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So I'm very new to fantasy and I picked up Lizardmen. A friend at my FLGS has been playing Lizardmen for a long time and I've been using him as a resource to better understand my army. But recently I've run into some conflicting information and would love some up-to-date clarifications. I've tried to look up my question but some of the answers conflict and are rather old so I'm not sure if they are relevant to this edition.

Are blowpipes quick to fire? Do blowpipes receive a -1 to hit if I fire both shots?
If not, does this mean that with Skink Skirmishers I would need 7 to hit if I moved, long range, and multiple shots? Does this also mean that Javelin + Shield Skirmishers are generally superior for shooting and still staying far enough away to effectively flee from charges.
Are the Giant Blowpipes on the Ancient Stegadon quick to fire and multiple shots?

My friend has been using blowpipes as quick to fire and not -1 for multiple shots, thus hitting on 5's. Looking over battle reports I saw a lot of Javelin Skirmishers which confused me since blowpipes seemed so superior. Then further digging revealed conflicting information and it has totally screwed me up.

Any help would be appreciated. Also any starting Lizardmen advice would be nice like; what is the best way to run skinks? What would be a good starting 1000pt list?
Thanks again Dakka.

Blowpipes are not quick to fire, and they do receive the penalty for firing multiple shots.

This means on a Skink with a BS of 3, you will need 7's to hit if you are at long range, using multiple shots and are being charged or have moved. This will negate your poisoned attacks btw.

Chameleon Skinks are much more handy, as they have a BS of 4. This means you can indeed move, fire multiple shots and fire at long range and still keep your poisoned attacks. You only hit on a 6, but every hit is a wound. I can't tell you how many times I have taken out big bad monsters using my camo skinks.

As far as the giant blowpipes are concerned, they do not have the Quick to Fire rule or the Multiple Shots rule, so neither of these should apply.

**Edit**

As far as the best way to run skinks, I would say avoid skinks as core and run 2 units of 10 Camo skinks, but thats just me. I am sure if you started up a thread in tactics you would get some sound advice from several other LM players on this board. The more info you get the better your final decision will be.

Skinks as core are useful as scresns / charge redirectors, as they are so damn cheap. Units of 10 just to mess people about forcing Ld tests to march, for example

Both jav and blowgun skinks are good.
Jav skinks make better redirectors as they can stand off at longer range and still get in poison hits.
Blowgun skinks are better for units that can slip out of your opponents arc and shoot from the flanks at very close range.

"Best" seems to be both, they have slightly different roles, and it's up to you to get the right skink into the right place.

Camo skinks are even better (which is why they cost more and are specials) as they can sneak into that ideal spot and have that BS4 to land even more hits.

-Matt

I do love my skinks, for precisely that reason - they can slip around blocks and play march blocking fun (less effective than in prior editions, but can stiull be annoying) while harrying units. On elite troops only 5 -7 wide they can also help strip ranks early on

I do wish my old camo skinks were about, with their "anywhere out of LOS" deployment (won me a game straight off the bat in a tournament thanks to that rule) rule, but the current ones are still amazing. Which is why tournies comp skinks so heavily!