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8th Ed. Skink Skirmisher Question

eppe
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eppe

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I just had my first game where I brought in 2 groups of 10 Skink Skirmishers. I don't think I used them right because I was unimpressed with them, and my opponent thought they'd do more too.

I tried to keep them moving and at max range to avoid being charged and every turn I would typically launch a volley of darts at them. Very few hit though since they took so many penalties for long range and moving. I read the FAQ but it doesn't seem to give me much advice here... or I haven't gotten anything out of it.

I kept one group of Skinks off to a 45 degree angle of his many body and another directly in the center in some water. After going over how I played it seems like I should have moved my skinks up along his flanks and pushed them into their close range to get 2 shots off with no penalties. Is this the case? Am I missing something?
 
skinks aren't meant for toe-to-toe fighting. They are pretty much used as screens to protect your saurus from shooting and/or to bug the enemy in the flanks. If you can manage to make your opponent use 1 turn on your skinks then that is what you want - they are low point fodder - so you can set up and get your charge with your main units. Getting opponent to use 2 turns on them is even better! Anyways, that's how I use mine. :-D

- Lord Cedric
 
So kinda like bait? Lead with my Skinks and if the enemy charges them move in with the Saurus?
 
Yes. You can either have your skinks flee (and should get them back fairly decent with cold blooded) to try and draw the enemy unit closer to within a charge from main units and re-use them for screens or for flank skirmishing, or you can have them stand and shoot their poison attacks and use your already set-up saurus or another main unit on a charge into their flank. This is how I usually play mine. Either way, I want the enemy shooting at my skinks and wasting set-up time on them.

- Lord Cedric
 
Their blow pipes and spears pay off on units with bad saves. Because the skinks are so cheap you can consider every model they kill a free casualty.
 
I never take blowpipes on my skirmishers. I use Javelin and shield. I like to get in close and shoot, then stand and shoot (if I do not flee). I use them to redirect when they are charge in that fashion.
 
If you want to use skink peashooters for shooting then you need to accept you will either spend a long time manouvering into position to get double shots or you have to move in close and accept you are likely to get charged.

Against high toughness low AS monsters then getting in close is worth the sacrifice, Against rank and file units, manouver or use sallies.

In the middle of the battlefield javelin skirmishers tend to do better unless there is a giant to victimise. Their auto stand and shoot and parry save make them far better if you have to accept combat and their shooting suffers less penalties despite the lack of the double shot.

With peashooters you generally end up shooting with a 6 to wound as you take two of long range, moving and double shot penalties. Javelins are most often at 5 to hit as well as the poison 6 to wound of the peashooter as you can keep them at a longer range for survivability.
 
Another reason for having a couple units of skirmishers is for soft drops while you are waiting for your opponent to drop his Hell Cannon, unit of Chosen or a Hydra(s).
 
The trick with skinks are to stay on flanks of units with low saves or guys you cant afford to fight in combat by just dwindling them down by them failing 1 2+save every turn. Also since 8th edition rules state skirmishers have a flank and a front now. you can line them up 1 inch away from your opponents force right in front of them facing them at a angle so when they charge(and you make it to where they have too) sure you dont get a stand and shoot but that's one turn they charge and then have to reform after they run combat so you get to charge up with your saurus or get a pack of salamanders on that units flank for rest of game meaning bye bye unit! lol. best thing ever.
 
I don't think the Skinks get a parry save. They us their missile weapon in combat instead of the handweapon, therefore no parry save.

Samuel
 
They have both, jav. and a handweapon, in CC they use the handweapon, so they do get an parry save.
 
Theordoris is right, skirmishers have both javelins (or blowpipes) and hand weapons. If you look at the models you can see ranged weapons and little jagged daggers. When in doubt, turn to the fluff!
 
theodoris said:
They have both, jav. and a handweapon, in CC they use the handweapon, so they do get an parry save.
Click to expand...

Yea the skinks with javelin and shield get to use hand weapons in close combat,
so they get the pery save.

Keep in mind the blowpipe skinks don't get a shield, so no perry save for them.
 
no rules being made up here LT. javelins are ranged weapons (thrown weapons if you will) and as such you dont use them in CC. just like you dont use throwing axes, bows of all shapes and sizes, blowpipes, etc in CC. what you DO use in CC is their hand weapons. they have shields as well, so they get the bonus save granted by using a hand weapon and shield in CC. is there somewhere in the BRB that says we are supposed to be using ranged weaponry in CC?
 
Bish said:
I don't think the Skinks get a parry save. They us their missile weapon in combat instead of the handweapon, therefore no parry save.

Samuel
Click to expand...
In close combat they use thier hand weapons, Skinks with blow pipes just dont have shields.
Skinks Skirmishers armed with Javelins and Shields get a parry save in close combat, same with Skink Cohorts.
Any model with a shield in its basic army list description gets parry saves in Close Combat -
With the exception of the following -
a. Uses a weapon that requires two-hands in Close Combat. (ie. Temple Guard, Sword Masters, etc)
b. It has upgraded to a shield that is magic.
 
i think my sarcasm fell short... the rule i was talking about being made up is that for some reason skinks would use their javelins in CC. this is so wrong at such a basic level that i couldnt understand why anyone would raise the objection...
 
your right, completely missed it :). @SanDiego: its a little confusing to say "the exceptions are", mainly because there is only 1 weapon that allows you to take a parry save and that is a hand weapon. only if your allowed to use it of course. if you have any other CC weapon, you wont be getting the parry because your forced to use that "Special" CC weapon. i bring this up because your exceptions didn't include spears, which are 1 handed weapons yet not hand weapons :)
 
Yup, straight over my head. Sarcasm never works online!

It did bring up the amusing image of an archer twatting someone with his bow, though!
 
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