mechanicum Archives - Felix's Gaming Pages

Castellax Battle-Automata

Castellax Battle-Automata at Warhammer World.

The Thanatar-Calix class Siege-automata is a potent war machine and a wonder of the Mechanicum’s craft. Combining arcane and secret technologies, it carries a twin-linked mauler bolt cannon alongside a rare solex pattern heavy lascannon, whose beams of coherent light can reach far across a battlefield to lethal effect. The Thanatar-Calix’s most destructive armament though is the graviton ram, a weapon whose origins are lost in the Dark Age of Technology. The ram’s crushing waves of gravitational force can pulverise infantry and vehicles alike, and it can be utterly devastating at both range and close quarters. The Thanatar frame, designed as a heavy weapons platform, is well armoured and further protected by atomantic shield generators, making it nearly impervious to all but the heaviest of weapons fire. Whilst it is slow to advance, the Thanatar-Calix’s durability allows it to close steadily on its target, moving ever nearer until its formidable weaponry can be brought into range.

More photographs.

Terrax Pattern Termite Assault Drill

Terrax Pattern Termite Assault Drill at Warhammer World

A specialised transport vehicle, the Termite is capable of deploying a full squad of warriors onto the battlefield whilst bypassing enemy fortifications and sentries.

Terrax Pattern Termite Assault Drill at Warhammer World

It is capable of tunnelling rapidly through even the densest of materials at speeds comparable to surface transport craft, thanks to the grinding drill of the Termite which utilises a linked array of melta-cutters and phase-shield generators to aid in its progress.

Once at its target location, it emerges onto the surface, or even directly into the lower level of macrofortifications, scattering nearby enemies with its melta-cutters before disgorging its deadly cargo.

Mechanicum Triaros Armoured Conveyer

This beautifully painted Mechanicum Triaros Armoured Conveyer was on display in Warhammer World.

The Triaros is the primary armoured battlefield transport of the Mechanicum Taghmata during the era of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. Eschewing the more commonplace STC designs, it relies on a number of unique technologies held as arcana by the Magos Autokrator and never divulged for wider Imperial use, even by the Legiones Astartes. Designed for use in hostile environments, it incorporates multiple galvanic traction drives and its defences are comprised not merely of brute armour, but layered techno-cant wardings and interlocking energy shields, particularly around its seemingly exposed control dais, as well as independently animated weapons servitors.

More photographs of the Mechanicum Triaros Armoured Conveyer.

Mechanicum Macrocarid Explorator

This Mechanicum Macrocarid Explorator was on display at Warhammer World.

Originally released in November 2016, the model is now no longer available to buy from Forge World.

Uniquely crafted to the needs of the Magos leading the expeditionary force, Macrocarid Explorators first saw use as frontline combat and mobile command vehicles in the early days of the Great Crusade. Heavily armoured and equipped with the Mechanicum’s signature technologies and weapons, they are now pressed into service on both sides of the cataclysmic battles of The Horus Heresy.

Macrocarid Explorators can transport Magos’ or their units of deadly automata across the battlefield, cutting through any opponent foolish enough to come close with powerful weapons enhanced by augury scanners. Their heavy armour makes them as durable as the Legiones Astartes Land Raider, with the addition of extensive self-repair systems.

Mechanicum Ordinatus Aktaeus

The Aktaeus is the most recognisable of the Ordinatus Minoris created and operated by the Mechanicum, a super-heavy transport designed to carve a path through the stony heart of a world to deliver its cargo of warriors to the centre of the battlefield. Known to the armies of the Emperor as the Imperial Mole, this vehicle is employed primarily as a siege engine capable of rendering even the most formidable fortifications pointless by burrowing beneath them.

Triaros Armoured Conveyer

This beautifully painted Mechanicum Triaros Armoured Conveyer was on display in Warhammer World.

I rather like this style of models from the Horus Heresy that Forge World have been designing. They strike me as really fitting the gothic future that is Warhammer 40K, more so than the existing models. I also like the fact that they also use futuristic technologies such as anti-grav.

I took my eye off what Forge World were doing over the last few years, so I feel I am seeing many of the models for the “first” time.