Techmarine tactics help

Greetings,

I started a new thread on the topic of Techmarines today, but it was closed due to being redundant. The suggestion from the moderator was to go through the forums discussing Techmarines from the last several months and resurrecting one of those. I just finished reading through all of the Techmarine related threads for the past six months, and none covered the question I posed below, so I'm attaching it to this thread, as it is related to the topic.
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For this topic I'd like to discuss the Techmarine. The techmarine is an old favorite, that has been in Space Marine armies since the first list in Rogue Trader. Until the most recent version of the Space Marine codex, the techmarine was always a cheap upgrade option for a regular marine (as was the Apothecary), who added a little technical/mechanical capability to the force, and a whole lot of gothic marine 'flavor'.

Now, however, the Techmarine is an expensive Independent Character, that eats up one of your three Elite slots. He has been tooled up with all kinds of gizmo's, in a sort of haphazard "jack of all trades, master of none" fashion.

First, I'd like to ask who among the Space Marine commanders on this forum actually include a Techmarine in their fielded armies? I expect the consensus is a resounding "No!", and all of our Techmarines have been relegated to our display shelves.

For whatever it is worth, I'd love to see future versions of Marine codexes to return the Techmarine to his former simple glory. Allow up to one model in any power-armour marine squad to be upgraded to a Techmarine for 10 points. He'd get an Auspex and Signum, and access to the armoury (and could then load up on all the other expensive options to include power weapons, servo-arms and harnesses, etc.). This would allow commanders the flexibility to take a cheap but useful guy, or an expensive tooled-up machine-priest, depending on the commander's needs.

What do you think?

Regards,
Valerian

I disagree with giving your techmarine a powerfist. As an IC, he actually fights models in base to base with him. Without an invulnerable save, techmarines fall to powerweapons far to easilly. His attacks at I4 are needed to clear away those things it can before they get their attacks. Unfortunately, he still only has an I of 4 and most dedicated close combat units will go before him. I have yet to see a techmarine succeed in close combat against anything resembling a close combat squad. He does alright against non close combat squads but for the same price you could pick up a second HQ with a higher BS, WS and I who will do far more in the end.

Since the release of the new codex I have tried diligently to find a use for the techmarine. Everything from as an attached close combatter, to a mini dev squad to a repair unit. In all cases, his points would have been spent better elsewhere. He look sfantastic on paper but never performs as well as youd expect in battle.

To the poster above, grotesques, with their main ability being ignore injury and their lack of powerweapons are probably the only thing a techmarine is good at dealing with. Im sure the archon and incubi mentioned tore him a new one in a single round.

IMHO techmarines are best left on the shelf.

Oh and Dingareth please explain how a model with 7 attacks managed to get through 20 models in 2 turns? Especially, as I believe they have an equal WS.

Combat res.

And giving him the fist, what happens if you Sword Bretheran unit runs up against say anthing that's armour 12? Furious charge won't help you, you can only get 11. How's about haveing 7 powerfist attacks to do something to it. And seeing as I can't have Captins(from rules) and chaplins(from fluff) I'd go ahead and give my Iron Halo to my Techmarine, or a combat shield even. I made an ungodly amount of save from Plaguemarine plague swords on a combat shield.

Also, Most have said that the techmarine is a cool model. In the book, however, the illistration shows him with a large glove with a bunch of tools on it. On my Termi Techmarine, He has a Chainfist, however, this is represented as a large hand with tool attached. One of which is a welder looking thing. Also, you could include a techmarine with any dedicated assult unit, just to get the shooting before hand. Nothing is better than a Librarian and his command squad, with a techmarine attached, popping out a a Crusader, and wasting an entire unit.

Dingareth said:

Combat res.

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Huh? BT vow?

Dingareth said:

And giving him the fist, what happens if you Sword Bretheran unit runs up against say anthing that's armour 12? Furious charge won't help you, you can only get 11. How's about haveing 7 powerfist attacks to do something to it.

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Not much better the a sergeant with powerfist, and FAR more expensive.

Dingareth said:

And seeing as I can't have Captins(from rules) and chaplins(from fluff) I'd go ahead and give my Iron Halo to my Techmarine, or a combat shield even. I made an ungodly amount of save from Plaguemarine plague swords on a combat shield.

