Over the weekend I played two games against the new Lizards. In both cases I used the Daemon list I've been running recently which marries the two earlier DoC armies I used - Nurgle and Tzeentch based.
After the games - now three again the new Lizards - I remain convinced that the key to successful Lizards will be considered use of High Magic and making the most of the "Contemplations" lore attribute. It is the Swiss Army Knife of magic and I can see good players getting great results by planning how they will use it.
As a minimum I would sit down with a piece of paper and write down what spells you would want against each race. This would give you a template to work with in game until it becomes second nature. Generally these choices will be self-explanatory but in the heat of battle having a guide to fall back on is not a bad idea.
By my reckoning a generic Slaan can be relied on to "forget" 3-4 spells per game and that is what your plan should be built around. Both Tempest and the Fiery #6 spells are good candidates in Turns 1-2 to be cast and forgotten. The #6 spell especially as it is RIP and neuters your opponent's next magic phase.
My own thoughts are that a good list is unlikely to see more than one Skink Priest - likely carrying a scroll - the dice are just too important for the Slaan to allow the required 3 dice for a Priest Wildform. If you want Wildform better to get it via the Slaan.
Interesting to see how many blowpipe Skinks we see now the Javelin + Shield conveys 5+/6++
Showing posts with label Lizardmen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lizardmen. Show all posts
Monday, August 19, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Initial Thoughts On The New Lizardmen - Part One
I've had a good read of the new Lizardmen book over the past few days, glanced at some forums and listened to a few podcasts.
There is an enormous amount of doom and gloom being spouted by current Lizardmen players - if you want to punish yourself read the 60+ page thread on Warseer - that the book has taken a significant nerf.
I'm not so sure.
The three key criticisms being promoted are:
1. Skink Leadership
The drop in Leadership reduces the odds of passing a Ld test from 68% to 52% (if testing on their own Leadership). Yes it is a drop and removes some "certainty" but to be honest 68% was never a certain thing anyway. You needed to factor in the almost one third chance of failure previously - now you still have to.
What it should lead to is more careful placement of the Slaan to give you the Leadership boost (and critically re-roll) where it is most important.
Working outside the Slaan Leadership bubble always carried some risk - Camo Skinks and Terradons were vulnerable. They remain so. If you are making 20 tests per game previously you were failing six now it's nine.
There is vulnerability around Ripperdactyl Frenzy checks but again this can be accommodated by placement in the Leadership bubble. As I said, it was there anyway.
2. Salamander Changes
There are five changes. First, they have increased in cost by 5 points. Second, no march and shoot. This is big but realistically they were, to use the vernacular, "broken". Removing this is the thing most likely to result in the previous comp restrictions around Sallies' numbers being removed. Third, they have increased to Strength 4. This is a major boost and increased the casualty rate on very lightly and non-armoured models significantly. Four, this is offset by removing -3 AS modifier which made them such a boon against knights and the like. However hitting 5 knights previously killed 1.1, now it kills 0.8. Is it such a big loss? Lastly, auto-panic test for a wound is gone. Probably the biggest change apart from March and Shoot. It was always a threat but is the loss of this the difference between success and failure?
A question for Lizard players. Are you still going to include Salamanders in your list despite the changes? I bet you are!
3. Slaan Changes
The key changes here is the effective points increase. There is now virtually no potential for Dual Slaan list at 2400 points so some lists will have to change. Power Dice generation has been limited and there is a change to miscast protection. Is this a nerf? Yes in the current form because you have to change/adapt. In the second part I'll lay out my thoughts as to why I think the "new" Slaan is as least as good as before.
So I'm far less pessimistic about the book than conventional "internet wisdom". In fact I'm sufficiently enthused by what I see as the potential in the book to contemplate (see what I did there) breaking them out to run over the next few months. In the second part I'll round through the significant boosts I think that the book has been given.
There is an enormous amount of doom and gloom being spouted by current Lizardmen players - if you want to punish yourself read the 60+ page thread on Warseer - that the book has taken a significant nerf.
