Adeptus Mechanicus Rules Reference (11th ed)
My own summaries for play reference. Numbers come from Wahapedia’s 11th-edition pages as of October 2026, after the September balance update. Check exact wording in the official PDFs or app, and points in New Recruit.
Army page: Adeptus Mechanicus · Cheat sheet: Mechanicus cheat sheet · Core rules, keywords and core stratagems: Core rules
Contents: Army rules · Detachments · Units in the list · Upgrade candidates
Army rules
Doctrina Imperatives
Pick one each battle round. It applies to the whole army.
- Protector: +1 BS, and ranged weapons gain [HEAVY]. Battleline units, and units within 6” of Battleline, are also hit at -1 in melee. Use it on turn 1, when shooting from cover, and when you’re about to be charged.
- Conqueror: +1 WS, and ranged weapons gain [ASSAULT]. Battleline units, and units within 6” of Battleline, also get +1 AP on all attacks. Use it on the turns you attack.
- Both at once: Thulia’s Fires of Mars (one Skitarii unit) and Cybernetica’s Transcendent Cogitation (one vehicle) turn on both for one unit.
- Battleline in your list: Rangers, Vanguard, and Cawl (while his Mantra of Discipline Canticle is active).
Detachments
Lords of the Forge (2 DP)
- War-Form Mantles: every Tech-Priest has a 4+ invulnerable save and 5+ Feel No Pain.
- Baffling Data Screed: when a Tech-Priest’s unit shoots (and isn’t battle-shocked), roll a D6. On 2+, either an enemy vehicle within 12” takes a battle-shock roll at -1 (each vehicle only once per turn), or the unit stays hidden despite shooting.
- Enhancements:
- Vingh’s Wafers of Dynamism (25): Datasmith only. An attached unit gets Mobile for the whole game.
- TL-4Ø9 (30): any Tech-Priest. Extra gun: 24”, 3 attacks, BS2+, S11, AP-2, D3+2, Devastating Wounds, Hazardous.
- Stratagems (1CP each):
- Scriptural Prognosis: when an enemy targets a Tech-Priest unit that’s on an objective, its attacks get -1 AP.
- Overloaded Safeguards: a Tech-Priest unit can fall back and still shoot or charge.
- Holy Avarice: a Tech-Priest unit can start an action and still shoot.
Cohort Cybernetica (1 DP), the suggested third DP
- Cyber-Psalm Programming: LEGIO CYBERNETICA units (Kastelans, Datasmith) get +2” move and +1 OC unless battle-shocked.
- Enhancements (Tech-Priest only):
- Necromechanic (20): once per battle round, turn the damage of one failed save on a friendly vehicle within 12” to 0.
- Lord of Machines (15): in the enemy’s Shooting phase, an enemy vehicle within 12” tests Leadership. On a pass it gets -1 to hit; on a fail it can’t shoot.
- Emotionless Clarity (10): a friendly vehicle within 12” that dies triggers its Deadly Demise automatically.
- Arch-negator (5): the bearer’s guns gain Anti-Vehicle 4+.
- Stratagems (1CP each, all used in your Command phase on one AdMech vehicle or Cybernetica unit):
- Transcendent Cogitation: both Doctrinas at once. The key one, for the Ironstrider.
- Auto-divinatory Targeting: guns hit on 3+ (2+ with Protector) and ignore cover, but can only shoot at units near one chosen objective.
- Motive Imperative: +3” move and +1 to Advance and charge rolls.
- Machine Spirit Resurgent: a damaged unit re-rolls hit rolls. If below half-strength, it also re-rolls wound rolls.
- Machine Superiority: the unit can shoot after falling back and ignores modifiers to its rolls (except save modifiers).
- Benevolence of the Omnissiah: 6+ Feel No Pain, improved to 5+ against mortal wounds.
Your units
Statline format: M / T / Sv / W / Ld / OC / invulnerable save. Weapon format: range · attacks · to-hit · S · AP · D · keywords.
Belisarius Cawl (220)
- Stats: 8” / 8 / 2+ / 10 / 6+ / 3 / 4+. Epic Hero. Must be Warlord, unless Thulia is in the army, in which case she must be.
