Imperial Robots

The Imperial Robots of the Imperium of Man are non-sentient, mechanical automatons used for labor and combat that were created as the result of the exploitation of now-lost archeotech. They are primarily constructed and maintained by the members of the Legio Cybernetica, a sub-division of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

History
The origins of the robots employed by the Imperium harken back to the earliest days of human technology, with the most advanced models presumably dating to the Dark Age of Technology during the zenith of Mankind's scientific prowess and technological power. Not much is known of this bygone age due to the loss of technology with the oncoming of the Age of Strife, but what is known is the Legio Cybernetica manufactured and produced large quantities of robots during the Great Crusade of the 31st Millennium. These robot cohorts were instrumental in helping to bring untold numbers of rediscovered worlds back into the fold of humanity and under the rule of the Emperor of Mankind. The Imperial conquest continued nearly unabated until the realm of the Emperor was threatened by an unforeseen and unexpected threat from within with the onset of the terrible interstellar civil war known as the Horus Heresy.

Horus Heresy
The Warmaster Horus, a Primarch, was one of the twenty super-human, genetically-engineered sons of the Emperor created to lead the armies of the Great Crusade in their great task of reuniting all the human settled worlds of the galaxy beneath the rule of the Imperium. He was the Emperor's right hand; his greatest and most beloved son. He knew he would have to secure the support of the Adeptus Mechanicus and their superior technology and materiel if he was to defeat the Emperor and conquer the galaxy. Taking advantage of the climate of discontent already present within the Mechanicus over restrictions the Emperor had placed on the development of certain technologies, the Warmaster manipulated the ruling Fabricator-General Kelbor-Hal and his loyal followers into joining his cause and foundign what would later be known as the Dark Mechanicus. This included many Tech-adepts of the Legio Cybernetica, who were some of the first to declare for the Warmaster and follow him into treachery against the Emperor. The terror value of robots when used against unprepared and underarmed troops had not gone unnoticed by the Warmaster. This, combined with their unflagging loyalty, had made them valued additions to his forces when bringing worlds into Imperial Compliance during the Great Crusade. Robot cohorts had made an invaluable addition to his expeditionary fleet. When Horus commanded his forces to move against the Emperor during the opening days of the conflict, many of the Legio Cybernetica cohorts at his disposal leapt to obey. When the conflict ended following the defeat and death of Horus at the hands of the Emperor during the Battle of Terra, these dishonoured cohorts of the Legio fled into the dark realm of the Eye of Terror alongside the Traitor Legions, where they remain to this day.

Components
A robot, like an Astartes Dreadnought, is the product of the synthesis of multiple advanced technologies required to construct its armoured shell, artificial muscle and nerve bundles, power plant, weapons control systems, equipment interfaces and central neural cortex. The forges of the Adeptus Mechanicus turn out many robots of the age-old designs stored within the core memory of their logic-stacks. For example, both the Castellan and Crusader pattern robots are known to have fought on the side of both Loyalists and Traitors during the Horus Heresy. The designs have remained virtually unchanged since that time, with perhaps only minor cosmetic differences and variations.

The compatibility of the near identical components shared with the Dreadnought simplifies many supply and repair problems on the battlefield. It is not unknown for Legio Cybernetica cohorts to have been cannibalised out of existence to provide spare parts for Dreadnoughts. In return, Legio Tech-adepts have not been adverse to dismantling Dreadnoughts, sometimes killing its occupant in the process, when making battlefield repairs. Such actions are not well-regarded by any Space Marine Chapter which should catch a Legio Tech-adept actually killing a Dreadnought Battle-Brother to save his or her mechanical "pets."

Cortex and Programming
Constructed from artificially engineered neuroproteins and enzymes, the cortex is the artificial brain of a robot. Imprinted with simple maintenance, task and movement algorithms, the cortex serves as a rudimentary mind, enabling the robot to obey simple instructions from its assigned Tech-adept when away from the battlefield. These "firmware" routines are often patterned after those which exist in the organic neural cortexes of simple living creatures. It is known that a robot commonly develops a canine-like devotion to its technician-master.

