A thank you to Games Workshop for sending us these rules and the Skaventide box set to be able to cover and review. Over the coming weeks, and with the benefit of having played dozens of games, we will be having faction experts provide insight into how they are building and running lists with these factions. For this overview we’re looking at what stands out for the faction, how much has changed, and how we would approach dealing with some of the common threats that are present in all wargames.

Stormcast might be the forever protagonist of the Mortal Realms, but the Skaven continue to have an upward ascent as antagonists, taking center stage as The Great Horned Rat becomes a true Chaos god. I’m sure the other four will welcome it with open arms. The second edition battletome was a weird mess whose battleline and army construction options hampered list construction in big ways; the third edition battletome was technically better, but required taking more leaders from a specific clan to unlock special rules. By contrast this faction pack is incredibly normal with the standard four battle formations and three artifacts/spells/prayers/heroic trait combos that we’re seeing. Skaven will be the first or second army to receive a full battletome and we have already seen at least one model that is due to be released that isn’t to be found yet. The last book had a ton of flavor in the rules from the great plagues that forced an opponent to fight themselves to the cracking of the bell. This faction pack trades some of the flavor for a ruleset that just works like other factions. The Great Horned Rat always wanted to be accepted as an equal by the Chaos gods, and Skaven players wanted a rules set like other factions. I’m sure things will turn out great for everyone.

As you go through this book there are many “non-hero infantry” restrictions on your units putting some of the monsters and war machines in an odd space. Skaven are still going to have the ability to use warpstone, plagues, and bells to fight but they may take the most advantage of this pack by looking to the infantry units.

Army Rules

Skaven have battle traits that are focused on movement and being cowards in the mortal realms.

Too Quick to Hit-Hit: No mortal damage is inflicted on Skaven Infantry and Calvary units by retreat abilities.

Always Three Clawsteps Ahead(Once per turn enemy hero phase): You can pick a non-monster skaven unit outside of combat that was not set up this turn and make a normal move.

Splinters of the Vermindoom(Once per battle round Start of the Battle Round): If there are fewer than 3 Gnawholes set one up more than 9″ from all enemy units, 3″ from all objectives and other terrain, and more than 1″ from friendly units.

The Lurking Vermintide / Gnawhole Ambush: These are two abilities allow you to deploy a Skaven unit in reserves and then ambush them wholly within 6″ and more than 9″ from all enemy units.

Battle Formations

Warpcog Convocation (Once per Turn Your Shooting Phase): Pick up to 3 friendly skyre units to be targets. For each, roll a dice. 1 = Inflice D3 mortal damage on the target; 2-5 Add 1 to wound rolls for the Target’s shooting attacks; 6 Add one to rend and wound rolls for shooting attacks.

Prized Creations (Once per turn (Army) Your Hero Phase): Pick up to 3 friendly non-hero clan moulder units to be targets. For each, roll a dice. 1-2 Inflict D3 mortal damage on the target; 3-4 Add 1 attacks characteristic for melee weapons until your next turn.; 5-6 Add 1 attacks characteristic for melee weapons and give the unit a 5+ ward until your next turn.

Corrupted Earth (Once per turn (Army) End of Any Turn): Pick up to 3 pestilens units to be targets. Then, make a pile in move and pick an enemy unit in combat and roll a D3. On a 2+ inflict that much mortal damage.

Claw-Hord (Once per turn (Army) Your Combat Phase): Pick up to 3 Verminus units that charged. Add 1 to rend to melee weapons for the rest of the turn.

These are focused on specific clans and giving a bonus around that that sometimes go really well and sometimes go poorly. Fortunately, none of them are so critical for the warscrolls working that you can’t mix and match your rats. Note: and earlier version of this article did not correctly identify the moulder keyword in Prized Creations.

Heroic Traits

Scurry Away (Any combat phase): If this unit is in combat, on a 3+ they can use the retreat ability.

Short-Tempered (Passive): Add 1 to run and charge rolls for friendly Skaven wholly within 13″ of this unit.

Skilled Manipulator (Passive): While this unit is within the combat range of a non-hero skaven infantry unit they have a Ward 4+. The damage from each successful ward is allocated to the infantry unit.

