8th Ed. My first crack at Lizardmen on a budget...2500pts

This list is based on two Battallions and the two big characters, a budget friendly way to get a good sized army I think. I only own the army book for now, just planning before buying...

Lizardmen - 2480pts

Lords:
Slann Mage-Priest
Lore of [Life, Heavens, or Light], Focus Mastery, Focus Rumination, Higher State of Counciousness, Unfathomable Presence, Diadem of Power
The backbone of the Army.

Heroes:
Skink Priest –
Lv2 Wizard, Ancient Stegadon with Engine of the Gods, Plaque of Tepok, Talisman of Protection
acts like a lvl 3. Can be a Vassal for the Slann, arcing Magic Missiles if the need arrises.

Core:
40x Saurus Warriors
Full Command, Spears
Dunno if to split them to two 20x Saurus Units and if not, if to go Hordes so everyone has the potential to attack at any given combat.
If they are split up, do I take both with Spears or not?

12x Skinks Skirmishers –
Skink Skirmisher Brave
Harrasment Unit
Which weapon is better? Should the Skinks be used as regular Skinks?

12x Skinks Skirmishers –
Skink Skirmisher Brave
Harrasment Unit
Which weapon is better? Should the Skinks be used as regular Skinks?

Special:

20x Temple Guard –
Full Command, Sun Standard of Chotec
The Slann’s personal guard. The Sun Standard gives it a bit of protection against shooting.

5x Cold One Calvary –
Full Command
Flanking Unit

5x Cold One Calvary –
Full Command
Flanking Unit


Edited. Do NOT post individual points costs for units/items. Also, don't describe what items/abilities do. We all have the books, so can see for ourselves. Thanks.

 

I'd drop the Cold one cavalry and maybe a unit of skirmishers for 2 units of chameleons, they're just too good. I know they're pricy, but if you can get ahold of a couple salamanders, they're very good. What you now own is almost identical to what I own in miniatures, and I play mostly 2k games, I would start there with lists personally. Oh and I'd definitely separate the Saurus into 2 blocks.

 

Here's my observations based on how 8th edition is shaping up so far:

Slann: Can't go wrong, and you don't have to change the model to try different options. If he's going with the Temple Guard, Higher State might be redundant with the protection from the unit he'll get. Also, you won't have any trouble using up all your power dice if you know all your lore's spells, so I'd go with another option than the Diadem for your arcane item. Cupped Hands is great for not killing your Guards from a miscast, but there's plenty of other good choices.

Priest w/ EoTG: It's good but expensive, and works better for a Carnosaur led army since the Slann will usually use all the power dice. I've never regretted putting magnets on my Stegadons, since the kits include parts and figures to run them any way you like.

Saurus: I'm not a big fan of hoard formations. It paints a nice big X on the unit for any number of devastating attacks, and, particularly with spears, as soon as you start taking casualties you start losing the attacks you paid for. Personally, I go with hand weapon & shield these days. It's cheaper, the Saurus live longer, and it works whether you charge or not.

Skinks: I use ranked skinks only in large groups with plenty of kroxigor support. For skirmishers, blowpipes work fine and have the great option of double firing. The javelins do have a number of advantages such as no movement penalty; I'd take a look at any number of threads on this site debating which weapon is better.

Temple Guard: Can't go wrong in a Slann list. Don't let anyone tell you 20 is too many for one unit, as they tend to draw a lot of fire.

Cold Ones: Five is too small of a unit, especially with the expensive command group. Combine the two and you'll be able to take some casualties before losing combat effectiveness. I think you get eight models with each battalion box, but 16 is pretty expensive points wise.

That's just my observations, which may or may not carry any credibility. Definitely continue to read up and plan before buying models. I wish I had before buying a ton of figures I rarely use, and modeling them with weapons that aren't as effective. Good luck and have fun!

 

Replies in green.

 

I give my Slaan or the Temple Guard the Banner of Discipline, which is +1 Leadership, and also make him the BSB. Hes Stubborn, so therefore he's always rerolling leadership 10 with cold-blooded. The odds of failing that are somewhere in the range of 0.01%-0.03% I believe.

21 is typically how I would run my TG in a 2500 point game, I run 16 in 2k or less. Then again I also pretty much run all my units 5 wide and however deep I can.

I agree with Becalming Cogitation, It makes it brutal for an enemy caster phase, kinda like Dwarves but not as annoying.

I have very limited experience with CoC because they are so expensive and I never had much success with them.

 

if you're regularly in a position where the slann is getting broken from comabt on LD9, cold blooded, re-rollable, you're going wrong somewhere anyway imo.

the TG should be there to deliver some serious hurt as well as shielding the slann, i want them to be winning combats!

becalming is great, just remember it still doesnt (at least most of the time) stop a power scroll flying off and causing devastation. though afaik there isnt really much that can be done about that anyway

 

How easy is it to magnetize the Stegadon kit? Maybe use a Chief on Regular/Ancient Stegadon instead to ease up on magic?
Any magnetizing tutorials lying around?

Also, what are everyone's thoughts on the Lizardmen Special Characters? I love the sculpt of Chakat, Tiktaq'to, Tehenhauin, and Kroq-Gar (all though he kills the use of a Slann), but I'm not good at judging their in game worth.

 

My gaming club does not usually use special characters but i tried a game for fun once. I tried kroak and Chakax.

