Topic: Skinks as far as the eye can see

[Dazgrim]

Lizardmen skinks seem severely undercosted. Pockets of 10 with blowguns cost 60 points and can chuck out 20 poisoned shots per turn.

They're not hugely tough, but if they stand and shoot there's not much in their weight class that can absorb that much missile fire.

[Zygmund]

Lizardmen skinks seem severely undercosted. Pockets of 10 with blowguns cost 60 points and can chuck out 20 poisoned shots per turn.

Per the rules the Skink Skirmishers have poisoned attacks only on their javelins, and javelins don't have the Multiple Shots rule.

It's a little confusing, because the Lizardmen list (p. 7) first lists Poisoned Attacks (Javelins only), but the Blowpipe reference at the bottom of the page gives the Blowpipes Poisoned Attacks. But my reading is that the specifically narrowed Poisoned Attacks for Javelins only removes the Poisoned Attacks from the Blowpipes. Special rule trumping generic rule.

They're BS3, Blowpipes have Range 12" so usually -1 to hit, and Multiple Shots gives another -1 to hit. If you're hitting on sixes, you can expect 3.3 hits. But they're not poisoned. Javelins wouldn't have the Multiple Shots malus, so 10 Javelins would generate 3.3 hits, including 1.7 hits with Poisoned Attacks. This could be strong if they could keep shooting continually from turn to turn. But I think they will be erased or forced to flee quite soon.

They're not hugely tough, but if they stand and shoot there's not much in their weight class that can absorb that much missile fire.

They aren't especially strong or skilled. So it's primarily their cost which makes their performance seem good. Our Free Company is quite similar, just not skirmishers.

Magic Missiles, Vortexes and any shooting will harm them.

-Zyg

[commandant]

What strength are they?

[Zygmund]

What strength are they?

Skinks, Javelins and Blowpipes are all S3.

-Zyg

[commandant]

So 20 shots can be expected to do 2 wounds or so if shooting at long range

[Zygmund]

So 20 shots can be expected to do 2 wounds or so if shooting at long range

Yes, 1.7 wounds against T3.

And you got the full AS against those. At AS 6+ the total wounds would be 1.4, which actually rounds down to 1. And at AS 5+ the total wounds would be 1.1. So you're expecting one wound.

I think the Skinks are a solid part of any Lizardmen list, but they're in no way problematic. Of course you can get super lucky with the Blowpipes, with 20 shots. But it's a dice game in the end.

-Zyg

[Warlord]

The issue might more be if people are reading blowpipes as poisonous.

[Dazgrim]

The issue might more be if people are reading blowpipes as poisonous.

They are poisonous, as part of the weapon rules.
Attempting to read them as not poisonous requires an amount of logical gymnastics.
The  javalins only does not trump the blowpipe - it is to prevent them having poison in melee. There's no need to state blowpipes have poisoned attacks, it's built into the weapon.

[Warlord]

I'm just reading what Zyg said.
I haven't looked into it, and play Lizardmen so infrequently, I think I have only played them 5 times ever really.

[commandant]

Poisonous allows AS though doesn't it?

[Zygmund]

The issue might more be if people are reading blowpipes as poisonous.

They are poisonous, as part of the weapon rules.
Attempting to read them as not poisonous requires an amount of logical gymnastics.
The  javalins only does not trump the blowpipe - it is to prevent them having poison in melee. There's no need to state blowpipes have poisoned attacks, it's built into the weapon.

Ah, might be!

But it's logical gymnastics the other way around. 

-Zyg