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AoS Chameleon Skink Ambush

Discussion in 'Seraphon Discussion' started by Das Axolotl, Jul 15, 2019.

  1. Das Axolotl
    Skink

    Das Axolotl Member

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    Hey Folks, i have a question for all you veterans of lizardly warfare:
    The Chameleon Skink ambush rule says: "[...] you can reveal a unit that is in hiding by setting it up
    anywhere on the battlefield." Usually the restrictions for setting up things by teleporting, summoning and similar things are written in the abilities rules, especially the restiction of how close the unit can be set up to enemy units. Does the lack of this restriction mean i can ambush into close combat (into 3" of an enemy unit)? I see that CS are not the best melee unit, but getting more important artillery or shooting units of your opponent wrapped up in close combat seems like a considerable option if allowed.

    Love you all,
    Das Axolotl
     
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  2. LizardWizard
    OldBlood

    LizardWizard Grand Skink Handler Staff Member

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    You can ambush into any spot that that isn't occupied by a model or impassable.
     
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  3. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Yep. Best teleport in the game.
    Sadly the Chameleon Skinks aren't exactly great in combat so it probably won't be of much use.
     
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  4. Ecozh
    Cold One

    Ecozh Active Member

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    Great use!

    • Deepstrike them on an objective that has less than 5 guards. Just out of combat range so you capture the objective. Puts the pressure on your opponent points wise, which gives you more possibilities movement/teleportwise.
    • Deepstrike them in combat with a ranged big threat (or three inches away, shoot at something else then charge). Most of the time closecombat isnt a canon best quality.
    • Deepstrike them next to your Astrolith bearer in your combat lines. With two attacks each and hitting on 3's (with rerolls and two dmg on 6's) and wounding on 4's they are a nice unexpected ranged option.
    I love them and last Sunday's tournament (battlereports in progress) they really helped me win two matches with the objective deepstrike.
    (Last match was a major blackout on my part )
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2019
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  5. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    This doesn't work if they are two inches away as they cannot shoot or charge out of combat.
    AoS combat is 3", perhaps you mixed it up with 40k or I misunderstood what you meant.
    If you meant to say 2" further away than combat (so 5" total) then you are right.


    I sometimes do stuff like the above, but most of the time I think they are too expensive for their damage, even despite that ability, so I don't plan my army around them, and since they cannot be summoned into hiding you need two turns to really use it when you summon them.
     
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  6. Ecozh
    Cold One

    Ecozh Active Member

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    Oh, typo 3 instead of 2, changed that!
     
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  7. WizardinWinter
    Skink

    WizardinWinter Member

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    Another question: it seems pretty overpowered, even after their crazy point costs.
    Where it says "you can reveal *a* unit that is in hiding..." Does that mean that on a given turn, you can only place one unit?
    Otherwise I'm seeing no reason *not* to take several min size units and just Port them in where/whenever the situation calls for them.
     
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  8. LizardWizard
    OldBlood

    LizardWizard Grand Skink Handler Staff Member

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    There is no limit to the number of times you can do this. Taking two or three 5x units is rather good for objective grabbing. This is less affective in the current horde centric meta, however.
     
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  9. Canas
    Slann

    Canas Ninth Spawning

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    it's powerfull, but given how weak chameleons are in combat it's fairly balanced. Grabbing on objective at the last moment is possible and super usefull, but don't count on them actually holding the objective as they're made out of paper. And having 300-400 points just sitting around doing nothing on the off-chance you can grab an objective at the last second is rather expensive.
     
  10. LizardWizard
    OldBlood

    LizardWizard Grand Skink Handler Staff Member

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    That is literally how games are won though.
     
  11. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    And if you manage to get the whole unit onto a piece of terrain then their 3+ save can make them a pain in the ass to kill.
     
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  12. WizardinWinter
    Skink

    WizardinWinter Member

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    The other thing is, you don't have *hold* an objective, you just have to tag it.
    Even if you go with one squad of boys, 110pts, wait for the armies to collide, jump on the enemies' unattended objective. Next turn, tag another.
    Now they have three choices:
    divert resources to run back and re tag it, because a solo isn't going to outnumber a 5 man

    Commit a character not engaged to getting within threat range and wipe them out in a single turn

    Keep a rearguard out of the combat entirely, to prempt you from backdooring their points. This is almost the best option, as this is 100 pts of guys you hadn't intended to fight with anyway, while their blob, or elite squad remains out of the conflict, while youre fighting full force.
     
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  13. Canas
    Slann

    Canas Ninth Spawning

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    It is, but I'm saying it's a reasonable price to pay. Your opponent doesn't really have to deal with aproximatly 10-20% of your army for most of the game if you take 2-3 squads of em, it gives you a significant disadvantage in exchange for the fairly significant power it provides.

    One caveat though, the higher level you're playing at the more likely that it becomes overpowered as the higher you get the more a game will hinge on 1 crucial mistake/stroke of brillance (or luck :p) and abilities that allow you to just dump a unit somewhere are gamechanging by nature and thus quite easy to "abuse" to sneak in a last-second win. It's one of the things which is Always problematic with utility-heavy abilities like this, there's such a massive difference in the potential pay-off of those between high and low level play and if you balance around one level of play you're liable to make it completly broken (or useless) on the other end of the spectrum.
     
  14. ILKAIN
    Skink Chief

    ILKAIN Well-Known Member

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    but that's the whole point of a skill intensive army with a high risk/reward maneuver option. we cant all be deepkin on eels lol
     
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  15. Canas
    Slann

    Canas Ninth Spawning

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    I know, just saying utility is vastly more difficult to balance :p
     
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  16. Ecozh
    Cold One

    Ecozh Active Member

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    To me 1 unit is An auto include, they won me so many games and it also forces the opponent to make choices when they are still hidden.

    Also their shooting is verry reliable when you place Them next to your Astrolith bearer. So defesivly they van help top.
     
  17. Killer Angel
    Slann

    Killer Angel Prophet of the Stars Staff Member

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    I would like to. But usually I'm always short on point. :p

    i really need to force me to include one unit, and see what happens.
     

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