As part of Metal Mondays…I thought I’d
throw in a little twist. Instead of a music review I thought I’d take a brief
peak at the latest release by Games Workshop. The Skitarii! (Technically
they’re partly metal so I’m staying on track somewhat)
Now anyone who is involved in the 40k hobby
has heard the never-ending churning of the rumour mill that the Adeptus
Mechanicus will soon be getting their very own Codex. That may still be
somewhere on the horizon but right now we’ve got a nice little taster in the
form of the Skitarii.
Released on April 11th the
latest Codex has some fantastic additions not only from a hobby perspective,
but also a gaming one. Did I mention that the codex is only €26? At last, a
Codex that is a relatively decent price!
Starting from a fluff perspective…I have to
say there’s one part that’s stuck in my head ever since I got through the
book…giant treadmills. Yes for those of those that have not got a chance to
look at the book, or heard of this weird little bit of fluff. The Sydonian
Dragoons, (the big bipedal walkers) have an ironstrider engine that allows
perpetual motion. The Codex mentions that they “are guided onto industrial treadmills and cog-steps where they pound
away in their hundreds”. The fear is that their machine spirit may fade
away should they stop in their relentless advance. Let’s just say…for
Ironstriders…every day is leg-day.
The book also gives a great insight into
the way the Skitarii work. How they thrive to be ever closer to the Machine
God. There’s also a nice little map of Mars and the different locations found
on it. It has to be said actually that the current artwork Games Workshop’s
current codices has to be given a good bit of credit. One thing I really don’t
like about the codex however is the complete wave of eavy metal paintjobs
featured from….pages 39-54, the majority of which depict the same paint scheme.
Now don’t get me wrong, it’s all better than anything I’ll ever paint…but
seriously, you could have crept in a few more units of a bit more fluff into
this rather than all that. I don’t care if they’re in cool poses, about 5 pages
would have done me to be honest.
Now onto the actual gaming perspective. I
have to say right now…I literally need a couple of units of Ruststalkers…not
only do they look awesome (kind of like a Deadpool-esque vibe) but their rules
and stats are pretty sweet. These are going to be the main dudes that I take a
peek at today, perhaps more in the future, but I digress.
We’re looking at 160
points for a 5 man unit with 4/4/4/3/2/4/2/8/4+. Swap out their Transonic Razor
and Chordclaw for two Transonic Blades for free. On the turn they charge a unit
of 5 will be getting 21 S6 attacks at AP5. However, the Transonic rule states that any Wound rolls of 6 in the first combat
are resolved at AP2…it gets better…In any subsequent round of the close combat,
all the wounds are resolved at AP2. This is a unit that’s going to hit hard and
just keep getting better.
Did I mention there’s a Codex-wide Feel no
Pain?
Also the Ruststalkers, Infiltrators,
Dragoons and Ballistarii all have the
special rule Dunestrider. This allows a further 3’’ to the maximum move
distance for the movement phase, running and yes…charge moves.
The Mindscrambler Grenades they all come
with also stop them receiving an initiative penalty for charging through
difficult terrain.
They also have access to the Doctrina
Imperatives which are army affecting rules that you can use during the movement
phase. You can only use each one once, unless otherwise stated but they’re all
pretty awesome. They range from giving you +1BS, all the way to +3BS with a -2
to WS until your next turn. These will seriously benefit your shooting.
However, they also have assaulting equivalents, with a +1 to WS, a +2WS,-1BS
and a +3WS,-2BS. If you can time all these right you’re looking at some pretty
cool synergies you can work with. Seriously these dudes are going to unleash
hell.
I have to say though what you’ll want to
focus on is MEQ. I highly recommend leaving TEQ to your shooting. Yes that have
AP2 and S5 after the first round, but TH/SS Terminators are still going to smash
these guys apart.
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There’s also a formation you can take
comprised of 3 units of Ruststalkers and a single unit of Infiltrators. This
formation is free and extends the Neurostatic Aura special rule of the
Infiltrators to 12’’. This means any enemy unit within that distance subtracts
1 from its WS, BS and Initiative.
Also the formations second special rule
allows them to run and charge in the same turn…now do you see why I need a few
of these units?! They’re going to add some much needed punch to an Astra
Militarum force. However you are looking at a serious points sink at about
680-800 points depending on upgrades for the formation.
Okay I know I primarily focussed on
Ruststalkers here but what’s not to love? They’re Deadpool meets the
terminator…what’s not to like? On a side not…images of Deadpool film shooting
have been popped up online! Check them out if you love a foul mouthed,
attention seeking superhero! Otherwise check out the lasts metallic
monstrosities that are the Skitarii! For many they’ll be a nice little bolster
as an allied detachment (they’re classified under the armies of the Imperium).
If you’d like more of an insight into the
Codex if this waffle filled post has got your interests peaked, fire me a
message on Twitter @TGaravan!
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