AoS Need help filling in gaps for a 2k Thunderquake list

[Uberdavid]

So I've gotten fairly far in my army building, but I've hit a bump with it. The core of my army looks like this:

Thunderquake starhost:
1030 pts.
- Engine of the Gods
- Bastiladon
- Bastiladon
- 2 Salamanders

- Slann 260 pts.
- Astrolith bearer 160 pts.
- 10 Skinks 60 pts.
- 10 Skinks 60 pts.

These units cost 1570 points and I am unsure what to fill the gaps with. I still need one battleline, and with the new shooting rules in 2.0 I am thinking about putting in 5-10 knights to hold down some shooty bois (although skinks are faster and cheaper...). I've also been looking at skink priests (for rerollable saves) and starpriests (for doing the everyday casting). Or I might just include some rippers. What are your guys take on this list?

 

[Asamu]

Well you need another battle-line unit, so 10 more skinks would be a good idea, then maybe fill out one or two units to 40 so they're more threatening.

A skink priest isn't a bad idea, but it's not as necessary with the thunderquake and a Slann, which already give you re-rolls on saves. A Starpriest isn't adding a whole lot, especially if you take Vast Intellect on the slann, which you definitely should do with the engine.

Something like this would probably be pretty good:

Allegiance: Seraphon
Leaders
Slann Starmaster (260)
- General
- Trait: Vast Intellect
- Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices
Engine of the Gods (220)
- Artefact: Light of Dracothion
Saurus Astrolith Bearer (160)

Battleline
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers

Units
3 x Salamanders (120)
3 x Skink Handlers (40) - you need them with the thunderquake.

Behemoths
Bastiladon (280)
Bastiladon (280)

Battalions
Thunderquake Starhost (170)

Total: 1990 / 2000
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 141

 

[Nazqua]

You could maybe throw in a few Ripperdactyl Riders and a star priest meaning you can use the shadow strike battalion to take down something very early on

 

[Crowsfoot]

I would fill in with Skinks or Razordons

 

[pbenner]

Well you need another battle-line unit, so 10 more skinks would be a good idea, then maybe fill out one or two units to 40 so they're more threatening.

A skink priest isn't a bad idea, but it's not as necessary with the thunderquake and a Slann, which already give you re-rolls on saves. A Starpriest isn't adding a whole lot, especially if you take Vast Intellect on the slann, which you definitely should do with the engine.

Something like this would probably be pretty good:

Allegiance: Seraphon
Leaders
Slann Starmaster (260)
- General
- Trait: Vast Intellect
- Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices
Engine of the Gods (220)
- Artefact: Light of Dracothion
Saurus Astrolith Bearer (160)

Battleline
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers

Units
3 x Salamanders (120)
3 x Skink Handlers (40) - you need them with the thunderquake.

Behemoths
Bastiladon (280)
Bastiladon (280)

Battalions
Thunderquake Starhost (170)

Total: 1990 / 2000
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 141

I really like this list. We'll see how Viable it is in 2.0 but this is along the lines of what I was building anyways.

 

[Batch]

Well you need another battle-line unit, so 10 more skinks would be a good idea, then maybe fill out one or two units to 40 so they're more threatening.

A skink priest isn't a bad idea, but it's not as necessary with the thunderquake and a Slann, which already give you re-rolls on saves. A Starpriest isn't adding a whole lot, especially if you take Vast Intellect on the slann, which you definitely should do with the engine.

Something like this would probably be pretty good:

Allegiance: Seraphon
Leaders
Slann Starmaster (260)
- General
- Trait: Vast Intellect
- Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices
Engine of the Gods (220)
- Artefact: Light of Dracothion
Saurus Astrolith Bearer (160)

Battleline
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers

Units
3 x Salamanders (120)
3 x Skink Handlers (40) - you need them with the thunderquake.

Behemoths
Bastiladon (280)
Bastiladon (280)

Battalions
Thunderquake Starhost (170)

Total: 1990 / 2000
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 141

Wow...I made this exact list about a week ago, only difference was instead of Salamanders I ran Razordons, opponent was Ironjawz and this list went wonderfully, Astrolith bearer was the MVP, almost everything hit

Spread a skink unit (40) in front of the bastiladons and sent them straight down the middle, shredded through 2 units of 10 brutez like it was nothing. Kept the EoTG close to the Bastils to get the most out of the battalion, rerolling wounds and saves (not to mention one bastil had a mystic shield) made them just about untouchable, even to brutez with their rerolls on models with +4 wounds.

Kept the skinks on the left side of my laser force and the right side stood the Razordons, they got charged, fired straight back due to their 'Overwatch' ability, and damn....three more brutez. It was my first time running and Astrolith and god damn he was worth it. He had a 30 unit of Ard boyz which were also unable to reach the Bastils due to the skink wall. 15 skinks fell but were avenged by glorious starfire!

Basically he made the mistake of holding his Maw Krusha back, and soon enough that was all that was left, ended in a surrender. Protect the Slann and Bearer with some skinks, but don't be afraid to throw your bastils into the frey, they are excellent walls and sometimes deal some great damage in melee, leaving them out just to shoot is a waste. But make sure they are within range of the Bearer and EoTG and you'll be fine.

 

[Rook]

I wrote this whole post with great analysis and then my net died, here's a quick version

I basically agree to the above insane skink spammage but also have an unpopular opinion to present

Keep everything as you have it but add handlers in the battalion to make it legal. 1070 pts

Get an eternity warden for 140 pts because you may as well summon with a slann and he has 7 wounds/mortal wounds he can take off the slann to keep it summoning a skink unit each turn

Have one of your 10 skinks surround the warden and slann for "look out sir"

Get another 40 skinks as a unit for 200pts

380 points more than your starting list making it a total of 1950. That's specific on purpose. Now you get an additional command point

If you don't care about that, put in a salamander

You'll be more protective of your slann, letting him drop more and more models on the field. You have vast intellect because you want the negatives to hit but great rememberer works too only if you get the chance to summon 2 units the turn before which is unlikely

Never underestimate the warden slann combo, should be even better now with the new rules