Adeptus Mechanicus Army

I read too many Black Library books.

Halfway through Dan Abnett's Titanicus is a short scene describing a skitarii battle between the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Dark Mechanicus. It is completely brutal. Here is a quote from the book:

He had once been told that no infantry combat, not even the Guard or the vaunted Astartes, could match a skitarii versus skitarii was for frenzy and fury. Bionically enhanced, augmetically accellerated, the onslaught was berserk and savage on both sides.

Every time I read about the skitarii they are described as brutal creations, designed and enhanced to install fear upon their enemies and can even take on a Space Marine.

Unfortunately, there is no codex for them. I thought about using the Space Marines or Imperial Guard codex to design a "play as" unit or two, but those rules just don't seem adequate to describe the ferocity the skiratii and magos represent.

However, the Grey Knights in the Daemonhunters codex could work.

The beauty of the Daemonhunters codex is the sheer number of different types of armies you can build. Not bad for a 3rd edition codex. Also, the allies rule allows a player to include the following units into any Space Marine or Imperial Guard army:

0-1 HQ

0-1 Elites

0-2 Troops

0-1 Fast Attack

This means I can slowly build my Adeptus Mechanicus army and include the units in my Guard list. This is good, because this army is going to take a long time to build and it's not going to be cheap.

The downside for my idea is that I will never be able to play them in a tournament due to the heavy use of non-GW models. Such is the nature of the game I guess.

HQ: The Arch-Magos

This model will require some modifications, but he will use the Brother-Captain or Grand Master Grey Knight Terminator rules. He has a force/power weapon that gives him a +2 strength bonus and will have a Psycannon (S6, Assault 3 with 18" range or Heavy 3 with 36" range, ignores invulnerable save). I'll have to come up with some snazzy name to call it other than "Psycannon" and the ability to ignore invulnerable saves can be the "Blessed by the Omnissiah Rule".

Elite/HQ Retinue: The Magos Guard

This model will require the most modifications. They will use the Grey Knight Terminator rules (same as the rules listed above except the weapon is not a force weapon). Some will have storm-bolters (bolters with 24" range and are assault 2) and some will have Psycannons. Again, I'll have to come up with some name other than "storm-bolter". Maybe something like Integrated Pulse Lasers (IPL).

Troops: The Skitarii

These models will require absolutely no modifications! They are the Iron Brotherhood models from Micro Art Studios. They will use the Grey Knights rules and most of them will have the storm-bolter (Integrated Pulse Lasers) and their close-combat weapon gives them a +2 strength bonus. The leader will need some customization as his weapon does count as a power weapon. Two Psycannons are allowed per squad, so that, too, will require some work.

All units also get the following rules:

Fearless: duh! They are mostly machines!

True Grit: The storm-bolters count as a close combat weapon.

The Aegis: Requires a roll-off of Leadership +D6 to affect them with psychic abilities.

The Shrouding: To shoot at them, the enemy must be within 3D6*3 inches to see them.

All of the special rules above can be described by some technology or blessing of the Omnissiah.

Eventually, I would add some Dreadnoughts into the mix. I might look at using a Warjack as a base to model some of them.

Another twist would be to add an Inquisitor (another Magos) and an assassin (highly modified, specialized use skitarii).

This army would be expensive: both in points and cost. But it is probably no worse than actually buying Grey Knights.

Any opinions?