Games Workshop has confirmed new Ad Mech detachment rules for their Warhammer 40k codex book!
Ad Mech is already in a pretty decent spot when it comes to overall performance, but the main thing lacking seems to be decent detachment rules! We had already seen one detachment rule previewed a while back (we’ll have it below as well), but it’s nice to see some more!
Like the other codex books, each detachment offers a unique rule, four enhancements, and six stratagems.
New 40k Ad Mech Detachments & Codex Rules are Here!
The new Adeptus Mechanicus 40k Detachment Rules are from Warhammer Community.
First, there are five different detachments in the codex:
- Rad-zone Cohort – Current detachment, but GW says the rules will get better (and a stronger Rad Bombardment)
- Explorator Maniple – Get bonuses while close to an objective (more below)
- Cohort Cybernetica – If you love big blobs of Kastelan Robots, this will power them up!
- Data-psalm Conclave – Will have a big focus on your Tech Priests.
- Skitarii Hunter Cohort – This looks to focus on Skitarii (detachment rules below), and the detachment rule gives them much more survivability.
Explorator Maniples 10th Edition 40k Detachment Rules
You get re-rolls for Wound rolls of 1 when safeguarding or clearing out your chosen objective, but that’s not the only benefit of designating an Acquisition objective marker. Your Enhancements synergise perfectly with the Detachment rule – a skilled Genetor gives their entire unit a formidable invulnerable save while defending their prize.
If you can get a bunch of your units around a single objective (or your opponent bunches around an objective) getting to re-roll all your wounds is super strong!
Especially if you also buff up your hits, you’ll get rerolls for all shooting and melee. Then, if you also have the Enhancement, you’ll get a 4+ save for your unit! A unit of six Breachers with both of these will be hard to remove and hit extremely hard.
The Explorator Maniple’s Stratagems likewise work with objectives. Are violent intruders threatening your precious loot carefully-excavated samples? Trigger a Reactive Safeguard and leap back inside a nearby TRANSPORT to make a clean getaway preserve the Omnissiah’s inheritance. Even if your valiant defenders fall to enemy fire, Cached Acquisition of their data-logs will ensure you keep hold of the objective.
The jumping back into the transport is really interesting, and it’s a little unclear what happens if the enemy doesn’t also declare against the transport.
Does their charge automatically fail? Hopefully, we’ll have some clarification on that. Still, it’s a really cool rule and can save you from a giant charge!
Cached Acquisition will be great for keeping the backfield objectives that you get shot off without having to run units back to it.
Cohort Cybernetica Detachment Rules
Advanced Cyber-psalm Programming provides a simple but effective Detachment bonus, giving LEGIO CYBERNETICA units access to your Doctrina Imperatives army rule. This returns unchanged from the faction’s Index, allowing you to make your robots tougher and more accurate when defending, or deadlier and more agile on the attack.
While this isn’t the most exciting of detachment rule, being able to get all the doctrines is strong and can give you a lot of buffs.
Enhancements and Stratagems are where the real magic happens. Would you like to shrug off the blast of a volcano cannon as if it were a mere lasgun, once every round? Call the Necromechanic. Lazy and sullen machine spirits refusing to erupt in sacred fire and take their enemies with them when the strength and certainty of steel fails? A spot of Emotionless Clarity will teach them (and anyone nearby) the error of their ways.
Necromechanic is honestly just an exceptional ability! As once per battle round, you can just shrug off basically anything! This adds a crazy amount of survivability to your army.
Emotionless Clarity is also super fun! Who doesn’t love the idea of just always blowing up when you want and dealing a bunch of mortals wounds?
Access to the Protector Imperative also gels brilliantly with the new Auto-Divinatory Targeting Stratagem. The bonus to Hit rolls granted by the [Heavy] ability wouldn’t normally stack with other Hit roll modifiers… but this Stratagem directly changes the Ballistic Skill characteristic of your tanks and automata to 3+, so you can benefit from both at once.
If you combine this with the heavy ability (and don’t move), you’ll hit on 2’s for just one CP!
Skitarii Hunter Cohort Rules
On top of that, the existing Rad-zone Cohort receives revisions increasing the efficacy of its Rad Bombardment, and the new Explorator Maniple sets its sights on acquiring rare archeotech from the battlefield, no matter the cost. The Cohort Cybernetica provides you with seriously powered-up Kastelan Robots, while the Tech-priests of the Data-psalm Conclave exhort the Cult Mechanicus to eradicate their foes.
You can give huge swathes of your army stealth and the benefit of cover! When you add this with the better save, they get a 3+ when your opponent is more than 12″ away!
Once your army has tiptoed into position,Binharic Offencelets two SKITARIIunits attack a prime target with unthinking synchronicity, their lockstep assault improving their Armour Penetration by 1. Pin down an enemy with a Skatros sniper, then blast through their vulnerable spots with aS korpius Disintegratoror a squad of Rangers.
If you have two big units with a ton of shots, this is really powerful, too. We’ll see if they have any ways to generate extra CP because they already have a few 2 CP strats that may end up being pretty draining…
All the Latest Warhammer Rules & Model Rumors
What do you think about the new Adeptus Mechanicus codex rules? What is shaping up to be your favorite detachment?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, or our new Discord server, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
Click Here To Follow Us On Google News
Get ad-free access to our hobby videos, a monthly drop of miniatures, and support some of the best creators out there for as little as $6 a month on Patreon!
Click Here For All the Hobby Products & Tools We Swear By
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
