Continuing on in my review/tactica of the new Lizardmen army book I present my impressions of
the new Lizardmen Lore, and the generic Lords and Heroes.
The Lore of High Magic
Lore Attribute
The Lore Attribute, Contemplations, allows the user to
forget a spell after casting it and generate a new spell from any Lore using
the normal spell generation rules. The first way this can be used is to swap
out a spell after it is no longer useful to you. For example, Arcane Unforging
allows you to destroy the opponent’s Magic Items. Once this has been achieved
the spell could be considered useless so you could swap it out for a spell from
another Lore. The second way I can see this being used is to just take the Lore
of High Magic if you are unsure of what your opponent will be using. Once you
see his army, you can then start casting some cheap spells on turn 1 and
generate a more useful one from another Lore. The way I would view this is to
assume you are rolling on a Lore for its Signature Spell with a chance of
potentially getting something better. An example of when you would do this is
upon seeing that your opponent is playing Warriors of Chaos and has gone Knight
heavy. You could cast Tempest first turn and then Swap it out for a roll on the
Lore of Metal.
Unlike most
Lores, the Lore of High Magic contains two Signature Spells.
- Drain Magic
This spell can remove Remains in Play effects on friendly or
enemy units. While it is fairly cheap (you should essentially never fail
casting this using two dice) a similar effect can be obtained through the use
of the Cube of Darkness so I don’t rate this too highly. Not bad, but nothing
amazing either.
- Soul Quench
Effectively a shorter ranged but more efficient Fireball,
this is the Signature Spell that I prefer. Very straight forward spell, I like
it.
- Apotheosis
A way to regenerate wound son a nearby model. It is
relatively cheap to cast and we generally have a large amount of suitable
targets to cast this on, so I think it is pretty useful to have.
- Hand of Glory
Allows you to buff the Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Initiative
or Movement of a nearby unit by D3. Can buff it to affect all of them. The
increases to WS and Initiative are very helpful to our Saurus as those are the
stats they aren’t great in. Combined with a Bastilodon, this can manage to
bring our Saurus up to a respectable Initiative. However, this is more
difficult to cast, has a weaker effect, and is less reliable than the similar
Speed of Light from the Lore of Light. This can also be used to help get a unit
into range next turn or to boost a unit of skinks BS so they can double tap at
long range after moving, etc. All in all, it isn’t a bad spell but the Lore of
Light does what this is trying to do better.
- Walk Between Worlds
This is one of the best spells in the Lore. It allows a unit
to move 10/20 inches counting as Ethereal. This can really help outmaneuver your
opponent’s units and works especially well on Carnosaurs, Salamanders and Ancient
Stegadons. Great spell.
- Tempest
This is a handy enough spell. I find that it works most
effectively against Elves as they tend to be more ranged than most armies and
have a lower toughness. Outside of those armies it can have its uses but it
doesn’t have enough hitting power compared to other damaging spells and isn’t
as reliable as Iceshard Blizzard at countering ranged. Unless your opponent is
a low toughness army I would exchange this one before the others. It even has a
fairly long range to enable you to use it effectively on the first turn.
- Arcane Unforging
A nifty spell that can neuter a combat character while
having a decent chance of knocking a wound off. After making use of it, this is
another one I would suggest swapping out for another spell. As you won’t know
what items their characters have before casting its best to target their more
powerful characters. It’s also an effective way of drawing out an opponent’s Dispel
Scroll. If they don’t use it, the wizard could take a wound and lose it anyway
so it is in their best interests to use it. Very handy spell to have, but don’t
be afraid of swapping it out once you’ve got the most out of it.
- Fiery Convocation
This spell can really put the hurt on any horde units you
come across. It should absolutely devastate a unit of Toughness 3 models. It is
of limited use against armies like Ogres and Chaos however. If facing them don’t
be afraid of swapping out for another Lore.
In summary, I like the Lore. It has several situational utility
spells and a decent mix of damaging spells and augments. If you want to take
High Magic I would suggest taking Focus of Mystery so that you will get all of
the spells in the Lore. This will allow you to get 8 spells and give you the
most flexibility for swapping them out.
Lords
Slann Mage-Priest
A very solid caster. You are going to want to take one in
almost every game. A Slann is one of the toughest Wizards in the game with
Toughness 4, 5 Wounds, and coming with a 4+ Ward Save. As well as being one of
the toughest Wizards, the Slann is one of the most versatile Wizards. They are
Level 4’s with access to High Magic and all 8 of the BRB Lores. They are able
to cast Magic Missile and Direct Damage spells through Skink Priests and Skink
Oracles due to the Arcane Vassal rule. They can even swap spells with other
Slann although this is unlikely to ever come up.
