Editing Skitarii (section)

===Skitarii Alpha===
[[File:Dd1b4svyiyx41.jpg|240px|right|thumb|Skitarii Alpha model by [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdeptusMechanicus/comments/gh3mm1/skitarii_alpha_reporting_for_duty/ Warden343].]]
Skitarii Alphas are the squad commanders of Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii formations. These cybernetic warriors have the highest level of augmentation among their kind, a position of high prestige in Martian culture. To become an Alpha, one must pass the Crux Mechanicus, the point where your body is more machine than flesh. Their human components have often been reduced to a simple organic brain. They generally act as the squad leaders to the rest of the skittles, and are roughly equal to a Space Marine Sergeant in combat.

For an example of this in the fluff, Alpha Primus Haldron-44 Stroika was augmented to have four arms with in-built Arc Mauls and auto-reloading Arc Pistols, as well as having the ability to coordinate tens of thousands of Skitarii while simultaneously tearing apart Dark Mechanicum troops in melee and at range. [[Awesome|He even managed to hold his own against an]] [[Iron Warriors]] [[Warsmith]]-[[Obliterator]] [[Awesome|for a few minutes]], only to be [[Grimdark|half-ripped apart and unwillingly turned into a Dark Mechanicus assassin]] after he took off the Warsmith's arm.

Of particular note is the fact that many Martian Skitarii Alphas were failed Imperial Knight nobles of House Taranis. Although failure to bond with an Imperial Knight typically drives the would-be pilot insane, emotive-suppressors and memory-catheters are able to keep their rages in check. House Taranis asks in return that their Skitarii cohorts are assigned to fight alongside their Knights, so that the Nobles can still fight alongside their former brothers. It's kind of heart-warming, if in a grimdark way.
<gallery>
RangerAlpha.jpg|Alpha Ranger.
VanguardAlpha.jpg|Alpha Vanguard.
RuststalkerAlpha.jpg|Alpha Ruststalker.
InfiltratorAlpha.jpg|Alpha Infiltrator.
</gallery>