The army of the Empire from Warhammer 40,000 consists not only of genetically modified super-soldiers like the Space Marines. Scientists and engineers of mankind can also be found on the battlefield, where they command armies of deadly cyborgs and massive war machines.
Who are these tech nerds? These are the followers of the Adeptus Mechanicus, one of the many organizations of the Empire. They are the guardians of sacred knowledge and excellent engineers. However, that doesn’t mean they spend all their time buried in books or tinkering with machines in their workshops.
The followers of the Adeptus Mechanicus are staunch fanatics who worship technology – in the truest sense of the word. They venerate a Machine God, whom they also call the Omnissiah. For this reason, the order has Tech-Priests.
This obsession with technology is also meant to be felt in Dawn of War 4, the latest entry in the Dawn of War strategy game series. While the Adeptus Mechanicus was at most a DLC in older games, you can play the order in the latest installment right from the release. How the tech nerds perform on the battlefield is shown in a new gameplay trailer.
You can watch this trailer here:
Powerful War Machines and Cyborg Armies
What does the army of the Adeptus Mechanicus look like? The core of their army consists of the Skitarii, augmented cyborg soldiers with powerful beam weapons. There is a Ranger variant that eliminates enemies with precise shots from afar, as well as a Skitarii Vanguard variant designed for close combat.
Armored Servitors are used to break through enemy lines. They consist of dead human flesh that creates cybernetic drones with robotic technology. While they do not possess their own mind, that might actually be a plus in the grim universe of Warhammer 40,000.
Other units of the Adeptus Mechanicus include:
- Electro-Priests that throw powerful lightning at enemies
- Kastelan Robots equipped with flamethrowers and phosphorus weapons
- Sicarian Ruststalkers that hide as silent assassins before the eyes of enemies and attack from ambush
Additionally, the Adeptus Mechanicus leads several massive war machines onto the field, such as the Kastelan Knight, nimble Ironstriders, walking turrets, and mobile artillery.
The true strength of the Adeptus Mechanicus is meant to be expressed through their stratagems. These may provide them with a shield against enemy projectiles or a powerful electrical buff.
Players can also choose between two playable commanders: the Techno-archaeologist Potentia-Delta-9 and the Skitarii Marshal Sek-Ix-23. While Potentia can scout enemy territory and augment her war machines with a Servo-Skull, Sek-Ix-23 bolsters his Skitarii allies.
An order of the Empire that has appeared in the Dawn of War series but has not yet been confirmed for the new Dawn of War 4 is the Adepta Sororitas. The warrior-nuns are quite popular. Why this is the case can be read in the following article: Fanatical warrior-nuns are the best part of Warhammer 40,000 and more multifaceted than you might think
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