Bonuses to run and charge are pretty rare in this edition and the 13″ bubble is substantial with some models. The other two traits are about increasing the survivability of your heros. A master moulder that is able to run away when the rat ogors around him get put into combat is an attractive ability.

Artefacts of Power

Foulhide (End of Any Turn): Heal (D3) this unit.

Warpstone Charm (Any Combat Phase): Roll a dice, on a 3+ an enemy unit in combat has -1 to save for the rest of the turn.

Skavenbrew (Once Per Battle, Any Combat Phase): Pick a non-hero skaven infantry unit. Inflict D3 mortal damage and add 1 to the attacks characteristic of melee weapons.

Despite being a once per game ability I really like Skavenbrew as an additional force multiplier in the army. It’s one of several abilities that adds to the Attacks Characteristic that can be stacked to make your unit of rat ogors even more deadly. I would like Warpstone Charm more if it didn’t have the potential to fail.

Lore of Ruin

Wither (6 Unlimited): Pick a visible enemy within 13″ and inflict D3 mortal damage to the target.

Skitterleap (6): This allows you to teleport a hero wholly within 13″ of the caster and set them up more than 9″ from all enemy units.

Warpgale (7): Pick an enemy within 18″ of the caster. They get strike-last.

Skitterleap returning, combined with all of the movement abilities that Skaven have, is a welcome return and having an unlimited spell that does mortal damage isn’t all that impressive until you remember just how many casts skaven can get.

Noxious Prayers

Filth-Crust (4 / 8 Unlimited): Pick a skaven infantry unit wholly within 13′. Add 1 to wound rolls for combat attacks. Bonus: Melee weapons have Crit (Mortal) until the start of your next turn.

Bile-Torrent (4 / 8): Pick an enemy unit within 13″ and roll a dice for each model in the unit, on a 5+ inflict 1 mortal damage. Bonus: Inflict that damage on a 4+.

Rabid-Tough (5 / 8): Pick skaven infantry wholly within 13′. Subtract 1 from wound rolls for attacks that target them. Bonus: add 1 to your save roll.

Wow, these are direct and have some pretty low values to achieve the bonus effect. Both Filth-Crust and Rabid-Tough are incredibly strong and work on units like Stormfiends to Stormvermin, to Clanrats, and Rat Ogors. Bile-Torrent is a standard anti-horde prayer. The only issue is that the only two priests in the skaven factionpack – the Verminlord Corruptor and the Plague Priest on Plague Furnace. The humble Plague Priest was announced as a model that is leaving the range but part of me thinks we haven’t seen all of the kits that Skaven will get in this edition.

Manifestation Lore

Warp Lighting Vortex (Summon 7/ Banishment 7): Set up a triangle wholly within 18″ with all 3 pieces exactly 7″ from each other. In any hero phase, if it was not set up during that phase, Roll a dice for each enemy unit within 6″, on a 4+ inflict D3 mortal wounds. Also, subtract 2 from run and charge rolls for enemy units within 6″ of this manifestation and if an enemy unit passes across it inflict D3 mortal wounds.

Bell of Doom (Summon 7 / Banishment 7): Subtract 1 from wound rolls for attacks that target skaven infantry that are wholly within 13″. The bell moves 3D6 and has a weak attack profile (2D6 attacks 4/4/1/1) but this effect is great for your cowards smart-smart leaders.

Vermintide (Summon 7 / 7): Set up wholly within 13″ and more than 9″. This manifestation moves 7″ but is beefy with 13 health and a 6+ ward. It also heals D6 wounds at the end of every turn. Its profile isn’t great, (13 attacks, 5/5/0/1 Crit (autowound)).

I like this lore alot. The Vermintide, as a move blocker and space taker is great since it heals, has some health, and will be incredibly annoying to take out forcing your opponent to commit way to many resources in a fight. The Bell of Doom providing a -1 to wound to infantry is completely fine. Warp Lighting is less destructive towards Skaven and much easier to get off of the table since fighting it, while not ideal, is a possibility.

Gnawhole

Gnawholes are going to be set up throughout the game until you have three. With 6 health and a 4+ save they’re likely going to be more annoying to kill than anything else. First, enemies can pass through the terrain at a cost of taking some mortal damage. Also, a Skaven unit outside of combat that is wholly within 6″ of a hole can travel through to another Gnawhole. Finally, you have a once per turn army ability to bring back a non-hero skaven infantry unit at the cost of a CP at the end of your turn.

