Thousand Sons: Sekhetar Robots – Lore, Kit Contents, Tactics & Hobby Guide

Thousand Sons: Sekhetar Robots bring a new flavor of arcane firepower to Warhammer 40,000. Crafted in the image of Prosperine spirits and bound by hexagrammic wards, these Prophetic Sentinels stand as “living statues” until a hidden command wakes them: heavy warpflamers roar to life, hellfyre missiles streak across the field, and foes realize too late that the ornate idol was never a mere monument. In this guide, you’ll learn what the Sekhetar are, what the kit includes, how they play on the table, and how to paint and pose them for maximum impact.

Who (and What) Are the Sekhetar Robots?

The Thousand Sons have long fused sorcery with machinery. During and after the Heresy, their magi‑sorcerers developed psychically guided automata to compensate for dwindling mortal ranks. The Sekhetar Robots are a culmination of that approach: towering battle automata wreathed in illusions, threaded with divinatory runes, and designed to lie dormant as guardians over sites of power. When activated, they prosecute targets with unnerving foresight—protecting their masters and pre‑empting threats like oracular sentries.

Why the Sekhetar Are Unique in a Thousand Sons Army

• Arcane stealth & deception: Complex shrouds hide them in plain sight—perfect for ambushes, midfield denial, and objective traps.
• Prophetic battlefield logic: Fluff and rules emphasize pre‑emptive responses and overwatch dominance, making them ideal “tripwire” pieces that punish careless advances.
• Iconic silhouette: Sculpted as ornate guardians with crest‑like headplates and layered armor, they double as storytelling centerpiece models for display cabinets.

What’s in the Box (Kit Overview)

Assembly format: This multipart plastic kit builds two Sekhetar Robots. Each robot features an integrated shoulder missile system, an arm‑mounted heavy weapon, and close‑combat options. Expect clean fit, broad armor plates for freehand runes, and plenty of surface detail for edge highlighting and weathering.

• Long‑range: Hellfyre missile racks—armour‑busting projectiles for distant threats.
• Short‑range: Heavy warpflamer—psycho‑reactive gouts of empyric flame that erase clustered infantry.
• Flex/variant options: Some builds field a pyreflux meltagun for cracking tanks or a brutal power claw for close‑quarters finishes.
• Scenic elements: Decorative trim, warding glyphs, and panel edges that take pin‑washing and OSL beautifully.

Rules Snapshot (Edition‑Agnostic Takeaways)

Exact wording may change with season updates, but the defining feel of the Sekhetar is clear:

• Ambush & board control: Previewed with Infiltrators and Stealth, they excel at camping midfield objectives and springing traps.
• Prophetic response play: Once per battle round, they can be targeted with Fire Overwatch or Heroic Intervention at 0CP—a signature “I knew you were coming” moment that forces opponents to respect their threat bubble.
• Resilience suited to sentries: A tough, multi‑wound profile with a solid armor save and an invulnerable save keeps them on station long enough to matter.
• Toolbox loadout: Hellfyre missiles for reach, warpflamers for crowd control, plus meltagun or claw swaps to tailor for your meta.

Summary: treat Sekhetar as durable trap layers with a high‑impact “reaction” play. They create tempo swings—either through free punishing shots or by forcing your opponent to route around them.

How They Play – Roles & Battlefield Patterns

1) Midfield Sentries

Deploy them near central lanes disguised behind ruins or as “statues” on a neutral objective. With Stealth and good saves, they hold ground while threatening a free Overwatch on any unit that dares to cross their arc. Pair them with Rubrics or Cultists screening angles so charges must pass through the Sekhetar’s fire zone.

2) Flank Tripwires

Use Infiltrators to stage Sekhetar sideways, just off the main fight, where enemy skirmishers and fast movers often try to slip past. Their long‑range missiles punish light vehicles; their warpflamers delete the units meant to overwhelm your backfield.

3) Sorcerous Bodyguards

Keep a Sorcerer, Infernal Master, or Exalted Sorcerer just behind them. The robots’ oracular logic screens against deep‑strike charges and melee missiles, buying time for your casters to sling key powers and command the board.

Synergies in a Thousand Sons List

• Rubric Marines: Rubrics lock primary scoring while Sekhetar remove the enemy unit that would contest next turn.
• Scarab Occult Terminators: Scarabs take the hammer role—push hard once Sekhetar reaction fire has thinned screens.
• Daemon Prince (or Exalted Sorcerer): Your melee deterrent and aura support. Enemies that survive Sekhetar fire and charge in should meet a counter‑punch.
• Forgefiend/Defiler: Long‑range daemon engines draw fire; Sekhetar capitalize on the distraction with missiles and free Overwatch.
• Mutalith Vortex Beast: Board‑control synergy—Sekhetar anchor angles while Mutalith manipulates the midfield.

