I am just wondering what everyone runs their Slann as. I know many people run their Slann with Temple Guard, but I was wondering if anyone runs it solo. I much prefer the solo Slann, just because of the maneurvability and the (IMO) better LOS he has. I find the Temple Guard a huge point sink and I prefer to have less points in one basket. I find with the number of redirecters the Lizardmen can have, the lone Slann can usually be safe. I know Temple Guard very rarely break, but I find them too much of a point sink. Agree/disagree?
Actually, a Slann ina TG unit has beter LOS, like in large target LOS. TG with Slann are ITP and stubborn. Make the slann your BSB and you have an anvil with cold-blooded Ld 8 with re-rolls. They ain't goin' anywhere. It depends of the Kind of list you want to build, really. But TG are, IMO, just too good to lave at home. Let not the toad stand alone! Cheers!
i used to be a solo-slann user, basically because i was too cheap to buy TG, and i didnt like the eggs in one basket thing either. but having proxied them for a couple of games, i think it's worth it. the TG+slann block is pretty much never going to break, they have to kill every last TG, giving you chance to set up some devestating counter charges. the downside imo is that the slann spends more time in CC; i know he has better capability to cast while in combat than most (all?) other wizards, but it is still reduced. i've tended to pick lores based on this though - getting that (pretty much) unbreakable block into the middle of thier lines and then casting things like drain life or cleansing flare can hurt a lot! also with a solo slann, he is vulnerable to magic/shooting, even if you keep CC stuff away from him. Sure, you can tool him up with 2+ward/regen/ethereal, but by then you could have bought half a unit of TGs...
I've always found running the Slann with a BSB, tooled up for magic, while protected by Temple Guard, makes for a truly disgusting anvil. As the guys said before, this thing will not break. Stubborn on 8 with Re-roll? beautiful. What you get from this is a multi-versatile unit. On one hand it has amazing magic power, while on the other it can take virtually any chargers and hold them till every last TG is dead. It can easily act as the center anchor for the army. The only thing I can see with the Solo Slann is saving points and giving him more maneuverability. However, Channeling should allow you to cast magic missiles with your Skink Priests and if that Slann goes down, which can now easily happen, say bye bye magic phase. Flyers, for one, would mean they can force the Slann into CC.
I'm still a new player but in my few games I have run the Slann in a unit of Temple Guard. I agree that it makes the block practically unbreakable (and a great anvil), but I did run into one problem with the TG/Slann block. In one game, I advanced the TG/Slann unit with my main battle line and quickly got into close combat. This was what I wanted since I figured the TG could fight while my Slann blasted away with magic. What I forgot is that even though the Slann had line of sight like a large target, he did not have 360 vision. So even though I had the ability to cast spells, I didn't have anything in my Line of Sight to cast at except for the unit I was fighting, so my selection of spells was limited. And since I was engaged in combat, I couldn't turn to improve my LoS. Live and learn . . .
I almost always take the lone slann, as I find it to be at least as competative as TGs and much less of a point sink. When you put a ~800 pts unit with move 4 on the table most opponents react in 2 ways; 1) they either charge it with something REALLY nasty, like a tooled up Blood Thirster or a Black Guard unit with ASF, armor piercing and Couldron buff, 2) they leave it alone, its a move 4 unit and anyone in their right mind knows that charging it with something that doesn't kill at least 5-6 TGs per turn will get stuck there and eventually flanked. Its good protection for the slann, but anyone who really knows how to play against lizards will be able to handle it quite easily. It also takes up a special slot, and as I often play with CoC, 2x Terradons and a unit of cammos there just isn't room for TGs. I've tried out a naked unit of 10 for 160 pts just to give a limited protection against shooting and Large Target LOS, and it has actually worked pretty good, but the mobility is still too hampered for my taste so you might as well go all the way if you take TGs. An Etheral Slann will be completly immune to most armies attacks and I always field 2-3 units of saurus and a unit of skink cohorts that is great as a bunker to soak up shooting and magic missles. In terms of survivability the Lone Slann is great, so far I've only ever lost him twice, both times due to double 1s on the miscast table. You don't need 2+ ward or Regen, etheral and his base 4+ ward is more than enought if you play him right.
just keep him out of charge range. i learned this the hard way thinking i had an invincible slann when i played a freinds TK. unit of skeletons charges -> i break -> they catch me -> i learn my lesson.
IMHO i would take 10 tg's for a minor protection just in case and for the los. im going to try and play solo slann and look how does it go next time. but i dont have alot of apponents to choose from to try and play solo slann. becouse i can play only TK or Brets and meiby WE. for TK the best way to play is magic in my opinion so allot of priests with eotg so slann needs protection becouse alot of enemy can cc slann and afcourse there is scorpions. for brets i think slann also has to be protected becouse of the fast moving of cavalry. i didnt play againts WE so i dont realy know alot about them.