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I have two army lists to share with you, both of them using Skitarii with Cult Mechanicus as allies for some heavy support in guise of troop choices:

1000 points:

1x 10 - Vanguards - 3 Plasma Caliver
2x 10 - Vanguards - Bare
1x 5 - Ruststalkers - Razors and Chordclaws
1x 3 - Breachers - Heavy Arc Rifles
2x Dunecrawlers - Eradication Beamer
1x Techpriest - Eradication Ray and Macrostubber

1500 points:

1x 10 - Vanguards - 3 Plasma Caliver
3x 10 - Vanguards - Bare
2x 3 - Breachers - Heavy Arc Rifles
4x Dunecrawlers - Eradication Beamer
1x Techpriest - Eradication Ray and Macrostubber
2x 5 - Rangers - 2 Arquebuses

The thought is - Breachers with Arc Rifles are providing some dedicated anti-tank power while Vanguards are premium meatshield throwing buckets of dices each turn, Dunecrawlers provide Heavy Support (anti blob or heavy infantry hunting - depends on the range). Techpriest goes with Plasma Caliver Vanguards providing 5+ cover from his refractor shield and soaking wounds with his 2+ armour while being able to deal with the same type of targets that Calivers could with his Eradication Ray.

In 1000 points - Ruststalkers are around cause I don't feel safe with medium/close combat of small forces

in 1500 points - I felt like getting few Rangers to provide some variety. Thought about exchanging them for Infiltrators with Burst Pistols and shock batons. Don't know what to do with remaining 45 points though.

What do you think? Any suggestions?

I'd always go for infiltrators over ruststalkers if you only want 1 (unless you're playing in a meta with masses of 2+ armour) and in that case always go for the flechette pistols and taser goads.

In list 2 i'd swap a unit of the kataphrons to be grav destroyers instead of breachers.

In list 1 consider changing an onager to a different weapon, in list 2 i'd personally be sure to take one neutron laser, maybe 2 or if not an icarus array.

If you have 45pts spare a dragoon is exactly 45 and is great for tying up an enemy unit in combat or popping some transports.

Grav destroyers are by far the best unit in the Kataphron kit box.

If you're already considering Infiltrators instead of Ruststalkers, do it. They're better which makes me sad because Ruststalkers are my favorite model.

Give the tech priest a conversion field if not a stasis field. He'll usually be your Warlord so your opponent will target him for points.

Be sure to outline what detachments you're using. Your Skitarii must go within a Skitarii Maniple detachment. If you take two units of Kataphrons, your Mechanicus can be either a Combined Arms or Battle Congregation detachment. With only three units, Canticles are not a game changer, so the CAD may be better.

If you only take one Kataphron unit then they makes an Allied Detachment but then the tech priest can't be your Warlord and that's not great.

If you take zero Kataphron units then you can fold the Tech Priest into a Dominus Maniple formation from the Start Collecting box. Consider this for smaller games.

 axisofentropy wrote:

If you're already considering Infiltrators instead of Ruststalkers, do it. They're better which makes me sad because Ruststalkers are my favorite model.

In 1000 points list (where ruststalker are) I don't think I will be able to decrease points enough to get Infiltrators (apart from dropping one Plasma Caliver.)

 axisofentropy wrote:

Be sure to outline what detachments you're using. Your Skitarii must go within a Skitarii Maniple detachment. If you take two units of Kataphrons, your Mechanicus can be either a Combined Arms or Battle Congregation detachment. With only three units, Canticles are not a game changer, so the CAD may be better.

Yeah, sorry about that. I would take them as Allied Detachment.

 axisofentropy wrote:

If you only take one Kataphron unit then they makes an Allied Detachment but then the tech priest can't be your Warlord and that's not great.

I though I can take two troop choice for an Allied Deatchment (one mandatory, one optional). I have to find some place to explain all of those in fool-proof way apparently.
EDIT: I'm a little bit confused. I can't take skitarii as CAD since they can't have HQ (unless the guy who I designate warlord gets turned into HQ?) Would that mean that I have to take my Cult Mechanicus as CAD and then get Skitarii Maniple as Faction Specific Detachment? Could somebody clarify?
EDIT of EDIT: Why would not having my Techpriest as Warlord be not great? Warlord on Skitarii Alpha in unit of Plasma Calivers would get me a Preferred Enemy, does Techpriest get something better?
I will consider getting grav-cannons but are you sure that a unit of 3 models with 4+ won't get wiped instantly?

Oh boy welcome to 7th edition. Army construction is weird stuff. An Allied Detachment has both a minimum of one Troop and maximum of um three? And yes Skitarii don't have an HQ so they must be fielded in a Skitarii Maniple or formation. All units in a detachment must be from the same faction so no sharing tech priests (except the Dominus Maniple formation which is one of very few exceptions.)

Find the points for Infiltrators. Vanguard units don't need 10 models and dune crawlers aren't great enough to bring more than two.

