My First Army HELP PLEASE!

[Lunarrayne]

So I am trying to put a list together for my first army so i can buy everything i need. I have narrowed down the field alot and am just trying to choose which army to go with using some of the "This looks cool" method but id like to know before buying and finding out the hard way if some of it is good. so heres where i am at.

FYI i like big models

Dark Eleves :

Lords and heros:
Supreme Sorc
Morathi
Malekith, Witch King on Black Dragon
Dreadlord on Black Dragon

Core:
Witch Elves
Dreadspears/Darkshards

Special:
Kharibdyss/War hydra
Reaper Bolt Thrower
Cold one Knights
Executioners

Rare:
BloodWrack Shrine


Lizardmed:

Lords and Heros:
Is there any other ones besides Slann mage preist thats worth taking?

Core:
not much options here but can you get away with just saurus warriors i dont care for skinks much

Special:
Bastiladon
stegadon
terradon/ripperdactyl these look really fun.

Rare:
Carnosaur/Troglodon
hunting packs seen them in some list so im guessing they are not terrible.

last but not least Dwarfs:

Lords and Heros:
so many options none really stand out other then the White Dwarf and maybe High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer so any advice on what would work with the type of army id like to play with them would be awsome.

Core:
Was thinking lots of Thunderers/Quarrellers/Rangers with some warriors to protect them I wanna go super shooty with the idea of getting alot of their stuff down so when it gets to me there isnt as much try and fight.

Special:
Like i said mostly shooty so probs lots of Grudge throwers and Bolt Throwers maybe some Slayers and Hammerers to help with when they get to me.

Rare:
Just finish up the fire power here with Cannons and Organ guns maybe a gyrocopter for giggles

that about sums it up any advice would be great.

[ElectricPaladin]

Of the armies you are considering, I once considered playing Dark Elves (went with Vampire Counts instead) and currently play Lizardmen. I can tell you that Lizardmen are a lot of fun with giant monsters, but that isn't the most competitive list. If you want to play hard and kill everything with your giant monsters... honestly, I don't think that's anyone's most competitive list.

That said, I think Lizardmen love their giant monsters more than Dark Elves do. A Lizardman army can include lizardmen (basically a kind of monster/critter), some of whom ride on cold ones (cavalry rules, but look at those gorgeous monsters!), others of whom ride on stegadons (monsters), or carnosaurs (monsters), or bastilidons (beautiful, beautiful monsters). You can go troglodon (crappy, but potentially fun, and a beautiful kit). You can have terradons or ripperdactyls (light cavalry in game terms, but they look like they're riding monsters).

I think if you like giant dino-monsters, lizardmen are the way to go. Even considering that the best lists are just clouds of Skinks, you can probably still include one or two of the things listed above and still do well enough to have fun. You can probably include more of them and do reasonably well, provided your opponents are also playing fun lists, rather than cut-throat lists.

Compared to the Dark Elves, where you might have some cold ones, a dragon, and some hydras? Lizardmen win.

Finally, I'd seriously consider both some oldbloods and some Skink leaders. It's true that Slann are really great and totally worth it, but the Lizardmen have some great Lords and Heroes options that aren't Slann.

[Lunarrayne]

Of the armies you are considering, I once considered playing Dark Elves (went with Vampire Counts instead) and currently play Lizardmen. I can tell you that Lizardmen are a lot of fun with giant monsters, but that isn't the most competitive list. If you want to play hard and kill everything with your giant monsters... honestly, I don't think that's anyone's most competitive list.

That said, I think Lizardmen love their giant monsters more than Dark Elves do. A Lizardman army can include lizardmen (basically a kind of monster/critter), some of whom ride on cold ones (monstrous cavalry), others of whom ride on stegadons (monsters), or carnosaurs (monsters), or bastilidons (beautiful, beautiful monsters). You can go troglodon (crappy, but potentially fun, and a beautiful kit). You can have terradons or ripperdactyls (light cavalry in game terms, but they look like they're riding monsters).

I think if you like giant dino-monsters, lizardmen are the way to go. Even considering that the best lists are just clouds of Skinks, you can probably still include one or two of the things listed above and still do well enough to have fun. You can probably include more of them and do reasonably well, provided your opponents are also playing fun lists, rather than cut-throat lists.

Compared to the Dark Elves, where you might have some cold ones, a dragon, and some hydras? Lizardmen win.

Finally, I'd seriously consider both some oldbloods and some Skink leaders. It's true that Slann are really great and totally worth it, but the Lizardmen have some great Lords and Heroes options that aren't Slann.

