A Techmarine is an Adeptus Astartes with advanced technical knowledge and training. In addition to being battle-brothers to their fellow Space Marines, Techmarines (Frater Astrotechnicus[14]) also serve as mechanics and technicians to their respective Chapters, similar to the Enginseers who serve in the Imperial Guard.[1a] They are marked out by the Machina Opus Honour Badge.[20]
In addition to their engineering roles, Techmarines are often the pilots of Space Marine tanks, gunships, and aircraft.[8]
Overview
Space Marine Chapters identify prospective Techmarines from within their own companies, favouring those who show the greatest affinity for machines. These aspirants are then sent to Mars for thirty years of training, where they are taught the lore of the Machine God, how to divine the Runes of Engineering and the Liturgy of Maintenance. This great body of lore must be fully understood and committed to memory by the novice Techmarine. A great deal of the thirty years of instruction involves learning each of the many and intricate maintenance rituals and hymns by heart.[1a] The rituals, furthermore, have variations to cover every conceivable circumstance in battle. A fully-fledged Techmarine is expected to be able to "feel" the pain of a damaged machine and heal it. After completing the training, the Techmarine is ordained, and returns to his Chapter.[2] Techmarines pledge allegiance to both the Cult Mechanicus and their Chapter, which makes them something of an oddity among their battle-brothers.[Needs Citation] The highest position among the Techmarines is held by the Master of the Forge.[4]
A Techmarine's Power Armour is modified to accommodate his cybernetic enhancements and his armour's backpack is also upgraded with several servo-arms and mechadendrites. His armour bears the rust-red colours of the Adeptus Mechanicus, but his Chapter badge is retained and displayed on one of the shoulder guards, so as not to disrespect the armour's spirit. Techmarines are able to wear full servo-harnesses, huge harnesses armed with servo-arms, Forge Bolters[16], plasma cutters, and flamers. They commonly use a Grav-Pistol as a sidearm.[16] Techmarines can also be accompanied by a retinue of Servitors; Gun Servitors, Combat Servitors, and Tech Servitors. Techmarines additionally make use of Cyber-familiars in their retinue, a term that encompasses a variety of semi-autonomous devices such as servo-skulls, mek-spiders and other smaller drone units and lesser haemonculites tied into the direct neural control of their operator. These minion-drones are an extension of their master's will and provide them with a host of additional senses and capabilities.[22] Their usual weapon is an Omnissian Power Axe with the Adeptus Mechanicus symbol on the head, as both a symbol of rank and as a weapon.[3]
It is known that many Techmarines personalise their colours, like having both their left pauldron and arm in their chapter colour;[19a] having their left pauldron, arm and knee in their chapter colour;[19b] only having their helmet, right pauldron, servo-arms and areas around their Machina Opus symbols in red;[1c] only having their helmet, right pauldron, servo-arms and areas around their gut Machina Opus symbol in red;[1b][19c] or only having their helmet, right pauldron and knee, and servo-arms in red.[1d]
Many Chaos Obliterators are said to be the former Techmarines of the Traitor Legions.[5]
Techmarine Novitiate
Techmarine Novitiates are junior Techmarines still undergoing their training. They often serve as pilots for Space Marine tanks and aircraft.[21]
Equipment
Chapter Variants
- Grey Knights Techmarine - Grey Knights[13]
- Iron Father — Iron Hands
- Forge-Wright — Sons of Medusa[8b]
- Iron Priest — Space Wolves
- Brother-Adept — Star Phantoms[8a]
- The Emperor's Spears group together their Techmarines with their Apothecaries, Chaplains and Librarians under the title Druids, who all have black armour.[17] These warrior-priests each stand ready to harvest the gene-seed of fallen brothers, as well as performing their own duties based on their specialist skills and esoteric abilities.[18]
Notable Techmarines
Images
4th Edition Techmarine
4th Edition Techmarine
2nd Edition Techmarine
1st Edition Techmarine
See also
Sources
 |
- 1: Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition):
- 1a:pg. 71 — Forces of the Space Marines, 'Techmarine'
- 1b:pg. 106 — Founding a Chapter, 'Salamanders Strike Force Magma Storm'
- 1c:pg. 110 — Founding a Chapter, 'Heroes of the Space Marines'
- 1d:pg. 115 — Founding a Chapter, 'Thunderfire Cannon'
- 2: Warhammer 40,000: Compendium, pg. 131
- 3: Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), [Needs Citation]
- 4: White Dwarf 346 (UK), [Needs Citation]
- 5: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (4th Edition), pg. 35
- 6: Liber Apocalyptica: Forces of the Space Marines, pg. 40
- 7: Codex: Dark Angels (6th Edition), pg. 32
- 8: Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War - Part Two:
- 9: Death From the Skies (7th Edition) — Adeptus Astartes
- 10: Strategy Cards for Planetary Empires expansion game, card "Vortex Grenade - Minor Stratagem", (saved archive page, dated February 2011, last accessed 9 September 2017)
- 11: Index Astartes: Volume I (Background Book), section Techmarines, subsection Equipment and armour
- 12: White Dwarf 291 (UK), pg. 15 — Index Astartes - Cult of the Machine God, Techmarines of the Adeptus Astartes
- 13: Codex: Grey Knights (8th Edition), pg. 44
- 14: Medusan Wings (Novella) - On Wings of Blood (Anthology), -02.0-
- 15: Warhammer Community: Warhammer 40,000 Preview: New Models Revealed! (posted 7/4/2020) (last accessed 7/4/2020)
- 16: Codex: Space Marines (9th Edition) pg.139
- 17: Spear of the Emperor (Novel), Chapter VIII
- 18: Warhammer Community: Who Are the Emperor’s Spears?
- 19: Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition):
- 20: Deathwatch: Rites of Battle, pgs. 206-211
- 21: Codex: Space Marines (10th Edition), pg. 35
- 22: Liber Astartes, pg.141
