(I looked for a similar recent thread and found nothing) Can we talk TG kit-outs? I need to get into the habit of actually writing thought-out army lists instead of last minute let's-have-a-game lists. Looking at TG for an army with a Slann in it, my thought is a Champion with the ASF magic weapon for challenges and a Razor standard bearer to give the whole unit AP attacks. I guess this kind of thing is if you want to have a solid Saurus battle-line with the TG and Slann marching up the center. Are TG bunkers worth tricking out, or are they too valuable with a Slann in them to blob them up so much? Is there any way to give the whole unit a decent magic res. save?
Well, i shouldn't take a magic weapon! You don't have the +1 strength because of the halberd! So 3 asf attacks with S4 isn't that good, if you want to take a magic weapon take a cheap weapon like a warriorbane!
You can take the Lichebone Pendant as your magic banner for Magic resistance. Besides that there isn't much you can do that I know of. I think the Razor Standard is pretty common. I've used it a few times and it always pleases me. Definitely worth its points against some tougher units like cavalry or WoC. Other than that I find the War Banner handy. The new book nerfed our TG item options pretty bad. The Champ used to be able to take a magic item, not just a weapon. Kinda sad. But yes, ASF is handy on the Champ indee. Just remember that he is no longer Strength 5 if you give him a magic weapon BUT he will have a better armor save since he can use his shield now. If having access to a magic weapon for the sake of it being magic is your concern, I'd stick with the Sword of Might. Gives a model with 3 attacks at WS4, S5, 3 Attacks, and a 3+ save. Poor mans Scar-Veteran. He'll probably die in a challenge against anything substantial unless he's buffed. I don't always go all out on the unit. I'm perfectly content bringing them with no upgrades. Whether you trick them out is your personal preference.
If I committed to buying a 25 point magic weapon for my Revered Guardian, I'd probably either take a Life Slann or take a High Slann and swap out a bunch of Life spells till I get Regrowth. The champion always gets resurrected first.
Every MR a character has is applied to his unit too. Give your Slann any kind of obsidian and you got MR for your TG.
My favourite Templeguard units is the next: Cheap Slann below 340 points. Oldblood below 160 points. Templeguard as much you want to expend. Then you have your deathstar ready to rock. Standard options: - Razor Standard: Is the most common and it is always worthy if you dont care to engage your Temple guard. (My Slann only leaves his temple for swiming in blood, their guards fills the pool). Do not take if you are afraid of engage your 600+ point unit... (then why you fielded it) - Standard of Discipline: One of the better standards Lizardman could field. You should take it if facing against Vampire Counts or anything that kills based on Leadership. - Standard of the eternal flame: Situational. The way to kill pesky regenartion units as trolls, chimeras and so on. It has only a flaw. Cheap and awesome magic items as dragon helm or dragonbane gem can make the enemy characters near immortal against your unit. So think it twice before you field it. - Standard of swiftness: This could be part of a nice combo if your slann is the BSB. Fielded alone its nice to have 1" extra. Will be useful against gunlines. - Lichebone pennant: 6+ ward against magic its always good for such low points. 5+ within the bubble of EOTG its better. But i think other options are better. - Jaguar Standard: If you are going agressive in the game, you should take this standard. You can try a long range charge before your enemy could set up their units in order to countercharge you in next turn. Awesome with High Magic. - Other Standars: well i dont have the BRB now so... may be i forget someone useful. Champion's magic weapon: -5 point magic weapon: A must have if you are facing ethereals. To at least deliver some wounds + static CR. - Sword of armor piercing: cheap and nice if you have not the razor standard. Good in challenges. - Sword of initiative 10: cheaper than ASF sword. Still cheap for ethereal purpose, Anyway I should buy it for a saurus character. - Sword of +1S or +1A: It's a champion, he should die for the greater good in a overwhelming challenge. I should stick those sword to skink chiefs (+1S) or scarvet (+1A). But if you have neither or not planning to attach them magic weapons, they are good, but expensive. - Sword of ASF: as mentioned above, better in a saurus lord/hero. 3 ASF S4 attacks wont boost your CR so its wasted here, in my opinion. You could use the I10 sword instead, and is cheaper. I dont know how much cost the antiheros sword (+1S +1A per b2b character with the wielder) if its 25 or below this would be the better sword if you really want your champion to kick ass. If your champion is tooled up you should want him to survive, so if you get challenged by a lesser threat, you could even accept with your slann in order to get your champion able to fight the unit and give CR. (the slann need to do some sport, the doctor said so) Hero/Lord magic items: - Ironcurse icon: maybe the best item to protect your templeguard. 5 points and you could save some guys . - Magic Resistance items/rules: Nice protection if you are facing direct damage/magic missiles. Otherwise magic could do harm without any saves. You know, the good wizard is the dead one. I would spend more points in some way to kill the wizards than protection. (for this purpose you should be fine with the scroll /+ cube /+ becalming cogitation) - Torch against flyers: May it sound stupid, but it isn't. Your templeguard can be just slaughtered by some nasty combination of flyers like WoC. Demon Prince + Chimera's + Flying mount/Tzench disc hero. You cant survive against that, no matter how tooled up is your templeguard. All those attacks + 2 Thunderstomp. This item is the way to minimize the damage, it force rerolling to success wounds done by flyers against bearer and his unit. - Crown of command: No slann but want your elite infantry have a day on the field without their master. You still can. You also gain 2 supporting attacks by not carrying the big toad on the second rank. You can also for the points of the slann get a Oldblood badass and a BSB with Skavenpelt. - Other Tricster Shard: your hero is in challenge? well you can still try to bash those pesky ward save users, you only have to be b2b contact with the bearer of the OTS. Maybe there are more items to choose but I cant remember them all, sorry. Now we all know the typical Deathstar with Skavenpelt + razor. But there's another good combination that may the enemy cant avoid . Standard of Swiftness (optional) + Jaguar Standard + Hand of Glory boosting Movement: Lets see its outcome with the whole combination: Turn 1 you move forward 8" (not 10") to the enemy lines. And cast on your temple guard hand of glory, spell that your foe may not dispell since in turn 1 s/he doesnt expect that unit to be on close combat, so he thinks is a waste. Then you boost the movement (you choose what stat after the spell is casted). Turn2: The spell is still active until your next magic phase so your Move is varies from 6(skink/MI move) to 7 or 8 (cavalry move). So now you could be able to deal an unexpected charge 3d6 remove lower with your deathstar in second turn. You are not afraid of failing as your unit wont get in a bad situation and your slann can cast spells in magic phase. If the charge is successful you can move some chaff in order to prevent counter charges if you think the templeguard wont break the engaged unit. In the magic phase now the Hand of Glory will be a must dispel. So you could be able to cast Walk Between Worlds to another key unit to just tear appart your enemy battle plans. Or even a fiery convocation through vassal on a counter charge unit who could provide the flank charge in next turn. It could result in 2 units of the middle section of the enemy army doomed in turn 2 and you can also break them and have your deathstar in their rear and the rest of the army in their front.
a cheap 5 point magic sword on the champ will pay for itself the first time spirit hose hold your death star up...