LIZARDMEN IN GENERAL

I consider Lizardmen to be the opposite of elven armies in many respects,

borrowing elements of both dwarven and undead armies. Lizardmen have low WS,

BS and initiative, extremely powerful characters and cheap troops, much like

undead. They also have warriors with high strength and toughness, as such,

they are resistant, disciplined and as strong as dwarves. Although not

unbreakable, they will almost always stand their ground. Troop variety,

however, is one of their weak spots. They tend to be very predictable, as in a

3000 point army I usually include almost all of the regiment types. Lizardmen

characters are especially nasty because magic users will be able to carry more

magic items than their counterparts.

UNITS

Saurus and Temple Guards

Saurus usually make up my central unit (12 - 16 models) and are always armed

with spears (Saurus phalanx). Since they are likely to strike last in h2h I

want to fight back with as many models that I can. WS of 3 is not excellent

but gives them a 50% chance to score one hit against opponents of WS up to 6.

Add to this to the fact that, unlike many of the basic troops, they have 2

attacks, and you will learn that every first line Saurus has 75% probability

of scoring at least one S 4 hit even against elite troops such as HE Sword

Masters. Leadership of 8 makes them above average troops at standing ground,

and their "cold blood" is a long step towards being unbreakable. Their skin

gives them a 5+ armor save that can be increased even further with a shield

and even light armor for temple guards. But that's not all; your armor save

can't become worse than 6+, so Saurus will always enjoy a chance to escape

death from wounds that won't negate armor save. I think this is particularly

nasty. Temple guards are boosted Saurus but I usually spare them for bigger

games. They will usually substitute my central Saurus unit. The biggest

difference is that they can carry magic standards, which is a rare sight for

Lizardmen. I recommend giving them one if you field them.

Skinks

Skinks should be swarming everywhere! Skinks are especially good at tying up

characters and make excellent skirmishing screens, enjoying better movement

and benefits against enemy fire. WS and BS are low, but numbers will make up

for that. Moreover you can't expect more than this for just 4.5 points, think

of all the special rules. Despite their leadership of 6, their cold blood will

help a lot. They enjoy an unmodifiable 6+ armor save too. They carry poisoned

shooting weapons which increases their S to 4; even with their mediocre BS

they have a good chance of getting rid of some of your opponents when you

defend your positions. Needless to say, not many troops carry this kind of

firepower at such low cost. Moreover, Skinks suffer no penalty for moving

inside water. They can even cross impassable terrain such as lakes. Even

though I never tried this myself, you may have a unit of shooters well

defended inside a lake (nuclear submarines come to mind!). Field SEVERAL SMALL

(5 models, minimum size) skirmishing screens equipped with poisoned weapons to

absorb charges (especially from chariots and heavy cavalry) and cause some

wounds. I found that having two or three such low cost screens greatly helps.

Kroxigors

But best of all, Skinks can be used together with Kroxigors. Kroxigors deliver

needed punch (oh, what a punch! I consider them to be even better than

Minotaurs) and increase leadership. Skinks will grant you rank bonus and

standard. Many argue that killing Skinks is an easy task and thus you will

lose your rank bonus soon. I would remind you that Skinks, although fragile,

always enjoy 6+ unmodifiable armor save, and that kroxigor are an inviting

target, so your opponents may waste part of his precious attacks. One unit of

2 kroxigors and 16 Skinks including standards grants full +3 rank bonus,

standard bonus, 6 S 7 attacks and 6 S 3, movement of 6 means that they will

get to charge most foot troops and go first. And best of all, they cause FEAR!

Fear causing units sometimes earn you points without even suffering a wound.

One such unit costs less than 200 points and won't therefore earn your

opponent more than 1 victory point. I would always field 2 such units and a

Skink screen. Cold blood and unmodifiable 6+ armor save apply to kroxigors

too. Lizardmen will surely fight to the death! On the other hand, 3 or more

kroxigors alone will have too large a front and some may not fight, a real

waste. Having mixed units allows you to field just less then 6 six kroxigors

in different units.

