Lizardmen

Lizardmen
Home Plane	Arcanus
Citizens
	2,; 0.5
	2
Population; Growth	+10 people per turn.
Units
Standard
Racial
Buildings

	Description Problem
	This part of the game is working correctly, but has an incorrect or incomplete in-game description for at least one game version. Please read the The Building Chart section below for details.

The Lizardmen race is one of the 14 different humanoid Races found in the world of Master of Magic. Lizardmen originate from the plane of Arcanus.

Despite being the most primitive creatures on either plane, these fast-breeding, amphibious reptiles may qualify for a long career of expansion and conquest. They make a particularly strong choice for a world of small landmasses.

Lizardmen produce hardy, +1 Hit and +1 Defense per Figure troops that can traverse ocean tiles. For these gifts they still only pay baseline Production Costs for generic troops, and both of the Lizardmen racial units have reasonable town structure requirements.

Yet Lizardmen are also the only race that cannot build Foresters' Guilds or even Sawmills and Miners' Guilds. This mixed curse keeps their per-capita productivity very low but allows workers to wrap up town development early instead, train a force of strong Normal Units, and streamline Housing and Lizardmen Settlers. These light costs and heavy limitations frame the Lizardmen as a military race that quickly reaches its potential and craves targets of opportunity.

Like most military races, Lizardmen will begin to rely heavily upon conquered towns for money, academics, power production, and specialized units. Their territoriality sparks tensions that inhibit but certainly do not overwhelm their ability to deal with the other races.

Description[]

Physical Features[]

Lizardmen are bipedal reptilian humanoids covered in thick green scales. Stunted evolutionary cousins of the Drakes and Draconians, Lizardmen have none of their relatives' grandeur but compensate for this with sheer numbers and a heightened sense of social and territorial awareness.

In combat, Lizardmen are lightning-fast, perceptive, and resistant to pain. Their cold, slow-circulating blood renders them more physically resilient and energy-efficient than the mammals which dominate their home plane of Arcanus, but carries its own set of disadvantages. Lizardmen prefer to inhabit waterways and wetlands because these are consistent, mild environments. They have trouble adjusting to wild swings in atmospheric conditions. While they are more than capable of defending themselves, Lizardmen have never been keen on overland travel.

Society[]

The Lizardmen's ancestral wetlands are also prized, unfortunately, by other races for the soil quality. Lizardmen tribes have endless territorial disputes with "arrogant warm-bloods" (farmers and settlers) who come in from more civilized areas, and in the course of these interactions the race has picked up knowledge of metalworking, coinage, and written words. Apart from these striking discoveries, the Lizardman society and knowledge base is as stagnant as it gets in Master of Magic.

Lizardmen know and acknowledge familial ties without banding into family units. The tribe itself is the true family, headed by a father-head chieftain of great size and cunning, and a shaman who, for all intents, serves as a mother through his ministry to the tribe's vital and spiritual needs. As Lizardmen are usually happiest wallowing around in mud, their civilization has utterly rock-bottom overhead costs and red tape. A Wizard can find them easy and fast-acting collaborators in a scheme for dominance in a region, provided he can keep his spellbooks dry.

The one lane of advancement open to this race is military development, where indeed the Lizardmen reach back, not forward, to their oceanic roots to form some interesting new ideas. Skilled hunters liken overland combat to the act of spearing a fish, and along this vein, Lizardmen train Javelineers specifically for ranged engagements with the enemy. A Lizardman Armorers' Guild is a rallying point for deep-sea explorers and husbandmen. Their combined efforts can befriend the race of Dragon Turtles which prowl the seas. The beasts make terrifying war-mounts.

Army[]

As stated above, Lizardmen field seaworthy, +1 Hit and +1 Defense per Figure units on the cheap. Their fighting advantages as a race are clear-cut. Lizardmen grunts are well up to the task of securing plunder for advancing the Fortress's development of higher-tier units, and this mundane army buildup should be a priority for the controlling Wizard. There is otherwise little reason to choose Lizardmen; their productivity is awful.

Army List[]

Below is a comparative list of all Lizardmen normal units. This list shows all units at their first Experience Level, with no additional modifiers or magical effects.

