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Tomb Kings of Khemri · 152 points · Mortuary Cult
Are Necroserpents good?
Necroserpents are good when they charge and poor when the enemy charges them. Four of them won 58% of their charges but only 21% of fights when the enemy charged first, in my simulations.
Quick answer: it depends whether Necroserpents get the charge
- If they charge
- 58% across eight opponents
- If they receive
- 21% across eight opponents
- Best targets
- Gors (89%), Rat Ogres (80%) and Empire halberdiers (71%) on the charge
- Avoid
- Ironbreakers: 10% charging, 7% receiving
Necroserpents reward making contact first, much like the chariots, and my straight-ahead test never used their Ambushers rule to find a better angle.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 32,000 complete combats with 4 Necroserpents: 2,000 against each of eight opponents while the Necroserpents charged, and 2,000 more against each while the opponent charged. These were the results.
Necroserpents need an eligible Mortuary Cult list, and much of their value comes from Ambushers, which a straight frontal duel cannot measure. Treat my Necroserpent numbers as a floor for a unit that should usually pick its own angle.
How Necroserpents did against each opponent
Every matchup for 4 Necroserpents (152 pts). n = 2,000 combats per row ±2 points
| Opponent | Who charged | Won | Destroyed | Wounds dealt, round 1 | Wounds taken, round 1 | Avg rounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jade Warriors | Necroserpents | 54% | 48% | 4.84 | 1.50 | 2.9 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | Necroserpents | 10% | 10% | 1.24 | 2.09 | 4.2 |
| 20 Clanrats | Necroserpents | 51% | 43% | 5.30 | 1.17 | 2.5 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | Necroserpents | 80% | 70% | 5.01 | 2.19 | 1.8 |
| 5 Knights of the Realm | Necroserpents | 49% | 46% | 1.55 | 1.00 | 4.2 |
| 17 Gors | Necroserpents | 89% | 77% | 6.67 | 0.58 | 2.1 |
| 20 Empire halberdiers | Necroserpents | 71% | 60% | 6.52 | 0.76 | 2.5 |
| 9 Swordmasters of Hoeth | Necroserpents | 61% | 56% | 4.25 | 2.67 | 2.7 |
| 15 Jade Warriors | Opponent | 22% | 19% | 3.01 | 1.68 | 3.0 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | Opponent | 7% | 7% | 0.72 | 1.34 | 4.3 |
| 20 Clanrats | Opponent | 14% | 12% | 3.00 | 1.29 | 3.1 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | Opponent | 20% | 18% | 2.25 | 4.54 | 2.1 |
| 5 Knights of the Realm | Opponent | 16% | 16% | 0.75 | 2.67 | 3.4 |
| 17 Gors | Opponent | 27% | 24% | 3.79 | 2.78 | 2.7 |
| 20 Empire halberdiers | Opponent | 28% | 25% | 3.84 | 1.25 | 3.2 |
| 9 Swordmasters of Hoeth | Opponent | 32% | 30% | 2.08 | 2.12 | 3.3 |
Why they need the charge
Poison and impact hits give them a strong opening: about 4.4 wounds in the first round when they charged, against 2.4 when charged. Four three-wound bodies then kept them in the fight long enough to finish most targets.
How I would use them
I would use Ambushers to create an angle this test never modelled, and point them at Gors, Rat Ogres or a busy infantry block. Ironbreakers are a hard no.
More Tomb Kings results
- All seven Tomb Kings units compared
- Are Tomb Kings Skeleton Warriors good?
- Are Tomb Guard good?
- Are Ushabti good in combat?
- Are Necropolis Knights good?
- Are Skeleton Chariots good?
- Are Tomb Guard Chariots good?
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Necroserpents in an eligible Mortuary Cult list to charge Gors, Rat Ogres and infantry blocks. I would not use them against Ironbreakers or anywhere they must receive a charge.
FAQs
Are Necroserpents better than Skeleton Chariots?
In my simulations, slightly on the charge (58% against 55%) and clearly when charged (21% against 7%). They cost 152 points to the chariots’ 141.
What are Necroserpents good against?
Gors above all: 89% on the charge. Rat Ogres (80%) and Empire halberdiers (71%) were also good targets.