Salamanders

Salamanders are too often underrated. Although I only bring them in 3000+

points battles, they can be effective. Conventionally, I take their spit

template covers 4 footmen or 2 knights. Taking 2 Salamanders on the

battlefield means you will have a 55% chance to score at least one hit every

turn at long distance and 75% at normal distance. Remember their spit allows

no save. They are well worth their points especially against chaos because of

their ability to take out several of their costly models from a distance. Of

course a RBT will do a better job, but this is all lizards can get. Remember

that Salamanders CAN fight h2h, and won't stop shooting if the Skinks are

killed (I dare say VP should be given only if the Salamander itself is killed;

on the other hand, if the Salamanders is killed but Skinks are still there VP

should be assigned. Anyway straighten this out with your friends, it does not

really matter). Salamanders will become affected by stupidity but they still

benefit from cold blood. They are not normal war machines, remember, and

therefore be ready to make some adjustment to their special status. They won't

suffer from Tempest. They can move (M6) and fight. You may even consider

charging with them. Remember they do not suffer from penalties from moving

inside water and that they will be considered hiding behind light protection.

Stegadons

Stegadons are living chariots. Apart from Temple Guards they are the only

other unit that can carry magic standards; therefore I encourage using them.

Excellent choices are banner of might, which will make up for the poor WS of

Skinks and Stegadon. It is a pity to waste 5 S 7 attacks. The war banner will

boost combat resolution. Banner of courage will counteract the Leadership of

6. Jaguar standard will allow them to charge from a long distance. After

taking one of the above banners, you should add Skink crew. This is very

important because if you lose all skinks the stegadon is virtually useless. I

never used giant bows although they may have some use within a defensive

strategy, while your Stegadon waits for charging the enemy on the flank. If

you are playing offensively, forget it. Your Stegadon must rush the enemy.

Stegadons are fear causing. Use them to charge low leadership units or units

that are close to the table's edge. I always put them on the sides of my army

for flanking purposes. Be aware that template attacks such has dragon breath

will be detrimental to stegadons as they have an excellent chance to eliminate

the whole skink crew.

Cold Ones

A high leadership character for obvious reasons should always lead cold ones,

namely champion with the Crown of Command. Of course they are a very cheap

knights unit, but I would not risk taking too large a unit of them. I'd go for

the minimum (5 models) unit and use it for flanking purposes. Since they are

not really heavy cavalry (3+ armor save) and can't take lances, I would not

think of them as shock troops. Again, since they are fear causing they may be

OK against low leadership units or weak h2h units. I never used them even

because right now models haven't been released yet. I doubt I would bring them

in the small games I usually play. I hate to say this, but probably this is

the unit I will be least likely to field.

Terradons

Terradons are good flying units that can serve several purposes. Each model

grants 3 S 4 attacks (always take spears and possibly shields) and the stone

attack. Obvious employment for Terradons is taking out war machines (but

remember that as a high magic user you can use Tempest for that). I also use

them to route small units. Bringing 4 Terradon models allows you to cause 4

automatic S 6 hit for just one victory point. 4 automatic hits and 12 attacks

give you a fairly good chance of breaking small units because of losses. Don't

forget there are 2 Skinks on each Terradons, making them harder to kill. It is

usually not advisable to use Terradons for attacking flying monsters, but

occasionally a large enough pack of Terradons may take out a small one.

One last word on units

Lizardmen give you the chance to field reasonably large units that won't gain

your opponent more than 1 VP each. A battery of Salamanders costs 180 points.

4 Terradons with spears, shields and poisoned arrows cost 184 points. 2

Kroxigors and 16 Skinks cost 166.5 points. Only notable exceptions to this are

Stegadons and large Saurus units. I believe Lizardmen are extremely cost

effective as many of their most flexible troops don't give up more than one

victory point.

RACE SPECIFIC MAGIC ITEMS

Before going on to the characters' section I believe we should take a closer

look at Lizardmen magic equipment and its possible effects.

Blade of Cocacila

The best anti-magic item one could buy, I prefer to give it to my general.

Slann Mages have impressive stat lines: this means that they can kill almost

every other character in the game in a bare hand fight. The only notable

exceptions to this are greater daemons. The blade won't help against chaos

rewards and greater daemons have vastly superior stat lines. Monsters won't be

affected. Beware! Combine it with Talisman of Ravensdark for extreme

protection.

Rating: 8/10

Dagger of Sotek

Well, this item is very specific and it will be worth its points only against

Skaven. If you are facing Skaven, you may want to give it to a Skink champion.

Your Skinks will enjoy a good chance of routing a pack of Skaven if they are

in skirmishing formation.

