Codex: Mechanicus. Skittarii

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**Grey Templar**

Ok its been a while since i worked on the mechanicus codex, but i am back with skittarii. the previous threads can be found with the search function.

Skittarii: 230 points, Elites

Skittarii:........WS....BS....S....T....W....I.....A....Ld.....Sv
......................4.......4.....5....4.....2....4....2.....9.......4+
Champion........5.......4.....5....5.....2.....4....2...10......4+
Gun Servitor....3......4......3....4.....1.....2....1...8........4+

Unit type: infantry

Unit size: Champion and 4 skittarii

Wargear: Hotshot lasgun and power weapon, the Champion has a Hotshot lasgun and an Eviserator.

Options: the unit may add up to 5 additional Skittarii for 20 points each.

any Skittarii may replace his Hotshot lasgun with a Stormbolter for free

any Skittarii may replace his Hotshot lasgun with a additional close combat weapon for free

for every 5 models in the unit a single skittarii may replace his Hotshot lasgun with one of the following weapons, TL-melta gun(10 points), heavy flamer(5 points),

the champion may replace his Hotshot lasgun with a plasma gun for 10 points.

may add up to 2 Gun Servitors at 10 points each. Gun Servitors MUST take one of the following: Multi-melta(5 points) multi-laser(5 points) Lascannon (30 points) Missile launcher(10 points) assault cannon (20 points)

Special rules: Relentless(servitors only)

Savage nature:(skittarii only) due to extensive hormone therepy and selective conditioning Skittarii are extremly agressive warriors, neither asking nor giving quarter. Skittarii are subject to the Rage and Furious Charge special rules.

Note: I will add to the rules for Mageos's and Archmageos's that they will each allow a single Skittarii unit to be taken as a troops choice

i will post all mechanicus units in a single thread once this has been curtailed

**grayspark**

....what are the Skiitarii

You should probably tell us that before-hand rather than just saying

"It's been awhile since I've worked on this..."

you're talking as though all of us know what you're talking about...

sadly we don't so may you please elaborate?

**Smashotron**

Skitarii is the Adeptus Mechanicus' official term for all military forces under its command (except for the Titan Legions, though the Legions may possess their own Skitarii forces). It is a term equivalent to 'the Imperial Guard' as it generally includes almost all combat personnel and armour that the Mechanicus possess. Skitarii are also known as Tech-Guard (or Tech Guard) to outsiders, and the singular form of Skitarii is Skitarius. "Skitarii" however is often also used in published background to reference only the augmented infantry1.

Skitarii are often armed with similar equipment to Imperial guard, though this can vary massively based on which Magos, Mechanicus Organisation or Forge World has raised and equipped them. There is little standardisation or central command of Skitarii across the Mechanicus, as each individual regiment is the personal army of a particular Magos. For example, the Skitarii of the Titan Legion Invictus are gene-bulked humans with weaponised limbs and augmetic armour4, whereas a different type of Skitarii investigated the dead world of Tarsis Ultra, and were seen to be wearing something similar in both function and design to Terminator armour.2

Skitarii can also be divided into several types, based on their battlefield role.5

Hypaspists: These are the basic tech-guard infantry, and are armed with lasguns. They are more augmented than the normal Imperial Guardsman, and may have received emotional-suppression surgery.

Sagitarii: These are the heavy weapon operatives. These only include dedicated heavy weapons squads, as heavy weapons attached to Hypaspist squads are still called Hypastpists.

Balisteria: These are the artillery units. The range of artillery goes from Thudd guns to the massive Ordinatus pieces. This includes both the vehicle/machine, as well as the crews manning them.

Cataphractii: These are the armour units. The range of armour goes from small transports to heavy walkers and superheavy tanks such as Baneblades.

