So I know most people choose Boltspitters over javelins, but I am curious about the offhand option. I just wonder if it's better to run moonstone clubs instead of shields. With a 6 up save, is it worth the ignore -1 rend with the shirld? Feel like I am not saving any without a rend modifier and might benefit from just adding another attack option.
Skinks should always wary-fighter their way out of combat and force enemies into trying to kill them with smart positioning and objective games. Their equipment only matters when you play big units (40) and in that case you want them to shoot as far as possible and live as long as possible.
I was just thinking for units trying to hold an objective or ones that get surrounded and cannot run. wary-fighter is used in most cases, but not all. Just a thought.
Often times, even when holding the objective, you will still make use of wary fighters and attempt to encircle the point outside of combat. There are certainly instances where this is not the case. However, you will likely benefit more often from ignoring enemy -1 rend (particularly against shooting atks) than from the extra weapon atk. There is no right or wrong way to build them. Jav and Club skinks are able to get some work done. It just happens that Spitters and Shields are the meta pick. Understanding the reasoning behind the various load outs is key to using them effectively. I have a unit of 10 skinks with Javs and shields to use in list where I fill my Battleline Tax with MinSU Skink that I often keep near my Slann for LOS.
I'm facing the same question here, as I'm about to grab the battleforce. I wonder how to build the skinks because it also seems to me that from time to time you'll be compelled to fight in close quarters. I mean, there are objectives you need to stay less than 3 inches away from so wary fighter may not be the best option in the last turn. In this case 5+4+ attacks are a lot better than 5+6+. Now what I don't have here is experience playing Seraphon. Let's say I'll invest reasonably in this army so after the battleforce I should get a couple of units to be able to build slightly different 1000/1500 points armies. Considering the available options and the minis I like I shouldn't find myself with more than the 2x10 skinks battle lines from the battle force. So, considering this, in an average 1000-1500pts battle, would you say the shield bonus would help me save 1-2 skinks or a lot more? From the little AoS experience I have, my orruks have awesome shields because they simply reroll their missed 5+ save rolls. Yet, even then, I don't find it works that often. So a shield preventing -1 rend on an already weak 6+ save doesn't sound that amazing. Thanks in advance for the advice.
I play Skeletons in my Deathrattle army, and I can tell you that if a unit has a 6+ save it matters a LOT whether it can ignore rend or not. Any attacks with rend will melt those without shields up to the point where they even die of battleshock. As for wary fighters when holding objectives: Most times it works, I very rarely was in the situation (in fact I don't remember more than one right now) that the 3" distance couldn't be reached while still being in position. Sure, if you face a lot of armies that don't have rend then the hand weapons will add a few points of additional damage, should you decide to actually fight with your Skinks. But that is two "if"s that might not come together all that often, and for quite a small gain. All my Skinks have shields for that reason.
Yep, I can relate to what @Aginor has said. Unless it is a large horde unit Wary Fighters normally works and 6+ saves is better than it sounds.
I suppose you guys are right. I probably should take every defensive options at hand since the main tasks of the 2 units will be objectives holding and harassment from afar (not close combat obviously). Just a question out of curiosity since I'm not sure i unerstood the rule: If a skink unit is built with both boltspitters and clubs, does it mean each model has 2 attacks, one for each weapon?
Yes, a unit attacks with all its melee weapons. Since that loadout is a legal one they will have two attacks in melee.
Hmmm... so they're not that bad in melee after all. On a side note I played a game against Seraphon yesterday, with my mix of Orcs and Gobbos. It was the first time I encountered a Seraphon army btw. The 2 units of 10 skinks never managed to threaten me. They were wiped in 2 turns. 1 unit got trampled by my trolls, the other was shot by my orc archers and a doom diver. I do wonder whether my opponent (a rookie Aos/Seraphon player) made the right choice sending them in the front line. Also, he didn't use wary fighters. I have the feeling 10 skinks units are best used teleported in the flank/back of the enemy, when they'll be able to challenge an objective, distract the attention of the opponent, or something like that. Is that right?
Pretty much. Skinks in small units are one of the weakest units in the game. They are only good as chaff or to claim an uncontested objective.
Thanks for all of your inputs. I run all with spitters and bucklers, was just wanting to know thoughts on the other option.
There's one thing that doesn't seem to be mentioned yet, and that's that skinks are terrible in melee regardless of what you kit them out with. The clubs only average 1 succesfull attack per round of combat per 10 skinks, which is unlikely to help you much in any situation. As @Aginor said, skinks are one of weakest units, or maybe even the weakest unit. Kitting out cannonfodder for maximum damage is just an excercise in futility. On the other hand, that rend protection can mean the difference between dying from 10 succesfull attacks or dying from 12, and that's fairly quickly going to be noticeable, especially seeing as you tend to bring a lot of fodder . Plus, if even 1 skink hangs on, he might be able to block the opponents march in the next turn as well, forcing a lot of wasted time.
Man, you guys keep making good points. I suppose I'll have to build them with shields, even if I won't like the models as much :/
I really appreciate the input here. Helped immensely in my build out of the Skink box and Battleforce box I got.