Rating: 2/10

Bird of Chotec

I never used this one nor I have ever heard of someone using it. It has a

chance of killing characters outright, which could be good, but I'd rather not

rely on it. You could use it to get rid of that pack of harpies or great

eagles or warhawk riders. May come handy in truly big games.

Rating: 5/10

Cloak of Feathers

Excellent against frenzied units! Imagine a bunch of witches elves wasted in

the vain attempt of chasing a single Skink hero, possibly armed with Blade of

Ensorcelled Iron so that he enjoys an excellent chance of killing some of

them!

Saurus heroes will be even more effective but much more costly. Saurus heroes

with Blade of Darting Steel or Hydra Sword and this cloak enjoy a very good

chance of taking out even army generals. The points cost will be high, but the

result may be worth it!

Rating: 6/10

Bane Head

Hmmm useful against an army that has several characters. Remember that a Slann

mage priest can only carry it. Don't give it to your general!

Rating: 5/10

Plaque of Dominion

This is easily the most dreaded Lizardmen item. What can I say? You can win

without it. I took it in my initial battles (and sometimes forgot to use it),

but it absolutely isn't a "must take" item. It is a bound spell, therefore

smart opponents will remember it can be dispelled and will try to do so before

they charge, when it really makes the difference. It can be useful but it is

not the key to victory.

Rating: 6/10

Amulet of Xapati

This item is a real bargain! Give it to your general, which will be one of the

most obvious targets for spells, but don't risk using it against curse of the

years or other spells that may kill him outright. I prefer to use dispel magic

scrolls against such spells. Else, take the risk! It will also end magic

phase.

Rating: 8/10

Jaguar Standard

Jaguar Standard can help you in several ways: rush towards the enemy when

playing offensively, or having your Stegadon suddenly charge your enemy that

is about to engage. Some say it can be a good battle standard. Have your

general to join any unit (Such as Temple Guards? Especially if they carry

banner of might or banner of defiance) and then charge unexpectedly your

opponent's core unit.

Rating: 6/10

CHARACTERS

Slann Mage Priests. 1st Level

1st level Slann Mages should be used in 2000-point game and above to back up

your general. His stat line isn't good enough in my opinion to justify his use

as your army general. He should be equipped with book of Ashur to increase his

magic skills by 1 level, so that he gains one more spell. This is particularly

important because of slann telepathy: you will have the chance to cast your

most useful spells with your highest level mage (i.e. your general) which will

be equipped with several items to boost his casting. So, I usually give most

useful/costly spells to the general, while his slann attendant takes the most

economic ones. Those spells will be used to make your opponent waste his

dispels, clearing the way for the really powerful ones. Moreover the back up

slann is useful as he could cast Apotheosis on your general if something goes

wrong! Fielding two Slanns has always a good psychological impact on your

opponent; Slanns are usually fearsome characters. They may confuse your

opponent, as he would probably have 2 primary targets on the battlefield to

attack. Equip a 1st level Slann with Blade of Ensorcelled Iron or with a

Dispel Magic Scroll to fill your 2nd magic slot. Scrolls always help

dominating the magic phase as your opponent wastes his WOM while you can save

them for the next turn.

2nd Level

These should be your generals for games below 2000 points. Their stat lines

become acceptable and he will be able to carry 3 magic items just as all

normal generals do. Always make your general your standard bearer. Give him

Banner of Sorcery to improve his casting. I have heard people say that you

should make your slann either fighters or mages. In my opinion it does not

take much to make a slann a real fighter therefore concentrate on magic. Since

slann already enjoy a 4+ special save, you have no need for wards in my

opinion. Mages aren't allowed armor, lest they loose their casting abilities,

so you don't take it. You wouldn't waste some of the best wizards around that

way, would you? The only thing you need to make your slann a good fighter is a

good magic weapon. My favorites are Blade of Darting Steel and Hydra or Dragon

sword. Slann Mages have a decent number of attacks and Strength 6. What you

really want to do is to hit with them! With such swords and their natural 4+

save, lots of wounds and decent T they already make good fighters.

What you really need now is to have his high magic spells hit their targets.

The Book of Ashur is the way to go to increase his magic level to 3rd. The

Potion of Knowledge is also a must in my opinion. With high discipline and

cold blood rule, stupidity isn't really a problem for Slann Mages. The above

mentioned Banner of Sorcery is another step towards successful casting. No

matter the level, my general will ALWAYS take Banner of Sorcery. With the

additional magic items slots Lizardmen are born to dominate the magic phase.

