SLANN MAGE-Priest
A big ugly toad. Okay, actually it's one of my favourite models in the new range,
and I'm the sort who will go out and buy a model for that reason alone. But
how good is it, REALLY?
If you want a mage who casts spells better than the rest, who can take some
damage, who can actually lead your troops, well, this guy is
for you. Let's face it, it doesn't get much better than a general who lets his
troops test on a Cold-Blooded Leadership of 9 with a re-roll for Break tests
(is there anyone who wouldn't pay the extra 25 points to give him the army standard?
I mean really...). And magic? This bad boy's got it. Automatically a Level 4
mage, a Slann is more than just that... he's got +1 to cast AND dispel, AND
he gets to choose his spells from multiple lists. What could be better? Oh yeah
that's right, you can make him better by upgrading him to an older generation.
In addition to his leadership and magic abilities, a Slann is a survivor. One of the real weaknesses of most powerful casters from other armies is that they can be taken out of action rather easily — hit a High Elf Archmage using a hero with a magic weapon and watch him go bye-bye fast. 6 Wounds to start (you can increase this by upgrading him to an older Spawning), a respectable Toughness of 5, and a 4+ Ward Save all help ensure that unlike other powerful wizards, a Slann Mage-Priest is going to stay on the table a while.
Okay, he's good, but everyone's got a weakness, right? The biggest drawback to a Slann Mage-Priest is his cost. He's 325 points naked (we might as well count him as 350 points because we'll be taking one of those nice army standards as well), and he just gets more expensive as you make him older. Is he worth the points? Certainly. However, paying 350+ points for a mage pretty much shifts the focus of your army in that direction. And that exposes the other drawback of a Slann Mage-Priest: while he can take a lot of punishment, he's really not that great in a fight. First of all if he's in a unit, he won't be in the fighting rank (it's one of their special rules — the lesser races protect them), and even if he was, his 1 Strength 3 attack isn't going to do much. So if the focus of your army is magic, he's great, but if it's not, he's a lot of points that are probably best spent elsewhere.
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