Skitarii Fluff Help

[Archnomad]

Hey, im planning on doing a Skitarii army using the Space Marines. The problem im having is that i dont really know:
A) what Skitarii look like (having only read about them)
What units should be used

Im taking Scions of mars and Honour your wargear in the army. My plan is take 2 techmarines, an eversor assassin (electropriest) 5 termies (some Mars walker, got some nice conversion ideas) and a devastator squad. Then take 2 more devastator squads as HQ, and i dunno what heavy support. The Devastators are gonna be Skitarii, dunno what im using for troops though =S

Any help?

[Archnomad]

Ok, had a bit more thought, heres a rough list.

HQ
Tech marine (High Tech Priest)
Commander
Full Servo Harness
Terminator Honours
140

Inquisitor Lord (Technus Magos) *note* I think that’s the term
Psycannon * Experimental Mars Pattern Heavy Bolter*
3 Warrior Henchmen (Servitors)
2 Heavy Bolters
Plasma Cannon
2 Sages
190
*Note*

I could also take Karamazov (huge machine-thing), but I don’t know if he is legal unless it’s a *Pure* witch hunters army.
Elites

5 Terminators (these are my big mechanical humanoids I’m going to convert, or if anyone knows what else they could represent, please tell me)
2 Assault Cannons
240

Eversor Assassin (electro Priest)

8 Devastators (Skitarii tank hunters)
2 Missile Launchers
2 Lascannons
Tank Hunters
224

Troops
(Don’t know yet)

Heavy Support
8 Devastators (Skitarii Warriors)
4 Plasma Cannons
260

8 Devastators (same as above)
4 Heavy Bolters
180

Vindicator/Whirlwind (not sure yet)


This leaves me with at least 531 points to play with (at 2k), which I will use on troop choices. But I have no idea which ones I would use, as I don’t know how I would explain space marines without the 4 heavy weapons, or I could use scouts as servitors, but how would I explain infiltrators?

So, thats that out the way, now anyone else know what i could use for my conversions. Im looking for a fluffmaster here, please help =(

[Sitnam]

Well from what I know, if you wanted to start a Skitarii army, IG are a better choice. The Skitarii have been described simply as extensively cybernetically altered warriors, not power armored superhumans. So fluffwise SM aren't great for Skitarii, although you can always have your chapter simply ahve a really close relationship to them.

[Archnomad]

I know what you mean with IG, but theres 2 things

A) in most books, Skitarii are the "Elite" adeptus mechanicus infantry:, i.e.
"When the mycetic spores begun to slam down into the steel skin of the planet, a battle of truly epic scale begun. Lesgion upon legion of heavily augmented Skitarii marched out in perfect unison, scything down broods of gaunts before they had even clawed their way out of the wreckage of their spore capsules." Quoted from codex:Tyranids

Skitarii are bio enhanced humans, so i think they would have better stats, as they are born with their weapon, and grow up with it.

[Archnomad]

Or i could use praetorians.....
and have scouts as a troops choice, with 2ccW (Combat servitors) but how would i explain infiltrate?

[Sitnam]

The Skitarii are not the elite of the Adeptus Mechanicus army. They ARE the Adeptus Mechanicus army, along with the Titan Legions. And while they are bionically enhanced, they are still nowhere as enhanced as a Marine is biologically. All Marines have 3 lungs, 2 hearts, can spit acid, and can reisst most poisons. Skitarii upgrades are nowhere as standardised. Some may link up to their weapons, some may have a cybernetic arm, or may have a voxcaster implanted into their brain. If "Legions upon Legions" of Skitarii were eqaul to Space Msrines, and Space Marines are so powerufl that the 1000 man chapters rarely deploy their entire strength in all but the harshest campaigns, because even a company of SM can do enough to turn the tide of most campaigns. As such, if "Legions upon Legions" of Skitarii, which would translate to to many thosuands of troops, then Gryphonne IV wouldn't of fallen to the Tyranids, would it? Seeing as how the Ulramarines along with a few Ultramar PDF regiments were able to defend Maccrage from Hivefleet Behemoth, surely SKitarii eqaul to SM could of done the same thing?

I still stand by my suggestion of simply making it a homemade chapter that is very, very closely allied to the AM. Sktarii are basically augmented IG troops, nothing more. While they can do alot mroe damage then an IQ Regiment, they aren't SM.

[NiteRabbit]

I'd like to point out at this point that the Skitarii aren't even biologically enhanced at all. Their enhancements are mainly cybernetic, though they are basically conditioned from birth to serve their masters in the Adeptus Mechanicus. Their efficiency and coordination in killing the Tyranid swarms is mainly due to the coordination of the Skitarii that comes as a result of the implants hardwired to their brain. I wouldn't be surprised if the augmentation didn't include some kind of relay that allowed sergeants to communicate with their squads and commanders to communicate with their sergeants.

That said, the Skitarii or Tech Guard are a pretty tough army to play for IG. The doctrines aren't great, but they are very fluffy. Let's just say that I understand why you went for Marines, even if I really don't advocate it.

The doctrines I recommend/see as being the most fluffy are:

Cybernetic Enhancements
Grenadiers
Tech Priest Enginseers
Two other doctrines that you think would best represent the Cult Mechanicus

I would advise you to be creative with these other two doctrines. It's entirely possible to field Ogryns and count them as heavy combat servitors rather than "Ogryns", for example. Go crazy. I've actually seen a Skitarii Guard army do really well, albeit in the hands of a very skilled player.

[Tekore]

I have to agree that fluffwise, they're just IG with bionics, not SM.

Tekore

[Archnomad]

Ok, fair point with the IG, i will probably have some skitarii guard for apocalypse (bout 2k points of em) but what about using SM's as praetorians?

[Cheredanine]

? You mean the Imperial Guard Preatorians?