8th Ed. Escalation League (1363 points) Empire battle

So I have joined an escalation league (obviously). I have been working on finishing the models I have had for years. I havent really played since early 6th edition. Before I start buying/painting new models, I wanted to get comfortable with 8th edition rules and the new army book. So, each week I plan on updating this army list. We will be playing on Sundays.

Week 1: only Core, no upgrades, one unit champion as General, 100 points max

6 Saurus Warriors including champion
3 Skink Skirmishers

 

Re: Escalation League (week 2, 125 points)

The Lizardmen were victorious over the Goblin hordes! My two small units faced off against two units of 4 Goblin Spider riders. The goblins managed to shoot down one Skink while they shot down 2 in return. My Saurus charged both units simultaneously and killed the remaining 6. As a result, I can increase my warband to 125 points.

Week 2:
7 Saurus Warriors including champion
5 Skink Skirmishers
122 points

 

Re: Escalation League (week 2, 125 points)

Although I really like small type games because it really makes you think about what to take I don't really get the point of these super small point size.

Do you play with skirmish-rules?
Is the goal to get every unit painted week to week?

 

Re: Escalation League (week 2, 125 points)

We play with warband rules, so all the normal rules except minimum unit sizes are smaller. Once we reach 500 points (I think) we will be on completely normal rules.

The point is for new players to slowly and easily learn the rules and get the army painted rather than playing with primed/unprimed models. Veteran players can easily start a new army.

For some people, playing your first game even with just 1,000 points means facing an army with possibly 10 enemy units/heroes you've never seen before and having to learn them along with trial-and-error-ing the base rules....kinda intimidating/overwhelming. But facing two enemy units, and only worrying about movement/shooting/combat, not so much. Also, the match is much quicker (mine was about 15 minutes). So you can end up playing 3 games or so in an hour. It ends up making a very positive experience for the newbies. Veterans can try out new armies with just a batallion and army book.

 

Re: Escalation League (week 2, 125 points)

Aren't warband rules basically the Mordheim rules?
If so I quite like it although it's actually pretty complex and I'm not sure if it's really that easy for a newbie ^^

 

Re: Escalation League (week 2, 125 points)

Ok, I guess I oversimplified it a little lol. The GW employee refers to the rules as warband rules but I suppose they are mostly custom rules.

Week 1 everyone has 100 points all core and 1 unit champion to be general and at least 2 units. 25/20 mm bases are 3 models minimum unit size. Cavalry is 2 min. Monstrous infantry is 1 minimum.

If you win your game, you increase your point value by 25%. If you lose, you increase 20%. This stays true for the entire league. This keeps everyone relatively close together. I actually missed the first week so took 100 points vs 120 points of OnG and won easily from better troops/strategy.

When you reach 250 points you can add Special. Not sure when we can add Rare/Heroes/Lords. Need to ask about that.

You have to add to your existing list each week. Every 500 points you can start your list over or remove/decrease units.

 

Re: Escalation League (week 3, 180 points)

Just returned home from victory over the Empire! My skinks were lucky with their poison darts against a unit of 3 Knights. The last knight even died (shockingly) on his charge to a skirmisher's hand weapon, of all things. The Saurus Warriors chewed through a unit of halberds. So due to a couple of new people joining this week, everyone's list values got adjusted. As a result, I am now up to 180 points of Core, a good chunk more than I actually earned.

Next week's upgraded list:
10 Saurus Warriors including champion
8 Skink Skirmishers
176 points

 

Re: Escalation League (week 3, 180points)

If you could redo your list it could be fine to field a full size unit.

I mean 10 x skinks cohort + Kroxigor 100 points. (if you have the models)

then you can spend your 80 remaining points in 6 saurus + champion (for the LD bubble)

At those points the Krox would make the difference. Also you gain ranks , more shooting and a Big saurus with 3 wounds and awesome strengh 7.

 

Re: Escalation League (week 3, 180points)

Unfortunately I can't redo the list til I hit 500 points. While I have enough skinks for the Skrox unit, I haven't painted my 3 Krox yet. Since you get bonus points for all painted and penalties for not being painted, I am holding off on the Skrox for now. Since I finally got the Saurus to 10 models, I am going to call that unit done for now. Gonna boost up the Skinks and maybe save up for a hero or another unit of skinks. It will just depend on how many points I earn next Sunday. Yeah, I need to get working on those Krox. Thanks for the input!