Before deploying a robot into battle the firmware routines are overlaid and replaced with so-called "wetware"; this is the robot's combat software which defines the commands of its handler. For example, wetware contains a set of algorithms that tell a robot where it is to deploy on the battlefield or when to fire its weapons or detonate its self-destruct charges. This specialised software is held in small slices of bioplastic, no larger than a credit card, which have been implanted within the robot's cortex. Believed by the Tech-priests of the Mechanicus to hold the robot's "soul", its Machine Spirit, many warriors on the battlefield are known to take these small bioplastic cards from a "dead" robot that has been incapacitated. They believe that by doing so, some of the robot's bravery will pass onto them. Even some Astartes Chapters have been known to abide by this tradition.

In many situations a robot may be less effective than a living warrior, even though its reflexes and aim may be comparable, and it is a stronger, tougher and harder opponent to "kill" than a human soldier. Literal-minded to an inhuman degree, a robot is limited by its programming. Whatever the given situation, a robot always follows its pre-prepared programming, even when such programming will not produce the correct outcome for a given situation. Where a human can easily adapt to unexpected developments, a robot may not possess the mental adaptability required to successfully navigate the demands of a rapidly changing battlefield.

Like any other weapon system, a robot without its cortex is as useless as a Bolter without its Space Marine. Without an operational cortex the robot is merely a heap of junk that can only take whatever punishment is meted out to it, but with a fully programmed cortex, a robot can prove itself the equal of many other opponents on the battlefield.

Slave and Master Systems
In some situations robots do not need a cortex to be fully operational, as they also possess the ability to act as the "slave" of a "master" robot, receiving orders by wireless radio communication from the master robot. The master robot is fitted with a cortex and wetware program, which in turn, relays algorithmic instructions to the slave robots fitted with standard Vox communicators. Each of these slave robots follows the instructions of the master's program in turn. But the master robot must remain in close proximity to its slave robots, for if it were to move beyond the effective range of its Vox transmitter the other robots would simply freeze in place, lacking the necessary instructions to carry out any operations.

Should six or more of its communicator signals be jammed, a slave robot cannot perform any actions, and will freeze in place until further instructions are received. If the master robot's program or cortex are damaged all of its slave robots are affected equally. Communicator damage to a slave robot means that it can no longer receive or transmit data, grinding to an immediate halt. Any damage to a master robot's communicator brings all its slave robots to a halt. Any other damage to the master robot's other systems has no effect on its slaves.

Any number of slave robots can be controlled by a single master robot, although the usual ratio is 1 master to 3 slaves. When a larger ratio is used, damage to a master robot's program can halt too many slave robots in a single stroke.

Imperial Robots
Over the centuries the Legio Cybernetica has produced many robot designs. Many proved to be successful, and the Legio has kept the five most common Imperial battle robot designs in its inventory for most of the Imperium's long and bloody history. Some of these designs were utter failures, such as the disastrous Castigator-class, which was so heavily armoured it moved slower than the troops it was designed to protect and support. Its survival capability was negligible as it was only outfitted with meagre weapons; a single Bolter.

Robot Patterns

 * Castellan - The Castellan-class robot was designed for general-purpose combat and assault and is also ideally suited for a wide-range of battlefield situations. Is is armed with two Power Gloves on each arm as well as a Heavy Bolter mounted above its chassis for additional protection and ranged firepower. This standard configuration makes it particularly effective in siege and anti-vehicle roles, and provides an effective compliment to heavy weapon armament.


 * Cataphract - The Cataphract-class robot is a heavily-armoured general-purpose battle robot designed for use in almost all combat environments and situations. This versatility in a wide range of battlefield roles makes this war engine a highly-deployable and popular machine among the Legio Cybernetica's cohorts. This robot can mount a variety of weapons for various purposes, the most common being one Lascannon above its chassis and a Bolter mounted on one arm and one Flamer mounted on the other. It is often regarded by some Imperial commanders as a jack-of-all-trades.


