8th Ed. How to use skink cohorts?

[mrlowery82]

Looking at some of the lizardmen lists that have been doing well at the big tournaments, I have noticed people using skink cohorts. The cohorts are usually in units of 18-20 with a musician. They are deploying them 10 wide 2 deep. I have tried a game or two with this setup and have not been able to make it work. I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on how to use these units effectively? Is there a guide I can look at? Or even just a few tips for deployment and movement? Thanks in advance!

 

[n810]

Skink Cohorts, vanilla: Though not as mobile as Skirmishers, small blocks of Cohort Skinks will serve as good chaff units because they are cheap. A medium sized block within your BSB/general radius can defend a building against a superior force for some time. A large Cohort can serve as a tarpit. Poison should not be disregarded for larger units of these guys, a horde of Skinks with poison stands chances of not only tarpitting, but also taking down more enemies than opponents expect to be losing against Skinks.

-The Lizardmen Handbook

 

[Amrod]

I have to try this unit in the 3 different ways. I suppose that small unit is about 5-10. Medium about 15-29 and big about 30+. But what about the ranks?
Small at 1 or 2 five (frontal of five).
Medium frontal of 5 miniatures? 6?
Big at horde side (frontal of 10 miniatures)? or Another configuration?

And allways near the BSB?

What happend when You use a Krog in it? or 2? How many skinks are the best?

I use ones a skink cohort with a frontal of 6 skinks with 3 kroxigor, and about 24 skinks. They are strong, but I want to know if this need poison attacks or not? this poison you can use it in C/C?

 

[hdctambien]

I use a big unit of 35 Skinks with 3 Kroxigor. Run them 6 wide for steadfast ranks and throw them at my opponent to hold him up until something bigger can take the flank.

Later in the game I will often reform them to be 12 or more wide and at least 2 ranks deep so I can maximize my shooting at a monster or soften up an impending charge (and then get another volley from the quick to fire stand and shoot!)

It gives my opponents an interesting choice to make. Do they focus on skinks to break my steadfast? Or do they put as many attacks as possible into my Kroxigor to stop me from doing damage back at them.

Either choice they make, I should hold the first combat. And I'll probably still be steadfast the second round of combat as well. Don't sleep on those parry saves!

Sure skinks will die, but they won't break so fast. Stubborn, coldblooded 7 is pretty good. And stubborn, coldblooded 9 is nearly unbreakable so keep that BSB nearby!

And if you're running a WD Slann, any combination of Wyssian's, Miasma, Ice Shard (2 Ice Shards?), or an opponent failing a fear test (SKrox cause fear!) can really swing the battle in the Skinks favor.

Just remember, when your support gets there you better destroy whatever you're fighting. Because if you don't the combat res from dead skinks will probably lose you the combat. Or just use the skinks to walk right past something and let them fight it out for a few turns!

I've also had good luck with units of 18 Skinks with 1 Kroxigor (mostly for the leadership). I run these units in 2 ranks with a standard and musician. They can't hold up particularly nasty things, but they can be annoying and with some help from magic they can survive a few rounds of combat which your opponent may not have expected.

 

[rantapanda]

I use to use skirmishers + 2skink cohorts.
One thing I like to do is a poison trap. One skirmisher gets into a fight/flees/is overrun in such a way that multiple skink groups can have a chance to pepper them with poison.

Last example of this was those DoC flying fish thingies charged and overrun skirmisher group. My turn I reformed my three 20skink cohorts and one skirmisher group to mass poison the whole thing. With WD slanns help, all of the five 3wound fishies died.

 

[Dyvim Tvar]

I like to use a single skink cohort with a Krox, champ, and musician. It's a great place to keep your skink priests safe. Krox and musician makes it much easier for the unit to rally when it flees than a normal skink unit. Champ is there to issue challenges to any lone characters that might try an assassin run.