AoS Should I go 10/30 or 20/20 on javelin/boltspitter Skinks?

I currently have 10 of both Skinks with javelins and boltspitters and have another box of them on the way but I'm not sure whether it would be better to add 10 to each unit to give them both +1 to hit or go all in on the Boltspitters for +2 to hit for them.

If it helps, I'm currently trying to build towards a Shadowstrike Starhost and my current inventory is:
1x Lord Kroak
1x Skink Starpriest
1x Skink Priest
10x Skinks w/ javelins
10x Skinks w/ boltspitters
5x Chameleon Skinks
3x Skink Handlers
1x Saurus Scar-Vet on a Carnosaur w/ spear
1x Saurus Scar-Vet on a Cold One
1x Saurus Sunblood
1x Astrolith Bearer
10x Saurus Warriors w/ spears
5x Saurus Knights w/ lances
1x Bastiladon w/ solar engine
1x Razordon

 

I would go full in on the spitters.
Currently the only way to make skinks significant damage-wise is the 40 man boltspitter blob, but their main use remains being quintessential supreme chaff.

 

Spitters win on account of their added range. Not that either is going to do any significant damage anyway, but at least they can try from a bit further away.

I mostly just build the javalins on the side. Seeing as each box comes with 24 of the things anyways I build 20 spitters and 4 javalins. If ever javalins get a buff I'l be prepared

 

I’d go for bolt spitters. I have all my skinks with boltspitters and they are pretty good at poking at things from range, and occasionally doing a wound or 2. They can actually do well(ish) against 6+ save things like Beastmen chaff.

 

is it possible to give skinks boltspitters and shields?
Because in the Warscroll there is a melee combat table for boltspitters and for clubs, so can you choose between clubs and shields?

 

Yep that is perfectly legal. And my preferred loadout!

 

I always preferred javelins for the better wounds, because I tend to use them as roadblocks in bricks of 20, so 8 inch move with a 4/4 shooting attack is a pretty threatening roadblock.

 

i like javelins a lot, the only bad side is that LoTaS set up 9 inch away
just 1 inch more and it would be awesome!

 

Maybe we can hope for that in our new book... whenever we get it

 

SO I did some testing based on reading some stuff on here, played 4 games this past weekend, varying points, all games summoning/shadowstrike focused builds. played Sylvaneth, SCE, Death (Vampires) and Slaves with an Archaeon. for the layout of my skinks I went with Boltspitters and shields for the 40 man block I used in the battalion, to give them range and durability, expecting to use them as a more than one turn screen or objective holders. For the skinks I summoned in, I gave them clubs and spears, and used them basically as speed bumps. those speed bumps took the undercarriage out of a lot more than I expected. was able to keep archaeon off two objectives two waves of ten skinks armed this way... which kept him in range of the Bastilodon shooting him (from 20 inches away cuz that three headed beast is terrifying lol) didn't kill the archaeon because he ended up realizing I was doing serious damage, (a good 5/6 done by the speed bumps!) and pulled him out of range in round 5.

TLDR spears and clubs are a good idea for summoning chaff if you can control that they are going to do the charge not be charged. still prefer boltspitters and shields for the large "list" units to protect against losses( battleshock too) and hold what they need to hold/Losat and shoot that round.

 

I tend to use javelins to support my warriors in the sunclaw, generally 20 man bricks. an extra 20 attacks at a 4/4 isn't bad.

 

I tend to mix, but lean heavily towards spitters and shields. I like to summon javelins if I'm desperate and have 6CC points going spare, but mostly I'd stick to boltspitters for the extra range and annoyance they can cause.

 

OK - very VERY Stupid question here: When you are building your army, you have to consider summoning when it comes to fielding models, i mean of course you do. So if you have a list of say 60 skinks of the board, and you're planning on maybe summoning skinks, you need to be bringing something more like 80+ skinks, and some salamanders, and some of whatever it is you are planning on summoning, even potentially. So really to build a 1000 pt summoning army, you need to buy and bring ~1500 pts in army +options. And if you want to summon something, but don't have the extra models off-board - you can't(?). I know that seems obvious, but i never really hear it talked about, when buying and building lists.

 

I think it's not talked about much cuz nearly everyone who plays this seriously enough to be interested in talking about it probably has enough models to spare for some summoning anyway. I mean let's face it, most of us probably have enough to field our main army three times over if needed (with the possible exception of some extra special stuff.. like I doubt many people have multiple Kroaks or multiple archeons)…

 

o the sweet innocence, back when you thought you didn't need that 50th box of models