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I miss the flying skull things, though they never really performed the way I thought they should. thus:

Flying Skull Things
WS4, BS0, S2, T2, W1, I2, A1, Ld7, Sv -

Any techmarine may purchase 1-5 FSTs at 10 points each.
Each FST forms a unit of 1 model.
FSTs are not worth kill points.
FSTs may never claim objectives.
FSTs are fearless.

Jump infantry - Flying Skull Things fly, they are considered jump infantry.
Worthless in a fight - FSTs may never assault.
Tiny little skull things - FSTs are +1 in any cover save
Eyes of the Emperor - FSTs are linked to the Marine's communication network and provide targeting information. Any marine unit may reroll the scatter dice or reroll one missed shot on enemy units within 6" of a Flying Skull Thing.

They're called Skull Probes in Dawn of War, but they aren't exclusive to the Spase Marinez (hurr), but to all Imperial forces. IIRC, they are used as cameras and communications and stuff, so the special rules seem OK. Why the WS 4 though if they can't assault? Why not make them BS 4 and give them a R12" S3 AP- weapon?
Edit: Considering that they're probes, designed for scouting ahead when the scouts can't, maybe allow their unit to ignore Night Fighting effects? Also make them availible to Techpriests and Inquisitors.

They're called servo skulls. In an Inquisition army they can be included in retinues are familiars, improving the Inquisitor's initiative and giving access to more psychic powers. More specific rules about them can be found in the game Inquisitor. They probably show up in Dark Heresy too.

I think they are WS 4 to make them harder to hit in assault, since they are buzzing around. Maybe give them I8 and Hit and Run with A0 instead.

I like the idea a lot Kyoto.

If you don't want them assaulting you can just give them S0.

Wehrkind wrote:I think they are WS 4 to make them harder to hit in assault, since they are buzzing around. Maybe give them I8 and Hit and Run with A0 instead.

I like the idea a lot Kyoto.

You hit the nail on the head. I wanted them to be a bit harder to hit than usual. I think your idea works though.

And I know they're familiars in the Demon Hunter book but I never liked it, it always seemed a bit forced since the flying babies are the familiars.
As noted in Inquisitor and Dark Heresy they have all sorts of uses from medical to recon, they're basically Imperial drones. So I thought having them as artillery spotters was the most suitable battlefield role.

The servo skulls are supposed to have things like sharp pointy mandible claw things, pen quills, needle probe bits or digi-lasers or something, so they aren't helpless in HtH, they'd just hit worse than a grot! So I think A:1 I:2 S:2 T:2 would be good.

I thought it was cool when Librarians and Chaos Sorcerers could have familures, so you had a reason to have a little flying skull things (and uber creepy evil looking cyber babies with wings) around on the board.

I think they should have a shooting attack of BS2 S2 Assault 1 D6".

Other than that, they are great.

WS 10 would help reflect their combat prowess.

In our rules we gave 'em a little thing called a Microblaster.

R6" S2 AP- Assault 6

It's an abstraction of thae fact that some have digilasers, some have digi-needlers, some have digi-flamers, some have actual bolt weapons with belt-fed ammunition trains. So rather than picking any particular weapon, this profile represented the amalgamation of lots of different weapon types into a multi-shot but otherwise inoffensive gun.

BYE

D6" range. That's cute.

thanks?

In Apocalypse you could have a whole army of those things, with their own datasheet of DOOM.

LOL

Like, an HQ servo skull? With a whopping

Ultimate servo skull of doom

WS BS S T I A W SV
4 3 3 3 3 2 2 5+

Mandible blasta
12" (he can also be long range fire support for the skulls, in addition to being their close combat monster)

str 6 ap 5

Man... when the servo boss comes around... look out!

IIRC, Servo-Skulls count as being armed with a Laspistol.

It would be cool if they were mean, like Phantasm balls...

But really, they're not worth 10 pts unless they actually *do* something. Right now, they're less useful than a Guardsman, much less a Stormtrooper. I'd peg them at 3 or 4 pts, like a Grot.

What if you could choose abilities for them: IE

Artillery Spotter- Advanced archaeo-tech systems allow rapid calculations and more precise information on target coordinates. Allows Blast and Barrage weapons to re-roll scatter dice.

Targeting Lasers- Pinpoints targets marking them with laser signatures that show up in the targeting matrices and reticules of Imperial/SM weaponry. Allows models shooting at the tagged target to re-roll misses.

Medical Servitor- Equipped with stimulants, anesthetics, and emergency med supplies, the servitor can quickly stitch together even badly injured combatants. 5+ FNP

Warning Systems- Gives advanced warnings of incoming attacks and optimal responses. Reroll failed saves.

Abilities would last for one turn, at which time the servitors reserves are exhausted and the servitor is removed.

Detonation systems could also be purchased to use them as suicide bombers. Place a blast marker centered on the servo skull with S6 AP 5 or something (maybe options for anti-armor detonations or larger weaker shrapnel bursts, too). The servo skull is then removed.

I'm a fan of dropping the WS to 3.
Since WS three is the human skill range from recruit to armsman.

There are medical servo-skulls also.
maybe, 5+ poison

Also, why make FNP a variable, like Invulnerable and cover saves.
(example: bionics is essentially a 6+ FNP)
maybe a, 5+ FNP