Post by oldmandan on Apr 3, 2021 18:53:00 GMT
Brooding and scheming these past few months in lock down has given me time to collate my thoughts and so create a thread that will help other clans rise up to victory against all others and show who is the master race! Each week I will add to this thread and cover a different faucet of the Skaven in the hopes of building up a solid idea of how to get the best out of these guys.
So with that in mind lets get into the Skaven.
When playing we have to really think about the Skaven holistically. We have lots of troops to choose from and are unique in that we are a full infantry army. So firstly what are Skavens strengths?
1: Lots of guys, cause life is cheap.
2: Lots of magic weapons.
3: Our magic is highly aggressive
4: Lots of specialists and specialist weapons
So there are three good points to playing Skaven, we do have a lot of options available and can really tailor our lists to match any opponent. But there is a big but.
1: Our troops are pretty average.
2: Our magic while damaging is limited, no Wyssan's wildform for us.
3: Our shooting can go very wrong for us.
4: Our deployment is tricky owed to the fact we need to outnumber everyone (especially Goblins)
So all in all it seems pretty balanced? However, if you have trouble in one area then all other areas can be affected very easily. So the key to playing Skaven as mentioned is taking a holistic approach and doing your best to manage all points of the game, which I know is a given.
So firstly when concocting a scheme we need to think how are we intending to win, by what means are we going to annihilate the enemy?
MAGIC
Skaven magic is still 7th edition as we all know and therefore has no boosted spells. This would be a disadvantage but actually I find it doesn't really change anything. Our spells are primarily offensive. So how do we get the best out of them? I always consider which Lore am I going to use, we have access to two ruin and plague and then Grey Seers/Vermin Lords have the dreaded thirteenth spell. This is where 8th edition rules are our friend as wizards aren't allowed to know the same spell unless it's the signature spell. As a result if you intend to use Plague I always recommend a Grey seer and a Plague priest (level 2) combination this way we can get access to all the spells but most importantly we can get wither and bless with filth. I usually run three casters, Grey seer, Engineer (lvl2 or 1) and a Plague priest (lvl 2 always). Equipment wise you ideally want to have the energy condenser in this set up on the engineer. This allows you to maximize the potential for power dice through channeling and use of EOHR. The order of spells is important against tough opponents you want to get the wither off to soften them up in this way you've improved your chances of clobbering that unit in combat. A combination of wither and plague will devastate any unit, but always mix up your rotation, here is where you want to passively force through a spell like wither so that even if they dispel Plague you can threaten them with it next magic phase. Or if they are threatened by wither you use that to get Plague through. By simply planning your spells you can ensure that the right spells gets through where needed. Skaven magic works best when loaded into one unit can and most spells are best used in pairs like scorch on a unit of Goblins followed by warplighting to maximize the chances of a panic test. An example, I used plague and my opponent dispelled with all dice, I followed up with warplighting which was also dispelled using a scroll. Then I used wither on the greatswords and followed it with scorch. Not every situation goes this well but through good managing of power dice and rotation of spells we can stay a step ahead.
The lore of ruin is slightly different to Plague and is more situational I find it most effective against shooty armies like Empire. But again by applying the same principle you can ensure you have all the right spells to deal with the threats you face.
Howling Warpgale
This causes all enemy troops to suffer -1 to hit penalty to shooting. Best against Elves, Dwarves and Empire. Combined with Storm Banner and shadow magnet trinket you can very easily make it up the board. If I intend to use this spell or the lore of ruin I usually take two to three level 2 engineers unlike with Spells of Plague where I use a Grey seer and a level 2 plague priest. It's a good spell only needing 7+ to cast but it's situational as you need to one be facing the afformentioned races and then factor it into your plan which is the thing with 7th edition Skaven, lots of great stuff but you have to make choices.