If you take a Slann it has to be your General but it can
also be your Battle Standard Bearer and it can even take a Magic Banner while
still getting his 100 points of Magic Items. What you will usually want to do
is give your Slann the Standard of Discipline. This will give him Leadership 10
which he can give to all those nearby due to his General status, with rerolls
due to his BSB status. Combined with the spells he will be throwing out this
can create a very strong centre to a battle line.
In addition to 100 points of Magic Items, the Slann can take
up to four Disciplines of the Old Ones costing no more than 150 points.
- Reservoir of Eldritch Energy
This allows you to use an unused dispel
dice as a power dice in your magic phase on the roll of a 2+. While not a bad
effect, I would not spend the points on it as you will more than often be using
all of your dispel dice.
- Soul of Stone
This allows you to subtract or add one to
your miscast results. If you use your Slann in a Temple Guard bunker and are
not using Lore of Life, this could be worth picking up. It is not too expensive
and could save your expensive Wizard from being sucked into the Realms of
Chaos. With the Lore of Life (a strong Lore for the Slann) you get some miscast
protection in the form of Throne of Vines so it is not necessary with that.
- Becalming Cogitation
Rerolling your first failed dispel attempt
each magic phase can definitely prove to be useful. As it is fairly cheap, I
would consider this one of the better options to take. I would suggest taking
this if you want a more defensive Slann.
- Wandering Deliberations
- Harmonic Convergence
This Discipline does not seem that great
until you consider the Magic Items you can combine with it. Combined with the
Channelling Staff (+1 to Channelling attempts) this Discipline becomes pretty
nifty. Three attempts at channelling on a 5+ should get you an extra dice every
magic phase, more if you are lucky. This can help you to control the opponent’s
magic phase better by lessening the advantage they have in terms of dice.
However, the cost of this combo is not insignificant and it also uses up an
Arcane Item slot that could go towards a Dispel Scroll or Cube of Darkness.
- The Harrowing Scrutiny
Gives the Slann the Terror special rule.
Not really worth the cost in my opinion.
- Transcendent Healing
Could perhaps be combined with the
Forbidden Rod, but it is an expensive combo and the Slann will likely have some
other form of regenerating wounds. Wouldn’t bother with it.
- Unfathomable Presence
Gives the Slann Magic Resistance D3 for the
duration of the opponent’s magic phase. For the same price you could get Magic
Resistance 2 permanently. Not a choice I would rate highly. Most spells that
worry Lizardmen won’t allow you your Ward Saves anyway.
- Focus of Mystery
Gives the Slann Loremaster (High Magic).
Combined with the Lore Attribute of High Magic this Slann can be extremely
versatile. It gives you access to 8 spells which can be swapped out for others
of the Lore of your choice. Another strong choice in my opinion.
- Higher State of Consciousness
Designed for solo Slanns but it is
expensive and Unstable will be the death of your Slann. Static combat
resolution will make you crumble. I would not advise this option.
I would advise not going overboard with these and advise
selecting only one or two at most. The ones I would say are worth taking are
Becalming Cogitation, Wandering Deliberations, Harmonic Convergence, Focus of
Mystery, and maybe Soul of Stone.
The main Magic Items to consider would be the Channelling
Staff, Dispel Scroll, Cube of Darkness, and the Standard of Discipline. Only
use the Channelling Staff with Harmonic Convergence and it might be a good idea
to only use that combination when you have two Skink Priests to have the Dispel
Scroll and Cube of Darkness. Not necessary but an army that has access to two
Dispel Scrolls should make use of it. Standard of Discipline should be used
pretty much every time.
The Lores I would suggest would be the Lore of Life or the
Lore of Light. The Lore of Life is a good Lore with defensive spells which also
has access to one of the super spells; The Dwellers Below. The Lore of Light
makes up for the Saurus’ main weaknesses with Birona’s Timewarp and The Speed of
Light. High Magic can work too, but I feel that requires Focus of Mystery to be
worth it.
Example Builds:
Slann Mage-Priest
– Lore of Light 385pts
Harmonic Convergence, Channelling Staff, BSB, Standard of
Discipline
This build will work well in a Saurus heavy list with two
Skink Priests to carry Dispel Scroll and the Cube of Darkness. They should take
Lore of Beasts to further synergise with the Saurus.
Slann
Mage-Priest – Lore of High Magic 405pts
Focus of Mystery, Cube of Darkness, BSB, Standard of
Discipline
This build will work well in a more balanced list. Walk
Between Worlds can get Stegadons or Salamanders into position and it gives you
8 spells to swap out for something more useful.
