I have come to a sad realization. I do not like to use Saurus in my armies! There! I said it. I know that they are uber troops for Lizardmen. I still do not like to use them. They move too slow! With that in mind, I will start to work on a viable skink army (using skink cohorts with Krox, skirmishers, and the occasional temple guard unit for the slann to sit in). I have not ran a unit of saurus in about a month. On the plus side, I do have somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 skinks laying around (and 5 kroxigors).
You should sell me all your saurus for cheap, ill give them a good home They're awesome, what's your beef? I can't imagine winning a competitive match without those guys, kudos to you if you can pull it off.
So are you going to go skink heavy instead, or take minimum core and max out the other areas? Both, I believe, would be viable alternatives. You are right, saurus are incredibly slow and will most likely hit last against anything they face. I guess they are at the other end of the spectrum to those people used to faster troops. I am in that boat as well, having come off ASF quick moving elves, but I am actually enjoying the big change of pace, and most of all the toughness and armour!
I used to play Wood elves. Ye, I love having something to say to that damn gust! I do however love Saurus, concept, fluff and game-wise. Each to his own though, and skinks are far from useless. They just have less to say to the gust than Wood elves. Cheers!
Two of my main opponents are Wood Elves and High Elves. I am now resigned to the poor fate of the Saurus in striking last. However, in return for that their toughness cannot be underrated. As far as I am concerned this is more than worth it. They may be hitting first, but Elves just can't touch the Saurus warrior, whilst the lizards themselves go through them like hot butter. Toughness, scaly skin and parry keep them alive, whilst attacks, strength and step up dishes out the damage. The Temple Guard, slightly faster but still slow as hell, is even better. I can't underestimate the humble skink, though - especially the skink kroxigor unit, which always seems to overperform. Just recently 22 of them and 2 kroxigors killed a High Elf Dragon Mage and reduced its mount's wounds to 1 under a hail of javelins, then finished it off and took a white li0on chariot down to 1 wound.
I will not be selling my saurus as of yet. I will probably use them to bolster my temple guard (I still have uses for them when using a slann). I may try them using the lore of light (this weekend). Give them the double their movement spell (briahna's time warp). This may help as my primary beef is with their speed. The striking last is not that big of a deal to me. I will also try the HW and shield to play with the parry save.
No, I have accepted that. What I do not like is that my skrox get into combat a turn (or 2) before my saurus can get there. I do not like to hold back my skrox. I want them in combat fast.
Don't forget you can always use Lore of Light and get the spell that gives your lizards the ASF rule. That might help a lot! Not against high elves though...
Isn't there a banner that grants +1 Movement? Consider taking a Scar Veteran or Skink Chief as a battle standard bearer to join a unit of Saurus'.