Skitarii 7th Edition
Skitarii Tactical Summary as of 10-26-16
The Skitarii were just the first salvo for the Adeptus Mechanicus, representing a totally different kind of Warhammer 40k army. Long awaited, the Skitarii did not disappoint in model design and game play. At the time of release, the Skitarii were a somewhat broken army, without an HQ and no way to run a standard Battle-forged list. The Skitarii were cobble together by a simple Detachment and only a few Formations. It wasn’t until the mighty War Convocation Formation did the Skitarii really shine and sit high on the competitive heap.
Like the Cult Mechanicus the Skitarii has been defined by one Formation, this is especially sad for such a great looking army. Games Workshop doesn’t mind too much as the War Convocation means players have to buy one of each unit from the Skitarii line to be playable. It is important to look beyond the War Convocation, because at some point Games Workship will inevitability put the kibosh on that happy fun time.
The best Skitarii units are the Skitarii Vanguard. The Onager Dunecrawler is a great walker with a multitude of weapons, and the initially under appreciated Infiltrators have a role. The different Rad, Cognis, and Luminagen weapons the Skitarii units use poses a certain tactical finesse for the army. Making use of all the unique abilities the Skitarii have is important, like using Rad-Saturation of the Skitarii Vanguard, along with the Nerostatic Aura of the Infiltrators. Throw on top of that the Doctrina Imperatives, knowing when to make a back breaking move is critical to the success of any Skitarii army.
Still, the War Convaction Formation looms over the entire Adeptus Mechanicus range so until, something changes on that front you will be seeing pretty much the same army over and over again.
Below you find all the quick reference material you need to build an competitive or fluffy Skitarii army.
As of 02-24-2017 Skitarii Detachments are…
- Skitarii Maniple
- The Grand Convocation Detachment
(See tabs for details)
Skitarii Maniple Detachment
Force Organization
Compulsory: 2 Troops
Optional: 6 Troops, 4 Elites, 2 FA, 4 HS, 1 Fortification
Restrictions: All units in this Detachment must have the Skitarii Faction (or have no Faction).
Command Benefits:
Cruz Mechanicus: If this Formation is your Primary Detachment, you can re-roll the results when rolling on the Warlord table in Codex: Skitarii. In addition, your Warlord has the Preferred Enemy special rule.
Tireless Advance: All models in this Formation have the Crusader and Scout special rules. Units from this Formation cannot Outflank due to Scout special rule, but can do as the result of a different special rule.
Source: Codex: Skitarii
The Grand Convocation Detachment
Force Organization
Compulsory: 2 HQ, 4 Troops
Optional: 0-2 HQ, 4+ Troops, 6 Elites, 6 FA, 6 HS, 3 Lord of War
Restrictions: This Detachment must include at least four Troops choices and two HQ choices. It may include up to two more HQ choices and any number of additional Troops choices, as well as up to 6 Elites, 6 Fast Attack and 6 Heavy Support choices, and up to 3 Lord of War choices, in any combination. This Detachment must also include units that have at least two different Factions.
The Grand Convocation Army List divides the units available into several categories, according to their Battlefield Role. You must use the profiles, points costs, equipment, options, special rules and any Dedicated Transports available to each unit as described on their datasheet.
- Belisarius Cawl, Enginseer, Tech-Priest Dominus
- Kataphron Breachers, Kataphron Destroyers, Skitarii Rangers, Skitarii Vanguard
- Corpuscarii Electro-Priests, Fulgurite Electro-Priests, Sicarian Infiltrators, Sicarian Ruststalkers
- Sydonian Dragoons
- Kastellan Robot Maniple, Ironstrider Ballistarii, Onager Dunecrawlers
- Knight Crusader, Knight Errant, Knight Gallant, Knight Paladin, Knight Warden
Command Benefits:
Agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus: All vehicles in this Detachment have the It Will Not Die special rule. In addition, all vehicles in the Detachment that are within 6″ of an HQ choice from this Detachment at the start of the turn have the Power of the Machine Spirit special rule until the start of your next turn.
Chosen of the Omnissiah: If this Detachment is chosen as your Primary Detachment, you can choose to re-roll the result on the Warlord Trait table.
