Skeletal warrior

Version 0.24: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

skeletal warrior z
HP	54-77
HD	10
XP	771
Speed	10
AC	15
EV	10
Will	100
Attack1	25 (hit: plain)
Resistances	rC+, rPois+++, rN+++, rTorm, rRot+++, rDrown, rWater
Vulnerabilities	Holy, Holy wrath
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Normal
Uses	Weapons & armour Starting equipment Open doors
Holiness	Undead
Size	Medium
Type	skeletal warrior, skeletal warrior
Flags	Evil Fighter

The vicious and heavily armed skeleton of a humanoid creature, animated by unholy power. “Speak! speak! thou fearful guest! Who, with thy hollow breast Still in rude armor drest, Comest to daunt me! Wrapt not in Eastern balms, But with thy fleshless palms Stretched, as if asking alms, Why dost thou haunt me?” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Skeleton in Armor”. 1841.

Useful Info

Skeletal warriors are surprisingly dangerous undead monsters which travel in packs. Although they resemble small skeletons, they move at average speed, have significant durability, and come armed with powerful branded weapons. They are found in the mid-to-late-Dungeon, the Crypt, and the Abyss.

Tips & Tricks

• Avoid letting them attack you more than one at a time. Hallways help, but keep an eye out for skeletons armed with polearms.
• Dispel Undead will take them down in two or three castings.
• Control Undead works well to turn them against each other, which will help thin out their numbers and likely give you a chance to escape if necessary.
• Weapons of holy wrath are also effective, the bigger, the better.
• If you don't have any way to reliably take on a pack of skeletal warriors, consider skipping them and coming back once you've leveled up more. Even a single skeletal warrior can kill a lightly armored character in a few hits, especially if they've got a big, nasty weapon.

Variant Skeletal Warrior

While exploring the Crypt, you may come across a skeletal archer. These ranged fighters are as durable as the warriors, but come in a pack and are armed with longbows.

Since when is having flesh a requirement to be a master archer? These skeletal fellows can turn you into a bloody hedgehog with ease. Meatlings like you are only good for a supply of sinew for bowstrings anyway. "For a glory of all evil spirits rise for victory Pain for pain, blood for blood Pagan warriors moved quickly forward Bows are ready to shoot out their searing Darts..." -Mastiphal, "For a Glory of All Evil Spirits"

History

Prior to 0.13, skeletal warriors possessed Animate Dead, a spell which they rarely had a chance to use, mostly being found in corpseless branches. Also prior to 0.13, ancient champions were vault-defined variants of skeletal warriors, as opposed to their own type of monster.