Yeah this is why I listed them separately, against low toughness enemies or if you can enhance your skinks' strength this isn't so bad. Buffing the unit improves javelins but not blowpipes. Comes down to the type of opponent you expect to face among other things.
Blowpipes vs Javelins - A Few Weeks On. Well, I was going to start a new thread, but though as there's already one around, I might just restart the discussion and get the opinions of people who've used both now that 8th Edition is well underway. I'm currently trying to decide how to arm my skinks, and whilst number-crunching and math-hammering is nice and all, a few people will have had the chance to play 8th edition games by now, and I find experience yields just as much information, so does anyone have any experience with using either of these (or both) in 8th? Is there a clear superior or does it balance purely on what enemies you're facing, where you're attacking them from, what day it is and how high the sun is in the sky?
Well currently for me its how I play them that takes in what I'm giving them. For me I'm converting all my skinks to javelins mostly because I tend to play my skirmishers very offensively which I shouldn't but I need them to take a charge and not be wiped out hopefully. So I figure a squad or two of chameleons with blow pipes should do just fine. But haven't got a good game in with the difference.
Javlins are quick to fire blow pipes are not so actually blowpipes work under the normal rules for stand and shoot. Only javs have no min for stand and shot.
I was really looking forward to getting an answer out of this thread. How should I equip my skinks? I am really new, so I need advice.
make about 30 as blowpipes, then outfit the rest with javs...if you need extra skirmishers (say you want to go with 3 units of 15 or more than 3 units of 10 skirmishers, for example). no one will care if a few have javs...the ones with javs will likely be used for a cohort unit. As for which weapon your skirmishers should use as ranged..i personally use blowpipes, they are awesome! 2 attacks each is <3.
Blow pipes on skirmishers and Javs on cohorts... I find you get more models on the table this way. if you want elete skirmishers I would go for chamelions over jav skirmishers.
I agree with N810. I run the skirm skinks with blowpipes. They typically get a couple decent volleys in and then die. This is fine for them and is great for me. The Cham Skinks do the heavy lifting hunting war machines and such. I try to keep them alive until the late game. So the two combined provide a 2 pronged initial attack.