Skip to content

Dark Mechanicum

The following section presents the Dark Mechanicum Army List, representing the forces of a Forge World that has cast off many of the old ways in favour of exploiting the proscribed knowledge gifted to them by the Warmaster. Within you'll find all the rules needed to build a Dark Mechanicum Army, focusing on the employment of new technology and war machines.

To build a force representing a more traditional Forge World that chose to side with the Warmaster and leverage their new knowledge alongside their considerable standing assets, Dark Mechanicum Formations can be allied into the Mechanicum Taghmata Army List.

Dark Mechanicum Special Rules

The Mechanicum, both Loyalist and Traitor, held close ties with both the Titan Legions and the Knight Households. Taghmata armies, and the twisted versions of them that marched to war during the Horus Heresy, were regularly supported by god-engines and knights, lending considerable strength to such armies.

To represent this, certain Dark Mechanicum Formations include Titan and/or Knight slots which can be filled with the appropriate Detachments taken from the Strategic Asset List (see page 198 of the Legions Imperialis Rulebook). Titans and Knights taken in these slots as part of a Primary Army List count as part of the Dark Mechanicum Army List; they do not count as, nor contribute towards the total points cost of, Allied Contingents.

Dark Mechanicum armies may still take Strategic Asset Formations as Allied Contingents following normal restrictions, allowing them to include Titans and/or Knights within their core list and as allies. A Dark Mechanicum Formation taken as an Allied Contingent includes Titans and Knights within the allied points cost and restrictions.

A Dark Mechanicum Army List includes the following Detachments from the Mechanicum Taghmata Army List, in the same Detachment Roles:

  • Archmagos Prime
  • Archmagos Prime on Abeyant
  • Adsecularis Tech-thrall Covenant
  • Thallax Cohort
  • Tech-Priest Auxilia
  • Myrmidon Secutor Host
  • Myrmidon Destructor Host
  • Ursarax Cohort
  • Karacnos Assault Tank Squadron
  • Krios Battle Tank Squadron
  • Triaros Armoured Conveyor

Construct Shields (X)

Construct Shields count as Void Shields, following the rules presented on page 97 of the Legions Imperialis Rulebook. Unlike Void Shields, Construct Shields cannot be reignited and are not rolled for in the End Phase - when the level is reduced, it cannot be increased unless instructed otherwise.

When one or more Hits are scored against a Detachment which contains one or more models with active Construct Shields, Hits are first allocated to the Construct Shields. Each time a Hit is allocated, reduce the Construct Shield level of an eligible model in that Detachment by 1 then discard the Hit. Once a Construct Shield level has reached 0, that model's shields collapse and are no longer active. Any remaining Hits are allocated to other eligible target models with active Construct Shields. Unlike Void Shields, Hits with an AP of 0 can be assigned to Construct Shields if the weapon that caused the Hits has the Light AT or Anti-tank Trait. If no models in the Detachment have active Construct Shields, then Hits are allocated to models and resolved as normal.

Networked Anima

Detachments with the Networked Anima special rule may gain additional benefits when within 8" of a model with the Noosphere Controller special rule that is part of the same Formation. These rules can be found in the respective Formation.

Note: The Noosphere Controller is a special rule that triggers other effects, most often in the case of Formation special rules - it does not have a specific effect itself.