Feral Cold Ones

Feral Cold Ones is a Lizardmen melee infantry unit in Total War: Warhammer II. They can be recruited as a unit, or summoned via an army ability: Feral Cold Ones (army ability).

They are a race of predatory, bipedal lizards that roam the jungles of Lustria and the Southlands. They are known for their thick, scaly skin, granting them a natural resistance against damage and pain and making them perfect for a usage as beasts of war. Untamed Cold Ones are far too unpredictable to be ridden into battle; simply point them at the foe and stay out of their way!

Description
The bloodthirst and appetite of the Cold Ones is infamous, often attacking prey far larger than they are themselves and causing them to run rampage amidst the fields of battle. The Cold Ones are a distant cousin to the Nauglir, cold-blooded Lizards that roam the icy north in Naggaroth. A special, far rarer kind of Feral Cold Ones can be found within the deepest jungles of Lustria, known as the Horned Ones. The Cold-Ones are seen as the embodiment of Itzl, one of The Old Ones - the Gods of the Lizardmen -, who is said to manifest itself within the dangerous wildlife of the jungles. Saurus born with the mark of Itzl have the natural ability to ride those animals into battles while the Slann can influence the Feral Cold Ones to fight alongside the Lizardmen in times of war. Their teeth and claws are able to pierce even the thickest plates of armor while their own skin acts as a useful layer of defense against enemy blows.

Cold Ones are rapacious predators, fuelled by a savage blood-lust that drives them to attack any warm-blooded creature that comes near. They hunt in packs, and are perfectly capable of bringing down creatures many times their own size. As soon as they become aware of their prey, the pack will surge forth, some of their number harrying and snapping at their quarry, while the rest of the pack swings forward to left and right. Once surrounded, the unfortunate victim will quickly be dragged down and consumed. Cold Ones can be broken to the saddle, and are used as cavalry mounts by both the Dark Elves and Lizardmen. However, breaking them in this way tempers their normally savage nature, and although still ferocious compared to most mounts, it leaves them dull-eyed and sullen compared to their wild cousins. For this reason, Wizards will sometimes bind pocks of feral Cold Ones to their will with a Scroll of Binding, and then unleash them at the start of a battle to surge uncontrollably forward and savagely attack the foe. Used in this way, a large pack of Cold Ones can inflict terrible harm, while smaller packs are ideal for snapping and biting at the flanks of the opposing army.

Strategy
Feral Cold Ones are relatively fast for a Lizardmen unit and function as their version of Light Cavalry. They can be used to chase down skirmishers and artillery or act as support units, ready to charge engaged Units into the rear. As they lack armor they are quickly damaged and susceptible to all kinds of Anti-Large. Since they have a rather low leadership and are prone to Rampage, they will most likely function as a sort of "suicide-bomb", sent in to take out an important target before their rampage takes in.