8th Ed. Skrox units

[themuffinman873]

How do you effectively create, deploy, and use Skrox units (Or just solo Krox units). When are they a good idea, when are they not so helpful. When should you have a super wide skink unit with 3-5 krox in there, when should you stay at the bare minimum of 5 skinks and 1 or 2 Krox?

I always treat them like a saurus block instead of like a heavy cavalry block, is this a bad thing?

I mainly consider them to deal with monsters/chariots, what else are they good at?

Is wildform the best buff spell for them (as it makes your skinks much less squishy)?

Why would you want to deploy solo Krox units? And if you do, how many makes a good unit size?

 

[Putzfrau]

Personally I think they WS light buff is pretty effective. The initiative is wasted but the strength from Wyssans is mostly wasted as well.

Really they are just not a very strong unit. It'll be an uphill battle making them work.

 

[hdctambien]

I run a big block of Skrox (50ish Skinks, 2 - 3 Kroxigor) and use them as a tarpit for my giant block of Frenzy Temple Guard (40ish) and Ancient Stegadon.

I've never had much luck with regular Saurus warriors, and for the same point costs you can absorb twice as many wounds (and against Str 5/6 the Saurus Armor and T advantage goes away)

I don't really expect much damage output from the Skrox. I use the Kroxigor for Ld7 and as a hole for my opponent to throw attacks into instead of killing sinks. Also, I keep them on the flanks so they can stomp anything that gets into my Skrox' side.

I usually run them as a horde so I can get a lot of Stand and Shoot attacks, but against another horde unit I would probably run them in bus formation for better tarpitting.

 

[Dog On Todd]

I run a big block of Skrox (50ish Skinks, 2 - 3 Kroxigor) and use them as a tarpit for my giant block of Frenzy Temple Guard (40ish) and Ancient Stegadon.

I've never had much luck with regular Saurus warriors, and for the same point costs you can absorb twice as many wounds (and against Str 5/6 the Saurus Armor and T advantage goes away)

I don't really expect much damage output from the Skrox. I use the Kroxigor for Ld7 and as a hole for my opponent to throw attacks into instead of killing sinks. Also, I keep them on the flanks so they can stomp anything that gets into my Skrox' side.

I usually run them as a horde so I can get a lot of Stand and Shoot attacks, but against another horde unit I would probably run them in bus formation for better tarpitting.

Can you deploy the krox on the flanks? I thought they had to be in the 2nd row in the very middle?

Interesting idea. Going to try skinks as my anvil against dwarves. Not sure if Krox will make the cut. Slann leadership is higher

 

[Stonecutter]

Skrox have definitely become a lot less useful with the latest book now that the krox are subject to being attacked and the skinks in the unit can be stomped. Essentially, if skrox play smash mouth with any ranked unit that has better than S3/T3 and/or more than one attack, they will lose out in very short order. That being said, I generally field 2 skrox blocks of 24/3 krox (std & music) with a frontage of 6 and have decent success when employing them as follows based on running a loremaster slaan & a 2nd level priest with either heavens or beasts:

1) Flankers for TG - they make an excellent flank support since this minimizes attacks back while allowing all the krox to get their shots in as well as negating opposing ranks. Useful spells to help this along are hand of glory (boosting movement by 2" means 4" more of march and can allow for a long charge that surprises people, not to mention any increase in WS always helps), iceshard (also protects the TG) and harmonic convergence (although this is usually better placed on the TG).

2) Chaff killers - Skrox can lay a beating on any opposing chaff units with ease. Toss in the ability to quick reform into a wide unit to dish out ~20 poisoned shots and even fliers have to take note. They usually don't require buffs for this role but HoG to buff BS improves shooting (obviously).

3) Gunline Rollup - the comparatively narrow frontage and rapid movement allows skrox to get into a gunline very quickly. Once there, they can usually roll up any war machines or shooters with ease although there are a few exceptions (Hellcannon being a prime one although better skrox die than TG from templates!). Magic to help this along again is HoG (movement) and walk between worlds.

4) Monsters & Chariots - the steadfast keeps them in the game against thunderstomping monsters while the static combat res will usually allow a chariot to broken. My usual tactic is to move up and shoot, then stand and shoot. This is only possible if the skrox unit can block the opposing units movement (i.e. doesn't work too well on flying monsters). Any magic that helps keep the krox alive and attacking (hexes or buffs) makes a big difference to success.

Hope this helps.

 

[themuffinman873]

So the difference between new and old Skrox rules is that now the Krox can be targeted in the supporting rank. Does this also mean they can be targeted by stomps and impact hits? Or when a rule refers to "goes against the unit" do you just treat the skinks as the unit and the Krox as similar to characters. If a single source deals 4 wounds to a Krox, will the last wound go to the adjacent Krox?

 

[Vadraha]

I use skrox in my list they are awesome at killing heavy cavalry and monsters you just don't tell people the Krox can be attacked unless they ask you

 

[lizard_sNow]

Impact hits and stomps are distributed like shooting. If a krox model is wounded 4 times the 4th wound would go against the other krox in the unit. If there aren't any other krox in the unit then the wound would be lost, afaik.

 

[Stonecutter]

So the difference between new and old Skrox rules is that now the Krox can be targeted in the supporting rank.

Correct. Any enemy in base contact with a skink that is in turn touching a krox can direct the attacks against either the skink or the krox.

Does this also mean they can be targeted by stomps and impact hits? Or when a rule refers to "goes against the unit" do you just treat the skinks as the unit and the Krox as similar to characters.

Stomps only affect the skinks. Impact hits/shooting/MM, etc. are randomized with 1-4 hitting skinks and 5-6 hitting krox.

If a single source deals 4 wounds to a Krox, will the last wound go to the adjacent Krox?

Yes, wounds carry over. There are a couple of exceptions such as multi-wound templates (e.g cannon balls or the eye of a stone thrower doing d6 wounds) that can only do up to the maximum wounds the model has remaining, which is usually 3 for a krox.

 

[hdctambien]

So the difference between new and old Skrox rules is that now the Krox can be targeted in the supporting rank.

Correct. Any enemy in base contact with a skink that is in turn touching a krox can direct the attacks against either the skink or the krox.

You should note that supporting attacks can't attack your Kroxigor in the second rank. So while they can be attacked, the can't be attacked by too many models. That does add to their survivability (take that High Elves fighting in infinity ranks!)

 

[eppe]

I'm considering using Skrox in my new list that is heavy monsters, carnosaur, ancient, bastiladon, but I can't decide between small groups of 10 skinks and 1 krox or just one big group of all of them. Any suggestions?

Saurus are just underwhelming imo.

 

[Lizardmatt]

I'm considering using Skrox in my new list that is heavy monsters, carnosaur, ancient, bastiladon, but I can't decide between small groups of 10 skinks and 1 krox or just one big group of all of them. Any suggestions?

Saurus are just underwhelming imo.

I liked the unit of 11 + Krox (5 wide, 3 deep) for flanking, or 24 + 3 krox (6 wide skinks, 6 deep unit) for more toe to toe fighting.

Movement 6 skinks/krox work out pretty well with the M6 and M7 monsters.
I found that the M4 bastiladons end up trailing behind, but that's where you want them anyway.