 * Colossus - The Colossus-class robot was designed to function primarily as a siege weapon. Its standard configuration combines a Siege Hammer mounted one of its arm appendages for attacking fortifications with a Bolter mounted on its other arm appendage for use against defending troops. The Siege Hammer can also be used in close combat situations. It also possesses a chassis-mounted Multi-Melta for additional firepower. The Colossus is often employed by the Imperial Guard as a cheap alternative to the use of heavy artillery. A few Colossus-class robots are maintained by the Ordo Reductor of the Adeptus Mechanicus, mainly for testing new and experimental siege weaponry.


 * Conqueror - The Conqueror-class robot was designed for use in battlefield situations where heavily-armed resistance is expected. Its combination of potent firepower combined with heavy armour is a major benefit of its design. On one of its arms is mounted an Autocannon, on the other a Power Fist. Above its chassis is mounted a Heavy Bolter for additional firepower. The Conqueror is ideally suited for assault, anti-vehicle and anti-Dreadnought roles on the battlefield.


 * Crusader - The Crusader-class robot is designed for agility, as it can move quickly on the battlefield and strike a telling blow. It is a light combat robot, and it is only lightly-armoured. It is most often employed in an anti-personnel mode, and has proven to be very popular with the forces of the Inquisition and other groups like the Adeptus Arbites, due to its effectiveness in mutant-hunter/killer operations. The Crusader is never used where heavy resistance or strong concentrations of enemy armour are expected. The Crusader is typically armed with dual Power Swords on each arm, and a chassis-mounted Lascannon.

Cohorts
Once employed by the forces of the Imperial Army and the Space Marine Legions, robotic cohorts are now exclusively used by the Legio Cybernetica. In ages past, the Legio Cybernetica was organised into several thousand cohorts, although only a small percentage of these were ever active at any given time. Each of these robot cohorts were in turn organised into maniples of 3, 4 or 5 robots led by a Legio Tech-adept. Numbering rarely more than 100, the number of maniples within a cohort could greatly vary. However, a cohort was usually spread across an entire Astartes force of several companies or a single large Imperial Army force. The use of more than 4 or 5 maniples in a battle was rare, but not unknown. During the Horus Heresy, particularly large numbers of robots were committed by both the Loyalists and Traitors in an effort to minimise human casualties until a decisive final battle could be fought. In addition, the organisation was further divided into a number of sects.

A few of the ancient Legio cohorts claim that their robotic war engines date, in part at least, back to the Great Crusade or possible even before to the Age of Strife. As robots are often cannabalised to provide spare parts for their damaged brethren, there may be some validity to these claims. When properly maintained, the lifespans of Imperial technologies can span many millennia. It is indeed possible that a robot's leg, arm, or cortex has been in constant use for ten thousand Terran years or more.

Maniples
A Legio Cybernetic maniple is a virtually self-contained unit, with a single Tech-adept typically overseeing the management of four units on the battlefield. The Tech-adepts do little more than give the robots their final wetware programs and then monitor their progress. However, they are also charged with the equally vital task of monitoring the progress of their maniple, and to ensure that a damaged robot is destroyed as quickly as possible, to avoid any possible danger to their own side during combat. This is accomplished by remotely activating the robot's self-destruct system. There are also a number of other, lesser Tech-adepts attached to the maniple who perform all of the maintenance and repair functions for the robots assigned to the maniple, though their presence on the battlefield is rare. Possessing the ability to repair virtually any item of Imperial equipment, it was often said during the Great Crusade that these Tech-adepts of the Legio Cybernetica were worth their weight in spares.

The Inquisition
The forces of the Inquisition also put the robot cohorts of the Legio Cybernetica to good use. As robots are by their very nature utterly incorruptible by Chaos, they make ideal weapons to use against the many enemies of Mankind. Their pre-programmed, non-biological nature makes them perfect engines of destruction against mutants and other Chaos-contaminated populations. The terror value of robots has not gone unnoticed by the Inquisition, as they are often used against under-prepared and under-armed troops. Combined with their unwavering loyalty, robots have made valuable additions to the Inquisition's forces. Robot cohorts attached to the Inquisition are usually staffed by their own Technician-Inquisitors rather than a Tech-adept of the Legio Cybernetica, as robots have proved to be pure and incorruptible, whilst men are not. This was proven during the dark days of the Horus Heresy.