So would anyone ever actually use the cloak of feathers in a game? When I bought my skink priest mini in his blister pack (see http://www.lustria-online.com/threads/old-schooler-new-to-lizzies.5025/) many years ago, I thought at the time that there were some nasty combos you could do with it, but IIRC, that was with a former edition of our book, or at least before 8th edition. Is there any good use for this item now, other than to be really colorful on the tabletop?
There isn't much use for it. The only use I can think of is to fly him up close for a first turn chain lightning. Maybe use it to channel a magic missle from the slann. Seems like a waste of an item now.
I use him for that or give it to a chief and fly him behind enemy lines. He is also good for driving fleeing units where you want them. He has a 22" charge range so if positioned correctly he is useful when charging an already fleeing unit; using him like an Australian Sheppard to coral the sheep in to the slaughter. Occasionally you get lucky and run down a fleeing unit. I don’t use him often, mostly vs. T3 armies, but when I have he has worked out pretty well for me.
True, using him as a Chief to point a fleeing unit towards the closest table edge and off the board is a good use. Using it on a Priest, in the hope that you might get wind blast or chain lightning...seems too speculative to me. Wondering what other item I would give a chief with the cloak in order to snipe a warmachine crew. Sounds like a risky mission, but if I can take out an organ cannon this way and keep my Scar Vet or Steg alive long enough to charge, that would be points well spent, I think.
I give him a Blowpipe and Venom of the Fire Fly Frog. Gives him rerollable Posion attacks, good for hunting warmachines. Have never done it (too many points I think) but Staff of the Lost Sun might be good choice, 3 x Str 5 ranged attaks.
Staff of the lost sun would match the model pretty well actually. That must be what the sculptor had in mind. Would be worth it to fly in behind fast cavalry on a flank and snipe the heck out of them - harass the harassers! Love it EDIT - scrap that idea - you'd be 10 points over your magic allowance, and can do the same thing for 5 points cheaper by giving the Chief a Terradon... still a good idea though!
Yea, and you couldn't since cloak and venom are both enchanted items. If you are not in a unit which I suppose you wouldn't when trying to effectively use the cloak you can be singled out in any case so I think you are better off just to invest on a terradon and spend the quite restricted point limit on protection and some punch. BR Agrem
Doh! Army Builder allows it. Well to anyone that I used this build against my apologies, I did not know.
Why would any item that would allow a Chief to fly be a waste? The Chief can, if armed with appropriate magic, be a decent wizard hero killer. I use a "Flying Skink of Doom" a lot. He has been extremely successful and always worth the points! Chief: Biting Blade/ Enchanted Shield/ Cloak of Feathers/ Jav/LA: 115pts AS 4+ Move : Fly Attacks 3 (-2 AS) Or 112pts LA/Sh Burning blade 3 attacks at -3 AS. Less protection bit better attack vs armored hero. Or 109pts LA/SH Sword of Hornet. ASF + high Initiative = you dont miss a lot vs your opponnent. Great for killing soft hero types. Good for killing most hero/wizards or even Engr types. Have even killed Fast Cav, skirmisher units, artillery and kept enemy wizards from moving to good positions to cast with him. (they were afraid to move thier wizard out of hiding for fear of being charged) You don't charge Skink hero types into tough opponents anyway, that is why we have Saurus Hero/lords. Think about how you can utilize him, and the FSoD is a great asset!
I think it should be named a bit differently: FSSOD Flying Suicide Skink of Doom Fun concept though, although you'll cry when you're facing High elves The Hunted
And the Terradon gives you stomp too, according to some. True a Priest can't take one, but for what you would do with the Cloak of Feathers a Chief would work just as well, I think.
I currently have a Skink Chief, Cloak of Feathers, Javelin, Dragonhelm, light armor and shield. At 102 he isn't too expensive. The 4+AS/(2)6+WS keeps him somewhat alive in combat. His 4 objectives are to hunt war machines, prod fleeing units, provide LD7 to a skink unit outside my Slann, and to take opportunistic charges against a unit with a flaming banner. Even if he doesn't kill a war machine on the go, at least he should tie them up. Terradons have vanguard and are nice but they are far more susceptible to getting hit/shot at before making contact. I can hide a chief in a unit of skinks to get LOS until he moves off by himself.
I'm planning on running a Feather Cloaked / Plaque of Tepok lvl 2 Skink Priest along with my Death Slann. The Death Slann with Rumination and the lore attribute can generate buns loads of dice so I can have the Priest cast some of his 3 spells too, giving me a big magic phase. Also the Priest can be a vassal for the Death spells, which mostly have a poor range, a flying Priest negates this. Plus he's great for casting Purple Sun of Xereus through since a) he has Initiative 4 and b) he's pretty cheap.
I believe the Skink Priest can only be a Vassal for Magic Missle type spells. (I believe the lore of death has quit a few of those) I am prety sure any spell that uses a template is Not a magic missle.