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AoS 500-pt Skink Swarm vs. Spiderfang Grots

Discussion in 'Battle Reports' started by Stormscales, Oct 23, 2017.

  1. Stormscales
    Saurus

    Stormscales Active Member

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    As promised, an update on the 480-pt Skink swarm with 81 models. I ended up fighting Spiderfang Grots instead of Khornates as I originally expected.

    My army:
    • Skink starpriest, Incandescent Rectrices, Master of Star Rituals
    • 40 Skinks, dartpipes, clubs
    • 40 Skinks, dartpipes, clubs

    The opposition:
    • Big Boss on spider
    • 10 Grot Spider Riders
    • 10 Grot Spider Riders


    I finished deploying first (one unit of Skinks on each side, the Starpriest in the middle) and elected to go first, which may have been a mistake; I should have let the Spider Riders come at me. When I started moving my right flank, I realized I could get only 14 Skinks out of 40 within dartpipe range. I chose not to move my left flank, as none of the Skinks in that unit could get in range anyway. My second mistake was to leave my Starpriest woefully exposed at the front. I didn't accomplish much that round, except kill a Spider Rider or two; the Starpriest's rituals and Summon Starlight spell went off successfully, but I don't think they made any difference.

    My opponent then got a double turn. All three of his units charged my right flank, maimed one unit of Skinks pretty badly, and made short work of my Starpriest. (He was resurrected by his Incandescent Rectrices, but got charged and killed again almost immediately afterwards.) I kept pulling my right flank back via the Wary Fighters rule, but by the time it was my turn again, I had lost my leader and over 15 Skinks, dealing very little damage in return.

    Things started to look up afterwards. I didn't take detailed notes, but every turn was pretty much the same from then on: my left flank spread into a very wide arc, encircled the Spider Riders (staying just at the edge of dartpipe range) and riddled them with darts, while the Spider Riders backed my beleaguered right flank into a corner and eventually whittled it down to nothing through successive rounds of brutal close combat. It was like a noose tightening around another noose. By the time my opponent finished off my right flank, he had taken far too many losses from my left flank's shooting to have much hope of winning the game. His last-ditch attempt for a quick win in close quarters was once again thwarted by my Wary Fighters rule, and this time, I had all the distance I needed behind me to disengage and keep shooting. He conceded with one Spider Rider left and his Big Boss on his last Wound. My left flank had taken negligible losses (still had 35-odd Skinks out of 40, if I recall correctly).


    I don't know how I would fare against other armies. Spider Riders had two disadvantages here: 1. piss-poor armor saves, making them vulnerable to a flurry of weak attacks, and 2. a heavy reliance on mortal wounds, which are a bit of an overkill against 5-point models with 6+ armor saves. On the other hand, they have a speed that many armies cannot match. If I could dance circles around them, imagine how I could deal with Stormcast infantry and Orks.


    Random thoughts about Skink swarms:
    • This kind of list must be extremely frustrating to fight against. Use it too often and you'll lose all your friends.
    • Time is on your side. When in doubt, delay.
    • Highly offensive armies that rely on a quick, surgical strike to the heart will struggle hard against a Skink-heavy list.
    • Large units of Skinks can lead to interesting situations and opportunities. For example, when a unit is forming a very long thread and the enemy is only attacking one end, an 8'' disengage move (via the Wary Fighters rule) can be used to get some Skinks on the other end closer to the enemy than before.
    • For the above reason, your Wary Fighters moves should be considered with just as much care as your movement phase moves.
    • Bravery 10 absolutely rocks.
    • Moving 81 models is a pain in the ass.

    [​IMG]

    The board at the end of round 2.
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2017
  2. Zadocfish
    Skink

    Zadocfish New Member

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    Stars, this looks like it was a blast. But... yeah, seems frustrating to play against it. For the opponent, even winning would only make the infuriation slightly worth it... waiting for all those Skinks to move, while being unable to do more than whittle away at them due to their disengaging ability... and since 500 pt games are hard to come by anyways, you'd run out of willing opponents real fast.

    Still, the fact that it functions fairly well makes me unspeakably happy, and gives me hope that Skink-heavy 1000+ lists can also work.

    ALSO! How did they fare in close combat with those clubs? Does having 2 attacks each make a difference to how they work in close quarters?
     
  3. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Thanks for the report!

    I think using a homemande movement tray until you have to spread them out would work quite well to solve the movement problem to a certain degree. Same goes for playing on a smooth gaming mat where you can just shove your models around in a blob.
    I do the first with my Skinks and the latter with my Skellies.
     
  4. Killer Angel
    Slann

    Killer Angel Prophet of the Stars Staff Member

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    You should have problems also against long distance shooting armies, but that's a problem tha almost all the armies have.
     
  5. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Yeah Kunnin Rukk, Skyfire, Wanderers, Kurnoth Hunters or so will be devastating I think.
     
  6. Stormscales
    Saurus

    Stormscales Active Member

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    My opponent was well aware this was just a kind of exhibition game based on the gimmick of a Skink swarm. I advertised the game on my GW store's Facebook page by saying: "Who wants to fight 81 Skinks in 500 pts?" But I've got another regular opponent who'd like to try his luck against this army; perhaps I'll post an update.


    The only time I had them actually fight in close combat was to kill a lone Spider Rider. Then again, I had like 12 Skinks attacking one guy with a 5+ armor save, so it was hard to fail. The only enemy with a Rend that might have made the shields worth it was the Big Boss.

    Skinks with clubs don't have 2 attacks each, just a much better chance to wound. Overall, 1/6 chance to hit and wound instead of 1/18.
     
  7. Aginor
    Slann

    Aginor Fifth Spawning Staff Member

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    Are you sure?
    I don't see anything saying that a Skink with Boltspitter and club cannot use both in melee. A model attacks with all of its melee weapons.
     
  8. Stormscales
    Saurus

    Stormscales Active Member

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    I think you're right. My mind hasn't fully adapted yet to the sometimes unorthodox assumptions you can make in Age of Sigmar.
     
  9. Seraphage
    Stegadon

    Seraphage Well-Known Member

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    Has many weaknesses but sounded like a really fun game, good job, well played !

    Laughed hard at the "pain in the ass part". I can relate though as only having 1 40man blob ( of sauri warriors ) hurts me too much already. Double that.. oh lord :confused:
     

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