Can Skitarii ....

[Helias_Tancred]

... operate independently without connection to the noosphere? Say if one was separated from their unit and stuck behind enemy lines?

 

Thamks.

 

 

[Trokair]

I would expect so, especially given that Rangers, Ruststalkers, and so on appear to be designed for long range operation in the field.

 

Now Noospheric connections probably makes them better able to coordinate, access tactical data and so on, but I see no reason why they cannot function outside of its influence.

[MajorNese]

Yes. There has been an example in Skitarius (horrible book by storywriting, but as current and canon as possible) where an entire skitarii force is cut off from all command (techpriest commander and their fleet). They rearrange themselves, create new chain of command around a leader skitarius, and tackle the most vital strategic points in the area.

Noospheric command serves both as imperatives from their superiors as well as for coordination/information of the forces themselves, comparable (but superior) to how RL military works. Meaning individual skitarii operate based on their last information/imperatives until re-establishing comms.

 

At least that's the way for standard "GW model" skitarii.

There are older books (Word Bearers vol.1, some Horus Heresy) where the term "skitarii" was also used for completely remote-controlled infantry units - cheap conversions of humans to soldier servitors or tech-thralls, cannon fodder to blindly use up when needed. Those would simply stand around and wait until given new orders, with no individual thought possible.

[Helias_Tancred]

I'm thinking a Skitarii would make an interesting character in a story. This would be something that would fit between 40k and the new Warhammer Horror stuff.

 

Scenario: A hive world is attacked and overrun by Chaos cultists led by Word Bearers. There was an AdMech presence on the planet too. A teen aged girl survives the horrific capture and slaughter of her city, only to meet up with a lone surviving Skitarri. Together they must survive and escape.

Daemons, murderous cultists, and evil Word Bearer Astartes are all the threats they must slip by.

 

Could the Skitarri Ranger take a Word Bearer?

[GreenScorpion]

Nice scenario idea :)

 

 

Could the Skitarri Ranger take a Word Bearer?

 

If you are smart and patient enough, you can typically eliminate any enemy. Obviously, the Ranger would likely need to plan a trap of some sort to catch a Word Bearer, but especially with plot armour everything is possible.
 

[Trokair]

Could the Skitarri Ranger take a Word Bearer?

Should be able to, if he is armed with a Plasma Caliver.

 

The AdMech is an equal opportunity employer, so the ranger could just as easily have been female prior to upgrading, might give you some additional emotional connections to play with in your story.

[MajorNese]

I'm thinking a Skitarii would make an interesting character in a story.

To be honest, that's probably not easy to pull off. Base Skitarii are the expendable masses of the AdMech forces, with no more individuality than would be necessary, something comparable to lower-ranking necrons. Their goals are what is efficient, provides knowledge/information, but emotions are not really their thing. Including teenagers with no military or industrial value.

 

What could be closer to what you seek might be a lower-ranking techpriest.

 

To spoil parts of Wolfsbane and Cawl's backstory to provide an example:

Cawl was only a tech acolyte for most of the Great Crusade. An acolyte is learning from (usually 2-3) different masters to find their field, then becomes an adept in that field, locking the future career in and rising in rank.

 

Cawl rather went from master to master, learned different fields and then disappeared again, so he could see/learn as much as possible. Despite being a member of the Mechanicum, he kept his humanity, had a friend and personality, and didn't think as rigidly as the higher-ups. Including tinkering with lots of tech (yeah, heresy and such).

 

Having individuality, enough tech knowledge to improvise and not enough military orientation to tackle every target head on would make a more logical character than the throwaway version of a Terminator (movie, not astartes armour type). This can of course be expanded by choosing a low-ranking priest of the Secutor branch, to get some military interest/knowledge/competence/equipment.

Edited March 11, 2021 by MajorNese