Don't waste this chance.

3rd and 4th Level

Ok, these are adept h2h fighters and should really take a magic weapon: they

must see h2h to be exploited to the fullest. Having 6 and 8 attacks each,

Blade of Darting Steel, Hydra or Dragon swords are a must. Blade of Cocacila

is an interesting alternative because it will force enemy characters to rely

only on their stats, which have to be really impressive to stand a chance

against a slann. You should always field an additional slann to back these

characters up with a more varied spell choice. Remember that apart from the

magic weapon all the remaining equipment should be aimed at granting you

magical superiority: Skull Staff, Potion of Knowledge, Chalice of Sorcery

leading the way. Don't take Book of Secrets as you really don't want to see

your wonderful stats line depleted. I usually don't use the Rod of Power: my

armies normally include enough wizards so that I don't need it. Indeed you

should remember that Slann Mages aren't your only magic users: you also have

Skink shamans.

Skink Shamans

I love `em. Skink shamans are the cheapest magic slots around. I usually use

them as interdiction characters. There are several interesting set-ups for

them. One is Black Gem of Gnar and Cloak of Mists and Shadows. Here you have

an extremely mobile, low cost character to lock opponent's strongest

characters.

Since Lizardmen can't access Pegasus and other such monster this is a good way

to deliver your black gem. Being the Cloak of Mists and Shadows wizard's

arcana the Skink shaman is your only choice. Otherwise you could use a Skink

champion on Terradon since a single model may form a Terradon unit. If you are

going to bring lots of Skink shamans (as I do) consider giving each a Dispel

Magic Scroll and objects such has Black Gem of Gnar, Heart of Woe or Van

Horstmann's Speculum (this is probably the best character you can give the

Speculum to: unlike heroes he has a S of 3, which means that if you challenge

a Bloodthirster he won't be able to wound you!). This means my Skinks are

disposable. After using their dispel scrolls they will be sent against enemy

characters to either block or wound them. Those Skinks are especially useful

to achieve magical superiority: they increase the number of Winds of Magic

cards you can keep after the magic phase has ended and will offer you the

opportunity of hampering your opponent's casting ability. Their battle magic

spells will have to be played carefully: there is a precise strategy in spell

casting. You will try to cast less useful spells first with both your Slann

and Skinks to have your opponent's use up his dispels. Then you will cast what

you really need. If you need to cast a Skink's spell you should cast it last;

because, being only level 1 your opponents will always have an advantage at

dispelling them. Some say that putting a Skink shaman in a Stegadon's howdah

is an excellent way to protect him and increase the unit's Leadership. I

consider it a bit risky because your opponent may issue a challenge, kill your

shaman and force your low leadership Stegadon to a possibly disastrous break

test. One of my favorite characters' lists for an army is 2 Slann Mages and 2

Skinks. Magical supremacy is almost assured and Slann Mages will do the

fighting.

Champions and Heroes

Well, what can I say? I'm a magic lover and I usually spend all my points in

magic users. Saurus Heroes have excellent stat lines and make truly lethal

fighters with armor of protection and a decent magic sword, really hard to

kill.

They may make an excellent choice to guide your core unit of Saurus

warriors/temple guards. Skink champions may come in handy to guide a unit of

cold one riders that have to test for stupidity, but he may nonetheless need

Crown of Command costing you nearly 100 points (champion + equipment + Cold

One + Crown of Command) boosting greatly the cost of the unit. Other widely

used setup is champion + Terradons + Black Gem. You may want to have a Skink

champion armed with Dagger of Sotek when facing Skaven. If I were to field any

hero anyway, I'd take Cloak of Feathers: this is probably the best item an

hero could hope for. The cloak makes your hero the best harasser unit in the

game probably. I may soon try to give up one of my beloved Skink shamans for a

Skink hero with the Cloak and Blade of Ensorcelled Iron. This setup would cost

a little less than my usual shaman setup and may prove equally effective.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS

I have always thought that custom characters are usually superior to special

characters because they are less predictable and will fit better within your

strategy. But if you like to play with special characters here is my opinion

about each of them.