How you build him should really depend on the rest of the
list.
Saurus Oldblood
With a 4+ Scaly Skin, Strength and Toughness 5, and 5 WS 6
attacks base this guy can be a brutal character if built correctly. He’ll be
your General if you don’t take a Slann but as his Leadership is the same as all
Saurus, he’ll only really help your Skinks. If you want to take a Carnosaur
this is the guy you want to take but that will usually prevent you from also
taking a Slann so you’ll usually pass on that. If you are taking him on a
Carnosaur, run him up a flank. This not only provides you with a fast Terror-causing
hard hitter but will also buff the Leadership of nearby Skinks (which tend to
be found on the flanks as well).
Best way to run him would be either on a Carnosaur or on a
Cold One. The Carnosaur should always be taking Loping Stride and potentially
Bloodroar to if you have the points to spare. This makes it very expensive
though, and one cannon shot has the potential to remove your investment from the table. Oddly enough, the Carnosaur doesn't have Predatory Fighter but it does have the ability to gain Frenzy, is S7, and has the D3 multiple wounds rule. This makes it great at dealing with heavily armoured units. S7 will cut through most armour in the game and Thunderstomps/D3 wounds will help deal with infantry/monstrous units respectively. Try to limit the number of models that can swing back at you by attacking enemy in the flanks or rear as the Carnosaur is pretty slow and only has an average resilience at best.
As Initiative 3 is not too impressive, taking a Great Weapon
does not have much of a downside. The Armour of Destiny is great for Lizardmen
as Magic Items are our only access to Heavy Armour and it provides a 4+ Ward
Save on top of that. It is also cheaper than Light Armour and the 4+ Ward Save
Talisman for all but Skink Chiefs. Helms and the Enchanted Shield can also be
used to give a Heavy Armour type effect combined with Light Armour. Charmed
Shield is good as it blocks the first cannon shot that hits you on a 2+. Your
Carnosaur won’t be so lucky but at least you won’t lose both the mount and the
rider.
Example Builds:
Saurus
Oldblood 471pts
Great Weapon,
Armour of Destiny, Dawnstone, The Other Trickster’s Shard
Carnosaur
Loping Stride
This is a favoured build of mine. It gives the Oldblood a 1+
/1+/4++ save on a fast hard hitting monster. The amount of S7 wounds it can
throw out is amazing with a potential 26 (you will never actually cause that
many but it is possible). Be aware that your Initiative is not too hot so
remember that your target will be hitting you before you get your chance to
attack. A handy benefit of the Great Weapon is that if the opponent tries to
hold you up by challenging you with a Champion, the Carnosaur will go before
the Oldblood and will likely get you the maximum amount of Overkill combat
resolution. Take a Charmed Shield as well if you face a lot of cannons. Bare in
mind that this build uses two very good defensive items so it will prevent any
Scar Veterans from taking them. That is definitely the main downside of this
build and can be pretty substantial.
Saurus
Oldblood 461pts
Piranha Blade,
Shield, Glittering Scales, Luckstone
Carnosaur
Loping Stride
Not a bad build if you want to leave Armour of Destiny and
the Dawnstone open for a Scar Veteran to take. It should do very well against
monstrous infantry and cavalry on account of all the Multiple Wounds D3
attacks.
Saurus
Oldblood 241pts
Great
Weapon, Sacred Stegadon Helm of Itza, Dawnstone
Cold One
A useful build if you want to make a fairly cheap,
survivable Lord while leaving the Armour of Destiny open for a Scar Veteran.
Toughness 6 with a 1+/1+ save is incredibly respectable. The speed of the Cold
One should enable you to make good use of the Impact Hits provide by the
Stegadon Helm. Run him alone and he should be able to deal with a surprisingly
large number of threats. Scar Veterans are usually more efficient at the role
this is designed for however.
Heroes
Skink Priest
With access to Beasts and Heavens, the ability to extend a
Slann’s effective range, the existence of Cube of Darkness, and the role they
play in the Predatory Fighter rule most armies will want to include one or two
of these. Don’t bother with the Ancient Stegadon mount. You’ll want to keep
these reasonably cheap. Keeping your Slann in the centre with a Skink Priest on
each flank should help keep your army in check while providing better coverage
for the Slann’s spells.
While Heavens is not a bad Lore (it’s signature spell in
particular giving some great war machine protection) I feel that the Lore of
Beasts is the better option because it’s signature spell can turn your units
into monsters. Wyssan’s Wildform can buff your Saurus’ Strength and Toughness
by 1. As it is a signature spell it can even be spammed. I think that this will
definitely be a thing that is viable. Only issue is that Skink Priests will
probably have to throw three dice at it which won’t leave your Slann with very
many dice to play with.