Praetorians: These are the elite of the Skitarii. They are super-enhanced (bionically/cybernetically/chemically/genetically etc) humans who are augmented with a huge array of cybernetics and heavy weapons. They are, essentially, a sort of counterpart to Obliterators. However, many old sources also suggest that Praetorians are instead an elite Skitarii type following the fashion of Imperial Guard storm trooper units, but with slightly more augmentations, putting them somewhere between storm troopers and Space Marines. In the short story Deux es Mechanicus, Praetorians are in fact servitors, rather than living humans. They move on tank treads and are armed with powerful weaponry, such as plasma cannons*3. All of these are completely plausible, and based on the preferences of the Magos who build them.

Tribunes: These are the Skitarii officers. Though all skitarii bow to the authority of Adeptus Mechanicus Magi and Archmagi, these are all personnel of high ranking roles. The skitarii have low-level leadership roles, and these are filled by the tribunes.

IMO, they should look more like this.

Hypaspists:....WS...BS...S....T....W....I....A....Ld...Sv
......................3.....4....3....4....1....3....1.....7....4+

Wargear: Hellgun, Hellpistol.

**grayspark**

Ahhh, thank you.

Sounds like they're just like the normal imperial guard but souped up with technology...

You would've thought GW would have written a codex for them already...

then again they love to slack off on interesting ideas...

**Grey Templar**

for the purposes of the codex i seperated the different ranks out and called Hyphystes "Techguard"

Tech-guard are humans who are in the services of the mechanicus that have had minimal modifications(often no more then a single mechandrite and emotional suppression) and are basic soldiers, highly similer to IG.

Skittarii are humans born and bred for battle, enlargened with geno therepy and cybernatic installation. Extreamly agressive and violent. they are no longer human in the practical sense of the word. Read "Titanicus" if you need a description.

I have seperated Preatorians from Skittarii and Tech-guard are a seperate troops type.

the Skittarii are meant to be medium shock troops. basically slightly better then space marines.

Edit: when i said "i'm back" i was talking to Skittinator, nurglitch and others who were following the previous threads

**cervidal**

I'm not sure where this thought of Skittari being so superior to IG is coming from. In any encounter with them, they really are little more than Guardsman that swear loyalty to Mars rather than the Emperor. At most, they'd effectively have Hellguns and Carapace Armor with the same stat line as a Guardsman. The idea of them being superior to Marines is laughable.

**The Acolyte**

They cannot be superior to marines - they are simply augmented guard. i marine has biological enhancements and is trained. they seem to me to just be tougher gm with better weapons.

**agnosto**

Except for the statline being better than a marine's.....

**Grey Templar**

how many of you have read Titanicus?

i am basing these guys off of the skittarii in there.

**Valkyrie**

The Multi-Melta and the Las-Cannon are obsolete, as because the Skitarri are subject to Rage, they will never be stationary in order to fire it.

**Chaoslordx13**

in most books i read where they pop up, they make guardsmen look like children and give marines a run for there money, though a few grenades usually = there doom :(

Now the dark mechanicus versions... those are just plain nasty

for 5 guys, the point costs seems to fit, as they are fairly expensive for there stats.

**Volkov**

I always thought of skittarii as basically combat servitors. Read battle of gryphonne IV in the 4th ed tyranid codex.

**Skinnattittar**

Considering the shear lack of consistent fluff on Skittarii, your imagination is pretty much the limits of their abilities. As Smashotron kindly pointed out, Skittari are the personal military forces of a Magos. So pretty much whatever is available to that Magos is what the Skittari can have access to. Considering the many great mysteries that the Adeptus Mechanicus control, well just about anything is plausible, from Gatling Plasma Cannons to S10 AP1 Melta,Ordinance, Large Blast, Ignores Cover type of a infantry supported weapon.

However, I would prefer to see a unique type of warrior that no other army has, and base their weaponry on lasers, as is popular amongst the MEchanicus (I think at least).

Skittari Infantry, Basic (SIB) :

WS4 BS4 S3 T5(4)* W2 I3 A2 Ld8(St) Sv3+(4+)**

Wargear: Laser Rifle, Laser Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Frag and Krak Grenades, Night Optics

Special Rules: Stubborn (St)

* Skittari are tough SOBs, being as much machine as human.

For purposes of Instant Death they are T5, but treat all attacks against T4.

