Secutarii (AdMech 9e Update)

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**RevlidRas**

Secutarii Hoplites (Elites, Power Rating 2)

4-19 Secutarii Hoplite: M 6"; WS 3+; BS 3+; S 3; T 3; W 1; A 2; Ld 6; Sv 4+
1 Secutarii Hoplite Alpha: M 6"; WS 3+; BS 3+; S 3; T 3; W 1; A 3; Ld 7; Sv 4+

If this unit contains between 6 and 10 models, it has Power Rating 4. If this unit contains between 11 and 15 models, it has Power Rating 6. If this unit contains 16 or more models, it has Power Rating 8. Every model is equipped with: arc lance; mag-inverter shield.

Wargear

Spoiler:

Arc pistol: Range 12"; Type Pistol 1; Strength 5; AP -2; Damage 1; Abilities: Each time an attack is made with this weapon against a VEHICLE unit, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 2 and an unmodified wound roll of 4+ successfully wounds the target.
Phosphor blast pistol: Range 12"; Type Pistol D3; Strength 5; AP -1; Damage 1; Abilities: Blast. Each time an attack is made with this weapon, the target does not receive the benefits of Dense Cover against that attack.
Radium pistol: Range 12"; Type Pistol 1; Strength 3; AP 0; Damage 1; Abilities: Each time an attack is made with this weapon against an enemy unit (excluding VEHICLE units), an unmodified hit roll of 6 automatically wounds the target.

Arc lance (shooting): Range 12”; Type Assault 1; Strength 5; AP -2; Damage 1; Abilities: Each time an attack is made with this weapon against a VEHICLE unit, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 2 and an unmodified wound roll of 4+ successfully wounds the target.

Arc lance (melee): Range Melee; Type Melee; Strength +2; AP -2; Damage 1; Abilities: Each time an attack is made with this weapon against a VEHICLE unit, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 2 and an unmodified wound roll of 4+ successfully wounds the target.
Arc maul: Range Melee; Type Melee; Strength +3; AP -2; Damage 1; Abilities: Each time an attack is made with this weapon against a VEHICLE unit, that attack has a Damage characteristic of 2 and an unmodified wound roll of 4+ successfully wounds the target.
Power sword: Range Melee; Type Melee; Strength +1; AP -3; Damage 1; Abilities: -
Taser goad: Range Melee; Type Melee; Strength +2; AP -1; Damage 2; Abilities: Each time an attack is made with this weapon, an unmodified hit roll of 6 scores 2 additional hits.

Enhanced data-tether: While the bearer is on the battlefield:
-- The bearer's unit gains the DATA-TETHER keyword.
-- Add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of models in the bearer's unit.
Mag-inverter shield: Add 1 to armour saving throws and invulnerable saving throws made for the bearer against melee attacks.
Omnispex: Each time a model in the bearer's unit makes a ranged attack, the target does not receive the benefits of Light Cover against that attack.

Wargear Options

If this unit contains 9 or fewer models, 1 Secutarii Hoplite can be equipped with one of the following: 1 enhanced data-tether; 1 omnispex.

For every 10 models in this unit, 1 Secutarii Hoplite can be equipped with one of the following: 1 enhanced data-tether; 1 omnispex.

The Secutarii Hoplite Alpha's arc lance can be replaced with one of the following: 1 arc pistol; 1 phosphor blast pistol; 1 radium pistol.

The Secutarii Hoplite Alpha's mag-inverter shield can be replaced with one of the following: 1 arc maul; 1 power sword; 1 taser goad.

Abilities

Doctrina Imperatives: See Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus, pg 85.

Hazard Protocols: At the start of the Fight phase, you can select one enemy unit within Engagement Range of this unit. That unit is not eligible to fight this phase until after this unit has done so.

Kyropatris Field: Models in this unit have a 5+ invulnerable save.

Titan Guard: While this unit is within 6" of a friendly QUESTOR MECHANICUS or GOD-ENGINE model, each time a Morale test is taken for this unit, you can re-roll that test.

