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Hey everyone,
I'm about to start a AoS army and just wondering how people are going with their skeleton warriors? What is preference with weapons/shields? I'm thinking of going spears and crypt shields.
Cheers

I think it depends on your unit size. If you go big, you need spears to reach several "ranks" where swordequipped warriors would not be able to reach. If you go smaller units, swords are better as they each will do more damage.

When it comes to big units (20+) I like to run mixed, that way my front liners have the better chance of hitting while my guys in the back can still get a punch or two in.

I'll be running a 25+ hopefully. Sorry Solosam but mixed actually isn't aloud (clarified with my local gw)...
On another question what hero/s are you using and who as general? With hordes I'm pretty sure krells extra attack is pretty boss but as a hero I'm thinking Manfred is better all round. I suppose could run both but am just starting and wanting to know which one would be better.

If you pick one, go with the vampire. He can fight well, has a nice cmd ability, and knows magic to further boost the unit. Once your forces have become larger, you cant go wrong with Krell as well

LucidNinja wrote:
I'll be running a 25+ hopefully. Sorry Solosam but mixed actually isn't aloud (clarified with my local gw)...
On another question what hero/s are you using and who as general? With hordes I'm pretty sure krells extra attack is pretty boss but as a hero I'm thinking Manfred is better all round. I suppose could run both but am just starting and wanting to know which one would be better.

Huh first I have heard of mix not allowed, nothing I find really states that. I will have to check in on that more though later. Thanks tho for bringing that to my attention, adjustments might have to be made.
If thats the case I would run larger units with all spears then, having more guys get in attacks I feel is better cause when they start dying in droves I will not want their lives (or undead lives) to be lost in vain, plus with skeletens returning from being dead-dead it will be harder to keep taking all those attacks.

Another thing spears are good for is when you are piling in, because of the extra range its almost like getting to pile in another inch.

As for my army I play Skaven but I have read the skeleton warscrolls as I was deciding between TK and skaven for my AoS army, either way the same concept to the units apply when it come to swords vs spears.

Generals I look for are ones that can help with battleshock tests (although I cant remember skeletons bravery right now) and ones that multiply my force like Krell but thats only if I am taking 3 or more units that can benifit. If you are taking ony one block of skeletons maybe stick with Mannfreid



Edit: I found a few different sites that say a GW rep, in an email, stated that you can mix weapons. If you wanted to mix you might want to bring that up to them again. It is sketchy on the wording as it states .."some units" which suggests the unit has to be all the same loadout but others have said this is meant for the models not units. Guess we will have to wait to see if it gets FAQ'd or not. My local store is cool with it so personally im gonna roll with it as I find it quite useful

Yeah I saw the same email I think Sam, it's annoying the vagueness of AoS sometimes. I'd be happy to play and play against it being mixed but if my local Gw says no well I can't play it there... As most of AoS goes just discuss with opponent if it's an issue :-)
As I'm only just starting I'm going to get TK battalion and some VC skeletons, so I should have 25 warriors, 25 archers, archer horses and chariots. I think that's enough to justify Krell to start off with.
I'm pretty sure all undead are bravery 10 so battleshock isn't too big an issue. But from memory the only hero who buffs that is Nagash.
Cheers for the info.

It is annoying a tad but like you said, most people are cool with it if you discuss it before hand.

Krell would make a good leader early on to learn the game more with all those skeletons, maybe try and het a wizard or priest in there too for the buffs! If they have bravery 10 yeah you have no need to worry on those test.

Yeah if you read the warscroll it does say "some UNITS are equipped with ancient blades, whilst others go to war with ancient spears" so if it said models than I think mixed would be ok. So perhaps that gw email was a mistake haha.

The main annoying factor of krell is no magic, but as you said to start I think he'd be good.

Based on that verbiage I think a unit has to be equipped one way or another. Agree with LucidNinja. If it said some models are equipped I think mixed could be allowed, but with the word UNITS I believe it has to be all or nothing the way I read it. I really don't see how someone could interpret it another way and would like to see someone argue it. Clear as day to me.

