AoS First Tournament List - TL 2k

[Tombomb7]

Hi all! Hope everyone is well

I'm an inexperienced player with only a handful of games (8?) played and a few of those in AOS 3.0. There's a tournament coming up early next month that I'd like to attend and could really use your help to decide on the list I should run. I've spent a lot of time studying everyone's comments about our faction on this forum, studied the recent tournament results and watched competitive matches on the TSNetwork. Three lists have been designed but of course I can only have one, any list preferences, tweaks or thoughts anyone would have to share on these lists would be much appreciated!

List 1
Allegiance: Seraphon - Constellation: Thunder Lizard - Grand Strategy: Beast Master - Triumphs: Inspired
Slann Starmaster (265)* - General - Command Trait: Arcane Might - Spell: Stellar Tempest
Skink Starpriest (130)* - Spell: Hand of Glory
Engine of the Gods (265)* - Artefact: Fusil of Conflaguration
- Mount Trait: Beastmaster - Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Celestant-Prime (325) - Allies
5 x Saurus Guard (115)*
10 x Skinks (75)* - Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
30 x Skinks (225)* - Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers - Reinforced x 2
2 x Salamander Hunting Pack (240)* - Reinforced x 1
1 x Salamander Hunting Pack (120)*
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (235)*
*Battle Regiment
Total: 1995 / 2000 | Reinforced Units: 3 / 4 | Allies: 325 / 400 | Wounds: 109 | Drops: 2

List 2
Allegiance: Seraphon - Constellation: Thunder Lizard - Grand Strategy: Beast Master - Triumphs: Inspired
Slann Starmaster (265) - General
- Command Trait: Arcane Might - Spell: Stellar Tempest
Skink Starpriest (130) - Spell: Hand of Glory
Engine of the Gods (265) - Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Stegadon with Skink Chief (305) - Artefact: Fusil - Weapon: Bow - Mount Trait: Beastmaster
5 x Saurus Guard (115)
10 x Skinks (75) - Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (75) - Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
2 x Salamander Hunting Pack (240) - Reinforced x 1
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (235)
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (235)
Emerald Lifeswarm (60)
*Battle Regiment
**Battle Regiment
Total: 2000 / 2000 | Reinforced Units: 1 / 4 | Allies: 0 / 400 | Wounds: 95 | Drops: 2

List 3
Allegiance: Seraphon - Constellation: Thunder Lizard - Grand Strategy: Beast Master - Triumphs: Inspired
Slann Starmaster (265)*** - General - Command Trait: Arcane Might - Spell: Stellar Tempest
Engine of the Gods (265)** - Artefact: Fusil - Mount Trait: Beastmaster - Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Skink Starpriest (130)* - Spell: Hand of Glory
Skink Priest (80)* - Universal Prayer Scripture: Curse
Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur (215)* - War Spear - Artefact: Amulet of Destiny - Mount Trait: Beastmaster
5 x Saurus Guard (115)***
10 x Skinks (75)* - Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (75)* - Boltspitters Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers
2 x Salamander Hunting Pack (240)*** - Reinforced x 1
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (235)**
Bastiladon with Solar Engine (235)**
Emerald Lifeswarm (60)
*Warlord
**Linebreaker
***Vanguard
Artefact
Total: 1990 / 2000 | Reinforced Units: 1 / 4 | Allies: 0 / 400 | Wounds: 101 | Drops: 11


Additional thoughts:
- Now that we gain a 6+ ward and +1 to cast from terrain on our side of the field, do I really need to include an Astrolith Bearer?
- Do I really need to include Saurus Guard? I am afraid of losing my Slann too quickly and would like to keep this wound redundancy in place. I see some people use the Ixthi Grubs to compensate for the lack of Guards
- Should I try harder to become a 1 drop list or forget that and take as many battalions as possible?
- I really did want to try Kroak but thought it best to keep things simple given my lack of experience

- List 1:
-- Am I getting too complex by including a Celestant Prime?
-- Should I remove the EOTG and x10 skinks and replace with a Skink Priest and Stegadon?

Unit availability
- I can include up to 4 Salamanders if necessary, I don't have more than 4
- I have x3 Stegadon's that I can use as Steg's EOTG or Chief
- I have pretty much any other model (e.g. starseer, 12 terradons, 6 Kroxigor, except Dread Suarian )

 

[Putzfrau]

6 up ward and +1 to prayers not cast. You don't need guard necessarily in thunder lizard but with shootcast being so popular you just have to be okay with losing your slann on some matchups. ASTRO isn't needed but priest is.

I like 1 or 2 probably but they both need a priest badly. First list not sure what you cut. Probably a salamander. Second I'd just swap the starpriest to a priest, you have nothing good to put the venom on anyways.

 

[Tav]

i agree, i would go for the first list and swap out the solo salamander for a priest.
The engine of the gods with curse, along with the starpriest venom, can make that 30 block of skinks outrageously effective. i would take them with bolt spitter and club though as with the limit to a +1 to save, the shields aren't all that effective whereas the far better combat profile helps a lot with their output.
i also think the guards points would be better served as chameleon skinks if you have them as they are very useful in coalesced, also between them and the prime it gives access to the savage spearhead tactic rather easily