Not sure what to do with my skellies!?

[Konrad the Blooded]

I have been thinking hard lately about how I want to equip my skeleton warriors and I'm not sure if I should go spear and shields or hand weapons and shields. Now before anyone goes crazy about there being a page to discuss which is better already that is not what I'm asking. What I would like to know is which you would run against the following armies and why as I only play against a handful of armies. they are as follows

Beastmen
Daemons
High Elves
Tomb Kings
Wood Elves

Any Advice or Tips would be greatly appreciated as to how I should equip my Skellies! lol

Thanks

 

[xxSLAYERxx]

personally i would take shield and hand weapon as u get a parry save, if u really wanted an extra set of attacks then u can take staff of damnation which could buff up like 2 units if the position of the vampire is correct

 

[Chaos_Born]

I would usually suggest giving them the screaming banner, but since two of your five armies are ItP that would probably be silly for an all round list. My general view on the hand weapons or spears is to go with hand weapons. I think that 5 more attacks isn't worth the ward save, after all they are more of a tarpit than a meatgrinder - especially without the banner.

 

[Count Lasombra]

Personally, I recommend spears, especially against the elves.5 more attacks is 5 more chances to kill the enemy..I rarely make parry saves anyway.

 

[Seneschal]

Go for the parry save. If I used them regularly I think I'd probably field them that way every single time. I'd only use spears if I could buff their strength in some way (forbidden lore + wildform). Skellies aren't meant to do damage, really.

 

[Mad 'At]

Spears are much cooler IMO, but gamewise handweapons are better. No different against the armies you are facing.

 

[tw1386]

If you run a Mortis Engine a long with your Skeletons you should definitely take spears.

 

[Chaos_Born]

But the regen range is variable, the mortis engine is a cannon magnet and everyone and their dog brings a unit with flaming attacks these days. I'd stick with hand weapons personally

 

[Malisteen]

Except that none of those armies have cannons. You've got stone throwers in khemri, and bolt throwers in the high elves, and several of those armies have a fair bit of small arms fire...

but still. A mortis engine it probably pretty safe against your given opponents, and would significantly alleviate the need for a parry save, even with one flaming unit per army (which you should have a pretty good chance of guessing).

So yeah, one to two engines? Try the spears.

Oh, if you wraith wall your skellies, spears are better again, but that's kind of a pretty limited gimmick, and I myself generally prefer it on zombies anyway (though there's something to be said for the flaming banner in the skeletons with five wraiths in their front rank)....


I'm rambling, now. Anyway, If you have specific reasons to use the spears (including just liking them better, we're not talking about a major performance gap, here), than do so, otherwise, as a general rule take the hand weaons.

 

[Konrad the Blooded]

Ok kool thanks alot guys I was thinking the HW/S Build but I wanted to be certain when I play with my Tk I have amazing luck with parry saves haha hopefully I will have the same luck with my Vampire counts lol

 

[Konrad the Blooded]

Oh and I don't plan on running a mortis engine so even better lol

 

[hornywingythingy]

Oh, if you wraith wall your skellies, spears are better again, but that's kind of a pretty limited gimmick, and I myself generally prefer it on zombies anyway (though there's something to be said for the flaming banner in the skeletons with five wraiths in their front rank)..

Errm, p92 brb, any models that make up a units command group must be placed in the front rank.

So character walling doesn't work. Had it come up in a game vs ogres, he ended up having to deploy his ogre lords in the second rank.

 

[texhnology]

Oh, if you wraith wall your skellies, spears are better again, but that's kind of a pretty limited gimmick, and I myself generally prefer it on zombies anyway (though there's something to be said for the flaming banner in the skeletons with five wraiths in their front rank)..

Errm, p92 brb, any models that make up a units command group must be placed in the front rank.

So character walling doesn't work. Had it come up in a game vs ogres, he ended up having to deploy his ogre lords in the second rank.

That is true, but in combat you are allowed to make way to the fighting rank, pushing the command back. That way the wrights will be the only ones in the front rank.

 

[datalink7]

Oh, if you wraith wall your skellies, spears are better again, but that's kind of a pretty limited gimmick, and I myself generally prefer it on zombies anyway (though there's something to be said for the flaming banner in the skeletons with five wraiths in their front rank)..

Errm, p92 brb, any models that make up a units command group must be placed in the front rank.

So character walling doesn't work. Had it come up in a game vs ogres, he ended up having to deploy his ogre lords in the second rank.

Then you played it wrong. Once in combat, Make Way allows characters to move to the front. So you'd have to set up the characters in the second rank, but they'd move to the front at the first combat.

I've played Ogres since the beginning of 8th (and before it), including in GT's, so I'm very familiar with this rule.

 

[Infernal Skull]

Don't think anyone suggested this, but spears are best if used in a horde formation. 40 or 50 skeletons, 10-wide. That gets you 4 ranks of attacks, with Screaming Banner for around 300pts.

Pair them up with a 70 point pair of Bat Bwarm bases so the enemy will always strike last and you might make a significant dent in their back ranks and rob them of some support attacks before they strike back.