Is it possible to build a mechanicus Secutor in DH 2.0?

In 1.0 it was an advanced specialization in the inquisitors handbook, but seeing as we don't have these specializations anymore... is it possible to build one with the current aptitude system without losing out on the "normal" Admech stuff like high int / tech use etc?

Well besides the system lacking rules that huge cybernetic addition they got (although nothing stopping it from being something they just requisition), nothing stops it from happening, its just XP efficiency and RP otherwise.

Not sure how I feel about the rules for the weapons mounted on the array; I've never been a big fan of the wording ballistic mechadendrites - it was like someone who didn't know the rules of the game wrote how they act (i.e. you use your Reaction to make an attack with it, but you can't use Reactions on your own turn, so is it intended to be an attack you can use to interrupt someone else's turn, or did they not realize it doesn't work within the language of the rules, and if they do interrupt, does it serious negate the victim's ability to evade the attack?).

Would it be possible to port the machinator array from 1.0? it's in the IH for 500xp I believe.

As far as the ballistic mechadendrites go, my group has always ruled that it can be evaded as long as the target has not used the evasion in the past round. This allows the target to still evade my next attack.

Well in DH2 they seem to try and move away from having talents represent gaining actual cybernetics. You'll notice that many of the Tech-Priests toys have been separated out into just simply cybernetic items you acquire and implant. I think there might be a talent that improves their usage, but the actual bare-bones ability to use them is keyed to acquiring the cybernetic.

Personally I'd say a Machinator array would be an extremely rare cybernetic, and maybe have some fluff thing saying that unless a tech-priest has actually been elevated to a "Secutor" then it has some penalty on acquisition.

Why do you need it? Just build the concept. A walking tank. So a mechanicus warrior forge world with heavy weaponry.

well, the machinator array allows you to not only become stronger / more tanky, but it also allows you to use any pistol class / one handed melee weapon on your ballistic mechadendrites. This makes it a lot more interesting to actually use those instead of just grabbing the biggest weapon you can find and blasting away with it from range.

On a side note, how valid is melee fighting in 2.0? In 1.0 it always seemed like a sure way to die once you progressed past the scrubby cultists into a bit more dangerous territory, even if you could discharge multiple hand flamers from your metal tentacles

Exactly, broken beyond all reason like tech priests usually are in DH1...

DH2 it's easier to get ahold of good melee weapons so more valid in that approach.

Why do you need it? Just build the concept. A walking tank. So a mechanicus warrior forge world with heavy weaponry.

This. One of the things I really like about DH2 is that I find the chargen system to be more flexible than the old class-based system.

Exactly, broken beyond all reason like tech priests usually are in DH1...

DH2 it's easier to get ahold of good melee weapons so more valid in that approach.

quite frankly the point is that melee with an Admech character was stupid and suicidal, so in that regard not really broken.. Also, heavy weapons were a lot more potent in 1.0 than any number of pistols, excluding a Hellfire, which you weren't getting anyway, so I fail to see how mounting flamers on a mechadendrite results in something "broken".

the real question about melee combat I have than is "Is melee combat now something that you can survive for an extended period of time and can you go toe to toe with anything stronger than a cultist, say a lesser demon?"

That would come down to how you prepare the field of battle. If you want to fight a demon with a sword you need something better than a basic melee weapon.

You do not answer my question at all...

a character with 40-60 weapon skill and a masterwork chainsword is still no match for a plaguebearer or any other minor demon with warp weapons for that matter. especially because your allies cannot reliably fire into melee and will end up hitting you 50% of the time (or at least missing the target). The point still stands, even with a better than starting melee weapon , that you cannot hope to compete against foes beyond the most pathetic in melee combat unless you find a way to deal 40+ damage a turn to drop them before they can attack you (assuming you have the better initiative).

Melee scales better than ranged attacks, so at some point the melee dude will step out of hibernation and dominate. Remember that the shooter people will get a talent to shoot into melee also, so at some point they wont object to you entering melee on their targets.

The scaling comes from that a lightning attack can deliver up to WS bonus hits, and you can have two lightning attacks each round, and you can even reroll one missed attack. Further after a parry you can make a counter attack that can not be dodged (cant dodge on your own turn).

A high level melee acolyte is a Yoda-blender.

How can you have two lightning attacks each round? I thought you were still limited to one attack type action per turn?

How can you have two lightning attacks each round? I thought you were still limited to one attack type action per turn?