Death Frenzy
Cast on a 9+ and makes troops frenzied, but oh it gets better, instead of one attack they get two (unless frenzied already they only get one) this spell is good, can rally fleeing troops and give a unit the ability to blend almost anything. It's best employed on units that have a high strength like Rat Ogres, Plague censers or Stormvermin. If your Warlord is in the unit of Stormvermin then he will now have a mighty 6 attacks which with either the Sword of Anti heroes or the blade of corruption or any other Skaven murder toys is not going to be pleasant (also the Bonebreaker I think is affected). Again it's about thinking which unit would benefit from this and then using the spell to stack the odds (Hoodling hole et al). Units suffering D6 wounds from it is a small price for the potential killing power, but it's worth it. Another use I use it for is on a Master moulder equipped with a things catcher, giving him 4 killing blow attacks, he can hold his own against certain heroes and if he kills them because he's a champ he get a bonus 50 points for each challenge he wins.
Scorch
Costs 10+ and uses the small template, it requires no line of sight and hits for strength 4. This is probably the best spell in the lore. When using it I usually cast wither first then this then Plague then finish the unit with warplightning. It's your best offence against large blocks of infantry if you have chosen to go down the full magic route. Again this followed by a taste of warplightning is the best combo.
Cracks Call
Is an old spell from previous editions. Cast on a 11+ models must pass an initiative test whilst chariots and warmachines must roll 5+ or be destroyed. Best used on low initiative troops like Ogres and treemen and warmachines.
There we have Spells of ruin. The lore is actually very balanced and offers different tools for different situations and also has a more subtle aspect offering whys to augment and protect troops.
Lore of Plague
The primary lore of Plague priests and also Grey Seers can get a look in on it. As mentioned I use a Grey Seer and a lvl 2 Plague priest to ensure I get all the spells I need.
Pestilent Breath
Is cheaper 5+ but only does a strength 2 hit no armour saves and it is the signature of spell of plague priests. If used in conjunction with a wither then a Skitterleap could be very annoying if you then use it and the unit in question is engaged in combat with slaves as templates don't randomise would be nasty. However, a seasoned pro is going to do one of two things, stop it or let you do it and then the Grey Seer or Plague priest is going to get a cannonball to the face. I like to use it to whittle down a combat as quite frankly you can use it in combat and this to me is the best option.
Bless with Filth
Cast on a 7+ unit is granted poisoned attacks and units with poisoned attacks auto on 5+. This is a really great augment as you can really support your units helping them to win combats (sometimes) I find what I like about poison is it doesn't respect toughness and saves you having to roll to wound. This I feel is our most useful augment spell as mentioned prior. This spell if the unit already has poisoned attacks improves them to auto wounding on a 5+ need I say more. I always view poison as a way of reducing the number of times you have to roll which means less misses. If used on Gutter runners they can really put the hurt on any unit.
Wither
Cast on an 8+ and reduces a units toughness by one PERMANENTLY. If cast enough times that expensive unit will either be dead or in trouble. If you are about to charge that Plague furnace into combat it will certainly be a lot easier to win. In addition, if you can get this off then follow up with a scorch and a Plague then it's curtains for that massive unit. The only down side is that it's range is short so unfortunately you need to if you want to use it 1st turn Skitterleap the caster up the board that said I find only docking one point of toughness is enough for majority of units and would advise against trying to be greedy with this spell. Best practice as mentioned above is factor it into a good rotation to give yourself the edge. By making your opponent have to choose which spell this is were you can force errors and set up for combat
Vermintide
Is the same as before cast on an 8+ uses the large template which move 4D6 in a straight line and deals 3D6 strength 2 hits. There isn't much to say but again if you can flank a unit engaged in combat it could potentially damage that unit enough that the slaves could win the combat.
Cloud of corruption
I think this nice new spell but it can be quite deadly. Cast on 11+ all enemy units within 12" take D6 strength 5 hits whilst friendlies are affected on 4+ and Clan pestilens 5+. A well timed use of this can scupper your opponent as they suddenly lose a rank bonus. However, while this is one of the few spells where there is some risk to your units just be careful if using lots of MSU as they may not be able to take the hit which can then scupper your plans in a later phase.
