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I have been playing 40k for a little while now and a player I know has a 4,000 point lizardman army that I am considering picking up for ($250 U.S.). However, I really, strongly, vehemantly and epically dislike seeing WHFB games that look like this: armies line up. armys shoot eachother. armies advance. two huge lines of clashing troops. Just seems intrinsically boring to me. Do lizardmen play like this? If not are they any good? I know almost nothing about this game but I really like the lizardmen models. Any knowledge of how these armies play would be greatly appreciated as well as thoughts on their competitive viability.

Are you aware that the lizardmen are the next army book to be updated?

It may not contain too radical changes to the rules or army composition, but it is good to take into account when shopping for a second hand army.

WHFB is in it's core a game about outmanouvering the opponent so if over simplified the armies play in the way you described above, however the game itself is much more complicated and offers a different take on the subject than 40k.

Play a couple of games with loan army if you can to see if WHFB is your cup of tea.

wot is the general lizardman strategy?

Magic the bajezzus out of them with your slan

Your saurus are tough units, and your skinks are your ranged / scouts


But wait a month all that might change..... Not to mention new models!

the army I may be picking up includes, but is not limited to: 2 slaan, 80 saurus, 40 odd skinks, 3 lizard birds, a triceratops thing, and some other stuff I dunna remember!

Wait for the book.

If you like the models he's offering, and want to buy in cheap it's not a terrible deal, but you're not getting much by way of support units, which tend to be the costlier metal models. The bulk of what he's offering are the plastic skinks and saurus, which are guaranteed to get new (and by the current box set pricing scheme, pretty inexpensive) kits. Unless you really really like the look of the old Saurus models, at this point it's best to wait for the book and the new stuff.

Lizardmen under the present rules are a really good book. They have a nice combination of effective (though mostly short-ranged) shooting, excellent maneuverability (aside from the Saurus), very good magic and very good leadership rules. Very well-rounded and competitive without being crazy-over the top, and capable of participating in all phases of the game.

A lot of folks do tend to play it as more of a magic/shooty army, just because maneuverability is one of the most important factors in the game and the Saurus (the solid, reliable punchy infantry block unit) are significantly slower and less maneuverable than most of the other units.

Mannahin, do you if the Lizardmen will still have sacred spawnings like Huanchi?

Kungfuhustler wrote:However, I really, strongly, vehemantly and epically dislike seeing WHFB games that look like this: armies line up. armys shoot eachother. armies advance. two huge lines of clashing troops. Just seems intrinsically boring to me.

Uhhhh, that's 40k in a nut shell. Fantasy on the other hand, is a game that requires thinking past army building.

What edition are the models? If it's 4000 points of old one-piece skinks, 3-piece saurus, and the old ugly slann that always fell apart, then it's not a very good deal. If it's new plastic skinks, new plastic saurus, and new Slann, then it's a much better deal.

Also, for a 40k player, an army heavy on skink skirmishers helps the transition to WHFB, so that you've still got a majority of your army that isn't in ranked blocks.

Not going to go into 40k vs. Fantasy, but movement is extremely more
important than you suggest as most armies simply cannot redploy once they've
committed to a specific direction.

snowden wrote:

Kungfuhustler wrote:However, I really, strongly, vehemantly and epically dislike seeing WHFB games that look like this: armies line up. armys shoot eachother. armies advance. two huge lines of clashing troops. Just seems intrinsically boring to me.

Uhhhh, that's 40k in a nut shell. Fantasy on the other hand, is a game that requires thinking past army building.

Iv'e never had an experience like that in 40k, but, I'm a fairly mobile player and try to avoid gunline tactics whenever possible.
I have however seen alot of it in fantasy... I'm not trying to knock the game, just a playstyle, so please don't take offense.

Death By Monkeys wrote:What edition are the models? If it's 4000 points of old one-piece skinks, 3-piece saurus, and the old ugly slann that always fell apart, then it's not a very good deal. If it's new plastic skinks, new plastic saurus, and new Slann, then it's a much better deal.

Also, for a 40k player, an army heavy on skink skirmishers helps the transition to WHFB, so that you've still got a majority of your army that isn't in ranked blocks.

about 1/2 of the saurus are the first release models, and the other half are the newer ones. there are a lot of longer based lizards in the army, and there is a newer and an older frog guy. (is this the slaan?) Heck, I'd pick up a codex but the new one is slated for release so soon I'm not wasting the cash. the army contains at least 3 models of each type listed in the codex, with exception for the triceratops model.

Kungfuhustler wrote:Iv'e never had an experience like that in 40k, but, I'm a fairly mobile player and try to avoid gunline tactics whenever possible.
I have however seen alot of it in fantasy...

Some fantasy armies especially dwarves, which are challenged in the movement, and empire can make static gunline armies. But the most other armies especially elves and the chaos warriors can make and succeed with extremely mobile armies, outmanouvering the enemy with speed. As the direction of attack is important in FB the game is about getting the opponent into position where you have superior hitting power and cant loose. In fantasy battle you can make the factor of luck less than in 40k.

Kungfuhustler wrote:an older frog guy. (is this the slaan?)

Yes that'll be the slann, the general and mage of the army.

It sounds like a fantastic deal on the models. Even with new ones coming out.

Lizardmen currently are a very balanced army that can play in a variety of ways. They are not a stand there and shoot army. Your main ranged attackers (Skinks) tend to be very movement centric since they have short range weapons.

As far as competitive viability goes, Lizardmen are pretty good. Currently they can rumble without being completely over the top. The new book is coming and if the trend holds true, the lizards will have a power creep which still leaves them as a competitive choice.