Battle Report - The new Lizardmen book in action

1/31 @ Plastic Legions HQ The Empire Vs Lizardmen 2250 points


Got my first game in against the new Lizardmen list today. While the book isn't officially released until next Saturday, all GW stores have preview copies of it by now, so the changes are public.Steve from Oden's tales came by today and we got down to business. We considered this practice for Adepticon bringing similar lists we'd run. We also used one the older primer scenarios and only used 6 feet of the 8 foot table.

Lizardmen
*Slann- level 4 Wizard, BSB, 1 Lore, Diadem, Dispel
*1 Skink Chief - Ancient Stegadon, Lance
*2- Saurus Scar Veterans
*20 Temple Guard- Full Command , Halberds
*10 Skinks x2
*17 Saurus Warriors X2 - Spears, HW & Shield
*3 Terradons
*9 Chameleon Skinks
*2 Salamander Hunting Packs

( since we were both using a decent amount of unpainted models this time around
I didn'take too many pics, here's the obligatory shot of the big toad and some nicely painted salamanders)

The Empire

*General of the Empire- Mounted, Holy Relic + Rod of Command
* Battle Wizard- Lore of Fire, Level 1, Fireball-Dispel Scroll- Wizard's Staff
* Captain of the Empire-Mounted- Battle Standard Bearer- Imperial Standard
* Warrior Priest- Great Weapon- AoMI- Icon of Magnus
* 24 Empire Swordsmen- Full Command, Warbanner
Detachment: 9 Free Company
Detachment 9 Free Company
* 10 Handgunners- Marksman- HLR
* 5 Knightly Orders- Musician,Great Weapons
* 10 Knightly Orders- Full Command Lance and Shield
* 20 Flagellants
* Great Cannon x2
* 19 Greatswords- Full Command
Detachment: 9 Empire Swordsmen
* 5 Pistoliers- Champion, Musician


Deployment




Turn 1

Steve won the first turn and advanced his troops cautiously, with the exception of his fast flankers ( Salamanders and Terradons) who moved full speed ahead. The magic phase for the Slann was less painful than it used to be, but still difficult. While only having "only" 6 power die, the Slann knows all the spells from one lore, in this case Death, and gets an free die on the cast making the numbers I need to dispel high enough that on average I need all 4 of my dispel dice and luck to get rid of just one spell. Turn 1 -I fight off creeping death and pit of shades on my knight block, using my one scroll and only losing two of ten models. The shooting phase is ok, as steve moved his scouts and couldn't shoot and the Sallies were too far away.

On my turn...I march everyone full steam ahead in the line..my Pistoliers form up behind the chameleons..stupidly I forget how hard it will be to shoot them and should have lined up on the terradons...needing "6"s and 7"s to hit..I come up empty...my Wizard, thanks to the Wizards staff can throw a 3 dice fireball but its easily dispelled by the Toad..who laughs telling me I brought a knife to a gun fight in the magic phase even with the toned down Slann. I do get lucky with my cannons and take out the Salamanders who's crew fails its panic test and flees off the board. nice break for me but we didn't get to see how they played and I definitely should put those cannons on the Ancient Stegadon.

Turn 2

Steve charges the Ancient Stegadon at my Knights who Flee and roll a "18" to escape moving them way farther away then I'd like..this lets the Steggie redirect into my Flagellants who take the charge with glee. The rest of steve troops move cautiously ahead with the exceptions of the Terradons who do their new Fly over attack (ala Chaos Screamers) on one of my detachments (killing 3 models) parking themselves within charge range of my nearest cannon, out of range of Grapeshot, but well in range of my Handgunners sitting on the hill between both cannons. In the Magic Phase...hurts too do ok this time Pit of Shades and hits my Swordsmen block and I only lose 3 or 4 models. but the Slann can see my BSB who is behind my lines but there is just enough of a corner that with the Slann being a large target he can see him...he takes creeping death which will kill just about any solo model with out a ward save, he goes with his 100 point banner. Shooting is also painful as the chameleonns poison blowpipes with multiple shots blow my pistoliers off the table. The charge from the Ancient steggy is equally brutal..with the big spear...the impact hit alone wipe out near half the block of Flagellant a couple more normal attacks and I lose 13 models on the charge.

On my turn, I charge my 5 knights with great weapons into the rear of the Stegadon hoping I can get a decent combat res by attacking the crew. I need to rally my 8 Knights who can really help out with steggie next turn if my Flagellants and knights can hold him another turn. I am within range of my General so with musician I need a "10" to rally, I roll and '11" and my Knights run right off the board right thru my Handgunners who need a "7" to stick I roll a "9" and they also run of the board. If that not bad enough my Wizard MISCASTs and takes wound. In the shooting phase one of my cannons overshoots and the other one MISFIRES with a malfunction.
Then following this pattern of disaster my knights miss every single attack against the steggie, break and run...leaving 1 Flagellant remaining holding up the beast.