Plague
The classic of 6th edition, everyone feared it, roll after the unit has been affected and it jumps to the next unit or your unit if the dice are against you. This version is better as usually it just ends unless you score a 5 or 6 which I find is better and is still 13+ (a nice reminder that in the old days Skaven got irresistible on a 13 not double 6). Models affected must pass a toughness test or suffer a wound no armour saves. if cast in combat both units get it. As mentioned above I feel it's best wither used at the end of a rotation or at the start. By trying to consider how your opponent will manage their dispel dice will you be able to use it well. Remember if they use a dispel scroll on it that's ok. if you have scorch always use it after that as scorch is a template that way you can maximize the damage of scorch then mop up with Plague.
The dreaded thirteenth Spell
Curse of the horned rat
Cast on 25+ requires a huge investment and is the signature spell of Grey Seers (aside from Skitterleap) and Vermin lords. If cast roll 4D6 and the number scored is the number of clanrats created or models killed. Effectively models are dead with no saves of any kind and you may get a unit of clanrats out of this. This is lethal, but in my view I it really can be used to remove dispel scrolls or other anti magic items though when casting you will most likely get irresistible. All in all probably the nastiest spell Skaven have, with a great payoff that comes with massive chance of it going wrong. Tactics wise I would only use on very, very expensive units and in most cases this would be the only spell I would cast in the phase. Even then I would only really use this spell for fun.
There really isn't much more to say that I haven't covered already. It comes down to planning what you want to do which magic appeals to you and what opponent you are facing. This version of Skaven magic is the best it offers a lot to do but there is subtlety here that perhaps wasn't there in 6th edition using the magic carefully and laying the groundwork can really ensure that at the endgame goes as well as it can which I found in 6th edition was where the Skaven really struggled. Thanks to Hoodling hole, 1DChan and others.
Hopefully this is useful to new players and I hope that I get some veterans thinking not just about Skaven magic but their own magic as well.
Right next Chapter Shooting.
Chapter Two: Shooting
Skaven during 6th had a very reliable shooting phase and it was something I was very good at doing but now I look back and I realise that in a lot of my previous lists there was on average three Ratling guns, so I wonder how original were my ideas? Skaven have a weapon for every possible situation and in reality this is were we start asking the questions what is the best tool for the job and hopefully I can provide thoughts here on this.
Warplightning Cannon
I remember when playing 5th edition I was in the GW talking about what I thought would be good in the Skaven army and suggested a Warplightning cannon which would use the small template. Low and behold along comes 6th and we have a Warplightning cannon. In 7th the cannon actually fires more closely to what I suggested back in 5th. It can be devastating or hit for nothing as it's based on the roll of the artillery dice but strength 4 can still plough through a good number of troops. There are two ways to use it. The advantage now though is you do not have to move it 10" down the flank like in 6th. The first thing to consider is unit, if we are using it against blocks of infantry you need to aim for a spot just before the unit and hope to roll enough to get into the middle. I always aim 4" away so that unless I roll 2 I'll still hit the unit no matter what. If it is cavalry regardless of type we need to get them in the flank and aim right next to the unit and hope for a high roll to plough through an entire rank. As it ignores armour is magical and does D6 wounds everyone is fair game. However, I would use this on multiple wound models, ethereal and anyone with a high armour save.
Plague claw catapult
Uses the large round template and also ignores armour saves and can cause panic tests from one wound. Is 100 points verses 90 for the cannon. Ideally best employed against average toughness troops and large blocks of infantry. This is where we have to make a choice and consider the enemies we are facing. If it's high toughness/wounds I would choose the cannon over this.
Weapon teams
Ratling Gun
Ah old reliable, when reading the 7th edition I thought increased range great still strength 4, roll to hit was a good move as I felt auto hits was a bit much and move or fire I thought was fair. However, using the same process for calculating hits was a big big nerf. This means that if you hit say a unit of dwarf warriors with one you on average will most likely kill three. Which is paltry compared to what the other weapons can do in terms of damage. Does this mean the end? No, as said we need to pick the right target, rolling on average 3-4 dice for hits is what you should be doing as the average score for three dice is eleven. Therefore, I would only target lightly armoured low toughness units like fast cavalry. If I had my way the ratling gun would have either move and shoot (aka predator style) or be allowed to use two artillery dice instead of normal ones when calculating hits.