Noospheric Choir: If this Detachment’s Force Organisation Chart contains the maximum number of units (excluding Troops), then all units in the Detachment have the Canticles of the Omnissiah special rule
Source: Gathering Storm Fall of Cadia
As of 10-25-2016 Skitarii Unique Item groups are…
- Relics of Mars
(See tabs for details)
Only one of each of the following relics may be chosen per army.
Arkhan’s Divinator 5 pts:
If the bearer of Arkhan’s Divinator, or any model in the bearer’s unit, identifies a Mysterious Objective or deploys or moves into a piece of mysterious terrain, you can choose to re-roll the result when determining what that Mysterious Objective or piece of mysterious terrain is.
The Phase Taser 15 pts:
Range -. Str +2, AP -, Type: Melee, Taser, Interdimensional Electrocution = Any model that suffers one or more unsaved Wounds from a weapon that has this special rule must immediately pass an Initiative test or be removed from play as a casualty.
The Omniscient Mask 20 pts:
The bearer of the Omniscient Mask has the Zealot special rule.
Pater Radium 20 pts:
If the bearer of the Pater Radium is locked in combat with one or more enemy units at the end of the Initiative 1 step, each of these enemy units must take a Toughness test using the Toughness value of the majority of the unit (or the highest in the case of a tie). If the test is failed, the unit takes D6 randomly allocated Wounds with no armour saves allowed.
Phosphoenix 25 pts:
Range 6 inches, Str 5, AP 2, Type: Pistol, Luminagen, Posion 3+ Phosphex = When firing a weapon that has this special rule, a successful To Hit roll scores 3 hits against the target unit instead of 1.
Skull of Elder Nikola 25 pts:
Once per game, the bearer of the Skull of Elder Nikola can unleash its power instead of firing a weapon. To do so, roll a number of D6 equal to the current turn number; the total rolled is the range of the attack in inches. All enemy vehicles within range suffer a Strength 1 AP- hit with the Haywire special rule.
As of 10-25-16
The next section features all the various Formations each faction has. Expand each Formation for detailed information for, including (red highlighted) links to shopping lists for each Formation.
Battle Maniple Formation
Restrictions: None.
Special Rules:
Cruz Mechanicus: If this Formation is your Primary Detachment, you can re-roll the results when rolling on the Warlord table in Codex: Skitarii. In addition, your Warlord has the Preferred Enemy special rule.
Datalock: Models from this Formation that are within 12? of an Onager Dunecrawler from this Formation are Leadership 10.
Tireless Advance: All models in this Formation have the Crusader and Scout special rules. Units from this Formation cannot Outflank due to Scout special rule, but can do as the result of a different special rule.
Source: Codex: Skitarii
War Cohort Formation
Requirements: 3 Battle Maniple Formations
Restrictions: None
Special Rules:
Cruz Mechanicus: If this Formation is your Primary Detachment, you can re-roll the results when rolling on the Warlord table in Codex: Skitarii. In addition, your Warlord has the Preferred Enemy special rule.
Enhanced Imperative Resolution: If your army includes one or more Detachments or Formations with this special rule you can, once per game, choose to re-use a Doctrina Imperative that your army has already used earlier in the game.
Source: Codex: Skitarii
Sicarian Killclade Formation
Requirements: 3 Sicarian Ruststalker Units, 1 Sicarian Infiltrators Unit
Restrictions: None.
Special Rules:
Malignant Susurrations: All enemy models within 12? of the unit of Sicarian Infiltrators from this Formation are affected by the unit’s Neurostatic Aura special rule.
Slaughtersprint: Once per game, on any game turn after the first, Sicarian Ruststalkers from this Formation can charge in the Assault phase even if they made a Run move in the same turn.
Source: Codex: Skitarii
Ironstrider Cavaliers Formation
Ironstrider Cavaliers Formation
Requirements: 2 Sydonian Dragoon Units, 1 Ironstrider Ballistarius Unit
Restrictions: None
Special Rules: Acute Senses, Outflank
Intent Confirmed: At the start of the first game turn, nominate one character in the enemy army. Models from this Formation re-roll failed To Wound rolls against the nominated character and his unit. Mindlinked Hunters: Models in this Formation can always trace line of sight and shoot through other models in this Formation without conferring a cover save for shooting through an intervening unit.