Icon	Name	Bld		U								Special
	Lizardmen Spearmen		10	1	8	1	1		3	4	2
	Lizardmen Swordsmen		20	1 1	6	1	3		3	4	2	Large Shield
	Lizardmen Halberdiers		40	1 1	6	1	4		4	4	2	Negate First Strike
	Javelineers		80	1 2	6	1	4	3	4	5	2	Ranged Attack x6
	Lizardmen Shamans		60	1 2	4	1	2	2	3	6	2	Ranged Attack x4, Healer, Purify
	Lizardmen Settlers		120	1 3	1	1			2	4	20	Create Outpost
	Dragon Turtle		100	1 2	1	2	10	5	8	8	15

Force Composition[]

When starting a game with the Lizardmen, make use of their tougher-than-average Normal Units, and save Summoning Spells for special support jobs and exploration. Lizardmen Spearmen, Swordsmen, and Halberdiers are all bargains. Simple Unit Enchantments, or advancement from the level of Recruit to Regular, will grant them offensive capabilities better-matched to their defense and boost their overall power dramatically.

Lizardmen will outlast rivals in combat, but do not expect them to emerge undamaged. A unit of Lizardmen Shamans can be used to put everyone back together after a battle and get the army back on the move in less time.

Javelineers are essentially Halberdiers with an impressive ranged attack capacity. They are not as much of a bargain as the halberdiers, but any town with a Fighters' Guild should produce these instead if it anticipates their use in combat. Their ranged and multi-figured nature is a good complement to the Dragon Turtle in battle, though there is a dissonance in the units' overland movement speeds which would have to be overcome by Endurance or simply, well, endured.

Thanks to the Dragon Turtle, which can puncture heavy Defense and take a lot of punishment itself, the race's military has a fairly long viable lifespan.

Lizardmen Settlers[]

Lizardmen Settlers are some of the most useful Settlers in the game, for a very simple reason: they can Swim as well as they Walk. This allows Lizardmen towns to be established on other continents - and quite early in the game, too. If ample Swimming and/or Flying units are available, it should even be possible to protect and hold such assets, making an empire that's not bound by the Oceans surrounding it.

Lizardmen Settlers also have two important defensive advantages: +1 Defense and +10 Hit Points. These will greatly help the unit survive if it is ever dragged into combat. For all this, the Lizardmen Settlers pay by being twice as expensive as the baseline Settlers, and having a slightly higher Upkeep Cost to be paid each turn. This is considered a reasonable price for the ability to expand across Oceans unhindered.

Lizardmen Settlements[]

As a fast-growing military race with poor long-term prospects, the Lizardmen recommend the same style of colonization as the Barbarians. Their most important cities will come through conquest, and any new Lizardmen Settlers means time and resources not spent on militarization. Still, new Lizardmen towns can be established across water easily, reach their potential quickly, enlarge the tax base, may potentially serve as unit production centers.

Even a hamlet can roll out packs of Spearmen at 10 apiece to garrison captured towns, quell tax and racial unrest cheaply, and allow more advanced races to focus on development. Place new Lizardmen settlements in farmland for an adequate growth rate and population cap. Save the best lands, as well as any Gold and Mana-bearing minerals, for creatures that can exploit these properly.

Lizardmen Spearmen[]

Lizardmen Spearmen are significantly hardier than the "baseline" Spearmen, with +1 and 2 Hit Points per figure. This allows them to survive much longer during combat, especially when fighting enemy Normal Units.

As with all other Lizardmen units, Lizardmen Spearmen are capable of Swimming at a rate of 1 per turn. This enables them to move across Oceans, protecting overseas assets and carrying out wars on other continents. Constructing a large Spearmen force early on and sending it to attack unsuspecting targets overseas is a common and valid strategy.

Lizardmen Swordsmen[]

Lizardmen Swordsmen are significantly hardier than the "baseline" Swordsmen, with +1 and 2 Hit Points per figure. This allows them to survive much longer during combat, especially when fighting enemy Normal Units and against any attack that triggers their Large Shield bonus.

