Hey guys, First time poster here, so apologies if this topic has been covered before. I just got into the game recently, having been a long time Lord of the Rings SBG player. I'm loving AoS with the exception that one unit in my army has been under constant scrutiny since my group have picked up the game. It isn't Lord Kroak, it isn't the Carnosaur, no; it's the Skink Priest with priestly trappings and his bless up power (re-roll failed saves for all Seraphon units within 8"). Keeping him within 8" of a good chunk of my army really isn't too tough, and in bigger games, the times I don't pop the 4+ off, I have insight points to re-roll it. Now, he's only a 4 wound, 5+ save model, but he's the one i'm being called a powergamer for using. Is he a total cheese unit, or are my friends a tiny wee bit sore?
What army do they play, they need to find a counter and a way to divide your force to decrease the units being buffed.
Preach it. The Death player gets the hang of it, the other four are chaos and elves. It's what I've been saying all along, but the advice rubs salt in the wound. I know they'll all latch onto to the strategy sooner or later, I'm just looking for clarification the Skink Priest isn't frowned upon by the community at large.
He is strong but has 4 wounds and +5 save get him on his own and he won't last long, and people say AOS has no tactics, just off the top of my head, Dark elves (all elves are order now) have shades very similar to Camo skinks they can set up behind your priest and take him out. Edit: thought of another DE exile unit with shadowblade hidden, he is deadly and would easily take the priest out, yes the unit has to engage but easily done. Skaven are Chaos now they have Gutter runners and Assassin, there will do loads more of counters you need @Bainbow, @Killer Angel, @Bowser or @YZK to see this (which they will now)
Skink Priest's rather weak, actually. Granted "weak" in AoS roughly translates to "really powerful but not insanely powerful," but he only has a 50% chance of actually using his Rites and rerolls don't improve these odds, just give you a second shot. He's got a tiny amount of wounds for a hero, and only has a 5+ Save with Trappings, making him particularly fragile too. Furthermore while it's pointless trying to focus efforts on killing him because he can be summoned back, all he does is allow for a reroll of Saves in a small radius, which while potentially powerful, doesn't account for Line Breakers running in and just bypassing your Saves with a volley of Mortal Wounds, or Rending your Save so much that the rerolls are heavily weakened. In the end, all he does is give you a chance to improve your armour a bit, which is unreliable and basic. Personally I take the Starpriest for a more adaptable and more reliable alternative ability in Starlight, though granted I am thinking of replacing him with the Priest for a short while to mix things up while I prepare my 130 Wound Fyreslayer army.
Short question: How do you play him? With cloak and trappings or just the trappings? (except of the short description there is no hint that it's not possible to have both... So I think it's possible some people do it...) if using both items it might be a bit op... But as @Bainbow said usually the star priest is more powerful..
If you look at other priests in the game, a handful have better buff rolls than 4+; I play against dwarves that are constantly giving their cannons extra rend with a 2+ buff. I call that overpowered, but I don't cry about it. Also, our priest only has one choice of buffs, while other priests sometimes have two or even three choices of buffs. Our priest is very valuable but far from OP, and the 8" bubble is nice and all, but quite small actually. It's annoying, having to defend your armies special rules. Me and my group are all new too, and I've been going through the same thing (with summoning, of course), and my advice to you is to hold your ground. Don't let them impose house rules to nerf you.
Oh no, it's not allowed to have cloak and trappings. That description specifically forbids it, it's either cloak and starbolts or trappings.
Thanks for all the replies; I'm glad you guys and gals share the view that it's a perfectly reasonable warscroll.
Please also note that the ability to re-roll saves, it's far from uncommon. A lot of dwarfs' units have "shield wall" (and they don't need a 4+ to work), and their warmachines can be entrenched. Many high elves heroes re-roll saves. Wood Elves' Glade Shields let them re-roll 1 and 2 (if in cover). ...leaving aside the plethora of units that deal mortal wounds and simply laugh.
My Fyreslayer army that I debuted today has what's basically "pick some nearby units for rerolls to Saves." My Stormcast run 2+ Saves with rerolls of 1. It's pretty common, yeah.