Warpfire Thrower
The go to terror weapon. Whereas a Ratling gun could be annoying for a few turns the warpfire thrower might only get one shot off, so it has to count. With the change to expendable and life is cheap the strategy I would employ is tying up an expensive unit with slaves and shooting into the combat due to not randomising for templates. Again multiple wound enemies and those of a flammable disposition are your priority, but also those with high toughness. Watch out for flaming attack induced ward saves.
Poison wind Mortar
Yet another idea I suggested this time during 6th edition, I really should have recorded all these down so I could get the royals. Basically it's a replacement for death globes which are now one use only. This is probably the best weapon team. Mobile, ignores armour, can kill a lot of troops and DOES NOT respect toughness, is resistant to its own missfire (to a certain extent). This is the weapon you use on chaos warriors, dwarves. Any elite well armoured infantry. I would position one in a wood for cover, go for the hardest units first.
Doomflayer
Again I really really should shut up when in the gamesworkshop. This can really give clanrats or any unit a good chance at winning combat. Getting the charge off and getting it in the flank are essential to maximise the damage though not completely necessary. Best employed against low initiative single wound enemies. I would be careful employing one against Elves as the ASF rules means they can hit it first and potentially take it out in which case flanking is mandatory to give the best chance to survive and dish out the damage. Undead, O&G, Dwarves and Empire are all natural targets. I would definitely not use against Chaos ever, that's what Poisoned Wind mortars are for!
In summary Skaven still have deadly weaponry but we need to think what are we facing and then purchase our shooting accordingly to ensure we get the most bang for our buck.
Chapter Three MSU
Jezzails
In 6th edition they needed to be in one big unit to do anything. Their high strength and armour piercing meant death to knights. In 7th edition I had to change one of my tactics which was to put down 2-3 units of 2 globadiers. This meant I could see how my opponent was deploying and could then counter their deployment, it was annoying as it meant they were never sure quite how many units of clanrats I had. Instead of globadiers I would advise small units of Jezzails with a Sharpshooter. Because of this configuration you will have more success rate with hits. A big unit of 10 with a champ costs 220 and will on average score at long range score 4 hits. Three small units of 3 will score on average 6 hits, is 10 points cheaper and can cover more of the board due to the immense long range of the Jezzail and also allow you to do what I did with 2 man Globadier but still be a threat from turn one.
Poison Wind Globadiers
As mentioned I used to use really small units of these for the purpose of seeing my opponents deployment. In 7th Jezzails can do that better and still take out stuff. So how do we use these guys. Firstly get a champ and give him a death globe. As they ignore armour they are best against high armour and toughness single wound troops. Using their life is cheap rule you can do what you used to be able to in 6th and fire globes into any combat. By again using the BRB rules for templates you can decimate a unit engage against clanrats or Stormvermin. I would take 2 units of 5 with champ and Death globe again trapping a unit in combat against a unit of clanrats and letting them have it is a nasty surprise if someone only thinks you can shoot into Skaven slaves when they are in combat.
To be continued, I feel better lumping everything into one post. Hopefully it will be easier reading and for me easier editing. Thanks for reading!
The Leadership Question
Inspired by recent discussion the Skaven leadership is both dubiously bad but also potentially good. Thanks to Fvon for the clarification about an item. More specifically this weakness of the Skaven can be overcome. By using the Standard of discipline as this boosts the leadership of all models in the unit. The advantage of this is that in a really small game you could have a chieftain as the general with leadership comparable to a warlord. However, this also means that the warlord goes from leadership 7 to 8 so I would in a small game just take a warlord . But also to add insult here technically a unit of clanrats using the strength in numbers rule would become leadership 11 which thankfully doesn't exist. However, the advantage is that you now have a truly disposable rank. Add Queek into that and the potential for Skaven to not run away goes up.
The Rock
Thinking one step further the screaming bell also negates the Skaven tendency to run away but by using Stormvermin and therefore the Standard of discipline while already now unbreakable what we are using to our advantage is the increase in the range of the inspiring (fear) presence. This does mean that the Grey seer has to be the army general but the fact he can more easily refuse a challenge and more specific is not there to fight is one less aspect to worry about. As result the units around are the real benefactors of this set up reducing the chance they will run due to panic etc means we can focus more on the game. The disadvantage is that we now have a huge points sink and risk mainly against shooty armies which means we have to focus on dealing with that. As always when you counter one issue another takes it's place.
