Adeptus Mechanicus Archaeopter – Transvector, Stratoraptor & Fusilave Guide
Adeptus Mechanicus Archaeopter – Variants, Lore, Tactics & Hobby Guide
The Adeptus Mechanicus Archaeopter is one of Warhammer 40,000’s most distinctive flyers: an angular, holy‑relic aircraft whose silhouette blends avian glidewings with Mechanicus brutality. On the table, the Archaeopter kit builds into three battlefield roles—Transvector (transport), Stratoraptor (gunship), and Fusilave (bomber)—so a single box can anchor very different AdMech army plans. In this guide you’ll find a fast lore primer, a clear breakdown of each variant, advice on which one fits your list, a magnetizing walkthrough, tactics for modern missions, plus painting and basing ideas that make the model pop.
Who Flies an Archaeopter? (Lore in Two Minutes)
Forged in sanctified manufactoria and blessed with binharic wards, the Archaeopter is a recovered STC‑inspired airframe adapted by the Tech‑Priests of Mars. Its wings are a deliberate echo of pre‑Imperial ornithopters; its hull is a flying shrine to the Machine God. Skitarii pilots interface with the craft via neural plugs and rite‑locked cogitators, while servo‑skulls perch like carrion birds along the frame, feeding targeting data and omen‑code to the flight spirit. In Adeptus Mechanicus war doctrine, Archaeopters serve as rapid insertion assets, aerial interdiction platforms, and ordnance carriers that open breaches for ground cohorts of Skitarii, Sicarians, and holy engines.
What the Box Builds – Three Battlefield Roles
The Skitarii Archaeopter kit builds one aircraft in one of three configurations. Each shares the same core hull and wing set, but differs in role, payload, and nose/wing options:
Archaeopter Transvector (Transport)
- Battlefield role: Rapid insertion and extraction. It ferries a small infantry unit into positions ground forces can’t reach in time.
- Why choose it: Mission‑first armies that win by tempo—fast primary scoring, late‑game objective steals, or delivering specialists (Sicarians, Rangers/Vanguard) onto tech‑critical terrain.
- Playstyle feel: Surgical and cagey. Threatens lines with turn‑timed drops rather than raw damage.
Archaeopter Stratoraptor (Gunship)
- Battlefield role: Fire support. Think “flying gunline node” that hunts elite infantry, light vehicles, and exposed anchor units.
- Why choose it: Lists that want reliable ranged pressure to punish enemy staging, peel screens, or soften armor before a charge.
- Playstyle feel: Methodical and punishing. Sets up kill lanes and deletes priority targets at the right time.
Archaeopter Fusilave (Bomber)
- Battlefield role: Area denial and morale pressure via bombing runs and strafing passes across clustered units.
- Why choose it: Scenarios with dense mid‑board traffic, horde matchups, or when you need indirect value—incidental mortal wounds, objective disruption, and movement tax.
- Playstyle feel: Opportunistic. Circles pressure points, then swoops to break stalemates.
Which Variant Should You Build?
Pick the chassis that matches your win condition and local meta:
- Play to the mission: If you often lose on primaries, build the Transvector. It’s the best for being somewhere now.
- Need reliable damage early: Choose the Stratoraptor. Its ranged output shapes the board from turn one.
- Opponents spam bodies or castle mid: The Fusilave punishes stacking and forces spread, making positions weaker elsewhere.
Magnetizing the Archaeopter (Optional, Highly Recommended)
The kit’s shared wing/fuselage makes it an excellent magnet project so you can swap between Transvector, Stratoraptor, and Fusilave without buying multiple boxes. A conservative approach:
- Dry‑fit everything first. Mark polarity with a sharpie before gluing any magnets.
- Wing pylons & nose pieces: 2–3 mm diameter rare‑earth magnets are sufficient for most nose cones and weapon hardpoints (use shallow depths; do not drill through).
- Payload details: Bomb racks / gun housings can share mounting points if you place magnets flush and reinforce with a tiny drop of thin superglue.
- Transport interior: If you want a swappable “open/closed” transport bay, test‑fit the ramp and interior bulkhead with a pair of smaller magnets so it stays neat in flight.
- Seal & sand: After magnet installation, use a touch of plastic putty to disguise the join lines, then sand smooth before priming.
Result: You retain painting quality while switching roles based on mission or opponent—maximum value from one kit.
How the Archaeopter Plays – Core Mechanics & Roles
Rules evolve between editions, but the functional identities of each variant stay steady. Use these evergreen concepts to get results regardless of the current datasheets:
Transvector – Tempo Wins Games
- Game plan: Start outside threat cones, then insert and exit around turn two or three. Your payload should claim or flip an objective, screen a counter‑charge, or tie up a shooting piece.
- Spacing: Pre‑measure landing zones that keep the hull safe but leave disembarked troops in cover or on an objective.
- With Sicarians: Deliver Ruststalkers or Infiltrators to delete utility squads (spotters, backfield obsec) and unpick your opponent’s plan.
- With Skitarii: Drop Rangers to grab a vantage; insert Vanguard to debuff valuable targets with rad‑saturation before your main shooting phase.
Stratoraptor – Ranged Control & Target Priority
- Game plan: Fly at angles that force your opponent to choose: hide from the gunship and give ground, or take fire to hold position.
- Kill lanes: Use ruins and diagonals to create one safe lane and one lethal lane; reposition every turn to keep a priority unit exposed.
- Synergy: Pair with Ironstrider Ballistarii or a Skorpius Disintegrator—when both fire, screens evaporate and your assault elements follow through.
- Into flyers: The Stratoraptor’s role flexes into counter‑air; hold it back a turn if it means taking the enemy aircraft at advantage on turn two.