Most missions have a bonus point for Slay the Warlord, so he needs to be somewhat protected, especially in missions like ITC where that's one of only 11 points so it's often a tie breaker. That said, an Alpha as Warlord is fine too.

Yes grav Destroyers are a target but so is the rest of your army. (I'd actually shoot at the plasma Vanguard first.) Toughness 5 helps. I often put the Tech Priest out in front of that unit to tank wounds with his 2+ but only if he's not my Warlord.

Also look up the War Convocation formation. It's by far the most competitive way to play these factions together, so it's kinda recommended you start your collection in that direction and you can play lots of other formations and detachments along the way.

Bummer. I thought that I could go with Techpriest assigned to my Plasma Calivers crew... too bad. He could still rain some plasma from a distance or in front of the squad...

I think that both you and Kataklysmic are right about grav-destroyers but still I am not so sure about them. 4+ instead of 3+ is quite a blow, not to mention losing that 6" though 4 grav shots sure sounds nice.
I'll try to experiment a little and have your input written down in case Arc Rifles are not up to the task.

Also look up the War Convocation formation. It's by far the most competitive way to play these factions together, so it's kinda recommended you start your collection in that direction and you can play lots of other formations and detachments along the way.

Nope. Noooope. I would sure as heck try it during tournament but if I jumped at any of my friend with it I would be strangled before I could explain half the things that it gives me. That said I really want an Imperial Knight Warden...

I also think that in 1000 points game removing 1 Plasma Culvering to upgrade Ruststalkers to Infiltrators would be more beneficial than getting rid of few guys. Could even afford Refractor Shield on my Plasma crew. Have a look at those lists then:

1000 points:

1x 10 - Vanguards - 2 Plasma Caliver , Refractor shield
2x 10 - Vanguards - Bare
1x 5 - Infiltrators - Flachette + Tasers
1x 3 - Breachers - Heavy Arc Rifles
2x Dunecrawlers - Eradication Beamer
1x Techpriest - Eradication Ray and Macrostubber

1500 points:

1x 10 - Vanguards - 3 Plasma Caliver, Refractor Shield
3x 10 - Vanguards - Bare
2x 3 - Breachers - Heavy Arc Rifles
4x Dunecrawlers - Eradication Beamer
1x Techpriest - Eradication Ray and Macrostubber
1x 6 - Infiltrators - Flachette + Tasers, Refractor Shield

That would save me the trouble of setting Rangers into good sniping spot. In 1500 points list I could even get grav-destroyers instead of arc rifles if I drop one Infiltrator. What do you think about it now?

I'd personally go with a Skitarii Maniple and Ad Mech Allied detachment for 1000pts and change the Ad mech to a CAD at 1500.

It may seem counter intuitive but making the alpha on the plasma caliver squad warlord is best despite his weakness's. Giving that squad preferred enemy will make a big difference by stopping gets hot rolls. Do all you can to keep 3 plasma callivers, maybe drop one of the vanguard squads to 5 men?

I'd definitely drop an infiltrator and go for grav destroyers, don't forget they're 6 grav shots not 4 thanks to their special rule which means they always count as stationary when firing heavy or salvo weapons.

The one other thing you may want to consider is dropping one dunecrawler and using the points on upgrades. Cognis stubbers on the remaining dunecrawlers and a neutron laser would go a long way and you'd have enough points left for a ironstrider ballistari which would give you some good versatility.
Having 4 base Dunecrawlers is limiting your options and it will take some amazing gameplay to get them at the right ranges to effectively used eradication rays all the time.

All I can do is to drop 4 guys in bare Vanguard squads - make them 8 man each. I Really don't think I could go with grav-destroyers in 1000 point game, I would have to replace Infiltrators or drop both squads to 7.

Thanks for point out the salvo rule, you are indeed correct, but my fears persist - they are 4+ and they have to go those 6" inches closer to enemy, I fear they would get shredder by anything remotely anti-infantry and the only way to reliably stop people from trying to charge them would be additional 5 points upgrade to get some flamers.

You may be right about the Dunecrawler count being too big in second list. I though about them starting on each flank and trying to get enemy between them, but that plan may go sideways when confronted with practice. I could get them in 1 squad of 3 but I refuse to grab neutron laser - in my book it's too much of a point sink for something, that cheap, standard Dunecrawler could do.

I could drop one Duncrawler and reduce Infiltrators count back to 5 for squad of Ranger with Arquebuses - nice at taking potshots at enemy transport or sniping MEQ from across the table, alternatively I could grab two Ironstriders with Autocannons.


I appreciate the discussion. Thank you for your input and keep it coming please, I've learned so much from this one thread alone.

EDIT: If I was to get two Ironstriders I woud be left with enough points to get Refractor Shield for both Infiltrators and Plasma Calivers squad and remake one squad of Breacher to be Destroyers.