So, first game since covid hit in our games group. Introductory 1.5k game against our Skaven player and I’m a little lost at these points to be honest. I’ve gone for the following: + Lords + Slann Mage-Priest [375pts]: Lore of Death, Wizard Level 4 . Battle Standard Bearer: BRB - Standard of Discipline . Magic Items: BRB - Crown of Command + Heroes + Skink Priest [100pts]: Lore of Beasts, Wizard Level 1 . Magic Items: AB - The Cloak of Feathers Skink Priest [115pts]: Lore of Heavens, Wizard Level 1 . Magic Items: BRB - Arabyan Carpet + Core + Saurus Warriors [250pts]: Champion, Musician, 20x Saurus Warrior, Standard Bearer Skink Skirmishers [84pts] . 12x Skink Skirmisher: 12x Blowpipe Skink Skirmishers [84pts] . 12x Skink Skirmisher: 12x Blowpipe Skink Skirmishers [84pts] . 12x Skink Skirmisher: 12x Blowpipe Skink Skirmishers [84pts] . 12x Skink Skirmisher: 12x Blowpipe + Special + Chameleon Skinks [156pts]: 12x Chameleon Skink + Rare + Salamander Hunting Pack [84pts] . Salamander Hunting Pack: Extra Handler Salamander Hunting Pack [84pts] . Salamander Hunting Pack: Extra Handler ++ Total: [1,500pts] ++ So my initial thoughts were that I’ll never compete on bodies on the field, he will probably be fielding some largish blocks of slaves, bunkered general at the back of the field, level 4 somewhere and probably a hellpit abomination (maybe a warp cannon?) I’m thinking keep the army mostly skirmishers (would have gone for more skinks if I hadn’t of run out of models, hence the Saurus), his large blocks will count for nothing if I don’t charge him/he can’t charge me. Death slann can use the highly mobile skink priests to aim the snipe spells and pick off his characters and maybe the hellpit. Without a general giving off inspiring presence his highest leadership drops to 7 at most, plus the dreaded 13th/cracks call are so deadly against Lizardmen. salamanders to try and roast some of the larger blocks, chameleon skinks to deal with any back army he brings (jezzails, warp cannon etc). only problems with this list are I don’t have any thing really hard hitting, I have a lack of terror causing creatures against a generally low leadership army, no dispel scroll! my slann is very exposed as I plan to run him un-bunkered. Maybe death magic sniping isn’t the way to go at this points limit? Could use some constructive criticism. Maybe I should drop the slann altogether?
Alternatively, something like this, very magic light: ++ Standard (Lizardmen - Army Book (2013-8) -V8.8.0.) [1,499pts] ++ + Uncategorised + - Army Size: Army (0-2999 points) + Lords + Saurus Oldblood [226pts]: Great Weapon . Cold One . Magic Items: BRB - Dawnstone, BRB - Glittering Scales + Heroes + Saurus Scar-Veteran [169pts]: Great Weapon . Battle Standard Bearer: BRB - Banner of Eternal Flame . Magic Items: BRB - Armour of Destiny Skink Priest [95pts]: Lore of Beasts, Wizard Level 1 . Magic Items: AB - Cube of Darkness Skink Priest [90pts]: Lore of Heavens, Wizard Level 1 . Magic Items: BRB - Dispel Scroll + Core + Saurus Warriors [470pts]: Champion, Musician, 40x Saurus Warrior, Standard Bearer + Special + Bastiladon [150pts] . Crew with Ark of Sotek Stegadon [215pts] + Rare + Salamander Hunting Pack [84pts] . Salamander Hunting Pack: Extra Handler ++ Total: [1,499pts] ++ Created with BattleScribe (https://battlescribe.net)
As both a Skaven and Lizardmen player I should be able to offer some advice here. If you want to take an Oldblood Cowboy, I would certainly put him in a Saurus Cavalry unit so your opponent can't try and target him individually, even if its just 5 models strong. Not to mention that Saurus Cavalry can still do a lot against Skaven, particularly if they're sent into the flank or rear with a Saurus unit engaging them in the front. Quality beats quantity pretty much every time. Similarly I would still advise taking Temple Guard to protect a Slann, despite the threats of some Skaven spells, otherwise your opponent will just be able to shoot him down. Similarly while mobile Skink Priests are fun, unless you position them in the flank or rear or behind cover, they're toast if he can find a way to fire at them or magic them. I really don't see the point in having lots of cheap units of Skink Skirmishers when he can use cheaper Warlock Engineers to magic them to death. He could field a Warlock Engineer for each of your Skirmisher units and still have more points left over to use on other things, and just a single successful casting of Warp Lightning can send a Skirmisher unit running for the hills. He could just turn them into extra Clanrats with Curse of the Horned Rat. Warp Lightning Cannons can also be effective against them as, unlike other Cannons, they use a Blast Template. A Plagueclaw Catapult would likely eradicate a Skirmisher unit in one shot if it hit with its Large Blast template. Skaven have a lot they can use to deal with Skink Skirmishers and thus I would suggest not taking them here. If you want some Saurus units, I would say two units of 20 are more useful than one massive block of 40, as you can engage and hold multiple Skaven units with the former and grind them down through superior Attack output, Strength, Toughness and Armour, and your opponent will only be able to target one unit with Curse of the Horned Rat at a time so one unit will still survive to fight another day. I would certainly also try and include more Dispel Scrolls to minimise the number of times he casts that super spell. If you want a Bastiladon, I would certainly go with the Solar Engine over the Ark, as its Flaming Attacks will wreck Hellpits and it means you can save your Salamanders to roast his hordes. I would agree Chameleon Skinks are a good thing to bring here, Skaven love their War Machines and missile units so Chameleons will help deal with those.
thank you for the pointers, regarding the ark of sotek I always forget to change it to a solar engine in BattleScribe. It’s only there because in the absence of a slann I’ll need something to spend power dice on. I am not dead set on taking Saurus units but it’s easy to fill out my core allowance and gives me a semi-decent anvil to work with against most skaven targets. I think I’ll go back to the drawing board… … if you were going to make a 1.5k list to go against your skaven army, what would you take…?