How would you make a Skitarii HQ?

[Magos Takatus]

I'm sitting here waiting for some replies to the Mechanicus forums and it seems really slow so I decided to try and drum up some discussion.

 

So, as the title says, if you were going to create a commander to lead the Skitarii legions, how would you go about it? What would the model look like? How would the model perform on the battlefield? I'd be interested to see how you would approach the character.

 

Personally I would like the character to be a combat beatstick since the tech priests already provide plenty of buffs. I was originally picturing the model on foot but I would imagine the Serberys mounts would be a good way to get them into range. Having a shoulder-mounted weapon and a couple of melee weapons would make the character pretty formidable, but since there aren't many melee-focused units in the army trying to find a good retinue for him might prove difficult.

 

Am I doing it wrong? Tell me how you would go about filling in this gap in our range.

[Lord Marshal]

Something akin to the Nexos for GSC would be quite fitting, a Command & Control unit of sorts who's not a frontline fighter, but is surrounded by screens and inputs and can direct/empower Skitarii from the (sort of) backlines but is at risk from enemy units that drop in the back.

[Dagoth Ur]

Funnily enough, I think that doing a Skitarii commander would work best by emulating the Centurion rules from the Horus Heresy. Have like a base Skitarii-Commander, a bit on the shooty side when compared to the Centurion, and then give them like a bunch of "Consul" options so that you can customize them to your liking (And make army selection a bit less boring).

 

-Shooty Version: Better BS, greater access to guns, maybe some additional buffs for your ranged units

-CC Version: Better WS, some more optional upgrades for CC, greater access to CC weapons; can be kitted out to even follow Ruststalker/Infiltrators

-Flier: Similar to the new bat-winged guys that are comming; basically a flying skitarii-commander.

-Nexos-lite: a sort of backfield commander that provides general buffs to units

 

Honestly, I could go on and on about this with options.

[Magos Takatus]

That's a great idea that I would get behind but I get the impression that GW policy seems to be to cut as many options out of unit choices currently. 

 

I recall that in one of the Mechanicus books, Skitarius there was an Alpha Prime that had an integrated pair of arc pistols. I can't recall if he had any melee armament as well though.

[SpiritFox22]

Yeah making a Skitarii commander be heavily customizable like a Consul would be awesome.  Though war gear and the purchasable abilities would probably make it overpriced.

 

Personally I'd like to see 3 Skitarii commanders to avoid the complications.  One mounted/winged with a 2+ WS and base 4 str, with an aura that gives either extra movement or reroll charges for other Melee options.  The second bog standard backfield commander giving re-rolls to hit and maybe leadership, being dirt cheap as the selling point, only access to relics and Ranger/Vanguard weapons.  The last should be shooty, BS 2+ access to heavy weapons (Conversion beamer) and a 3" aura that removes the penalty for move/shoot/advance to any skitarii.  As far as looks I'd keep them the same as every other Skitarii for the most part minus their heads being a steel skull with the green glass lens eyes.

Edited March 22, 2020 by SpiritFox22

[Burni]

From the fluff, Tech-Priests can take over a Skitarii Prime to be at the front without risking themselves. So some rule that provides another node of the TP auras? Could be good to use the movement one from the TPM on a charge after infiltrating for example.

 

Honestly I’d take a new dynamically posed normal Skitarii model with normal stats but able to be used as a HQ. I just like the idea of a pure Skitarii army again.

Edited March 22, 2020 by Burni

[Xisor]

I'd like a nifty wee aura, not sure what - a Sicarian with a melee buff, and a regular Skitarii with a BS/overwatch buff might be cool.

 

What I'd really like is also getting Ironstrider and Onager and Skorpius Commanders too, though I suppose there may be diminishing returns there.

 

Would be cool though!

[brother_b]

Basic stat line, better to hit scores, better invulnerable save, weapon options either short or long range.

 

I want this guy to be cheap.

 

Possible buffs would be reroll ones to infantry maybe, skitari at the minimum.

 

New kit with all the options, new mini.

Edited March 22, 2020 by brother_b

[Magos Takatus]

I'd like a nifty wee aura, not sure what - a Sicarian with a melee buff, and a regular Skitarii with a BS/overwatch buff might be cool.

