AoS New AOS player, what do I buy, opinions on list?

[Swordknuckles]

Hello all! A friend of mine has recently inspired me and my other friends to start playing AOS at our local club. He has a large Stormcast army, and so far my other friends have decided to start collecting Khorne Bloodbound, Fyreslayers and Sylvaneth. After playing a few proxy armies and lurking around this site a bit, I have fallen for the Aztec dinosaur riding magical star dinosaurs. I promptly consumed every piece of lore on the Lizardmen and Seraphon I could find...

My Stormcast friend has generously bought me a Skink Starpriest to start off my army, and I understand that acquiring the start collecting box for excellent value is my next step, but where do I go from there? I like the look of the bastilodons, Saurus Guard and ripperdactyls/terradons in particular but I would like to know what are the first steps to making a viable army.

I have also downloaded the warscrolls compendium and had a crack at making the type of force I eventually want to use. For now most of our games will be at the 1000-1500 points range but we hope to eventually start playing at the 2000pts level. So here it is, tips and advice on how to improve it would be great thanks.

1500pts-
Eternity Warden(general, phoenix stone, master of defense) 140pts
Skink Starpriest 80pts
Eternal Starhost 140pts
Shadowstrike Starhost 170pts
1 unit of 3 Ripperdactyls 160pts
3 units of 5 Saurus Guard 300pts
3 units of 10 Skinks with boltspitters/shields 180pts
1 Bastilodon 280pts
1 Razordon 40pts
10pts remaining I think, please point out any errors in points costs

Warden+eternal starhost+guard will be my core mega tanky units with skinks acting as a screen in front and providing some ranged support. Rippers will take down any major threats, bastilodon/razordon will help mow throw infantry at range. Starpriest will buff the guards most likely.

 

[Koriialstraz]

Hello ! Welcome to the great Seraphon family !
For me, not a veteran player and still new, I think that your list is nice, but your 3 units of 10 Skinks will be almost useless. Indeed, Skinks work way better in horde. And for experience, I too, start with 2 units of 10 Skinks (boltspitters+club and club+shields), I wanted some diversification. And I quickly turn change my mind after 1 game and put my 20 Skinks in 1 unit, all boltspitters+shields. And it's only the beginning, I will buy more Skinks to complete this unit.

I hope I help you just a little. And everyone, don't hesitate to correct me, I'm still learning to be a good Seraphon player.

 

[Swordknuckles]

Hello ! Welcome to the great Seraphon family !
For me, not a veteran player and still new, I think that your list is nice, but your 3 units of 10 Skinks will be almost useless. Indeed, Skinks work way better in horde. And for experience, I too, start with 2 units of 10 Skinks (boltspitters+club and club+shields), I wanted some diversification. And I quickly turn change my mind after 1 game and put my 20 Skinks in 1 unit, all boltspitters+shields. And it's only the beginning, I will buy more Skinks to complete this unit.

I hope I help you just a little. And everyone, don't hesitate to correct me, I'm still learning to be a good Seraphon player.

Thank you for the advice! I will definitely look into using larger skink units in future. People on other threads seem to be highlighting that skinks are extremely useful as battleline units, so I believe I will look into purchasing some after I get the start collecting box. After that I suppose it will have to be rippers or terradons. Rippers seem stronger but terradons look so much cooler!

 

[Koriialstraz]

Thank you for the advice! I will definitely look into using larger skink units in future. People on other threads seem to be highlighting that skinks are extremely useful as battleline units, so I believe I will look into purchasing some after I get the start collecting box. After that I suppose it will have to be rippers or terradons. Rippers seem stronger but terradons look so much cooler!

Personally I will go with Rippers ^^. But it's just for me.

I just notice that you want to buy the start collecting box, and it's a good choice. But, for your list, it will give you nothing. In this box, you have 1 Carnosaur /Troglodon, 1 unit of Saurus Knight + 3 Saurus Knight and 1 unit of Saurus warriors + 2 Saurus warriors. So, none of this units is in your list.

 

[Swordknuckles]

Personally I will go with Rippers ^^. But it's just for me.

I just notice that you want to buy the start collecting box, and it's a good choice. But, for your list, it will give you nothing. In this box, you have 1 Carnosaur /Troglodon, 1 unit of Saurus Knight + 3 Saurus Knight and 1 unit of Saurus warriors + 2 Saurus warriors. So, none of this units is in your list.

Good point! XD. I initially intended to get it for the value but yea now that I think about it it doesn't offer much for what I intend to go with at all. Although I will probably get it down the road I suppose it would be smarter for me to buy more skinks and get some of the bigger dinos like the basti and rippers.

 

[Koriialstraz]

I initially intended to get it for the value

I took it for the value too, and when I started, I didn't think of anything like you are doing. I just thought, hay, I want to play Seraphon, lets buy this box and I'll see later for everything else.

 

[Seraphage]

Welcome ! Start Collecting has a great value and you should buy it at some point but now now as it seems !
The units you love and thus the ones you should play, do not synergy with the start collecting units. Get yourselve a 2nd Guard Box as everyone that plays Eternal uses at minimum 20 and most of the times 30 guards as : 5, 5, 10 or 20 or 5, 10, 15 !