As with all other Lizardmen units, Lizardmen Swordsmen are capable of Swimming at a rate of 1 per turn. This enables them to move across Oceans, protecting overseas assets and carrying out wars on other continents. Constructing a large Swordsmen force early on and sending it to attack unsuspecting targets overseas is a common and valid strategy.

Lizardmen Halberdiers[]

Lizardmen Halberdiers are significantly hardier than the "baseline" Halberdiers, with +1 and 2 Hit Points per figure. This allows them to survive much longer during combat, especially when fighting enemy Normal Units.

As with all other Lizardmen units, Lizardmen Halberdiers are capable of Swimming at a rate of 1 per turn. This enables them to move across Oceans, protecting overseas assets and carrying out wars on other continents.

Finally, Lizardmen Halberdiers possess the Negate First Strike ability, which allows them to confront enemy cavalry charges much better than the "baseline" Halberdiers. Lizardmen Halberdiers should therefore be used to intercept enemy cavalry and protect Ranged Attack units from cavalry.

Lizardmen Shamans[]

Lizardmen Shamans make both good army-support troops and good Land-Purifiers. This is thanks to their Swimming ability, which allows them to cross Oceans and other bodies of water with ease. A single unit of Lizardmen Shamans can sometimes simultaneously service two or more armies fighting along the coastline.

Furthermore, Lizardmen Shamans have much better survivability during battle, thanks to 2 Hit Points per Figure. Though powerful attacks can still bring them down very quickly, they can withstand some light combat as long as they manage to maneuver well on the battlefield.

It is also much easier to keep Lizardmen Shamans out of combat in the first place. While escorting an army, Lizardmen Shamans can swim out to the Shoreline, staying close to the army but out of the reach of most enemy surprise attacks. Whenever the army needs assistance it can move to the shore to meet the Lizardmen Shamans, or the Shamans can move inland to meet the army.

Fortunately, Lizardmen Shamans are not much more expensive than the "Baseline" template either, costing only 20% more to produce and 2 per turn to maintain. Lizardmen empires can expand very rapidly thanks to these cheap Shamans, and other empires may want to acquire them for the tactical capabilities they offer.

Javelineers[]

Javelineers are unique to the Lizardmen Race, and can only be built in Lizardmen towns, for the Construction Cost of 80. The town must already contain a Fighters' Guild for this to be possible. Javelineers are good Melee Attackers, having enough strength to hurt low-tier Normal Units significantly. The unit is tough, and will last long in combat even against strong opponents. Furthermore, Javelineers possess an impressive Ranged Attack, which is best delivered at short range. Javelineers will form the backbone of a Lizardmen army. Furthermore, like all Lizardmen, they possess the ability to move and fight on Ocean tiles, allowing Javelineers to lead strong Lizardmen armies to conquer and protect territory on other continents. Javelineers require an Upkeep Cost of 2 and 1 to maintain.

Dragon Turtle[]

The Dragon Turtle is unique to the Lizardmen Race, and can only be built in Lizardmen towns, for the Construction Cost of 100. The town must already contain both an Armorers' Guild and Stables for this to be possible. The Dragon Turtle is a powerful Melee Attacker, capable of chomping through armor with ease, and thus having a good chance of inflicting at least some damage to any target. Even before charging into Melee, the Dragon Turtle also unleashes a powerful Fire Breath attack that can kill a few enemy figures before the fight even begins. The Dragon Turtle's shell is extremely tough, and the creature can take a lot of damage before being destroyed. Coupled with its fast movement speed, these traits make the Dragon Turtle a fearsome opponent on the battlefield. In addition, the creature is at home on both land and water, and can cross Oceans at a good speed. A Dragon Turtle requires an Upkeep Cost of 2 and 1 to maintain.

Citizens[]

All Lizardmen Towns contain Lizardmen citizens. These have the same output of most other citizens, at 2 per Worker, and they will produce 2 Food and 0.5 Production per Farmer.

Lizardmen citizens look like this:

Lizardmen Farmer.

Lizardmen Worker.

Lizardmen Rebel.

