Lizardmen Units and Tactics

[RushAss]

....at which point they will begin the pinching and the slaughter and the screaming...

I accidentally clicked on this thread, decided to re-read it, and found that to be really funny for some bizarre reason.

I finally got around to picking up the Lizzies a few months ago and I've given them what I feel to be a reasonable amount of play time.  I'm not crazy about them because they don't fit well with my style of play.  But I do appreciate the solidity of their line guys aside from the Swarmlings and the blood frenzy ability is pretty nasty once the fight gets cranking.  A few thoughts about individual units:

Point for point Hatchlings have got to be one of the best backup units in the game.  Sure they won't hurt anybody and they'll get swept away in a brush fire, but their ability to scoot in there to fill a hole is really, really nice.  And the fury may actually be useful on them if they can manage to pinch something.

I have found the Ancients to be a monumental disappointment for the points cost.  6 green boxes is great and all that, but the drop off is so significant once they hit the red and you're worried that every point of damage will send them running to the hills.  5/7 seems like a great offensive profile, but there are so many units nowadays with 3/1 and 3/2 defensive profiles that they won't hit that much.  The Treant is worlds better for only a few points more since it hangs in there much better.  IMO, of course.

The Tyrants may be pricey, but boy does it take a lot to kill those guys.  The Spearmen are especially nasty since it's likely they will get multiple turns throwing 6 attack dice due to the 2/3 defense and 5 green boxes.  And that's before blood frenzy kicks in...

I have yet to use the T-Rex.  It's huge and sexy, but it seems to be lacking that special something that would draw me to it.   

[lazyj]

The something special that would draw you to the T-Rex is when you play against guys who like a "horde" approach. Especially Umenzi, Orcs, and Undead. The T-Rex is tailor-made to chomp multiple weenie units (like Goblins) and then force the rest of the army to scramble around to cover for him.

Word to the wise: hold that Cold Blooded Command card (and enough others to discard to play it on him) to keep Rexie in the fight if you plan on making him the center of your strategy.

[Forevernyt]

I remember one battle I had where I teamed up a T-rex and a Trog Warrior on a pinching/killing rampage. Chomped through the High Elves like a hot knife through butter. Ah, what a glorious day that was!

[Niko White]

One of the most impressive losses I've had as the High Elves was to a Lizardman army composed of tons of Swarmling Warriors, Hatchlings, and Raptor Packs.  There were just too many lizards to kill before getting pinched, and they were too fast to maneuver around.  Very neat!

[Forevernyt]

I love the Lizzies.

[gull2112]

The something special that would draw you to the T-Rex is when you play against guys who like a "horde" approach.

I've noticed that Lazyj has a sort of man crush on all the big heavies be they Umenzi war elephants, Hannibal's proboscis corps, or the T-rex.

About the only thing he doesn't care for is the trolls in my Orc faction.

[lazyj]

I think my record clearly shows that I enjoy preposterously pontificating over pachyderms and their ponderous, proud, and prodigious panorama of power punches.

Meaning I like it when they stomp things into the dirt! 

Plus, I have a feeling that large / colossal creatures will gain a new lease on life when we get the Siege rules finalized! 

[gull2112]

Profound prolix pompacity!

[RushAss]

 Hannibal's proboscis corps,

LOLOLOLOLOLOL 

I love it!

My thing with the T-Rex is that it is a straight up, brutal melee unit.  It's defense is incredible.  It's offense is incredible.  It takes a ton of damage just to have the thing make a route check.  But it eats command cards almost as quickly as it eats enemies and there's nothing about it that gives it that little extra bit of character.  It doesn't fly or breathe fire, it doesn't have little dudes on it's back chucking spears or cause impact hits, and it doesn't grow extra heads when the opponent isn't looking.  For 500+ points I want something kinda special.  Not just something that's especially big and nasty.  Plus I'm not the kind of guy that normally fields colossal or even large units often (the exception is sexy sexy Mumakil the Bringer of Death and Flatness) so I'm not very likely to field the T-Rex.  I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with it or it's not worth the points cost, I'm just not likely to field one.  I've faced them before and believe me I know that kind of mess they can make   

[Kevin]

I find the best way to think of a T-Rex is as an Ancients with a free command card played every time the unit attacks or is attacked (by an engaged attacker).  I try not to play command cards on it unless absolutely necessary.

I like to pair a T-Rex with an Ancients.  That gives me two good heavies who can rip through stuff fast.  The Ancients bolstered by command cards (If you ever have the "Accuracy" card on the turn the Ancients charge it's a happy day.  ), and the T-Rex as is.

Here's a link to my all-time favorite game, in which two T-Rexes (with some Ancients at their side) eat an entire Ravenwood stand-and-shoot army. 
http://yourmovegames.com/forum/index.php/topic,960.0.html

[RushAss]

Oh yeah, I remember that one.  Any low offensive power faction like Elves are going to have a real tough time with that set up.  Talk about an unbalanced line!  I wonder how effective a 2 x Triceratops Herd + 1 T-Rex build would be in certain situations.  About half of your line would be practically uncontrollable, but also virtually unstoppable.

[gull2112]

About half of your line would be practically uncontrollable

You say that like its a bad thing.

Kinda reminds me of the scene in "Strange Brew" where the brakes go out on the hill and he just crosses his arms and smugly says, "No point in steering now).

[gornhorror]

Heh, I just realized that the Ancients are not an elite unit.  So you can have more than two.  You probably wont have much else in a 2000 point army, but it's still cool.  Also, I've noticed with the few games that I played them they really stink once they get into the red.  I think this unit is a tad bit weak for the cost.  What about switching 2 of the red boxes for green.  This would allow them to stay a little more potent longer.  Even one box would be better.  Like all of my suggestions, I'm just going on my gut feelings.  Maybe I will try them with the 7 green boxes the next time I play.  See what happens.

[RushAss]

3 Ancients
4 Swarmling Warriors
2 Hatchlings
1 Command Card
1998 points

Everybody moves 5

Hah!

[gull2112]

That would be a troublesome army Marcus! If I were facing that and the ancients were spread evenly across the table I don't know where I'd punch. What flank should I refuse? Can I refuse both flanks and the center too?

Even the DE would have problems because the darned guys are so fast. 

Short of the Orcs, I can't imagine what faction could stop them.