** Being more than just armor encased in armor, Skittari are armor over machine over flesh.

For purposes of AP, treat as 3+, but roll to save on 4+.

Laser Rifle: Multiple Stats
R36" S3 AP4 Rapid Fire (May not move and shoot)
R24" S4 AP4 Assault 1
R12" S5 AP4 Assault 2

Laser Pistol:
R12" S4 AP4 Pistol 2

**Distortionist**

I can get behind skinn's idea.

**dark6spectre**

sorry being noob i have read about skitarii in books and all that but what are they? are they just martian infantry or whatever or are they an army of servitors?

**Skinnattittar**

SIB Gun Drone: A SIB that has had a heavier weapon integrated into their body, either by replacing a limb or attaching to their body (or even in the middle of their torso!). These drones are single purpose and the rest of the squad acts in support, carrying the trooper's normal equipment and extra supplies (ammo, replacement parts, rations, field gear, etc...).

Basically a normal SIB slaved to a weapon's system. Part of a normal SIB unit, operates as the old IG weapons teams (two models, one gun).

Weapon Options:
Gatling Laser: R36" S6 AP3 Assault 3
Laser Cannon: R36" S9 AP1 Heavy 1, Lance
Gatling Bolter: R24" S4 AP5 Assault 8
Ordinance Rifle: R24" S5 AP5 Rapid Fire, Small Blast
Autocannon: R48" S7 AP4 Heavy 2

**Valkyrie**

I like the idea of the heavy weapon drones, but I would either give them Slow and Purposeful or Relentless, as they would have plenty of gyrostabilisers and targeting systems to allow it to be fired on the move.

Valk

**Grey Templar**

i already have praetorians and heavy gun servitors in the codex

**dumplingman**

I agree that skittari should be powerful and have access to lots of equipment. Basing my info on Cain novels where he runs into them. However, from what I have red they seem to be tough, pack lots of firepower but are generally slow and have little free will. hotshots make sense, my only issue is the I of 4 and having power weapons. You may know more about the fluff from me but that seems liek allot.

Also not sure if you put this in yet, but heavy weapons options for the basic squads should be servitors from the DH/WH books

**Razgryz**

I have been looking into doing this since I started reading the books, but I think a simpler way would be to use existing forces stats for comparison. Point cost would need adjusting of course.

Praetorian = Grey Knight brother-captain w/ asst. heavy weapon selection, I5 or 6, fleet of foot and counterattack, powerfist or powerweapon

Praetorians are described in Mechanicus and Titanicus as being violently wild in combat, with preternatural speed and ferocity that at least equals SM. They carry staggering weaponry and can sometimes not be ordered out of combat. Used as frontline shock troops.

Hypaspists = IG with fearless, I4 and bionics

Common footsloggers, basic infantry with minor cybernetic upgrades.

Sagitarii = Obliterator or Defiler, depending on weapon system, w3, I3, servoarm

Basically sentient light tanks, Sagitarii are very heavy servitors. Typically has 2-3 assistant servitors for ammo or power packs.

Balisteria = IG ordinance w/ 1d6 scatter (better aiming)

Same as typical artillery, but with better aiming due to noospace and MIU interfacing.

Cataphractii = IG and SM heavy and fast support w/ ordinatus and titans

Big boys, Mechanicus doesn't play around. Includes everything armored up to and including Warlords and Imperators.

Just my two cents.

**grayspark**

Also not sure if you put this in yet, but heavy weapons options for the basic squads should be servitors

I definitely like that idea. Whenever I think of the tech-guard I think of a technically advanced army that can move quickly and efficiently(Although I'm not sure if this is what is in the books or not) So instead of having a heavy weapons team they have cybernetic drones to carry around their heavy weapons.

This would also give cool ideas for modeling since they're Tech Guard. I would probably make a drone flying around (like the tau but cooler) with a heavy bolter or autocannon on it. come to think of it I'm gonna do that for the Imperial Guard army I just started...

**Grey Templar**

ok i added gun servitors as heavy weapon platforms and removed the heavy weapon options for the skittarii

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Have posted the complete codex in the forum, Enjoy