8th Ed. Prospective new player

[Grix]

Hey guys, I am looking at the possibility of getting into Warhammer with Lizardmen. They are one of the two armies I am looking at (other is Beastmen). Honestly both are the only ones who appeal to me and I was hoping to get some insight on how Lizardmen play, what their strengths and weaknesses are. So here are my questions:

1) From what I read both LM and BM can be very magic dependent or heavy. Can you run LM without a Slann and still have an effective army? How would it play? What would its weaknesses be?

2) The idea I have for LM if I do get into the army is to try and incorporate as much Dino's, Mix Skink and Croc units, and Saurus into the army. Maybe a couple of skirmishing skinks here and there. But honestly I like the look of the larger lizards more. Again how would this play with and without a Slann?

3) What is the main difference between Temple Guard and Saurus Warriors?

4) Is the Calvary any good?

5) What would be the best bet for getting into the hobby? A battalion, is everything in there usable?

6) How would you compare LM to the other armies? In particular BM.

Thanks in advance

Grix.

 

[Qupakoco]

1) From what I read both LM and BM can be very magic dependent or heavy. Can you run LM without a Slann and still have an effective army? How would it play? What would its weaknesses be?

Yes, you can indeed field an effective army without a slann. The army would likely put a strong focus on combat characters, which LM happen to have 2 extremely good options for, or dinosaurs. The main weakness of course would be getting dominated in the magic phase. Any army that has a level 4 caster will likely give you some issues, though a couple level 2 skink priests can make a poor man's slann I suppose.

2) The idea I have for LM if I do get into the army is to try and incorporate as much Dino's, Mix Skink and Croc units, and Saurus into the army. Maybe a couple of skirmishing skinks here and there. But honestly I like the look of the larger lizards more. Again how would this play with and without a Slann?

The whole army would be moving pretty fast, that's for sure. Saurus would be the only thing that would be a bit slow. If you ran an army like this you would need to take advantage of your relatively fast movement to get flank charges to support your saurus blocks. Stegs are great on the charge, and if you get one in the flank of a unit tied up with saurus you can really lay on the hurt. It's pretty standard to have Terradons and skinks take out warmachines or tie up ranged units or casters to allow your infantry to advance without heavy casualties.

3) What is the main difference between Temple Guard and Saurus Warriors?

TG have a higher WS and use halberds (so they hit at S5). They are very good at keeping the slann alive. They force the slann into the second rank, become stubborn and immune to psychology when a slann is present, and can generally take quite a beating while also dishing it out. Saurus Warriors do not benefit from these special rules when used with a slann.

Without a slann in their midst, TG are really just slightly buffed saurus. They are too expensive without a slann though, so I would not recommend taking them if you aren't running with a slann.

4) Is the Calvary any good?

They're ok. They are super spendy for what they do, but they can still be used effectively.

5) What would be the best bet for getting into the hobby? A battalion, is everything in there usable?

I would look around on ebay first. Second hand warhammer is still warhammer. If you enjoy the modeling and painting aspect then buying a new box is probably the best bet. The battalion is cool and you have a lot of options within it to make custom heroes and decorate your units. I got one as a gift and it has bolstered my ranks quite effectively.

6) How would you compare LM to the other armies? In particular BM.

The giant can be quite fun. For the most part; Gors are like Saurus, Bestigor's are like Temple Guard, and Minotaurs are like Kroxigor. Comparing stat lines, Ungors are better than Skinks but Skinks are more versatile and can bring Kroxigor with them to a fight.

Some people say that BM were nerfed badly when the 8th edition book came out. I'm not sure how true that is since I have seen plenty of BM armies win tournaments and whatnot.

I like LM better than other armies. Plus, we have a T-Rex! Can't argue with that.