7th Ed. Using Skinks Skirmishers...

[Nosreme]

I am having a little trouble justifying the use of these guys. My first three games with them have not yielded very good results. The issue I am having is that I am always hitting on 6s, so I can never double tap. So then I ask, why is this different, because they used to be phenomenal. I believe it is the fact that they no longer scout.

The scout rule allowed them to be close and in position on turn one, allowing one turn of hitting on 6s, but every turn after that, hitting on 5s. This edition, I spent one turn moving closer without shooting, the next turn getting into position, hitting on 6s, and the other turns playing catch up and readjusting as opponent can predict where they will be next turn. Now they seem like their only good use is as march blockers. Although they did kill a marauder horseman last night in melee, which was funny.

Am I missing anything? I am very disappointed in them at the moment.

 

[To-neh of LaTigra]

Letting them get charged is a good way to get multi-shot 6's. The best use of them that I have found however is to bait enemy units. I have won so many games just by baiting my opponent's nasty cavalry unit(s) away from the bulk of my army.

True, the lose of scout is a bummer, but with Ld6 now, they can hold their ground in true Lizardmen fashion (or rather rally after fleeing from a charge).

 

[Alesh]

Letting them get charged is a good way to get multi-shot 6's..

Can't double tap as a charge reaction.

I love my Skink skirmishers. I field 2 units of 10. Against large monsters (especially Giants, my Skinks love those!) the poison is awesome. They are great at taking out lightly armored troops (fast cav, etc.) So true, you're only hitting on 6's, but every hit is a wound. On lightly armored guys, every wound is effectively a kill.
Another advantage they have over ranked Skinks is they can march through woods. This makes them even better at march blocking and diverting.

 

[Caneghem]

Letting them get charged is a good way to get multi-shot 6's..

Can't double tap as a charge reaction.

Wait, I've never seen this anywhere... I'm pretty sure you can use multi-shot on stand and shoot. I think it might hardly ever pan out, since you have multishot, stand and shoot, and long range penalties usually. You'd need to be pretty darn close to the enemy to be at close range for stand and shoot... however you could play the game where you use a weird formation for skinks so they are better for standing and shooting. Something like...

X X X X X X X
X
X
X

Where the top is the direction of the chargers.

Since the stand and shoot rules say the shots are not fired until everybody is in range, by the time the guy in back is in range, the front line should be able to get their multi-shots off and hit on 6's since it is close range. Though I think you may need a longer "tail" on the formation. Just something to consider if you are planning on taking a charge with your skink skirmishers. Although I see them usually not attempting to hold a charge and fleeing instead like the T2 weaklings they are!

 

[strewart]

Interesting points. I am not at all used to having cheap throwaway units, so I am looking forward to it even if I am only using a few of them. I see them as useful for marchblocking, screens, directing frenzied units away and annoying fast cavalry. They are a pretty cheap unit, if you get them out one on one with a flanking cavalry unit they can move around the unit and shoot at them, you can get yourself in a position where if they charge you get double shots and if they stand still you are still shooting them anyway. I haven't really looked too much into accuracy or when they will be effective at shooting though.

 

[Scarloc]

I have always used stand and shoot with multishot, where is the rule that says you cannot use it?

 

[To-neh of LaTigra]

Basically, we are all saying that Skink Skirmishers are totally useful, no matter how you use them.

By the way, it doesn't say you cannot multi-shot during a stand & shoot.

 

[strewart]

You do get -1 to hit though, maybe that is what he was referring to. If you can't hit on a 6, then you need to toss up between multishot with no poison (because if you are hitting on 7+ poison doesn't work) or single shot with poison.

 

[Caneghem]

You do get -1 to hit though, maybe that is what he was referring to. If you can't hit on a 6, then you need to toss up between multishot with no poison (because if you are hitting on 7+ poison doesn't work) or single shot with poison.

Unless your stand and shoot goes off at close range, in which case multi-shot and stand and shoot are your two penalties, and you will hit on 6's. Hard to get in the right position for this, but it can be done.

 

[Caneghem]

Against something like a M4 block of troops, it is not too difficult to really cover them with poison shots. In your turn, move your skinks within 6 inches of them, but also outside of 4 inches from them. Not only can you multi-shot with poison in your own shooting phase, but you can then multishot if they decide to charge you. You can also align your skinks at an angle to the target, so that when they charge they will need to wheel and thus add to their charge distance. It gets harder against faster targets, but using off angles you could conceivably get double poisoned shots off against M6 or even 7 chargers. Just depends on how spot-on your range approximations are.

 

[strewart]

You can't use skirmishers to redirect their charges though, skirmishers form up to face the direction they were facing not the other way around.

 

[Sart]

Best way to direct traffic with Skirmishing Skinks is to flee.

Personal favorite is sacrificing them I will run right up and stick em in front of a unit I want to lead away (One model will be just in front on the left or the right hand side of the unit the rest will be trailing off the flank of the unit.) the unit cant move unless they charge they charge I cant flee far enough away I am caught and destroyed the unit has to wheel to and present a flank going its full charge distance after the wheel is taken out and presenting a flank small price to pay to either hold up a expensive unit or have it offer itself up to me.

But in saying that I prefer 10 man units of ranked skinks or 11 man units with 1x Kroxi as the use of Skirmishers in my opinion have been severly curtailed with the arrival of hard hitting quick skirmishers in alot of the newer armies comming out.

Ie Squig Hoppers, Dryads, Wardancers, DOW Skirmishing Swordsmen, Harpies, Furies Etc.

I like to run 1x unit of 10 out behind the army ready to take care of Grt eagles or large targets that try and march block or move up to quickly and being movement 12 I can move em up to peform the above manouvre if I need to.

 

[Caneghem]

You can't use skirmishers to redirect their charges though, skirmishers form up to face the direction they were facing not the other way around.

If you line up at an angle, then they charge the closest possible model, meaning they might still choose to wheel or charge straight. Yes the skirmishers then line up according to the frontage of the charger, but I'm talking about strictly maximizing stand and shoot. But if you line up diagonally (wish I could draw this) then whether they wheel or choose to go straight they will be charging further than the distance over which the skinks are shooting.

Again, this is if your are concerning with getting the best stand and shoot result, otherwise I agree that controlling their movement is best done through fleeing.

 

[Revered_Guardian]

also skink skirmishers with javelins are very good assassins.... use em to kill mages and bsb's

 

[Caneghem]

also skink skirmishers with javelins are very good assassins.... use em to kill mages and bsb's

I hear that, although against Lizards they'd have to be nuts to run something like that outside of a unit. Terradons would make mincemeat of them, if not skinks or other things.