 

What I'd really like is also getting Ironstrider and Onager and Skorpius Commanders too, though I suppose there may be diminishing returns there.

 

Would be cool though!

I hadn't thought about vehicle commanders. It could have been interesting to have a command and control version of the flier kit that works a bit like the A.W.A.C.S aircraft. That would be another way to spread auras to the troops. Probably an outlandish concept but it would be an interesting one.

[NiftyVT]

I would just port the Axiarch HQ over from the Horus Heresy.

[Midlight]

I'd probably want something like Secutor Dahan from the ..of Mars books.

Four-armed combat beast, constantly analysing data from the battle, using that analysis to improve his own attacks and the armies offensive manoeuvres.

 

Maybe could be represented by an ability where if you are in combat for a second turn, he has analysed the enemies attacks and give a +1 to hit.

[Malios]

I always enjoyed the established concept of a tech-priest in orbit, plugged into his noosphere, playing chess with his pawns and balancing the cost in Skitarii lives like they were a budget to be balanced. It worked well in the Tech-Priest novel and the Mechanicus game on Steam, emphasising that step away from humanity that the Mechanicus are.

 

Where the 7th edition codexes fell flat with their canticles and battle rites was actually capitalising on this concept: the thought that you, the player, were the HQ choice pulling the strings but not physically is an awesome one. Tis a shame it never took off.

 

If you were to shrink the scope though because you desperately needed a HQ choice, read the Word Bearers trilogy and Titanicus. Plenty of inspiration for Skitarii, albeit not really fitting in with modern miniature designs.

[DanPesci]

I'd probably want something like Secutor Dahan from the ..of Mars books.

Four-armed combat beast, constantly analysing data from the battle, using that analysis to improve his own attacks and the armies offensive manoeuvres.

Maybe could be represented by an ability where if you are in combat for a second turn, he has analysed the enemies attacks and give a +1 to hit.

I was about to say exactly the same thing.

Loved the representation of Dahan (even though he is a techpriest and not skitarii alpha), he was a beast in combat but also had his personal tank.

Would love to see a skitarri alpha that is decent in combat, and can ride around in a dunerider giving orders to other skitarri.

E.g. At the start of your turn pick 1 skitarrii infantry unit within 12" of X or the transport X is embarked upon.

That unit may either

- Add 6" to their movement

- Shoot twice

- Fight twice in the assault phase.

Limiting it to skitarii infantry means that nothing is getting too overpowered (e.g. double move chickens or double shot onagers), yet gives you some good tactical flexibility throughout the game if you've gone skitarii heavy.

What id actually expect to see if one every got released was a 6" reroll 1s to wound bubble for skitarii keyword (ie lieutenant rules but only for skitarii)

From a modelling point of view, one of the things I love about admech is really, you could do whatever you wanted here.

Im currently building a 'daedolosus'/count-as (which could easily be a skitarii alpha) which is a sisters of silence legs/torso/cloak, breacher and vanguard parts, mining laser from the GSC neophyte kit and a spare infiltrator head, (oh and and the fist off the datasmith set.)

See spoiler for WiP:

Need to up my green stuff game - hate doing smooth cloaks with it.....but fairly pleased with her so far - may add abackpack to hide my non-skill ha)

(my fluff for it being daedalosus counts as is she has the omniscope, her shooty weapon counts as the pistol and the fix/wound relic in one, and the fist is a custom 'power glove' that has same stats as DDs servo arm.

Edited March 23, 2020 by DanPesci

[TootiusNootius]

[[[Excitement]]] I would love for the Skitarii to get a fleshed out command unit!

 

Perhaps a similar mechanic to the Necron "My Will Be Done" electing a friendly unit for a bonus to hit (Say uploading targeting data), or similar to the Jackal Alphus from GSC electing a focus fire target for the cohort to destroy.

I feel if they do a lot of different things that it will only bloat the amount of buffs and auras and canticles that one must remember every turn - Not making it a particularly engaging army to play and lengthening games significantly. Something simple but effective is more desirable.

