Since 7th armybook i've felt like we have too many special choices excluding each other. 8th edition made things worse and i was hoping 9th age could fix it, but i can live with that. I'm just curious to understand if there is someone who agrees with me on these two points: we have too many special choices and too few core choices; our army could be way more "special". We should be a moster mash army, shouldn't we? Then let us have a monster in core! For example troglodon and/or arkadon (even slightly nerfed). Solardon stays special. If you think it's overpowered please think again to other armies core! We have two flyers units: can't we have one of them in core and one in special? (Again, our enemies have or used to have flyers, m9 fast cavalry and so on.) Same for sallyes and razordons, but maybe with razors in special and sallyes in rare (one more unit in special, ouch... wasn't intended, but i don't think it should be core). Unmounted carnos could replace troglodons in rare. But these are only examples, just think to those two points and vote ^^
Are you the only one?. No! You will never be alone while you have Cripple Cripple Little Star with you - but how could he not be considered special?
I would like to see more Core options, the only problem for me is justifying the change to Core. I mean would it make sense to have Bastiladon as Core? IMO no, but would it be cool? Yes absolutely.
I agree that we lack core choices in WHFB. I mean we have Saurus, Skinks, or the same Skinks but in skirmish formation. Not a lot of variety. It lends to some pretty repetitive army lists. I think some more variety in core would be nice - maybe move saurus cavalry there and have more elite cavalry or monstrous cavalry of some kind in special/rare? Maybe add in a razordon/salamander style beastie in core. Bring back skink cavalary. I think the potential was there but for some reason they just really missed the mark.
No such thing as too many, however (with a few exceptions), I've often felt that they should be fulfil more of a unit buffing role (certainly for the hero level characters). Oxayotl for example would be a better option if he conferred a 5+ poison to all chameleon skinks in his unit, or an additional -1 to shooting against his unit (although maybe not so much the later, if he's being used with chameleon skinks). Heck, even if he is able to form your opponent to declare all hidden enemies (assassins, fanatics, etc) within an 18 or less range could have been a nice idea. The version of him I did meant he came with 3 different types of poisons, you could only choose one prior to your battle, shifting him from a snipping skink, to a unit break (psychology tests forced because of the casualties he makes). Will have a look for them.
@Pinktaco : sorry for the casual tag, but i'd love to hear your voice in this topic since you're our vassal for the near future and since this is a topic regarding units reallocation, so it's quite different from the topics about new units building/old units changes/others things we're discussing in this period
It's something that's being looked into. According to the current iteration of the book (which can change before release) you'll get to see at least one of the points you made in the OP. There are also at least two other changes that you haven't mentioend yourself