ASSEMBLING A BATTLEGROUP

In conventional battles, the presence of a lone Titan – even a Scout class such as a Warhound – can be sufficient to guarantee victory. However, when Titans go to war en masse, they are formed into ad hoc groups, operating together under the command of their most senior Princeps for the duration of a campaign.

When playing Adeptus Titanicus, all of the units under a player’s command are referred to as their ‘battlegroup’. This is a loosely defined term which encompasses maniples of Titans, individual Titans acting as reinforcements and any attached support units, such as Banners of Knights from allied Houses.

Assembling a Battlegroup

In Open Play (see page 66), assembling a battlegroup is as simple as deciding which miniatures from your collection you wish to use, taking a Command Terminal for each one and getting the battle started. In Matched Play (see page 84) and Narrative Play (see page 67), the rules for assembling a battlegroup are a little more restricted. In either of these play modes, a battlegroup must consist of at least one maniple, made up of 3-5 Titans as follows, plus any number of reinforcement units. Each unit (whether it is part of a maniple or chosen as reinforcements) has a points cost, which is made up of the unit’s base cost plus the cost of any weapons and upgrades it takes. The total points cost of all of a battlegroup’s units is referred to as the battlegroup’s ‘Battle Rating’.

BATTLEGROUP ROSTER. Players should record the details of their battlegroup on a Battlegroup roster, which could be a piece of paper, an online document or anything similar. This should include which maniple they are using, which Titans are in the maniple, any reinforcement units, and the weapon loadout of each unit in the battlegroup. It should also include the battlegroup’s Battle Rating, as described above.

WEAPON CARDS. Each of a Titan’s weapons is represented by a double-sided Weapon card, which shows all of its rules and tracks whether it is active or disabled. The Titan’s Command Terminal has a Weapon card slot for each of its weapons, each of which must be filled when assembling a battlegroup as described on page 53. The Adeptus Titanicus boxed game contains a number of Weapon cards, and others will be made available separately.

MANIPLES

According to tradition, a maniple is made up of five Titans, although they may be divided (or, indeed, reinforced) into sub-maniples for the duration of a mission. There are countless configurations of maniples, as set out in the Libraxus Titanica, each being recorded in exacting detail along with countless footnotes detailing deployments, successes and failures.

The most commonly used maniple is the Axiom. A Warlord Battle Titan leads the maniple, supported by a pair of Reaver Battle Titans, while a pack of two Warhound Scout Titans ranges ahead to survey the battlefield. The Axiom maniple is widely regarded as the epitome of balance and tactical opportunity, but it is only one among many maniples, each with its own strengths and tactical doctrines.

Command of a maniple is generally granted to the most experienced Princeps, although there have been notable exceptions. In any case, the elevated officer is granted the rank of Princeps Seniores, and is charged with dictating the maniple’s strategic and tactical approaches. Their personality will shape the way the maniple hunts and fights, and as such the rank is highly sought after by ambitious Princeps who wish to prove their worth.

Assembling a Maniple

The first step in assembling a maniple is to choose from one of the maniple configurations that follow (additional configurations will be released later, expanding the options available to players). Each configuration has a Maniple trait, which gives it a special rule or in-game bonus based on the character of the maniple in question.

Each of the configurations shows five Titans, three of which are listed as mandatory while two are optional. At full strength, the maniple consists of all five Titans, but it can be fielded as a demi-maniple by omitting either or both of the optional Titans.

Reinforcing a Maniple

As well as the maniple, a battlegroup can include additional reinforcements. The most common reinforcement options are additional Titans and Household Support.

‘The arming of Titans must, of necessity, always be a compromise. To gain heavy armament you must sacrifice speed and manoeuvrability, and vice versa. You must approach this decision at two levels.

Firstly, the level of the individual Titan. Consider carefully what it must achieve, and how its armament will affect its ability to fulfil its objective.

Secondly, the level of the force itself: this may be the Order as a whole, or the force dispatched for a particular mission. Never forget that a Titan force is a single body and may have specialised members constituted for specific functions.

