The ballistic mechandrite a tech-priest only sacred implant seems under powered in comparisson to the weapon miu available for everyone.

simple comparrison

ballistic mechandrite = compact laspistol. Weapon MIU can have a choice of guns mounted

ballistic mechandrite = reaction. Weapon MIU = free action.

Yes the mechandrite is 2m long but has no optical targetting so it can't be too far from the tech priests "eyes". I can see a possible tactical advantage paired with either a servo-skull or optical mechandrite for shooting round corners but I would think that the equipment they make for themselves would be on a par with that they sell.

Should fring this mechandrite be a free action, like the MIU, while you are firing it in the same manner as a normal pistol and a reaction to move it to a new position? Thoughts comments and criticisms welcome even if you think I'm completely off track

Rouge Trader builds more on Gadgets and Xenotech you can obtain, and it would be kind of lame if only Techpriests get the real good stuff.

Gunmechandrites always sucked, even in DH unless you got a Machinator Array ( what you can get at rank 2 in RT ). And yes the MIU Weapen Control, is far better than a mechandrite, and since there is no size limit its up to your Gm what you can mount on it. I would always prefer the MIU over the Gunmechandrites, but as a Techpriest you can have both anyhow.

I didn't necessarily mean it should be better just not so much worse. Also 500xp vs one aquisition roll the techpriest should have something fancy for that expenditure. and I know they always sucked why my dh techpriest didn't bother.

I was just wondering about dropping the action requirement for my players as I'll be GMing this and if anyone pays that much xp I want to give them something. It looks to me like they copied something mediocre straight across for the techpriest at an xp cost, then built something better for everyone no xp cost.

Anyway if no-one thinks I'm missing an obvious advantage of the mechandrite I'll do this for my players I like to give them things so they don't think so badly of me when I throw them against the big nasties

Have you thought about players who fit both a weapon MIU and a ballistic mechandrite ?

I know for sure that the Machinator Array is 500 Xp in Rouge Trader, if the Gunmechandrites are 500 XP thats hard compared to DHs 200 Xp. But anyways you pay the xp only once to know how to use the mechandrites, at least thats how we play it.

What i meant is that Gunmechandrites are useless without a Machinator Array, cause with it you can mount any pistol sized weapon or 1H melee weapon on a gunmechandrite. And i wouldnt call a Twinlinked Plasma Pistol, a Bolter/Melter combi pistol or a Powerfist weak . If you allow the Techpriest to use a number of Gunmechandrites up to his toughness bonus, he can fire 2 mechandrites for half a action each and then 1 as his reaction. so thats some serious firepower there, because he could still use the Weapon MIU and an additional handheld hvy weapon like a Autocannon as example, but he then has to choose what to use each round.

Nothing stops you from having a good +10BS MIU controlled ballistic mechadendrite. Add targeter, motion predictor and a omni-scope for firing around corners.

How about a Tech Priest Having bot?

He is using a Storm Bolter, has Boltpistol on his Mechadendrite (Machinery Array) and a Plasma Pistol on his shoulder for example....
He can fire all 3 of them in the same turn...thats massive artillery.

The main advantage of the Ballistic Mechadendrite is that it can fire around corners....coupled with a Optical Mechandendrite it is very cool.

Santiago said:

Bear in mind that the MIU Weapon Interface doesn't actually specify how the weapon it's attached to must be mounted - it merely says that shoulder-mounted weapons are common, but who's to say that the interface can't be linked into the gun mechadendrites?

Thanks for your thoughts yes I've checked mechandrite use (weapon) the same misprint as DH costs 500xp.

and you do remember that you can only use the same 1/2 action once so firing a mechandrite and a storm bolter can't both be done. If I implemented the rule I'm still thinking about, I would add you can only fire one weapon as a free action and I'd still make shooting round corners a half action.

Personally I think this makes it only slightly worse than a weapon MIU in a staright fight doesn't allow you to use too much massed firepower and reserves its advantage with an implied price.

Ooops re-read the talents that will teach me not to make presumptions utility now covers all normal mechandrites and weapon covers ranged and melee maybe the talent is worth it now after all although the machinator array still seems to be the only way of fitting anything but a compact las-pistol so I'm back to being undecided. Think I may have to discuss it with my players unless theirs a flaw in my logic one of you can spot?

I don't know,

but I'm tempted to have a compex Weapon MIU represeted by a swarm of servo-skulls, each holding a pistol type that I choose to activate.

The Flame Pistol's pilot light is used to burn incense for the Missionary when not on "burning heratic" mode. Her Name would be Charity.