Your list seems fun and definitely could work

 

[Aginor]

Welcome!

That's a tough environment with SCE, Khorne, Fyreslayers and Sylvaneth, I am sure y'all will have quite some interesting battles!

Start Collecting box is awesome, especially if you go for a Saurus army. You might want to buy two then you can play a Firelance Starhost, and you have both Carnosaurs (or a Carno and a Troglodon).
Guards are nice as well, especially in an Eternal Starhost.

Also I would recommend getting the GHB2017 (perhaps together with your friends) because you definitely should use our new allegiance abilities.

Eternal Shadow (that's how I call Eternal Starhost + Shadowstrike Starhost) can look like this:

Allegiance: Seraphon

Leaders
Saurus Eternity Warden (140)
- General
- Trait: Thickly Scaled Hide
- Artefact: Coronal Shield
Skink Starpriest (80)
- Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices

Battleline
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
- Seraphon Battleline
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
- Seraphon Battleline
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
- Seraphon Battleline
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers

Units
3 x Ripperdactyl Riders (140)

Behemoths
Bastiladon (280)

Battalions
Eternal Starhost (130)
Shadowstrike Starhost (170)

Reinforcement Points (0)

Total: 1500 / 2000
Allies: 0 / 400



Now, that's not the most efficient list for 1500 points because of the two bataillons together not being worth it for 1500, but it looks cool and should be able to kill a few things. What I don't like about it is how you cannot use that third item since you only have two heroes.
If you expand the list to 2000 points it will be worth it though!

For 1500 I'd rather drop the Shadowstrike and play some more Skinks and/or Razordons, like this (Rippers might be not worth it outside of a Shadowstrike, not sure...):

Allegiance: Seraphon
Saurus Eternity Warden (140)
- General
- Trait: Thickly Scaled Hide
- Artefact: Coronal Shield
Skink Starpriest (80)
- Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices
Skink Priest (80)
- Priestly Trappings
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
3 x Ripperdactyl Riders (140)
2 x Razordons (80)
Bastiladon (280)
Eternal Starhost (130)

Reinforcement Points (0)

Total: 1490 / 2000
Allies: 0 / 400



Taking Skinks in small groups is only good if you need them for claiming objectives or as chaff, or is you need them to fulfill requirements such as those for bataillons or battlelines.



Oh and of course those are not the most competitive lists, they are based on what you said you like and not fully optimized. Still good to play I guess. If your environment is really competitive you should choose other options.

 

[Swordknuckles]

Welcome!

That's a tough environment with SCE, Khorne, Fyreslayers and Sylvaneth, I am sure y'all will have quite some interesting battles!

Start Collecting box is awesome, especially if you go for a Saurus army. You might want to buy two then you can play a Firelance Starhost, and you have both Carnosaurs (or a Carno and a Troglodon).
Guards are nice as well, especially in an Eternal Starhost.

Also I would recommend getting the GHB2017 (perhaps together with your friends) because you definitely should use our new allegiance abilities.

Eternal Shadow (that's how I call Eternal Starhost + Shadowstrike Starhost) can look like this:

Allegiance: Seraphon

Leaders
Saurus Eternity Warden (140)
- General
- Trait: Thickly Scaled Hide
- Artefact: Coronal Shield
Skink Starpriest (80)
- Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices

Battleline
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
- Seraphon Battleline
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
- Seraphon Battleline
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
- Seraphon Battleline
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers

Units
3 x Ripperdactyl Riders (140)

Behemoths
Bastiladon (280)

Battalions
Eternal Starhost (130)
Shadowstrike Starhost (170)

Reinforcement Points (0)

Total: 1500 / 2000
Allies: 0 / 400



Now, that's not the most efficient list for 1500 points because of the two bataillons together not being worth it for 1500, but it looks cool and should be able to kill a few things. What I don't like about it is how you cannot use that third item since you only have two heroes.
If you expand the list to 2000 points it will be worth it though!

For 1500 I'd rather drop the Shadowstrike and play some more Skinks and/or Razordons, like this (Rippers might be not worth it outside of a Shadowstrike, not sure...):

Allegiance: Seraphon
Saurus Eternity Warden (140)
- General
- Trait: Thickly Scaled Hide
- Artefact: Coronal Shield
Skink Starpriest (80)
- Artefact: Incandescent Rectrices
Skink Priest (80)
- Priestly Trappings
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
5 x Saurus Guard (100)
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
3 x Ripperdactyl Riders (140)
2 x Razordons (80)
Bastiladon (280)
Eternal Starhost (130)

Reinforcement Points (0)

Total: 1490 / 2000
Allies: 0 / 400



Taking Skinks in small groups is only good if you need them for claiming objectives or as chaff, or is you need them to fulfill requirements such as those for bataillons or battlelines.



Oh and of course those are not the most competitive lists, they are based on what you said you like and not fully optimized. Still good to play I guess. If your environment is really competitive you should choose other options.

Thanks for the list ideas! I will try them out with a proxy army and perhaps dabble in the Firelnce Starhost to see if Saurus are also a good road to take.