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Hi, over the past few months I’ve been putting together / painting a Martian mech army as a hobby project after being sucked into the Skitarii aesthetic. I’ve not played 40K before only picking these up because they looked cool but have been thinking about getting some games in. The 2000pts list I’ve put together and have been working towards is below, please feel free to comment / provide pointers as I’m pretty new and may have made some rookie errors:

Skitarii (Maniple Detachment)
X5 Vanguard (2 x Plasma Caliver /Conversion Field / Omnispex) – Command Unit
X5 Vanguard (2 x Arc Rifle / Omnispex)
X5 Rangers (1 x Transuranic Arquebus / Omnispex)
X5 Rustalkers (Razors, Chordclaws and Mindscrambler Grenades / Conversation Field)
X2 Dunecrawlers (1 x Icarus Array / 1 x Neutron Laser – both with Heavy Stubber)

Cult Mechanicus (Cohort Cybernetica Formation)
X1 Techpriest Dominus (Arkhan Land / Conversion Field / weapons as standard)
X1 Kastelan Robot Maniple (1 x Power Fist and Flamer / 1 x both kinds of Phosphor)
X1 Kastelan Robot Maniple (1 x Power Fist and Flamer / 1 x both kinds of Phosphor)

Imperial Knight
X1 Crusader Imperial Knight (Battle Cannon / Avenger Gatling / Ironstorm)

My thoughts were that the Haywire Vanguard unit to be supported by the Ruststalkers and hunt machines / vehicles and the Plasma Vanguard unit pushing forward supported by the Cohort Cybernetica Formation (CCF). The CCF I went fairly standard I think with a IWND Dominus and a 50:50 loadout of weapon choices for the Kastelans to handle all situations.

The Rangers will look to camp on any objectives near my deployment zone and be supported in general by the Dunecrawlers and Crusader. With the Dunecrawlers I thought it best to have one anti-air and one damage dealer to deal with most situations.

The Crusader has a Battle Cannon for range and Avenger Gatling for mowing down troops, I picked the Ironstorm again for range and finishing off units. I’m not sure whether the Stormspear would be better though to create an all-comer Crusader so would like to hear opinions, it is built and painted as Ironstorm though don’t think people will mind me playing it either way.

Thanks for taking the time to review and comment – all feedback is greatly appreciated.

-punkycloud-

Looks like a fun list, I would max out the command unit with 10 Vanguard and 3 Plasma cavaliers. Drop the Ruststalkers as the nerf to 1 grenade in CC really hurts them. I would take another Aquebus in your Ranger Squad. Drop the ironstorm for a Icarus or Stormspear.

With points left over more Vanguard even a squad of 10 bare bones.

Hi thanks for the feedback, unfortunately I don't have the models to bump the command Vanguard 10 with another plasma cavalier.

Models available other than listed above include 5 rangers with another Aquebus and 5 Infiltrators with tasers and blasters. From what ice got available what would you reccomend?

Is it 1 grenade against machines / vehicles in CC as well as troops?

punkycloud wrote:
Hi, over the past few months I’ve been putting together / painting a Martian mech army as a hobby project after being sucked into the Skitarii aesthetic. I’ve not played 40K before only picking these up because they looked cool but have been thinking about getting some games in. The 2000pts list I’ve put together and have been working towards is below, please feel free to comment / provide pointers as I’m pretty new and may have made some rookie errors:

Skitarii (Maniple Detachment)
X5 Vanguard (2 x Plasma Caliver /Conversion Field / Omnispex) – Command Unit
X5 Vanguard (2 x Arc Rifle / Omnispex)
X5 Rangers (1 x Transuranic Arquebus / Omnispex)
X5 Rustalkers (Razors, Chordclaws and Mindscrambler Grenades / Conversation Field)
X2 Dunecrawlers (1 x Icarus Array / 1 x Neutron Laser – both with Heavy Stubber)

Cult Mechanicus (Cohort Cybernetica Formation)
X1 Techpriest Dominus (Arkhan Land / Conversion Field / weapons as standard)
X1 Kastelan Robot Maniple (1 x Power Fist and Flamer / 1 x both kinds of Phosphor)
X1 Kastelan Robot Maniple (1 x Power Fist and Flamer / 1 x both kinds of Phosphor)

Imperial Knight
X1 Crusader Imperial Knight (Battle Cannon / Avenger Gatling / Ironstorm)

Have you considered the War Convocation formation. You have all the necessary models and under that formation you would get all of your wargear upgrades for free which would free up more points for added units.


