Technostratum Subfaction

While the plebians pay heed to superstition and ancestor worship, technology has become the province of the educated, and

represents a key weapon in the Mortan arsenal. In the application of fire, alchemical weapons, war-machines and siege-craft

upon the battlefield, the Mortans are the world’s unsurpassed masters of mayhem.

Controlling access to all the empire’s research and scientific lore is the shadowy Conclavus Segreta which guards its dangerous knowledge with murderous zeal. Under their jurisdiction is the Alchemists Guild whose remit is the concoction of new acids, gas-weapons, poisons and serums. Complementing this group is Mechanicus Guild which constructs and operates the Scorpio bolt-throwers, Cataclysm Catapults, and other technological threats. The Technostratum’s military forces known as the Ingenium

Militorum marches into battle beside the legions but can also be deployed independently, turning battlefields into toxic infernos wherever they appear. Protected by masks and ceramic-plated leathers, these troops sweep forward, unleashing naphtha bombs, acid, flaming tar and gas with horrifying results. Commanding these minions are the Technostratum’s baleful engineers called Technocrats.

Technocrat

Background

These members of the Technostratum lead the bureau’s military forces in the deployment of misanthropic technology upon the battlefield. War-machines of mechanical doom, poisoned weapons, burning tar, gas-bombs and acids – these are the toys of the Libarum Technocrats, and their dream is to produce death on an industrial scale in order to liberate mankind. These callous intellectuals endure a gruelling regime of Studies, learning mathematics, alchemy, mechanics, clock-works, civil engineering, geology and military strategy. Eager graduates are commissioned as officers in the military arm of the Technostratum known as the Ingenium Militorum, where they ply their trade of scientific slaughter. Specially treated leathers protect him from raging fires while ceramic plates guard against scorching acids. On his head he wears goggles and a filter mask to insulate him from poisonous gases. With their intellectual genius, the Technocrats are the ring-masters, turning every battlefield into a carnival of carnage.

Game Role

The Technocrat can either be used on the front line supporting troops or on the backline buffing war-machines.

Besides his skills for enhancing the Technostratum models, he also has the tactic Carborane Concentrate which give any unit’s melee attacks Acid (-2 ARM and 1 point direct damage). This makes him useful for creating a Technostratum warband supported by Legions troops.

In terms of backline support, he can place marker stones allowing shooters +1 to hit models close to the stones. Additionally any war-machine within 2 inches of the Technocrat may use his MIS of 7 for shooting, plus any war-machines within his LEAD range can reroll one dies once per round.

On the front line, he can allow models within his LEAD range to use his position for line of sight, which is very useful if the enemy comes creeping up around difficult terrain.

On top of that, he can place a partially secret tar-pit which can be ignited. This can seriously limit the opponent’s deployment or force them in the direction you want them to go.

The Tehcnocrat also has access to lots of technical devices which can improve his line-of-sight and increase the damage of war-machines etc. And he has access to a bunch of bombs which he can throw.

The Technocrat is a pretty specific model which favors a very tactical style of play. For players who want to field a war-machine heavy warband, he is the ideal leader, but he can also be used to support a melee-focussed warband

Xisteri Bombers

Background

Striding out from the drifting smoke clouds, the Xisteri Bombers launch volleys of fire bombs before disappearing back into the battlefield’s toxic haze. These soldiers of the Technostratum provide a storm of missile fire to soften-up foes and disrupt enemy advances. The Bombers’ primary weapon is a longglove-cup called a xistera which can sling a missile at up to 150 mph (240 kph). Xisteri Bombers offer the enemy several flavors of alchemical death, most typically spitfire and smoke bombs. Victims ignited by a spitfire bomb become living, screaming torches. The smoke bombs are useful for obscuring troop movements and providing cover against missile weapons and magic. The Xisteri Bombers are clothed in thick, fire resistant leathers, and wear masks to protect against smoke and gas – a necessary precaution since battlefields deployed with Technostratum troops quickly become toxic hells.

