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These units are condemned to being "OK" as currently stands. But I feel as though a couple of small improvements could really see them flourish into a "Good" unit.

Here are my ideas for it.

First of all, they should come with an option to swap to blowpipes free as standard, or at the very least an option to upgrade your javelins to blowpipes for 1 or 2 points.
The multiple shot on blowpipes would double the ranged damage output on these guys when they're hovering around close to enemies but outside of charge arcs.

Secondly, there could be a change to the dropping rocks special ability.
It's great, but once per game is lousy. A quality of life improvement would be to either lower the strength by 1, making it str 3. But giving them a 1 turn "reload" on the rocks. Much like leadbelchers currently have. You could easily write this into the fluff by having the terradons scoop up more rocks for a turn after a strafing run is complete.

Alternatively, you could remove the D3 wounds, and have them be strength 3 or 4 rocks that you can drop every turn. Making for some nice strafing runs where you pepper the enemy with fire after you finish flying over. I expect a rule change like this would result in a slight points increase, but it would greatly improve their versatility against most lists.

These changes would give the unit a solid purpose of decent ranged harassment which they are very lackluster in currently. In turn, the buff to ranged damage would see a buff to their ability to take out the now more weakened units due to their extra shooting instead of how they are currently where they flop in both areas.

There are 2 choices based on 8th edition IMHO. Hexwraiths and the new DoC Screamers of Tzeentch which I believe are posted on the FAQ.

They are probably closer to Screamers, which are a bit like flying Ogres that are anti-large target. Other than Kroxigor and Steggadons, Lizardmen don't really have beefy units. It's a little odd to think of a skink being beffy, but not so much for a Terradon.

In any case, both those existing units do dmg on every move-through. One is a lot sturdier and tougher and one is Ethereal. Just giving Terradon's poison isn't enough to justify them. Giving them, say, 4 attacks might, however (2 at skink suckiness). In that role they could be war machine hunters or other small elite unit attackers. Fly over and drop rocks and shoot some poison.

I've considered the same thing for Warhawk Rider's in my friend's Wood Elf FanDex.

Terradons should get a new model I think, a little bigger, and also maybe have a variant with stronger skinks or saurus, though that may be a stretch.

Also the skinks should be able to have lances or halberds, and even short bows. I think it would add some good variation to the unit.

Halberds and lances aren't going to happen. It's not fluffy and doesn't make a ton of sense. Saurus exist for the martial arms aspect.

Again, just look at the new Seekers in the DoC book.

Thats true, but still, I fell they are a not as good cavalry. Especially compared to many that have come out. They need something else too

I guess they could convert them to MC. Be the Lizardman super MC unit. Basically skinks holding onto a huge dinosaur.

Because the MC rules, they would get the T/W of the mount.

I'd argue that Terradons are fine, the most brutal non comp lizardmen lists all have 9 terradons so they must be plenty good.

Sneaky_Gobbo wrote:
I'd argue that Terradons are fine, the most brutal non comp lizardmen lists all have 9 terradons so they must be plenty good.

I don't see them much in 6th edition.
I've run them as a unit of 6 as a cannon guard for my skink chief, are received a lot of "I haven't seen those on the table forever" remarks.

They need something more than they have, but I'm not sure what that is.

-Matt

HawaiiMatt wrote:
I don't see them much in 6th edition.

I don't see them much in 6th either, but that's mostly because I play 8th


But in general I agree they're not seen too often. Funnily enough, I've found them pretty decent when I have gone against them, but I've got chaff of my own that they love to butcher. It's just that the Lizardmen have much stronger options for nuisance chaff units, namely chameleon skinks with poison blow pipes.


I think probably the best way to make them better would be to emphasise dropping rocks - make it every turn, Str 4, 1 wound. Turn them into a unit that actually earns its place by inflicting shooting phase kills on the enemy, and not in the boring way of standing still, but by flying over the enemy every turn. They'd still be very vulnerable to ranged shooting so there'd be an interesting game, keeping the Terradons alive by staying out of the firing arc of enemy shooters, but still flying over the target each turn grinding more kills - probably have to limit the amount of turning allowed by a terradon player when they drop rocks to make it work, though.

Leadbeltchers don't reload anymore. That was the last book.

Blowpipe swap is a good idea.


For the rocks, I would make them a str3(5) small blast each that they spend a turn reloading. Each Terradon must target the same unit with its dropped rock, the rock scatters with an artillery dice, and if a misfire is rolled the attack does no damage(and must still spend a turn reloading)

This would have to be accompanied by a price increase as this is quite powerful.

No multiple wounds on the rock, they arn't dropping rocks the size of stonethrowers.

I'd be wary about a small template/model; that's a lot of potential damage.
The large scatter and points-increase makes it fair, but now you're spending more points for a unit that can do tons more or almost nothing.

Screamers are D3 S4 hits/model, right? I like that. The S5 from Hexwraiths is solid, of course, but small-ish rocks just seem more like D3 S4 to me.

That, plus blowpipes, plus the T-boost, should equal a good, solid unit.

Warpsolution wrote:
I'd be wary about a small template/model; that's a lot of potential damage.
The large scatter and points-increase makes it fair, but now you're spending more points for a unit that can do tons more or almost nothing.

Having a temple per model is also really fiddly. Better to just do it as you describe - D3 hits (or D6 or 2D6 or whatever number of hits you want each turn... just don't make people sit there working out 3 scatter templates).