Sadly, every time I look on these forums or browse lists on the web, it's heavy on: Temple Guard; or Sallies; or Bastiladons; and most definitely Magic. Rarely do I see lists that use the bread and butter Saurus Warriors (they exist), and none whatsoever with Skinks and Kroxigor. I have been looking into playing some myself, but I like the skirmishing aspect of the Skinks - and I just love their models. Why aren't they relevant at the moment? Is it the meta of this forum or is it a general consensus? Looking for some insights.
Skinks just...aren't very good for a knock out drag out fight. They lack in range to be effective, you pretty much need to put them in charge range to shoot. They're bad in close combat. And a 6+ save isn't going to keep them around very long. So if the mission type is kill your enemy, Skinks won't see much table use. And a lot of the lists I've seen are based solely around kill missions. Sure you can field like 30 of them and put them in terrain and give them mystic shield, but face it: you don't wanna move that many models, trying to fit them all in terrain big enough and close enough for the bonus will be rare, and mystic shield is better served on something important and killy. Now, if you are playing any objective based games they are better. They're good at pulling units away from objectives by using wary fighter and then harassing melee units with a few casualties every turn, leaving the enemy to either abandon an objective while you wary fighter away again, or take casualties as something gets in position to charge them. Or at stretching out to hold a few objectives and getting there faster with their speed as most opponents tend to ignore Skinks because they get ran over in combat. So sprinting them down a table edge gets ignored as a Stegadon rushes at your enemy. So really it's based on your local meta. I've used them with success to hold objectives and win while my Carnosaur battles dragons and Saurus Guard hold off better units for a turn. But that's really the best they can hope for now. And give them shields so they don't auto die from -1 rend. At least give them that fighting chance. Kroxigors, while they can be fun, just don't do the job the best. They aren't fast so they're gonna be back with the rest of our non-skink foot troops, of which a group of Saurus or Saurus Guard can punch out more attacks and wounds (especially with the right hero behind them). They deal out moderate damage and 3 of them don't have a very big table footprint. So they can get surrounded easily and killed by superior numbers, which is bad for both a kill everything game or an objective game. They seem to work well as a secondary punch into a unit that's already held down and isn't a swarm. So against something like Bullgors or Stormfiends (similar sized/capable models) they work well if that enemy is already engage with something else (Saurus, Carnosaur, Bastiladon). They can kind of clean out enemy units when they themselves aren't the primary threat due to numbers or model size. If your don't play against a horde type army Kroxigors can work fine, just pair them with another slow unit that can take a charge, then push the Kroxigor into the fray next round. So both of those units can be good and usable, it just depends on what you play against and how you're playing the game in your area.
@Raptor_00 sums it really, they can be effective I have found running a Shadowstrike & Thunderquake can work but what I think they need is a really strong Skink leader. And a lot depends on how you play, hit and run perfect for a skink army.
Thanks for the replies. @Raptor_00, those insights are very valuable, thanks a ton. I really like the hit and run type of play, I just wish blowpipes would be a little more effective. I guess that's why the Chameleons are much more popular, their ability to strike out of nowhere is much more intimidating than a horde of little 6+ saves running towards you. I saw some talk on a strong Skink leader, are there decent ways to up their survival chances - and more importantly, maybe - to up their chances to wound? The last game I played was when my Skinks still had bows, and I'm slowly getting back into the game - thanks to AoS!
I'm at work, so don't have time to develope the argument, anyway, for a starter, In this thread we cover tactics for skinks, warriors and Kroxi. Take a look at it, and ask any question it comes to mind.
I had great success running 3 Kroxigors together with 3 Razordons and 3 Skink Handlers as an 'attack force' during an objective based battle. The Razordons were harassing from range, also triggering when being charged. I put the Razordons and Kroxs in such a way that if either got charged, the Razordons could shoot. I made sure to keep the Skink Handlers out of sight, hiding behind the Kroxis. In this particular case I also had another group (a 'defense group') with Saurus Guard, Kroak, an Astrolith Bearer, and a Bastiladon. That probably helped as well - I fought against another Seraphon army, running 2 Carnosaurs (Old Blood + Scar), the Firelance Host, and a bunch of Warriors. I managed to win without losing anything (as I recall).
I think Guard got a lot of attention before the point system was introduced, but now I find Saurus Warriors to be equally as good point-for-point because you can get 30 Warriors for the cost of 15 Guard. Guard are certainly better at doing damage if you are running an Eternity Warden, but they are very weak to Mortal Wounds and people are starting to exploit that. I think the Sunclaw Starhost is very underrated as well. As for Kroxigors... I have no idea why people aren't using them because they are amazing against any unit with 10+ models! They work well in a Thunderquake Starhost list.
Kroxies are really effective models BUT they are not included in Starhosts, barring the Thunderquake, and even there not as main unit, so not a surprise they are not so considered.
Yeah I found that peculiar - they might not be as popular maybe? Their models are by far the worst in the entire range right now, maybe they're the first one to go... Anyways, thanks for the replies. I'll be converting my skink bowmen to some round bases and get me a sneaky, objective based army
You're right, but the're just a choice alongside with other 8 different kind of units. At this point, also in the Starbeast Constellation.
I thought Kroxigor had a speed of 8? Plus if they are part of the thunderquake starhost, won't they heal D3 wounds if you place them say next to lord kroak as opposed to having a slann startmaster with a eternity warden and 15 guards?
Yes, krox make great guard in a thunderstrike starhost if you have a slann/lord kroak. Remember to keep handlers or the engine or some other skink unit with them. If you keep them healed up they should be able to take most comers.
Well I was thinking about adding engine of the gods closeby, so that when he rolls he'll be able to assist them. Instead of Eternity warden and 15 guards with a eternal starhost, is 6 Kroxigor under the Thunderstrike starhost, while assisted by a engine of the gods, equally good at defence? You will have a 4+ save instead of the guard's 2+, but with the slann and a Starpriest buffing them (also imagine the combo of the Starpriests venom buff along with the kroxigor's mortal wounds on a roll of 6! That will deal ridiculous amounts of damage!) they'll have defense 3+ and all attacks against them will suffer a -1 attack while they heal D3 each turn.
Not quite as good as, but still effective. And depending on the opponent's pile in moon hammers can bring a lot of destruction! And throwing venom on thise guys can be quite killer. A mystic shield brings them to a 3+ save, making the starhost savage makes that rerollable. Pretty solid replacement I would say!
Remember they won't ignore any rends so that can be a bit of a problem if you would use them as a defensive force.
Well how about this: A sunblood Astrolith bearer (rerolls on failed hits) Skink chief (general, for the +1 buff) 2 starpriests (who with the astrolith bearer can dish out some mean mortal wound damage) Thunderquake starhost: 9 Kroxigor (can buff with mythic shield and starlight) 2 bastiladon (one snakes, one lazer) Troglodon. starvenom buff on the Kroxigor and the Troglodon. That 2000 point team can be very deadly
I like the idea, accept your body count which is very low. On a 4x6 table you can be easily outmanouvered. You should it first though!