Warscroll Review

Skaven are a real soup army with a ton of warscrolls. Even with the removal of a few warscrolls (many that appear in this faction pack) we know that the first few months of Age of Sigmar in the new edition is going to see a number of new warscrolls for the Skaven.

Warscroll Overview

The Doomwheel is my favorite warscroll in the entire range. There are others that are better but I want to highlight it because despite this faction pack being like other factions you still get these madness rules. It moves 2D6+7, has 8 health and a 4+ save with a single point of control. In the shooting phase it has warp bolts (13″ D6 attacks 3/3/1/D3 (shoot into combat)) and a weak melee profile (6 attacks 4/3/0/1 Charge +1 Damage)). The real joy is “Rolling Doom”. It’s a core movement ability that stats that this unit can move a distance up to its move characteristic. You can run over other units, get into combat ranges, pick this even if you’re in combat, do what you like. Then, after you’ve moved, pick up to 3 enemy units and do a little bit of mortal damage (D3, +2 equal to the wounds). I can’t image this unit stays in combat all that long with the flimsy frame but it’s worth giving up a battle tactic and taking a double turn just to run over everything.

Okay, one for me, one for you, let’s look at everyone’s favorite unit the Stormfiends. The best news about this unit is that they haven’t been promoted to a monster unit and can be brought back in the gnawhole, get the benefit of prayers and spells, and just be incredibly annoying. They are beefy, with 6 health, a 4+ save, 2 control, and a 6″ move. They retain all of the goofy weapon requirements (1/3 with windlaunchers or warpfire projectors, 1/3 with grinderfists or rattling cannon, and 1/3 with the shock or doomflayer gauntlets). The shooting range is an adjustment , with a 15″ range on the cannons and windlaunchers and 10″ on the warpfire projectors and they’ve lost the ability to ignore visability.  Grinderfists let them, if they are set up in deepstrike, to deploy anywhere on the battlefield more than 9″ away from all enemy units. The melee profiles haven’t changes too much, all the weapons now hit on 4s and wound on 2s.

• Doomflayer: Gauntlets: 5 Attacks, 2 rend, D3 damage (+1 Charge)
• Grinderfists: 4 Attacks, 2 rend, 2 damage
• Shock Gauntlets: 4 Attacks, 1 rend, 2 damage, if you score a crit score D6 crits

Unlike Rat Ogors you don’t have to worry about doing mortal damage to them and losing a unit, as you can always pull a windlauncher and pump up the attacks.

Next, let’s look at a priest. The Plague Priest on Plague Furnace is a priest (1) with a 5+ ward, 15 wounds, 5 control, and a 4+ save. It provides a 6+ ward to pestilens units while they are wholly within 6″ but reduces enemy wards by 1 while they are within 6″. It has a lot of bad attacks so you’re going to want to keep it right behind your screen while reducing the ward. The reason I wanted to highlight it is that in third edition it’s warscroll prayer doing mortal wounds was the starter for the cracking bells list that Skaven to summon verminlords. All of that is gone from the faction now but you have units that buff your own units.

Finally, I’d like to point out warscrolls that had older miniatures that haven’t had replacements announced. These are Stormvermin, Warpfire Thrower, Ratling Gun, Master Moulder. Who knows what the future brings.

Battle Tactics

Skaven are going to have to plan one or two steps ahead to score tactics in this GHB. They should have the numbers to charge and hold points, and can get around the board extremely well. However, some of the tactics don’t allow units that were set up that turn to score them. What they will be good at is picking a unit and killing it. There are several strong melee and ranged options that will be able to life units from the board with a quickness.

Final Thoughts

I’ve said a few times that the rules in the faction pack don’t have the flavor that the last battletome did. For long-time Skaven players I don’t think this is a bad thing since your army isn’t balanced around a few weird tricks that you could high-roll. There are still fun effects, ways to damage your unit for power, and nearly all of the battle formations require you to roll a dice. With more models coming and a one of the first factions to get a battletome now is a great time to finish painting all those clanrats from the Skaventide box and start picking out what you’re going to work on next.

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