So with that in mind lets get into the Skaven.
When playing we have to really think about the Skaven holistically. We have lots of troops to choose from and are unique in that we are a full infantry army. So firstly what are Skavens strengths?
1: Lots of guys, cause life is cheap.
2: Lots of magic weapons.
3: Our magic is highly aggressive
4: Lots of specialists and specialist weapons
So there are three good points to playing Skaven, we do have a lot of options available and can really tailor our lists to match any opponent. But there is a big but.
1: Our troops are pretty average.
2: Our magic while damaging is limited, no Wyssan's wildform for us.
3: Our shooting can go very wrong for us.
4: Our deployment is tricky owed to the fact we need to outnumber everyone (especially Goblins)
So all in all it seems pretty balanced? However, if you have trouble in one area then all other areas can be affected very easily. So the key to playing Skaven as mentioned is taking a holistic approach and doing your best to manage all points of the game, which I know is a given.
So firstly when concocting a scheme we need to think how are we intending to win, by what means are we going to annihilate the enemy?
MAGIC
Skaven magic is still 7th edition as we all know and therefore has no boosted spells. This would be a disadvantage but actually I find it doesn't really change anything. Our spells are primarily offensive. So how do we get the best out of them? I always consider which Lore am I going to use, we have access to two ruin and plague and then Grey Seers/Vermin Lords have the dreaded thirteenth spell. This is where 8th edition rules are our friend as wizards aren't allowed to know the same spell unless it's the signature spell. As a result if you intend to use Plague I always recommend a Grey seer and a Plague priest (level 2) combination this way we can get access to all the spells but most importantly we can get wither and bless with filth. I usually run three casters, Grey seer, Engineer (lvl2 or 1) and a Plague priest (lvl 2 always). Equipment wise you ideally want to have the energy condenser in this set up on the engineer. This allows you to maximize the potential for power dice through channeling and use of EOHR. The order of spells is important against tough opponents you want to get the wither off to soften them up in this way you've improved your chances of clobbering that unit in combat. A combination of wither and plague will devastate any unit, but always mix up your rotation, here is where you want to passively force through a spell like wither so that even if they dispel Plague you can threaten them with it next magic phase. Or if they are threatened by wither you use that to get Plague through. By simply planning your spells you can ensure that the right spells gets through where needed. Skaven magic works best when loaded into one unit can and most spells are best used in pairs like scorch on a unit of Goblins followed by warplighting to maximize the chances of a panic test. An example, I used plague and my opponent dispelled with all dice, I followed up with warplighting which was also dispelled using a scroll. Then I used wither on the greatswords and followed it with scorch. Not every situation goes this well but through good managing of power dice and rotation of spells we can stay a step ahead.
The lore of ruin is slightly different to Plague and is more situational I find it most effective against shooty armies like Empire. But again by applying the same principle you can ensure you have all the right spells to deal with the threats you face.
Howling Warpgale
This causes all enemy troops to suffer -1 to hit penalty to shooting. Best against Elves, Dwarves and Empire. Combined with Storm Banner and shadow magnet trinket you can very easily make it up the board. If I intend to use this spell or the lore of ruin I usually take two to three level 2 engineers unlike with Spells of Plague where I use a Grey seer and a level 2 plague priest. It's a good spell only needing 7+ to cast but it's situational as you need to one be facing the afformentioned races and then factor it into your plan which is the thing with 7th edition Skaven, lots of great stuff but you have to make choices.
Death Frenzy
Cast on a 9+ and makes troops frenzied, but oh it gets better, instead of one attack they get two (unless frenzied already they only get one) this spell is good, can rally fleeing troops and give a unit the ability to blend almost anything. It's best employed on units that have a high strength like Rat Ogres, Plague censers or Stormvermin. If your Warlord is in the unit of Stormvermin then he will now have a mighty 6 attacks which with either the Sword of Anti heroes or the blade of corruption or any other Skaven murder toys is not going to be pleasant (also the Bonebreaker I think is affected). Again it's about thinking which unit would benefit from this and then using the spell to stack the odds (Hoodling hole et al). Units suffering D6 wounds from it is a small price for the potential killing power, but it's worth it. Another use I use it for is on a Master moulder equipped with a things catcher, giving him 4 killing blow attacks, he can hold his own against certain heroes and if he kills them because he's a champ he get a bonus 50 points for each challenge he wins.