Keywords

Faction: IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS MECHANICUS, SKITARII, <FORGE WORLD>

Keywords: INFANTRY, CORE, SECUTARII, SECUTARII HOPLITES

Points Costs

Spoiler:

Secutarii Peltasts (Elites, Power Rating 3)

4-19 Secutarii Peltast: M 6"; WS 3+; BS 3+; S 3; T 3; W 1; A 1; Ld 6; Sv 4+
1 Secutarii Peltast Alpha: M 6"; WS 3+; BS 3+; S 3; T 3; W 1; A 2; Ld 7; Sv 4+

If this unit contains between 6 and 10 models, it has Power Rating 6. If this unit contains between 11 and 15 models, it has Power Rating 9. If this unit contains 16 or more models, it has Power Rating 12. Every model is equipped with: galvanic caster.

Wargear

Spoiler:

Wargear Options

If this unit contains 9 or fewer models, 1 Secutarii Peltast can be equipped with one of the following: 1 enhanced data-tether; 1 omnispex.

For every 10 models in this unit, 1 Secutarii Peltast can be equipped with one of the following: 1 enhanced data-tether; 1 omnispex.

The Secutarii Peltast Alpha can be equipped with one of the following: 1 arc maul; 1 power sword; 1 taser goad.

The Secutarii Peltast Alpha's galvanic caster can be replaced with one of the following: 1 arc pistol; 1 phosphor blast pistol; 1 radium pistol.

Abilities

Doctrina Imperatives: See Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus, pg 85.

Blind Barrage: In your Command phase, select one friendly unit within 6” of this unit. Until the start of your next Command phase, each time a ranged attack is made against that unit, subtract 1 from the hit roll.

Kyropatris Field: Models in this unit have a 5+ invulnerable save.

Titan Guard: While this unit is within 6" of a friendly QUESTOR MECHANICUS or GOD-ENGINE model, each time a Morale test is taken for this unit, you can re-roll that test.

Keywords

Faction: IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS MECHANICUS, SKITARII, <FORGE WORLD>

Keywords: INFANTRY, CORE, SECUTARII, ARC GRENADES, SECUTARII PELTASTS

Points Costs

Spoiler:

New Stratagem: Templars of the Titanic (2 Command Point)

Adeptus Mechanicus - Epic Deed Stratagem
The fiercely protective doctrina of the Corpus Secutarii calls them to shield the Omnissiah’s mightiest engines from all plunder and harm.
Use this Stratagem in your opponent’s Charge phase, when an enemy unit declares a charge against a QUESTOR MECHANICUS or GOD-ENGINE unit from your army. Select any number of SECUTARII units from your army within 6" of that QUESTOR MECHANICUS or GOD-ENGINE unit.

That QUESTOR MECHANICUS or GOD-ENGINE unit can fire Overwatch.
Each of the selected SECUTARII units can also fire Overwatch at the charging unit, as if it were a target of that charge.
Until the end of the phase, each of the selected SECUTARII units is eligible to perform a Heroic Intervention as if it were a CHARACTER. When performing that Heroic Intervention, each model in those units can move up to 6", but must end that move within 1" of that friendly QUESTOR MECHANICUS or GOD-ENGINE unit. All other rules for Heroic Interventions still apply.

**Valkyrie**

Always nice to see your balanced suggestions Ras. Shame GW can't give these guys the Skitarii keyword. My only thought is wherever Rapid Fire 3 on the Peltasts is a bit much, as they were RF2 in the previous edition.

**RevlidRas**

Valkyrie wrote:
Always nice to see your balanced suggestions Ras. Shame GW can't give these guys the Skitarii keyword.

They actually do have the Skitarii keyword in 8e/pre-codex 9e; it's the <FORGE WORLD> keyword they're missing. I added it because, well, why not? They're clearly from a Forge World, and <TITAN LEGION> does nothing for them. The main changes here are that keyword (and CORE), making Titan Guard a Stratagem, weapon changes, and a new Strat-focused special ability designed for indirect Titan support (strike last and -1 to hit) on each of them.

