So... I think the title speaks for itself really.... but I'm trying to see whether or not a stegadon is really worth it for me or not and under what circumstances it would be worth while to use. I realize this is a rather broad question, but I would really love the feedback. I noticed that some people dig the ancient steggy a little more than the regular for instance. But I've also heard that a stegadon is basically worthless in some cases??? Or like, you NEED two if you are going to take any at all?? Thoughts? and thanks.
The Steggy is a really cool way of making a big cannon magnet into a viable choice because of one reason: Sharpened Horns. D6+1 S6 Multiple Wounds impact hits... mmmm. Top that off with Terror, Stubborn, great stats, and for a nice 250 package you have a pretty decent monster. The baby Stegadon certainly isn't a bad choice, its just that the points difference is so marginal you might as well get the better version. That being said, its weakness are the same as any monster: its a cannon magnet without so much as a Regeneration save, and it can't find off a whole unit of infantry alone. Worse, it also can't Fly. That's not really a problem with the Stegadon itself, though, its just something you should be aware of. In the absence of Monstrous Cavalry, Stegadons are a pretty solid choice (and a pretty solid counter to MC as well), and there's ways to mitigate their cannon vulnerability if that's what you want (easy access to Iceshard Blizzard, war machine hunters, target saturation through multiple large monsters, etc). Put it another way: there are certainly much worse monsters out there, and many of them are in the same book.
Your question is broad, like you say. Here are the types of things that can effect our answers: Use: Garage Play? Tournament Play? Local Gamestore play? Meta: ETC, Swede, player based comp, uncomped? ie - do you expect opponents with a lot of cannons/bolt throwers? Points: 1k? 2k? 2.4, 2.5, 3? In general: The impact hits provide value by adding an attack layer that the army doesn't have otherwise. Also, with Sharpened horns, Ogres and other Monstrous infantry (and Monstrous cav, to a degree) are scared of them. Elves also don't like impact hits. For most monsters, two is more than two times better than one. Target saturation is the term, and it is a good way to add value/redundancy. Whereas a cannon 'may get lucky' and kill a steg, it will be hard pressed to get that luck against 2. If you're going to be playing against a lot of opponents with cannons - you may find that the Steg will die early often, and so not be as fun for you. Also, GCPD's advice is on point.
Although largely i agree, it depends on the infantry unit. I did beat a unit of goblins that flanked mine in a game simply because it was too stubborn to run in round 1, and then got to charge and stomp them en masse in round 2 (in which it had to catch them after they had rallied). However i did roll 3 4+ armor saves against them... so...
I never leave home without one and another monster. Mind you, the old Steg is the model that got me into Lizardmen. I've got a baby(old metal) and an ancient built and am working on my Engine of the Gods model. I'd like to field all three of them and my carnosaur. "Did you bring enough cannons?" "No."
ancient steg is really the only thing worth putting in a rare slot. salamanders are another option, but assuming 2400 points you really dont need more than 2 sallies, especially in their current iteration. That leaves a lot of points for stegs. sallies can also be comped fairly hard/looked at with disdain if your opponent played 7th/early 8th a lot. That bothers some people when they go to make lists. I also like to run a scarnosaur. Between it, slann, and stegs, you're really doing quite a good job with target saturation for cannons. You'll probably lose something, but that means everything else is getting in where you want it. Also its one of the only options for multiple wounds in the lizardmen book.
I should have made it more clear that I think that the humble Stegadon is actually one of the better monsters for fighting infantry, and that's purely because its Stubborn. This means that it doesn't really care about losing by static combat resolution, and Cold Blooded Leadership 6 gives it a pretty good chance of sticking around even without the General or BSB. That being said, it does suffer from having a low number of high Strength attacks, and a high number of low strength attacks, both of which with poor Weapon Skill, so after the initial round of combat its going to be largely reliant on Thunderstomp for damage output. When you're dependent on a single d6 roll, every now and again you're going to fluff it and Bad Things will happen. There are some other monsters like the Tomb King Warsphinx, Dark Elf Kharibdyss/Hydra, Warriors of Chaos Chimera, etc, which do a better job, but the Stegadon is by no means bad at it. I'm trying out a different style of list at the moment, but if I was to make any changes the second thing I'd do would be to put Steggy the Stegadon back in. The first would be, ahem, Ripperdactyls. *looks down*
short answer: Yes or no! I wouldn't bring one. None or 2+. And ALWAYS 2x3 rippers with the main goal to hunt warmachines (itp is really useful in case of casualties), and maybe a chief or two on terradons, and preferably salamander/razordon to catch canonballs.
The 2400 point list I am currently trying out has 5. Not many people have the cannons to deal with that level of stomps. I agree that one steg can struggle against infantry but 3 eat units double quick. Oh and you want a life slann
Wandering Deliberations Slann, surely? That way you can still regrow wounds through Earthblood, but you've also got Iceshard Blizzard to interfere with cannons.
You can end up with very little points for the slann. I think 4 shots at healing is important with this list.
wow, have you posted that list yet? I'm very intrigued by the 5 stegs in your army and what you got to support them, like your life slann.
I love stegs - full stop. Yeah if you're up against a gunline it'll be shot to pieces but it looks so cool and is so much fun to play with. If your opponent is fielding monsters sharpened horns will give you the edge (if you pull off the charge). It's shooting is quite useful as well. Still don't understand why if skinks can load a bolt thrower on a dinosaur why we can't have free standing bolt throwers!!
Unless you are an elf, bolt throwers suck. I love the stegadon miniature but I dont really like it that much on the battlefield. I know it's one of our most popular choices, but still I don't think it worths. It's not that easy to get the charge, specially against stuff with many wounds to use the sharpened horns on, after the charge it won't kill much with the attacks deppending mostly on the thunderstomp wich you can't use against those things with many wounds. It has a nice high tougness and armour, but anything with strength 5 or higher will chew through it's defenses without taking many wounds. The giant bow isa joke, but the giant blowpipes are ok, although, it is hard to find a situation in wich you won't be hitting on 7+, wasting your poison, as you will usually be moving and shooting on long range. Both ranged weapons shouldn't have penalty for moving and shooting. Stuborness is cool, but LD6 is so low that even with cold blood i'ts a chance too high wasting 300~ points of your rare allowance engaging a combat I'm going to lose.
I want to try to turn that frown upside down. One of your complaints about stegs I see as being one of their greatest strengths. You say it is very difficult to get the charge on multi wound models with a steg. Why is this? People are terrified and rightly so of our mighty sharpened horns. The reason that you are struggling to gain the charge on multi wound models is that they are keeping them away from the steg. So you have just created an advantage in the deployment and movement phase, which let's face it is where the game is won and lost.