The most blessed pass a point called the "Crux Mechanicus," their body more machine than flesh. Those that reach this stage of mechamorphosis are known as "Skitarii Alphas." Some go on to attain the rank of "Alpha Primus" -- overseers who can operate independently for standard years if necessary, as solid and reliable as the titanium that replaces their flesh. Into this new age of war march the Skitarii legions and maniples of esoteric battle-servitors, guided by the machine-like intellect of the Tech-Priests. Their strange and wonderful weapons have had a fair few upgrades in the new edition, so today we’re taking a look at their new toolbox. Overview

Galvanic Casters also field a secondary concealed discharger capable of blinding enemy targets by burning their retinas through the use of Ignis-charges. The weapon may be augmented with a high-intensity capacitor which further compresses the galvanic charge to propel its slugs at supersonic speed with respectable armour-piercing capabilities. Galvanic Casters are primarily used by Secutarii Peltasts. Skitarii recruitment follows no universal role. Some Skitarii began as volunteers who were faithful to the Cult Mechanicus [9b] Others are recruited from the factory workers of Forge Worlds. [22a] Some denizens of Forge Worlds are destined to become Skitarii at birth, having been bred from eugenics programs that emphasize strength and aggression. [19c] Cognis weapons are outwardly similar to those used by other Imperial forces, but through secret rites and prayer, their machine spirits have been permanently awakened with a thirst for war.To compare a maniple of Skitarii to a platoon of Imperial Guardsmen is to compare a well-oiled gatling gun to a simple iron hammer. The Skitarii do not simply crush their foes, but instead pitilessly blast them into bloody chunks of flesh. Even as they do so they record every tiny screed of data for later analysis. Collectively, they have fought alongside the Astra Militarum, the Adepta Sororitas, the Adeptus Astartes, and even the Primarchs of legend. Throughout the millennia the Skitarii Legions have fought with impeccable skill and discipline even when the colossi and ravaging daemons slaughter them in droves. In doing so they have assimilated a functionally infinite amount of information for their masters. Fires of Conscience (009.M40) - The rogue Tech-priest Veriliad, after leading his Skitarii to a stomach-churning victory during the Cremation of Alcadia Secundus, knowingly destroys the STC database for Phosphex Weapons, also called Phosphor Weapons, a tech-heresy for which he pays with his life. Hypaspist Skitarii were the most basic augmented infantrymen of the Tech-Guard and were armed with cybernetically hard-linked Lasguns similar to those used by the soldiers of the Astra Militarum. Hypaspists were generally more powerful and skilled soldiers than standard Guardsmen as a result of the cybernetic enhancements that made them stronger and more accurate than The combat archives of the Skitarii Legions are so extensive it would take a Lexmechanic a thousand lifetimes to comprehend them. Even the Secutors that assess Skitarii battle doctrine have only scratched the surface. Only the Omnissiah knows the true sacrifice His selfless legions have made in His name:

In Kill Team, games begin with a Scouting phase – a deadly battle of wits where both players select secret strategies. Scryer-Skull allows you to avoid traps your opponents lay in this phase… Prehensile Dataspike - Usually mounted on a tail-like Mechadendrite, the dataspikes favoured by the agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus can stab into the cortex of enemy machines and steal their secrets within a couple of heartbeats. Though the monotask servitor that steers each Ironstrider engine towards the foe is all but mindless, its rider is a tried and tested Skitarii warrior. Once the Dragoon has spotted his quarry, he will mark it with a bullet from his phosphor serpenta or radium jezzail. In Andy Chambers's short story Deus ex Mechanicus, Praetorians are in fact servitors, rather than living humans. They move on tank treads and are armed with powerful weaponry, such as plasma cannons. [3] An error has been detected. Activating countermeasures. Error purge in process. Error purge in process. Error purge in process."The glow from the impact guides his unit's next charge even in the fog of war. Within moments, one so marked is assailed by a stampede of titanium-hard feet and high-yield taser weaponry.

Cataphractii: Armour units. The range of armour goes from small transports to heavy walkers and superheavy tanks such as Baneblades. [19a]Mindscrambler Grenades - Mindscrambler Grenades harbour the egg-sac of a Cthellan electrogenesis squid. When detonated, the resultant surge of bio-electricity causes heavy neural trauma in living creatures and artificial sentiences alike.

The cyborg warriors that command the Skitarii cohorts passed the Crux Mechanicus long ago. Some are little more than a fleshy head sutured to a mechanical body, but from the most basic Alpha to the most vaunted Sicarian Princeps they are all worthy of respect. Enhanced Data-Tether - Seen as mouthpieces of the Tech-priests, who in turn are prophets of the Machine God himself, those Skitarii honoured with carrying an Enhanced Data-Tether have their digitally-relayed commands obeyed without hesitation by their reverent Skitarii comrades. The Secutarii's second battlefield role is to sweep in behind the God-engines of the Collegia Titanica and destroy whatever has weathered their fearful firepower, for while a Titan might shatter a mighty fortress or blast a tank company to ashes in mere solar minutes, its might cannot be squandered on the eradication of those few survivors left in its wake. While the Titan will press on to more important targets, the Secutarii will mercilessly hunt down and slay those that would seek to escape the wrath of the Machine God.Whatever their faults, Skitarii commanders are able to process a daunting amount of battlefield data. Each knows the military capabilities of his cohort -- and those of the foe -- to an obsessive degree. This savant-like wisdom makes these leaders fearsome foes indeed, for they have often won the battle before the first shot is fired. They were often tied to the service of a specific forge city on Mars or one of the other Forge Worlds. They differed from the standard Skitarii in several small ways, most notably because their faces were covered by a bronze skull mask with glowing green eyes and they were dressed in red robes the colour of old rust. They were noted to smell of spoiled meat and machine oils. The most blessed of Skitarii pass a point called the "Crux Mechanicus," their body more machine than flesh. Those that reach this stage of mechamorphosis are known as "Skitarii Alphas." Some go on to attain the rank of "Alpha Primus" -- overseers who can operate independently for standard years if necessary, as solid and reliable as the titanium, steel and iron that replaces their flesh. The Balisteria were the artillery units of the Skitarii. The artillery used by the Skitarii ranged from Thudd Guns to massive Ordinatus pieces. The term Balisteria included both the vehicle or artillery piece, as well as the Skitarii crews manning them.