Game Role

Xisteri Bombers operate best when supporting a melee warband by making missile attacks up to 12 inches away (with long range). What’s great about Xisteri Bombers is firstly their attacks hit every model in a 3-inch diameter, and secondly, if they miss, they deviate and so can still hit enemies. This makes them a perfect weapon against bunched units.

Finally, their attacks cause Fire (D3 extra direct damage) on top of the regular damage. This means models really need to spend action tokens to put out the first, otherwise they will continue to burn and suffer more direct damage in their following activations. So either way they are deadly by causing direct damage or by robbing units of action tokens.

These are no melee fighters, so they should operate in places where they can retire behind friendly models when needed. Xisteri Bombers are able to release smoke bombs, centred on themselves. Their ability Skirmish Order then allows them D3 inches free movement at the end of their activation, so if they roll a 2 or 3, they can then get clear of an behind the smoke clouds, which then blocks line of sight for models behind them, making them immune to charges.

Scorpio

Background

The Scorpio is a bolt-thrower which fires steel-tipped spears four feet (120 cm) long, capable of penetrating armor at 400 meters. Although not designed for the pinpoint accuracy required in skirmish engagements, when they do hit they pack a fatal punch that rips through bronze plate armor, killing a man instantly. Only two men are required to crew a Scorpio – one to load and the other to aim and fire, and both are soldiers of the Ingenium Militorum who have already proven themselves excellent marksmen. Because of their light-weight construction Scorpios are a common sight in all engagements. In fact they can be carried on the backs of three mules and assembled within an hour, making them ideal for detachments establishing perimeter defenses, ambushes and special missions.

Game Role

The Technostratum subfaction models are designed primarily to provide support to the other two Mortan sub-factions, not to go it alone. So the Scorpio can be useful in any Mortan warband, whether it is primarily Magistratum, Legions or Tehcnostratum, or a complete mix.

The best use for the Scorpio is taking down elite units and creatures before they get into battle. For example with a MIS of 6and POW of 6, it is realistic to take down one elite unit model every round. The range of 20 is total range (no short and long range), so even at 20 inches, the Scorpio does not suffer the long range penalty of -1 MIS and POW.

Not only are they useful for taking down heavy-infantry and large creatures, but their very presence can be used to threaten zones of approach and channel attackers into the real killing zones. Their long range often robs the enemy of the initiative, forcing them to approach the Mortan lines, making the Scorpios strategic as well as tactical weapons.

For enhanced performance, take a Technocrat as warlord, because he can allow one Scorpio to shoot 3 times, using his MIS of 7, even targeting models which are not in LOS of the Scorpio.

Cataclysm Catapult

Background

This war-machine does not shoot the rocks of normal catapults; it fires instead cluster bombs – large clay pots filled with explosives and metal shards. When the missile hits the ground, the impact detonates the naphtha, showering nearby victims with incandescent shrapnel. As if that was not enough, the engineers fitted the catapult with vats of extremely caustic acids which can be dispensed into the firing arm. Sprays from exploding acid bombs seep under armor, melt through clothes and then require mere moments to eat through skin, fat and muscle all the way to the bone, causing excruciating pain. Both acid and Spitfire attacks force victims to spend time rubbing off the foul chemicals, making them prime targets for charges and further bombardment!

Game Role

As with the Scorpio, the Technostratum sub-faction models are designed primarily to provide support to the other two Mortan sub-factions, not to go it alone. So the Cataclysm Catapult can be useful in any Mortan warband.

Due to the template attacks of the Catapult and its lower POW, it is best used against bunched units of models. It has three unique types of attack to choose from:

Acid Bombs hit with a 4”AOE, at POW2, and causing an additional 1 point direct damage plus causing the models to suffer -2 ARM.

Cluster Bombs hit with POW3 in a 5” diameter template.

Spitfire Bombs hit with POW2, in a 4” diameter template, and causing Fire.

With these three options, the Catapult is far more versatile than a regular rock lobber, allowing you to even de-buff heavy infantry.