Hi folks,

The Adepticon 25 preview showed us some new toys for KT.

I witnessed a discussion in a hobby shop this Saturday between two lads who commented the topic. As I am new in town, I felt like it was an opportunity to make a move and introduce myself so that I might eventually see if they are in a gaming group. Painting is nice but dice rolling is also part of the hobby, and I left it set aside for so long…

In the end they were not necessarily receptive; mainly because they do their hobby stuff at more than 1 hour drive from my place and that this is not a distance, I am willing to cover for a Thursday night game. I am not that addicted. But the chat was interesting

My primary interest was about the AdMech stuff of course. I am in AdMech for 2 years now painting and mustering a force of cybernetic sociopaths. It is a project I am fond of, and any new stuff related ignites a small (big) spark on my interest. But before going into that faction; let’s what else was talked about.

First is “terrain”. It looks like many opinions online are quite happy with the Xeno terrain offer and Tyranids especially. The live opinions I heard that day are not that different. Yet I tend to have a slightly different point of view. Indeed, what was disclosed in the preview is so far not a range. Merely barricades and obstacles. OK, they are nice looking but in the end they do not allow building up a scenery. Except completing by third party products that may have very nice “Alien infected” or “infestation” stuff to propose. This set is not in my opinion as expanded as what the Orks could have with Octarius set and the Mekboy workshop for example. So, for me the xenos scenery from this package is a kind of miss. It lacks an interaction with imperial scenery. Let’s see: if a half-infected building had been included it would have dramatically increased the possibilities of interactions and integration with the rest of the existing range. A missed opportunity from my point of view.

Second the Raveners. I am not fond of the models. The variants for specialists are introducing a background noise I am not fond of. Individual models are OK but, in the perspective of being integrated as a 40k unit, it looks messy. The chat was not that focused on raveners. Neither on Tyranid faction btw as the lads openly said they did not play bugs and did not have bugs’ players in their group. Which, you will admit it, is odd considering the sheer excitement the terrain caused. But there are some things like that sometimes… Hobbyist are carried over by their enthusiasm and not always very consistent.

And then comes the Servitor KT. As previously none of the other guies involved in the chat was an AdMechy fanboy. Except you know who. Interestingly the discussion raised some points linked to potential cross- polinisation in other Imperial factions. Among the doubts I may quote “how will the sprues be cut”. Will the servitors be 4 per sprues with a special weapons and accessories sprue? Will the inferior priest with its control globe be a standalone sprue? I understand the hype, as it might, in the wish listed hypothesis of 4 servitors per sprue be an opened door to resurrecting the not Legendary servitor unit. Noone talked about their (current) openly bad rules and over cost under the Legend rules though. Costly unit for something barely more useful on the tabletop than this lad, nope? (the sculptor caught perfectly the essence of the model and of its battlefield impact... A great model btw):

I guess an usage beyond AdMech it is a tempting hypothesis, but I do not see it coming for real. I may be wrong. But thinking of SM with Servitors again looks a misplacement and introducing them through Imperial agents too. The latter already have the option of a single gun servitor in their rooster, so I guess it would be counter effective to reincorporate them in imperial force like that. The models are moreover looking like being all different which is not necessarily a definitive clue that there are no sprues designed for 4 servitors each but might be a good indication.

I do rather see them as a kind of retinue unit for AdMech characters only. But here too the Role looks like being difficult to build on or define in terms of gaming impact. Let’s see : it is a big unit of 8 servitors, so quite big for a retinue. Sure, they bring something potentially interesting on the tabletop: a potentially tougher than Skitarii unit with some limited amounts of heavy weapons and that could ride in a vehicle. A kind of missing link between Skitarii line infantry and Kataphrons. But 8 strong retinue… There is also the nature of the upgraded servitors: the medic, breacher and auspex versions are not that aligned with the idea I have of AdMechs. A cyborg does not need any Medic afterall. But I might over interpret. The lower that lowest rank priest (underseer) associated is also a nice thematic touch. Rule wise we will see what it brings vs the former mindlock rule. But the design of him is terrible. GW should stop doing big brainers alt versions in each and every game and faction (Delaque weirdo, Dark Eldar Medusa, Malestrain horrific psyker, Genestealer I-do-not-know-what-or-who...). Next step is making a T'au big brain based on this guy:

The (big) guns included in the box will also have an impact on the attractivity of the kit. Seeing a HB and an Arc gun teased is not what thrills me most today. I do hope for melta and plasma or phosphor guns. HB is an especially odd decision considering the current AdMech/Skitarii arsenal. Yet the small fire arms of the standard servitors, if they are phosphor based, may be a very interesting add-on; even if they look smallish and probably ranked as pistols. But they might as well be somekind of sub stubber. I am however even less convinced by the Flamer version displayed. Especially as it looks like being aligned size wise with the Serberys firebreath, and as such probably a pistol range only which might be under performing. With all these tiny modelled weapons I fear that the resilience of the servitors and their usage as Life Points pool might be the only key role they will play though. In that case setting them with a seer of lesser rank such as Engine Seer or Archeotech scavenger is probably not that efficient as being so short ranged as pistols would limit their impact a lot ... But using them as retinue for Manipulus or Dominus would probably be even worse, or wouldn’t it be?  Except if these special servitors boost the abilities of the lesser rank priests, and in that case, hooray!  Additional cherry on the cupcake: the look allows eventual reuse of Adsecutarii thrall with mitralocks as proxy versions for the basic version of these new servitors. A nice idea one of the lads mentioned and that I would have found interesting if I have had mitralocks.

I will probably end up buying the unit, but not with the KT pack. I will wait for individual release and 40k datasheet. Upon options presented it might even allow my old servitors to resume into action without buying anything yet... And saves me some bucks. But even if I do not really like the underseer, I know I will end up needing it (for my peace of mind / FOMO) 

See you latter folks,