Mechanised armies are the rage in 5th edition


Image from Games Workshop

Yes... the Land Raider, or Battlewagon, or Rhino, or Chimera, or whatever it is with treads, wings or wheels.
You can't roll a D6 at your local game store without hitting a half dozen of these lumbering giants. Awakened with the new vehicle charts in 5th edition, these monstrosities have seen a rebirth like no other.

Actually, mech is all the rage these days it seems. And it's not just one vehicle in particular that has come out it's army case and is seeing more time in battle these days (although Land Raiders seem to be everywhere).

So I thought I might see what people were thinking on the topic. There've been a handful of posts on this issue and I decided to collect as many of them as I could that seemed appropriate for this. So I sent out the word and here's what I've come up with.

What makes mech so good by Call to Arms 40k
Why mech is better than footslogging by 3++ is the New Black
Mechanising Black Templars Part 1, Part 2 by The Kannas Crusade
Shifting the meta game by The Shadow Hive
So many targets, so few shots by The Back 40k
In defense of full mech by The Back 40k
Get your armour up front by The Back 40k
Mech'ing it up by Imperius Dominatus
Making mech work by Maunderings of a 40k Gamer
Alternatives to mech by FoxPhoenix's 40k

Apparently, you can blame the 5th edition vehicle charts. They did it. That's what everyone keeps pointing to as the reason tanks hit the table more these days. Were players using tanks in 4th? You bet, but they had to work at it then. Those same guys now are enjoying the fruits of their labors now. Having cut their teeth in 4th, they know exactly what to do in 5th and the new charts give them a little breathing room.

The rest of us see how successful these guys are and we all jump on board. We all "mech up" our lists and have a go at it. Not with as much success as the 4th edition guys (since they're working on skill and we're working on luck with the new charts), but it's a little easier now.

I know I took what I learned using my Black Templars with their dual Land Raider Crusaders and translated what I could for my Deathwing force and it's definitely helped me. I don't think it gave me any measurable advantage though since I don't get that many games in over the course of a year. I'm interested in hearing from those who learned the hard way in 4th, what your opinions on this? What insight can you give those of us "learning" how to use our new armour in 5th?

You want to know the one thing I never, ever use... smoke launchers.

Make sure to check out these posts as they might help:
7 tips for painting your vehicles without an airbrush
FTW Collaborative Post: Power of the Machine Spirit


Ron, From the WarpIf you've got any questions about something in this post, shoot me a comment and I'll be glad to answer. Make sure to share your hobby tips and thoughts in the comments below!