I have started several different threads which I have used to write my army list - so thank you to all those who replied, your responses were of tremendous value, so thank you. I have entered a tournament for the past two years. It is unique in that it is free and the age range is 11-18 years. This will be my final time of entering and I would very much like to win (which is likely because the winners are usually the older and more experienced participants). The points limit is 800 and armies must be legal as per the main rulebook but may not spend more than 200 points on Lords and Heroes in total as opposed to each. My list is as follows: Skink Priest, Level 1, Diadem of Power ..................................................90 pts 24 Saurus Warriors, banner 24 Saurus Warriors, banner 11 Skink skirmishers ..................................................629 pts Salamander, extra handler ..................................................80 pts ..................................................TOTAL: 799 The idea is that there is almost nothing that will be able to charge a 24-man Saurus Warrior and wipe it out at this points level without magical assistance, which is blocked reasonably well with the Diadem fo Power. There're two such Saurus units, so they mutually support each other and therefore out-moving them will not be easy - a unit that does not break one Saurus unit on the charge will be flanked and destroyed by the second Saurus unit. The Salamander seems to be a fire-magnet (which is good) and it can charge and break light and/or scouting units or at least distract them from the Sauri flanks. The Skinks are chaff, I don't expect them to do damage but people still spend their ranged resources attempting to eliminate them and because Skinks are quick, this can cause them to move out of position and divert fire away from the Saurus. My only concern is ethereal spam... a minor conern but a concern nonetheless. Please advise, criticise and comment in as much detail as you are able to. Thank you.
So I'm not a big fan of level 1 casters in <1000 points games; in my experience a fighty scar vet will always do more for the points than a skink which, for all you know, could end up with Windblast and nothing else. You can solve your problem of ethereal units with a burning blade of chotec and up your killing potential at the same time; magic defense probably won't be as important (I can't think of a single scary 200 point wizard build, though I'm sure one exists).
Purple Sun or Pit of Shades. The chance of those alone is why I chose to take magical defence. Also, an extra two dispel dice per turn will shut down anything it meets at 800 points. Also, Level 4 Necromancer or Level 4 Empire battle wizards, if I can stop one key spell then they are dead because 600 points of stuff isn't going to stop 48 Saurus on its own. Also, the cheapest Scar Veteran build I'd take is 110 points. I need to find twenty points and a skink and a saurus is 18 pts.