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Skaven (Renegades fan list) · 150 points
Are Skaven Jezzails good?
Skaven Jezzails are very good, and the best answer to Ironbreakers I found at both ranges. Only Iron Hail Gunners beat their short-range average across all six targets.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Skaven Jezzails at
- Role
- Anti-armour sniper
- Good against
- Knights of the Realm (2.5, 2nd), Ironbreakers (3.5, 1st), Rat Ogres (4.3, 1st)
- Struggles against
- Skirmishing Empire Archers (2.8, 10th): weakest ranking
- Range
- Loses some damage at range (66% kept)
Anti-armour sniper is the job Skaven Jezzails did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 2nd-of-18 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 120 volleys with Skaven Jezzails: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range. Those volleys were part of the 2,160 I ran across 18 shooting units, and these were the Skaven Jezzails results.
I stripped the Skaven Jezzails tests back on purpose, with no terrain, no magic, no characters and nobody deciding anything for the other side, which isolates the unit but is not a real game. With ten volleys per result, Skaven Jezzails (3.7) and Empire crossbowmen (3.6) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. I use them to decide the job for Skaven Jezzails, not to predict a single game.
My verdict
I rate Jezzails as the premium anti-armour shooter in this group. The catch is on the table rather than in the numbers: they are expensive models and need to hold a firing position.
Best and worst targets for Skaven Jezzails
Skaven Jezzails by target. Ranks out of 18. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 2.1 | 3rd | 2.5 | 2nd |
| Ironbreakers | 2.0 | 1st | 3.5 | 1st |
| Empire State Troops | 2.7 | 6th | 3.8 | 7th |
| Skaven Dregs | 2.7 | 11th | 5.1 | 6th |
| Rat Ogres | 3.4 | 2nd | 4.3 | 1st |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 1.7 | 10th | 2.8 | 10th |
Range and armour
At long range Skaven Jezzails kept 66% of their short-range damage. Their best long-range target was Rat Ogres (3.4).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Skaven Jezzails averaged 3.0 wounds at short range. That puts them 1st of 18 for cracking armour.
Rules that shaped these numbers
- Jezzail shots are magical, so the Ironbreakers’ 6+ ward against nonmagical shooting does not apply. You can see it in the Ironbreaker column.
- A natural 1 To Hit followed by another 1 kills the firing team.
How I set up the test
10 models could shoot in every matchup. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other Skaven (Renegades fan list) shooters
- Skaven Ratling Gun145 pts · 2.0 avg short, 1.4 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Empire crossbowmenEmpire of Man · 3.6 avg short
- Cathay Iron Hail GunnersGrand Cathay · 3.7 avg short
- Dwarf RangersDwarfen Mountain Holds · 3.5 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Skaven Jezzails for killing Ironbreakers, knights and Rat Ogres, and not for shooting cheap chaff that less expensive units can handle, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Skaven Jezzails best at shooting?
Skaven Dregs: Skaven Jezzails did 5.1 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Knights of the Realm, at 2.5, but that still ranked 2nd of 18, because every unit struggles there.
Are Skaven Jezzails better at long or short range?
Short range. Skaven Jezzails kept 66% of their short-range damage at long range, 11th of 18 for holding up at range. They averaged 2.4 wounds at long range against 3.7 at short range.
Are Skaven Jezzails good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Skaven Jezzails averaged 3.0 wounds per short-range volley, 1st of the 18 units I tested.