8th Ed. Lizardmen 2500; Can't decide on last 200 pts

[Vilicate]

So I have 209 points left to spend; I'd like to add some hitting power. I'm thinking of just adding a couple cheap scar vets to help out my saurus blocks, but I think I'd like something that hits a bit harder than that. Here's my list:

Lords:
Slann w/ Becalming, Mystery, Ruination, BSB, Warbanner and Cupped Hands
-470 pts

Core:
2 x 30 Saurus w/ Spears and Full Command
-390 ea (780 total)

3 x 10 Skink Skirmishers w/ Blowpipes
-70 ea (210 total)

Special:
26 Temple Guard w/ FC and Totem of Prophecy
-501 pts

2 x 3 Terradons
-90 ea (180 total)

Rare:
2 x 1 Salamander
-75 pts ea (150 pts total)

I like the points breakdown on the saurus, and I think my initial list that I'll be playing (this one is one that I'm working towards building) will drop one unit of saurus to take a Warspear Chief and Gor-Rok for the other unit.

So, is two scar vets good enough or is there something better I'm not seeing?

 

[vapor]

That's a lot of temple guard with your Slann, 1100+ vp's worth should the worst happen and the unit get's wiped out (even failing stubborn 9 with a reroll is possible).

If you lose some TG you should be able to squeeze in an ancient steg or 3x2 unit of Krox, both are hard hitting, especially in a flank combo charge.

 

[Arli]

I think I would drop a unit of terradons and pick up a unit of chameleons. Also, the Kroxigors would be a very threatening force on the battlefield. You're opponent would have to choose between the Terradons, Chameleons, or Kroxigors to shoot at/magic. Anything that draws fire away from your slann/TG will be good. The threat that the chameleons/terradons cause should keep the krox safe as well.

 

[Ilnar3]

I'd swop the banners over, losse the bsb on the slaan since he will die if they break from combat,
How about 2 units of chameleons? Givesyou some first turn antiboltthrower.

 

[Taipan]

Lords:
Slann w/ Becalming, Mystery, Ruination, BSB, Warbanner and Cupped Hands
-470 pts

Warbanner is kinda meh, I'd take Banner of Eternal Flame cos it's cheap and hilarious (Panic tests on enemy cavalry/Wood creatures, ehehehe. And no Regen). I'd also only take two Disciplines. I personally feel Cupped Hands is pretty overpriced for what it does, seeing as Lore of Life (which seems to be the most popular magic these days) has a built-in miscast defense.

Core:
2 x 30 Saurus w/ Spears and Full Command
-390 ea (780 total)

Christ on a stick, why so damn huge? Saurus are good but they're not that good. I'd run them as 18-strong; it's big enough to be a threat and tie something up for a while, small enough to be sacrificed. Not to mention you can run more of them.
Spears work in the giant blobs you have, but in a smaller unit (and in general IMO), shield+hand weapon is superior. The reason being that a 6+ ward in combat for free is awesome, as is a 4+ armour save (because yes, you have to use the spear if you have one, and no, you can't use shield at the same time).
The Champion isn't worth it, Scar-Veteran does same job a million times better. So, break them up into 3-4 smaller units, drop the unit champions, and drop the spears.

3 x 10 Skink Skirmishers w/ Blowpipes
-70 ea (210 total)

Excellent choice. I'd take another squad if you can.

Special:
26 Temple Guard w/ FC and Totem of Prophecy
-501 pt

Again, you don't need this many in the unit. Temple Guard are only marginally better than Saurus, and much of that is to do with taking a Slann (which you have, so no problem). Cut it down to 16 (Slann takes up four places, you don't need more than a 20-strong block), take the Razor Standard on the Standard Bearer, once again no champion (I attach a Scar Vet or Old Blood to do the same thing). Razor Standard and the Slanns own Banner of Eternal Flame make the unit extremely deadly.

2 x 3 Terradons
-90 ea (180 total)

They're still pretty good, if a bit one-shot (ie they drop rocks on someones artillery, then get shot to pieces). Have you considered Chameleon Skinks? They die pretty quickly too, but they can snipe a warmachine crew quickly before getting ripped apart. Terradons have to run the gauntlet of enemy lines before they can get at those annoying cannons or bolt throwers.

Rare:
2 x 1 Salamander
-75 pts ea (150 pts total)

Roll them into one unit, get another unit of 2. You can never have enough Salamanders, they are just too useful (burninating those big infantry blocks everyone will favour, and making heavy infantry weep into their beer when you mention -3 to armour saves). By bunching them up into packs, you make them potentially able to squash light infantry that assault them (the Skinks will still die, but meh), and they require more effort to gun down.

 

[Ilnar3]

I agree with most of that, except the spears,
Spears are one handed weapons, so you can use the shield too,

 

[ninjakeso]

Special:
26 Temple Guard w/ FC and Totem of Prophecy
-501 pts

If you really wan't them to cause fear or something similar, give em "the Wailing banner" from the BRB which gives em terror for the same points cost as "Totem of prophecy" or give the TG champion the "Terryfying mask of EEE!!" which makes him cause terror.

 

[Vilicate]

Oh shoot, I'm sorry. They should have the Plaque of Dominion (the one that makes wizards stupid in LOS).

I've been doing some thinking regarding the subject, I'm thinking I'm going to drop it anyway for the Razor Banner (funny that I'd gladly pay 45 pts for what I've always considered a "decent" 25 pt magic item for my Dark Elves).

Okay, to answer some posts:

@vapor

Yes, I realize that's a lot of Temple Guard. The issue is that I only have one caster to potentially bring them back; and therefore only one attempt per magic phase to raise models back to my unit. PLus, it seems to be that stuff just dies so fast in this edition - If all goes according to plan, I'd like to NOT have to raise into my unit to heal it. Plus, even if I drop the Temple Guard down in points, I can't envision too many games where I would not have lost anyway. It's pretty hard to walk in and assassinate a unit like that.

I think the stegadon is a good choice, I don't know if you should even field korx without skinks. 6 of them is still a unit that I'd like to try. I think they'd be a good choice with the Lore of Light on the slann so they hit on three's.

@Arli
I've been thinking about doing that exact thing. One unit of terradons is pretty solid, two units might be overkill. I keep forgetting having one of everything is one of the things that makes lizardmen good. I've been playing other armies recently; I have lots of redundancy with my Dark Elves and Skaven. It's good to get other people's opinions.

@Ilnar3
Not worried about them breaking - if they do than I'm losing already. Remember you only have to get 100 pts more than your opponent to win anyway.

@Taipan

I'm going to keep the warbanner. Static combat res is hard to get in this edition, and this unit should still have 3 ranks and 3 banners. That's 6 to offset the wounds I'm going to take. I am taking lore of life, but I'd like to try and pass of the miscast as a form of attacking enemy wizards.

My saurus blocks are huge because things die really, really, really fast in 8th ed. I'd like to not give up quite as many points from my units getting wiped. You have to destroy the entire unit to get full points for it now. This is counter to how I played in 7th, where I just took lots and lots of units.

Also, regarding my champions, they're incredibly useful. They're great for challenging powerful characters to make sure that my units last another round of combat, or keep an extra rank...they're awesome.

I've been re-thinking my core a bit, and I think this is what I'm going to change:

Drop one unit of 30 saurus for one unit of 24/3 Skrox, and using the extra points to buy myself an ancient stegadon.

Thanks for the comments guys!