I do not feel that the Ancient Stegadon with Engine of the
Gods mount option is really worth taking. Maybe if you want to fit another
Stegadon into the list as you will likely be including Skink Priests anyway, so
you’ll be avoiding the Skink Chief tax that would otherwise come with it. The
points are probably best spent on Scar Veterans or Special choices however.
The Magic Items worth taking on these are the Cube of
Darkness, Dispel Scroll, and the Cloak of Feathers.
Example Builds:
Skink Priest
– Lore of Beasts 125pts
Level 2, Dispel Scroll
A standard build, I would take this if I was only taking one
Skink Priest and the Slann had the Cube of Darkness.
Skink Priest
– Lore of Beasts
95pts
Cube of Darkness
And
Skink Priest
– Lore of Beasts
90pts
Dispel Scroll
These two would be what I would take if I was taking two
Skink Priests with a Slann. As their main job is to carry Arcane Items, help
Predatory Fighter, and throw out the odd spell when the power dice are available,
the Level 2 upgrade isn’t necessary in my opinion. If I was not taking a Slann
I would take these two but with the Level 2 upgrades.
Saurus Scar-Veteran
An Oldblood with half the Magic Item allowance and one less
WS, wound, and attack. However, it is almost half the cost of an Oldblood and
the options are all cheaper (except the Carnosaur). Combined with the fact that
taking a Slann usually doesn’t leave you with many points left in Lord
allowance, you will generally be taking these more than Oldbloods. This is who
your BSB will be if you do not make it your Slann. It is better to take a bare
BSB on a Scar Veteran and then give him some defensive gear to keep him alive.
For the most part, what I said about the Oldblood applies to
the Scar Veterans. The only real difference is that they will be less
effective, while being more efficient due to the lower costs. Again, taking a
Great Weapon and a mount and then lone wolfing is usually the way to go. I
would only use one in a unit if I was giving him a BSB.
Example Builds:
Saurus
Scar-Veteran 154pts
Great
Weapon, Armour of Destiny
Cold One
This build is a good option if the Armour of Destiny is
available. Moves fast, hits hard, and can take the hits with T5 and a 1+/4++
save.
Saurus Scar
Veteran 145pts
Great
Weapon, Light Armour, Dragon Helm, Dawnstone
Cold One
Another good option although it requires the Dawnstone to be
available. As above but with a 1+/1+ save.
A BSB or Carnosaur can be added to either of these builds
with minimal change.
Skink Chief
The only reasons to take a Skink Chief are the mounts. A
lone Skink Chief on a Terradon or Ripperdactyl can make a fairly effective
counter to warmachines, wizards, or chaff. They can even act as chaff
themselves as a result of their mobility. They are also cheap enough to consider
using as a way of squeezing another Ancient Stegadon into the list. Mounted on
an Ancient Stegadon, it might not even be that bad a choice as the BSB. Other
armies sometimes use their cheap characters with a Great Weapon to add some
bite to their units but we do not have that option. The enchanted Shield or Dragonhelm should almost always be taken on a Skink Chief. This allows you to give him a 2+ Save which he will need to survive.
Example Builds:
Skink Chief
89pts
Spear, Enchanted
Shield, Light Armour
Ripperdactyl
This build is a good base for character or warmachine
hunting while leaving plenty of points left over for better weapons etc.
Swapping the Ripperdactyl for a Terradon would focus it more on chaff clearing
due to the Drop Rocks ability.
Skink Chief 329pts
Spear, Enchanted
Shield, Light Armour, The Egg of Quango
Ancient
Stegadon
Sharpened Horns
If you’ve used your Rare points allowance and want another
Ancient Stegadon, this isn’t a bad choice. As you’ll be taking Skink Priests
anyway, they are the better option to use for this purpose but the above build
is what I would do if I went with the Chief option. The S6 Multiple Wound D3
D6+1 Impact Hits combined with the Egg of Quango should really put the hurt on
any models with multiple wounds.
In Summary
- I’d highly recommend taking a Slann as your General/BSB as he is our only Level 4 caster which makes him invaluable.
- Taking one or two Skink Priests will help to control your opponent’s magic phases through the Dispel Scroll/Cube of Darkness, helps keep your Saurus in check, and helps support the Slann through Arcane Vassal.
- I’d suggest taking at least one lone Oldblood/Scar Veteran/Skink Chief as they provide excellent support to the army and help to deal with threats we otherwise aren’t that effective at dealing with.
Next up will be the Core choices
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