Vashtorr the Arkifane has emerged from the immaterium. What was a simple battle between the Necrons and forces of the Imperium has spiralled into an all-out galactic war. Two Necron dynasties, multiple chapters of Space Marines, Sisters of Silence, and the Adeptus Mechanicus are set to wage war in the stars, while Belisarius Cawl and his outlawed archeotech that kicked this whole thing off are also hanging around like a bad smell.
Reinforcements are on their way. Two Primarchs and the might of the Inquisition are joining Imperial forces, but they’re in for a surprise when they arrive in the Nephilim Sector. Cawl’s ancient weapons have opened a rift in the universe, and Vashtorr, a daemon who forgoes the Chaos Gods to command his own cults and armies, has returned to add an essence of Chaotic energy to proceedings. I just hope he brings the Dark Mechanicus with him.
Check out ourrecap of the Pariah Nexus campaignfor the full rundown of its twisting narrative.
The Dark Mechanicus are to the Mechanicus what Chaos Space Marines are to the Adeptus Astartes. Not so much fallen angels as abominable creations, their vitriol for flesh has extended to requesting boons from the dark gods. Whereas the Tech-Priests of Mars would pray to the Omnissiah and replace their limbs with robotics, the clergy of the Dark Mechanicus take things too far even by the standards of the 41st Millennium. Accursed appendages and unnatural abilities go hand in hand with Chaotic pacts, making the Dark Mechanicus one of the most interesting factions within theWarhammer 40Klore.
I first fell in love with this evil faction when I read the Soul Drinkers books. The messed up Marines face off against an evil Magos whose creations seem to be made of glass, or some crystalline structure. I immediately wanted to recreate them on the tabletop, but aside from casting Servitors in clear resin, what was I to do? Instead, I opted for my own take on the Dark Mech. I combined the metallic progress of engines with the bloated corpses of Nurgle, using models from every range to manifest my cursed creations.
A Selection Of Units From My Dark Mechanicus Army, Fresh Out Of Storage
Originally I was running them as counts-as Astra Militarum, converting Chimeras and foot soldiers into messed-up monstrosities, but when the Skitarii and Cult Mechanicus Codexes released, I was in a world of delight. Not only did I have proper rules to run my force as, but I had a plethora of gorgeous plastic models to convert. I practically started from scratch, incorporating new weapons and kits into every conversion to build Onager Dunecrawlers from Giants and carefully combining Stormfiends and Kastelan Robots into rat-robot abominations.
This was nearly a decade ago, and not everything has survived the test of time. Other pieces just don’t look quite as good as I thought they did. Poor Belisarius Cawl was abandoned midway through a conversion, and has sat unfinished for around eight years. The time has come to put this right. He’s going to get any snapped limbs replaced, his Green Stuff work finished, and then be adorned with Vashtorr’s wonderful mechanical wings. As an Avatar of the Omnissiah (ran in-game as Cawl), he deserves the finest conversion of the lot.
My Mechanicus weren’t Dark so much as Grey. My lore had them dedicated to the Omnissiah so much, they forgot their bond to the Emperor. Outcast and excommunicated by the Imperium, they didn’t turn to Chaos, but continued in their pursuit of mechanical perfection at all costs. They were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.
My personal conversions aside, the Dark (or grey) Mechanicus are ripe for exploration. Their lore is deep and convoluted, and the models could be incredibly creative. Just look at Vashtorr as an example to follow – if everything looks as messed up as him (compliment), we’re in for a treat.
I suspect that plastic Mechanicum is next. That’s what the Mechanicus was called in the 31st millennium, and no, I don’t know why either. With more Forgeworld kits getting converted into plastic, this could be an opportunity to introduce new units to the Mechanicus’ range in 40K, but also bring out their dark side in retaliation.
The Dark Mechanicus is a criminally underexplored faction in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, with novelists thinking up the most creative ways for Magi to mutilate their followers only to see nothing emerge on the tabletop. It’s time that changed, and the Dark Mechanicus steps out of Vashtorr’s shadow and into the light. It’s either that or Demon Perturabo, and I know which I’d prefer. Sorry, Iron Warriors fans.
Next:“I’m Used To Being Misquoted”: Warhammer’s Chris ‘Peachy’ Peach On Games Workshop, Bad Interviews, And Going Solo