Lord Kroak

This is an excellent h2h fighter, truly fearsome. Since he can't cast his

spells (but remember you can access them through telepathy), he has been

equipped with excellent h2h items. Magic weapons can't be used against him,

and opponents will hit him on 6 only. Add to this that his stat line is that

of a level 4 SMP and you have a real killer. Use him against greater daemons

and fear not. He even enjoys a 3+ save instead of the usual 4+ and costs less

than a real level 4 slann. Subtracting from lord kroak's cost his magic items

his cost will be 100 points cheaper than an usual level 4 slann and still

enjoy a better special save. Couple him with another level 4 slann in bigger

battles for spell casting and there you go. One last thing: even if one of his

magic items is a standard, he is NOT your BSB. Remember!

Rating: 8/10

Lotl-Botl

This guy would be an excellent choice for boosting your core Saurus unit at a

low cost. Even if he does not carry any magic objects he grants you 2 notable

effects: causes fear and grants +1 bonus to combat resolution. This is a real

bargain: normally a Saurus hero will cost 82 points and adding shield and

light armor that becomes 85. For additional 15 points you will get the

benefits of War Banner (25 points) and Shrieking Blade (35 points). A real

bargain if you are into heroes. And an excellent boost for your unit too. And

making your Saurus unit fear causing is another step towards a whole fear

causing army. Fear sometimes wins battles.

Rating: 7/10

Kroq

Kroq makes a good choice for fighting challenges as he is a real die-hard guy

and delivers quite a punch. You have a good chance of winning and inflicting

several wounds to your opponent. He will likely bite the head off of an

incautious elven general!

Rating: 7/10

Oxayotl

Oxayotl may be a good choice for taking out enemy war machines or at least for

distracting their crews from firing, because of his infiltration abilities.

I'd prefer not to have him engaged in h2h though. You may try to use him to

prevent units from marching, but you can't deploy him closer than 8' from the

enemy therefore this can be done only if you are to go first. Well, chameleon

Skinks would have made a really interesting addition to lizard armies as

ordinary rank and file troops. Oxayotl looks more like a nuisance than a real

threat.

Rating: 5/10

Inxi-Huinzi

If you want to field cold ones, field Inxi-Huinzi too! Having a Skink champ

with Crown of Command to get rid of stupidity tests would cost about the same

(and you would still be running some risks). Inxi-Huinzi's mount is a little

better than an ordinary cold one. Consider also that Inxi-Huinzi's stat line

is obviously better than that of a champion, being a hero. His darts are good,

remember to use them when charging! I believe they are best used against rank

and file to soften their lines. Even when guided by Inxi-Huinzi Cold Ones

should remain a flanking unit, not first line.

Rating: 7/10

Itzi-Bitzi

Itzi-Bitzi is just too good against low leadership units! You may have several

enemy units panic at once! Rolling 3d6 gives you a good chance of routing

troops, but I would not hope to win against a daemon army because of it. Worth

a try against die-hard but undisciplined beastmen, orcs and goblins, humans,

skaven.

Rating: 6/10

Tinihuini

Hmmm even though the 4+ save comes almost for free I don't like Tinihuini. He

may become worth fielding against Skaven, but only if you field serpent

swarms.

Generally I prefer all-around characters that can come in handy at all times.

Dagger of Sotek is wasted in the hands of a shaman because of his low WS, 1 W

and 1 A.

Rating: 2/10

Lord Mazdamundi

Mazdamundi is a widely debated character because of his spell choice. His stat

line is even better than that of an ordinary slann and has an increased chance

of avoiding wounds thanks to the Stegadon, making him a brutal h2h fighter.

His choice of items is nothing special: his magic weapon has little chance of

breaking anything and Mazdamundi will have to rely only on his fighting

abilities. Fortunately, riding a Stegadon he has a fairly decent chance of

charging the opponent, gaining impact hits too. He also causes fear, again a

good choice for breaking a low leadership army. Imagine having 2 Stegadons,

Mazdamundi, Itzi-bitzi, Lotl Botl and 2 Kroxigor-Skink units. Add a couple of

units at your discretion. This is a possible 2500-point army that can break

several units without even actually entering h2h. Speaking about magic, the

only truly deadly spell Mazdamundi has is Earth's Power Lines, excellent for

taking out Rank and File. Remember his spells have no range limit, so he can

target anything on the table. Mazdamundi definitely has to rely on telepathy

to gain some truly useful spells. When he gets new spells his casting

possibilities are rather good, being level 4 and having some passable cast-

aiding items. Anyway, I suggest you always bring a back up Slann when fielding

Mazdamundi. He is not a favorite choice for magic lovers like me, but he truly

is a powerful fighter.

