8th Ed. First Army, and need help on the list

[Kroxy]

Hey Lustria!

This is my first army list and i don't know if its good or not, so i need some help on this here list. So the list is as follows:

2x salamanders

1x Bastiladon (Thinking this should be a solar engine)

30x Saurus Warriors (W/ Spears,BSB,Musician and Spawn Leader)

20x Temple Guard (W/ Musician, Revered Guardian(W/ Magic Weapon, just don't know which yet))

1x Kroak/Slann (W/ BSB (The Jaguar Standard), 100 points worth of magic items,150 points of Disciplines of the Old Ones, don't know what to give him though )

24x Skink cohort

3x Kroxigors (In the skink cohort)

3x Terradon Riders (W/ Fireleech Bolas)

(Kroak/Slann)
Total = 2098/1998

This is my list so far, but is it any good? and what flaws does it have? and what should i change/not change? and why?

 

[Dunya]

Hi,

You've deifinitely got some good stuff in there. The most popular combination of Magic Items and disciplines for the Slann would be Harmonic Convergence, Becalming Cogitation and the Channeling Staff. Though you could easily add to that. The Solar Engine is the way to go with your Bastiladon, I wouldn't recommend a Magic Weapon for the Temple Guard champion though, he's just too flimsy.

I guess the trick to a good list is having an idea of what you want your army to do on the battlefield. The individual units you have look fine, but you might be lacking a cohesive strategy for the army as a whole.

I guess you could try asking yourself a series of questions, like:
How do I make my WS3, I1 guys actually hit my opponent before they die?
How do I make sure I don't miscast and kill half my Temple Guard?
What is my plan against very mobile armies?
How can I exploit a lack of mobility in my opponents army?
How do I deal with high Armour?
How do I deal with high Toughness and Wounds?

Apart from that simply try out your list, and see how you like it, personally I'd recommend a healthy amount of Skirmishing Skinks and the Lore of Light for your Slann.

 

[Kroxy]

First off, thanks for the input! But I was thinking that my strategy, was simply to go in and kill my opponent.... BUT! I have been thinking, and my strategy is still to just kill off my opponent, as effectively as possible. So I'm running some scenarios to see what i could do and how the army might work, but as stated in the title this is my first army, so there's room for improvement. However I'm starting out with some friends/family, and first off we are just gonna get a handle on the rules themselves, and then build on as we go along, so again, lots of room for improvement. But if you have some suggestions for a better strategy, or game plan, I'm all ears.

I adjusted the list, and it now looks like this:

2x salamanders

1x Bastiladon

30x Saurus Warriors (W/ S,M,BSB,L)

20x Temple Guard (W/ L,M)

1x Kroak/Slann (W/ BSB (The Jaguar Standard), Harmonic Convergence, Becalming Cogitation, Channeling Staff, Lore of Light)

24x Skinks

3x Kroxigors (In Skink Cohort)

3x Terradon Riders (W/Fireleech Bolas)

Total = 1897/1797

But then what would be a smart way of using the last bit of points? To kit out the Slann some more? Or maybe some more units, like a Troglodon or a Stegadon?

 

[Dunya]

I'm assuming you are shooting for a 2000 point list?

I feel that the Stegadon is a pretty central unit for the Lizardmen, so if you are considering adding models to your collection that certainly wouldn't be a bad choice. The 2nd thing I find pretty essential to the army is some amount of Skirmishing Skinks. Since you have your Core selection locked down nicely I would go for some Chameleons to flesh out the army.

Other than that it looks great.

 

[Kroxy]

Yop, 2000 is my mark.

If i then go for the Chameleons, would it then be a good choice to have them being led be oxyotl? or just 2 units of Chameleons?

 

[Dunya]

No, I'd keep it simple and go with 2 units as you say.

As for an overall gameplan as you requested, I don't have anything super specific. The thing with the Lizardmen is that the army really excels as a balanced force. Though for this to be true you really need those Chameleons/Skirmishers to compliment the main battleline.

What do I mean by balanced? You've got cheap access to flexible elements with Skirmishers and Terradons. Ranged output with Salamanders, Giant Blowpipes, regular Skink shots and spells. Combat power with various Monsters, Scar-Veterans and Saurus if you manage to get the right magical Support.

 

[Kroxy]

Cool, 2 units it is.

I think i get it now, so there should always be a good split between ranged and close combat, and then with the right magical support it should be good.

Thanks a billion for all the help dude, i really appreciate it!

 

[Kroxy]

I have been crunching the numbers, and what is better, 3 units of Chameleons without any upgrades, or 2 units with the stalker upgrade?

 

[Dunya]

No problemo, happy to help.

Generally Command models like Champions and Standard Bearers are mostly only worth taking in your main combat blocks. Musicians can be nice for small units as it helps them rally easier.

For Chameleons just run them without any upgrades. I like units of 6 in little 3x2 formations, but thats a personal preference.

 

[Kroxy]

Ok, so no upgrades, and 3x2 formation, got ya , I'll try and see how it goes

 

[airjamy]

I honestly think Fireleech Bolas are a waste of points, you get flaming attacks (which you can get a lot easier in other places) and S4 for what is it, 1 point per model? The poison S3 is often just as good, and its range is longer, even though it does not really play that big a role with flyers. Why take them over the old and true Javelins?

Edit: Looked up the price, and it is not as high as i though. Still, you are going to be moving and firing, and you will often be in long range, so hitting on 6's anyway, why not take the instant wound instead of an S4 hit?

 

[Kroxy]

Well to be honest i just like the way the model looks with the fireleeches Also i haven't tested them yet, so i don't really know how effective they are, but i'm still building the army, so i'll take it into consideration and see what works out best for me.

 

[ZeTe]

army building is one of the hardest and also most enjoyable part of the game for me , i feel your improved list is nice (for a first time army) , you can't go wrong with a stegadon or two (these things scare opponents in multiples).

I seen you mentioned a troglodon , for a troglodon to work effectively you need to build your army around having one in it (most people will tell you to not even bother with them, but in my opinion it is one of my favourite units to field) as your opponent more than likely knows most people think they are useless but these people imo just don't know how to field them effectively or have listened to other peoples opinions and not even bothered to learn how to play with one. so i would say avoid this model until you are more comfortable in your own army building skills first before trying to build an army around one.

i would deffo throw in some chams/skirms as they are cheap, have range and can be used as a moving meat shield for your beefer slow moving units.

as for magic the general consensus usually suggests life/light (as most people throw in a skink priest for heavens/beasts) but this also depends on the army you are fighting against as well. High magic is a great choice as well imho has some nice spells and also gives you the ability to drop unwanted spells after a successful cast (this can be absolutely devastating if lady luck is with on the dice rolls when you are selecting your new spells)

ever thought of getting a squad of rippers (if you can keep these guys up they can wreak face)