Skitarii Musings

[Guest]

Finally built one of these. The kit is very cleverly designed, and I'm not using that term in a positive way. More of an "Ooh, you're so sharp you're going to cut yourself one of these days" kind of thing. Specifically, you're going to cut your thumb with the spiky kneepads on the thing. Whoever designed this should be condemned to a hell of having to build them over and over again.

 

That said, now that I've got mine together, it seems pretty solid. Were you using superglue on it? This really seems like a kit for plastic cement.

Reminds me of a story I heard about a guy who used sharpened steel rod for his spears in a historical/medieval army. Awesome conversion until he collided his hand with them one day without thinking. Very painful.

[Guest]

Was re-reading those Fulgurite Electro-Priests. Super strange unit. Not viable in anything I field, but I think if I had a large Admech army, they could be viable.

 

You'd go with lots of small squads (likely unbound army), then destroy stuff like AV10 vehicles with those S5 melee abilities (stave is +2 strength, 3 zealot swings on the charge, AV 10 is a viable target). At 90pts, they work fine for light vehicle destruction. Then, after destroying a vehicle, the unit becomes scary, having a 3++ with FNP. You can then use canticles to get them up to S8 melee weapons with 6s causing ID regardless of toughness.

 

For a 90pt unit, they are nifty. Main limitation in viability is elites slots, as you'd want min squads to take advantage of MSU targeting restrictions and for canticles. Unbound is really the only way these guys could be viable. They are zealot, so they shrug off squad losses as they advance. It would be an annoying unit to spam.

 

As for not spamming them, I think they are horribly lacking. Some viability against GCs and other MCs, but only after you destroy a unit. They would be nifty as replacement Zealot models for the WH, if only for theme.

[WestRider]

The Mechanicus Detachment has 4 Elites Slots and nothing but Electro-Priests to go in them. I figure that should be enough. I've also been thinking about the Numinous Conclave, which I think has really cool rules, but is probably not really workable at Infantry speed, and that's a lot of Allied Transports you'd have to bring along.

[AbusePuppy]

For a 90pt unit, they are nifty. Main limitation in viability is elites slots, as you'd want min squads to take advantage of MSU targeting restrictions and for canticles. Unbound is really the only way these guys could be viable. They are zealot, so they shrug off squad losses as they advance. It would be an annoying unit to spam.

 

For a 90pt unit, they are pure Bolter bait. They have no transport, Canticles can only protect them for one turn (or no turns if they're facing Ignores Cover weapons), and they move at normal infantry speed. Against anyone who isn't an idiot and/or looking to get a charge of their own, they can't possibly arrive before turn 4- and four turns or survival for some 18pt Guardsmen is amazingly optimistic.

 

Oh, and if you want S6 attacks on a T3 model, just buy Infantry Squads and give them Krak Grenades. Tougher, shootier, and about the same price per attack against vehicles/MCs.

 

[AgentP]

I've grown to really like the models.  They're beautiful.  And I'm sure I'll field them in some fun games from time to time.  But they're basically Bloodletters, which isn't saying much to begin with.  But they're Bloodletters at nearly twice the cost.  Ouch.

[WestRider]

Yeah, I've got some of the Corpuscarii ones, and I'll run them occasionally in fun games (or possibly even tournaments at Blue Sky; after the one yesterday, I kind of feel like I should handicap myself there a bit), because I like the Models, and I've loved their fluff and concept since I first read about them, but not in serious competition.

[Guest]

For a 90pt unit, they are pure Bolter bait. They have no transport, Canticles can only protect them for one turn (or no turns if they're facing Ignores Cover weapons), and they move at normal infantry speed. Against anyone who isn't an idiot and/or looking to get a charge of their own, they can't possibly arrive before turn 4- and four turns or survival for some 18pt Guardsmen is amazingly optimistic.

 

Oh, and if you want S6 attacks on a T3 model, just buy Infantry Squads and give them Krak Grenades. Tougher, shootier, and about the same price per attack against vehicles/MCs.

 

Bolter bait. Yeah, that is a pretty good way to describe them before they destroy something. They'll still have a 5++ and FNP against those bolters, so they survive a bit better against small arms, but I totally agree, they will die to small arms fire.

 

The base model isn't worth 18pts, but the idea with the unit is one of gambling, as you put a bunch of points into small squads with the intention of getting an awesome unit or two for a cheap prince.

 

As for comparing them to AM, they really aren't, the units are really different.

 

A closer comparison is blood letters from the CD book. The bloodletter has +1 WS, +1 intiative, a 1 lower AP weapon and deep strike. The base priests have +1 attack, FNP, zealot, that Siphoned vigor rule, canticles, no daemonic instability, +2 leadership, the ability to retain initiative when charging through cover and +1 strength without the charge (blood letters are equal on the charge).

 

Blood letters are 10pts each. The Priests are 18pts each. Both are bolter bait without question. If the priests are +8pts over a blood letter is unclear, having never fielded them, but I do think they are worth 2-4pts over the bloodletters without the Siphoned Vigor special rule. If the Siphoned Vigor rule goes off on half the units fielded, I think it's worth the 4-6pts invested per model. It is very much an unit to play the odds with.

 

It is notable that while the blood letters have deep strike, their entire faction has no battle brothers with viable transport options at all, while the priests have the entire imperium of transports to select, should they need a better option to get towards combat.

[WestRider]

And the general impression I get, both from others and my own experiences (with and against them) is that Bloodletters aren't worth 10 Points per Model, because they almost never get to swing those AP3 Weapons at anything worthwhile against a competent opponent. Due to the fact that, as you agreed, they are bolterbait. Given that 90 Points worth of Fulgerites is going to drop faster than 90 Points worth of Bloodletters AND there's a further incentive to shoot them before they manage to kill something, I just don't see it working out. The Corpuscarii, I can at least put in a Drop Pod and have them zap a Marine or two to death before they get blasted apart.

[Guest]

there's a further incentive to shoot them before they manage to kill something

That is a good point. Forgot about the opponent's perspective regarding units with a "evolution" mechanic.

 

I do agree with bloodletters not being worth it, but I do think they are a better comparision than AM to that priest unit. I also think an assault transport would really make the difference for the bloodletters being worth those 10pts per model.

 

You actually like those corpuscarii? It's probably that AV 14 list player thinking again, but they don't strike me as very impressive. I'm seeing S4 shooting and S4 melee, with lower WS and no ability to improve their saves. Maybe they would be impressive....

[WestRider]

Mostly, I like the Corpuscarii for the fluff and the Models. I like the idea of dudes running around channeling electricity through their bodies and shooting lightning bolts at dudes, and I think they look cooler than the Fulgarites.

 

That said, yeah, I do also like them better Rules-wise than the Fulgarites, but that's not saying much. I figure neither of them are going to make it into Combat (without investing more Points than the Unit itself is worth in an Assault Transport), they both get gunned down just as fast before that point, and the Corpuscarii at least have a chance of doing something before making it into Base Contact. Not much, but I can put them in a Pod, drop them next to some dudes, and zap them before they die, while the Fulgarites in that situation just drop, strike cool poses with their Staves, and then get Rapid Fired to death.

[AgentP]

Of the two, I agree that the Corpuscarii are superior.