Kastelan Robots: Rules, Review + Tactics - Admech / Adeptus Mechanicus Strategy Discussion

[@auspextactics]

CORRECTION: Apologies, I messed up on reading the rules for the relic for the Cybernetica Cohort - the doctrina-skull is GREAT. It can allow a Tech Priest Dominus to fuction as a datasmith, meaning you can skip buying one in (and ALSO get the increased range). Thanks to all the people who pointed that one out!

[@stoicism388]

With Archeotech Specialist (1CP) you can give the relic to an Enginseer in the cohort rather than your Dominus if you wanted. Unsure if they will add Manipulus into the cohort in an update but that would be very nice

[@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж]

Funny enough, but after Engine War i actually want Datasmith in my list, for the first time 8th edition. Because he is 41 pts character that can have new Warlord Trait

[@Gumby777]

Who else loves the old school Sci-Fi vibe of these big lovable guys

[@Sephvion]

They feel a lot better when you switch out their heads for the Wargames Exclusive alternate heads. Way more robot like, instead of the weird dome.

[@patrickdhamilton]

If you haven’t seen it already, old Disney movie (I think 1979?) called ‘The Black Hole’ clearly inspired these dudes.

[@nicholasleaf3646]

@@Sephvion I was thinking buying those alt heads for my shooting Kastellans. For fighting I use cupolas, and I think them as helmets protecting their valuable heads inside. :D

[@franciscogalvez8891]

I love that they stand out amongst the davinciesque/biomechanical horror that is the Adeptus Mechanicus, signaling that they are remnants from a long-lost culture that functioned on completely different design principles.

[@sonicfan2651]

I just wanna hug em

[@e_maccy4589]

You forgot to mention one small thing regarding the combat version: They will be a lot more fragile in melee, as their save is only working against ranged attacks, quite significant

[@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж]

Uncommon tactics to use with Kastellan Robots. Take Lucius Forgeworld Take Kastellns with Incenirators and Heavy Phosphor Blasters. Deepstrike, immediately change protocols, teleport Dominus with Solar Flare Nearby, and basically act as a turret for rest of the game.

[@Djinnpachiro]

Hey Auspex another use of the cybernetica cohort relic is to turn a tech priest dominus or enginseer into a datasmith. As it can be taken by any character in the detachment.

[@auspextactics]

Thanks for the catch, totally overlooked that. Just posted a pinned comment above. Thank you!

[@jovialmonster757]

I love the idea that a Kastelan can reflect artillery fire from 240” and no line of sight

[@tenthlegionstudios1343]

with fall back and shoot becoming an option for warlord traits, i can see units of kastellans and kataphrons making a large impact on the new admech meta. Great work!

[@georgesimmons2517]

Love how these guys look and also how they play! Looking forward to adding a couple units to my new Admec army!

[@qwest8387]

Perfect timing, just finished building mine this morning!

[@justinseo6471]

I was thinking of buying Kastelans cause everyone kept on talking about how good they were, thanks for the video! Probably gonna pick up a few to form the core of my Cawl castle.

[@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж]

Yeah, they just delete units. I once killed Magnus in single turn of shootung with them with Wrath of Mars. I have 8 of them for Apoc Army.

[@justinseo6471]

@@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж Is the Apocalypse: Admech vanguard detachment worth it? I really want to get some Kastelans and extra techpriests.

[@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж]

@@justinseo6471 Well, i cant say they are super powerfull in Apoc, but certainly decent with right cards. Funny enough in Apoc melee version is the better one and in regular games - shooting version, so need to magnetise. For regular games im switching between 3-4 Robots. Anything more is asking for trouble. Moneywise it is worth it. Big discount.

[@justinseo6471]

@@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж Thanks for the information! I don't plan on playing apoc, and my question should've been more directed price-wise. I'm glad to hear it's worth it money-wise. I'm just starting but I'm definitely gonna run a Cawl castle, with the new Engine War warlord traits I'm probably gonna run techpriest dominus as my HQ and Cawl as just a normal unit, I heard the Kastelans can give out a ton of damage especially with Cawl. From your experience, how many units of Kastelans would you recommend in a scenario where I don't have kataphrons or any admech elites, or a lot of vehicles. I currently have 20 skitarii (probably 15 vanguard and 5 ranger) 1 techpriest dominus, and 1 onager dunecrawler.

