5 Minute History: Collegia Titanica

The Collegia Titanica is the division of the Adeptus Mechanius that commands the Titans - colossal robotic combat walkers which are the most potent ground weapons capable of being deployed by the Imperium. The Collegia was one of the groups of the Adeptus Mechanicus that went over to the Warmaster Horus almost en masse alongside the Legio Cybernetica during the Horus Heresy. The name "Adeptus Titanica" is also used for the corps of Titans fielded by the Mechanicus.

5 Minute History: Adeptus Mechanicus; Ordinatus

The Ordinatii were enormous siege machines available to Imperial Titan Legions or Tech-Guard armies for the Epic 40,000 tabletop miniatures game. The rules for them can be found only in the November 1995 issue of White Dwarf magazine published by Games Workshop.

5 Minute History: Adeptus Mechanicus Magos

The Adeptus Mechanicus Magos was only produced by Games Workshop as a miniature once, as part of the Skulz program. The Skuls program was published in White Dwarf 245 in June of 2000 and ran for just over two years before being canceled. The Magos miniature was only available as part of a set of Adeptus Mechanicus miniatures totaling 9 miniatures. While exact an number of how many were produced is not publicly available, these sets of miniatures consistently sell for over $200 dollars on eBay.

Photo from Stuff of Legends (tons of pics at the link!)

5 Minute History: Adeptus Mechanicus; Knights

Knights were introduced in the late 80's with release of the Adeptus Titanicus sourcebook for the Epic tabletop game. Three types were introduced in the early 1990s. The Knight Wardens had a defensive role. They were armed with long ranged, heavy weapons and were well armoured. Knight Paladins were jack-of-all-trade units, armed with a ranged and a close-combat weapon. Knight Lancers were scout units, armed with a single ranged weapon but were faster than the other Knights. Afterwards, the miniature range was reworked and the rules were updated. Knights were subdivided into the Paladin, Knight Errant and Lancer types, along with the Knight Baron as a superior command unit. A number of Knights were included in the Titan Legions box set.

GW Catalog circa 1988

5 Minute History: Adeptus Mechanicus Robots

War Robots were introduced in the early days of Warhammer 40,000 starting with Rouge Trader and introduced later for the Epic 40,000 setting with the Adeptus Titanicus expansion. During the hazy time when Rouge Trader (1987) was giving birth to Adeptus Titanicus (1988) which was then spawning Space Marine (1989), war robots came and went with little fanfare. War Robots were the offspring of Jes Goodwin and were available to Imperial Guard, Orks and Squats. The basic premise being an army of Robots maintained by the Adeptus Mechanicus to act as support for infantry and ground troops. One can make the assumption that robots were tossed aside in favor of vehicles as the demise of the War Robots began with the release of actual vehicle kits starting in 1988.

Page from GW Gatalogue 1987 - no challenge intended

5 Minute History: Adeptus Mechanicus Primer El Secundo

The Cult Mechanicus believes knowledge to be the manifestation of divinity. Their supreme object of devotion is therefore the omniscient Machine God, an immanent and omnipotent spirit governing machinery and knowledge. The Machine God is not to be understood in the Abrahamic tradition of a god; it is not a person, but rather a force immanent in the universe. For unspecified reasons, it has appointed humans as its favored people, and reveals its true designs and machines to them through select prophets. In order to interact with a personal world it was also prophesied to create an avatar, the Omnissiah. In the early days of the Great Crusade, the Emperor of Mankind was recognized as Omnissiah, prompting the Treaty of Mars and the alliance of the Cult with the Imperium of Man.

Jess Goodwin concept sketch

5 Minute History: Adeptus Mechanicus Primer

Servants of the Machine God, the Adeptus Mechanicus know the mysteries of the machines and technology of the Imperium that many have forgotten. The masters of the mechanical, they serve to maintain infrastructure and tools to ensure that other forces of the Imperium are free to fight on in the Emperor's Name, secure in knowing that their homes and bases of operation will remain lit, fortified, and awaiting their safe return. Though their main purpose is not martial; this does not mean they do not see combat, merely that they do not actively seek it.

5 Minute History: Titans Part 3

Around 2002, a 40K scale resin Warp Hunter was produced. It was sculpted by Michael Bard and produced by an amateur fan project calling themselves Deep Strike Miniatures as an "Alien Tank Hunter". Also around 2002, Dragons Den Armoury produced a single 40K scale “Gabriel” Knight Titan that looked remarkably identical to the GW Epic Paladin Knight. These were only sold on ebay at US$250 and were only available for a couple of months until they were closed down for breach of GW intellectual property.

5 Minute History: Titans Part 2

Soon after Mike’s association with Games Workshop ended John Richardson of Modesto, California and some other friends approached Games Workshop with a proposition. They asked GW for the right to reproduce Mike’s models and other new ones on a large scale production basis. GW agreed and gave them a license. They formed what we know of today as Forge World Models.

5 Minute History: Titans Part 1

Warhammer 40,000: Rouge Trader, a place beyond space and time. The year is 1988 and Games Workshop has exactly two vehicle models, both of which reside in the Space Marine motorpool – the Rhino and Landraider. Along comes Mike Biasi onto the scene as a talented artist and sculptor, with university level courses under his belt, who produced a 40K scale Titan modeled on the early Games Workshop Plastic and metal Epic models for Adeptus Titanicus. After seeing Mike’s products, the Warhound, Reaver and Baneblade, Games Workshop gives Mike a copyright license to produce 40K scale models of Epic vehicles and Mike named his company Mike Biasi Studios. Word soon got around about these models and Tim DuPertuis began publishing ‘Inquisitor’ magazine that included rules for these new models in it.