Scorch
Costs 10+ and uses the small template, it requires no line of sight and hits for strength 4. This is probably the best spell in the lore. When using it I usually cast wither first then this then Plague then finish the unit with warplightning. It's your best offence against large blocks of infantry if you have chosen to go down the full magic route. Again this followed by a taste of warplightning is the best combo.
Cracks Call
Is an old spell from previous editions. Cast on a 11+ models must pass an initiative test whilst chariots and warmachines must roll 5+ or be destroyed. Best used on low initiative troops like Ogres and treemen and warmachines.
There we have Spells of ruin. The lore is actually very balanced and offers different tools for different situations and also has a more subtle aspect offering whys to augment and protect troops.
Lore of Plague
The primary lore of Plague priests and also Grey Seers can get a look in on it. As mentioned I use a Grey Seer and a lvl 2 Plague priest to ensure I get all the spells I need.
Pestilent Breath
Is cheaper 5+ but only does a strength 2 hit no armour saves and it is the signature of spell of plague priests. If used in conjunction with a wither then a Skitterleap could be very annoying if you then use it and the unit in question is engaged in combat with slaves as templates don't randomise would be nasty. However, a seasoned pro is going to do one of two things, stop it or let you do it and then the Grey Seer or Plague priest is going to get a cannonball to the face. I like to use it to whittle down a combat as quite frankly you can use it in combat and this to me is the best option.
Bless with Filth
Cast on a 7+ unit is granted poisoned attacks and units with poisoned attacks auto on 5+. This is a really great augment as you can really support your units helping them to win combats (sometimes) I find what I like about poison is it doesn't respect toughness and saves you having to roll to wound. This I feel is our most useful augment spell as mentioned prior. This spell if the unit already has poisoned attacks improves them to auto wounding on a 5+ need I say more. I always view poison as a way of reducing the number of times you have to roll which means less misses. If used on Gutter runners they can really put the hurt on any unit.
Wither
Cast on an 8+ and reduces a units toughness by one PERMANENTLY. If cast enough times that expensive unit will either be dead or in trouble. If you are about to charge that Plague furnace into combat it will certainly be a lot easier to win. In addition, if you can get this off then follow up with a scorch and a Plague then it's curtains for that massive unit. The only down side is that it's range is short so unfortunately you need to if you want to use it 1st turn Skitterleap the caster up the board that said I find only docking one point of toughness is enough for majority of units and would advise against trying to be greedy with this spell. Best practice as mentioned above is factor it into a good rotation to give yourself the edge. By making your opponent have to choose which spell this is were you can force errors and set up for combat
Vermintide
Is the same as before cast on an 8+ uses the large template which move 4D6 in a straight line and deals 3D6 strength 2 hits. There isn't much to say but again if you can flank a unit engaged in combat it could potentially damage that unit enough that the slaves could win the combat.
Cloud of corruption
I think this nice new spell but it can be quite deadly. Cast on 11+ all enemy units within 12" take D6 strength 5 hits whilst friendlies are affected on 4+ and Clan pestilens 5+. A well timed use of this can scupper your opponent as they suddenly lose a rank bonus. However, while this is one of the few spells where there is some risk to your units just be careful if using lots of MSU as they may not be able to take the hit which can then scupper your plans in a later phase.
Plague
The classic of 6th edition, everyone feared it, roll after the unit has been affected and it jumps to the next unit or your unit if the dice are against you. This version is better as usually it just ends unless you score a 5 or 6 which I find is better and is still 13+ (a nice reminder that in the old days Skaven got irresistible on a 13 not double 6). Models affected must pass a toughness test or suffer a wound no armour saves. if cast in combat both units get it. As mentioned above I feel it's best wither used at the end of a rotation or at the start. By trying to consider how your opponent will manage their dispel dice will you be able to use it well. Remember if they use a dispel scroll on it that's ok. if you have scorch always use it after that as scorch is a template that way you can maximize the damage of scorch then mop up with Plague.