Rating: 5/10

MONSTERS

Hmmm, other than lizards and serpent swarms there is little worth taking. If

only Slann Mages could be mounted on fliers! Well, swarms come for half the

price and are fairly resistant but have low movement and they won't cause much

damage. They won't break and will be good for slowing down your opponent.

THE BATTLEFIELD

Building your army

I usually start by creating my general and characters. I have discussed how to

equip them in the character sections; I will now give you an overview of some

of my favorite set-ups for different games.

1000 points: Level 2 Slann, BSB, Standard of Sorcery, book of Ashur, Plaque of

Dominion, Hydra sword. Be very careful choosing you h2h opponent as the stat

line is less than impressive. You should fare decently during magic phase

since you are level 3, which is good for a 1000-point game, and the extra WOM

will help.

2000 points: you may try fielding level 4 Slann equipped with a magic weapon

that will benefit from his many attacks such as Hydra Sword or Blade of

Darting Steel. Usual items for magic phase are Skull staff, Potion of

Knowledge and Plaque of Dominion. Potion of Strength increases your chances to

take out your opponents general in one turn. As usual make him your BSB with

the Banner of Sorcery. Add one Skink shaman equipped with Cloak of Mists and

Shadows and Black Gem of Gnar and use it to take out annoying models such has

your opponent's highest level wizard. You may also try to field a level 3

general together with a 1st level back up Slann equipped with Book of Ashur to

enjoy wider spell choice and to avoid putting too many points in one

character. Skull of Flaming death and the likes are good items for back up

Slanns You will likely face generals and heroes mounted on flying monsters,

not to mention greater daemons in such games: Talisman of Ravensdark is an

excellent choice to defend your general from that damn Bloodthirster.

3000 points: my favorite setup is level 4 general plus level 2 Slann with Book

of Ashur accompanied by two Skink shamans. Overall Slann setup won't be that

different from a 2000 points game: try to take some equipment for self defense

as your Slann Mages are worth just too many points: they must survive at all

costs. Skink shamans will carry Dispel Magic Scrolls and cheap, economic anti-

character magic items (even if Slanns can face almost everything, why risk?).

Troop choice for Lizardmen is sort of limited therefore my armies tend to

include almost all of the different regiment types. My armies are built in a

modular way. Usually I take a big block of Saurus (12-16) armed with spears, 2

units of 2 kroxigors and 16 Skinks each, and small screens of skirmishing

Skinks as the core of all my armies, from 1000-point games to at least 3500-

point games.

According to the size of the game I subsequently add Terradons (4 usually),

Stegadons (no more than 2 because of their high cost and low leadership).

Having one Stegadon to fail a leadership test is nasty, having two is

detrimental, having three will lose the game! I also might add Salamanders

(two is more than enough given their cost), temple guards and cold ones to my

core army. Equip your Skink screens with shortbows or javelins (be sure to

take poisoned weapons because, they are really worth it). I prefer taking bows

because of their longer range.

Terrain

If you are going to play defensively, place hills between you and your

opponent close to the middle of the table, so that you have a chance to cast

assault of stone while he approaches. If you are going to play offensively

place hills to your sides so that your opponent will think twice before

flanking your troops with cavalry units just as if he was closing a vise on

you. There is one notable exception. When playing against high elves be very

careful placing your hills as your opponent has a chance to pick assault of

stone instead of you. When playing against high elves, you are likely to be

playing an offense game: your opponent will wait for you while he shoots. I

suggest you place woods or buildings instead of hills, to protect your troops

from enemy fire and to stay away from the risk of having your troops crushed

by rocks (as if RBT weren't good enough at that). When playing a defense game,

rivers will help a lot: they will slow down your opponent and most of your

troops take no penalty in case you need to cross them.

Fielding your units

Lizardmen have the opportunity to field a rather large number of regiments. In

my gaming group the player with the most regiments will be the first to

deploy. I usually put my core Saurus unit first and then place my 2 usual

kroxigor/Skink units to its sides. Those 3 units will be my primary strike

force. Then place your skirmishing screens. Skirmishing screens are good

because they are harder to hit with ranged weapons and have high mobility.

