Total War: WARHAMMER II – The Silence & The Fury Lizardmen roster additions: Oxyotl and the Ghosts of Pahuax
There is a plan. A Great Plan. Oxyotl, He That Hunts Unseen, knows this better than most – a year in the Chaos Realms (that translated to seven thousand in Lustria) means he has seen what awaits should the Ruinous Powers triumph. He will stop at nothing to prevent that, and his visions from the Old Ones give him insight into the workings of Chaos.
He joins the Lizardmen roster alongside new tools for the pursuit of the Great Plan in the form of Skinks and monsters to destroy your enemies. The Lizardmen also got a few minor upgrades in the accompanying Silence & Fury patch. The general goal is to make Skinks more viable as early- to mid-game units. This includes new technologies to give all Skinks Poison Attacks and Vanguard Deployment, as well as giving most Skink units the Quick Learner trait for faster ranking up. There have also been a few changes to the Lizardmen building tree, which we’ll detail in the final patch notes, that diversify early-game armies.
If you’d like some more details, you can check out the reveal livestream we did, featuring Allan Sulleman and James Cox – who helped significantly with the production of this blog, along with Ben Leech.
The Silence & The Fury releases on July 14th. We’ll have full patchnotes and all the tiny details for you very soon but in the meantime, here’s what Oxyotl gets up to in the frozen north – and, indeed, literally anywhere else he pleases.
Lizardmen New Legendary Lord – Oxyotl
To survive in the Realms of Chaos requires cunning and skill, both of which Oxyotl possesses in abundance. An ancient Chameleon Skink of unparalleled experience, he has witnessed the very origins of Chaos in the world. Now he hunts the dark forces of corruption. A figure in the dark, he strikes firing a hail of darts from his blowpipe, then slips back into the shadows once more. Wherever the forces of Chaos rise, Oxyotl is always sure to follow.
Oxyotl is a merciless predator to the forces of Chaos, and his armies are similarly agile, stealthy, and powerful. His Visions of the Old Ones issues missions across the map on a regular basis, allowing him to teleport between hot zones of Chaos activity and thwart their plans at every turn. The machinations of the powers of Chaos are great, and there will likely be more missions than there is time. Each has unique rewards, as well as unique downsides for allowing Chaos to succeed. Balancing this and choosing your path is the most important part of Oxyotl’s gameplay.
His access to the Silent Sanctums works in combination with this. Ancient and ruined Lizardmen temples exist the world over, near every major settlement. Oxyotl has first-hand knowledge of them, creating powerful local effects for the region and sometimes adjacent ones. Whether this is used for reconnaissance, to buff an already-owned region, or to prep for an invasion is up to you.
With Oxyotl’s faction able to inhabit any climate, and his army never taking penalties for trespassing, and huge buffs to Skink units, Oxyotl is a unique and interesting start in the wild north of the Deadwood. After clearing your local area, expansion opportunities include the areas of the world you are bidden to via Visions of the Old Ones as well as adjacent areas. His army teleportation applies only to his own, but he can return to his capital city or one other defined location, picked by you and changeable through buildings, whenever he likes. As you can imagine, the advantages and variety of this only redoubles in Mortal Empires.
As you unlock more Silent Sanctums, Oxyotl will be drawn into his inevitable showdown with Taurox and his Beastmen Horde. As a unit on the battlefield, Oxyotl is an incredible sniper, a devastating ranged unit that most cannot find, nevermind hurt. He is also an expert against Chaos and his presence is demoralising for them.
Lizardmen New Hero – Skink Oracle
Riding into battle on the backs of the fearsome Troglodon, the Skink Oracles keep foes at a distance with the venomous spit of their mounts. Blessed with a small fraction of the Slann’s foresight, they sense danger mere moments before it descends, riding instantly to combat it. Unleashing the full force of their magic, they cast their protection over allies, and rain devastating strikes of mystical energy down upon their foes.
Notable characteristics:
- Only available riding a Troglodon, making it one of the more powerful units in the Lizardmen army.
- Access to a wide array of spells including healing, fireballs, and buffs.
- Poison attacks and ranged capability of the Trogolodon makes the Skink Oracle a powerful force even before it begins spellcasting.
Lizardmen New Infantry – Chameleon Stalkers
From seemingly nowhere will spring the sudden barrage of the Chameleon Stalkers, who stand invisible on the battlefield but for the moment they fire. Their stealthy approach is neither seen nor heard by the enemy as they follow their prey, waiting for the opportunity to strike. Swift and agile, they move as one, stalking the battlefield. With their precise aim and deadly subterfuge, the Chameleon Stalkers’ service is invaluable to the Great Plan.
Notable characteristics:
- The first and only WARHAMMER unit with a precursor weapon – fires explosive darts as it charges, messing up infantry lines.
- The above plus their natural damage levels make them Shock Infantry and a valuable part of any army.
- Their vanguard deployment capabilities, natural stealth, and nimbleness mean they are a terror to all on the battlefield.
Lizardmen New Monsters
Coatl
The long, feathered wings of the Coatl spread high above the field of battle, casting shadow over the forces of Chaos and raining magical fury down on their ranks. With the head of a Dragon and a scaled, serpentine body, the Coatl forms an intimidating silhouette before the sun. Blocking the rays of light above its own forces, the Lizardmen army in its shadow is obscured, shielded from the eyes of their enemies.
Notable characteristics:
- While airborne, it grants all nearby units Stalk, letting you keep an entire army hidden if necessary.
- Has various powerful spells to supplement its normal attacks.
- Highly resistant, terrifying, and with magical, armour-piercing attacks, the Coatl is an all-around powerhouse.
Feral Troglodon
Without Skink Oracles to command them, the Feral Troglodon are even more vicious in their own right. Unburdened by a rider, they strike at the enemy with speed and power, firing their venomous spit at every foe before them, their poison sinking deep into the skin. As mounts, they are quick and able protectors, yet as a unit of their own, the Troglodon are as wild and unpredictable as they are fierce.
Notable characteristics:
- Unfettered by a rider, Feral Troglodon’s are likely to go into Rampages once deep in combat.
- As effective at range, spitting poison and infecting enemies, as it is in melee.
- Ranged attacks have bonus vs. Large and come with armour-piercing properties.
We hope you have a good time hunting down the forces of Chaos across the map as Oxyotl come Wednesday, July 14. We’d recommend checking out a few of our content partners for more information as well as in-depth playthroughs.
Of note is that the patch also brings changes to Frenzy and Poison, both common on Lizardmen units, we’d recommend keeping an eye out for that. It joins a host of balance tweaks across the board for a huge number of factions and units, magic changes, and so on. Lizardmen even got unique unit category icons for the majority of their different types of monsters, making their armies easier to discern at a glance.
We’ll see you soon for the final patch notes for this update.
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