[@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж]

@@justinseo6471 i would actually points you towards Manipulus. Cawl pretty much replaces Dominus, while Manipulus gives aura +6 inches to guns and he can take this Divimation trait. No more then 2-4. Also its imperative to have counter charge with Cawl castle. I have 3 sydonian dragoons and a crusader knight, its often not enough.

[@boshy3326]

Hmmm design looks rather familiar... suspicious if you will

[@rottenmeat5934]

I’ve been wondering about making a melee killbox with these guys. Load them up with incendine combusters and phosphor blasters, switch to protector right in front of a charging enemy, and countercharging with a pair of dragoons when something invariably makes it through.

[@TheTobaccoman]

These are the backbone of an ad mech list. While new shiny catches the eye these used well can and will win games.

[@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж]

Yeah, new shiny stuff doesnt work if you dont remove one unit a turn with these.

[@AlvarazCMSB]

You forgot a few major things: Protocal change happens at the start of the next battle round, which makes it super important to go first as you'll benefit from aegis until your next turn. Also the servo skull can be put onto a dominus, allowing you to skip the smiths all together!

[@MrFiremagnet]

They are the sole reason I'm not leaving home without, like, a tone of lascannons.

[@patrickdhamilton]

Loving the AdMech videos. I’m really tempted to pick up Engine War and find an old Start Collecting box.

[@LiliaArmoury]

nice i see this in my suggestions just after i had a pair of used one arrive in the mail last week for my newish admech army

[@stoicism388]

Cybernetica Cohort can give a relic for changing protocol within 9” (DOCTRINA FOREAS SERVO-SKULL) and doesn’t have to be given to the datasmith, can give it to a character in the cohort for increased range and snipping 41 points out of your list. 1CP at the start of the game and 2CP a turn to make a squad of 5 shooty bois run up the board and even shooting 45 shots on turn 1 with Wrath of Mars (if you really wanted to) isn’t horrible by any means

[@auspextactics]

Thanks for the clarification. Completely skimmed over that! I've posted a pinned comment above as a correction. Thank you for the insight :)

[@richardtan3788]

Nice. I really like the look of Gizmo’s cousins.

[@jaelee1996]

I wish repulsor grid needs line of sight or maximum distance. Reflecting my basilisk barrage back does not make any sense.

[@ThetaRho-]

Science sucker! Your fault for attacking the faithful of the Omnissiah!

[@dyciefisk2535]

Ha ha, missile goes *BOUNCE*

[@genericname42]

But sure is funny

[@Roylevis]

with the new vehicle rule in combat, will possibly make them alot more popular.

[@brendanswain939]

Is it possible to run hand phosphor blasters with the shoulder combustor?

[@bruce5204]

i friggin love these guys but I'm afraid that with 9th edition's standard point increase and eventually another one because of the new shoot-in-combat rule for vehicles, they're going to be terribly expensive in 9th. fingers crossed

[@Phyaran]

At least their pts/$ will improve.

[@sethdeverell6564]

remember in 9th you can fire your vehicles weapons in combat so they are much better now

[@dyciefisk2535]

125pts for shooty, 115 for punchy. The fact that you can shoot at whatever tagged you in combat also helps.

[@Pesso86]

Daedalosus will also help them a lot

[@auspextactics]

He is a bit good!

[@Pesso86]

Auspex Tactics Daedalosus helps pretty much everyone and everything. He is a very giving character 🤣

[@genericname42]

Problem is how to get it I'm going to just convert a data Smith with ranger parts

[@WindlordRyu]

This is one of those units I'd really hold off on until we know more about 9th edition (unless you magnetize them). Potential ability to shoot in melee and potential cost increase could change them a lot. And it's a more expensive(£) unit.

[@kyphus3725]

I just can't resist the kastelan fists with stygies, first turn you can get 17" move, if your opponent has a front line unit, deployment maps are 18 or 24 so a 1 inch or 7 inch charge and reroll ones if your using remorseless fist. If you are going second you get 1+ cover save with -1 to hit for the dogma and prepared positions or shroud psalm.

