The Dark Mechanicum is a corrupted reflection of Martian sanctity, though they see themselves as the true inheritors of the Omnissiah’s mantle. In their pursuit of knowledge untempered, they joined forces with the Warmaster Horus, made pacts with the ruinous powers, delved into the occult, and developed terrifying, spike-encrusted new weapons of war.
Rise of the Dark Mechanicum is the latest campaign book for The Horus Heresy – Legions Imperialis, covering the first-ever plastic miniatures for the titular mad inventors.
Unlike the Taghmata, the Dark Mechanicum prefers to build unique constructs referred to in official records as Silica Mutus. Unlike battle-automata, the Silica Mutus have individual intelligence, rudimentary and animalistic when operating solo, but they adapt with frightening speed when several patterns are grouped together, creating a dynamic gestalt that can assimilate knowledge outside its initial parameters.
We’ve already seen the Serperos ‘Overlord’ Heavy Stalker, but this is the tip of a very nasty mechanical iceberg: there’s a host of similar constructs skittering into play.
Take the long-ranged Tennebrax ‘Archer’ Battle Stalker Cohort and the close-combat-inclined Errax ‘Butcher’ Assault Stalker Cohort.
Both are built from the same basic construct, the Archers quickly calculating prime targets for their storm laser flensers and softening battle lines before the Butchers swarm forward to the slaughter. When operating on their own, each pattern displays ruthless efficiency, but together they can confound even experienced generals.
Ranging ahead of the Stalkers are the the Harpax ‘Swarmer’ Scout Hosts – mobile cyber-drones deployed as frontline chaff, they are armed with exo-planar repeaters for shredding infantry, or slicing harpax lascutters, overwhelming their enemies through sheer weight of numbers.
These constructs are deadly enough, but under the command of the Scintillax ‘Cyclops’, these insectile machines become even more organised and efficient. With their blasphemously sophisticated tri-cortex, they disseminate orders through the gestalt with dizzying speed.
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.
* 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.
Formations of Stalkers benefit from unique Commands when within 8” of a Noosphere Controller. The Terror Protocol Cohort operates under Command: Urgency, adapting their speed to outmanoeuvre enemy forces, while the Purge Protocol Cohort follows Command: Exterminate to, well, exterminate.
Terror Protocol Cohort Command – Urgency
When a Detachment with the Networked Anima special rule is activated during the Movement phase, all models within it increase their Movement characteristic by 2" if the Detachment is within 6" of a model with the Noosphere Controller special rule. This effect lasts until the end of the round.
Purge Protocol Cohort Command – Exterminate
Hits scored by a model with the Noosphere Controller special rule from this Formation mark the target Detachment until the end of the round. Models from this Formation with the Networked Anima special rule may re-roll Hit rolls of a 1 when firing upon a marked Detachment.
A box of Stalker Constructs contains 30 models, eight Harpax ‘Swarmer’ Scout Hosts, and two each of the Errax, Tenebrax, and Scintillax. The Serperos ‘Overlord’ Heavy Stalkers box contains four, and what's more both boxes contain the relevant terminals for using the Errax, Tenebrax, Scintillax, and Serperos in games of Adeptus Titanicus!
The Dark Mechanicum can also field regular Mechanicum Taghmata units, as well as Titans and Knights. Here’s a reminder of the Mechanicum Battle Group, because any excuse to show small-scale battle automata and Archmagi on Abeyants is one that our cogitators are willing to seize upon.*
Rise of the Dark Mechanicum also contains a wealth of background information about the Dark Mechanicum, the battle for control of Mars, and the infamous Doom of Magma City, as well as lots of details on how they operate. It’ll all be available for pre-order in due course.
* Fittingly, Warhammer Community is split about 50/50 between supporters of the Mechanicum and Dark Mechanicum. No signs of a schism yet…