Kroak: Not worth the points... just don´t use him, please his spell cannot compete with the lore of life ^^

Chakax: OMG!!! you do not want to charge a temple guard block with this bad boy in it, especially if you have a character in it. Together with unbreakable and a Hero-killing stats; he will challenge and slay every character in his way! definately worth the points, and by looking at the other characters, probably the most price-worth character The only possible threats against him are those vicous spels like purple sun or the pit. but i have to guess Skulltaker will beat him in a challenge!

hope this has been of any help!

 

I'll always make the Slann my BSB when he's with the Temple Guard. Your chances of actually breaking on LD 9-10, cold blooded, stubborn, rerollable are infinitesimal (Leadership Bomb Slannesh daemons are the only things that stand a remote chance). Compare this to the chances of a Scar Veteran or Skink Chief BSB being cut down or broken. It's my belief that the Temple Guarded Slann is the safest battle standard carrier in the game.

As far as special characters go, Chakax is terrific right up until the point the enemy refuses his challenge and just attacks him with rank and file troops. Chakax won't get to use the abilities that make him great, and he'll be just as vulnerable as a 90- point Scar Veteran. Consider: He costs more than 30 HW&S Saurus Warriors! If you're getting torn to shreds by Chaos Warrior heroes that must always challenge (or Skulltaker, who does often get flattened by Chakax but costs less than half his points), he might be a better selection. For the most part though, I'd rather have a stegadon or something for the points.

I am obviously somewhat biased, but Gor-Rok surely is the best choice when it comes to our special characters. He's still expensive, but for just over 200 points, you get a Scar Veteran with the effects of: Trickster's Helm, Crown of Command, Hatred, immunity to Killing Blow, and a miniature portable wall! He's just the thing to anchor down a block of Saurus in higher points games. He's not invincible though, so take a unit champion to absorb hits from really nasty things.

I haven't been able to find a tutorial for magnetizing stegadons yet, but I just glued some tiny rare earth magnets where I wanted things to go, and mated them up with other magnets or small metal pieces on the character, crew, and weapon pieces. There's room for a magnet underneath the stargate thing on the Engine, so I made it so that comes off as well. It's well worth the effort, and saves you from buying a bunch of different models that you can never use all at once.

 

Thanks for the replies. More questions:
- Why do some people run Saurus/TG 6 wide? With their 25mm, doesn't it hinder you against 5 wide 20mm?
- Are Terradon Riders, Kroxigor, and Hunting Pack good? How so? In what sizes do/would you use them?
- Anyone else got comments on using a Slann alongside a EotG? Good or Bad? Would using a Heavens Loremaster Slann be viable to exploit Arcane Configuration?

 

I run them 6 wide because unlike most infantry they get 2 attacks from the front rank. They're tougher than elves or men so you don't need to worry so much about being killed and cold blooded means ranks are less important for steadfast tests.

Basically against a 5 wide unit you'll take the same amount of attacks from them whilst putting out 3 extra of your own.

 

But a 5 wide unit still gets the 3 extra attacks (4 will contact just the same). Why run them 6 wide? Only upside I see is against Monstrous Infantry/Cavalry Units and units that go beyond 5 wide like Hordes.

 

Unit of 5 wide gets (5*2)+(5*1) = 15 attacks, +1 for champ
Unit of 6 wide gets (6*2)+(6*1) = 18 attacks, +1 for champ

 

That is only potential attacks. Only models in base contact attack, both attack the same against 5wide 20mm units. See p39 BRB, under "Who can Strike?".

 

And won't there be a great big toad blocking the space for two of your halberds? that would mean two less second row attacks for either a Unit of 5 or 6.

 

yeah, i used to run them 6 wide, but it was overrated imo, like you said, you often don't get the full attacks, and it's more expensive per rank, which is very important now with steadfast.

i definetley find it frustrating the toad takes away 2 TG attacks - i mean they're our best fighters, seems such a waste! ><


terradons were over-rated in 7th (imo), and are even worse now, i really cant see why you'd take them over chameleons.

krox die to easily for thier points, and in skrox units still suffer from getting annihilated in combat res. definetley more useable than terradons though (skrox unit + flesh to stone = winnar?). If you are going to take them they require using careful usage though, i think is what i'm trying to say.

salamanders are insane damage, again though, they die easily, especially as most opponents know what they can do if left alone.


i havent tried an EotG in 8th ed. assuming it doesnt get cannoned straight off the board, i'd imagine it's a pretty good combo. i'd guess at the very least it's better than just taking more priests? try it and see i suppose

 

You get credit for guys on the corners, and you have to maximize combat.

20 mm x 5 = 100 mm
25 mm x 6 = 150 mm

Subtract 25 mm from each side of the Saurus rank, and you get 4 saurus squared up with 5 20mm bases.

So the Saurus on each corner of the 20 mm bases get to attack.

 

Ah, I missed this in the BRB:

Sadly, I would only get 40 Saurus out of the two Batallions, so I don't get an exact number to do two 6 wide units of 24. But I guess two 18 ones are feasible.

 

So I did the number crunch and 2 units of 18 Saurus Warriors with Command and Hand Weapons plus 2 units of 12 Skink Skirmishers with Brave DON'T fulfill the 25% of Core for 2500. If I fielded all 36 Saurus with Spears and 12 of the Skinks took Javelins, or 18 of the Saurus took Spears and all 24 Skinks took Javelins, the requirement would be met as well.

Alternatively, if I used them all, two units of 20 Saurus Warriors with Command and Hand Weapons plus 2 units of 12 Skink Skirmishers with Brave, they can fullfill it too.

What should I do?