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Tomb Kings of Khemri · 147 points · Core infantry
Are Tomb Kings Skeleton Warriors good?
Tomb Kings Skeleton Warriors are good, and the best holding unit in my Tomb Kings tests. Twenty-two spearmen won 67% of their fights when the enemy charged them and 59% when they charged.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Skeleton Warriors at
- If they receive
- 67% across eight opponents
- If they charge
- 59% across eight opponents
- Best matchups
- Clanrats (84%) and Swordmasters (83%) charging into them
- Struggles against
- Jade Warriors when charging (36%), and Gors either way (49%)
Skeleton Warriors win by staying in the fight rather than by killing quickly, so they do their best work where the enemy has to come to them.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 32,000 complete combats with 22 Skeleton Warriors: 2,000 against each of eight opponents while the Warriors charged, and 2,000 more against each while the opponent charged. These were the results.
My Skeleton Warrior fights reward exactly what they are good at: long, straight-ahead grinds with ranks intact. I would check the eye-catching results against Knights of the Realm and Swordmasters on a real table, with exact frontage and break moves, before trusting them.
How Skeleton Warriors did against each opponent
Every matchup for 22 Skeleton Warriors, spears, light armour, full command (147 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 | Skeleton Warriors | 36% | 17% | 1.12 | 2.94 | 3.4 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | Skeleton Warriors | 45% | 23% | 0.22 | 2.58 | 4.6 |
| 20 Clanrats | Skeleton Warriors | 66% | 36% | 1.84 | 2.41 | 2.1 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | Skeleton Warriors | 81% | 43% | 0.83 | 3.90 | 1.8 |
| 5 Knights of the Realm | Skeleton Warriors | 92% | 21% | 0.53 | 1.79 | 2.2 |
| 17 Gors | Skeleton Warriors | 49% | 24% | 1.22 | 2.48 | 3.0 |
| 20 Empire halberdiers | Skeleton Warriors | 58% | 27% | 2.25 | 2.53 | 2.8 |
| 9 Swordmasters of Hoeth | Skeleton Warriors | 49% | 28% | 0.66 | 4.49 | 2.8 |
| 15 Jade Warriors | Opponent | 52% | 25% | 1.54 | 2.07 | 3.3 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | Opponent | 62% | 36% | 0.29 | 1.48 | 4.2 |
| 20 Clanrats | Opponent | 84% | 45% | 2.39 | 1.58 | 1.7 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | Opponent | 65% | 36% | 0.74 | 4.91 | 2.1 |
| 5 Knights of the Realm | Opponent | 68% | 18% | 0.57 | 3.47 | 3.5 |
| 17 Gors | Opponent | 49% | 24% | 1.48 | 2.65 | 3.0 |
| 20 Empire halberdiers | Opponent | 75% | 37% | 2.96 | 1.94 | 2.5 |
| 9 Swordmasters of Hoeth | Opponent | 83% | 45% | 1.47 | 2.75 | 1.8 |
Why they win without doing much damage
Skeleton Warriors dealt only one to one and a half wounds in the first round on average, and took more than that in most matchups. They still won most fights, because the spears’ extra rank, a full rank bonus and a standard kept the static Combat Result on their side round after round.
That also explains their weak spots. Jade Warriors and Gors bring their own ranks and bodies, so the Warriors lost that advantage: 36% charging Jade Warriors and 49% either way against Gors.
How I would use them
I would put them where the enemy needs to come to me and keep their ranks intact, then use chariots or Necropolis Knights to hit whatever they have pinned. Their 92% when charging Knights of the Realm looks superb, but it comes from ranks beating a small cavalry unit in a straight duel, so I would not go looking for that fight.
More Tomb Kings results
- All seven Tomb Kings units compared
- Are Tomb Guard good?
- Are Ushabti good in combat?
- Are Necropolis Knights good?
- Are Skeleton Chariots good?
- Are Tomb Guard Chariots good?
- Are Necroserpents good?
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Skeleton Warriors as the defensive centre of a Tomb Kings list, placed where the enemy has to come to them. I would not use them as an attacking unit, or treat these numbers as proof they beat elite chargers without support.
FAQs
Can Skeleton Warriors beat Swordmasters?
In my simulations, when Swordmasters charged them, 22 Skeleton Warriors won 83% of fights. When the Warriors charged, that fell to 49%. I would treat the first figure as a hypothesis to test on a real table.
Are Skeleton Warriors good against cavalry?
Against Knights of the Realm, yes: 92% when the Warriors charged and 68% when the Knights charged, mostly thanks to ranks and Combat Result.