- Solar atomiser: 18” · 3 · 2+ · 14 · -4 · D6 · Melta 3.
- Melee: Omnissian axe 4 · 2+ · 8 · -2 · 2. Plus arc scourge 4 · 2+ · 5 · -1 · 1 (Anti-Vehicle 4+, Devastating Wounds, Extra Attacks), and mechadendrite hive 2D6 · 3+ · 4 · 0 · 1 (Extra Attacks).
- Canticle, pick one each Command phase:
- Machine Vengeance: pick an enemy unit; all AdMech attacks against it re-roll hits.
- Mantra of Discipline: he becomes Battleline, and AdMech units within 6” get +1 OC and +1 to battle-shock and Leadership tests.
- Shroudpsalm: AdMech units within 6” get Stealth.
- Also: Lone Operative while within 3” of another AdMech unit, and he heals D3 wounds each Command phase.
Tech-Priest Dominus (60, ×2)
- Stats: 6” / 4 / 2+ / 4 / 7+ / 1 / 5+ (4+ under Lords).
- Guns: volkite blaster 24” · 3 · 3+ · 5 · 0 · 2 (Devastating Wounds); macrostubber 12” · 5 · 3+ · 4 · 0 · 1 (Pistol).
- Optional guns: the volkite can swap for an eradication ray (24”, D3 shots at S6 AP-1 D1, or 12” focused at S6 AP-2 D2). The macrostubber can swap for a phosphor serpenta (18” · 1 · S5 · AP-1 · D2, Ignores Cover).
- Melee: Omnissian axe 4 · 3+ · 6 · -2 · 2.
- Leading a unit: it gets 5+ Feel No Pain (4+ for Electro-Priests).
- Data-spike: at the start of the Fight phase, an engaged enemy vehicle takes D6 mortal wounds on a 4+, and its WS worsens by 1.
- Leads: Rangers, Vanguard, Hastarii, Kataphrons, Battleclade, Electro-Priests, Secutarii.
Tech-Priest Manipulus (60)
- Stats: 6” / 4 / 2+ / 4 / 7+ / 1 / 5+ (4+ under Lords).
- Guns, one of: magnarail lance 36” · 1 · 3+ · 7 · -2 · 3 (Heavy), or transonic cannon 12” · D6 · auto · 4 · 0 · 2 (Torrent, Devastating Wounds).
- Melee: Omnissian staff 4 · 3+ · 6 · -1 · 2.
- Galvanic Field: the unit he leads gets Lethal Hits.
- Once per battle: his unit has a 4+ invulnerable save for one phase.
- Leads: the same units as the Dominus.
Skitarii Marshal (35, Support)
- Stats: 6” / 3 / 4+ / 3 / 6+ / 1 / 5+.
- Weapons: pistol 12” · 1 · 3+ · 6 · -1 · 1 (Devastating Wounds); control stave 4 · 3+ · 6 · -1 · 1.
- Control Edict: the unit he leads re-rolls all hit rolls.
- Once per battle: remove battle-shock from a Skitarii unit within 6”.
- Support: attaches alongside a Leader. Rangers, Vanguard, Hastarii, Secutarii.
Cybernetica Datasmith (20, Support for Kastelans)
- Stats: 6” / 4 / 2+ / 3 / 7+ / 1 / 5+.
- Weapons: power fist 2 · 3+ · 8 · -2 · 2; pistol.
- Protocols (switch in your Command phase): Aegis (+1 T, the starting protocol), Protector (+2 ranged attacks) or Conqueror (+2 melee attacks).
- Kastelan bodyguard: while leading Kastelans he gets a 4+ Feel No Pain.
Skitarii Rangers (85 per 10; Battleline, Scouts 6”)
- Stats: 6” / 3 / 4+ / 1 / 7+ / 2 / 5+.
- Galvanic rifle: 30” · 2 · 4+ · 4 · 0 · 1.
- Objective Scouted: an objective you control stays yours after they leave, until the enemy takes it.
