AoS Skink Roadblock

[Mees]

Hi everyone,

I have read through several threads and I've often seen people referring to 'Skink road blocking' a unit. I was curious as to what this exactly means. Does this mean you basically walk your skinks up to your opponent and leave a 3 inch gap between the skinks and the enemy unit, so that the enemy cannot really advance forward more than 3 inches? Or does it mean actually engaging into combat immediately with your skinks so that your opponent cannot really move at all for perhaps 1 turn?

I can imagine that a 10 man skink unit will die the same turn it's attacked against a decently strong enemy melee unit. So, road blocking a unit means that you continually bring/summon new skinks to keep the roadblock going? Sorry if my questions are rather vague but I would really like to know since I would like to use this tactic in my own games as well.

Thank you in advance for anyone who replies and helps!

 

[LizardWizard]

Welcome to Lustria!

When speed bumping or roadblock you are generally not engaging the enemy in combat. At least when using Skinks.

Looking to engage the enemy to tie them up would be better descriptive as a pin. Due to Skinks weak saves they are not out most ideal unit for pins. However, if you can preform a double pin, meaning you engage a unit on one corner with a unit of Skinks and on another corner with a separate unit of Skinks of something else, then they are quite effective. If done correctly you can prevent any enemy pile in and only have to fight them one model at a time.

 

[Canas]

The general idea behind a road-block unit is the same as behind an actual road-block; to throw stuff in the way of incoming troops in hopes of slowing them down. Depending on the situation that can mean outright charging the skink into an enemy, placing them just in front, or fancier manouvers like the one @LizardWizard described. The important bit is that the enemy is slowed down (significantly), the longer the better. The reason that skinks are used for this is because they're extremely cheap, but quite fast. So they can easily outmanouvre an opponent and get in his way, however they're so weak that they don't really have any hope of ever achieving more than that.

 

[Mees]

Welcome to Lustria!

When speed bumping or roadblock you are generally not engaging the enemy in combat. At least when using Skinks.

Looking to engage the enemy to tie them up would be better descriptive as a pin. Due to Skinks weak saves they are not out most ideal unit for pins. However, if you can preform a double front pin, meaning you engage a unit on one corner with a unit of Skinks and another unit of Skinks of something else, then they are quite effective. If done correctly you can prevent any enemy pile in and only have to them one model at a time.

Thanks for your reply! So if I understand correctly, the idea of road blocking is to place them 3 inches in front of your enemy units? Because then wouldn't it be better to have them charge into combat immediately instead? Since then your opponent also does not get to move up those 3 inches, and your skinks will in both situations end up in combat.

 

[Canas]

Thanks for your reply! So if I understand correctly, the idea of road blocking is to place them 3 inches in front of your enemy units? Because then wouldn't it be better to have them charge into combat immediately instead? Since then your opponent also does not get to move up those 3 inches, and your skinks will in both situations end up in combat.

If you charge they potentially get killed in your turn. If your opponent charges they'l at least survive till his turn. Unless those 3" are vital you probably won't charge.

The idea is not to allow your opponent to move as little as possible. It's just to prevent your opponent from getting where he needs to be. It doesn't matter if he's 1" or 10" away from his target, what matters is he's not in reach of his target.

 

[Mees]

If you charge they potentially get killed in your turn. If your opponent charges they'l at least survive till his turn. Unless those 3" are vital you probably won't charge.

The idea is not to allow your opponent to move as little as possible. It's just to prevent your opponent from getting where he needs to be. It doesn't matter if he's 1" or 10" away from his target, what matters is he's not in reach of his target.

I see! That makes sense. Let's say the opponent you want to speedbump is a unit of skeleton warriors who have a base movement of 4, if your skinks are around between 8 and 12 inches in front of them, then it only helps the skeletons advance forward since now they can move 4 and also charge onto your skinks for even more inches. This is why I was wondering if roadblocking a unit just means putting them 3 inches in front of enemy units, since else enemy units can only advance forward even more because of your skinks.