The main change in principle is allowing them to support Imperial Knights as well as Titans, because... why not? The training should be pretty transferrable, and the existence of KNIGHTS OF THE COG just means it makes sense.

Valkyrie wrote:

My only thought is wherever Rapid Fire 3 on the Peltasts is a bit much, as they were RF2 in the previous edition.

Yeah, but all the main Skitarii guns got a buff this edition, as well as a Stratagem for extra benefits; keeping them at Rapid Fire 2 would be strictly worse than Radium Carbines, which are 18" Assault 3 and autowound on a hit roll of 6.

This is worse than Radium Carbines at 13+" (10 guns = 12.5/10 wounds vs GEQ/MEQ, vs 10 guns = 10/6.66 wounds vs GEQ/MEQ) or when Advancing, and better than Radium Carbines at 2-12" (10 guns = 20/13.33 wounds vs GEQ/MEQ). Mind you, that's comparable to a whole squad of arc rifles, before you factor in the AP and anti-vehicle aspect. I'll tone it back to Rapid Fire 2 at Strength 4.

**Valkyrie**

Ah, that's what I meant with the Keywords, essentially the weird irregularity they always had compared to regular Skitarii.

**RevlidRas**

Valkyrie wrote:
Ah, that's what I meant with the Keywords, essentially the weird irregularity they always had compared to regular Skitarii.

Yeah, the intent was clearly to tie them more directly to <TITAN LEGIONS>, but... there was no mechanical merit to it for them, and not much of an in-setting reason for them not to benefit from the same practices and manufacturing specialities as the rest of the Forge World they belonged to, and Titans have middling mechanical support to begin with, so Secutarii being tied so inextricably to them was never a winning prospect. The only way it'd really be evocative is if they effectively became Dedicated Transports for Super-Heavy walkers, with one free unit per Imperial Knight or God-Engine in the same Detachment, benefiting from <HOUSEHOLD> or <TITAN LEGION> benefits (but there are no Titan Legion benefits).

**RevlidRas**

Quick update; after mathing out the weapon stats a bit more, I upped the points costs to bring these guys up to 12 points each, regardless of unit type (the weapon is 2 points of that, just to give a slight discount to anyone who decides to swap their Galvanic Caster for a pistol for some reason).

That makes Hoplites into Sicarian Infiltrators with worse guns, -1W, -2M and no Infiltrate, but who swap their aura for a free Electroshock and have +1Sv in melee. -5 points seems appropriate enough.

Peltasts have a less clear comparison, but they're essentially Rangers with +1WS/A who all have Arc Rifles with D1 and no VEHICLE boost, and are also Elites. +4 points looks about right.

My main concern at this point is that, with Titan Guard turned into a Stratagem and their abilities only incidentally good for Titan-synergy, they don't have a clear, baked-in reason to be taken alongside Titans/Knights. I'm actually considering just adding "you can't take these unless you've got at least one Titan/Knight", but on the other hand they're also perfectly good rule-substitutes for Praetorians or other "variant Skitarii" setups. Hm. Probably just leave them as-is.

**RevlidRas**

Alright, some changes!

The Stratagem-based abilities that discounted Electro-Shocked or allowed SMOKESCREEN have been removed and replaced with just... straightforward abilities that do those things. Keeping it simple.

The "Titan Guard" ability has been added, granting Morale re-rolls within 6" of a friendly TITAN (or Knight). Minor but fluffy.

Peltasts dropped down to 1A each. They didn't need 2A, and it was bumping up their value.

The "Titan Guard" Stratagem has been replaced with Templars of the Titanic, which costs 2CP, but also allows the selected units and the TITAN/Knight in question to fire Overwatch, which is much more dramatic and useful.

Cost of both units has dropped to 11 points; Hoplites just weren't good enough for their cost compared to Electro-Priests, and the same was debatably true for Peltasts vs Vanguard.