- Free options:
- Alpha combat weapon (2 · 4+ · 5 · -1 · 1).
- 1 arc rifle: 30” · 1 · 4+ · 8 · -1 · D3 (Anti-Vehicle 4+, Devastating Wounds, Rapid Fire 1).
- 1 plasma caliver: 30” · 2 · 4+ · 7 · -2 · 1, or supercharged S8 AP-3 D2 (Hazardous).
- 1 transuranic arquebus: 36” · 1 · 4+ · 7 · -2 · D3 (Heavy, Precision), on a 60×35mm base.
- Omnispex (unit ignores cover) or data-tether (5+ refunds 1CP when you use a Stratagem on the unit).
Skitarii Vanguard (85 per 10; Battleline)
- Stats: 6” / 3 / 4+ / 1 / 7+ / 2 / 5+.
- Radium carbine: 18” · 3 · 4+ · 3 · 0 · 1 (Anti-Infantry 4+).
- Rad-saturation: non-vehicle enemies within 3” get -1 OC.
- Free options: the same as Rangers.
- Suggested build: Alpha combat weapon, arc rifle, plasma, arquebus, plus an omnispex (or the data-tether in the Dunerider squad).
Kataphron Breachers (140 for 3 / 290 for 6)
- Stats: 5” / 7 / 3+ / 3 / 7+ / 1 / 6+.
- Heavy arc rifle: 30” · 2 · 4+ · 8 · -2 · 3 (Anti-Vehicle 4+, Rapid Fire 2).
- Torsion cannon option: 36” · D3 · 4+ · 6 · -2 · 2 (Anti-Infantry 2+, Blast).
- Melee: arc claw 4 · 4+ · 5 · -1 · 1 (Anti-Vehicle 4+), or hydraulic claw 2 · 4+ · 8 · -2 · 3.
- Breaching Command: re-roll hit rolls of 1. Re-roll all hit rolls while within 6” of Battleline.
Kastelan Robots (150 for 2 / 300 for 4)
- Stats: 6” / 9 / 2+ / 7 / 7+ / 2 / 5+. Walker, Deadly Demise 1.
- Default weapons: incendine combustor 12” · D6 · auto · 6 · -1 · 1 (Torrent, Ignores Cover); twin Kastelan fist 4 · 4+ · 12 · -2 · 3 (Twin-linked).
- Options: heavy phosphor blaster (36” · 3 · 6 · -1 · 2, Ignores Cover) in place of the combustor. The fist can become phosphor-blaster-plus-fist, or twin phosphor blasters.
- Repulsor Grid: each unmodified 6 they roll on saves against shooting deals 1 mortal wound back to the shooter.
Onager Dunecrawler (150 each)
- Stats: 8” / 10 / 2+ / 11 / 7+ / 3 / 4+. Walker, Deadly Demise D3. -1 to hit at 1–4 wounds left.
- Weapon choices:
- Eradication beamer: 36” · 3D3 · 9 · -2 · 2 (Blast, Sustained Hits 1), or 18” focused at S10 AP-3 D3.
- Neutron laser: 48” · 3 · 16 · -4 · D6+2 (Heavy), plus a cognis heavy stubber (36” · 3 · 4 · 0 · 1, Rapid Fire 3, Sustained Hits 1).
- Twin heavy phosphor blaster: 36” · 12 · 6 · -1 · 2 (Ignores Cover, Twin-linked).
- Daedalus missiles (48” · 2 · 10 · -2 · D6+1, Anti-Fly 2+) plus an Icarus array.
- All hit on 4+.
- Emanatus Force Field: Battleline models wholly within 6” get a 4+ invulnerable save against shooting.
- Scuttling Walker: moves through friendly vehicles and terrain 4” tall or less.
- Optional data-tether: 5+ refunds 1CP on Stratagem use, but it loses Smoke.
Ironstrider Ballistarii (80 each; 160 for 2, 250 for 3; lascannons +10 each)
- Stats: 10” / 7 / 3+ / 7 / 7+ / 2 / 5+. Walker, Smoke, Deadly Demise 1.