The dreaded thirteenth Spell
Curse of the horned rat
Cast on 25+ requires a huge investment and is the signature spell of Grey Seers (aside from Skitterleap) and Vermin lords. If cast roll 4D6 and the number scored is the number of clanrats created or models killed. Effectively models are dead with no saves of any kind and you may get a unit of clanrats out of this. This is lethal, but in my view I it really can be used to remove dispel scrolls or other anti magic items though when casting you will most likely get irresistible. All in all probably the nastiest spell Skaven have, with a great payoff that comes with massive chance of it going wrong. Tactics wise I would only use on very, very expensive units and in most cases this would be the only spell I would cast in the phase. Even then I would only really use this spell for fun.
There really isn't much more to say that I haven't covered already. It comes down to planning what you want to do which magic appeals to you and what opponent you are facing. This version of Skaven magic is the best it offers a lot to do but there is subtlety here that perhaps wasn't there in 6th edition using the magic carefully and laying the groundwork can really ensure that at the endgame goes as well as it can which I found in 6th edition was where the Skaven really struggled. Thanks to Hoodling hole, 1DChan and others.
Hopefully this is useful to new players and I hope that I get some veterans thinking not just about Skaven magic but their own magic as well.
Right next Chapter Shooting.
Chapter Two: Shooting
Skaven during 6th had a very reliable shooting phase and it was something I was very good at doing but now I look back and I realise that in a lot of my previous lists there was on average three Ratling guns, so I wonder how original were my ideas? Skaven have a weapon for every possible situation and in reality this is were we start asking the questions what is the best tool for the job and hopefully I can provide thoughts here on this.
Warplightning Cannon
I remember when playing 5th edition I was in the GW talking about what I thought would be good in the Skaven army and suggested a Warplightning cannon which would use the small template. Low and behold along comes 6th and we have a Warplightning cannon. In 7th the cannon actually fires more closely to what I suggested back in 5th. It can be devastating or hit for nothing as it's based on the roll of the artillery dice but strength 4 can still plough through a good number of troops. There are two ways to use it. The advantage now though is you do not have to move it 10" down the flank like in 6th. The first thing to consider is unit, if we are using it against blocks of infantry you need to aim for a spot just before the unit and hope to roll enough to get into the middle. I always aim 4" away so that unless I roll 2 I'll still hit the unit no matter what. If it is cavalry regardless of type we need to get them in the flank and aim right next to the unit and hope for a high roll to plough through an entire rank. As it ignores armour is magical and does D6 wounds everyone is fair game. However, I would use this on multiple wound models, ethereal and anyone with a high armour save.
Plague claw catapult
Uses the large round template and also ignores armour saves and can cause panic tests from one wound. Is 100 points verses 90 for the cannon. Ideally best employed against average toughness troops and large blocks of infantry. This is where we have to make a choice and consider the enemies we are facing. If it's high toughness/wounds I would choose the cannon over this.
Weapon teams
Ratling Gun
Ah old reliable, when reading the 7th edition I thought increased range great still strength 4, roll to hit was a good move as I felt auto hits was a bit much and move or fire I thought was fair. However, using the same process for calculating hits was a big big nerf. This means that if you hit say a unit of dwarf warriors with one you on average will most likely kill three. Which is paltry compared to what the other weapons can do in terms of damage. Does this mean the end? No, as said we need to pick the right target, rolling on average 3-4 dice for hits is what you should be doing as the average score for three dice is eleven. Therefore, I would only target lightly armoured low toughness units like fast cavalry. If I had my way the ratling gun would have either move and shoot (aka predator style) or be allowed to use two artillery dice instead of normal ones when calculating hits.
Warpfire Thrower
The go to terror weapon. Whereas a Ratling gun could be annoying for a few turns the warpfire thrower might only get one shot off, so it has to count. With the change to expendable and life is cheap the strategy I would employ is tying up an expensive unit with slaves and shooting into the combat due to not randomising for templates. Again multiple wound enemies and those of a flammable disposition are your priority, but also those with high toughness. Watch out for flaming attack induced ward saves.
