Currently I am loving the flexibility and maneuverability that I can get out of my Dark Elf Army through Harpies and, especially, Dark Riders. I'm looking to bring some of this over to my Lizardmen army and, to do this, I'm looking at Terradons. Flying, Fast Cavalry, Skirmish, Vanguard, Drop Rocks - they sound like the perfect mix of baiting, redirecting and chaff clearing. But are they worthwhile? Chameleon and Skirmisher Skinks seem to fulfill entirely similar roles only at vastly reduced points costs. Terradons also seem to be the only monstrous cavalry in the game that are T3 and didn't get some sort of stealth buff. And no spears, really? So for those of you who do use them: how do you use them? Multiple units, optimal unit size, tactics?
i use them 1 unit of 3, they give u vanguard, drop rocks, warmachine hunters, also, good for redirections, charging fleeing enemies from a longer distance =)
Don't forget the stomp! They get stomp against infantry sized models (not sure on warmachines though).
War machines can't be Stomped. Sad because that's what Terradons end up fighting at least half the time.
I field a unit of 3 with fireleech bolas. Not because the bolas are super effective, but because I think they look cool. I use them for drop rocks and as war machine hunters mostly. Even if they get taken down early in the game by the war machines, it is a turn or two where the machines are not shooting at my other monsters or troops.
Yeah, they draw fire early in the game, saving some of your more damage-oriented units; and if they don't draw fire, they survive to play havoc with your opponent's war machines and movement. They're expensive redirectors, but sometimes their ridiculous mobility makes up for that. EDIT: and PS, I never ever put them in combat with anything other than a shooting unit. They're better off shooting that fighting in CC, so I only do this to keep an enemy unit from shooting for a turn or two.
Also note that a Skink Chief on a Terradon is a good alternative (or addition) to Terradon riders. He can be made to have a 2+ armour save very easily and cheaply.