The Warhammer 40k 10th edition Adeptus Mechanicus army rules have been revealed by Games Workshop. A preview on the Warhammer Community website on Monday suggests that several complex army-wide rules have been removed from the Martian mechanists.
The Adeptus Mechanicus are the latest Warhammer 40k faction to feature in a Faction Focus article ahead of the launch of Warhammer 40k 10th edition. As with other previews, we get a glimpse at army rules that are substantially simplified compared to the last edition – no bad things, as the Adeptus Mechanicus had one of the most bewilderingly complex Warhammer 40k Codex army books in ninth edition.
Adeptus Mechanicus 10th edition army rules
The WarCom article reveals an updated version of the Doctrina Imperatives special rule. At the start of the Battle Round you’ll get to pick a Doctrine: the Protector Imperative grants units the Heavy Weapon Ability and an armour buff in your deployment zone; while the Conqueror Imperative grants the Assault Weapon Ability, plus additional AP when targeting units in the opponent’s deployment zone.
Doctrina Imperatives existed in ninth edition, but only applied to Skitarii units, and came with a penalty as well as a buff. Tech Priests, Servitors, and Automata units instead used the Canticles of the Omnissiah rule; the WarCom preview shows the new Datasheet for Archmagos Belisarius Cawl has an ability with that name, which suggests it’s gone as an army-wide rule.
Adeptus Mechanicus 10th edition Detachments
We also got to see some of the rules from the first Adeptus Mechanicus Detachment for 10th edition, the Rad-Cohort. It has a wonderfully grimdark narrative: at the start of the battle, you bombard your opponent’s deployment zone with radiation. Your opponent’s units can either risk suffering mortal wounds, or become Battle-Shocked for the turn. From the second turn onwards, enemy units that remain in their deployment zone risk suffering additional mortal wounds.
The article also reveals two Warhammer 40k Stratagems for the Rad-Cohort. Each can only be used while a specific Doctrine is active for your army. The Aggressor Imperative allows a Skitarii unit to charge after advancing, provided the army is using the Conqueror Imperative, while the Bulwark Imperative gives a Skitarii unit a 4+ invulnerable save against shooting, provided the army is using the Protector Imperative.
Adeptus Mechanicus 10th edition synergy
Part of the Adeptus Mechanicus’ complexity has always come from the many buffs and synergies between its units. While this has traditionally been the result of tech-priests tinkering with their servants’ programming, the WarCom article reveals that battleline units, such as the Skitarii Rangers and Skitarii Vanguard, will activate additional abilities for their fellow servants of the machine god.
The example given is the Sicaran Ruststalkers. Already fast, with +1 to Advance and Charge rolls, the Ruststalkers will instead get a +2 bonus when within 6” of a Battleline unit.
Battleline units that boost the capabilities of the rest of your army is something we saw in rules previews for the World Eaters and Sisters of Battle.
The article reveals the Skitarii Vanguard Datasheet, and their Rad-saturation aura looks like it’ll be very potent for controlling objectives: while within 3” of the Vanguard, non-vehicle enemy units suffer -1 to their objective control value. Space Marine terminators can’t contest objectives with radiation poisoning, it seems.