This was single handedly one of the worst, potentially the worst turn I've ever had playing Warhammer. Failing a 10 rally check running off the board, through another full unit (That I needed badly) who also fails and runs of the table. Then miscasting, Then misfire a key cannon shot, then missing all the attacks on charge and then failing my break and run. This fluky shit kind of skews the game and as far as seeing how the new lizard list plays- but so it goes.


Turn 3

Terradons charge my cannon and boths unit of Saurus Warrior charge One charges my Detachment on my right who stick and take it, while the other unit charges my General and his swordsmen and the left sided detachment countercharges. My General and company eat up the
Saurus who get run down and I overun right into some ranked skinks who will also die.The other Saurus block goes right thru my detachment and rolls ahead on a long overurn. I take some causalties in the magic phase but nothing major...the Chamelons shoot my detachment but I save them off. IN Close combat the Steggy eats up the last flagellant. Terradons kill my one cannon and crew and fly off the table.

On my turn my Greatswords looking for someone to engage do an about face, the same with my General and swordsmen..My surviving detachment had overrun and rear charged a unit of ranked skinks who had captured the scenario objective last turn. My Greatsword Detachment turns and faces the chameleons hoping to engage. My Fleeing Knights fail to rally on "9" this time and run off the board. 423 points of Empire Knights Fled off the table and inflict zero hits in the entire game. My magic attempt is easilydispelled and my remaining cannon (Now my only shooting) clears its malfunction and can fire next turn.

Turn 4

The Ancient Steggie charges my Cannon...alas it won't fire again this game. The Slann and the Temple Guard reform up to face off with my General. Terradons come back on the board..Steves remaining unit of Saurus are in my backfield from the long overrun. Magic and Shooting I do ok...my swordsmen are holding off the death spells with only minor losses and the Chamelons can't hit my Swordsmen detachment. My other detachment has rear charge some rank skinked, despite the +2 on the rear this combat is a draw for the next 4 close combat phases until finally two free company prevail but you need to be US 5 to grab the objective so it's for naught. My

cannon crew fails it terror check from the Stegadon and run off the board..the steggie spikes my cannon and stops, no more Empire shooting my swordsmen detachment charges the chameleons who flee thru some woods and get aways.I move my greatswords acroos the center of the board toward the Slann and my General and Swordsmen who are headed toward the Slann and move that way, as I mention the one little combat continues to draw and nothing much else happened

Turn 5

The Terradons charge my swordsmen detachment in the rear.Steve's Slann and Temple guard move within charge range of the my General the Stegadon does an about face and moves toward the on coming combat..everyone else is out of it at this point. the attrition continues to my Swordsmen block from magic..The terradons wiff on their attacks and my Swordsmen win combat allowing to change frontage but the terradons hold.

I feel I'm still out of range to move to charge the Slann so I move up and I was 9 inches away. the Greatswords position to try to get into the Slanns flank in turn 6..the Stegadon is between my Greatswords and the Slann. My Swordsmen detachment beats the terradons in close combat but the remaining models gets away..I forget what happened to the Chameleons either they failed to rally and ran off the board or moved off to claim a table quarter.

Turn 6

The Slann and Temple guard charge my General and Swordsmen. In the magic phase Steve uses "unseen lurker" to move the Stegadon into my Generals flank (just like the VC Danse spell)..I fail to dispel..I am going to get Slaughtered but have an ace up my sleeve. As expected after the Steggies impact hits and the charge from the Temple Guards Halberds my Swordsmen are about decimated except for my General, musician and Standard Bearer..I am facing insane courage..however my General has the Rod of Command which , one use only alows me to pass any break test. This is a great suprise to Steve and it will allow my full unit of Greatswords with a warrior priest to slam into the Slann Flank at the bottom of six...it looks like it could be close.

With my Greatswords in the Flank (Barely, an 1/2 inch more I would have made it, and clearly could have charged the read of the steggie, but the Temple Guard's flank was way more productive. Anyway I need to kill 11 models or get %50 of the points for the Temple Guard and I only Kill 9...I win combat by alot however my General Stands alone and took 1 wound on that side.my Greatsword remain untouched on the flank..anyway with Stubborn leadership the Slann passes and the Game Ends. Since I could break the Slann without crazy luck in one turn or him failing a Stubborn 10 , twice (Slann is also the BSB) ...I lost by 800 or so points with a pair
of Table Quarters to him Steve won by 1000 or a Solid Victory, and I narrowly avoid getting massacred. As far the scenario went no one got the objective.


Notes: A great game..I had been taking the rod of command for the last few games and its never came into play, Turn 6 here illustrates why it is awesome..against a lesser unit than the Slann and his Temple Guard..it could have won me the game...Steve is a Veteran Lizard player at this point and he is lukewarm on the new book. The Ancient Stegadon was awesome (and he never had to use the blowpipes)..without nailing it withcannon balls on the first two turns.. there is little the Empire can do against it, before other units get in and take out the cannons that horrible luck I had in the bottom of 2 skewed the game a bit, I think the new Lizards are a great well rounded army..better in close combat that before they now have some added flexibility. Thumbs up from me. We will see how they do in the meta-game...but Lizards are definitely an army I would seriously considering playing!..Thanks to Steve for coming by and showing me the ropes.