G-dubs brings us the skinny on AdMech in the new Psychic Awakening book!
This article was originally published on the Warhammer-community site.
Squint up and you’ll see the soaring silhouette of an awesome new class of warriors for devotees of the Omnissiah. Let’s bring them into the light, and have a look at how they’ll ptear your enemies apart.
But first, just what ARE the Pteraxii?
The Adeptus Mechanicus leaves nothing to chance. A perfectly executed war will include units fighting in every conceivable environment against a bewildering array of enemies, and every tool has its place. The Pteraxii class of warriors take to the skies, pushing reaction speed and agility to the limit. Much like Sicarians, their flesh-weak limbs are replaced with extreme new forms to aid their battlefield role.
What makes the Pteraxii so specialised are the scapuli superior implants mounted to their backs. These limb-stumps allow them to interface with advanced flight packs,* and certain elements of their cogitation are removed to make room for enhanced reflexes and the ability to control their complex wings as though they’re natural limbs.
The wings and jets are a marvel of engineering. The nano-carbon fibre-weave surface of the wing membranes can change properties at the will of the user, from rigid as plasteel and rough-textured, to smooth and pliant, and everything in between. This offers them maximum manoeuvrability and performance, no matter the atmospheric properties of the battlefield – similar to the Archaeopter aircraft. And honestly, they look really cool.
Deadly by Design
Each new unit pushes the boundaries of how the Adeptus Mechanicus look on the table, and the Pteraxii are no exception. The divergent silhouette is like nothing else in the army. They share some design cues with both Sicarians and Archaeopters, but they’re not exactly like either one.
The Pteraxii kit builds two new units – the Sterylizors and Skystalkers – to expand the tactical options of the armed forces of the Omnissiah.
They share the same stat line, as well as the ability to redeploy quickly using their flight packs.
While both types of Pteraxii are heavily modified to suit their roles, the Sterylizors in particular are tuned for aggression.
Pteraxii Sterylizors roam the cavernous interiors of forge temples, scouring them for rogue technosites and cyblight infestations with their phosphor torches. In war, they turn that intense heat on the enemies of the machine god, cleansing them with the same burning zeal.
After softening up the target, the Sterylizors swoop down to finish them off with cruelly bladed lower limbs.
On a turn in which they charge, each Sterylizor will be rolling three attacks at Strength 5 – not bad for mopping up what their phosphor torches leave behind.
The Skystalkers have a very different battlefield role, as coldly efficient aerial hunters and superb harassment units.
Using their mobility to locate and neutralise feral psyber familiars and servo-cherubim on their forge worlds, on the battlefield these skills are put to use shredding their marks with a hail of razor-sharp flechettes.
Anyone who’s used Sicarian Infiltrators knows how deadly that weight of fire can be against the right target, forcing enough saves for sheer numbers to seal the deal or mowing down hordes of weak troops. Whereas the Infiltrators get up close and personal, the Skystalkers use their wings to rapidly redeploy after hitting their target.
As the Skystalkers move from one position to another, they cogitate trajectories that will carry them over enemy units in order to drop payloads of arc grenades, releasing potent energies to overload the machines of their adversaries.
Both types of Pteraxii will make fantastic additions to your Adeptus Mechanicus forces. Simply adding them to your army expands your tactical options and drastically changes how the force looks on the battlefield. You’ll have to wait for Psychic Awakening: Engine War to see the full background, rules, and points costs. Keep an eye out for more information about that book! In the meantime, Start Collecting! Skitarii is a great way to start a new army for the glory of the Omnissiah!
* Amongst other things. The Pteraxii also pilot Archaeopters – their advanced flight cogitation and honed reflexes combine with a harness that mounts to their scapuli superior to create the sense that the vehicle is an extension of their own body.
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