 

Re: Escalation League (week 3, 180points)

We had some scheduling issues with the League for a couple weeks, but we made up for it this past Sunday with a double match. I went 1-1 against two different High Elf armies.

The first deployed several minimal size archer units at their table edge with a minimal Sea Guard unit out front to act as a speed bump. He focus fired my skink unit with those damn longbows and wiped all but one in two rounds of shooting. That survivor spent the rest of the game fleeing. The Saurus took 3 rounds to reach the sea guard (backing up every round) and managed to take a few casualties to get there. Overran into an archer squad behind them. By the time I got turned around to face the other archer units, end of turn 6. Ended up losing by 6 points.

The second HE match went better for me. They had a big unit of archers and a big unit of Sea Guard. He chose to focus fire my Saurus and I failed my armor rolls horribly, but nailed my panic tests. My skinks, ignored, were able to run right up next to the archers and multishot poison them to death in one round of shooting. That same round my Saurus champion, the lone survivor (told you I was bombing armor saves), charged the sea guard. PF was on my side and I did 4 wounds. They stayed put. My skinks moved up just in case, but PF was there for me again as my champion did 5 wounds to wipe out the unit.

My point values are now jumped up to 270 points. In honor of his epic massacre, I am "upgrading" my champion to a Scar Vet. He can only have mundane gear for the moment. The new list is as follows:

Scar Vet w/ light armor shield
10 Saurus Warriors with champion
8 skink Skirmishers
266 points

 

Re: Escalation League (week 5, 270 points)

Another week, another battle. Unfortunately I got paired up with a veteran player who wasn't very cool with my still learning the game. The teen was playing Ogres and apparently been saving up points for a few weeks to bring a fully geared out hero (Brute?). He had the hero and 4 ogres (each deployed as a single unit because of the escalation rules). This was my first battle with impact hits, stomps, and characters.

So two ogres charged my skinks. One totally shot down, the other made his charge. Skinks dealt one wound in melee before getting pounded. They passed their panic test to stay there. More pounding on the next round, fled, and were caught leaving this particular ogre about 8 inches behind/away the Saurus combat.

So the Saurus marched forward. One ogre was deployed by himself. The hero was deployed BEHIND the second ogre as a unit of two. I thought characters had to be positioned in the front rank unless they had a special rule? He just said no when I asked without explaining. The ogres failed their charge attempts. I failed mine. The lone ogre failed his charge. The ogre/hero double got their charge. When ranking up, he then moved the hero into the front rank.

So I told him this was my first time with monstrous infantry, impact hits, stomps, and characters. I asked him to help walk me through all of this. Well, he just tossed his dice for the impact hits and told me to roll my armor saves. Wouldn't explain how it worked. So, a few Saurus went down. He told me to roll my scar vet. I asked him how I determine who I am hitting. The scar vet was was in front of the ogre, but corner-to-corner with the hero. He said it had to go into the ogre. I hit well, not so much on wounding rolls. The ogres went. More Saurus died. I asked about rolling my champion separately and he told me no cause it just gets an extra attack. Resolve combat, I lose but stay. All this time he is just throwing dice and not telling me stats or answering questions.

So the other ogre gets his charge in this time. I lose combat, but stay. The ogre from the skinks charges in. At this point, I'm down to the Scar Vet, champ, and a couple spearmen. So, our heroes have the same initiative and I roll my dice. We resolve his attacks. Then, the twerp divides up the attacks from the two ogres and the hero to take out the champ and spearmen specifically. I make the comment that he told me I could didn't divide up my attacks and he just kinda blows it off. One of the two guys sharing the table with us looks over pointedly. So, my Scar Vet is left completely surrounded. The kid is pretty smug when he tells me I need to roll snake eyes for my leadership test. AND I DID. I won't lie, that was pretty satisfying. So, already down a wound, I figure my best bet is to go for points and target the ogres. I cause some wounds and make all of my armor saves to stay for another round. The kid is definitely looking worried, but his hero takes mine down in the next round.

After the kid left, the guy next to me (the other major veteran in the group that I played a couple weeks ago) filled me in on how it should have happened. Because of the sportsmanship points, he understood that I didn't make a fuss, but said he would go talk to the League organizer about the kid. So that was pretty cool.

