Nid player here trying to get used to the changes between 40k and fantasy. I find though that playing test games with other players are better at getting the rules nailed down in my mind than by just reading the rules. What I was thinking was building a very basic and small force (less than 1000pts) that will have the basics for battle and would both be easy on the pocketbook and allow for me to experience most situations with my own models. What would you guys recommend? I know that Skink priests are relatively cheap magic casters (since Slann are out of the question at such low points values) and that Saurus are the bread and butter unit. What else should I be looking at buying to get a feel for the Lizardmen? Effectiveness isn't really important here as I'm going to be using them for teaching games.
The battleforce is a great start because all of the units are useable. Skinks, Saurus and Cold ones are all nigh mandatory in my opinion. Just convert a Cold one to be a Scar vet and your set. Temple guard are great at higher levels. Until then, use them to fill up saurus blocks and convert one to be a scarvet hero/bsb. I say with the battleforce, a box of skinks and maybe a few metal models and you'd be set with a pretty solid list. Until you get a better feel for the rules, I would make all the saurus spears (they have a hand weapon in addition, and it's only 1 point more) and make the skinks all skirmishers with blowpipes. For heroes, you'll have enough left over models to convert from what you have.
i agree with getting the battalion box. All of those things are great and usable. That will also give you a less than 1000 point army that you can use to help learn the game. After that point though you can really go in whatever direction you like. i recommend picking up another box of saurus and skinks after that =] just to make you entire amry a little bit more fuller. but welcome aboard!!
I was recently disappointed to have someone confirm that the models in the battle for skull pass box are substandard quality. Is this true of the lizardmen battalion box as well or are they all the same models as if you bought them all separately?
With lizardmen at smaller games, I prefer mostly skirmishing armies. The batallion box doesn't really have much to work with that. You'd get 10 skirmishers and 18 warriors you'd use... but trying to fit in a cavalry or TG unit would use up about a quarter of your total points in your army. Personally I'd just pick up a skink regiment box, and then pick up the other specials and heroes you'd want to use (terradons, salamander, skink priest(s)). At that point, a batallion box will be nice for the next expansion of your army when you want to add some infantry and blocks to it. I also wouldn't suggest expanding too much past 1250 points until 8th ed is released in July. Too much is potentially up in the air as far as how the army is going to be structured still - there may be some heavy restrictions on adding lords and heroes to your army. As fas as quality of the models go - i think the skinks I got in a regiment box were exactly the same sprues I got in the batallion box.
I second the battalion box idea. Great to start off with cuz you can just convert a saurus cav into a scar-vet and wholla! You have a small army to get down the basics with.
And No Skrox, They are normal quality. The reason they are lower quality in BFSP is because you are getting 100+ miniatures plus tools and a pocket rulebook for a measley $75. While the battalion boxes are a great deal, they are nowhere as big of a steal as the BFSP. There's just to much included in it to make it good quality for such a low price, because after all it is for beginners lol I don't think GW actually even expects players to use the BFSP minis once they create a real army of their choosing. It's just a "Get a feel for warhammer and see if it's for you" kinda box set. They lower the price it to fit this purpose and in order to achieve that, they dumb down the quality and virtually throw customization out the window.