Tech Marines and Servitors

[Grand Master Steve]

I have asked this question before and I have gotten a lot of mixed answers. Sadly you can not ask Gw since they will also give me mixed answers. Can the tech marine on a thunder fire cannon take servitors?

[Rurouni Benshin]

I checked the book, and read over the description for both, and no where does it say that you CAN'T take servitors.  Since Servitors can normally come with Techmarine's, I don't see how and why you wouldn't be able to take them.  That being said though, that is only my personal interpretation of the rules.

Did you check any of the FAQ's?  Maybe they have something that we both aren't seeing.

[jhobin]

I would say yes he may purchase the unit becuase he is a techmarine. But he can not join with them because he is not an indepdent character. He can join them after the cannon is gone though.

How I came to this;
pg 138 SM codex: "You may include one unit of servitors for every Techmarine or Master of the Forge in your army" He is a techmarine you may purchase the unit.

pg 73 SM codex: ....."Note that the Techmarine does not benefit from the Independant Character and Blessing of the Omnissiah rules unless his Thunderfire Cannon has been destroyed."


The servitor unit is not a unit upgrade if it was it would be listed in the unit selection portion of the book.   

[Grand Master Steve]

So if the tech marine and the cannon were with a group of servitors and the tech marine is targeted by a lascannon then you cant allocate the hit onto a servitor to keep the gunner alive.

[jhobin]

Correct, because they are two seperate units. Best thing to do would be to take servitor's and put them in front of the techmarine and cannon. That way if people wanted to target the techmarine they would get a 4+ cover save from the servitor's screening them. Granted once you wipe out the servitor's your cover's gone

[Grand Master Steve]

hmm does the same job, almost as the original intent. Giving fodder for the tech marine so the servitors die first. This is similar giving the techmarine survivability which is the problem with the thunder fire cannon, if the tech marine falls it becomes useless.