Spoiler: My list === Eleuminotl's Trappers [1499 pts] Warhammer: The Old World, Lizardmen === ++ Characters [746 pts] ++ Eleuminotl [285 pts] - Hand weapon - General - Elementalism Skink Chief [111 pts] - Cavalry spear (if appropriately mounted) - Light armour (Calloused hide) - Shield - Battle Standard Bearer - Ripperdactyl Skink Chief [86 pts] - Cavalry spear - Light armour (Calloused hide) - Shield - Ripperdactyl Saurus Oldblood [264 pts] - Great weapon - Heavy armour (Scaly skin) - Shield - Cold One - Horned One - Bedazzling Helm - Talisman of Protection ++ Core Units [501 pts] ++ 20 Saurus Warriors [341 pts] - Thrusting spears - Shields - Heavy armour (Scaly skin) - Shieldwall - Spawn Leader (champion) - Standard bearer - Musician 10 Skink Skirmishers [50 pts] - Hand weapons - Javelins - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides) 10 Skink Skirmishers [50 pts] - Hand weapons - Javelins - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides) 11 Skink Skirmishers [60 pts] - Hand weapons - Javelins - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides) - Vanguard ++ Special Units [252 pts] ++ 3 Ripperdactyl Riders [126 pts] - Cavalry spears - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides) - Ripperdactyl Champion 3 Ripperdactyl Riders [126 pts] - Cavalry spears - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides) - Ripperdactyl Champion --- Created with "Old World Builder" [https://old-world-builder.com] My wood elf opponent has been on a losing streak lately, intially we were going to handicap me 10% then ultimately I suggested I run a list without the big dinosaurs. We got the Drakwald Forest engagement and two of our units were arriving late. I do not like this scenario. I was happy with deployment and very happy to be getting the first time. My opponent was hanging back worried about me getting first time (I had the +1) and shooting a lot with my skinks. I didn't think this was sensible as they'll get their shots anyway. Turn 1 - me My bsb ripperducks charges his toaded wildwood rangers wiped them out and charged into the arc of the treeman. The other rippers pressed forwards out of the charge arc of the heavy cav Turn 1 - him I badly mucked up my understanding of his unicorn, I thought it was a monstrous creature but it was a monstrous cav and so the rippers were in its charge arc! It was a big roll but she made it and charged in. She challenged and just killed the hero. The rippers fled off the board and fortunately she was forced to follow. The frenzy cav are forced to charge the skinks - these have to be out best targets in the game. We took out 2 before they crashed into us. They killed 6 we FBIGO.w My magic was ineffectual. His treeman charge my bsb-rippers and after great consideration they decide to flee. 26 inches I should get 4(BSB) attempts to rally before the board. Old one cops a wound from shooting! His sniper has a ruby ring and it kills 4 Saurus! Also shoots at the Slann and does a wound Turn 2 - me We press down forward and our skinks get a wound on the treeman. My oldblood charges the wild riders and overkills the champion in combat. They take 2 more skinks and they GG the blood follows up but the skinks don't. BSB Rippers fail to rally and are now at board edge. My skinks arrive and try to take down his sniper in the corner, doing a wound. My Saurus need a 6 to charge the bears and we make it. Bears do more damage but we tie/win combat. Right now it looks drastic. Odds are rippers are off the table, the Saurus are going to be worn down by the bears and will get a charge soon by the treeman. My Slann is terrible and only my old blood, on 2 wounds, seems to be able to do anything. Turn 2 - him His sorcerer on the unicorn arrives His eagle arrives His dryads charge my Saurus... I'm not sure about that as his bears seem to be able to handle them, a rear charge is nice but won't disrupt and will give me some softer targets. Indeed, I roll lucky and we win combat by 3. The dryads flee and the bears FBIGO. We chase down the dryads. My old blood finishes the riders. He overruns a million miles to hit the sorcerer on the unicorn. My rippers fail the first rally and pass the next! Suddenly, we are very much back in this Turn 3 - me My rippers move to the enemy My 10 Saurus move to the bears My old blood does a couple of wounds on the sorcerer and she GG to death. We don't overrun. Turn 3 - him His eagle runs in the middle of the board, I question this as now the skinks can shoot him to death and the rippers aren't that good when they are charged. I think he's looking at what they did on the toad/charge and thinking they are competent rather than my favourite looking unit His shooting removes some Saurus. I do wonder why they are the target. Slann is more squishy and has 4 wounds and the old blood is tough but has 2 and seems to be the only hammer. Turn 4 - me My skinks roll badly and leave the eagle on 1 wound My rippers charge the archers and they fire and flee Old blood and Saurus move forward Turn 4 - him His eagle charges my Slann and does 2 wounds before my assailment kills him. Slann is on 2! His bears charge and we draw and are locked. I don't use musician as I like how we are. His treeman presses forward and shoots without much luck. His archers rally. The game is slipping from him, but it's close! Rest of game.. The old blood and treeman meet in middle. Old blood does a few wounds and the treeman does 1. It is very tight but the game ends with the old blood on 1 wound. Small luck to me. The Slann avoids combat or shooting and ends the game on 2 wounds. The bears and Saurus fight in the middle. Again, I have the luck. We kill 1 of the 3 bears but they get the Saurus down to 4(!) but can't wipe them out. The rippers charge the archers again and make it but we don't bother rolling combat - I've won. What did I learn? Firstly - assailment can be cast in my opponents turn! Not sure how I missed that. Rippers are a lot of fun, on the toad&charge they're good, on the charge they're mediocre, receiving a charge they're terrible I love this speedy skirmish list but obviously it's no carnosaur. I do think the lists were quite even but he made a few mistakes. The dryad charge was obvious. Mostly he spent a lot of time shooting my Saurus, quite a few shots at skinks and some at rippers, and then a bit of shooting split at Slann or oldbloo. I think it would have been more effective to target one thing, and focus on that. Probably Slann first then oldblood next. His wild riders just have such an Achilles heel against the skinks, he really tries his best but with first turn I place them in front and they are frenzy so I stand and shoot and take down a few of his best unit with 50 point nothings, then usually hold them for a turn. My massive mistake was letting that sorcerer on a unicorn charge my rippers. My luck at the end in combat was nice. If I failed to cast that assailment, probably eagle kills Slann. The Saurus were the most lucky, the bears should have taken them out. The old blood and treeman I think luck was even but I ended on 1 wound so any slip up and that would have been a lot of VPs for him.
I love skirmishers because they are so much less fiddly. 2+/5+ is nice but 3 wounds will always make him susceptible to shooting. If you were taking other cold ones so he couldn't be targeted that would be nice. A carnosaur with GW, ToP and armour of meteoric iron is exactly 100 points more and it's clearly far superior. You have to remember he can't disrupt anything. The great weapon is a conundrum. I expected to use if I was striking last anyway. But with two wounds... You really want that extra save to make sure you can strike back. Especially against anything you really need to strength. I'm considering armour of destiny and a sword of might or biting blade instead.
Another odd thing to remember is that he does not get the -1 to hit to shoot for skirmishing. You have to be unit strength 1 for that