Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I'm very new to 40k. I need simple answers to a few questions.

1. Why does this set have both Skitarii and Cult Mechanicus pieces? Can they be easily combined?
2. Can you create an army out of any units in Astartes and Mechanicus factions? Maybe you can even combine the two?
3. What should I buy along the start collecting set to make a good army?

rvd1ofakind wrote:
So I'm very new to 40k. I need simple answers to a few questions.

1. Why does this set have both Skitarii and Cult Mechanicus pieces? Can they be easily combined?
2. Can you create an army out of any units in Astartes and Mechanicus factions? Maybe you can even combine the two?

What should I buy along the start collecting set?

The box comes with rules for running it all as a single formation, thus the two factions in one box.

You may have multiple detachment of different factions in your army list. I usually run with at least 3 maybe more in our games. (Imperial Knights, Dark Angels/Wolves/Blood Angels and Inquisition.)

Skitarii and Cult have a formation called War Convocation that combine them plus an Imperial Knight. The Start Collecting! came after and is probably a spin on that.

The big thing to consider with the Start Collecting Skitarii box is that you will need to buy the Skitarii Codex, as well as the Mechanicus Codex (or White Dwarf Issue 69) to find rules for the Tech Priest. They work well as allies with Cult Mechanicus/Knights/IoM, and their model rules have a good amount of variety.

I am building towards a War Convocation (WD 69), so I went with a box of Infilitrators to go with the SC Box. Once I get my Skitarii Army build I will but the basic Cult models needed, then pick up a Knight.

Thank you guys for your answers.

Guess there aren't easy answers to my questions in a:
1. Because they want to milk money from 2 codexes but you can use the formation included (you still need AM codex for the tech priest). Yes, there is no added point cost or anything.
2. Yes. No.
3. 1 more start collecting, 2 more squads of vanguard or 2 more start collecting and 1 more vanguard

format :(

(I just made these answers up to show how I'd like the answers to be since it's hard for me to understand some of your answers since I haven't even read the rules yet.) Again, thanks for the answers, but can you please try it my way. Pretty please?

1) Your own answer is pretty much on the nose - the two Ad Mech armies should really be in a single codex, but GW likes money. The two armies are easily combined.
2) You can easily ally two (or more) forces together. It's not always as efficient on the tabletop, but is a great excuse for model / painting variety.
3) Haven't a clue, sorry, I don't play Ad Mech.

2. Yes you can. The basic requirements to field Skitarii can be made with a single SC Box (if you split the ten models into two five man squads). There are obviously much better ways to do it, but you could play everything but the Tech Priest and add a few additional choices to ally with another IoM Army. My box came with rules for using Rangers instead of Vanguard. Rangers work better sitting back in squads of five, and Vanguard seem to fit more with the Formation rule. GW said play what you got though. It's also worth mentioning that you only get one of each special weapon in the box, so keep that in mind while you are building your squads.

Something like the War Convocation is much better though because all of your upgrades are free. This helps make up for some of their weaknesses, and Skitarii even get the CM bonuses.

3. Depends on how you plan on building your Army. I would not be in a rush to hit 1500 points if you are new, and you can always bring in allies to fill your weaknesses. To get an idea of army building you will need to pick up the Codex. For a general build I recommend getting a box or two of Rustalkers/Infiltrators to go along with your SC box... Then expand from there. Two SC boxes are also a good choice if you want to run more than one Onager, otherwise I would skip it.

Some people (but VERY limited and only in FLGS) say that running cult mech and skitarii as a simgle codex is OK

1-2) Cult Mech, Skitarii and Imperial Knights are all very small codex (very few models in each) and are intended as a sort of trifecta of codex meant to be played together.

You still have to make them into separate Formations for each book, unless you go with any of their combined formations, but because they are all imperium, they're all considered battle brothers, so they like each other.

Look, the relationship between them is a fairly advanced idea ruleswise, and it's not easy to explain to a newbie, but suffice to say that yes, they can be used together.

The reason why they are combined is because they really are sort of considered the same army, and if you look at the size of the "start collecting boxes," you'll notice that without the Cult Mechanicus HQ in the box, it would not really have as much value as the other boxes... but there is nothing else in the Skitarii army that they could include that costs as little as the Cult Mechanicus HQ, because Skitarii doesn't have HQ! So they were basically in a pickle where they needed to fill it out a little, but had to reach into Cult Mech to find something of a reasonable value!

Just be happy the Start Collecting boxes exist. They are great value, and giving great value is not something GW has done for many many years. They're a very new concept.

3) "1 more start collecting, 2 more squads of vanguard or 2 more start collecting and 1 more vanguard"
Well, I mean, the start collecting have a vanguard group in them, so either of those choices you're gonna end up with as much vanguard... just less Onager.

Honestly, you want 3 Onager no matter how you decide to do it. They get a better save by working together up to a max of 3, and also, they're like the most powerful unit in the codex by far. Plus, they're like totally awesome.

Source: I play basically only Skitarii... but my army is weird and has 8 Dragoons, so if you want to win, you mix with Ad Mech. My army hardly ever wins.