Hargus56 wrote:
Based on that verbiage I think a unit has to be equipped one way or another. Agree with LucidNinja. If it said some models are equipped I think mixed could be allowed, but with the word UNITS I believe it has to be all or nothing the way I read it. I really don't see how someone could interpret it another way and would like to see someone argue it. Clear as day to me.

How people have been arguing it is on some warscrolls like chaos warriors where they can have multiple options, when it talks about the two blades buff (where they can re-roll ones) it says models equipped, which suggests that some models in the unit dont have to be equipped that way.

Either way, this really isnt the place for this as we are getting off topic

I think the main thing missing from the skeleton warriors warscroll is the word "either" every other warscroll I've looked at says the unit has either this or that...
Now back to topic, which shields?

I'd probably do Spears and Tomb Shields. Spears are a given for the extra attacks especially in a horde unit and extra attacks that multiply from skeleton legion. Crypt Shields are probably more versatile but the purpose of a skeleton unit IMO is to have staying power in combat so you can counter punch with a harder unit or tar pit, this is reinforced with the standard/icon ability. Lets say half the units out there have a rend of -1 and half have no rend. With Crypt Shields you only benefit from 50% of the units out there the other half with the -1 you would get no save against. With tomb shields you go from 16% save against those units with no save to 33% and still get the 16% save vs units with the -1 rend. But you cannot run or charge in trade. So do you want more staying power or versatility?

I'll admit I had almost ruled out tomb shields but you do make a great point Hargus, the only issue with that is getting to and surviving the first round of combat, after that the staying power would be very beneficial. Stacking with some mystic shield would be more beneficial to them once in combat also...

How fussy are people with wysiwyg?

I don't think you'll find shooting to be much of an issue. You will typically have more juicy targets. For charging you will possibly lose some if you charge. You figure a 50% charge to get the charge off then a 50% chance the opponent has a rend of "-". As far as wysiwyg, If you're going spears I would take them as such not only will you benefit from extra rule distance but the spears themselves. As far as the shields, if someone expects you to buy skeletons and tomb warriors for their shields and gives you gak for saying the VC skeletons shields aren't tomb shields, I think you are fully in your right to punch them in the throat.

In the VC Skeleton Warrior sprue there are coffin shaped shields I took to be Tomb Shields and battered circular shields I took to be Crypt Shields.

Nah I'm pretty sure tomb shields are just in the tomb king skeletons... Still if that's how you play them I wouldn't judge you,in fear of my throat being punched :-P

That's interesting. Skeleton Warriors must be the only Warscroll to refer to two different model kits by GW and must be the only Warscroll to have options not present on the kit (depending on which kit you bought).


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and I run mine with swords and crypt shields but because of aesthetics rather than any real tactical reason :-)

I like running 20-30 with Sword and shield, bubble wrapped by grave guard, and buffed with extra pile in by Necro.

Liche gives exploding 6s, bit within 18" skeletons take +1 hit, so exploding 5 & 6.

Tomb King gives +1 hit also

Krell and vamp Lord give +1 attack.

You can see how a VC synergy is a bit different, skeletons or graveguard hitting getting 5 attacks with 30 models, piling in twice with krell and necro

Tomb kings, at 30, can get 3 attacks each but extra Attacks on exploding 4+ until infinity when Liche Priest and TK

But plenty of ways to mix and match that

 Bottle wrote:
That's interesting. Skeleton Warriors must be the only Warscroll to refer to two different model kits by GW and must be the only Warscroll to have options not present on the kit (depending on which kit you bought).


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and I run mine with swords and crypt shields but because of aesthetics rather than any real tactical reason :-)

yeah, I've been kicking around the thought of an undead army and noticed this too.
there is only one warscroll for both vampires and tomb kings.
they seem to have rolled them both into one scroll.

I'd echo the support for a big block with spears and tomb shields bubble-wrapped by guard (on their own tomb guard are better for the tomb shields, but the VC deathrattle formation is pretty nice and can give you a mechanical reason to go with grave guard instead).

It's a defensive block - anything that charges the grave guard comes within striking distance of the skeletons, but cannot attack them unless the charging unit has reach. Pile on defensive buffs (eg, mystic shield, Neferata's signature spell) to the grave guard with their better save, and offensive buffs (eg necromancer's & liche's signature spells, krell's command ability, etc) onto the skeletons with their more numerous attacks.