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I wouldnt wager such an expensive model on a combat shield. Secondly, chaplains are perfectly allowed in BT armies, if you dont use one thats your choice. Also, as far as im aware, a marshall is the exact same thing as a captain.

Dingareth said:

Also, you could include a techmarine with any dedicated assult unit, just to get the shooting before hand. Nothing is better than a Librarian and his command squad, with a techmarine attached, popping out a a Crusader, and wasting an entire unit.

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Yes, a librarien, command squad and attached chaplain. Much better. As to the shooting before hand, any decent player can deny a flamer on a model that moves 6" so your leftt with a plasma pistol.


Perhaps with certain vows a techmarine may be useful in combat. Hes still not as useful as the HQ choices however and is certainly worthless for every other SM chapter. Well, In my opinion anyways.

Techmarines should not be underestimated

As an Iron Hands player myself, I was eager to run the new Techmarine through his paces when the new Codex came out.

He is truely a jack-of-all-trades, and a master of none.

But this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

He can enter close combat - he isn't the best, but does remarkably well. Despite his "poor' statistics, he has vanquished some pretty tough customers including: A Space Wolf Lord, Necron Lord, Nurgle Lord and Dreadnought - among others. Granted, he is the three-wound variety (and needed that extra wound in most of those encounters) but he gave as good as he got and came out on top most of the time.

He can augment an assult - especially with the servo-harness. He can soften up a "horde"-type squad with his flamer or take out a couple of tough troops with his plasma cutter and a plasma pistol before a charge ad take out about anything else when hegets close with his power-weapon and servo-arm(s).

Just don't send him in to bite off more than he can chew. Remember he is an IC, but not like the other HQ choices.

Take a Techmarine with tech-servtors and stick him next t a Ven Dread and watch your opponent's frustratio in trying to take it out. Better yet (if you are an IH player), take two Ven Dreads.

The best way to learn how to use a Techmarine is to play him - not just once or twice. Play him regularly. If he gets killed right away, don' put him on a shelf. Play him again in the next game and learn from your mistake.

Once you get the hang of what he can do, you'll never leave home without him.

Black Templars combat doctrine is very different from other chapters, and so has different and very useful roles for a Techmarines.

For Space Marine Chapters of all kinds, I would say that yes, for the most part a Techmarine is best reserved for large games where you have points to spare and feel like using him for fun. The Techmarine can serve you well if you position him behind a Hellfire Venerable Dreadnought with repair servitors and repair any damage he receives. You can also take him with no upgrades and stick him in a devastator squad for some close combat defense and signum power. His close combat ability isn't that bad. Sure he will not obliterate a dedicated assault unit, but who says he has to? He has a power weapon and a powerfist at the same time, and for a measly 16 additional points can have 4 power weapon attack and 1 powerfist attack. There are plenty of situations where he can do damage, but he is not meant to be used as an assault unit, so the solution is simple. Don't.

Black Templars, who have no Sergeants or Devastators and have access to Vows have much more to gain from using a Techmarine. A Techmarine with 3 Heavy Bolter and 1 Plasma Servitor can act as a replacement to a Devastator squad(as Outsider said) and is extremely useful for shooting up the armies you don't to charge before softening them up. Genestealers, Orks, Wytches, Terminators, Aspect Warriors; the uses are endless. If the enemy devotes his time to killing the Techmarine's unit (which should be in cover unless you took Uphold The Honor) that is fire that isn't going to your 20 man Crusader Squad with Chaplain.

Notice that a Black Templar Techmarine has Crusader Seals. Very useful to a squad if you want a character with good leadership and the benefit of seals in there. Notice again that the Holy Orb of Antioch (I got a hit and a partial on two Wraithlords in the Dark Crusade and ended up wounding one of them with this baby) can only be put on characters who have access to the armory. The Techmarine makes a great supporting character and can lend some very useful abilities to the army if you use him like a kind of Super Sergeant. Vows can make him even more dangerous, with him hitting on 3s or with strength 5.

In the many games I have played using him in this fashion (although only 2 of them were since the new Templar codex) I have never lost him once. Some games he has done very little other than provide re rolls with his signum and look badass there. Other games he has completely saved the day such as when he repaired a Rhino that had been immobilized first turn.

My friend has used an Iron Priest with his Space Wolves many times as well. He always had him rolling with his Venerable Dreadnought. He says they're like Starsky and Hutch.