I have compiled a rumor summary here: http://www.lustria-online.com/threads/8th-ed-lizardmen-rumor-army-breakdown-updated.12188/ I hope it is useful! -Div
You're right. Squishy, stompable ranks that don't even prevent the Kroxigor being attacked anymore. If this is true, then I've already dropped mine like a hot potato and restructured my core with Saurus. Its a shame, as the Skink-Kroxigor is one of the most iconic units in the book, if not the game, and really got me in to Lizardmen way back when. It was also an efficient monster/monstrous infantry/cavalry hunter, in a hiliarious and surprising unintentional way, without being horribly OP about it. Now its just garbage.
How did Skrox play in 7th? I know the only reason they were untargetable so far in 8th was because of the FAQ that removed the Giant Reach rule. Think this might make 3-4 Krox the standard for Skrox units? Need to have enough bodies to stick around for a round of combat and still be able to dish out a few hits. Definitely less effective at taking on things with high strength attacks than they used to be.
Good news and bad news. Bad news first: In another stunning blow to CoC, they may no longer take magic banners.....I am not even touching that. The good news!: Saurus are still 11pts a model BUT they may take spears for free
The thing is you may as well just take them in units on their own as a special choice, that way they can't be stomped, don't give away easy CR to line infantry and still pack a wallop with their GWs. Unfortunately the down side is that there are much better options in the special slot, mainly TG and stegadons. The more I read the more I am convinced that this edition is going to be all about the Stegadon, they seem to be the only rare of the army that has actually got better without getting simultaneously higher in cost or worse in another area. Dear sweet mother of Sotek, Saurus spears are free? I guess the cavalry are paying for the both of them, what did they do, assign points values by lottery?
11 points and free spears? Baaww-haa-haa-haaah. I just finished painting another block of 24 with spears. Too bad razordons are still garbage. Long range and movement makes them pretty worthless, unless somehow they ignore those modifiers. Anyone hear of Temple Guard get the Predatory Fighter rule too? -Matt
I would be interested to know this, as I wasn't in the hobby much for 7th and didn't use Skink-Kroxigor when I did. Honestly, if you want Kroxigor now you are better off dumping the Skinks entirely and bringing more Kroxigor. The only disadvantage is that they would compete for Special with the big unit of Temple Guard you're going to bring because you have a Slann, Terradons and Chameleon Skinks (both of which got a points hike).
Have to echo Spiney's comments here. Literally, wtf. My fears of terrible internal balance are confirmed then. Edit: Goddamnit. The free spear change means that my 20 HW&S Saurus, 24 Spear Saurus and 10 Skirmishing Skinks no longer meets minimum Core requirements at 2500. Veeeeeetock!
Pretty sure that's for all Saurus. Yay! Free spears!! Regular Saurus are looking more attractive with every post. EDIT: Buy two more Saurus maybe? Seems like a decent trade to me, lol.
GWs way balancing certain warhammer editions. After several good books release a book as competitive as Beastmen in 7th edition
So Saurus Cavalry are still special but cannot take a magic banner? That is the worst of both worlds. You'd think not being able to take magic banner (and high point cost) would push them into core.
My god, who's left to take magic banners now? Temple Guard and the BSB? Horrendous! I'm expecting at least for one Saurus unit in the core to be able to take one on a la High Elves, otherwise I'm going to get into my own Toad Rage! I didn't even see CoC having a Magic Banner as especially broken! I swear, I'm going to snap that nerfbat over someone's body. I don't think it'll be over the head either.
Bastilodon 150 point laser cannon S4 T5 4W's 3 attacks 2+ Armour Beam of Chotex is a bound spell 3 range 24 - roll a D6 1 D3 S3 hits, 2-3 D6S4 4-5 2D6 S5 roll a 6 2D6 S6 & -1WS & BS till next magic phase For the Snakes, the ranged bit is range D6". every unit with D6" gets 2D6 st2 hits. Also work in combat. All swarms with 6" get a new base on a 4+ Stegadons now have combined profile. Can upgrade to have d3 wound impact hits. Ancient steg gives units within 6 6+ ward with the engine. Also choose a Lore and it's 1 easier to cast. This stacks Kroxigor: S5 baby! Plus predatory fighter Cold Ones have 2 Attacks Skink cohorts can be upgraded to have poison close combat attacks. 2 points per model. Skink leadership has gone down to 5. No cost to swap weapons on skirmishers. Saurus Cav w spears 34pts Terradons 35pts +1 to upgrade to flaming bolas (s4 flaming QTF) Rippers 40pts magic items... Blade of realities 100 points - no armour or wards Stegadon helm 40 points - +1 save, +1 toughness, D3 impact hits Jaguar standard - 50 points unit has swiftstride Skavenpelt banner - 65 points all models get frenzy and hatred of skaven.. all skaven hate the unit.. Cube of darkness - 30 points - on a 2+ spell auto dispelled, on another 2+ for every remains in play spell end on a 2+ Plaque of dominion - 25 points - bound spell L3 all enemy wizards within 18 get stupidity Piranha blade - 50 points - D3 W's AP Cloak of feathers - 35 points for a flying skink character on foot.. Horn of Kygor - 35 points - sounds at start of move phase, all friendly monsters, cav, war beasts, get frenzy Egg of quango - 30 points - one use only in combat, roll a D6: 1 D6 S3, 2-3 D6 S4, or 4+ does 2D6 S5. Slann is infantry – but cannot be thunderstomped Soul of stone 25 points - allows the Slann to add or subtract 1 from the miscast result instead of original Wandering Deliberations 30 points - Slann knows all 8 sig spells from rule book Slann can only go in second rank in temple guard unit. Always passes LOS. you can have 4 - various points (from 20 to 60) Most expensive one makes you unstable and ethereal loremaster high One allows you to channel 3 dice One allows you to store 1 dispel dice for the next phase Cause terror Razordon - Grapeshot @ st4. reroll arty dice on stand and shoot Salamander breath now s4. Can move, but not march, and shoot. No more autopanic NO lord level Skink Priest Skink Priests can now channel Direct Damage as well as magic missiles
So I'm thinking that a Slann with the 3 dice channel and the staff of channeling will be part of the go to build, he should statistically channel one dice every phase on average if it works like I think.
Ehhh... Good ridence, I never got anything to panic anyways. (what wil all the unbreakable, modified, and rerolling LD checks)