[@piccoloktheforged]

Can you make a kastelan servitor list

[@appendixpower5538]

1) paint them in dark green guard style 2) yell "Communists detected on American soil! Engaging lethal force!" 3)?? 3) profit

[@Green_Phos]

Meh, I'm not crazy about them, tbh. On paper they sound _brutal_ but in reality they're so-so unless you go full dakka with triple phos blasters, protector protocol and 6 of them (giving you 108 shots). But for 660 points that's insane and by 9th ed they'll be even more expensive, honestly probably priced out of the park for me. I would _much_ rather pump all those points into Ryza kataphron destroyers, toss in Ryza's plasma strat on a 6+ model unit with a Dominus nearby for RR 1's, and watch them fucking *wreck house* with D6 shots, S9 AP-3 D3 damage. Oh, and Servitor maniple for 2cp and 20 pts (the cost of a min servitor unit for patching one back up with duct tape, fleshy bits and touch of holy axle grease) on a tech priest to bring one back and heal per round. You can get _14 kataphron destroyers_ for 672 pts on avg putting out 42 shots of overcharged plasma culverins vs 6 robots for 660... and the kataphrons don't suffer -1 to hit if they moved. It's simply no contest, imo.

[@kaliasfr]

I think Kastelan is really TOO STRONG. There is too many buff that stack... I made a list with 6 kastelan, 3 onager and 3 skorpius. In 1 turn, I can destroy 3/4 of my opponent's list. (he does a strong list too)

[@doomkingraye7692]

Kastelan are quite broken, I can't change them because they get the overwatch at 5+ or 4+ And I play nids so the only way to kill them is shooting (with tyranids)

[@Pesso86]

They are strong but can be outmaneuvered and they require a lot of support to be very efficient. I’m not saying they are bad, but I don’t think they are broken either

[@facepalmjesus1608]

we need a Thanatar/Armiger equivalent... something like a Magelan Robot!!! PLS GW!!!

[@warbringereagles2188]

Could you please update your videos to the newest codex version. Now the kastelans are way more powerful.

[@settrasurfs1780]

It looks kinda sus

[@oliverwithers9736]

Wait so theses guys can arm with 3 heavy phosphor blaster each with the power to kill on average 1 space marine so a single 1 could kill 3 space marines a turn however if you run them at lets say 4 kastelans you are on average killing 12 space marines a turn then you can buff these with Cawl to make them harder to kill then buff them with the daedolosus to make them even harder to kill then you can heal there wounds with a daedolosus also while Cawl is buffing them damage wise making these guys ridiculously powerful

[@MrTrenttness]

♥️

[@Polemiko09]

wait hold on. Can anyone explain how you get to fire 108 times with them?

[@dyciefisk2535]

Take a full unit of 6 robots. They have 3 guns each that all fire 3 shots per gun. The Protector Protocol allows each gun to fire twice the normal amount (phosphor 3->6, flamer d6->2d6) 6×3×3×2=108

[@wither5673]

beep boop ''you'r free trial of living has expired'' BLAM BLAM BLAM!!!

[@redsol3629]

--Primary directive set to destroy--

[@МихаилСтрогов-ш4ж]

You are so wrong about the relic. Take a look at wording of data smith and relic. It allows to change protocol this turn, not next turn.

[@auspextactics]

Yes, you are 100% correct - have posted a pinned comment above. Thanks for pointing that out!

[@J0hnHenrySNEEDen]

Sus

[@dr4ch3nl4mp3]

They look kinda sus

[@shaun1293]

The helmet looks like a trash can from fallout 4

[@ARandomPerson66]

Remember the price hike anyone?? Why do everyone turn into bootlickers now?

[@callofgearsofhalo1]

Implying GW has never raised their prices before. This is nothing new. Did you expect everyone to stop playing in protest?

[@ARandomPerson66]

@@callofgearsofhalo1 Lol. A white knight ? Really? A land raider being more expensive than a primaris repulsor? www.change.org/p/games-workshop-showing-games-workshop-how-unhappy-their-customers-are/dashboard?source_location=user_profile_started You should maybe read it GW manager. All Warhammer youtubers reacted badly towards them.

[@senkathelich445]

@@ARandomPerson66 True, not many hobbies drastically increase prices every year on old things...

[@lv100Alice]

haha new plastic goes brrrrrr

[@ARandomPerson66]

@@lv100Alice So true lol. At least start collectings become even worthier... I expect them to go up again. At least in my country we have Warhammer Conquest. So they manage to make a margin and to pay Hachette too while offering cheap prices.