Place your screen between your army core and the closest enemy shooting unit

or place it in front of the unit that is more likely to charge you (especially

chariots! I have lost a level 4 Slann once because I was not ready to face a

charge from a chariot on first turn. damn slaaneshi steeds, you are going to

see an increasing amount of those): this way you stand a chance of

countercharging it when the screen dies off. The screen can be good to absorb

elven arrows or to prevent chaos knights from charging your main block.

Loosing some Skinks is well worth the chance of charging chaos knights. One

last use for the screen is to tie up enemy characters for a couple of turns.

Then place your Terradons as close to enemy war machines or low leadership

units as possible. Stegadons should be placed near to large infantry units

which will be easier to charge and won't enjoy particularly good armor saves,

giving you a good chance of breaking them. Both Stegadons and Terradons are

usually put to the sides of my core units. Salamanders should be put on the

top of a hill, as close to the enemy lines as possible, to begin firing from

the first turn. Use them to attack enemy troops that enjoy the best armor

saves. Alternatively hide them in woods for protection from enemy fire. I

often hide my weaker characters there too. Slann Mages will be placed to the

sides of the Saurus unit, between Saurus and Kroxigor/Skink units. From your

left to right you would see 1st Kroxigor/Skink unit, 1st SMP, Saurus, 2nd SMP,

2nd Kroxigor/Skink unit. Skink shamans will be positioned differently

depending on how you have equipped them. When equipped with Heart of Woe or

Black Gem they should be protected from enemy fire since they have just 1

wound, hiding inside forests or behind hills or screens until they can reach

their target. If you equipped your shaman with Black Gem and Cloak of Mists

and Shadows (one of my favorite combos) don't worry and gem your target as

soon as possible.

Engaging the enemy

You should have noticed by now that my troops usually have specific

tasks/targets and secondary targets in case their primary mission can't be

accomplished. You must always be ready to improvise because more often than

not, your opponent will do something you did not expect (it may be an obvious

error or a clever intuition) but don't let it confuse you. Remember your

priorities: silencing war machines or enemy shooters, tying up nasty

characters or powerful units. Use Saurus warriors to engage your enemy and

have one or both kroxigor/Skink units to flank him with their high movement

rate. Or else use one of them to support your Stegadons in case they don't

break your opponent with their initial charge. Lizardmen don't have any

obviously weak unit but they don't have any over the top one either, therefore

regiments should back each other up whenever it's possible. Chaos (except for

beastmen, which can be fought well with fear causing units though) or

Bretonnian armies don't enjoy such flexibility because of the high cost of

their troops, exploit it to your advantage! Even when playing a defensive game

keep adjusting your troop's positions on the battlefield according to your

opponent's approach, don't just stand still and watch while half of his army

is being held by spells or screens, waiting for him to gain the initiative

once again! Try to move out of his line of sight or to gain a good flanking

position with your faster units! Keep marching because your M is generally low

and lizards are better h2h fighters than archers, so don't bother moving and

shooting. You can't afford to lose time, never.

3 golden rules

1. When building your army, you must be ready to face EVERYTHING and find

at least 1 good reason for fielding every unit. Don't let your opponent

choose which units to field for you. A good army should be able to face

either Bretonnians or Dwarves.

2. When fielding your units, it's the moment to adapt your strategy to your

opponent's army. Position your troops according to what HE does, not

according to a previously planned scheme. Place them so that they are

more likely to accomplish their task quickly and safely.

3. If you followed step 1 and 2 now all your units should have their target

and be in a good position to reach it. Do it fast! Force your opponent

to play your game!

Many times I have seen people building their armies bearing in mind that "my

opponent will probably field that so I shall counter it with this": this means

you are bound for a surprise if your opponent is good. You are more likely to

overrate some of his units and underrate others. Many times I have seen people

fielding their troops according to plans they had in their minds instead of

placing them close to their obvious targets, with their fastest troops too far

away from my Salamanders to prevent them from spitting at chaos knights. Many

times I have seen people being defeated because their harpies could not reach

war machines in time or their troops were taken out one by one by units that

knew where to engage the enemy.

ONE LAST WORD ABOUT MAGIC

Remember you can save your general's life with evasion (pretty cool IMHO). If

you are forced to use the Drain Magic Winds of Magic card make sure it is a

Skink shaman to risk loosing the level. Always take High Magic unless you are

playing against high elves, in which case wait and see how many wizards he has

and what level are they. Make one of your Slann Mages take high magic and let

the other take battle magic. Preferably make your general a high magic wizard.