- Guns: twin cognis autocannon 48” · 4 · 4+ · 9 · -1 · 3, or twin cognis lascannon 48” · 2 · 4+ · 12 · -3 · D6+1. Both have Sustained Hits 1 and Twin-linked.
- Elevated Strider: can shoot after Advancing or Falling Back, and re-rolls Desperate Escape.
- Built-in data-tether: 5+ refunds 1CP on Stratagem use.
Skorpius Dunerider (75)
- Stats: 12” / 9 / 3+ / 11 / 7+ / 2 / –. Smoke, Deadly Demise D3, Firing Deck 2.
- Capacity: 12 AdMech infantry. No Kataphrons, jump packs or Skatros.
- Gun: cognis heavy stubber array 36” · 9 · 4+ · 4 · 0 · 1 (Rapid Fire 9, Sustained Hits 1, Twin-linked).
- Fire Support: units that disembarked this turn re-roll wound rolls against whatever it hit.
- Built-in data-tether.
Pteraxii Sterylizors (75 for 5 / 150 for 10; Deep Strike, Fly)
- Stats: 12” / 4 / 4+ / 2 / 7+ / 1 / 5+.
- Phosphor torch: 12” · D6 · auto · 4 · 0 · 1 (Torrent, Ignores Cover).
- Alpha: flechette blaster 12” · 5 · 4+ · 3 · 0 · 1 (Pistol); taser goad 3 · 4+ · 6 · 0 · 1 (Sustained Hits 2).
- Searing Conflagration: against targets on an objective, re-roll wound rolls of 1. Re-roll all wound rolls if within 6” of Battleline.
Serberys Raiders (60 for 3 / 105 for 6; Scouts 9”)
- Stats: 12” / 4 / 4+ / 2 / 7+ / 2 / 5+.
- Galvanic carbine: 18” · 3 · 4+ · 4 · 0 · 1 (Devastating Wounds).
- Melee: sabre and claws 4 · 4+ · 4 · -1 · 1.
- Tactica Obliqua: when an enemy ends a move within 8”, make a D6” move, or 6” if you end near Battleline.
- Free option: a data-tether on one model.
Serberys Sulphurhounds (55 for 3 / 95 for 6)
- Stats: 12” / 4 / 4+ / 2 / 7+ / 2 / 5+.
- Weapons: sulphur breath 9” · D6 · auto · 3 · -1 · 1 (Torrent, Ignores Cover, Pistol); 2 phosphor pistols 12” · 1 · 4 · 0 · 1.
- Free swap: for every 3 models, one model trades its pistols for a phosphor blast carbine (18” · D6 · 6 · 0 · 1, Blast, Ignores Cover) and 1 pistol.
- Alpha: cavalry arc maul (Anti-Vehicle 4+, Devastating Wounds, Extra Attacks).
- Line-breakers: after charging, roll a D6 per engaged model; each 4+ is a mortal wound (+2 to the roll if they started within 6” of Battleline).
Sicarian Infiltrators (75 for 5; Infiltrators, Stealth)
- Stats: 8” / 4 / 4+ / 2 / 7+ / 1 / 5+.
- Weapons: stubcarbine 12” · 3 · 4 · 0 · 1 (Pistol) with power weapon 4 · 4+ · 4 · -2 · 1. Can swap to flechette blaster with taser goad.
- Enemy Leadership: enemies engaged with them test battle-shock at the start of the Fight phase. Enemies within 6” get -1 to battle-shock and Leadership tests (-2 if the Infiltrators are near Battleline).
Sicarian Ruststalkers (75 for 5; Stealth)
- Stats: 8” / 4 / 4+ / 2 / 7+ / 1 / 5+.
- Melee: razor and chordclaw 3 · 4+ · 5 · -2 · 2 (Anti-Infantry 3+, Precision), or transonic blades 5 · 4+ · 5 · -1 · 1 (Devastating Wounds, Precision).
- Optimised Gait: +1 to Advance and charge rolls (+2 near Battleline).
Sydonian Skatros (45; Lone Operative, Stealth)
- Stats: 8” / 4 / 4+ / 4 / 7+ / 1 / 5+.
