# Calling all Lizardmen players!



## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Hi all,

This is a request to those members of the forums who play Lizardmen, or know the armybook well enough to help Heresy out a little bit. Before you say "but squeek does anyone even play Lizardmen?", I know we have quite a few Lizardmen players busy doing whatever it is that scaly reptiles do in the jungles of Lustria . I was cunning you see, I started a census! 

I am sure most of you know of the collective project that we have been running for getting on for 7 months now to create a useful resource for new Fantasy players, or existing players that want to try a new army. If not you can find the project thread here - Collective WIP introduction to Fantasy and the final stickied thread here - An Introduction to the Armies of Warhammer.

If you don't know much about them go take a read, I am sure you will agree that it is a worthwhile endeavour and provides an unparalleled insight in to everything about the army and what makes the army worth playing, from the point of view of an experienced and enthusiastic player. So where do you come in you might ask?

Currently we have 15 armies completed with Bretonnia nearly done and our Lizardmen introduction still set in 6th Edition. I think everyone would agree it would be fantastic to bring it up to date with all of the existing armies accounted for. It will then act as a one stop reference guide for budding generals, helping to inform and encourage new Fantasy players, which in turn can only be a good thing for the rest of us right?

So what do we need from you? Well as you have probably guessed, the thing that makes these introductions good is that people who know what they are talking about have written them. Hence why I couldn't just write them all myself, I know very little about the Lizardmen unfortunately. So first stop is the Collective WIP introduction to Fantasy thread for the format we would like to stick to. Here is the basics of it though:*Fluff - A short intro about the army, some background history and any other non-play related interesting points.
* 
This doesn't need to be too long, just a little bit about your chosen race/army like who it hates/is friends with, what drives it, how it began, etc.


*Models - A breakdown of the range of models available, and how easy they are to paint and to model.*

Important things might be how old the range is, whether they are all metal or mostly plastic, how easy they are to paint, possibility of conversions. Also try to give a guideline estimate of cost. So lots of metal only models would be an expensive army with limited conversion potential, for example.


*Game Play - A guide to how the army plays and how flexible the army list is as a whole.*

This could include what the general style of the army is (gun lines, cavalry, magic heavy, etc), how competitive it is considered to be at tournaments, is the army book flexible or is there only one viable style. Some writers have chosen to give an indepth breakdown of the unit choices from each section (Core, Special, etc). This is greatly appreciated but is not mandatory.


*Money Saving - How to get more from your chosen army, for less money*

This might include ways to maximise what can be produced from the model sprues, or alternative models for the expensive ones in the range. If possible links for more complex conversions will allow better understanding.


*Summary - General conclusions about the army and any extra points that are useful.*

This should cover any extra points like future release dates, general pros and cons that aren't covered elsewhere, popularity of the army, variations to the standard approach (i.e. themed armies) and any extras that crop up.


*Where To Go Next* - Any army specific resources

Links to army specific forums and web resources are particularly useful here.​If you feel able to offer anything towards the introduction, even if it is just one section or a useful link, please post it. With your help we can finally finish this project and have probably the best Fantasy Introduction thread on the internet for our members to use. Any questions just ask, or PM if you prefer.

The old Lizardmen thread was written by rVctn_Khaiyn and is quoted below. If it is easier, feel free to just rewrite this one, after all we just need something that is up to date and accurate, so it doesn't matter if it is a re-write or a collaborative effort really. If you choose to add in a breakdown of the various choices like some of the more thorough guides that is fantastic.

*If you are willing to work on this please post in this thread to save 3 people doing it at the same time! *



*Lizardmen*Written by rVctn_Khaiyn​
_Notes: Lizardmen are being redone, the new book comes out in February and images can be seen in the back of the new catalogue._











*Fluff *

The Lizardmen are an ancient race, created by the god-like beings known as the Old Ones to be the guardians of the Warhammer world. Once relaying the orders and desires of the Old Ones, the Slann act as the primary leaders and masters of magic within the Lizardmen society. Now with the Old Ones having departed, the Slann continue to guide not only their servants, but also members of the younger races towards the Great Plan; essentially restoring the order that was present before the coming of Chaos. Any who stand between the Slann and the fulfillment of this duty are mercilessly punished with cold indifference, either by the might of the Lizardmen armies, comprised mainly of the Saurus Warriors - hulking reptilian beings spawned solely for the purpose of war, or by deadly magicks controlled by the Slann themselves, who make even the most powerful of Wizards from other races seem amateurish.

