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The Adaptus Mechanicus has two forces at its disposal. The might of the
Titan Legions have ruled the battlefields of the Machine God since the
before founding of the Imperium. Alongside these massive war engines,
the Cult Mechanicus also has regiments of Skitarii, Known by the uncouth
and unitiated as the Tech Guard, the Skitarii are raised from the populations
of the Forge Worlds and are armed and trained in a simular fashion to the
Imperial Guard. The Skitarii provide a defensive force for the Forge Worlds
and also provide infantry and armoured support for the Titan Legions when
they go on campaign. The warriors of the Skitarii are often biologically
altered in some fashion and the crews of the Adaptus Mechanicus' tanks
are cybernetically linked to their machines and can never leave them.
The term Skitarii refers to those regiments as a whole, but the
different troops that make up the infantry and tank columns also have ancient
titles which refer to their battlefield role and their postion within the
Cult Mechanicus. The Hypaspists from the standard infantry squads, and
are armed with lasguns. Heavy weapons specialists earn the title of Sagitarii,
while the honoured tank crews are dubed Cataphracts and are afforeded a
great deal of repect for their close links with their machines. The Ballisterai
often field large, experimental weapons, designed to smash or cut through
armoured tanks and enemy strongholds.
Then there are the Pratorns, biologically and bionically enhanced warriors,
with brain stem implants, neuro linked processors and alloy reinforced
skeletons. Unlike the Space Marines who are genetically altered from an
early age the Pratorns are fully grown men who act as a walking test beds
for the rediscovered technologies of the Imperium. They are fearsome fighters
whose devotion to the Machine God makes them zealous combatants willing
to fight to the death. They are the terror troops of the Adaptus Mechanisus,
enforcing the will of the Machine God wherever they are deployed.
As well as its partially human warriors, the Cult Mechanicus maintains
cohorts of mighty robots. Standing twice the height of a man and armed
with deadly heavy weaponry and close combat weapons, robots are a terrifying
on the attack. However, it is as defenders that they really excel, protected
by their thick adamantium shells and pouring shot after shot into their
attackers with no real pause.
As well as standard Chimera transports, Leman Russ battle tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, the Adaptus Mechanicus also field the mighty Knights and Casatellans. These huge walking machines provide a mobile, well armoured gun platform to lend heavy firepower to the mobile Skitarii. They are protected by a directional power field, which the crew can direct against the incoming attacks. As its power is focused on a small area, these power fields do not burn out like those on Ork Garagants, but may also provide no protection at all if they are not directed in the proper fashion. Castellans are fited with larger guns rather than a chainfist or other close combat weapon, raining even more heavy fire onto the enemy.
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