Poison wind Mortar
Yet another idea I suggested this time during 6th edition, I really should have recorded all these down so I could get the royals. Basically it's a replacement for death globes which are now one use only. This is probably the best weapon team. Mobile, ignores armour, can kill a lot of troops and DOES NOT respect toughness, is resistant to its own missfire (to a certain extent). This is the weapon you use on chaos warriors, dwarves. Any elite well armoured infantry. I would position one in a wood for cover, go for the hardest units first.
Doomflayer
Again I really really should shut up when in the gamesworkshop. This can really give clanrats or any unit a good chance at winning combat. Getting the charge off and getting it in the flank are essential to maximise the damage though not completely necessary. Best employed against low initiative single wound enemies. I would be careful employing one against Elves as the ASF rules means they can hit it first and potentially take it out in which case flanking is mandatory to give the best chance to survive and dish out the damage. Undead, O&G, Dwarves and Empire are all natural targets. I would definitely not use against Chaos ever, that's what Poisoned Wind mortars are for!
In summary Skaven still have deadly weaponry but we need to think what are we facing and then purchase our shooting accordingly to ensure we get the most bang for our buck.
Chapter Three MSU
Jezzails
In 6th edition they needed to be in one big unit to do anything. Their high strength and armour piercing meant death to knights. In 7th edition I had to change one of my tactics which was to put down 2-3 units of 2 globadiers. This meant I could see how my opponent was deploying and could then counter their deployment, it was annoying as it meant they were never sure quite how many units of clanrats I had. Instead of globadiers I would advise small units of Jezzails with a Sharpshooter. Because of this configuration you will have more success rate with hits. A big unit of 10 with a champ costs 220 and will on average score at long range score 4 hits. Three small units of 3 will score on average 6 hits, is 10 points cheaper and can cover more of the board due to the immense long range of the Jezzail and also allow you to do what I did with 2 man Globadier but still be a threat from turn one.
Poison Wind Globadiers
As mentioned I used to use really small units of these for the purpose of seeing my opponents deployment. In 7th Jezzails can do that better and still take out stuff. So how do we use these guys. Firstly get a champ and give him a death globe. As they ignore armour they are best against high armour and toughness single wound troops. Using their life is cheap rule you can do what you used to be able to in 6th and fire globes into any combat. By again using the BRB rules for templates you can decimate a unit engage against clanrats or Stormvermin. I would take 2 units of 5 with champ and Death globe again trapping a unit in combat against a unit of clanrats and letting them have it is a nasty surprise if someone only thinks you can shoot into Skaven slaves when they are in combat.
To be continued, I feel better lumping everything into one post. Hopefully it will be easier reading and for me easier editing. Thanks for reading!
The Leadership Question
Inspired by recent discussion the Skaven leadership is both dubiously bad but also potentially good. Thanks to Fvon for the clarification about an item. More specifically this weakness of the Skaven can be overcome. By using the Standard of discipline as this boosts the leadership of all models in the unit. The advantage of this is that in a really small game you could have a chieftain as the general with leadership comparable to a warlord. However, this also means that the warlord goes from leadership 7 to 8 so I would in a small game just take a warlord . But also to add insult here technically a unit of clanrats using the strength in numbers rule would become leadership 11 which thankfully doesn't exist. However, the advantage is that you now have a truly disposable rank. Add Queek into that and the potential for Skaven to not run away goes up.
The Rock
Thinking one step further the screaming bell also negates the Skaven tendency to run away but by using Stormvermin and therefore the Standard of discipline while already now unbreakable what we are using to our advantage is the increase in the range of the inspiring (fear) presence. This does mean that the Grey seer has to be the army general but the fact he can more easily refuse a challenge and more specific is not there to fight is one less aspect to worry about. As result the units around are the real benefactors of this set up reducing the chance they will run due to panic etc means we can focus more on the game. The disadvantage is that we now have a huge points sink and risk mainly against shooty armies which means we have to focus on dealing with that. As always when you counter one issue another takes it's place.