Servitors - how to fix them?

[Tyr13]

Servitors have always been... well, kind of crap. I cant remember them ever being better than just moderately bad in the last 5 editions. So the question is, how could they be improved to a point where theyre at least useable in fluffy games, rather than an active hindrance? A price cut would be obviously, but the base model is already at 2 points, so theres really not a whole lot of wiggle room. Unique servo arms that arent also built onto techpriests?

Just kind of curious how you guys would fix this kind of iconic unit. :)

[Charlo]

Bonuses to repairs for each servitor around in 8th ed like it was in 7th.

 

I'd give them new weapon options decoupled from the cost of the other heavy weapons/ servo arms.

 

Bigger unit sizes to make them into a fun and disposable unit.

 

Think 30k Adsecularis but with bigger shooting.

[Heliomanes]

They should be made more like the servitors in the fluff - with tons of options, allowing you to represent different concepts. From elite battle servitors to a horde of kitchen-servitors with vacuum cleaner arm appandages roused to defend the manufactorum by the panicking Magi.

[synthaside]

I think the problem with servitors in ad mech is that were forced to take 2 with guns and 2 bad power fists that hit on 6's
the unit needs to be babysat by a tech priest to make them even remotely useful and the power fist guy is still hitting on ... 5's.
Servitors cost 14 points per model because you cant bring them without the "servo arm" ... these should be 5- or at least 8 points for the model, not 10 they are worse than Guardsman at least let them pay guard prices for items.
 

i'd use a pure heavy weapons team in my Admech list in a heartbeat, we really need more infantry based heavy weapons the meta where i live has adapted to stop taking  tanks  so much and just bring walls of dark reapers / Devestartors  or Gaurd heavy weapons teams 

Another issue is ... how are these guys are an elite ???/ since when has a servitor been " elite, it should be a troop choice or better yet ... an upgrade you can give a  HQ unit for a small points  addition.

[Tyr13]

Thats definitely an issue, yeah. The servo arm in general just goes completely against what servitors could be. They have a backfield ranged support profile, but are equipped with what might just be the worst melee weapon for them. Which is priced for a unit with an additional point of strength.
If they paid even IG powerfist prices for their servo arm, I could see it working... but not at the current price. Just doesnt make sense... :/

And yeah, making them troops would certainly help as well. Its really just weird how servitors are elites when kataphrons are troops...

And additional weapon options would obviously be amazing. Lascannons, actually *useful* melee, or just a basically weaponless servitor for chaff... could be damn useful.

[Battybattybats]

Bonuses to repairs for each servitor around in 8th ed like it was in 7th.

 

I'd give them new weapon options decoupled from the cost of the other heavy weapons/ servo arms.

 

Bigger unit sizes to make them into a fun and disposable unit.

 

Think 30k Adsecularis but with bigger shooting.

This^

I think either a bonus to the roll, a bonus to the wounds or both. Say, 1-2 servo arms +1 to roll +1 to wounds regained, 3-4 servo arms +2/+2.

[brother_b]

WS/BS 4 at all times. Cheaper. Option for all to take heavy weapon.

[Tyr13]

Hm, not sure if WS/BS4+ really works... youd still want to keep some of their fluff intact, and the debuff is kind of an integral part of their unit concept... Imo anyway. Plus, it allows them to be cheaper, which would make them better chaff.

[Plasmablasts]

they used to have the “Mindlocl” rule. Perhaps, if outside 6” of a Techpriest / Techmarine, they revert to basic protocols. If they moved in their previous turn, they must continue to move toward the nearest enemy and charge if possible. If they were stationary, they continue to hold ground. Either way, they will shoot at the nearest enemy unit. They can only change from one mode to another, advance, select a different target in the shooting or charge phase or not attempt to charge a viable enemy unit if within 6” of Techpriest or Techmarine.

 

I fully agree that their servoarm is over-priced and the ranged options end up similarly over-costed due to the requirement to buy at least two servo-arms. I’d suggest allowing up to four heavy weapons per unit. All the weapon options need a fairly significant price cut. Maybe 5-6 pts total for the servitors with servo-arms.

[Anarnii]

I think make them more like kastelens, so when a tech priest is in 6” they have to chose a protocol, one combat, one shooting, maybe 1 repair?

 

More weapons / equipment options, maybe units within 6” gets +1 invulnerable, like jokearo

[synthaside]

Their baseline stats aren't terrible for the points with mindlock I think the unit wouldn't be so bad hitting on a 4+ , but once you start factoring all their other downsides the fact that you are forced to take expensive tax models per unit, with 1 attack power fists,  hitting on 6's in combat without mindlock. 

Finally, once you factor in the prevalence of -1 to hit and above they become borderling useless , in most meta , We don't need heavy bolters we have better anti-infantry options and the expensive anti-tank options like multimissers or plasma cannons would be better-suited spending points on another Onager.
 