*Models*

The Lizardmen range, although having been around for over half a decade, is still in good condition. With the core of the army comprised of Saurus and Skinks, it is certainly plausible for the majority of your army to be plastic. Characters and elite units are mostly metal, however there seems to be a few changes in the works (see the rumours section of Heresy Online for some expected Lizardmen releases), and with the release of plastic Temple Guard coming soon, as well as the newest Cold One Riders, a decent portion of the range is in plastic.

Conversion potential is really up to the player in question. While I didn't see too many opportunities for easy modification, as the units are quite diverse and unique, some of the more experiences modelers might notice subtle potential. Painting is fairly forgiving - with most of the Lizardmen consisting of skin and scales, you only need a few colours to reach a 'complete' looking figure. Metal is almost completely restricted to gold, and there's very little cloth. However, you can easily find diversity by adding a few of the beastly units in, as well as picking a different scheme between Saurus and Skink (a good choice to make regardless, as they are very different creatures).

*Game Play*

Lizardmen are a very flexible and strong list. The Slann Mage Priest is easily the most powerful caster in the game (bar a few special characters), and Saurus are extremely effective in close combat, with even the most basic of choice being a deadly foe. Skinks provide almost unmatched maneuverability, being both fast and deployed in skirmisher fashion. Saurus cavalry probably won't satisfy those looking for a mounted theme to their force, but they are capable of being one of the most independent cavalry units, being both tough and strong, even without the charge (not that I'd suggest risking such a pricey unit, just saying they don't fall apart as quickly as other medium cavalry options). Flyers, Monsters, a big dinosaur with a bolt thrower strapped to it, the Lizardmen army offers a range of options. 

However, if you enjoy a gun-line type army, employing lots of long range shooting, look elsewhere. While being effective at long ranges in the magic phase, Lizardmen are unable to compete during shooting. Skinks provide multiple close-range shots that are fairly expendable, but don't expect bows or war machines (beside the aforementioned Dino, called a Stegadon).

*Money Saving *

As mentioned earlier, the Lizardmen range is quite unique, both in regarding other armies, as well as in it's own army book - there are only a few units that are the same 'breed' of Lizard. I'll repeat what I said beforehand, in that if you are an experienced modeler, you might be able to pull a few units out more cheaply than otherwise possible, but the options are few from what I've seen.

*Summary*

The Lizardmen are able to field an army that is extremely competitive in both the combat and magic aspects of Warhammer - without compromising one or the other. With their _Cold Blooded_ special rule across the board, bar a few monsters, even the skittish Skinks at Leadership 5 are able to stand their ground, while the more bold Saurus are hardly ever seen fleeing. As such, the Lizardmen are a very effective army for beginners thanks to their warriors being easy to use and reliable. As you become more experienced, you can try different combinations of _Sacred Spawnings_, a system that lets you make the Saurus quite customizable, and even more dangerous. 

While I could talk about a Southlands army (one that is focused on Skinks as the prime core unit), I haven't had much experience with such a force, and it is certainly no where near as effective as a generic Lizardmen army. Popularity, as always, will depend on where you are and who you play, but when it comes to Tournaments, I would still see the army as quite competitive.


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## Grik (Jul 28, 2008)

I think i can help you out with this my friend. I'll work on it today while I'm at work and send you a copy when i get home tonight. :biggrin:


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## asianavatar (Aug 20, 2007)

Grik beat me to it, but I can still help out if you need an extra person, its my only fantasy army and I have had it for 12 years through 3 different books.


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## Grik (Jul 28, 2008)

asianavatar said:


> Grik beat me to it, but I can still help out if you need an extra person, its my only fantasy army and I have had it for 12 years through 3 different books.


Same story here mate. :biggrin:
Shoot me what you come up with and I'll compile it with mine and we'll make one badass Army Description.


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## LukeValantine (Dec 2, 2008)

idiots don't you know your geometry. I'm a lizard my head will alwayys grow back"


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## Grik (Jul 28, 2008)

LukeValantine said:


> idiots don't you know your geometry. I'm a lizard my head will alwayys grow back"


Ummm, ok then. Good for you I guess.

Anyway I'll be making the finishing touches to this today at work Squeek. I'll shoot it off to you in a PM when I get home tonight. k:


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

This is now done thanks to Grik and asianavatar and up in the stickied thread.


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