Recently I tried expanding my 1500pts list to 2k by adding a carnosaur. I proxied it, but it's just too many points in a very non-manoeverable basket for me to field in 2k. Model rocks, rules dont. So I had a think, and decided on the steg instead.

That gave me some points as well, so I added a FSoD & 4th mark of tepok (later combined into a priest with diadem), a salamander & huanchi's totem too. Here's the list.

HEROES

Saurus Scar-Veteran 189pts
Light Armour, Quetzl, Tepok, BSB, HUANCHI's blessed totem

Saurus Scar-Veteran 148pts
Great Weapon, Light Armour, Shield, Quetzl, Tepok, Charm of the Jaguar Warrior

Skink Priest 150pts
level 2, scout, quetzl, diadem of power


UNITS

10 x Skink Skirmishers 75pts
Blowpipes, scout, Quetzl

10 x Skink Skirmishers 65pts
Javelins & Shields, Quetzl

10 x Skink Skirmishers 65pts
Javelins & Shields, Quetzl

19 x Saurus Warriors 288pts
Full Command, Quetzl,

19 x Saurus Warriors 300pts
Champion, Quetzl, Tepok

3 x Kroxigor 174pts

3 x Terradons 105pts

3 x Salamanders 195pts

1 x Stegadon 235pts

Total = 1990pts
Power Dice = 4 (+/- 2 from diadem)
Dispel Dice = 6 (+/- 2 from diadem)

The priest with diadem was suggested over a FSoD, and I decided to replace it. It allows me to have 8 dispel dice for early stages of a game, and then later, when all enemy mages are dead, and it's the last two turns, I suddenly have 6 power dice to fling some death magic around. The flexibility is what I like, so I never look like a fool spending tons of points on scrolls only to go against the ever present caddy army.

I've found that having the JSoD as the general works best, beacause only the fast stuff (terras, sallies, skinks) need his leadership, and as i generally refuse a flank with this army, that's exactly who he's nearby. The saurus, kroxigor and stegadon get the BSB, and everyone's happy. (BSB can also pop out and join the kroxigors or whoever for a magic huanchi flank charge).

Apart from that, the army is pretty obvious. Saurus blocks & BSB catch hold of the enemy, disruptions removes any nasty threats, everyone converges to crush opposition. It's worked at 1500, do you think it will work at 2k?

Steg's a good choice: my personal advice is to run him close to a Saurus rank, as his terror radius is pretty damn large, and he always works best in conjunction with rank bonuses. Plus a BSB re-roll/general's leadership on his test makes him near-unshiftable.

Second: I can't help but feel you're burning some points unnecessarily. Huanchi's totem probably won't get much use - some games it could be great, but most games I don't reckon you'll be able to use it, as Saurii are too cumbersome for quick strikes - if that one unit races off ahead of the rest of the line, it'll be isolated and vulnerable. Try to see if you can scrounge up some points for a new unit instead (I'm looking at that scouting upgrade on the priest) - even if you can add just another unit of skinks, numbers are important - right now, this is hardly bigger than your 1.5K. I've got a Slann list which is more numerous.

In fact, that's exactly what I'd recommend: another unit of skinks. Quetzl skinks rock, because they have 4+ saves in cc, so pose a threat to enemy light troops in combat: if you could stick in another ten with javs/shields, then that would make your army quite a lot better, as the enemy would have forty annoying mini-lizards to deal with at the same time as trying to prevent your Saurii from marching upfield and walking all over them. Alternatively, consider bulking out the Saurus units a bit: at 19-strong each, they only need minimal casualties from shooting to start losing ranks. If you go with the "many skinks" approach, then you have screens to stop that from happening, but just making the units bigger is perhaps more surefire - I'm testing a list right now with units of 25 Saurii, to address that very problem. You might want to consider it. However, skinks will be cheaper, and you don't have that many points to spare - my current inclination would be for more skinks.

That's a good plan. 40pts, plus the 10 I have leftover, plus 10 from losing scout on the priest (it was there from the FSoD) gives 60pts. I'd have to lose the musician from the other saurus unit though, gives me 66pts for 10 jav skinks with quetzl (65pts).

