudo-Skitarii that got left out and not combined with the other two, Irregulars gain Rite of Pure Thought, and Command Troops can repair automata for 2 points per model. Huh?

Cyber-augmetics: Good old original pseudo-Skitarii rule from both the first and second editions, not the three provenances we got from a 2nd edition Exemplary Battle. Irregulars infantry gain Eternal Warrior (1), which is hilarious when you consider that most of your non-Character infantry only have 1 wound. Could have been useful on, say, Cavalry or units, but nope. On the other hand, your multi-wound artillery dudes are tougher? So Field Guns, Ordnance Batteries, etc.? Bizarre, but what do I know?

Oh, they also get +1 Cool and Intelligence, as well as rad grenades for Characters costing 5 points each. No Feel No Pain or invulnerable saves. Sad. But rad.

Debased Rabble: Traitors only. The opposite of Cyber-augmetics, sort of, with +1 Cool but -1 Intelligence. Melee dudes and Officers get Tainted implements for 1 point each. Basically Rending (6+) melee weapons.

Feral Warriors: Irregulars get Impact (WS), but are forced to make an Intelligence Check whenever they're within 8" of an enemy unit. Failing that, they must charge that unit. But you were going to do that anyway...right? Also, they get paired close combat weapons for 3 points each. That just gives them an extra attack.

Gene-crafted: Irregulars get Light sub-type, or lose Heavy if they have Heavy sub-type. They also get needle pistols for 5 points each, assault needlers for 5, needle rifles as special weapons for 10, and needle cannons as heavy weapons for 15. Basically separating them out from volkite in Armory of Old Night, and making them more Necromunda-ish. Cool.

Imperialis Provosts: Irregular infantry without Expendable get +1 Cool, melee dudes and officers get shock mauls for 3 points each, and they also get webbers as special weapons for 3 points.

Industrial Levy: Irregulars get Move Through Cover, access to Heavy Industrial weapons for 8 points each, mining lasers and seismic cannons as special weapons for 15, heavy mining lasers and heavy seismic weapons as heavy weapons for 25. Start converting your Genestealer Cultists into Militia!

Kinfolk Helots: Squats, Space Dwarves, Heresy-era Votann, whatever you want to call them. Irregular infantry get +1 Toughness, but -1 Initiative and Movement. You can choose one Grenadier Troop in each detachment and upgrade them to Exo-riggers for 8 points per model, which makes them Heavy, Bulky (2) and Slow and Purposeful, improve their Armor save to 3+, gives them 6++ invulnerable, an Intelligence of 7, Sergeants get Battlesmith (1), and access to heavy industrial weapons for 8 points each, or a pair of industrial weapons for 10.

Legacy of the Great Crusade: Hell, yeah! It's back! Irregulars who are not Expendable get +1 BS, infantry troops get access to lasrifles for 1 point each, and rotor cannons are added to special weapons at 10 points.

Ogryn Conscripts: Ogryn brutes lose Heedless if they have Discipline Masters attached to them, and they can swap their assault shields for boarding shields for 2 points each.

Survivors of the Dark Age: All vehicles gain Auto-Repair (5+), and your dudes can ride in Rhinos, Termites and Land Carriers, but as usual, they get -1 BS and Third-Line. Would be hilarious to take this for your Yeomanry Mesnie to support your Knights with frakking self-repairing Land Raiders. God-Emperor.

Tainted Flesh: Irregulars get Aflame (1) and Impact (1). Ghost Riders, anyone? Rogue Psykers also get two psychic disciplines instead of one.

Voidbourne: Also separated from Armory of Old Night, these guys get Infiltrate (18) as long as they are Irregulars without Expendable and Bulky. Reconnaissance Troops or Command Troops can be upgraded to voidjumpers for 3 points per model, giving them Antigrav, Bulky (2), Deep Strike, Firestorm, Movement 10" and access to two pistols (2 laspistols will cost 1 point per model).

Warrior Elite: Irregulars get +1 Leadership to a maximum of 9, and may swap their Militia vexilla for auxillia vexilla for free, which helps rally your troops when they're routed.

Unending Horde: Infantry Troops and Levy Troops get Endless Horde (4+), which means you can replace them on a roll of 4+ whenever they're wiped out, by placing a "new" unit in Reserves. Obviously, attached Characters don't get revived, so no resurrecting your Force Commander or Discipline Master or Rogue Psyker when they die. Also, you can give your Command Troop and Infantry Troops Expendable (1) for 1 point per model.

Which is your favorite Provenance?

Imperial Militia players are eating good. In addition to these new Provenances, we also have an immense number of new detachments!

6 Apex detachments, giving us an insane number of whatever units we want to spam, whether they are Grenadiers or Ogryns, or maybe infantry. Or artillery and heavy weapons. We even have cavalry spam and tank spam (you can take up to 8 tanks - one being a Lord of War, thus allowing you to circumvent the 25% limits of the Lord of War detachment!) options for Apex.

