Many people have asked me how I use Skeleton Chariots in my Tomb Kings, and indeed I've made something of a name for myself on the Tomb Kings forums (not intentionally!) for advocating their successful usage. I figured a little blurb on how I do it would be a good way to kick off Tuesday Tactics.
When I first started Tomb Kings, I just had one unit of three Chariots. While I played small games, I found their capabilities to be a bit limited. 6 BS2 shots won't clear chaff, but the 3D6 S4 Impact Hits will! Still, with only nine wounds to share, they didn't survive long. I soon got a second box and made it a unit of six Chariots. Now this fared better, being twice the size and double the shots...still only 3D6 Impact Hits, but at S5 they really started to put on the hurt.
This unit of six really started to rock and roll for me, supported by ranks of Archers and Constructs (and most importantly, magic!). I then picked up Settra, because who better to lead the Chariot legions than the big man himself? He really added more oomph to the unit, making them that much killier. I then took it to a primer event and played some games at a higher point value; I think it was 3000. There, I learned the downside of my idea.
I kept getting flanked, crushed, and overwhelmed by what I was running into. That day I learned a valuable lesson: use the buddy system! That is to say, take a second unit of six Chariots, because MOAR CHARIOTS IS MORE BETTA. I was really getting on a Chariot kick and having a TON of fun with it, but once I determined the buddy system is the way to go, they really took off. Now, instead of striking at a weak point hoping to overwhelm, I was presenting a prickly frontage that could smash multiple targets; indeed, my catchphrase became "Chariot SMASH" on the forums, with batrep after batrep recording how they would plow into units and just wipe them out.
This was especially true as the Elves were just coming into power, and slow slow Undead didn't know what to do against them. Enter the Chariots: Arrows that always hit on a set number can reliably whittle down weakly armored and statted Elves, and what strikes in CC before Always Strikes First? Impact Hits! 3-6D6 S4-5 destroyed so much that I would often only lose a single unit over the course of a game.
Thus, the first and most important lesson of using Chariot units, of any size (even for other races), is the buddy system. Pair up units for mutual protection and destruction. They can cover each others' flanks, set up traps, and so on.
The second big lesson is to give them magic support. Even just one spell is strong enough to make them worth far more than their points, and this is where Tomb Kings Chariots really shine over other races'. I'll go through those that I use:
- Incantation of the Desert Wind. This spell is very powerful for the mounted army. As a bubble it will hit both of your units and heal them. What's more awesome is that they get a second move, effectively letting them march, where other Chariots never can. As another workaround, when dealing with terrain, they never take DT tests when moving normally (it's only when you march, charge, flee, or pursue), thus letting them move through seemingly Impassable Terrain with impunity. This maneuverability, combined with their speed, makes them great for flanking, or getting in your opponent's face quickly. Overall, a pretty sweet spell (decent when using Settra with them).
- Incantation of Cursed Blades. This is a pretty simple spell, giving the unit Killing Blow, which at first glance gives a "meh" feeling, right up until you realize that it also affects their Impact Hits. Yes, 3-6D6 auto-hits with KB? Put the fear of the Tomb Kings' wrath into your armored opponent as they melt away. Plus it heals, like all other augments in the Lore of Nehekhara. Good stuff!
- Incantation of Protection. Gotta love giving them the same invulnerability as daemons! A 5+ ward save has saved my bacon too many times to count, and against shooting armies, keeps the unit strong on the way in.
- Incantation of Righteous Smiting. Combine this potent spell with Cursed Blades when you really want to carve up anything in front of you. Again, it seems blah at first glance, but the spell gives each horse and each rider +1 Attack, and there are two of each. That bumps each Chariot's attacks up from 6 per to 10 per. Pushing out 30 attacks, plus Impact hits, plus whatever else you have, makes serious dents, even in Knights of most stripes. Bonus: if you're not in combat, you're tossing out 24 arrows, for kicks.
The best part of all these spells? They can be cast in bubble form and affect both units with every casting. This is very good stuff! Keep in mind, as you heal up the Chariots, if you put more in base contact they will not inflict more Impact Hits; however, if you rank them up, you will get the rank bonus to Strength. Thus, you can lose one on the way in, then replace it and still be strong.
Other perks of using large amounts of Chariots is that they fill up your Core points quickly with strong units, instead of thinking of Core as a tax filled with chumps. As well, they are durable on the field, what with constant healing and protection. On the other hand, if you lose them, you're pretty well boned. Trust me, it does still happen and they are certainly not infallible; I've done poorly with them (especially in deployment) and lost as a result.
Overall, I maintain that multiple large units of Chariots make best use of the assortment of special rules in the Tomb Kings book: they heal up the best, get more bang per model with spell boosts, and take most advantage of what the game, and armybook, have to offer.
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Suggested loadout:
[360] 6 Chariots - Standard Bearer, Musician, Banner of Eternal Flame
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[350] 6 Chariots - Standard Bearer, Musician
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Check out my old battle reports here: DAS LINK
Feel free to drop some comments and counterpoints; I'd love to hear them!
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