AoS Double Slann Thunder Lizard

[Putzfrau]

I used this list during an online game and had decent results. Played against a 3 rogue idol bonesplitters list on duality and took the win.


Slann
Kroak
Astrolith
Skink Priest

10 Guard
10 Skinks
10 Skinks

2 Bastis
12 Sally Hunting Pack

Balewind
Bound Purple Sun
Bound Geminids
Bound Burning Head

Basic strategy is to nuke stuff off the board with a combination of Kroak, bastis shooting twice, and the sallies. Absolutely dominates the magic phase with 7-8 casts at a minimum of +2. Can block up movement with your endless spells and play relatively centrally with your bastis and spell casters. Skinks screen if you are worried about alpha, or you hold them back if the bastis can take the punch and you aren't worried about the enemies mortal wound output.

For my game he basically hit my entire line with his whole army but with a mixture of skink screens and the bastis 1+ save i was able to absorb the attack by only losing my 20 skinks and some handlers. Over the next 2 turns i proceeded to basically nuke his whole board with a combination of mortal wounds and basti shooting, and on turn three i just ran out and sat on the two objectives for the rest of the game, winning. Once he munched through the skinks, I was actually really impressed how resilient everything else was. Kroak sat in combat for 2 full rounds against a rogue idol and managed to live on 3 wounds

Winning priority at any point would have been huge, but i lost it every turn. The damage potential on the double turn is crazy.

It started as a Thunderquake list but i ditched the engine and the battalion cost for just some more bodies and the extra slann. It doesnt really help the drops that much, I felt pretty good on command points, and while an extra artefact would have been pretty nice i didn't miss it. I ended up really liking the range on the bastis, so much harder to screen out a 24'' gun than the sallies 12'' one. I was pretty down on them when the book dropped and really came around by the time the game was over.

Dunno how competitive it is, but it was certainly fun. Was debating losing the sallies or a basti for more bodies, but not totally sure.

 

[LizardWizard]

I like the list. lots of reach and damage! If you drop one unit for more bodies I would lose a Bastiladon over Salamanders.

Congratulations on the victory.

 

[Putzfrau]

I like the list. lots of reach and damage! If you drop one unit for more bodies I would lose a Bastiladon over Salamanders.

Congratulations on the victory.

Thanks! Yeah, the bastis were really swingy which I wasn't a huge fan of. Now that i've gotten a few of these online systems to work out i'm going to try to crank through some more games and see what works and what doesnt.

I still haven't quite got a list i'm totally happy with, especially including Saurus :/

 

[Grotpunter]

Looks and sounds like a cool list - I would be worried about your number of bodies against horde armies. Most competitive Bonesplitterz lists got like 160-180 wounds. I think you will have trouble dealing enough damage and removing models off objectives, and at the same time you wont really have the body count to duke it out and contest objectives.

 

[Lambs and Lions]

What is the second Slann doing? Slanns are so powerful but with Kroak already casting comet's call, what is the Slann doing that a skink starseer or starpriest can't do?

 

[LizardWizard]

What is the second Slann doing? Slanns are so powerful but with Kroak already casting comet's call, what is the Slann doing that a skink starseer or starpriest can't do?

They cast Celestial Equilibrium, to buff Kroak and other wizards with +1 Casting (can get Kroak to +4). They also add more unbinds. Lastly. Realm Spells, Endless Spells, and Arcanebolt/Mystic Shield.

 

[Putzfrau]

Looks and sounds like a cool list - I would be worried about your number of bodies against horde armies. Most competitive Bonesplitterz lists got like 160-180 wounds. I think you will have trouble dealing enough damage and removing models off objectives, and at the same time you wont really have the body count to duke it out and contest objectives.

Agreed, it definitely suffers for bodies. You'll have to be pretty smart with how you move block with endless spells to slow how quickly they can clog up the board, but you're right. Its a definite problem with the list. Dropping the slann or second basti is probably a good place to chopping.

What is the second Slann doing? Slanns are so powerful but with Kroak already casting comet's call, what is the Slann doing that a skink starseer or starpriest can't do?

Everything @LizardWizard said, the double endless spells on the opening turns is huge. Could have just gone with the skink starpriest, but wanted to try to see how dominating of a magic phase you can squeeze out of the army.

 

[Grotpunter]

What is the second Slann doing? Slanns are so powerful but with Kroak already casting comet's call, what is the Slann doing that a skink starseer or starpriest can't do?

I'll just echo somewhat what the others above me said.

As much as I love the Starseer and Starpriest (the staff is insane), their casting isnt that good. They both have a pretty good warscroll spell (Starseer significantly better imo), ontop of this they have a lore spell each which isnt too bad. Then you have bound endless spells. The issue here is that each of them got a potential of 3 spells they can pick between, but can only cast 1 spell each, so what are you gonna give up? Im really sad the Starseer isnt a 2 cast wizard, would make him a lot more valuable in my eyes.

The Slann can cast his lore spell, warscroll spell and an Endless Spell. He also generates more CPs. Kroak is already busy with 3x Celestial Deliverance, lore spell and an endless spell, so the Slann is perfect for a Comet's Call. You might substitute 1 Celestial Deliverance for a Comet's Call on Kroak depending on range and what you want to damage though. And this is before talking Starborne and generating CCPs.

Dont get me wrong, Im not saying the Starseer or Starpriest is bad (they are generally really, really good), but from a spell slinging point of view, they are bad imo.

 

[Putzfrau]

I'll just echo somewhat what the others above me said.

As much as I love the Starseer and Starpriest (the staff is insane), their casting isnt that good. They both have a pretty good warscroll spell (Starseer significantly better imo), ontop of this they have a lore spell each which isnt too bad. Then you have bound endless spells. The issue here is that each of them got a potential of 3 spells they can pick between, but can only cast 1 spell each, so what are you gonna give up? Im really sad the Starseer isnt a 2 cast wizard, would make him a lot more valuable in my eyes.

The Slann can cast his lore spell, warscroll spell and an Endless Spell. He also generates more CPs. Kroak is already busy with 3x Celestial Deliverance, lore spell and an endless spell, so the Slann is perfect for a Comet's Call. You might substitute 1 Celestial Deliverance for a Comet's Call on Kroak depending on range and what you want to damage though. And this is before talking Starborne and generating CCPs.

Dont get me wrong, Im not saying the Starseer or Starpriest is bad (they are generally really, really good), but from a spell slinging point of view, they are bad imo.

This mirrors a lot of my own thoughts. Also, being ~5 wounds with no save and not being able to bounce wounds to guard is asking to get picked up by just about anything that looks at them.

 

[Putzfrau]

I tweaked the list a little, dropped the 10 guard to 5 and added another unit of 10 skinks and the palisade.

I've played this list quite a few times and it performs well enough. I'm still messing around with it, but for now it feels competitive enough. The second slann for the additional +1 to dispell actually helped a ton in the mirror.

I think the list is still a little light on bodies. I might dump the second slann for more salamanders/skinks but who knows. I still haven't quite figured out the best way to use the endless spells, i think i have to get more of them out early and not worry so much about immediately getting kroak up on a balewind to start nuking stuff.

Also, i was surprised how useful the bastiladons are, even against another coalesced list. Reducing them to damage 1 is BRUTAL, but they still did work. I've been really happy with them in every game, the range is such a huge advantage.