Adeptus Mechanicus War Convocation Formation


Cult Mechanicus Battle Congregation - 435 pts

(HQ) Tech Priest Dominus w/ eradication ray, conversion field, digital weapons, inforslave skull, scryerskull perspicatus - 105 pts

(T) Kataphron Destroyers (3) w/ (3) heavy grav-cannon, (3) cognis flamer - 165 pts
(T) Kataphron Destroyers (3) w/ (3) heavy grav-cannon, (3) cognis flamer - 165 pts


Skitarii Vattle Maniple - 700 pts

(T) Skitarii Vanguard (5) w/ (2) plasma caliver, omnispex, arc maul, arc pistol, conversion field, digital wepaons, pater radium - 55 pts
(T) Skitarii Rangers (5) w/ (2) transuranic arquebus, omnispex, arkan's divinator, conversion field, digital weapons - 65 pts

(E) Sicarian Ruststalkers (5) w/ prehensile dataspike, conversion field, digital weapons, skull of elder nikola - 160 pts
(E) Sicarian Infiltrators (5) w/ (5) taser goad/flechette blaster, infoslave skull, conversion field, digital weapons, omniscient mask - 185 pts

(HS) Ironstrider Ballistarii w/ TL cognis lascannon - 55 pts
(HS) Onager Dunecrawler (2) w/ (2) icarus array, (2) cognis manipulator, (2) mind scanner, (2) cognis heavy stubber - 180 pts


Imperial Knight Oathsworn Detachment - 425 pts

(LoW) Imperial Knight Crusader w/ rapid-fire battle cannon, stormspear missile pod - 425 pts

Total 1560

With 440 points left over, you could fill out some of the units to max size, add second knight, or add more cult mechanicus units. Plus, all units get access to canticles of the omnissiah and you lose gets hot on all plasma weapons.

I wasn't aware of the War Convocation until recently but would need to pick up 2 walkers and 2 boxes of destroyers to make this formation work. I'm also not so much a fan those models so was going to give them a miss until I'd finished painting what I've already got.

If I ever need to ruin someone's fun though / be competitive in a tournament I'd think about running this formation O

Is the consensus then that Stormspear is always better than Ironstorm on a Crusader? If so why, the range and large template looks ideal of ruining squads turn 1.

Would you run the extra Ranger unit or Infiltrators over the Ruststalkers?

Do both Dunecrawlers need to fire at the same target if in a unit? If so considering one is AA and the other isn't would you run them separately?

Thanks for your help

-punkycloud-

War Convocation is really not that game breaking when not having/taking pods to be honest. It's just more on a competitive level as it's not cheesy at all.

Too many things can take saves against a Ironstorm and can Jinx etc. You wont be ruining squads turn 1, on paper looks great in game not so much as it scatters. I fear Stormspear more.

No I would not run more rangers. Vanguard are great due to their ability of wounding any toughness on 6 with 3 shots each. 30 shots with +1 or 2 BS is pretty good.

No you cannot shoot at another target with the Dune Crawlers, if anything I would get the get started box and use that for your AA Dune Crawler and Plasma Cavaliers as you will have two squads that can pretty much rerolling to hit and give Dominus the 5+ for snap firing, makes the squad extremely threatening.

Welcome to Warhammer! Consider starting with smaller games. Two 1000 point games are better experience than one 2000.

All the above advice is good. War Convocation is the most competitive way to play AdMech by far so plan your purchases for that if you want to be win events.

Mixing weapons within units is not recommended, each unit should specialize for its role. Kastelans should usually be all phosphor, unless your local meta has a lot of Imperial Knight players.

If you're paying for Cohort Cybernetica (my favorite formation) you'll want to upgrade it and design the rest of your force around it, compensating for its weaknesses: mobility.

I must agree here. Meta discussion and list work help your game play, but nothing is more valuable
than tabletop experience. Get a few games, decide what you like, adjust, rinse and repeat.

That being said there are some helpful general pointers here to take note of.

Not mixing units is key, you want your squads to preform their role to perfection. I'd go all phosphor on
the Castellan as most people won't want to charge a scary T7 monstrous creature unit which is all ap2
in combat unless they have such an advantage the fist will be of little help. Beefing your foot troops
would be very nice, but your models restrict, so best judgement. For dunecrawlers i'd base it on your
meta. If you find your up against alot of flyers and skimmers go full icarus, if not, full neutron and don't
disregard the damage of your stubbers either. Lastly, don't forget your relics. The mask that grants zelot
is really good, and the others are by no means bad, so give them a try. I personally don't leave home
without the phosphoenix, but that's me.

Welcome to the wild world of warhammer 40k.