Technology[]

Lizardmen are stubborn, uncreative louts with single-track minds, and are without question the most technologically-inept of all races. As matters stand, Lizardmen can use dead wood as fuel and temper the shafts for tools and weapons; they have also gained some vague knowledge of metalworking from outside, and some currency circulates through their society as well.

Masonry, mathematics, and other building blocks of advancement are completely out-of-reach of Lizardmen. Their early development is often unconventional. This race starts strong on population growth, so it may not even be necessary to tech beyond a Granary at first— that decision could hinge on whether or not additional Lizardmen settlements are in the works. Otherwise, mobilize troops, ply the depths of the military development branch at the Fortress (a path which even does double-duty as naval development), and then mobilize even more.

Lizardmen at the height of their technology remain pretty much where they started. The following table compares the total potential output of Lizardmen citizens to how they begin initially, taking into account the full extent of the race's Town Building development branches, and assuming a Tax Rate of 2 Gold.

Profession	Initial	End-Stage
Lizardmen Farmer	2, ½, 2	2, ½, 3
Lizardmen Worker	2, 2	2, 3

Lizardmen Rebel

The Building Chart[]

The chart below shows all Town Buildings that can be constructed in Lizardmen towns, as well as the buildings that cannot be constructed. It also shows the requirements to construct each building.

Note: The in-game description of Lizardmen attributes states they cannot construct Builders' Halls, and does not mention Sawmills or Miners' Guilds in the extensive list of disallowed buildings. In reality, they have access to Builders' Halls (which are universal), but cannot build the latter two buildings, among their other restrictions.

Key:
	= Available
	= Not available
	= Available only if the town is constructed next to a Shore
	= Has no prerequisites.

Interracial Relations[]

The table below breaks down all race relations regarding Lizardmen empires. The same values are used for Lizardmen towns controlled by empires of different races.

Race	Unrest
Barbarians	+10%
Beastmen	+10%
Dark Elves	+20%
Draconians	+10%
Dwarves	+10%
Gnolls	+10%
Halflings	--
High Elves	+10%
High Men	+10%
Klackons	+20%
Lizardmen	--
Nomads	+10%
Orcs	+10%
Trolls	+10%

Complementary Magic[]

The Wizard's choice of magical Realm is not likely to influence the objective of a Lizardman empire. This objective (with emphasis on the singular) is always to crank out tough Normal Units and throw them into as many battles as possible.

Like any primitive military race the Lizardmen get mileage out of the Warlord and Alchemy retorts, and they give mileage to retorts that require strength, such as Node Mastery. Still, these creatures have no outstanding synergies with magic: they may be helped along by realms which boost the capabilities of mortal creatures, or they may help acquire treasure to advance the wizard through a realm which does not. In either case, prepare for battle.

Life[]

Nature[]

These are the two realms recommended for boosting the capabilities of Lizardmen fighting units to their highest level, giving the Wizard an early start.

The Life Realm acts in the service of Lizardmen troops, preserving and even restoring their lives and experience. All of its unit-boosting spells are of value, with Endurance being particularly nice over water and in combat. The trans-planar spells (Plane Shift and Planar Travel) can be handy for taking a peek to see if you can annex a race with real brains. Later on, the spells Just Cause and Stream of Life can help with the unrest of a diverse empire.

The Nature Realm also speeds up the Lizardmen's early conquests. This color offers quick exploration through Earth Lore and Sprites, and thus more intelligent deployment; furthermore, it is useful in Nature Node combat. Gaia's Blessing is also useful for combating unrest.

Sorcery[]

Chaos[]

Rather than being of immediate, direct assistance, these two realms feed off the Lizardmen's aptitude for plundering and empire-building as the Wizard pursues more esoteric powers needed to dominate the opponents. Which is to say: provided the Lizardmen can acquire a good startup of captured cities or loot, the Sorcery and Chaos Realm can, in turn, offer big-ticket enchantments, combat spells, fantastic units, and overland fun & mayhem.

Death[]

The Death Realm is heavy on summoned creatures and warps weak units into stronger ones in such ways that it makes a poor mix with Lizardmen. The black wizard is also likely to have some spells available for research that decimate rival cities, and these are a waste. Such targets are better-off captured intact with this race, for where else can they turn for money and production?