[Schlitzaf]

Larger Squad Size, and moving them to troop. And make the Servo Arm be an additional additional attack, dropping it 2-4 Points so the model point is 8-10 Points. Which would compare them to Skitarii, different armament. Marginally better in CC, and gives a usage for techpriest beside repairing.

 

Really moving Servitors to troops allowing you to take 4-12 I think be best with a 2-4 point reduction on Servo Arms and make Servo Arms an additional attack.

[Xisor]

Shifting to troops make them a bit more to be the default for boosting CPs. I'd be reserved about that.

 

Larger size squads, options for without servo-arms, *and* making servo-arms a bit cheaper.

 

That'd all be nice.

 

(Even if it's still mostly hitting on 5s/6s, they're still not Kataphrons!)

 

Incidentally, I'd happily see some lighter Kataphrons too. E.g. destroyers, but with boring ol' stubbers and heavy stubbers!

 

Proper down-market battle servitors!

[MagicHat]

Initiating the WILDEST of wishlisting!

 

New plastic kit. 4 skitarii and a tech-priest. (HQ option becomes a Tech-priest Engineseer Magos)

Elite choice, 4-8 Servitors, 0-2 Techpriests.

Techpriests: M6", Ws4+, Bs4+, S3, T3, W1, A2, Ld7, Sv3+.

 

Tech-Priests have Axe and las pistol as standard.

Can take a plasma pistol or inferno pistol instead.

Must choose one of the following, both must choose the same.

Lacryamaerta, gains 2 extra poisoned 4+ attacks at no AP and 1D. May switch the las pistol for a needle pistol. Can pick a non-vehicle Adeptus Mechanicus unit and restore 1 model with 1 W left, or heal 1D3 if there is a wounded model in the unit. Each Medicae servitor can heal an extra wound on a 4+, which can restore 1 extra model for each techpriest lacryamaerta in the unit.

 

Engineseer, gains a Servo-arm. Master of mechanisms with same rules as current Enginseer, but only 1 wound repaired. Can instead allow another character within 3" of the same vehicle to re-roll their MoM roll. Can instead allow a vehicle within 6" to ignore the hit penalty for moving and firing a heavy weapon (which the current enginseer also should have).

Servo-armed servitors repairs another W on a 4+.

 

Reductor, gains a servo-arm. Can change their las pistol for an Omnispex or a Signum. Can choose an enemy vehicle, monstrous creature, fortification or unit in cover, the unit can re-roll failed wound rolls of 1 when shooting at the unit.

 

Servitors, kit includes:

Servo-arms and medicae scalpels.

Maxim bolter, flamer, meltagun and plasma gun.

Heavy bolter, heavy flamer, meltagun and plasma cannon.

Models start with servo-arm.

Any model can instead choose medicae scalpels (Poison 4+, AP- D1 grants extra attack.)

Up to 4 models can change their servo-arm for a special weapon.

Up to 2 models can change their servo-arm for a heavy weapon.

[Plasmablasts]

Some nice ideas there, MagicHat, especially the Medicae Servitors.

 

May I suggest making the Reductor Techpriest allow his servitors take up to four heavies?

 

Not sure whether we’d see this, as GW seems to have moved away from these sort of mixed units for 8th edition. Also, while another Enginseer model would be great, GW will want to sell these to Marine players too, for whom the Techpriest would be redundant. They could, though, produce two boxes, swapping an Enginseer sprue for a plastic Techmarine sprue (which would be overdue anyway!).

[MagicHat]

Some nice ideas there, MagicHat, especially the Medicae Servitors.

 

May I suggest making the Reductor Techpriest allow his servitors take up to four heavies?

 

Not sure whether we’d see this, as GW seems to have moved away from these sort of mixed units for 8th edition. Also, while another Enginseer model would be great, GW will want to sell these to Marine players too, for whom the Techpriest would be redundant. They could, though, produce two boxes, swapping an Enginseer sprue for a plastic Techmarine sprue (which would be overdue anyway!).

 

That is a good suggestion for Reductor, also meant to have 4 special weapons for every 4 servitors, and 2 heavies for every 4 servitors in the unit.

Mindlock bonuses possibly only triggering from tech-priests that are also characters.

 

... I actually forgot that Techmarines also have servitors. Imagine if they got a kit all their own as well, probably without medicae servitors. Would incentive AdMech and SM players to trade models for variety.

[elbianc]

They could give the ability to sacrifice a servitor to heal vehicles near by, they would use them for spare parts

[Subtle Discord]

They could give the ability to sacrifice a servitor to heal vehicles near by, they would use them for spare parts

I'd make that an additional ability; normally they add +1 to repairs done by the Tech-Priest they accompany, but can also be used to add an extra D3 repairs as a one-off ability but the act consumes the Servator in the process.

[Lord_Ikka]

Make it simple- give the ability to have any servitor take a heavy weapon and add in this special rule Combined Repair: For every 2 servo-armed servitors within 3 inches of a model with the Master of Machices rule, add +1 Wound repaired when that model uses the MoM ability.