Three auxiliary detachments give you one for an extra command slot accompanied by 4 supports for Medicae units only, a Storm Cadre for 2 Grenadiers if you don't want to take a Force Commander but still want to bring Grenadiers for an allied detachment, and Daemonic Manifestation that summons 3 units of Ruinstorm Daemon Brutes, but only for Imperial Militia armies who brought Rogue Psykers.

So what does that mean for my Imperial Militia? Either I have the volkite culverins count as bulky, old-fashioned volkite calivers, or I just cut them off and equip them with volkite calivers. I....don't think I want to do that, so I'll just pretend they are distinctive volkite calivers. They fit my Yeomanry Mesnie for my Knights really well, taking up the 2 Elite slots. Perhaps I might get cavalry to join them in the future, or a squad of Snipers. I don't really want to bring Gorgons, though. Unless they're fine with me proxying a Stormlord as a Gorgon or something...or I kitbash a Stormlord into a Gorgon. maybe.

Rules-wise, they're...fine? But I find myself wondering if I should just take Solar Auxilia instead. After all, the same loadout on a 10-men Veletaris squad costs 90 points (95 with vox interlock), minus 2 shots from the volkite calivers, and they're already hitting on 3+ instead of 4+ with their BS4. Plus they have access to Dracosan Armored Transports. There's...no reason to take Armory of Old Night Imperial Militia over Veletaris Solar Auxilia. The only edge they have over their Solar Auxilia counterparts is a 3+ armor save, but I'm paying over 50% more for them (145 points for a squad with 8 volkite chargers and 2 volkite calivers). Are they worth it? Even if I say fluff, for all intents and purposes, Veletaris Solar Auxilia with volkite chargers are identical, aside from the better BS and worse armor save.

I honestly don't know. What do you think?

List building with Liber Auxilia

I finally got my hands on Liber Auxilia, and now I shall proceed to list build with the models I have, and the ones I'll be getting in the very near future (already ordered a few of them, just a matter of waiting for them to be delivered). As always, we'll begin with a bit of the lore, though...quite frankly, there's no change. Saturnyne Ordo and Jovian Void Clans formed the basis for these elite unaugmented troops of humanity, and Solar Auxilia are the elite pinnacle, forming 25% of the Imperial Army, etc. Not much to see here.

Anyway, we'll first begin with my Legatine Command Section, which I already assembled after getting the Solar Auxilia Battlegroup last year (March 2024, to be exact). Or actually, this version was assembled in August last year, with me kitbashing Veletaris models to be command squad veterans - hence, you'll notice they're all in Veletaris void armor, rather than the standard void armor of lasrifle tercios. The Legate Marshal has a paragon blade and archaeotech pistol, and I have 4 Lifewards, one has a Cohorts vexilla, one has a command vox, and two have plasma pistols and power swords. The Lifeward with the vexilla is also equipped with a plasma pistol and a power sword, just because. This brings their cost up to 200 points. I'll be choosing the Mechanized Patterned Cohort Doctrine because I love tanks, and my guys are quite literally a mechanized force, anyway, with all my infantry riding in Dracosan Armored transports.

I will be kitbashing a Veletaris Command Section soon, giving them a single command vox. The lieutenant has a volkite serpenta and a power sword to signify his status as an officer. I'll give the remaining three Veletarii storm axes, which will bring them up to 104 points. Rounding up the command staff would be an armored command section, a Leman Russ tank with a volkite macro-saker (or twin lascannon, which I'll magnetize if possible), a hull lascannon and a flare shield for 180 points.

The infantry consists of two Veleteris Storm Sections at 95 points each, all armed with volkite chargers and a single vox interlock. They are supported by 4 Hermes Veletaris Sentinels in a single squadron, all armed with volkite calivers and costing 80 points. The Logistical Benefit will be used for a Dracosan Armored Transport with twin lascannons and flare shield for 160 points. They'll be riding in 2 Dracosan Armored Transports with demolisher cannons and flare shields at 195 points each. This fills my Veletaris Tercio detachment, and the total cost of that is 820 points.

Speaking of Aethon Heavy Sentinel, there's this awesome artwork where we take down a Contemptor Dreadnought with a melta lance. Humanity, f yeah! We mortals can beat Astartes!

I'll have to unlock a heavy support detachment with my primary Crusade detachment, the Legatine Command Section, for an Aethon Heavy Sentinel squadron of 3, armed with melta lances and Aethon missile battery for 240 points.

4 Leman Russ assault tanks make up 2 Armor Tercio detachments, which I have access to thanks to taking the Mechanized Patterned Cohort. 2 are equipped with executioner plasma destroyers and lascannons for 175 points each, while the other two retain their volkite marco-sakers, but unlike the Tank Commander, they swap their hull weapon for multi-lasers and have pintle multi-lasers too. They only cost 150 points each. The total tercio cost will be 650 points. Nice.

The Logistical Benefit in the primary crusade detachment will unlock the Valdor Tank Destroyer,who has a sponson lascannon and a flare shield, so he costs 255 points. Rounding out my armored cohort is a Stormblade super-heavy tank with 2 sponson lascannons and two twin heavy bolters for 540 points.