List Concepts (No Points Required)

1,000‑Point “Prophetic Screen”

• Exalted Sorcerer (warlord support)
• Sekhetar Robots (midfield sentries)
• Rubric Marines (objective holders)
• Forgefiend or Predator (lane control)
• Utility unit (Cultists/Tzaangors) for actions and backfield screens

Plan: Establish a central safe zone. Sekhetar threaten free Overwatch; Rubrics score. Use missiles to stress transports; counter‑charge only after the trap is sprung.

2,000‑Point “Oracle & Hammer”

• Exalted Sorcerer + Infernal Master (command & rituals)
• 2× Sekhetar Robots (flank tripwires)
• Scarab Occult Terminators (primary hammer)
• Daemon Prince (melee deterrent)
• Forgefiend/Defiler + a small gunline element

Plan: Present layered problems: Scarabs march the center; Sekhetar make the sides dangerous to probe; your engines and casters force bad moves. When the opponent overcommits, the Sekhetar’s reaction plays flip the turn.

Deployment & Movement – Micro‑Wins

• Statue gambit: Place them where “terrain statues” would sit—on plinths, beside ruins, or at shrine corners. The visual reads as scenery until they fire.
• Angle discipline: A 10° pivot often opens a missile lane or closes a charge line without exposing side arcs.
• Screen pairing: Keep a cheap unit 3–4″ behind to block deep‑strike charges and force attackers through warpflamer range.
• Trap timing: Save the 0CP Overwatch/Intervention “spike” for a turn that decides the primary—don’t spend it to pick off a trivial unit.

Common Mistakes (and Easy Fixes)

• Over‑extending early: You don’t need to rush. Let Sekhetar punish the opponent’s movement first.
• Splitting targets: Missiles into a tank, warpflamer into chaff—fine. But don’t split if deleting one lynchpin is better for the primary.
• Ignoring line‑of‑sight filters: Place them where a tiny shuffle lets you see them but they can’t see you until too late.

Hobby Guide – Assembly, Magnetizing & Posing

Assembly

• Dry‑fit the torso twist: Choose a slight lean or twist that “reads” as mid‑decloak. Test fit with the base and scenic bits before glue.
• Sub‑assemblies: Keep head crest, missile racks, and weapon arms separate for easy panel lining and OSL.
• Stability: Use scenic debris as hidden contact points; consider a short brass pin through one foot if you pose dynamically.

Magnetizing

• Shoulder/arm swaps: 3×2 mm magnets are enough to alternate a meltagun vs. claw arm if you plan both builds.
• Head crest panels: 2×1 mm magnets let you remove crests for transport or swap decorative runes.

Painting the Arcane Machine – Fast, Readable, Cinematic

Color Philosophy

• Thousand Sons classic: Deep red armor, bright gold trim, turquoise gems/eye lenses. Edge‑highlight plates with a lighter red; finish gold with a warm glaze.
• Prosperine marble statue: Pale stone with hairline cracks, turquoise OSL glyphs, and gold inlays—perfect for the “living statue” vibe.

Quick Techniques

• Zenithal prime: Black → light neutral from above. It speeds shading on plates and sells volume.
• Pin‑wash & panel lining: A dark brown/black wash into recesses frames gold trim and missile‑rack lines cleanly.
• OSL runes: Base a warm off‑white in glyphs, glaze with teal/purple, re‑dot the core with pure white. Keep spill light subtle.
• Heat staining: Blue‑purple glazes on the warpflamer muzzle and missile vents suggest empyric heat.
• Story on the base: Shrine tiles, broken statues, or scorched runes reinforce the ambush‑guardian theme.

Image Suggestions

• Hero banner: A Sekhetar “decloaking” beside a shrine—missile smoke and warpflame lighting a Rubric gunline.
• Loadout close‑ups: Hellfyre missile racks, warpflamer muzzle, optional meltagun/claw swap.
• Ambush setup: Two Sekhetar posed as statues near a midfield objective, with overlays showing their Overwatch lane.

Link to Shop

Ready to add Prophetic Sentinels to your sorcerous host? Pre‑order here: Thousand Sons: Sekhetar Robots.

FAQs – Sekhetar Robots (tap + to expand)