8th Ed. How To Skink?

I have a hard time using my Skink skirmishers effectively. I just don't know how to compensate for this awful combination of mediocre BS, short range, and lousy Strength. I feel like I am rarely in a position where I don't need 6s to hit... and sometimes I even need 7s, which even kibashes their Poisoned Attacks! Multiple Shots on the blowpipes looked like fun, at first, but in practice it is almost impossible to take advantage of. And their Ld is so bad that if anything looks at them funny, they run off, setting off a fatal chain reaction that leads to half my army being mopped of the board in a single turn.

I know it's me. Clouds of cheeky Skinks was the strategy of the old edition. While I know that times have changed, I also know that Skinks haven't been totally nerfed... so what am I doing wrong? Educate me.

Thanks in advance.

 

Blowpipes have Multiple Shots (2). So yes, with 10 Skinks you can take a -1 to your BS to shoot 20 shots.

But remember, if you need more than a 6 to hit, Poisoned Attacks falls off. Skinks normally need 4s to hit. If you move (5s to hit) and shoot at more than 6'' (6s to hit) then you need to shoot single attacks to avoid needing a 7, which makes the whole thing useless. Old Ones forbid your target is Skirmishers (-1 to hit) or behind cover (-1 to hit). Then you're just screwed.

 

Ive felt skinks to be amazing. no other army really have anything like them.
Anything with crappy armorsave go down, good monsterkillers, exellent chaffkillers, loving the poison, last game they speared those vampirecount dogs like grass, great redirectors/march blockers.

what u need to do is keep them 6inch away from each other incase u need to flee. we dont want them all cascadefleeing off the battlefield. only when u really have to then stand and shoot, otherwise flee.. or unless its almost impossible long charge.

if ur doing the double flee charge block keep ur bsb or army general near so both of them wont flee when the first skins group flees.

i always equip them with javelins and in skirmish formation.

 

I almost always use Jav & Shield skinks for this exact reason.

1) You don't get -1 for moving and shooting so you can effectively move and shoot at a skirmished unit at long range with poison.
2) You can stand and shoot at a unit at long range just as effectively as blowpipes AND you can stand and shoot at a unit that is too close for blowpipes to stand and shoot at
3) 5+ Save and 6+ parry. These guys don't necessarily crumble whenever the wind blows ... especially if you can get them engaged inside a forest (stubborn skinks? yes!)

I save my blowpipes for Chameleon Skinks because BS4 makes multishot a viable option.

When I do run regular blowpipes I try to use them in conjunction with my jav and shield skinks:

1. Put the Jav&Shield in position to be charged by a monster or something scary.
2. Lineup the Blowpipes to create an alley behind the Jav&Shields:

Code:

	 [Javs]
B P			B P
L I			L I
O P			O P
W E			W E

3. Jav&Shield shoots in it's shooting phase. Then stands and shoots when it is changed. Then (hopefully) breaks and flees from combat, luring the monster into a Custard's Last Stand situation.

4. Blowpipe's shouldn't have to move to multishot and might even be at close range (20 - 40 poison shots with 4's to hit!)

Of course, you have to be trickier with your setup. No one in their right mind would charge into those skinks if they can see that they would be ambushed by the blowpipers.


Recently I've been using my skinks to absorb charges for my Saurus. I put them 9 - 11 inches in front of my Saurus and let them take a charge . Eventually they break and my opponent overruns, but he shouldn't over run into my Saurus. Then my Saurus can get into combat with out having to deal with +2 Str Lances and the like. That's been working well for me.

 

You need to spend the first 2-3 turns fleeing and then the rest of the game shooting.

Big scary Warrior block? Use two skirmishers to block the path they want to travel. Charge - flee, redirect - flee. He fail charges and derps out and shuffles d6. Use the 18" range on your slann and cleve angling (FAQ says they flee from center mass of the unit) to rally.

They will eventually break I - you rally and they walk past you finally on turn 3-4. Then you shadow them and march block and shoot them.


The only time you'll want to hold is if you will win, or want to let a frenzied unit win so that they overrun somewhere useful for you.

Just watch out for swiftstride and other chaff. Fleeing units must elect to flee, so a unit or two of chaos warhounds can ping pong your skinks.

TL;DR, see the rules for pursuit, failed charges, and fleeing. Practice.

 

While good advice, 9" isn't enough clearance against swiftstride pursuers. And pursuit (test to restrain) and overrun (optional) are only compulsory if frenzied. If you are 12" your opponent will jus pull up and dare you to charge.

 

How to Skink effectively:

1. remember what their strengths and weaknesses are. They are 70 points for a unit with T2 and S3 with roughly a 50/50 chance of passing a ld test. They are so maneuverable that you can set up some great redirection and baiting with a little thought.

2. They are not there to kill RNF blocks. they are there to chip wounds off monsters and redirect so that your combat units have a good match up.

3. Use multiple units to kill pri1 targets. ie there was a 5 strong unit of warlock cav with the 4+ ward save. Using 3 skink units I killed it off in 1 turn. I did the same with a dragon.

4. Be patient and don't expect a volley to wipe out units. Early removing of a single model and the rank bonus can win the game later on in combat.

5. use forests. being steadfast means you can take atrocious damage and still pass the ld tests it is a good reason to take a champ. It also forces cav etc to take dangerous terrain tests.

6. Use them to redirect away from a dino or slans unit. don't flee. just angle and smile. pushing them up into the face of the enemy means that th max over run is now 12 inches and not 2D6 + movement. This will buy you time if engaged.

7. Never be afraid to charge skinks in support of stegs. madness!! no. the skinks protect from shooting and being charged and then when they charge open up a gap for the stegs to assault through. The skinks may give up some combat res sure but the stegs are stubborn and 2 ancients do 2d6+2 S6 D3 imoact hits which should remove most serious threats and will generate a lot of CR. if there is already a gap open, don't charge the skinks in.

8. use the amazing threat range of skinks to pepper units. If you can surround blocks then the game is won.

9. use javs and not pipes. pipes are for chammies. with only the -1 for long range the javs beat the -1 move -1 long range -1 double shot that pipes have. Plus the javs have a 5+ armour and 6+ parry. Nothing better than when a dragon attacks your skinks and you parry it away. L.O.L.

10. never be afraid of losing a unit. its just 70 points.

 

This^ should be added to the LM tactica! Great write-up, inspiring and I learned some valuable stuff. Now I just use on jav-unit as a bunker for a priest, move up early and get some Arcane Vassal business going. Even though I know they are a great chaff unit I've always considered them sub-par to "MORE SAURUS!!" Time to paint some more skinks and go combined arms