I'm not so sure.
The three key criticisms being promoted are:
- The reduction of Skink Leadership to 5
- The changes to Salamander rules
- Cost increases and changes to Slaan
1. Skink Leadership
The drop in Leadership reduces the odds of passing a Ld test from 68% to 52% (if testing on their own Leadership). Yes it is a drop and removes some "certainty" but to be honest 68% was never a certain thing anyway. You needed to factor in the almost one third chance of failure previously - now you still have to.
What it should lead to is more careful placement of the Slaan to give you the Leadership boost (and critically re-roll) where it is most important.
Working outside the Slaan Leadership bubble always carried some risk - Camo Skinks and Terradons were vulnerable. They remain so. If you are making 20 tests per game previously you were failing six now it's nine.
There is vulnerability around Ripperdactyl Frenzy checks but again this can be accommodated by placement in the Leadership bubble. As I said, it was there anyway.
2. Salamander Changes
There are five changes. First, they have increased in cost by 5 points. Second, no march and shoot. This is big but realistically they were, to use the vernacular, "broken". Removing this is the thing most likely to result in the previous comp restrictions around Sallies' numbers being removed. Third, they have increased to Strength 4. This is a major boost and increased the casualty rate on very lightly and non-armoured models significantly. Four, this is offset by removing -3 AS modifier which made them such a boon against knights and the like. However hitting 5 knights previously killed 1.1, now it kills 0.8. Is it such a big loss? Lastly, auto-panic test for a wound is gone. Probably the biggest change apart from March and Shoot. It was always a threat but is the loss of this the difference between success and failure?
A question for Lizard players. Are you still going to include Salamanders in your list despite the changes? I bet you are!
3. Slaan Changes
The key changes here is the effective points increase. There is now virtually no potential for Dual Slaan list at 2400 points so some lists will have to change. Power Dice generation has been limited and there is a change to miscast protection. Is this a nerf? Yes in the current form because you have to change/adapt. In the second part I'll lay out my thoughts as to why I think the "new" Slaan is as least as good as before.
So I'm far less pessimistic about the book than conventional "internet wisdom". In fact I'm sufficiently enthused by what I see as the potential in the book to contemplate (see what I did there) breaking them out to run over the next few months. In the second part I'll round through the significant boosts I think that the book has been given.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Predatory Fighter - Waiting For The FAQ
The Lizardmen book has been out less than a week and already the internet is raging about one of the Special Rules. This time however the rage isn't that the rule is broken but rather that it doesn't appear to work the way some people believe it was intended to. And if you play it as written then making attacks becomes more cumbersome.
The Predatory Fighter rule gives a special ability for Saurus, Kroxigor and Carnosaur sized Lizards. When they make their attacks, if they roll a "6" then they get an extra attack. Pretty cool rule right? Keeping in fluff with the nature of the Lizards. Equip Lizards with Spears and suddenly you may get a lot of extra attacks, right?
Unfortunately not! There is a General Rule in the Rulebook that says that models in supporting ranks are limited to one attack. Period. So now you have the ridiculous situation where you must roll front rank and supporting rank attacks separately.
Now I personally don't believe that this was Mr. Vetock's intention. I'd bet handsomely that Predatory Fighter was intended to extend to all Supporting Attacks. Unfortunately as per RAW that doesn't happen. In a lot of situations you can point to Army Book taking precedence over Rulebook where there is a conflict. However as written there is no conflict, you're just left with a cumbersome mechanic.
I fully expect this to be FAQ'd at the earliest possible juncture but until then we are left with an embarassing glitch.
The Predatory Fighter rule gives a special ability for Saurus, Kroxigor and Carnosaur sized Lizards. When they make their attacks, if they roll a "6" then they get an extra attack. Pretty cool rule right? Keeping in fluff with the nature of the Lizards. Equip Lizards with Spears and suddenly you may get a lot of extra attacks, right?
