8th Ed. Skink Priest help.

[Dirty Mac]

Hi guys, I was wondering what are some of the better builds for a skink priest in lower points games thanks.
I would also like the reasoning behind them too thanks.

 

[Arli]

In lower level games, most people take the plaque of Tepok for the extra spell. Level 2 as well. I would also take a ward vs the first wound or the seed of rebirth (a 6+ save is better than none at all). This is almost like getting an additional wound on the priest. You could also take a dispel scroll or use the diadem, both of these would allow you to despell a little easier.

If you take two priest, you could take the dispel scroll on one and the cube of darkness on the other. That way, you will potentially be able to take away 2 full magic phases from your opponent.

Another build that I like is in higher point level games. I will have a slann in the list. I will take 2 additional priests. One will have the cube of darkness. The other will be a level one with the Forbidden rod (adds d6 dice to the power pool, but takes d3 wounds). I also will take the opal amulet (4+ vs the first wound). This will give him some survivability. This guy's job is to die! When you roll a horrible winds of magic, this item is a must. I have used this build 20 + times and I have only lost the priest a handful of times.

 

[BEEGfrog]

To determine the build of your skink priest you need to know what you want from him.

There are three defensive builds that really only differ in the arcane item they take, either: the diadem, the dispel scroll or the cube.
When I take a skink with the diadem they sometims also get the talisman of one-off 4+ ward, the others don't get this as their value drops when they use up their dispel. The cube is better than the scroll as shutting down the rest of the magic phase is well worth the additional few points.
The balance between the diadem and the scroll/cube depends on you and your opponents playing styles, if you don't often use skink magic offensively or your opponent uses lots of low/mid powered casting attempts then the diadem gets more effective, if he throws lots of dice at spells then scrolls work better.

An interesting offensive build is a skink with forbidden rod and opal amulet, but normally best as a second or third mage as you need to ensure you have a spell worth the extra dice generated.

Finally the old favourite the EotG, I equip mine with 4+ ward talisman and the iron curse icon, the first to keep the EotG operating as long as possible and the second for the look on the opponents face when the cannon ball bounces off the steggie due to the icon.

 

[Ejpok]

Hello,
As for my Skinks, i use the Forbbiden Rod as others say, it can help you own one magic phase
When I run an EotG i often use Dawnstone and an extra Spell...(not many armies have a lvl 3 Wizard in Heroes and the Dawnstone is, Well because i like to Teleport my steg and charge into a bunch of R&F Troops

 

[ForgottenKnight2001]

The build I use most and usually does his job is skink priest + dispel scroll

If I play w/o a slann, I usually have 2. 1 Level 2 w/ the dispel scroll and 1 level 1 w/ the channeling staff. You'd be surprised at the number of 5's you roll when channeling.

I occasionally give them the Ironcurse Icon as well. If you play a horde of skrox, if it saves 1 skink it's paid for itself.

Put one in the horde and one somewhere else. They'll die if something sneezes on them

 

[eppe]

In low point games I take lvl 2 and Plaque of Tepok.

3 spells for 115 points.

 

[OutofIdeas]

I use the cloak of feathers when I have a Slann and run the skink behind some terradons.

1) Works great for casting damaging spells at units early in the game and sniping characters.

2) Opponent has to choose between targets.

Truth be told I run 2-5 level 1's and give one a disp scroll.
- Channeling
- Suicide Bombers
- LOS for Slann

 

[Taipan]

Finally the old favourite the EotG, I equip mine with 4+ ward talisman and the iron curse icon, the first to keep the EotG operating as long as possible and the second for the look on the opponents face when the cannon ball bounces off the steggie due to the icon.

Both are a waste of points. The 4+ ward only affects the bearer, not his mount, and you already have the 'Portent of Warding' active anyway, so you're giving up arcane items for a slightly higher ward save on the Priest only. Ironcurse Icon is even more useless, because you'll never use it (again, 'Portent of Warding' will be up).


I'd take dispel scroll and Blood Statuette. Don't bother with the defensive talismans or other gear, if your opponent wants your Priest dead he will succeed anyway. Don't upgrade his Wizard level either, Heavens magic is nothing special.
Dispel scroll is obvious. Blood Statuette gives you the option of sniping out an enemy Lord mage, General or BSB Turn 1. It ignores armour, so unless they invested in ward (which they often don't on Wizards, or are too busy stacking armour saves on their combat hero to bother sometimes), you can often get the kill. Best approach is to cast it on two dice after your Slann has already burned through their dispel scrolls, dice, runes etc with his attempts.

 

[BEEGfrog]

If the ironcurse icon saves your steggie once in twenty or thirty battles it pays for itself and any crew saves are just bonusses. The iron curse icon is so useful and so cheap that you almost have to never face a war machine for it to be a waste of points.

My EotG spends most of its time in the burning alignment so the portent of warning only helps right at the begining of the game. If you want to have the portent of warding up after first player's second turn you are doing something wrong (or facing a gunline).

The ward on the priest only ever affects the priest, but the EotG loses so much of its power if he dies that the ward does far more for a priest on a steggie than it does given to any other character.

 

[Taipan]

If the ironcurse icon saves your steggie once in twenty or thirty battles it pays for itself and any crew saves are just bonusses. The iron curse icon is so useful and so cheap that you almost have to never face a war machine for it to be a waste of points.

You're limiting your options of gear, for an item that your mount already outclasses.
Ironcurse grants 6+ ward against only warmachine fire, and only to the bearer and his mount
Portent of Warding grants 5+ ward against anything not close-combat in an aura

My EotG spends most of its time in the burning alignment so the portent of warning only helps right at the begining of the game. If you want to have the portent of warding up after first player's second turn you are doing something wrong (or facing a gunline).

Maybe I don't wanna charge headlong into combat against some armies, and can be content to punish them with magic and shooting first. Also, Burning Alignment is so short-range you'll almost have to be in combat for it to be worthwhile.
The whole reason you're taking Ironcurse is to stop warmachines sniping the Steg. So, by definition, you'd want Portent up against the same kind of armies (Dwarves, Empire, Skaven). Hence my point, you have 5+ ward included in your price tag, buying a 6+ is pointless.

The ward on the priest only ever affects the priest, but the EotG loses so much of its power if he dies that the ward does far more for a priest on a steggie than it does given to any other character.

I don't see how. Priest has only two T2 wounds to give up before he dies. I'd rather give the 4+ ward to an Old-Blood or even a Scar-Vet TBH.
As I said before, if your opponent wants the Priest dead, all he has to do is charge you. Once in combat, he can choose to attack you directly, and if he has high Strength or a weapon that does something similiar, you're dead.
Priests are better for loading up arcane items on anyway. Slann will always have Cupped Hands, so your only other place to put stuff like dispel scrolls, Blood Statuette etc is on Priests.

 

[MOMUS]

At 2000pts and 3000pts both my priest are armed with D.scroll and the cube of darkness, two instant dispels and the chance to end the enemy magic phase is fun.