Teaching Fantasy (Also, Some Learning Lists)

[ElectricPaladin]

On Thursday, I will be teaching my cousin Josh to play Warhammer Fantasy. This is his first time playing a wargame, so I want to make sure it's a good experience. I'd love to have someone to talk about fantasy with at family events!

Josh is intereted in Dwarves, but not only do I not know anything about Dwarves, I don't have any. So, Josh will take to the field with my Lizardmen, while I will use my brand new (and arriving in the mail today) Vampires.

Here are the lists I plan on running - I'd love your input on them, as well as any general hints and tips on introducing Warhammer Fantasy to a brand new player.

1k Lizardmen

Lords
• Saurus Oldblood w/Glittering Scales & Great Weapon, on a Cold One

Heroes
• Skink Priest (Level 2, Lore of Beasts) w/Scepter of Stability

Core
• 20 Saurus Warriors w/Spears (Full Command)
• 10 Skink Skirmishers w/Blowpipes

Special
• 6 Cold One Riders w/Spears

Rare
• 2 Salamanders

1k Vampire Counts

Lords
• Master Necromancer (Level 3 - Lore of the Vampires) w/Seed of Rebirth on a Nightmare

Heroes
• Wight King w/Shield & Shrieking Blade
• Necromancer (Level 2 - Lore of Death)

Core
• 20 Skeleton Warriors (Full Command)
• 20 Skeleton Warriors (Full Command)
• 8 Dire Wolves (Doom Wolf)

Special
• 5 Black Knights (Full Command) w/Barding, Lances
• 2 Spirit Host Bases

[damage]

About dwarfs, hopefully there will be a new army book in the new year. The current edition may be viable, but probably not in ways a new player wants them to be (standing still and shooting or moving via anvil). Teaching him the basic rules with an army you have sounds like a great option. It's always hard to see models you've invested so much in get killed. For Christmas maybe you start him out with a core unit to work on his painting and see how the army progresses from there. Keep introducing strategies and play styles and who knows how his tastes develop (I hope he sticks with the stunties).

Also, I like your lists for the first game. Simple enough, but with some flavor and special rules to start a new player.

[Chronowraith]

I'd drop the spirit hosts for just about anything else. Why? Because the lizardman army has NOTHING that can harm them other than the odd spell.

Otherwise it looks like a great intro game.