The Horus Heresy just got a fresh infusion of chrome and incense. Skitarii Battle-Pilgryms, long-rumored guardians of lost tech, finally step out of the data-mists with new plastic kits.
These aren’t faceless thralls or towering automata. Instead, they are razor-sharp light infantry who trade bulk for speed and vicious close-range output. Consequently, Mechanicum players gain a flexible core that bridges Tech-thralls and Thallax. Moreover, the release lands with a Marshal, returning Vultarax Stratos-automata in plastic, and a dedicated rules journal to make them sing.
Who Are the Battle-Pilgryms
Skitarii served the Fabricator General directly, which became very complicated when the Mechanicum split and two masters claimed Mars’s soul. Even so, conclaves fought on both sides. Although they look mostly human, each Pilgrym is rebuilt through the brutal Flesh-shriving, replacing weakness with the corpus-skitarii.
Therefore, what hits the field is a blend of sinew and steel carrying the distilled experience of countless martyrs. They deploy in units of eight to sixteen and operate as agile, resilient skirmishers that slot neatly between expendable Tech-thralls and elite Thallax.
Battlefield Role and Wargear
On the table these squads project ruthless short-to-mid-range pressure. Voltlock arquebuses lay down punishing volleys while the unit’s mobility lets them flow around heavier elements. Consequently, they become the Mechanicum’s line glue during urban pushes and relic hunts, where long fire lanes are rare and tempo matters. They are led by a Battle-Pilgrym Marshal who is elevated from veteran ordinators, and he carries authority as well as relic wargear like the auctorit sceptre to keep every cog turning in sync. Because they operate semi-independently, Skitarii conclaves are light on borrowed automata, yet they commonly field Vultarax Stratos-automata to scan, screen, and saturate with missiles and arc fire while Pilgryms advance.
Plastic Kits, Battle Group, and Returning Vultarax
The Vultarax, once resin, arrives as a new multi-part plastic kit. As a result, building and duplicating air-hunters becomes painless. First crack at the range comes in the Mechanicum Skitarii Battle Group, which bundles sixteen Battle-Pilgryms, a Marshal, and one Vultarax.
Additionally, the box includes a Macro-constructs transfer sheet loaded with hundreds of decals, so you can badge your cohort from helm glyphs to hull heraldry.
Rules, Lore, and Missions in Journal Tactica
All rules land in Journal Tactica: Skitarii – The Steel Hand of Mars. Inside you will find a full Skitarii Conclaves army list to run self-contained cohorts or ally them into a Taghmata. Importantly, allied Skitarii in a Mechanicum force can bypass the usual fifty percent points cap, which encourages proper red-robed combined arms. Extensive lore charts their rise, schism, and surprising Loyalist turns during the Heresy. Furthermore, the Relic Hunt mission pack introduces objectives of unknown value that must be analyzed mid-game, which adds delicious risk to your push into hostile vaults.
Closing Thoughts
This wave finally gives Mechanicum players fast, characterful infantry that feel purpose-built for corridor fights and salvage ops. Because the kits are plastic and the rules are self-contained, it is easy to start a conclave or bolt Pilgryms onto an existing Taghmata. Ultimately, if you like the idea of incense-choked strike teams sprinting under Vultarax cover to bag priceless archeotech, this is your moment to praise the Omnissiah and pull the trigger.
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