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Structure

This page details military structure of Cult Mechanicus forces including Detachments and Formations.

Detachments


Cult Mechanicus Battle Congregation

When choosing an army to play a game of Warhammer 40,000, there are two main ways of organising your collection. These are the Unbound method, which means taking whichever units you like, and the Battle-forged method, which is more rigid but has extra benefits.

If you are using the Unbound method, simply use the profiles that correspond to the Cult Mechanicus models in your collection. If you are using the Battle-forged method, you will instead need to organise the Cult Mechanicus models in your collection into Detachments such as the Cult Mechanicus Battle Congregation shown above. This is a fun process in its own right. Note that you can also include any of the Formations presented in this section as part of a Battle-forged army.


RESTRICTIONS
All units in this Detachment must have the Cult Mechanicus Faction (or have no Faction)

COMMAND BENEFITS
Divine Chorus: If your army includes one or more Detachments with this special rule, you can, once per game, choose to re-use a Canticle of the Omnissiah that your army has already used earlier in the game.

Tech-Adept: If this Detachment is your Primary Detachment, you can re-roll the result when rolling on the Warlord Traits table in Codex: Cult Mechanicus.

Enginseer Congregation


RESTRICTIONS
The HQ unit chosen in this Detachment must be a Tech-Priest Enginseer, and the Elites unit chosen in this Detachment must be a unit of Servitors. All units from this Detachment must have the Cult Mechanicus Faction.

COMMAND BENEFITS
Canticles of the Omnissiah: Units from this Detachment have the Canticles of the Omnissiah special rule.

Grand Convocation

Giving praise to the Omnissiah as they wage war using revered and advanced technology, the various forces at the disposal of the Adeptus Mechanicus will often work in concert under the direction of the Martian priesthood.

Unlike the Detachments shown in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules, the Grand Convocation Detachment have Force Organisation Charts whose slots are a combination of Battlefield Roles from multiple Factions. However, they still have compulsory and optional elements, as well as Restrictions and Command Benefits, just like any other Detachment. If your Warlord is part of a Grand Convocation Detachment, that entire Detachment is your Primary Detachment.

The Grand Convocation Army List divides the units available into several categories, according to their Battlefield Role. You must use the profiles, points costs, equipment, options, special rules and any Dedicated Transports available to each unit as described on their datasheet. Each entry will include an abbreviated reference to the codex, publication or dataslate where their appropriate datasheet can be found, denoted as follows:

HQ
2-4
Troops
4+
Heavy Support
0-6
Fast Attack
0-6
Elites
0-6
Lords of War
0-3
HQ
One of the following:
 • Belisarius Cawl
 • Enginseer (& Servitors) (AM/IA)
 • Tech-Priest Dominus (CM)

HEAVY SUPPORT
One of the following:
 • Kastelan Robot Maniple (CM)
 • Ironstrider Ballistarii (S)
 • Onager Dunecrawlers (S)

LORDS OF WAR
One of the following:
 • Knight Crusader (IK)
 • Knight Errant (IK)
 • Knight Gallant (IK)
 • Knight Paladin (IK)
 • Knight Warden (IK)
TROOPS
One of the following:
 • Kataphron Breachers (CM)
 • Kataphron Destroyers (CM)
 • Skitarii Rangers (S)
 • Skitarii Vanguard (S)

FAST ATTACK
One of the following:
 • Sydonian Dragoons (S)

ELITES
One of the following:
 • Corpuscarii Electro-Priests (CM)
 • Fulgurite Electro-Priests (CM)
 • Sicarian Infiltrators (S)
 • Sicarian Ruststalkers (S)

RESTRICTIONS
This Detachment must include at least four Troops choices and two HQ choices. It may include up to two more HQ choices and any number of additional Troops choices, as well as up to 6 Elites, 6 Fast Attack and 6 Heavy Support choices, and up to 3 Lords of War choices, in any combination. This Detachment must also include units that have at least two different Factions.

COMMAND BENEFITS
Agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus: All vehicles in this Detachment have the It Will Not Die special rule. In addition, all vehicles in the Detachment that are within 6" of an HQ choice from this Detachment at the start of the turn have the Power of the Machine Spirit special rule until the start of your next turn.

Chosen of the Omnissiah: If this Detachment is chosen as your Primary Detachment, you can choose to re-roll the result on the Warlord Trait table.

Noospheric Choir: If this Detachment’s Force Organisation Chart contains the maximum number of units (excluding Troops), then all units in the Detachment have the Canticles of the Omnissiah special rule.

Formations


Cohort Cybernetica

RESTRICTIONS
All models in this Formation must be fielded as a single unit, even though this is not normally allowed. The Formation’s Tech-Priest Dominus cannot leave this unit.
SPECIAL RULES
Adept of the Cybernetica: This Formation’s Tech-Priest Dominus counts as a Cybernetica Datasmith for the purposes of the Kastelan Battle Protocols special rule. Furthermore, as long as this Tech-Priest Dominus has not been removed as a casualty, any Kastelan Battle Protocol that you choose at the end of your turn takes effect immediately for all Kastelan Robots in this Formation.