The Noose Tightens: All units in this Formation must be placed in Reserve. When making Reserve Rolls, make a single roll for the entire Formation. In addition, start making Reserve Rolls for this Formation from your first turn. On a successful Reserve Roll, all of the units in this Formation arrives from Reserve.
Source: Codex: Skitarii
Dominus Maniple Formation
Requirements: 1 Dominus, 1 Skitarii Vanguard Unit, 1 Onagar Dunecrawler
Restrictions: None
Special Rules:
Targeting Data Upload: At the start of your Shooting phase, pick an enemy unit within 18? and line of sight of this Formation’s Tech-Priest Dominus. For the rest of the phase, units from the Dominus Maniple can re-roll failed To Hit rolls against the enemy unit that you pick
Source: Start Collecting: Skitarii
Cohort Mechanicus Formation
Restrictions: A Cohort Mechanicus must include either 3 Sydonian Dragoons or 3 Ironstrider Ballistarii
Special Rules:
Alpha-Primus: If this Formation’s Tech-Priest Dominus is your Warlord, you can generate his Warlord Trait from the Warlord Trait table in either Codex: Skitarii or Codex: Cult Mechanicus.
The Primus Canticle: All units in a Cohort Mechanicus have the Canticle of the Omnissiah special rule (see Codex: Cult Mechancus), even though they do not have the Cult Mechanicus Faction. In addition, if your army contains a Cohort Mechanicus, you can use the following Canticle of the Omnissiah in addition to those listed in Codex: Cult Mechanicus. This Canticle can never be used more than once in the same battle.
Blessings of the Binharic Deliverance: Roll D6 1-3 All friendly models with the Canticles of the Omnissiah special rule have a 6+ Invulnerable save, 4-7 All friendly models with the Canticles of the Omnissiah special rule have a 5+ Invulnerable save 8 + All friendly models with the Canticles of the Omnissiah special rule have a 4+ Invulnerable save.
The Primus Imperative: All units in a Cohort Mechanicus have the Doctrina Imperatives special rule (see Codex: Skitarii), even though they do not have the Skitarii Faction. In addition, if your army contains a Cohort Mechanicus, you can use the following Doctrina Imperative in addition to those listed in Codex: Skitarii. This Imperative can never be used more than once on the same battle.
Executioner Extremis: Until the start of your next turn, all friendly models with the Doctrina Imperatives special rule add 3 to both their Ballistic Skill and Weapon Skill characteristics.
Source: Webstore Exclusive: Cohort Mechanicus
The War Convocation Formation
Restrictions: None.
Special Rules:
The Machine Brotherhood of Mars: All units in this formation have the Canticles of the Omnissiah special rule (see Codex: Cult Mechanicus), even though they do not all have the Cult Mechanicus Faction.
Alpha-Dominus: If this Formation’s Tech-Priest Dominus is your Warlord, you can re-roll the result when rolling on the Warlord Traits table in Codex: Cult Mechanicus.
Might of the Adeptus Mechanicus: All weapon and wargear options taken by units in this Formation, including any Relics of Mars or Arcana Mechanicum, are free. Furthermore, all weapons with the Gets Hot special rule carried by a model in this Formation no longer has the Gets Hot special rule.
Source: White Dwarf: Issue 69
Conclave Acquisitorius Formation
Conclave Acquisitorius Formation
Requirements: Belisarius Cawl, 1-2 Battle Maniples Formation or 1 War Cohort Formation, 1 Holy Requisitioner Formation, 0-1 Cohort Cybernetica Formation, 0-1 Numinous Conclave Formation, 1-2 Imperial Knights or 1 Baronial Court
Restrictions: None.
Special Rules: Canticles of the Omnissiah.
Armoury of the Archmagos: During army selection, each Character from a Conclave Acquisitorius may upgrade one of their weapons (including one purchased as an upgrade, but not including a relic or equivalent) to have the Master-crafted special rule.
Synchronised Data Network: If the Conclave Acquisitorius contains the maximum number of units, then all units in this Formation gain the Doctrina Imperatives special rule
Source: Gathering Storm Fall of Cadia
Below are any links to any buying guides, product reviews, or tactical articles related to the Skitarii.
