AoS Second Edition

[Axquirix]

Saurus oldblood gives re-rolls of 1 for wounds to every saurus near him.

That's be helpful, I somehow had a buffed (serpent staff, celestial rites, mystic shield, sunblood command ability) unit of ten saurus knight deal a total of one damage to Neferata today. Then she and three black nights killed seven of them in return. This was apparently a roughly equal points trade. Considering she wasn't nerfing their to wound, I apparently need a way to be better than a 3+ because otherwise I fail 90% of them. Thanks for the advice, thankfully my current Sunblood model is actually the old Saurus hero so I can argue it as either.

 

[little-myth]

The more I hear of the new edition, the more it is persuading me to start including Saurus more. For mostly more buffs and all, then take my enemy by surprise for not bringing Skinks.
Also learned from a leaked page that the Giant Rats are not battleline anymore Can't run my Clan Moulder army now
Update: Also the same with Eshin, another army I run

 

[Axquirix]

The more I hear of the new edition, the more it is persuading me to start including Saurus more. For mostly more buffs and all, then take my enemy by surprise for not bringing Skinks.
Also learned from a leaked page that the Giant Rats are not battleline anymore Can't run my Clan Moulder army now

I feel like having access to all the command abilities as and when they're needed helps Saurus out a lot; you don't have to try and build around a single buff any more, and most of our heroes only buff Saurus units.
That, and the ability to drop 20 saurus blocks onto the field wherever they're needed is going to hurt people. I'd say a basic summoning strat is to drop 10 skinks if you need chaff and 20 saurus whenever you can afford it, then take minimal battleline in your main army to fit more killy units (maybe even a second slann?)

 

[little-myth]

I feel like having access to all the command abilities as and when they're needed helps Saurus out a lot; you don't have to try and build around a single buff any more, and most of our heroes only buff Saurus units.
That, and the ability to drop 20 saurus blocks onto the field wherever they're needed is going to hurt people. I'd say a basic summoning strat is to drop 10 skinks if you need chaff and 20 saurus whenever you can afford it, then take minimal battleline in your main army to fit more killy units (maybe even a second slann?)

Yeah when I read the warscrolls the choice of who to have as general for command abilities if I was to take Saurus. Now it's not a big choice anymore.
Does taking second Slann will contribute to the same summoning pool points or a different one? Knowing me it was written back there
Now it depends if I can take down those pesky Kharadon Overlords, I tend not to have that much trouble with Sylvaneth

 

[Burwinkelito]

I believe it has to be your general to effectively provide summoning points, so one extra slann would give you 3 more spells, but no chance to get summoning points (until the first general dies and you promote the second to general). Also not stackable the points given from multiple astrolith bearers, as the rule says 1d3 points "if there are one or more friendly astolith bearers on the battlefield".

That is what I choose to understand from the rules.... IMHO there is no other interpretation, but, as always, please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Canas]

I believe it has to be your general to effectively provide summoning points, so one extra slann would give you 3 more spells, but no chance to get summoning points (until the first general dies and you promote the second to general). Also not stackable the points given from multiple astrolith bearers, as the rule says 1d3 points "if there are one or more friendly astolith bearers on the battlefield".

That is what I choose to understand from the rules.... IMHO there is no other interpretation, but, as always, please correct me if I am wrong.

sigh really? where does it say he has it be the general?
Why are we the only ones who can't viably stack any mechanics to generate points...

 

[Killer Angel]

Even if it has to be the general, does it matter?
Now that everyone can use command abilities, i don't think that who's the general will be so meaningful as before. At least, this is my first impression.

 

[Burwinkelito]

where does it say he has it be the general?

That is the info provided in the faction focus. I dont own a copy of GH2018, so i can't assure there are no further modifications to that. But there states only the general can carry out Celestial Conjuration.

 

[Aginor]

Yeah, that's true unfortunately.
But frankly I think summoning could easily be OP otherwise.
It would mean summoning 40 Skinks or a Bastiladon every round of you bring two Slann.

But then they could just have written: "One Slann in your army" instead of forcing us to use the Slann as the general.
But since we aren't forced to use the general's command ability anymore it isn't that severe.

 

[little-myth]

That is the info provided in the faction focus. I dont own a copy of GH2018, so i can't assure there are no further modifications to that. But there states only the general can carry out Celestial Conjuration.

Many thanks!
I actually wonder if they will be releasing the summon point cost of a Dread Saurian

 

[Aginor]

It would be 32 points or more. Not sure if it would even make sense to summon one.

 

[Killer Angel]

Insert it directly in your list and proceed to eat everything.

 

[Canas]

Even if it has to be the general, does it matter?
Now that everyone can use command abilities, i don't think that who's the general will be so meaningful as before. At least, this is my first impression.

there's still the matter of command traits & the fact that a slann might not be the best fit as a general if you want say a melee powerhouse or ranged artillery piece. But yes, at least the command abilities are no longer an issue.

 

[little-myth]

True, wasting the time trying to gather the points to surprise summon one. Might as well focus on the Saurus and Skinks.
Local store has a few Forgeworld daemons, I wonder if he will use them in future games. Mostly the Khorne ones. Might as well chuck a Saurian his way if so.

 

[Aginor]

Here is a post from someone ar TGA about the base sizes of the Endless Spells:

Geminids, Spellportal, Swords, Flaming Skull, and Shackles are all on 40mm bases.

Malevolent Maelstrom and Chronomatic Cogs are on 50mm bases.

Lifeswarm and Pendulum are on the 35mm by 60mm cavalry bases.

Purple Sun and Gnashing Maw are on 90x60(?) bases - the same length as Drakoth/Khorgorath bases, but they appear to be a bit wider.

Grave tide looks like it is on a ~150 x ~100 the base is split in two on the sprue, so it's harder to judge than the rest.

Prismatic Palisade is on a ~200 x ~40 mm base.

This is just from measuring an image of the sprues and getting a glance at some built ones at a local store. It's just the larger 4 that I'm not certain of.

 

[Aginor]

I think he overestimated the palisade, IMO it is only 160-180mm.

 

[Axquirix]

True, wasting the time trying to gather the points to surprise summon one. Might as well focus on the Saurus and Skinks.
Local store has a few Forgeworld daemons, I wonder if he will use them in future games. Mostly the Khorne ones. Might as well chuck a Saurian his way if so.

If you want to surprise summon anything that isn't on the list, work around the new Dracothion's Tail battalion. You can just leave half your units off the board to be added in later with no rolls required. It doesn't even use summoning points, it's a fairly cheap battalion, and beyond needing a Slann and a Firelance battalion (and one other battalion from the Seraphon book) it's very flexible. The fact that it and its two required battalions net you +3 Command Points and 3 artefacts for heroes on the side is pretty swell, especially with the new Realm artefacts.

 

[Axquirix]

Here is a post from someone ar TGA about the base sizes of the Endless Spells:

I think the Sun is meant to go on a round base, it'd be weird to put a spherical ball on an oval base.

 

[Aginor]

Yeah probably.
We will see very soon I guess.

 

[Wazz]

It's on an oval from what I remember seeing its huge too like softball sized with supports in it lol. Speaking of endless spells, with a slann and star priest could you could you balewind with slann, cogs with priest, and bring the slann to 5 spells?