I'll certainly aim for that, though I fear with the GCSEs coming up it may be pushed aside. Shouldn't be too hard though, only other things to paint are the steg and a sallie. Got a nice couple months too. :P

Xar: An interesting list. Good to see the Quetzle things being pulled out. Its sort of a shame you aren't taking advantage of death on the Priests. You could quite easily run 6 PD and have a fairly decent magic phase chucking out MMs left right and cnetre. Although to do so you would need some fairly major changes.

The Banner of Huanchi:
I am going to disagree with Chili here and say keep it. Saurii are slow, cumbersome, and generally fairly unable to get into CC at the best of times. I see the banner working like a cross between a extra burst of speed and the Icon of Rakaph of a unit of Tomb Guard. One of the ways they could fix Saurii is to allow one unit to take magic banner - which is actually an idea I have for chili to think about. The Banner I see as this lists saving grace from mediochrity. Without it the list is too simple and mono directonal. It just comes, slowly forward without the weight of numbers in Saurii to truely grind. Your list offers no incentive to the enemy to rush at you, so you can exp[ect the Saurii units to be 1-2 ranks down, andf the BSB spiked on the end of a Lance or some meet other grizzly end. Enemy infantry, especially faster infantry will position themselves just out of your charge range, so will enemy Cavalry. This Banner offers you the chance to take the advantage and jump in to combat, but charging rather then recieving. It also allws you to take out things like Dragons which get a bit coy and land right behind your lines, giving you the MVPs early. If you deployed that list in front of me I would make the assumption, quite rihtly thats it slow, and lacks magic, and shooting once the Sallies are gone. I would focus on the Sallies and the Steg first and strand the Saurii. I would get around behind and to the ideas of the Saurii and cause a mess. However, this banner changes that, but I don't know it. It gives you tthe ability to completely balls up your opponents plans by taking him off guard. I see your Saurii working in tandem. ne is guard then other is offense. The BSB's unit is the offense. It comes at you and uses its banner to get you off guard (assume, for the moment, that we are still going forward and not turning around) The other Saurii unit should then move up, guarding its flank. It can't get in to combat, but ti can protect the units open flank and face down the nit it was facing before. Now if you equip this unit with spears it makes an awful lot of attacks, with a 4+ save when it gets charged! You see what I'm getting at./ More skinks won't help you really. You have enough to do the tasks at hand, more units will just clutter the board. However this banner allows you to play your weakness off as a hidden strength. I think the banner has real merrit and must be kept.

It might be a one trick pony, but thats what tournies are about, so you deffinitely wanna keep that banner!

Any way, I'll probably be banned soon, so best for you to email me at rasputinii@gmail.com if you have any more questions or what have you. I'll look in on this thread though, probably email you if something needs saying :lol:.

Harry

Ah, that had me chuckling for a while.

I do like death magic, and that was one of the factors that influenced my decision to quetzl up the list. I can get 6 power dice through the diadem, at the expense of dispel dice, but at least the option is there. There are 4 good spells that my skink priest can get (doom and darkness is too hard, death dealer sucks), and being able to swap one for dark hand, there's only about a 1/6 chance of me not getting 2 of the good ones, so the lack of spells shouldn't be a problem.

Are you advocating spears then? I used to take spears, against everyone's advice, because I had that item that allowed them all to go first if they overran into me. That went to make room for quetzl, so the spears went too.

I'd have to find the points somewhere too. I dunno; now that I have the 3+ save, I don't want to lose it - not that I have to use the spears, but that would waste 40pts then. 40pts I don't have. Would the guard unit still work as it is now?

To be honest, I'm more inclined to go with huanchi banner just to avoid painting more skinks :lol:

Any ideas for the last 20pts, assuming I drop scout on the priest too? Should I bother filling up the command from the BSBs unit? Even though another standard is redundant, unless of course the BSB gets skewered.

Feel free to email me a reply Harry, if you get bannned and can't be bothered to make a new email and account. :P