What are people's opinions of this card? I haven't tried it in actual play yet, and I can't make up my mind. It seems like at 2 resources, he'd be overpowered, and at 3, he's overcosted. It's tricky to judge, though. I recently swapped some in to my Space Marine/Astra Militarum deck, hoping his Soldier Trait and decent-ish combat stats will make him a good counter-sniper to Warlords attempting to pick off my capping units when paired with Elysian Assault Team and Catachan Outpost, in addition to the basic command struggle effects.

Has anyone got some actual play experience with the Techmarine that could give me a better idea of his value?

He certainly is an odd duck.

He is exceptional when your opponent is running swarm-cap decks (lots of low cost 1 command units), but fails to perform if your opponent is dropping many 2 command (or more) units.

I played one game where my opponent was having card-draw issues, and only one planet with much card draw was available. He dropped 3 void pirates hoping to get 5 card draw during command struggle. One Iron Hands completely shut it down.

I have had my opponent unthinkingly continue to commit units to overcome a combined Techmarine/Promotion that I had down at a key planet. After he dropped multiple high-cost units, he cracked this smirk, thinking he had won. I was holding an Exterminatus in my hand - I think he cried a little inside.

Key uses for Iron Hands Techmarine

• Trumps swarm decks in command struggle
• 2x Techmarines or 1 + Promotion is nearly unbeatable even if opponent has lots of high command units, and 1 can often win because your opponent will decide that contesting is just not worth it.
• Can draw opponent into over-comitting to a key planet for Exterminatus.
• Can give you a "free win" at another planet (If the techmarine is nailing down a planet key to your opponents strategy, you have an uncontested warlord deploy while your opponent sends his warlord after the techmarine).

My judgment - situationally useful. If the rules at your tournament include sideboarding, he is definitely worth the sideboard. Depending on your deck, he may be worth it in your main as well.

You basically hold him in reserve and then he just takes over a planet all by himself that your opponent has dropped all his guys on. Used early, your opponent can play around him and counter him.

Used well, he is a command struggle winning machine.

He can indeed win any command struggle, which is important, however at cost 3 I feel it's to much for what he brings. When he had +1 Health or +1 Attack I feel his cost would have been perfect (in special the +1 Health).

Now I feel he's not optimal because of all the other great cards SM have for them. CSM for example would love this card.

I use the Techmarine for countering Soul Grinders, especially in first planet fights. The techmarine gets you up to the same initial Command and if your opponent piles on more command you're always going to be pretty close behind just from one unit. Plus he draws fire from other units while being reasonably tough.

But yeah, he's pretty situational.

EDIT: oops, sorry for the thread necromancy

With Rally The Charge, it can one hit almost anything