Meditate on the subject if you feel the need. The decision is of utmost importance and must not be taken lightly.’

— De Bellis Titanicus, attributed to Haran Jaxx

ADDITIONAL TITANS. In times of need, a maniple can be reinforced by additional Titans, which may be seconded from another maniple or from the wider Legio. These Titans offer their support, and defer to the Princeps Seniores, usually for the duration of a single mission.

A battlegroup can contain any number of additional Titans, other than those in the maniple. These Titans add to the battlegroup’s Battle Rating as normal, but do not count as part of the maniple for the purposes of any Maniple traits. Players should ensure that it is made clear to their opponent at the start of the battle which of their Titans are part of their maniple, and which are reinforcements.

Note that Titans that are reinforcements cannot be part of a Squadron with Titans that are part of a maniple, and vice versa.

HOUSEHOLD SUPPORT. Maniples are often accompanied to war by Banners of Knights, which use their speed and agility to scout ahead or secure battlefield objectives, broadening the strategic options available to the Princeps Seniores.

A battlegroup can contain any number of Household Support elements, such as the Questoris Support Banner. Their points values are added to the battlegroup’s Battle Rating as normal.

The Princeps Seniores

On the field of battle, each maniple is commanded by a Princeps Seniores – a Princeps who has proven themselves beyond reproach, and worthy of such a vaunted position.

After assembling their battlegroup, the player should pick one Titan in their maniple to be commanded by their Princeps Seniores – note this on the roster. This grants two bonuses:

ORDERS. Add 2 to the result of any Command checks made when issuing an order to the Princeps Seniores’ Titan.

PERSONAL TRAITS. Each Princeps Seniores has a Personal trait, which is in effect for as long as they are on the battlefield. Immediately before deploying their force, each player should roll a D6 on the table to the right to see what their trait is. If both players agree then they can each pick a Personal Trait instead of rolling a D6.

D6	PERSONAL TRAIT
1	Dominant Strategist: I turned away from the auspex to behold my Princeps. She was watching with a predatory grin, her knuckles white as she gripped the arms of her command throne. The fools were playing right into her hands. Once during the battle, at the start of any phase, the controlling player can use this trait to take the Opus Titanica, becoming the First Player. If they do this at the start of the Strategy phase, do not roll off to see who takes the marker.
2	Iron-clad Tyrant: I served under Princeps Seniores Kibwe for three decades, and only on one occasion did I dare to speak out of turn. I did so to save our god-engine, but I was flogged at mission’s end all the same. Once per turn, when issuing orders to a Titan in the Princeps Seniores’ maniple, the Command check can be re-rolled.
3	Swift Killer: Princeps Faruq had grown up in the slums of Bronta-Median, an anomaly among the higher-borns he came to serve with. His upbringing gifted him with a colourful vocabulary, and the reflexes of a life-long gunfighter. Once per round, before the Princeps Seniores’ Titan makes an attack, it can turn up to 45°. Subtract 1 from the result of any Hit rolls it makes for the rest of the phase.
4	Devoted Servant of the Machine: From the moment she first connected to the manifold, Princeps Meira could not bear to be away from her god-engine. She knew every inch of that machine, and could sense the slightest fault before even the Enginseers could scry it. When making a Repair roll for the Princeps Seniores’ Titan, the controlling player can add 1 to the result of a single D6.
5	Favoured by Fortune: They had the drop on us, and a clean fix. I thought it was the end, then Princeps Imrich seized direct command of the turbos and squeezed off a rapid volley. No firing solution, nothing. Somehow, the lucky bastard hit their reactor dead-on! Once per round, the controlling player can re-roll a single D6 from a Hit roll or Save roll for the Princeps Seniores’ Titan.
6	Will of Iron: The menials talk about Nazarian like she’s blessed by the Omnissiah. But then you look at some of the dire situations she’s walked back from, and you start to see why… The first time a Catastrophic Damage roll is made for the Princeps Seniores’ Titan, roll a D10. If the score equals or beats the result of the Catastrophic Damage roll, it is ignored and has no effect.