Played two games against KO today. He's a fairly new player, but so am I with the new battletome.
I played thunderlizard thunderquake, kroak, priest, starpries, 40-10-10 skinks, EotG, 2x Bastiladon, 3x Salamanders, he brought Ironclad, chemist, 3x boats, 6-3-3 endrinriggers and 15 thunderers. First game he tried a head-on all-out attack, killer 20 skinks and some handlers with the whole army's shooting and got severily punished, being left with only Ironclad, thunderers on board and a lone chemist on the other side of the board. Then I've got a double turn and he had conceded.
He was more cautious in the second game and left more stuff on points, while trying to remove me from objectives. But I've concentrated on the largest group (Ironclad+thunderers+6 riggers+hauler), while sending a bastiladon to remove small stuff from enemie's objectives. By turn 3 I removed the main group and burned one of his objectives (it was scorched earth) focing another concede.
I think, defensive strategy would benifit him better and he should go for my heroes. But I myself didn't expect such durability and output from skinks and bastiladons.
Conclusions:
1) Coalesced still feels worse in competitive sense because of lack of mobility. If you cannot gring through enemy ranks by turn 3, you may lose just because of objectives;
2) -1 damage compensated by low leadership. And if you want to ignore leadership, you have to sacrifice CP or casts. This kind of forces one big infantry unit, which you can calm with Celestial Harmony, couple of small units to grab objectives and then monsters all the way;
3) Aetherquartz brooch is a must. I can't imagine more important artifact right now for skink-heavy armies and especially thunder lizard. You'll never have enough CP;
4) Master of Star Rituals on non-caster is a very good options, because it is virtually 5 free CP. I think, strategically it is our best warlord trait, if you are going skink-heavyж
5) Kroak is ultra-tanky. Don't expect to much from him, but no stary unit will take him out without in single phase;
6) Burning head is good, but it is so hard to get it into the needed position and not hurt anyone. I think, it is better to chose a 1-2 units for it to escort. If other units will be in the aura too - good;
7) Basties a good too, but I have a feeling, that they are not worth the investment. They dealt decent damage with doubleshooting, +1 to-hit and rerolling 1's. But still, they are pretty tanky. My opponent decided just ignore them, because had no hope to hurt them;
8) EotG may deal decent damage to proper targets with some buffs. Skink chief should be even better;
9) Skinks are evil.