I've never really known what to do with my skinks except for screening and grabbing objectives. In my next game I'll try to 'roadblock/speed bump' something as well and see how it goes.

 

[LizardWizard]

Let's say the opponent you want to speedbump is a unit of skeleton warriors who have a base movement of 4, if your skinks are around between 8 and 12 inches in front of them, then it only helps the skeletons advance forward since now they can move 4 and also charge onto your skinks for even more inches. This is why I was wondering if roadblocking a unit just means putting them 3 inches in front of enemy units, since else enemy units can only advance forward even more because of your skinks.

Very well done. This is one of the subtle aspects of decision making that can separate decent players from terrifying players.

If you want to win with Seraphon you have to play all turns simultaneously. We are a scalpel, and thus our army requires great foresight and prediction (how very fully). The choices you make in the current turn need to be viewed for how they will impact your future ability to score for the remainder of the game.

 

[Joshua Horchler]

Welcome to Lustria!

When speed bumping or roadblock you are generally not engaging the enemy in combat. At least when using Skinks.

Looking to engage the enemy to tie them up would be better descriptive as a pin. Due to Skinks weak saves they are not out most ideal unit for pins. However, if you can preform a double front pin, meaning you engage a unit on one corner with a unit of Skinks and another unit of Skinks of something else, then they are quite effective. If done correctly you can prevent any enemy pile in and only have to them one model at a time.

Would you mind breaking this down a little bit more? For some reason I'm struggling to picture it.

Another tip is charging an enemy with a unit of skinks, there's another enemy unit near by and tying up both units in a single charge. This is best used againt enemy shooting units because your skinks will survive the combat and then it takes the enemies turn of shooting and hopefully combat to finish them off.

 

[LizardWizard]

Would you mind breaking this down a little bit more? For some reason I'm struggling to picture it.

Another tip is charging an enemy with a unit of skinks, there's another enemy unit near by and tying up both units in a single charge. This is best used againt enemy shooting units because your skinks will survive the combat and then it takes the enemies turn of shooting and hopefully combat to finish them off.

Would be happy to. Which part did I not explain clearly? Looks like I did leave out a word or two in the original post. They have been corrected. Let me know if this was adequate.

 

[Schwaaah]

So, I guess my question on the pinning thing is this: Are you using 2 units of skinks, on opposite corners of an opposing unit, to stretch it out as thin as possible, thereby minimizing the number of models that can pile in while maintaining unit cohesion? Or are you putting 2 skinks in base contact with 1 enemy model making it so it can't pile in as it has to remain in base contact with both? Or am I off track entirely?

 

[Canas]

So, I guess my question on the pinning thing is this: Are you using 2 units of skinks, on opposite corners of an opposing unit, to stretch it out as thin as possible, thereby minimizing the number of models that can pile in while maintaining unit cohesion? Or are you putting 2 skinks in base contact with 1 enemy model making it so it can't pile in as it has to remain in base contact with both? Or am I off track entirely?

two units of skinks on opposite ends so they can't pile in without breaking unit cohesion.

 

[Schwaaah]

Perfect! Thank you!

 

[LizardWizard]

So, I guess my question on the pinning thing is this: Are you using 2 units of skinks, on opposite corners of an opposing unit, to stretch it out as thin as possible, thereby minimizing the number of models that can pile in while maintaining unit cohesion?

Yep, just like you and @Canas describe.

 

[DeathBringer125]

Question. With the double block couldn’t the enemy jus choose to pile In the whole squad one way or the other? Or is there some rule that makes them have to try and separate.

 

[Schwaaah]

Question. With the double block couldn’t the enemy jus choose to pile In the whole squad one way or the other? Or is there some rule that makes them have to try and separate.

So, pile in must be towards the nearest enemy. So at best you could have both halves pull towards their respective fights. However, you'd still need to maintain unit coherence, so done models would inevitably be stuck out of the fight in the middle.