Unit of the Week: tzaangor Skyfires

[Xenith]

++Thousand Sons Unit of the Week++

++Tzaangor Skyfires++

New codex, new discussions about units! As we already have in other faction sections, this is the Thousand Sons Unit of the Week series, where each week we select and dissect a datasheet found in the book, and discuss how we use the unit in-game, favoured loadouts and combos, essentially how to use these units best. What have you found that works, and what doesnt? Please try to stick to the idea of making the unit in question work, as opposed to pointing out other units that might do a better job - we'll get to those in time!

This week, we will be discussing Tzaangor Skyfires - another unit ported fro AoS, these guys were semi-ok last edition, but don't seem to see the table in 9th. Are you using them, and if so, how? Spears or bows?

Have you been using them in games, and how have you used them? Th Mauler fists in particular have great damage potential at D3+3, and with a move of 10", the fiend is capable of getting into combat.

What are you thoughts, and how best would you use the unit?

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around?
  
• Will you be running multiples?
  
• What <GREAT CULT>, loadouts, spell relic and Stratagem support do you prefer and how much does it depend on the above choices?
  
• Are you buffing this unit, and if so, how?
  
• Are you building as a damage dealer or buff-provider?
  
• Uses in Matched, Narrative and Open Play
  
• How have they fared for you in-game?
  

Over to you.

++Thousand Sons Unit of the Week Index Link++

[Xenith]

No discussion? Understandable - This unit just seems bad. They may have been ok in the previous book, but the dings in general to Tzaangor relrgate thse to the shelf. The bows (?) are pretty bad - one shot at one damage - even a max unit is unlikely to threaten anything but the weakest characters.

 

They might have some utility for things like engage, where their speed can get them into places fast, however as cavalry, they're really penalised by the Nachmund objectives that ony work for bikers. I have 3 on my to build list, but don't see where they can go really.

[Ulfast]

I dont own them and dont know what I should use them for. If I need speed I would summon some screamers instead. 

[sitnam]

As compared to other sniper weapons, the Bows don't seem that bad. Necrons Deathmarks are the same cost, and they have durability and better AP vs Skyfire speed and accuracy. Tau Sniper Drones don't have Look out Sir built in, but the Firesight Marksmen can buff them. A flight of three Skyfire comes out cheaper then the Firesight team for the same number of shots, albeit with 1 less AP. Astra Militarum can deploy whole squads of snipers at lower cost, though they lack both strength and AP. Eliminators have a similar gun, though it has a touch more versatility with different ammo types.

 

So I must ask: what makes Skyfires worse then any of these other snipers? Are snipers just kind of bad this edition?

 

Spear builds don't seem bad as an assault unit, particularly with D2 weapons.

[Xenith]

I dont own them and dont know what I should use them for. If I need speed I would summon some screamers instead. 

 

That's absolutely perfect for non-matched play games - in matched you'd have to keep the points in reserve to summon them, then you lose a turn of movement, right? 

 

 Are snipers just kind of bad this edition?

 

I think it might be that - characters are powerful, yet snipers seem quite tame, perhaps to not overshadow the characters. They're maybe quite similar to Eldar shroudrunners, which are ~4pts more and get more wounds, faster movement, concealing abilities, and 6S6AP0 shots on top of the sniper shot.

 

Discs have to be priced accordingly as speed is at a premium in our codex, but we also have options like temporal surge, risen rubricae and facade to get things where they need to be. Still keen to try them out! 

[byrd9999]

I've only had 1 game in 9th edition and I took 3 Tzaangor Enlightened. They raced onto an objective and claimed it 1st round.

 

My opponent was very wary of them and focused fire on them. They were all killed 1st round, but it meant my other units were spared. I encountered the same thing in 8th edition. Especially if you try to snipe a character.

 

This is unlikely to work in tournaments, where your opponent will likely know your codex well, but in casual games the unit has pulled its weight for me.

[Lucky_Lee]

 

I dont own them and dont know what I should use them for. If I need speed I would summon some screamers instead. 

 

That's absolutely perfect for non-matched play games - in matched you'd have to keep the points in reserve to summon them, then you lose a turn of movement, right? 

 

 Are snipers just kind of bad this edition?

 

I think it might be that - characters are powerful, yet snipers seem quite tame, perhaps to not overshadow the characters. They're maybe quite similar to Eldar shroudrunners, which are ~4pts more and get more wounds, faster movement, concealing abilities, and 6S6AP0 shots on top of the sniper shot.

 

Discs have to be priced accordingly as speed is at a premium in our codex, but we also have options like temporal surge, risen rubricae and facade to get things where they need to be. Still keen to try them out! 

 

I own 9 of them. Outside of dying 3 at a time for "engage on all fronts" they are pretty useless. IMO

 

Also I thought they took summoning out of our codex?

 

The only good things about them seem to be the movement and 5++. The bows just don't do enough damage to matter, and if I wanted a melee unit to tie stuff up I'd get a 1x10 of foot goats. When comparing them to snipers in other armies the Enlightened have zero support. Other than a fight twice strat, air goats can only eat up spells that would better be served on a rubric/SoT unit. They're fragile with weak damage output. I'm not a fan.

 

If tzaangors had their own spell tree for shamans to support them or the Enlightened had 4++ natively I can see them being of limited use. Alternatively how cool would it be if they had an ability that improved their invulnerable save for killing a "marked unit"? Think electro-priests in AdMech.

 

But they don't, GW just needed units to shoehorn in a codex so they could charge the same as a book with 5x the content. (end rant)

Edited March 16, 2022 by Xenoscry

[Brother Kraskor]

 

Also I thought they took summoning out of our codex?

 

 

I can't comment on Tzaangor enlightened as I don't own any, but just on summoning. There's no rule in our Codex, but in the Daemon codex there's a rule which allows any Chaos Character to summon. Our characters fit the criteria and so can summon Tzeentch daemons. Whether this rule survives the next Daemon codex though I don't know.

[Xenith]

Last week I noticed that in Nephilim, the caveats to the units that count for Engage on All Fronts has changed - before it had to be a unit of 3+ models, now it's a unit with a starting strength of 3+, so a starting 3 man Skyfires can still score EOAF if they lose a model or two, likewise spawn.

Is this a reason to try them out?

[Lucky_Lee]

I was teaching a newbie to play and took these to intentionally tank the game. Should be all you need to know. 

 

I have 9 and I purchased none of them on purpose. They are bad and I don't see any other function they would be good at other than dying for engage on all fronts.

 

 

[Xenith]

Indeedy - Part-iron warrior that I am, I see the game again as a calculation - if the skyfires can score me a few extra points over the course of the game, are they worth it? 60pts or so to do nothing but get the 4th table quarter in engage for 4-5 turns might be worth it - but you're relying on the opponent ignoring them.