Nope. The Two-Weapon Wielder talent specifically states that the attacks can be Standard, Swift, or Lightning.

0.o that's not even funny...

friend of mine asked if it would be possible to count a build in autocannon, linked with a weapon MIU, as a offhand weapon?

or is this slightly too ridiculous?

friend of mine asked if it would be possible to count a build in autocannon, linked with a weapon MIU, as a offhand weapon?

or is this slightly too ridiculous?

I'm not sure what you mean.

Built in to what , exactly?

Counting as an offhand weapon in what respect?

I think he means built-in as in cybernetic attachment or shoulder-mounted/MIU linked weapon.

I've heard of tech-priests with shoulder-mounted lascannons, but I think that it's moving your character out of "secret police investigator" and into "obvious weapon of mass destruction".

Ok; if that's the case, I think it would really come down to a judgement call by the GM. There's nothing at this time which outright supports it, but I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility. Though as Dark Smeg pointed out, it would really muck up your subtlety.

0.o that's not even funny...

friend of mine asked if it would be possible to count a build in autocannon, linked with a weapon MIU, as a offhand weapon?

or is this slightly too ridiculous?

That is entirely too ridiculous as an offhand weapon. Consider Autocannons are either vehicle mounted, deployed weapons or wielded by Astartes in Power Armour and not even they could hold it one-handed and say "Yeah it's offhand."

I made an opponent in my campaign that I think is really cool but my players didn't appreciate. It's a heavy weapons platform built ontop of a Myrmidon of War. It walks like a mechanical gorilla and a heavy weapon is mounted on its lower back and braced against its shoulders, a Servitor is slaved to it for reloading purposes but the weapon itself is linked via MIU to the Myrmidon, he cannot do a single thing that isn't moving or shooting said heavy weapon unless he has the hardware and supporting firmware connected to him.

aren't there Secutors in the fluff who have their arm replaced with an autocannon / assaultcannon?

Like this ? granted, you'd have to be able to carry a 150kg+ load if you want to carry any ammo around with you if you also build one into your shoulder, but there's nothing really stopping you right?

also, about subtlety, isn't a cogboy a sure way to ruin any cover except on a forge world? Like, if the ad mech starts asking questions people are sure to notice and scurry away, with the people fearing the ad mech's questions (almost) as much as the inquisition itself...

If there's one thing I've learned from my games it's that everyone, heretics included, has an air conditioner, nobody knows how it works, and when the mechanicus comes knocking to replace the air conditioner fluid it's hard to refuse.

Also DH2 doesn't have the concept of 'off-hand' weapons and as far as I know there's no way to take a Heavy weapon and make it a Pistol (one handed) weapon.

also, about subtlety, isn't a cogboy a sure way to ruin any cover except on a forge world?

My understanding was that tech priests are found pretty much everywhere that there's technology to be maintained.

also, about subtlety, isn't a cogboy a sure way to ruin any cover except on a forge world?

My understanding was that tech priests are found pretty much everywhere that there's technology to be maintained.

Yes, that's true, but unless you are in a place with a decent amount of techpriests people are going to notice you, with the metals tentacles and all that. Even in a hive you can be just one of a handful of priests that keep the systems running if you are going to a backwater planet or whatever.

also, about subtlety, isn't a cogboy a sure way to ruin any cover except on a forge world?

My understanding was that tech priests are found pretty much everywhere that there's technology to be maintained.

Yes, that's true, but unless you are in a place with a decent amount of techpriests people are going to notice you, with the metals tentacles and all that. Even in a hive you can be just one of a handful of priests that keep the systems running if you are going to a backwater planet or whatever.

It still seems reasonable to believe that a tech-priest can create a fairly believable cover story wherever they go. On the example of a backwater planet, it still seems that the party arrived by ship somehow, so its known that a ship has arrived in orbit. Thus the tech-priests cover story could be they have come down from the ship to provide assistance maintaining -whatever- technical items are on the surface that need work done.

I would say a tech=priest alone really isn't much to jack up subtlety as say, the presence of heavy armaments among the party; I would say having well armed individuals who are not apparently Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Adeptus Arbites, PDF, or local enforcers is a far more notable thing than a tech-priest.

Even for a techpriest? sure, the heavy armaments would attract notice. But aren't techpriests always armed or accompanied by servitors quite capable of defending them after the first few rank ups? I just can't believe a fully fledged techpriest would go somewhere unprotected...