Its not so much that i love the big dinos those are just the more detailed models so they are alot more fun to paint i really just want a rounded list thats competitive and isnt hundreds of sinks or something like that i like seeing more then the same units alot. that being said im leaning on dwarfs right now i just need to figure out if they can play lots of shooty stuff and still run enough melee to defend when they get close

[ElectricPaladin]

Its not so much that i love the big dinos those are just the more detailed models so they are alot more fun to paint i really just want a rounded list thats competitive and isnt hundreds of sinks or something like that i like seeing more then the same units alot. that being said im leaning on dwarfs right now i just need to figure out if they can play lots of shooty stuff and still run enough melee to defend when they get close

I don't know much about Dwarves, but yes, that's how they play. You do have to accept that you are completely missing out on the Magic phase, though. For some, that's a hard nut to swallow.

[Chronowraith]

I don't know much about Dwarves, but yes, that's how they play. You do have to accept that you are completely missing out on the Magic phase, though. For some, that's a hard nut to swallow.

Be wary of Dwarfs though as current rumors put their new arm book out in early 2014. If previous army books are any indication even dwarfs will see a points increase to ranged units that may make them less competitive. So if you want to play Dwarfs, that's great, but I'd only buy as much as you have to in order to learn the game and how the army works... because in a few months time they may play completely different.

As far as Lizardmen, EP hit most of the high points there. I would say that a competitive list will almost always have some skinks in them though. They are cheap and are the best redirect/drop units in the book due to their points/damage ratio. As far as characters, the only characters who aren't worth taking in the Lizardmen book are the skink chieftains. There really isn't any reason to take them. Slann are good but you don't have to take one to have a competitive list because Oldblood + Carnosaur are awfully competitive too depending on how they are used.

[ElectricPaladin]

An additional trend in army books has this far been that they're really good, though, so I wouldn't worry.


As far as characters, the only characters who aren't worth taking in the Lizardmen book are the skink chieftains. There really isn't any reason to take them. Slann are good but you don't have to take one to have a competitive list because Oldblood + Carnosaur are awfully competitive too depending on how they are used.

I dunno... put one on a stegadon. BS 5 on the giant bow ain't bad. As an upgrade for the stegadon, 40 points isn't TOO steep.

[Lunarrayne]

Be wary of Dwarfs though as current rumors put their new arm book out in early 2014. If previous army books are any indication even dwarfs will see a points increase to ranged units that may make them less competitive. So if you want to play Dwarfs, that's great, but I'd only buy as much as you have to in order to learn the game and how the army works... because in a few months time they may play completely different.

As far as Lizardmen, EP hit most of the high points there. I would say that a competitive list will almost always have some skinks in them though. They are cheap and are the best redirect/drop units in the book due to their points/damage ratio. As far as characters, the only characters who aren't worth taking in the Lizardmen book are the skink chieftains. There really isn't any reason to take them. Slann are good but you don't have to take one to have a competitive list because Oldblood + Carnosaur are awfully competitive too depending on how they are used.

okay i think i am prob going to go with lizard men then sadly my gaming store has no one playing them and they dont have anything in stock so i wont be able to read through the book is there anyone that could help me hash out a list to play and what to buy maybe over like skype or something?

[ElectricPaladin]

okay i think i am prob going to go with lizard men then sadly my gaming store has no one playing them and they dont have anything in stock so i wont be able to read through the book is there anyone that could help me hash out a list to play and what to buy maybe over like skype or something?

The thing about Lizardmen is that there really isn't anything that's bad. The Battalion is a good place to start: that gives you some cold one riders, some saurus, some temple guard, and some skinks. You will want to add some more infantry pretty quickly - another box or two of saurus and skinks. You'll want to make some Skinks with javelins and shields and some with blowpipes.

By the time you've gotten all of that assembled and played with it a few times, you should have some idea of what you like and what you don't. Really dig magic and want your Skink priests to contribute more? Get a stegadon kit and assemble it with an engine of the gods (or, better yet, magnetize it). Like your Skink shooting? Get some more Skinks, and also some chameleon skinks, and also some salamanders (kind of like skinks, except with a living flamethrower monster in the unit). Also some dactyl riders (take your pick).

And frankly, any and all of the monsters are great additions to your army. Just get the one you like the look of. Stegadon? Bastilidon? Carnosaur? All of them are great once you've learned how to use them. The only one I'd steer clear of is the troglodon, which just doesn't deliver on its promise. To expensive, pillowfisted, interesting side-benefits that just make it a target, but without the durability to take the heat.

The thing I'm trying to say - and not really making clear until now - is that the Lizardmen function really well as a combined arms sort of army. You practically cannot go wrong, no matter what you buy. Skink stuff plays well with saurus stuff. The cavalry plays well with the infantry (it has to - unlike some armies we don't have any Core cavalry options). The magic plays well with everything. It's a very modular army. Get what you like, learn how to use it, love it, enjoy it, and let that guide your future choices.

If you just want to dump a ton of money on the army right now? Buy the battalion plus one of everything except the special characters and two of anything you like the look of (that isn't a super-expensive monster, because you will never use, say, two carnosaurs in your list). Then you'll be ready for anything.