Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Howdy all,

So for my daemons I'm going to run 1 herald on jugg and 1 skulltaker on jugg. However, after looking it over, I've noticed for 55 pts less you can take a herald over skulltaker. All stats are the same minus 1 attack and 1 weapon skill more for the skulltaker. You can make your heralds base str 6 though. The ONLY benefit skulltaker has is his insta-kill ability.

My question is, is it worth taking skulltaker over a herald? he seems to be mostly an HQ/MC hunter

I would go for the herald. I'm not sure that his chop! rule is worth 55 points.

AbaddonFidelis wrote:I would go for the herald. I'm not sure that his chop! rule is worth 55 points.

Actually, if you total up the costs of the respective upgrades for both, you're really only paying 40 extra--and that's for WS 7 instead of 6 (admittedly not that great), an extra attack, and the Skulls for the Skull Throne! rule.

I'd call it worth it--if you can get him into contact with just one monstrous creature, or independent character (other than Lysander), you've made your points back.

oh. I dont have the book in front of me. I just assumed zid had the stats right. I dont really have a strong opinion one way or another in that case. if you have the extra points upgrade.

Just take both. The Herald should be kitted to take out dreadnaughts.

Skulltaker is worth taking-Nids are going to run in fear of you, as are any non-eternal warrior heroes that your opponent has. Even if he doesn't get to use his insta-chop, if he controls your opponents turns and forces them to play to your tune, he's worth it. Of course, I may be biased after my Skulltaker killed a broodlord, hive tyrant, 2 carnifexes and a zoanthrope squad by himself in one game

I would say skulltaker is worth it. He can absolutely destroy Tyranid Mcs. Its pretty funny to kill a trygon before it can swing.

extrenm(54) wrote:I would say skulltaker is worth it. He can absolutely destroy Tyranid Mcs. Its pretty funny to kill a trygon before it can swing.

Good point. Hes also awesome at taking out HQ's like Mephiston

Skulltaker is almost always worth it. If he's on hs on then he'll die fairly quickly, but that should tell you to put him in a unit. My main opponents are nids, marines, mainly footslogging eldar, foot orks so he generally doesn't have problems finding stuff to do. One thing I will say is to remember that his rends isn't his only offensve weapon, he's often wounding on 's or 2's. It's always fun getting no rends but still decapacitating the enemy character through weight of normal attacks.

Zid wrote:

extrenm(54) wrote:I would say skulltaker is worth it. He can absolutely destroy Tyranid Mcs. Its pretty funny to kill a trygon before it can swing.

Good point. Hes also awesome at taking out HQ's like Mephiston

Meph is immune to ID IIRC and isn't an IC.

Skulltaker is effective on a Juggernaught attached to a Bloodcrusher unit... but so is a herald!

I would err towards the Herald most of the time but for a TAC list I'd seriously consider Skulltaker. Instant Death on a 4+ means that Wraithlords, Tyranid big bugs and Talos alike can be easily dispatched at I5/6. The Avatar can hit you first if you don't get the charge in, but he's still dead on a 5+ if you survive!

Arctik_Firangi wrote:Skulltaker is effective on a Juggernaught attached to a Bloodcrusher unit... but so is a herald!

I would err towards the Herald most of the time but for a TAC list I'd seriously consider Skulltaker. Instant Death on a 4+ means that Wraithlords, Tyranid big bugs and Talos alike can be easily dispatched at I5/6. The Avatar can hit you first if you don't get the charge in, but he's still dead on a 5+ if you survive!

Good points!

And yes, meph can be ID'd. As well, he can't join squads, so can be picked off. Of course, your squad of crushers would kill meph on the charge probably anyway.

I definitely think I'll stick with taker on a crusher now!

Good choice - I like to run him with a generic herald on a juggernaught (both) and attach them to 6-8 Blood Crushers.

I love me some Skulltaker. Course, i may be biased, as my roomate plays bugs, and so I'm constantly hunting giant beasties with entirely too many wounds for my liking.

That said, Skulltaker + Herald + 4 Bloodcrushers = yummy.

Skulltaker can easily destroy Mephiston
2+ invul versus force weapons and Eternal Warrior means he will survive getting hit
without an invul all Skulltaker needs to do is rool 1 4+ to wound and Mephiston is gone
not to mention skulltaker is almost half the price of Mephiston

Grey Templar wrote:

Zid wrote:

extrenm(54) wrote:I would say skulltaker is worth it. He can absolutely destroy Tyranid Mcs. Its pretty funny to kill a trygon before it can swing.

Good point. Hes also awesome at taking out HQ's like Mephiston

Meph is immune to ID IIRC and isn't an IC.

While Meph is not a IC (infantry), he isn't immune to ID, he has T6, which means that he is mostly immune. So he can be IDed by force weapons and similar effects. Since Meph has a force weapon, skulltakers 2+ save against it is actually relevant.

I don't recall if the beheading rule cares if it is a IC or MC for ID purposes. IIRC it is just rending and ID on 4+ vs non vehicles. So a single wound outright kills the guy, with no saves.

All that being said... Toe to Toe HQ battles aren't something I personally encounter all that often. Basing a choice off of a single special character that isn't even in most BA lists (cost, not because they don't want him lol) isn't a good idea. Of course personally I would never run a herald of korne at all, so maybe I'm not the person one who would should listen to (I think they are too slow, too expensive, and to easy to kill)

I took a khorne daemon army with skulltaker on foot against my friend's 3 wraithlord army. He didn't know about the CHOP! rule, so turn 2 he puts all 3 wraithlords in combat with skulltaker, who promptly CHOP!s all 3 heads off. THen, he goes on to destroy a whole squad of dire avengers, then CHOP! the farseer and warlock bodyguard.