[40K] Horus Heresy: Mechanicum [Spoilers]

[andrewgpaul]

is out in paperback; picked it up today.

Better than Battle for the Abyss (and set slightly before it; there's mention of the Furious Abyss being built). There's even a map of Mechanicus settlements around Olympus Mons. Don't know where they got their imagery from, since the forgot to credit the photos used as a basis for the map, but it's spot on compared to Google Mars.
Spoiler

The political makeup of the Mechanicus is highly fragmented; different forges have their own associated Knight Orders and Titan Legions (although they're all referred to as "Engines"); different forges have contracts for energy or materials supply and mutual defense; it's noted that things have got more factionalised in recent times.

Supplies to Horus' 63rd Expedition are prioritised over supplies to other Legions; the Salamanders have already complained that they are receiving no ammunition supplies from Mars, and are having to make do with munitions supplied by Mechanicus ships in their fleet.

One Forge, at Tharsis, has three "Tsiolkovsky Towers", which may be space elevators. If so, they're rather far from the equator, at 13 degrees north.

So far, the Fabricator General dislikes Imperial 'interference' with the Mechanicus, and wants autonomy. Horus gains his trust by handing over the entry protocols to the "Vault of Moravec", which seems to be a Chaos-corrupted data store, hidden under the surface. It provides a computer virus that disrupts almost all systems on Mars, causing millions of casualties. He also sets loose the Legio Mortis on loyalist Legions.

Other goings-on include mention of another high-ranking Forge Master pursuing illegal AI research, and one Forge Master undertaking research into psychic phenomena (although she's one of the "good guys", along with Fabricator Kane, who I think was mentioned in Bill King's original Emperor vs Horus short story.

Oh, and the Kaban machine, from "The Kaban Project", in Horus Heresy: Collected Visions (p199) makes a return.

[NecronLord]

I'm just going to slap 'spoilers' on this, though to be honest, if it's got the title of the damn book as the thread title, you'd be a moron not to expect spoilers...

One Forge, at Tharsis, has three "Tsiolkovsky Towers", which may be space elevators. If so, they're rather far from the equator, at 13 degrees north.

A Tsiolkovsky tower is a space elevator. I assumed that as the Fabricator Locum's forge, and primary provider for the Astartes, that one was just sufficiently sprawling to cover an equatorial region as well.

So far, the Fabricator General dislikes Imperial 'interference' with the Mechanicus, and wants autonomy.

More interestingly, supposedly the Mechanicum has not yet been reunited with the forgeworlds. Which does strongly suggest that Kelbor Hal's ideas are justified, and the Emperor is out to shaft them.

one Forge Master undertaking research into psychic phenomena (although she's one of the "good guys",

And indeed, is an atheist with a sound grasp of the scientific method.

along with Fabricator Kane, who I think was mentioned in Bill King's original Emperor vs Horus short story.

Yup.

And then there's the Dragon stuff. Which is probably worth a seperate post from me some time tomorrow...

[andrewgpaul]

I'm just going to slap 'spoilers' on this, though to be honest, if it's got the title of the damn book as the thread title, you'd be a moron not to expect spoilers...

I figured putting the entire post in a spoiler box would be sufficient, but in hindsight, that does make any actual discussion of the book rather difficult.

One Forge, at Tharsis, has three "Tsiolkovsky Towers", which may be space elevators. If so, they're rather far from the equator, at 13 degrees north.

A Tsiolkovsky tower is a space elevator. I assumed that as the Fabricator Locum's forge, and primary provider for the Astartes, that one was just sufficiently sprawling to cover an equatorial region as well.

Not if the map's anything to go by. The three towers all appear to be contained in the Uranius Patera crater. The entire map only extends as far south as Dinorwic Crater, roughly.

[Bedlam]

along with Fabricator Kane, who I think was mentioned in Bill King's original Emperor vs Horus short story.

In the old Horus Heresy Board Game Kane was the Fabricator General on the Loyalist side so presumably he gets the top job on the Emperors side, so assuming he survives tha battle for Earth hes probably responcible for the form the post heresy Adaptus Mechanicus takes.

[andrewgpaul]

The Mechanicum doesn't seem to have changed much after the Heresy; it appears it was always riddled with superstition, and in fact, managed to negotiate that its religious trappings wouldn't be affected by the Emperor's Great Crusade.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

I very much enjoyed the first 20 pages, wherein the Emperor descends onto Mars. We actually get to see the Emperor in action and learn why they believed he was the Omnissiah. Pretty cool.

Where I was reading it, the song "Joy to the World" was playing in the background, so that could have added to the mythical feel of the scene.

[Dartzap]

I enjoyed it. They seem to have told McNeil "Oi! Make it a prequel to Titanicus and some other stuff!" hehe. The Dragon stuff was...most intriguing. And apparently the Emperor was also Saint George...

And now onto Dark Disciple, which had better have mass chaotic conversions, dammit.

[Dartzap]

Oh yes: How long have these Knights been around canon-wise? Don't think I've heard of any Wolverine like units before, heh.

[Connor MacLeod]

Oh yes: How long have these Knights been around canon-wise? Don't think I've heard of any Wolverine like units before, heh.

They're a throwback to early 1st/2nd edition material IIRC, they basically used mini titans and were AdMech allies.

[andrewgpaul]

Originally, KNights (both the machines and the pilots) were found on human-settled Eldar Maiden Worlds. These were planets terraformed and settled by Eldar Exodites. They used Knight suits to herd dinosaurs. Later, human settlers arrived, and essentially copied their way of life. They were contacted by Forge Worlds during the Age of Strife, and ended up offering military services and food to the Forge Worlds in return for technological assisstance.

2nd edition Epic tied them more closely to the Mechanicus. I'm not sure if that removed the pastoral herdsmen background for them.

1st edition Epic knights:
Imperial
Eldar

the dudes in this picture are Knights Paladin, in front of an Imperator titan and some epic infantry, and beside a Warhound titan and a 40K-scale Space Marine

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Just a question: I just picked up the book, and a brief glancing left me with one question: If the Dark Mechanicum was the sole controller of Mars, what happened after the the Siege of Terra was repelled? Granted a good portion fled, but it seemed as if loyalist forces were all but destroyed.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Not to re-awaken the thread from its stasis-crypt, but something about this books and Titanicus has made me question something lately...

Both Titanicus and Mechanicus deal with the rift within the Cult Mechanicus between those who believe the Emperor is the Omnissiah and those who don't. Both books use a lot of the same new terms and ideas in their portrayal of the AdMech, as well as describing new and old units in similar ways, much as they would describe any model in the games range in similar ways. Mechanicus confirms some rumors about the AdMech that we never thought GW would ever give a solid viewpoint on, as well as explicitly fleshing out the situation with Spoiler

the Dragon, the Emperor and the Adeptus Mechanicus

. It's almost as if GW has decided to advance the AdMech backstory and has worked on consolidating the fluff into some kind of writer's bible, a "codex" if you will...

Could these books presage the release of Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus? Could such a thing be looming in the shadows even now, waiting to get the drop on us?