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Tomb Kings of Khemri · 140 points
Are Tomb King Skeleton Archers good?
Tomb King Skeleton Archers are better at long range than short, which makes them unusual in my testing. They finished eighth of 29 at long range but only 22nd at short range.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Tomb King Skeleton Archers at
- Role
- Accurate fire that ignores modifiers
- Good against
- Skirmishing Empire Archers (3.6, 6th): best ranking
- Struggles against
- Knights of the Realm (0.6, 24th), Ironbreakers (0.7, 15th), Empire State Troops (2.8, 21st), Skaven Dregs (2.6, 26th), Rat Ogres (1.5, 23rd)
- Range
- Holds up at long range (108% kept)
Accurate fire that ignores modifiers is the job Tomb King Skeleton Archers did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 22nd-of-29 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 120 volleys with Tomb King Skeleton Archers: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range. Those main volleys were part of the 4,080 I ran across 29 shooting units, and these were the Tomb King Skeleton Archers results.
No simulation is perfect, and my Tomb King Skeleton Archers results are no exception: the dice fall on open ground, with no magic, no extra characters and no opponent making decisions. With ten volleys per result, Tomb King Skeleton Archers (2.0) and Skaven Ratling Gun (2.0) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. They tell you what to point Tomb King Skeleton Archers at, not what will happen every time.
My verdict
I think Skeleton Archers suit a patient, long-range role. Arrows of Asaph ignore every To Hit modifier, so they did 3.5 wounds into skirmishing archers at long range, almost the same as at short range.
Best and worst targets for Tomb King Skeleton Archers
Tomb King Skeleton Archers by target. Ranks out of 29. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 0.8 | 20th | 0.6 | 24th |
| Ironbreakers | 0.4 | 19th | 0.7 | 15th |
| Empire State Troops | 2.6 | 10th | 2.8 | 21st |
| Skaven Dregs | 4.0 | 7th | 2.6 | 26th |
| Rat Ogres | 1.4 | 20th | 1.5 | 23rd |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 3.5 | 1st | 3.6 | 6th |
Range and armour
At long range Tomb King Skeleton Archers kept 108% of their short-range damage, one of the flattest range profiles I tested. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (4.0).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Tomb King Skeleton Archers averaged 0.6 wounds at short range. That puts them 23rd of 29 for cracking armour.
Rules that shaped these numbers
- Arrows of Asaph ignore every To Hit modifier, including long range and the penalty for shooting at Skirmishers.
- Their long-range average beat their short-range one; with ten volleys per cell, part of that is dice noise.
How I set up the test
I fielded 28 Skeleton Archers (140 points) in two ranks of 14, with the second rank using Volley Fire. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other Tomb Kings of Khemri shooters
- Tomb King Skeleton Horse Archers143 pts · 1.3 avg short, 1.0 avg long
- Ushabti with greatbows147 pts · 1.1 avg short, 1.0 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Skaven Ratling GunSkaven (Renegades fan list) · 2.0 avg short
- Wood Elf Deepwood ScoutsWood Elf Realms · 2.1 avg short
- Chaos javelinsWarriors of Chaos · 1.8 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Tomb King Skeleton Archers for long-range fire into skirmishers and targets in cover, and not for armoured targets at any range, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Tomb King Skeleton Archers best at shooting?
Skirmishing Empire Archers: Tomb King Skeleton Archers did 3.6 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Knights of the Realm, at 0.6.
Are Tomb King Skeleton Archers better at long or short range?
Neither, really: they did about the same at both. They averaged 2.1 wounds at long range against 2.0 at short range, 1st of 29 for holding up at range.
Are Tomb King Skeleton Archers good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Tomb King Skeleton Archers averaged 0.6 wounds per short-range volley, 23rd of the 29 units I tested.