Using the Scorpion? (in 40 pts)

[Elkerlyc]

So I finally had my HoK painted (or at least; enough to field 60 pts) so I wanted something new to paint/play.
NW it is obviously.,

I shared a box Scorpions with a buddy and was wondering how and when this thing is effective.
(lovely model regardless)

I fail to see how it can it can earn back its 7 points unless you shoot giants all the time.
What am I missing? how do you use it? In what lists? What works/What does not?

 

[Toqtamish]

Use Volley Fire and deal a lot of hits if not facing giants.

 

[Oakwolf]

It's highly effective in a scenario where you can defend an objective, particularly the siege scenario. It requires to be supported, but it will cause grievous wounds. Like the crossbowmen, they highly benefit from the "combat zone" to increase their odds of wiping units. They are less mobile than crossbowmen, but far less fragile to morale (crown zone). Just make sure you can respond to any enemy cavalry that threatens to charge them from out of its range. In fact it's a bit how it works...it can bait cavalry into a trap, or scare it away due to the sundering ability.

They will have a psychological effect on dire wolves and the mountain, too, and might mess with the opponent's plans.

I'd pair them with Ranger Trackers to increase your effective response range and put Vulnerable on as many enemy units as you can (this will increase the Scorpion's power) and use sworn brothers to capture and hold objectives if need be. The ranger trackers can outmanoeuvre anything and shoot units in their flanks.

40pts
2 Ranger Trackers (12pts)
1 Builder Scorpion crew (7pts)
1 Night's watch sworn brothers ( 6pts)
1 Night's watch veterans (8pts) + Jon Snow as commander

Maester aemon (4pts)
Craster (3pts)

Send Jon to the center for "Staying Alive" hilarity, get that scorpion to basically interdict an objective marker, flank with the trackers to make the opponent pay for advancing too quick. You should have enough healing to keep the veterans alive the whole game. Use a unit of trackers to backtrack and retaliate on anything that engages the scorpion, Use ghost to grab an objective or flank to engage ranged troops. Use swornswords to engage enemy units with great defense and then capture an objective. The two NCUs are there to try and sneak off the combat zone to allow the scorpion to shoot twice (or just go for the most opportunistic attack).

That's just on top of my head really, but i think it could work.

 

[BakeryPirate]

I've only got a couple of games with my Scorpion, but I have found it underwhelming. This partially because my opponent uses lots of cavalry and partially because of poor deployment by me.

I'm still convinced with the right positioning and with the right army it could definitely be a great unit.

 

[Tony4095]

Havent used mine yet, but curious. How did u try to protect it? Did cavalry simply get behind wall of infantry protecting it?

 

[Oakwolf]

This unit is all eggs in a basket. 9 potential hits, with severe drawbacks and some good things (no morale, but can't retreat nor shift and has absolutely no attack in melee).

I'd have thought that Othell Yarwyck would have been the key to get this thing to work better, anyone got some experience under the belt? 2 of his 3 cards half-apply to it.

Mighty Enhancement: Critical blow seemingly doesn't work, but re-rolling hits do.
Precise Enhancement: Sundering is already present on Volley fire, but rolling sixes does prevents saves.
Serrated Enhancement: Vicious and perhaps generate the panicked condition. It works but the Night's watch ain't the faction that can play the most with morale.

Then he adds the option of making modifications to scorpions for (2) points, making it a staggering 9 points.

Can't wait to see the other Builders units, because it won't be hard to replace the scorpion, unless there's some magic technique i am not seeing yet. Critical blow will work on the Builders Crossbowmen and they'll likely have Sundering already, and the Stone thrower will have more range, supposedly.

The scorpion can mangle a unit that gets into its range, that's true, but i've found that it usually then gets pinned into melee and then used as a speed bump when it is destroyed. That said, i ain't stellar with the tactics of this, so i might make mistake and vs cavalry, that's costly.