So, with my loss, I am now up to 324 points. I now have full access to the entire army book. Large based units (Krox, rippers, sallies) can be a unit of 1. Infantry can be a unit of 3. Cavalry can be a unit of 2. So, do I save all of my 58 points for a salamander, skink priest, or CoC next week? Toss some chameleons or TG in cause I have plenty of those ready? Buy some magical gear for my Scar Vet?

 

Re: Escalation League (324 points) NEED ADVICE

I Just wanted to write that i really enjoyed reading your "lo". I only just began painting my first Lizardman skink the other day, but i must say that it sounds like a really great way to get to the know the game. I wish i could find something similar here in Denmark

Its a shame the kid behaved that way.

 

Re: Escalation League (324 points) NEED ADVICE

Welcome to the forum!

I don't know from where in the country you hail, but i don't think you'd need much persuasion to run an escalation like game.

we're very few players from where i live in DK (sønderborg), but we're running one and it's quite popular.

we started at 500 points and went up from there though.

@ the OP, i hope i never meet such an opponent. I'd always try to explain things myself, and hope that the same would count for me.

 

Re: Escalation League (324 points) NEED ADVICE

We draw opponents randomly, so with luck I won't have to play him again for a couple weeks or so. In the meantime, I need to figure out how to use my 58 points: spend them or save them...

 

Re: Escalation League (324 points) NEED ADVICE

The scarvet you have, improve it.

+20 points on a cold one (+movility, +2tsa, +2attacks from the cold one, + fear, -stupidity)
+1 point to improve your shield to a enchanted shield (+2 tsa save)
+5 points luck stone.
+25 sword of ASF.

55 points spent on a 1+ AS 4 ASF S5 Attacks, reroll first AS failed save.

Deploy inside your saurus block and youll gain 1 slot due to cav model are 2 big infantry base.

Ofc you could build the cheap but efficient Scarvet in other ways. But i think this guy will cover all your needs.

 

Re: Escalation League (324 points)

The Lizardmen were victorious! This week my warband was forced to eradicate a Temple City that had lost sight of the Old Ones' plan. I was actually very excited to get a mirror match as this player had a very different unit selection from mine. I ended up using the following today:

11 Saurus including champ
9 skink Skirmishers
Scar Vet with Gambler's Armor, Enchamted Shield, Luckstone, and Sword of Battle

My opponent had a unit of 5 Saurus, unit of 8 Skirmishers, then a Skrox unit of 20ish skinks, 1 Kroxigor, and a Skink Chief.

I marched everyone forward. My skinks took down a single skirmisher. He just barely charged his 5 Saurus into my Skirmishers. My stand and shoot killed all 5. We were both stunned, and he pretty much deflated on the spot. He positioned his Skrox to charge my block and his Skirmishers on the flank. His shooting only took down one Saurus. My block charged his block. His stand and shoot took down 3 Saurus. My Scar Vet killed the Krox and the unit took down several skinks. Combat ended up tied. Rather than charge my flank, he turned his Skirmishers to shoot mine. They all missed. My Saurus champion killed the skink chief and the Scar Vet and the rest of the unit took down more skinks. He failed leadership and ran. I caught him. My Skirmishers shot down a few more of his. When my block charged his 4ish remaining Skirmishers, he just conceded defeat. He managed to kill about 100 points, but he said it was the first time he had been tabled so far.

My victory bumps me up 81 points to 405 points. Even though my record is 50/50, my league standing is in the upper middle of the pack because my units have been painted every week. I am still down a game from missing the very first week, so if I can have the time for two matches next weeks I can probably push into the top tier with just one victory.

I am thinking of adding a Salamander or a Level 1 Skink Priest.

 

Re: Escalation League (324 points)

at 500 you went to normal rules no?

Since by then you won't be able to field a skink priest and a Scar vet i'd go for the sallie. However the magic could come in handy if thst's not the case!

 

Re: Escalation League (405 points)

Good call on the 500 points. I will need to call the coordinator and find out when our lists have to start following the normal rules. I know we get to "reset" the list at 500 and we start using a full table.

 

Re: Escalation League (405 points)

Hi mate, sorry to say that your Scarvet is ilegal.

You took two magic armour items. Enchanted Shield & Gambler's Armor.

 

Re: Escalation League (405 points)

Would like to suggest, with your 81 points, you should possibly look at testing something you are tossing up whether you want to include or not?

What I mean is, try out something before the reset. If it works, great you know you like it. If it doesn't work out you are resetting so don't have to continue using it.