I was making my slann list when i had a few points left over. I figured why not give the temple champion an item. I felt this would Be a god item to give him. It can snipe generals of armies and possibly force them to use Disspell dice. Is this a good idea or should i give him something else?
I do use the statuette occassionally, and at times it has given the much needed victory points near the end of the game. I usually try to keep it until the last turn or so and try to take out any leftover mages or some other low toghness characters. Obviously, it works well with some armies (elves are one) and it is next to useless with others (dwarfs or ogres). It is risky and unreliable since it ultimately all comes down to the roll of a dice but it has worked at times and if you have leftover points that you can't seem to use elsewhere it is a nice little trinket to carry around.
I use it most of the time, when i have magic to support it, the potential damage it can cause is awesome. Snipe a mage for example, wonderfull against elves. I was at a tournament a month ago, or something like that, i had the statuette and uranons in a can, against VC it evened out the game at the end, by first using the statuette to check for dispeldice etc, and then dropping uranons to kill me a wight king. So even if it isnt in itself always great, it can still scare enemies, and thus it can be usefull. Then again, its all down to playstyle, but it can be used for its pure sneakyness.
i decided to take the 25 points and make the slann a bsb but i may take out the skink chief on steg for rerbok-a-Saur and give the statuette to a the priest for a surprise If it works great if not oh well.
I often take it on a saurus that has nothing better to take. It is unusual (and helpful) in the fact that it is offensive magic that can be taken by a fighter character. It kills basic wizards 1/4 of the time, and therefore is quite threatening over the course of several games. Mostly, it is great dispel dice bait and I often open up with it early in the magic phase. Another contribution can come from the jaguar charm, which can be a nice dispel baiter.
I have used the Blood Statuette regularily for both 6th and 7th edition Lizardmen now. It is too bad it no longer ignores ward saves, your best bet is to apply it to a T3, 2 wound character so you have a 50% chance of getting half points for that character (barring wards). Hero Mages are even better as they have a chance to kill themselves afterwards with a miscast. I'd say the best targets would be in this order: 1) TK Hierophant (regardless if it is a Liche Priest or Liche High Priest) 2) Enemy Skink Priest 3) Hero Level Wizard (Empire Wizard, Wood Elf Spellsinger, Dark Elf Sorceress, High Elf Mage, Skaven Warlock Engineer, Goblin Shaman, Brettonian Damsel) 4) Any T3 BSB (High Elf, Dark Elf, Wood Elf) or a revealed Dark Elf Assassin or Skaven Assassin (assuming they are T3 which they may not be) 5) Any 2 wound T4 Wizard (Orc Shaman, Chaos Sorcerer, Dwarf Runepriest) or Daemon Herald other then Herald of Khorne (due to MR) 6) 3 Wound Lord-Level Wizard or T4 BSB Anything else is just bound to waste your points (Tomb Prince or King, Scar-Veteran or Oldblood, Any Lord level fighter character, Any type of Orc fighty hero, Ogre Characters, Slann Mage-Priest, Greater Daemon, etc.) not only due to the fact that the Statuette will not remove them from the battle, but potentially will not even wound them. In addition fighter characters are much more likely to have Ward Saves and Regeneration which the Statuette no longer ignores. I usually use the Statuette in my magic heavy list (Slann Mage-Priest with +1 die per spell, know all spells from 1 lore, and Regeneration, level 1 Skink Priest with Plaque of Tepok and the Statuette and Level 2 Skink Priest with Rod of the Storm and Dispel Scroll) After I use the enemy dispel dice in the first turn I usually pop the Rod of the Storm at a unit of Knights, thus causing them to scroll it or let it go. I pop the Statuette immediately after and see if I can kill any Wizards to help my magic phase in the next turn. I do see the idea of leaving these items for Turn 3 or 4 when the scrolls may be gone but I figure if they scroll the Bound Spells then we are even in points and my Slann will have an easier time for the rest of the game. Plus if they do manage to kill a character then I see the benefits from Turn 1.
Another great target is a skink priest riding an Engine of the Gods... should you face belligerent lizard neighbors.