Targeting Override: In the Shooting phase, any number of this Formation’s Cybernetica Datasmiths and/or the Tech-Priest Dominus can choose to direct the fire of one of this Formation’s Kastelan Robots instead of shooting. For each model that does so, one of this Formation’s Kastelan Robots can shoot at a different target to the rest of the unit.
Designer’s Note: This Formation counts as three units for the purposes of Canticles of the Omnissiah until it is completely destroyed, and counts as three units for the purposes of Victory Points when it is completely destroyed.

Elimination Maniple

FORMATION
 • 2-3 units of Kataphron Destroyers
 • 1-3 Kastelan Robot Maniples
RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
Elimination Volley: If a Kastelan Robot from this Formation scores one or more unsaved Wounds, glancing hits or penetrating hits on an enemy unit with a weapon that has the Luminagen special rule, all Kataphron Destroyer units from this Formation that target the same enemy unit add 1 to their Ballistic Skill characteristic and their weapons gain the Ignores Cover special rule until the end of that phase.

Holy Requisitioner

FORMATION
 • 1 Tech-Priest Dominus
 • 2-3 units of Kataphron Breachers
RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
 • Deep Strike

Apparition Extremis: All models in this Formation must be placed in Deep Strike Reserve. When making Reserve Rolls, make a single roll for the entire Formation, which you can choose to re-roll. On a successful Reserve Roll, all of the units in the Formation arrive from Reserve. The Formation’s Tech-Priest Dominus must be placed first, but does not scatter when he Deep Strikes, so long as he is placed within 6" of an Objective Marker. This Formation’s Kataphron Breachers do not scatter when they Deep Strike, so long as they are placed within 6" of this Formation’s Tech-Priest Dominus.

Inhuman Avarice: While they are within 6" of an Objective Marker, units of Kataphron Breachers from this Formation have the Counter-attack and Zealot special rules.

Numinous Conclave

FORMATION
 • 2-3 units of Fulgurite Electro-Priests
 • 2-3 units of Corpuscarii Electro-Priests
RESTRICTIONS
You must have an equal number of each type of unit in this Formation.
SPECIAL RULES
 • Crusader

The Corpuscarii Giveth: Models in a unit of Corpuscarii Electro-Priests from this Formation that is within 6" of one or more units of Fulgurite Electro-Priests from this Formation fire 1 additional shot with their electrostatic gauntlets when making shooting attacks. Enemy units that suffer one or more unsaved Wounds from these shooting attacks are said to be ‘Electrified’ until the end of the Assault phase.

The Fulgurites Taketh Away: Units of Fulgurite Electro-Priests from this Formation re-roll failed To Wound rolls when fighting with their electroleech staves if they are locked in a close combat that contains any Electrified units.

Eradication Cohort

FORMATION
 • 1 Sydonian Dragoon
 • 1 Kastelan Robot Maniple
 • 1 unit of Kataphron Destroyers
 • 1 unit of Fulgurite Electro-Priests
 • 1 unit of Sicarian Infiltrators
RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
Surgical Precision: If an Eradication Cohort unit inflicts any unsaved Wounds or any glancing or penetrating hits upon an enemy unit, then for the remainder of the phase all other units from this Formation gain Preferred Enemy special rule when targeting that enemy unit.

Conclave Acquisitorius

FORMATION
 • Belisarius Cawl
 • 1-2 Battle Maniples or 1 War Cohort
 • 1 Holy Requisitioner
 • 0-1 Cohort Cybernetica
 • 0-1 Numinous Conclave
 • 1-2 Imperial Knights of any type or 1 Baronial Court
RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
 • Canticles of the Omnissiah

Armoury of the Archmagos: During army selection, each Character from a Conclave Acquisitorius may upgrade one of their weapons (including one purchased as an upgrade, but not including a relic or equivalent) to have the Master-crafted special rule.

Synchronised Data Network: If the Conclave Acquisitorius contains the maximum number of units, then all units in this Formation gain the Doctrina Imperatives special rule.

Triumvirate of the Imperium

RESTRICTIONS
None.
SPECIAL RULES
Exemplars of the Imperium: If you choose a model from the Triumvirate of the Imperium to be your Warlord, then all of the models from this Formation can use their Warlord Traits.

Inspiring Presence: Friendly units from the Armies of the Imperium that are within 12" of two or more models from the Triumvirate of the Imperium have the Stubborn special rule and automatically pass Pinning tests. Friendly units from the Armies of the Imperium that are within 12" of all three models from the Triumvirate of the Imperium have the Fearless special rule instead. Note that the Geminae Superia that accompany Saint Celestine do not count for the purposes of this rule.

Adeptus Mechanicus War Convocation

SPECIAL RULES
Alpha-Dominus: If this Formation’s Tech-Priest Dominus is your Warlord, you can re-roll the result when rolling on the Warlord Traits table in Codex: Cult Mechanicus.

Might of the Adeptus Mechanicus: All weapon and wargear options taken by units in this Formation, including any Relics of Mars or Arcana Mechanicum, are free. Furthermore, all weapons with the Gets Hot special rule carried by a model in this Formation no longer has the Gets Hot special rule.

The Machine Brotherhood of Mars: All units in this formation have the Canticles of the Omnissiah special rule, even though they do not all have the Cult Mechanicus Faction.