Fusilave – Area Denial & Objective Pressure
- Game plan: Attack the space your opponent needs, not just the unit. Bomb clusters that sit on primaries, then pivot to harass reinforcement lanes.
- Value mindset: The bomber isn’t a single big spike; it’s accumulated pain. Repeated chip damage, battle‑shock tests, and objective flips win over four or five turns.
- Synergy: Let Skitarii Rangers or Kataphron Destroyers finish softened units while the bomber drags the enemy into bad movement decisions.
Archaeopter in Your List – Two Concept Frameworks
1,000 Points – Mission‑First Pressure
- Core: Vanguard + Rangers for cheap obsec and debuffs
- Speartip: Transvector with Sicarians to steal/flip a mid objective
- Guns: One Ironstrider and a small Destroyer unit for reliable fire
- Plan: Score early with inserts; trade up with the Sicarians; let the gunline pick apart what tries to counter‑push.
2,000 Points – Combined Arms Lockdown
- Air: Stratoraptor for ranged control (swap to Fusilave if your meta is horde‑heavy)
- Frontline: Vanguard/Rangers blocks, one big Sicarian unit, and a breaching threat (Sydonian or jump‑pack allies if allowed)
- Fire Support: Disintegrator + Ironstriders for overlapping kill lanes
- Plan: Deny primary lines with air power, peel screens with guns, and collapse the center with your melee threat once targets are softened.
Matchup Advice
- Into gunlines: Use angles and altitude to break sightlines. A Stratoraptor operating on diagonals forces gun platforms to move (and lose buffs) or accept attrition.
- Into melee rush: Transvector staging buys time—insert a blocker unit to slow the first wave; pivot the aircraft behind their line to snipe support or force splits.
- Into horde: Fusilave value stacks—bomb runs, strafing, and leadership pressure. Don’t chase kills; chase break points (failures and retreats).
Hobby Guide – Paint, Weather, and Base Like a Magos
Prime & Basecoats
- Martian red or forge‑world colors: For Mars, start with a rich red base, shade recesses with a controlled brown wash, then layer back up to a bright edge highlight so panels read clearly.
- Metallics: Use a darker steel on the interior frame and engine housings; save brighter metal for leading edges and weapon muzzles.
- Clergy whites & cog‑trim: White cloth panels and cog‑teeth trim give classic Mechanicus contrast—keep whites warm so they’re not chalky.
Panel Work & Weathering
- Edge highlights with restraint: Hit only the most exposed panel edges; too many lines make the aircraft look toy‑like.
- Sponge chipping: A small piece of sponge with dark brown/black creates convincing paint wear on wing roots, boarding edges, and access hatches.
- Heat staining: Thin blue/brown glazes on exhausts and gun barrels add realism without extra parts.
Hazard Stripes & Iconography
- Stripes: Mask the pattern, base yellow, shade recesses only, then edge with a warm highlight. Keep them narrow so they read like industrial warning tape, not cartoon chevrons.
- Script & decals: Apply transfers over gloss; seal, then add micro‑chips with a fine brush to blend them into the paintwork.
Flight Stand & Basing
- Stand care: Dry‑fit the clear stem and socket before final assembly. If you magnetize the hull to the stem, mark polarity clearly and keep magnet weight balanced around the centerline.
- Base story: Martian dust, blasted grating, or sacred walkway tiles tell Mechanicus stories in a glance. Small brass rods as “antenna debris” sell speed and altitude.
Common Assembly Pitfalls (and Easy Fixes)
- Misaligned wings: Glue wing spars to the fuselage first and let them fully cure; only then add wing skins so panel lines stay crisp.
- Nose‑cone seams: Clamp lightly or use rubber bands while drying to avoid a hairline gap that will show after paint.
- Over‑glued canopy: Use plastic cement sparingly around the frame—not on clear panes. A gloss varnish later restores clarity.
Why the Archaeopter Is a Smart Buy
- One kit, three roles: Transvector, Stratoraptor, or Fusilave—build the variant your list needs (or magnetize to own all three).
- List flexibility: Insertion plays, ranged control, or area denial—few AdMech kits swing games in as many ways.
- Display value: The silhouette is instantly Adeptus Mechanicus, and it photographs brilliantly with a little weathering and stripe work.
Image Suggestions
- Hero banner: Archaeopter banking over rust‑red dunes, hazard stripes visible on the wings.
- Variant trio: Side‑by‑side Transvector/Stratoraptor/Fusilave with payloads highlighted.
- Detail close‑ups: Cockpit framing, servo‑skulls, wing chipping, and exhaust heat staining.
Link to Shop
Ready to add air power to your Adeptus Mechanicus? Get the kit here: Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii Archaeopter.
FAQs – Adeptus Mechanicus Archaeopter (tap + to expand)
Transvector. It teaches mission timing, insertion angles, and scoring discipline. Once you’re comfortable, try Stratoraptor for ranged control or Fusilave for area denial.
Yes—magnetize nose weapons and wing pylons. With careful planning you can field any of the three roles from one painted hull.
Sicarians for surgical strikes or Rangers/Vanguard for objective grabs and debuff setups. Pick based on mission and terrain density.
Work the diagonals. Use ruins to break sightlines, keep to lethal lanes, and coordinate fire with ground tanks so opponents can’t ignore either threat.
On boards where enemies cluster—horde matchups, crowded mid‑boards, or missions with multiple central objectives. The bomber’s repeated chip damage adds up.
Controlled panel shades, restrained edge highlights, sponge chipping on boarding edges, and a touch of heat stain on exhausts—fast steps, big readability.
It’s fine with careful handling. Dry‑fit the stem, balance the model when posing, and consider a magnetized socket so the hull removes easily for transport.