how many trays? upgrades? with the death knights on the boat, i am wondering if the lancers will be replaced in most lists. advice, thoughts please. thanks

The Carrion Lancer will always have a place as a single tray unit. For fifteen points you get a good, durable blocker that can also spit blight and threaten mortal strikes. Larger units have more role overlap with the Death Knights for sure, but we're going to have to wait and see how that breaks down.

I like to run 2 trays with Ranked discipline upgrade. I feel that the high health and armor together with the extra threat and the re-roll really makes this an efficient and well rounded unit that can tackle most foes.

Just the single tray can get into a real mess with fizzling dice and damage imho. Can't rely on blight already being on the melee target.

I'm actually not seeing how Death Knights are fitting into list building right now. They are so expensive that you are forced to give up some Waiqar synergy elsewhere.

Maybe multiple units of Knights as the bulk of your list? But they can only have one of their sweet unit upgrade.

My favorite Carrion Lancer units:

1 Tray. Good blocker. Can "lunge" forward at Init 3 for Speed 3 and take the wind out of a charge, or move into a flank on a blighted unit and take down high defense models with Mortal Strikes. Dies fast, not as fast as Rune Golems.

2 Trays. Only run this with Ardus Ix'Erebus, and use Host of Crows to take Master Crafted Weapons + Combat Ingenuity. Fast, cheap, devastating flanker.

4 Trays. Only run this WITHOUT Ardus Ix'Erebus. Same configuration as 2 trays, same purpose.

6 Trays. Master Crafted Weapons + Combat Ingenuity. Wrecking ball.