- Guns: radium jezzail 36” · 1 · 3+ · 5 · -2 · 3 (Anti-Infantry 3+, Heavy, Precision; re-roll wounds against infantry), or transuranic arquebus 36” · 1 · 3+ · 7 · -2 · D3 (Anti-Monster/Vehicle 4+, Heavy, Precision; re-roll wounds against monsters and vehicles).
- Dread Snipers: a unit it hits takes a battle-shock test.
Upgrade candidates
Hastarii Fusiliers (105 for 5)
- Stats: 5” / 4 / 3+ / 2 / 7+ / 1 / 5+.
- Neutron fusil: 24” · 1 · 4+ · 12 · -3 · D6+1. Ignores cover against monsters and vehicles.
- Phosphor blaster: 18” · 2 · 5 · 0 · 1 (Ignores Cover).
- Leaders: any Character that can lead Rangers can lead them.
Hastarii Exterminators (100 for 5)
- Stats: the same as Fusiliers.
- Eradication caster: 30” · 2 · 4+ · 5 · -1 · 2, or 15” focused at AP-2. Anti-Infantry 4+, and Sustained Hits 1 against non-vehicles.
- Arc blaster: 18” · 1 · 6 · -1 · 2 (Anti-Vehicle 4+, Devastating Wounds).
Thulia Ghuld (180; Epic Hero, must be Warlord)
- Stats: 8” / 8 / 2+ / 10 / 6+ / 3 / 4+.
- Resonator: titanic impact 24” · 2 · 2+ · 12 · -3 · D6+2 (Devastating Wounds), or shockwave 24” · D6+2 · 2+ · 6 · -2 · 1 (Blast, Sustained Hits 1).
- Rod: strike 6 · 2+ · 10 · -2 · 3, or sweep 12 · 2+ · 6 · -1 · 1.
- Icon each Command phase, on one Skitarii unit within 6”: shoot and charge after Advancing, or shoot and charge after Falling Back, or both Doctrinas at once.
- Secutor of Olympus: at the start of your Shooting phase, an enemy vehicle within 12” takes D3+1 mortal wounds on a 2+.
- Also: Lone Operative while within 3” of another AdMech unit.
Servitor Battleclade (75 for 9)
- Stats: 6” / 4 / 4+ / 2 / 7+ / 1 / 6+.
- Underseer: a non-Character Tech-Priest. Pistol plus dataspikes.
- Gun servitors: one heavy arc rifle (30” · 1 · 8 · -2 · 3, Anti-Vehicle 4+) and one heavy bolter (36” · 3 · 5 · -1 · 2, Heavy, Sustained Hits 1).
- Combat servitors (6): phosphor blasters. One can swap to a meltagun, and up to 3 to incendine igniters.
- Network Override: with a Tech-Priest in the unit, it can act after Advancing and shoot after starting an action.
- Leaders: any Leader that can lead Breachers.
Tech-Priest Enginseer (55)
- Stats: 6” / 4 / 3+ / 3 / 7+ / 1 / 5+.
- Melee: Omnissian axe 3 · 4+ · 6 · -2 · 2 (6 attacks after a friendly vehicle dies within 12”); servo-arm 1 · 6 · -2 · 2 (Extra Attacks).
- Omnissiah’s Blessing: in your Command phase, a friendly model within 3” heals D3 wounds. A vehicle also gets 5+ Feel No Pain until your next Command phase.
- Also: Lone Operative near vehicles when he isn’t leading a unit. As a Leader, he can lead the same units as the Dominus.
Kataphron Destroyers (100 for 3 / 200 for 6)
- Stats: 5” / 6 / 3+ / 3 / 7+ / 1 / 6+.
- Main gun: heavy grav-cannon 30” · 4 · 6 · -1 · 2 (Anti-Vehicle 2+), or plasma culverin 36” · 4 · 7 · -2 · 1 (supercharged S8 AP-3 D2, Hazardous).
- Sidearm: phosphor blaster or cognis flamer.
- Sentinel Directives: hit on 5+ instead of 6+ when firing Overwatch.