I have brought a LoM slann to the last couple games i have found it pretty useful but i'm asking if some one could help me with a better build. Slann Focus of Mystery Becalming Cognition Focused Rumination Cupped Hands Divine Plaque of Protection Plaque of Domination 500 pts i take Lore Master ability so that I make sure to get the 3 spells i want Searing Doom for the Destruction of Cav and Heavily armored foot units. Plague of rust to remove the 5+or 6+ armor saves of lighter units (how Crushing to your moral it is when you don't get armor saves VS skinks) and Gehenna's Golden Hounds i have sniped Chaos Lords out of units before they got into combat on 2 separate occasions. all the others are okay not great but okay. Any Ideas on how i could use LOM better i would love to know.
I'm shocked Gehenna's Golden Hounds does anything for you. Usually it is considered about the worst spell in the lore. It only does 1 hit to a character, and most characters have ward saves, so killing someone with it is unlikely. I presume you paid for the BSB upgrade to take Plaque of Dominion (not domination)? I'd say that item is basically worthless in 8th edition anyway.
In short, LoM is fairly weak for us, since glittering robe (one of the strongest spells in the lore) does not work on sauruses AND the spells are fairly expensive, meaning you can cast fewer every turn, and that means you will get fewer "free dice" from rumination compared to for example lore of life. This does not mean that a metal slann is "worthless", but he isnt the most efficient choice. In general, do not underestimate final transmutation. againt weak units like goblins, dwellers below will do more damage, but against tough units like chaos warriors (not to mention chosen ones with S5) final transmutation will do more damage. It is one of the very few ways of dealing with a chosenstar (sure, you need to attack it with plenty of other things too, but transmutation is a great help). And dont forget the stupid roll. THAT is really funny when the enemies line falls to pieces due to failed Ld rolls. it is uncommon, but it can be utterly devastating. Reducing the AS of the enemy is usually best used on units with lots of armour rather than those with little. removing a 6+ save has much less effect than lowering a 2+ save to a 3+ save. but sure, you already have searing doom to help with that. Blades of Aiban is another strong spell, especially for sauruses who usually hit on 4+. Lowering the armor AND making it easier to hit an enemy can greatly help swing the combat in your favour. IMO, searing doom and golden hounds are the weaker spells in the lore, but they have some exceptional uses like killing chaos knights and other extreme units, but against most foes they will be no more powerful than a normal fireball, just more expensive. It is fun to "think outside the box" and try new things, and changing lore is a good idea. however, you WILL most likely do worse in most battles than you would with the more traditional lores. they are traditional for a reason good luck
I like the lore of metal and i dont find it weak, only problem is that it can be situational and that means it makes a poor all-comers list. Play it against daemons and you will suffer in the magic phase. As far as glittering robe, it is fantastic with skrox units, anything strong enough to penetrate the armor means that it is wasting its strength against the skinks.
One use I have had out of golden hounds: Chaos hero on horse with BSB in a unit of 8 knights, Cast golden hounds on the BSB, roll a 4-6, if he passes the Look Out Sirs, that is 4-6 hits on the knights, wounding on a 2 with no AS, the unit is no longer as scary as it first was, But the spell is very situational and is often useless but certainly can be useful, Another good target is a steam tank, destroys them retry easily but you always need the boosted version to make it work