You may be forced to draw banishment which is no good against high elves

therefore you better be sure you can discard one spell and not just take

what's left. Although at first I thought high magic sucked because it had few

attack spells, I learned to respect it. You already know its excellent deck

abilities. Here are my thoughts about each spell.

Assault of Stone

AOS is best used against costly units, as it ignores armor saves and causes

wounds, not hits, therefore thoughness is not a problem. Don't use it against

characters unless their initiative is very poor, and even so, think twice.

Tempest

A real game winner, this spells is good against all armies but chaos warriors

and daemons which have almost no ranged attacks or war machines and high

leadership. You must cast this as soon as possible, have your opponent use up

all his dispels and then go for it. Starting from 1st turn.

Glamour of Teclis

Use this spell to make your opponent waste his dispels. Target a low

leadership unit and move it to the far edge of the table or right in the path

of other enemy regiments.

Fiery Convocation

The best target for fiery convocation is infantry blocks because of their poor

armor saves compared to those of knights. Else try it on characters. If you

successfully cast it remember it will deal 2d6 S4 hits and 2d6 S 5 hits before

your opponents has the chance to dispel it. Remember this is fire damage.

Banishment

What can I say? This is where the "discard one spell" rule comes in handy: if

you are not playing against undead or daemons it is useless. But if you are

cast it every turn. 4+ and you deal 1d6 WOUNDS to EACH model, a real mass

killer, has even the potential to take out multiple characters at a time.

Apotheosis

Give it to your back up Slann. Can you imagine your opponent's frustration

when your 8 wounds general will be back rock again? Use telepathy and exchange it

immediately!

Hand of Glory

One of my favorite spells. Lizardmen are hard to break. Now they become

unbreakable. This will totally exasperate your opponent. Consider both casting

it with your general or back up. Since you already enjoy a L of 10 (your

general's) you may want to detach your back up with some troops to engage

other targets and still be able to stand the ground.

Coruscation of Finreir

This item is good for defending your General from war machines and such, to

move him into a better position for spell casting and so on. BUT it is also

good for tying up your enemy! How? I charged a unit of 5 chaos knights and

mage preventing them from moving further. Since we had both +1 combat

resolution (he had regimental standard, I had battle standard) and no wounds

could be dealt the combat went on till the end of the game.

Drain Magic

Other than dispelling nasty spells in play, this one is useful to weaken enemy

sorcerers. Cast it if all your Slann Mages are high magic sorcerers (and you

have no excuse for them not to be high mages unless you are playing against

high elves!) as it will more likely damage that nasty lord necromancer than

yourself! This spell may help you achieving complete magic superiority if you

are eager to risk a little.

Deadlock

Forgot to bring Blade of Cocacila? Have your opponent's magic items revealed

by Skull Staff and deadlock his Frost Blade or Black Gem before it's too late.

The truth is that this spell is good to have your opponent spend his dispels

on as this is hardly a game winner.

BUYING GUIDE

Since I often receive e-mails from people that ask for advice on how to start

their armies, I thought I would add this small section for newborn Slann Mage

priests. First of all, you should put your hands on plastic Saurus and Skinks

from a couple of Warhammer boxed sets, as they are very cheap and will be more

than enough for your first battles; you may trade your Bret knights for them

or pay them about 15 / 20 u.s. $ which is a fair price imho. You need a Slann

too to command your army so start saving money. For a good 1000 points army

you need some plastics, your SMP, and personally I would add a couple of Skink

command groups, one Saurus command group and some Kroxigors (4 is perfect).

Since Skink Shamans are not available to date, you can use the champions

included in command group blisters, that's what I usually do. If you plan to

play 1500 points battles think about buying some Terradons which will probably

more points effective in such small battles than Stegadons. In 2000 points

battles it is advisable to have one though. Consider buying a second Slann for

such battles. Lizardmen models are NOT cheap, but since the troop is limited,

fortunately you don't have to buy too many (and a good part of them will be

plastics). For larger games buy a couple of Salamanders or another Stegadon.

Temple Guards are expensive and I don't field them very often therefore they

should be bought by last. A 16 models regiment will cost you more than a

Stegadon or Slann Mage Priest, remember. Go either for your second Slann or

Stegadon or for your Salamander battery instead.