At your command, Lizardmen armies have the ability to summon a unit of vicious Feral Cold Ones to run amok amongst an unexpecting enemy. Lastly, given the slow speed of many Saurus units and Lizardmen monsters, the forces of Lustria need to find inventive ways to get around enemy lines and disrupt ranged units. While losing control of a unit in the middle of a fierce melee may not alter the outcome of a battle, you’ll need to be careful to manage your approach to battle to ensure that rampage doesn’t kick in before the right positioning can be achieved.

This explosive fury is best understood as routing in reverse: you will lose control of the rampaging unit, but instead of fleeing it will pile into the nearest enemy and keep fighting until it falls or rallies. However, even the most loyal of Lizardmen may be overcome by their Primal Instincts, causing them to rampage when their hit points drop to lower than 50% of their base. The Lizardmen Legendary Lords have high leadership over their troops, making units less likely to rout.

If there are no hills around, try to position your troops by any shallow water you can see, giving them an extra line of defence against the enemy. Where the enemy will be hindered by the mud, Skinks can happily rush through, giving them a large advantage in melee. The smaller units in the Lizardmen roster, as well as the giant ones, have the advantage in shallow water as it doesn’t bog them down. They have access to the Stalk ability which allows them to move concealed in any terrain, are resistant to ranged fire, and have a poison attack that weakens enemy speed and damage – the perfect way to soften a foe before your forces meet.

Skink Skirmishers and Chameleon Skinks both have vanguard deployment: if you have some Chameleon Skinks in your army, try deploying them closer to where the enemy will advance. Flying Terradon Riders also make great flankers, and their powerful rock-dropping can devastate massed enemy infantry. To the sides, try placing some Cold One riders in preparation to flank any enemy that might be giving your slower frontline trouble. Saurus also have Predatory Senses, allowing them to sense when hidden prey are close by particularly useful when fighting against Skaven. The best practice is to place them at the front of your army, forming a formidable defensive line of protection. The various breeds of Saurus – from Warriors through to Temple Guard – are formidable frontline fighters that match most foes to the death (even if they do go feral along the way).

Total war warhammer 2 skinks