That brings me to 2,989 points. I have 11 points left over for a 6th Veletaris with storm axe for the Veletaris command setction, which will add nicely to a total of 3,000 points. Nice. There's also the option of taking away the power sword from the vexilla bearer (since he's technically only holding a plasma pistol) and swapping the melta lances on my Aethon Heavy Sentinels for volkite culverins, which will give me another 44 points, to round up my Veletaris command section to 10 men for 3,000 points.

Alternatively, I can downgrade my Legatine Command Section to a Tactical Command Section, though the captain has a power fist and plasma pistol as opposed to a paragon blade and archaeotech pistol. Everyone else is the same, so they cost 170 points, giving me another 30 points to play with. I'll just take out 2 Hermes Veletaris Sentinels to free up another 40 points. Adding that to the 11 points (since I will not be taking a 6th storm axe Veletaris in this scenario), the consequent 81 points mean I can bring a Carnodon strike tank for 80 points with his volkite culverin and two sponson volkite calivers. Now you see why I took out 2 Hermes Veletaris Sentinels? I already have 2 volkite calivers on my Carnodon strike tank, so they're kind of redundant! However, if I really want to go all in on volkite, I could swap the melta lances for volkite culverins and keep the Hermes Veletaris Sentinels to free up the 39 points I need to get the 80 for my Carnodon strike tank.

I have a lot of volkite in my list, especially if I decide to arm my Aethon Heavy Sentinels with volkite culverins instead of melta lances. But I have way too much volkite. I mean, 43 volkite shots from my Veletaris Command Section and Storm Sections alone, 8 from my Hermes Veletaris Sentinel squadron, and 24 Damage 2 volkite shots from my Leman Russ tanks (16 if I go for twin lascannons on the Tank Commander). If I swap my 2 Hermes Veletaris Sentinel for my Carnodon strike tank, I have another 7-8 volkite shots, minus 4, which is an additional 3-4 overall. That's a total of 75 or 78-79 Strength 5/6 shots in a single army. That's a lot of dakka. Of course, it drops to 67 or 70-71 if I use twin lascannons for my Tank Commander. Do I really need another 9-12 volkite shots from my Aethon Heavy Setinels? If I want to go all in on volkites, I can arm my Aethon Heavy Sentinels with volkite culverins. That will bring me up to 84-87 (extra Hermes Veletarii Sentinels) or 87-91 (Carnodon strike tank). Or 91-95 volkite shots if I went all in on volkite as previously mentioned, at the cost of antitank. Of course, if I'm taking volkite culverins over melta lances, I might as well swap the volkite on the Carnodon strike tank for lascannons at the expense of 2 Hermes Veletaris Sentinels, which will bring it down to 80-83 volkite shots.

Comparatively, my antitank weaponry is lacking. My Valdor tank hunter, 3 hull lascannons on my Leman Russ Assault tanks (plus twin lascannons if I take that over the volkite macro-saker), the twin lascannons on my Dracosan Armored Transport, 2 Demolisher cannons also from Dracosans, along with the Stormblade are all that stand between me and armored foes. That's like, what, 8-10 lascannon shots, 2 neutron beam lasers, 2 Demolisher blasts and 1 gigantic Damage 5/7 plasma blast? Doesn't sound too bad, actually. Anyway, having an extra 3 melta shots might be helpful if I face a tank-heavy opponent, but I can chop and equip however I see fit. As said above, swapping volkite for lascannons on my Carnodon strike tank will give me 4 additional lascannon shots, bringing it up to 12-14 along with the others.

Also, I can just play an armor cohort with just tanks - an Armored Command Section, 4 Leman Russ Assault tanks, my Stormblade and Valdor Tank Hunter cost 1,625 points, which means they can serve as allies to my Thousand Sons or Dark Angels or Mechanicum. For example, a Legio Cybernetica list with my Archmagos Prime, a Magos, 2 Tech-priests, 2 Castellax battle-automata, 4 Castellax Destructor battle-automata, 1 Domitar battle-automata, a Thantar-Cavas siege-automata and a Thanatar-Calix siege-automata will cost me 1,665 points. That puts me in excess of 290 points, so I'll need to drop something. Maybe the Thanatar-Cavas siege automata and one Tech-priest, which frees 25 points.

The Veletaris and their Dracosan Armored Transports can serve as Yeomanry Mesnie for my Knights - 570 points. Alternatively, if I want to play them as allies, the command section, storm sections and their transports will cost 1,219 points. Either way, if I were to ally them to the Legio Cybernetica Mechanicum force above, that brings me to 2,884 points! I have 116 left over, but I can swap the Aetheon Heavy Sentinel squadron for 2 Krios Venator tanks with 6 points remaining. Nice.

Anyway, it's been a fun exercise! I'll add this as a note when I start fleshing out my lists for my Thousand Sons and Dark Angels! My Solar Auxilia will be the perfect Legiones Auxilia for them!