Hi Everytime I play a game with my Terradons they either die between turn 1-2 or do absolutely nothing. I need help. I have three Terradons with lustrian javelins and Sky leader. I am considering getting more boxes to make ripperdactyls. WHAT DO I DO?
How are you using them? Played a VERY good lizard player and he taught me loads. Don't rush to drop rocks too early. Make sure they'll make a difference - so small, lightly armoured chaff units. Preferably fast cavalry that you can follow up on the shooting and magic phases to finish off. Don't rush it though, you don't have to take them out and simultaneously throw them away. Bide your time until you can do it safely if you can. Also, they are fantastic at redirecting, and this should be their primary role. The rally and move is priceless, even more so due to fly. You just need to make sure you can get away when you flee, so intervening units (yours or your enemies) are handy. Just beware of panic . One thing the guy said to me at the beginning of the game: "the way lizards on lizards work (old book) is the terradons stay 19 inches away from each other until magic kills them". In essence, this could be applied to other races - hold them back until they're ready to do their business, either redirection or bombing (or both). Don't just do what they do because they can and you think they should. And remember, you can vanguard backwards! (Or not at all).
Ha! I think this is sig material. But yes, agreed on picking your fights. Terradons are fast enough that they can stay out of combat all game. Just make sure you give yourself enough room to flee.
My big question is; what task do terradon do that rippers don't do better? I guess that rippers are more 'fighty' than terradon, but what task do terradon have now? I'm feeling a bit lost in there use. Cheers, The Elder
Less expensive, poison, drop rocks. They also don't have frenzy on L5. They aren't a unit that needs to be in combat with its t3, low save, and abysmal initiative.
less expensive: 5 points less without upgrade, which wastes poison poison: 1 shot/model. core and special skinks are better even if you have to wait one round more drop rocks: nice, but if you wanna kill something rippers are better no frenzy: yeah, but no ITP too then. Rippers frenzy is avoidable turning them away from the opponent and they won't panic because of ranged attacks thanks to their frenzy. I think terradons' time is over. If they were ambushers, if drop rocks was not one use only, if they had some massive penalty to hit them with ranged attacks or protection of some sort, if terradon was a mount option for priests (or even saurus heroes), then terradons could be worth. But as they are now they only try to fill roles better filled by chamos and rippers. An example of a rule which would have made them interesting: -grab enemies: after dropping rocks once, in the remaining movements phase, terradons have to get new ammo. Every terradon in a unit which flies over an enemy unit can try to grab a single infantry or cavalry model and fly away grasping him with claws. Terradons have to roll to hit to grab opponents, but they don't have to wound. Armor saves and regeneration are not allowed against "grab enemies" (terradons don't kill enemies, gravity will kill them instead), but ward saves are allowed as usually. Terradons add +1 to their to hit roll if they target an enemy unit which is engaged in close combat (enemies focus their attenction on the fight) or if they target a solitary model. "Grab enemies" can target monstrous cavalry or infantry or warbeasts, but if this is the case you can target one enemy model for each couple of terradons, rounding down (for example 5 terradons can grab 2 trolls). Roll once for each couple. Terradons can even grab heavy targets like monsters, chariots or warmachines but they have to be at least 4: roll once for the formation. ONce a model has been grabbed it's removed as a casualty: terradons drop him on the ground before landing or heavily land still holding the enemy in their claws. Terradons can drop the screaming creature on his comrades' heads: it works like drop rocks, with the following differences: infantry causes D3 hits, cavalry 2D3, monstrous cavalry and monstrous infantry 2D6, monsters 4D6. The strenght is equal to the grabbed enemy's toughness+D3 to represent the weight of his body and the acceleration caused by gravity. Terradons can grab a single model, even a character in a unit, but a character is still allowed to have a look out sir. "grab enemies" cannot target swarms. make terradons cost 50 points each and it's done. couple with tiktaq'to giving his WS to his unit and an additional +1 to hit and you have a reason to field him probably it's not balanced, but i wrote it in 5 minutes while vetock had months to write the book, so he could have found a way to make terradons useful. But he didn't, so rippers are the way.
So, 3 poisoned shots and about 15pts is good enough, combined with drop rocks and lack of frenzy. Keeps Looking live rippers can do everything terradon can, exceptioneel drop rocks, but the units vulnerable to the rocks are vulnerable to laserdons and skinks as well right? Or vulnerable to ripper charge (combined with toad spam) right? I'm just thinking out lood. Feeling like i'm missing something. Cheers, The Elder
My advice is to be patient. Don't necessarily vanguard 12" forward then move 20" on your turn. Especially with Ripperdactyls. Hang back near the Slann and wait for the board to develop. Stay out of shooting range on Turn 1 and make your opponent choose between shooting your Terradons or shooting something else on turn 2. Let the chaff come to you before dropping rocks on it instead of trying to race after it and drop rocks on them right away. The later in the game you can use your Terradons to ruin your opponents plans, the harder it will be for him to adjust. Also, Terradons can be useful with Chameleons or Skink Skirmishers for a double Flee move, since the Terradons can move again after rallying. And, use forests and landing pads for Terradons to get an extra -1 protection from shooting when infiltrating your opponents backfield.
If your rippers are turned they wont be able to charge the following turn. If you're going to charge them at some point they will need to be facing the enemy during your opponents turn. terradons are amazing. Probably 4th best unit in the book after cohorts, scar vets, skirmishers.
3 rippers give up points too easily. They do nothing without being in combat. You can't use them to redirect because frenzy. 3 terradons can sit back, drop rocks, redirect and die. Rippers get into combat with anything that can fight at all and they die. Plenty of talk on this forum about how rippers need to be used in larger units or multiple smaller units.