 

I really just want Protectors & Praetorians (Not the combat servitors the highly augmented Skitarii Praetorians), I want big, beautiful, highly augmented Skitarii who can bop enemies in combat or failing that bring the Myrmidons to 40k.

 

++There are still so many forms of Skitarii not represented it makes me shed an oily tear++

[TechCaptain]

So kind of joining this Conversation late and haven't quite read everyone's replies yet, sorry if I repeat someone's idea.

 

I think Skitarii actually should get a few level of 'commanders' on the Tabletop and it be almost a mirror of how the Guard does it. Lore wise Skitarii are Tech Guard, i.e. at their lowest point they have actual guard formations and our base skitarii models are really specialists.

 

So we should get a Tribune as one level probably or multiple versions of Tribune which I would imagine either a heavily augmented shooty foot slogger, or riding in our 'tank' with extra communication maybe with a general buff of army wide tethers.

 

Preatorians and the like however should come into play as they are the guards of priests and more likely to be fielded with the priests than the Titan guard we now have as elites.

[TootiusNootius]

+++begin pedantic mode+++

 

Would the missing levels of field command not simply be an Alpha Primus & Sub-Dominus in terms of Skitarii organisation?

 

+++end pedantic mode+++

 

I highly doubt we'd get Imperial Guard style orders, but something similar would be fun. I do like the idea of data tethers getting more utility, at the moment however they already get big bonus' for the Doctrina Imperatives. 

 

Although now you say it, having some way to emulate the idea of a Magos in orbit delivering orders would be fun, not sure how they'd do it. Perhaps you elect your highest Tech-Priest to be the conduit for the connection and if that model is slain you lose fearless bonus'? Perhaps a mechanic similar to Tyranid Synapse, fearless unless the officers die. Plus some form of buff you can activate to assume direct control of Skitarii for additional buffs (ala-Space Marine Doctrines or Sacred Rights for Sisters) - Although I suppose Doctrina Imperatives are already this.

 

I think I can see an overhaul of the Canticle system alongside a Doctrine style PA bonus, perhaps Canticles becoming a picked bonus (With cawl granting an extra random roll) which can be changed per round focusing on defence and the new PA bonus being Combat Protocols/Hardware which give offensive bonus' which is a pick one if no soup style:

 

For example Canticles (Army wide - Pick 1 per turn):

1.Shoudpsalm: Cover x Distance Away (Never get to use this, my main opponent is Iron Warriors ).

2.Iron Soul: "Get back in the fight"? (Fall back and shoot -1 to hit. Try to stop Admech having an easily a tappable gunline - Sorry Metalica Warlord Trait, we all need this).

3.Litany of the Electromancer: maybe with a different roll to activate as I never see this one chosen ever.

4.Machine Might: +1 to T? (we are talking about an army of cyborgs here).

5.Benediction: stacking with Tech Priest aura for re-roll to wound instead of 1's to wound? (Not a big fan of re-rolls but everyone else gets them - And this would otherwise be mostly redundant for anything near your HQ - Maybe just a flat re-roll to hit melee and shooting).

6. All Radium and Galvanic weapons counting as pistols in combat?

 

While Combat Protocols/Combat Hardware (Admech pick one army-wide bonus for no souping - Not for Mechanicus Knights):

1. 6's auto-wound for shooting

2. Half range -1 AP

3. +1 Strength? - (Separate from DTTFE style rule to not be an auto pick)

4. DTTFE Equivalent? - (Might make infiltrators or Electro-Priest lists more used).

5. 1d6 deny?

6. +1 to Bionics save.

 

These are just off the top of my head, probably broken as heck.

 

I merely mentioned them due to a wish to see more than one combat form of Skitarii on the board. Seeing as each Skitarii regiment is the personal army of a Magos I feel that we deserve to see more variation in the combat forms, for example the Skitarii of Legio Invicta are gene-bulked to the size of space marines then augmented, it would be like fielding an army of tech-marines (Which is why I mentioned Protectors and Praetorians as they'd make a good example of these and fit a double kit nicely). The base Skitarii are really good, just want more variation greedily.

Edited May 15, 2020 by TootiusNootius