As usual, when I dive into real world lizards for fluff inspiration, I am hoping for a response from Axoytl, Lustria's resident zookeeper. I always here that animals have tails for balance. Makes sense for quadrupeds. Also makes sense for slumped over bipeds like the might Tyrannosaurus (and the fictional Carnosaur). Is there any practical reason for a Skink, Saurus, or Kroxigor (who stand fully erect unlike real world bipedal dinosaurs) to have a tail or are they just cool looking vestigial organs?
Well just look at all the bipedal dinosaurs, they certainly used them for balance! More so than quadrupeds I should think.
Well, many real-world lizards use their tails for a number of functions. Some tails serve as fat storage which can be saved up and used when food is hard to come by. Also it seems that they serve important roles in aquatic environments no matter if the lizard is bi-pedal or quadrupedal. Finally, some lizards use their tails for protection, either by helping dig into the ground, sweeping back and forth, or by kicking sand or dust up in the air. Oh yeah, also a thwack from a tail can stun a weaker creature (like a tasty insect) pretty effectively.
Yes, but Lizardmen are bipeds who stand fully erect, just like humans. Bipedal dinosaurs are all hunched over. Erect bipeds have a more compact center of gravity. Valid points all though I am little iffy on the tail attacks for Skinks or the swimming tail for Saurus.
Some of the skink models are pretty hunched forwards in walking poses, and the saurus are also hunched forwards. Their legs are also bent at the knees like your classic bipedal dinosaurs, so I assume the legs act more like a fulcrum than the straight up-and-down of human legs. /wearesuchnerds
Looking at the current lizardmen, tails for balance makes sense to me. They definitely lean forward in a way no human could mantain for long. Maybe they could manage without but it would certainly require more energy to hold themselves in place, and would rob them of the many other advantages a tail gives. As a point on tails as weapons - look at the temple guard models. They have armoured tails, including one with a mace head at the tip. I'm guessing this isn't a one off idea, it's probably common practice for Saurus to use their tails to trip opponents or break their legs, especially if they are fighting one on one.
Real lizard legs are splayed to the side, as per the earliest reconstructions of sauropods like diplodocus. Consensus seems to be (now) that the big quadrupeds had limbs under their bodies and tail out back. I guess a long tail would be useful to counterbalance a long neck (which Bob does not have), a massive head or a heavy eggshell. But... The nearest equivalent to a raptor or therapod I've at got home is my deadly silky bantam chickens. When they charge towards me in a ravenous omnivorous frenzy, their legs their feet strike the ground beneath them. However, because of the width of their murderous talons they bring their powerful legs out to the side as they swing them them around to take the next inexorable stride towards their hapless prey. Thank goodness they have relatively light beaks. If they had murderous jaws full of serrated teeth, the bread crusts which are their natural prey would be torn to quivering shreds. Or they would fall flat on their faces. I think the tails on our lizardmen balance them while walking and running (saurus in particular have hips to the sides rather than under them. Close combat fighting requires them to rear up and back (with tails down), otherwise their heads would be vulnerable and they would sacrifice the reach of their weapons. The tail could still work as a third point of balance or a counterweight. If there is an opening for them to chomp on some chaos aligned neck, jaws will thrust forward and tail will thrust back, with no breaking of conservation of momentum. That's predatory fighter right there, pal! (curse you second rank ) Wife of Bob looked over and said, "you're writing a lot." and asked what about. (I'm wearing her down slowly) When I explained the very serious question from Scalenex about tail biomechanics, She said she has got a better reply. "Ask them if they have ever seen a kangaroo." I just smiled patronizingly. Of course you have! And the ChaOz Chimaeroo's tail has an obvious function. http://www.lustria-online.com/threads/spawning-of-bob-and-friends.10886/ Last time I heard, the forces of Chaos were saying, "You can keep your tail mace, Centurion. And screw you biomechanics!"
Hmmm... As a thought, perhaps the tail could have an effect whilst fighting. If the the lizardman is fighting, and he needs an unexpected attack, he could lean forward, using his tail as a counterbalance giving him a sudden attack, and extra reach. This could be particularly effective against the tall ogres.