After playing against the Kharadron Overlords Skyhammer Task Force for the first time since the latest errata changes, I can confidently say this is one of the most dominant Spearheads in the game right now.
Curious about how the Skyhammer Task Force fits into the bigger picture? Check out the Spearhead Tier List for the latest rankings.
The errata changes for Kharadron Spearhead: Skyhammer Task Force gave Reinforced to both the Arkanaut Company and the Skywardens warscrolls, making them far more useful and far more flexible.
On top of that, Bomb Racks now inflict D3+1 damage to any unit they fly over (Once per game)— turning a movement phase into a deadly strike. These changes make Skyhammer not just strong, but oppressive when piloted by a skilled player.
As a mostly shooting army, this now has the ability to get into dangerous situations, knowing they can easily come back in anything goes wrong.
Battle Report Playing Against Skyhammer Task Force
I went into the game running Soulblight Gravelords – Bloodcrave Hunt, one of the top S-tier Spearheads. My Blood Knights are usually incredibly resilient: 15 wounds with 3+ saves and 6+ wards. By the end of the first turn, they were all dead. The sheer accuracy and damage output of the Skyhammer Task Force erased my most valuable units (Cavalry) before I could even respond.
From that point, the game was effectively decided in turn one. I battled hard to claw back points with my Deathrattle Skeletons, managing to score 13 points, but the outcome was clear; my well-skilled opponent Kharadron Overlords player had won with a whopping 22 points. Skyhammer’s ability to deal devastating alpha strikes while staying mobile and safe puts it in a league of its own.
On top of that, even when you do finally manage to get a unit caught up to and slay it – they simply come back in the next movement phase. This makes it extremely hard for low mobility troops to be effective against such a mobile high damage output army.
It is worth noting the player I was against, is a skilled player, knew what he was doing and a wizard when it came to the rules. Huge kudos to him for taking this incredible win in dominant fashion.
Player Insight: Facing the Skyhammer Task Force
To give you another perspective, I reached out to my opponent: the KO Skyhammer Task Force player I faced. Here’s how he broke down the strengths of the Skyhammer Spearhead:
“When you’re up against the Skyhammer Task Force, you quickly notice a few standout strengths. First, there’s the Turn 1 Alpha Strike: they use their boat transport to push the Leader forward and leave the Frigate on the center objective. All guns lock onto a target, and then the Leader and Skywardens charge in to finish off a weakened unit. Their ‘Timed Charges’ ability adds some Mortal damage punch as well.
Next, the mobility is a huge factor. While the Arkanauts and Leader only have a 4-inch move on their own, the Frigate and Skyfarers’ abilities let multiple units move 12 inches around the board. That makes it easy for them to get where they need to go.
Finally, there’s the aggression. They’ve got reinforcements for three units, and while core rules only let you reinforce one per turn, it means they can afford to be aggressive with their Arkanauts and Skywardens. They might sacrifice a unit each turn to maximize those reinforcements and grab extra victory points.”
Big shout-out to Kieran for tossing in his thoughts and making this post a bit more awesome. It’s always great when a fellow player jumps in and helps add some real-world flavor. Thanks, Kieran!
Skyhammer Task Force Strengths
If Skyhammer gets the first turn, it can dismantle almost any opposing Spearhead before it even gets started, as long as the player understands the full utility of this army they can do some incredible work in the first battle round.
If this army goes second, it still has the damage, range, and mobility to turn the game around quickly. However they can definitely be slowed down by charges. Do note it has abilities which negate retreat damage and pretty good saves for a shooter army.
For now, the Skyhammer Task Force stands towards the top of the Spearhead meta. It’s an S-tier powerhouse: fast, lethal, and brutally efficient in the hands of an experienced player.
Which Spearhead is better: Skyhammer Task Force or Grundstok Trailblazers
Many players out there might be considering starting a Kharadron Army and aren’t sure which one to buy. My best suggestion is to always go for the army you think is cool, fun to paint and satisfying to play.
With that being said you are probably wondering: Which Kharadron Spearehead is better: Skyhammer Task Force or Grundstok Trailblazers?
The answer is most definitely: Skyhammer Task Force. This is because those reinforcement keywords are just too good to miss out on. They hit like a literal cannon and fly around the board like a literal battleship. If you want to have fun and win a lot then choose the Spearhead: Skyhammer Task Force.
More Info on AOS Spearheads Armies
If you liked this article and would like to know more about Spearheads, whats strong, weak or in-between then check out our regularly updated: Spearhead Tier List. Thanks for reading!