Unfortunately not! There is a General Rule in the Rulebook that says that models in supporting ranks are limited to one attack. Period. So now you have the ridiculous situation where you must roll front rank and supporting rank attacks separately.
Now I personally don't believe that this was Mr. Vetock's intention. I'd bet handsomely that Predatory Fighter was intended to extend to all Supporting Attacks. Unfortunately as per RAW that doesn't happen. In a lot of situations you can point to Army Book taking precedence over Rulebook where there is a conflict. However as written there is no conflict, you're just left with a cumbersome mechanic.
I fully expect this to be FAQ'd at the earliest possible juncture but until then we are left with an embarassing glitch.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Hobby Update
So what have I got on my painting table at the moment.
Well first up I have primed all my Horus Heresy Death Guard for painting. That is a Praetor, an Apothecary and two Contemptor Dreads (both standard DG pattern - Multi-Melta/Power Claw). They will be worked through over the next month or so. I need to paint a further Tactical Squad and that will give me most of the 1500 points I need for Adepticon.
I have also started painting the model I got from Kromlech to use as a Great Unclean One/Nurgle Daemon Prince. Hopefully I'll finish this in the next couple of days so that I can use him on the weekend. The Kromlech models are really nice. I have ordered a couple of their Plague Reapers to fit into various armies.
Additionally I have ten Nurgle Furies to paint. If you remember I made these out of Plague Bearers with Gargoyle wings. Suspect that they will be reasonably quick to paint up and they will round out the Nurgle Daemons.
There are quite a few podcasts backed up on my iPhone. About half have Lizardmen reviews on them. It will be interesting to see whether the new models I've purchased for my Lizards have been a monumental fail. Still I'll probably only have to wait a week and opinions will have changed.
I've been very impressed by the iBook version of the Army Book and in particular the 360 degree views they give of the new models. They look like they will be a joy to paint. I have purchased two Bastilodons, a Troglodon and a box of Ripperdactyls. In the meantime, I am fixing a damaged Ancient Stegadon I had downstairs and it will be an Engine of the Gods in my list. Luckily Sam Whitt has fixed me up with some spare parts and I am waiting for some additional bits to arrive from a UK Bitz seller. Once I've got it fixed then I'll start painting it and hopefully this will inspire me for the new models.
So plenty to do......as always.
Well first up I have primed all my Horus Heresy Death Guard for painting. That is a Praetor, an Apothecary and two Contemptor Dreads (both standard DG pattern - Multi-Melta/Power Claw). They will be worked through over the next month or so. I need to paint a further Tactical Squad and that will give me most of the 1500 points I need for Adepticon.
I have also started painting the model I got from Kromlech to use as a Great Unclean One/Nurgle Daemon Prince. Hopefully I'll finish this in the next couple of days so that I can use him on the weekend. The Kromlech models are really nice. I have ordered a couple of their Plague Reapers to fit into various armies.
Additionally I have ten Nurgle Furies to paint. If you remember I made these out of Plague Bearers with Gargoyle wings. Suspect that they will be reasonably quick to paint up and they will round out the Nurgle Daemons.
There are quite a few podcasts backed up on my iPhone. About half have Lizardmen reviews on them. It will be interesting to see whether the new models I've purchased for my Lizards have been a monumental fail. Still I'll probably only have to wait a week and opinions will have changed.
I've been very impressed by the iBook version of the Army Book and in particular the 360 degree views they give of the new models. They look like they will be a joy to paint. I have purchased two Bastilodons, a Troglodon and a box of Ripperdactyls. In the meantime, I am fixing a damaged Ancient Stegadon I had downstairs and it will be an Engine of the Gods in my list. Luckily Sam Whitt has fixed me up with some spare parts and I am waiting for some additional bits to arrive from a UK Bitz seller. Once I've got it fixed then I'll start painting it and hopefully this will inspire me for the new models.
So plenty to do......as always.
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