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Zhao Ming

2023-02-10T11:19:08Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* Tabletop Extrapolations */

{{Whfb-stub}}
[[File:Zhao ming.jpg|400px|thumb|right|[[Total War: WARHAMMER|What if Lo Pan was a cool dude who did cocaine?]]]]
Zhao Ming, also known as '''the Iron Dragon''', is one of the two legendary lords for [[Cathay]] in [[Total War: Warhammer| Total War: Warhammer 3]] and one of the first playable Cathayan characters in any Warhammer setting. While the fan reaction wasn’t as overtly positive as [[PROMOTIONS|his sister’s]], most of the fanbase has proven to be fond of Zhao’s appearance and lore.

Zhao is the son of the Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress. While his parents chill above Wei-Jin, Zhao runs the Western Provinces of Cathay from the city of Shang-Yang, which borders the Mountains of Mourn and as such has to deal with incursions of Skaven and Ogres; with him fending off such incursions with the aid of his army, plus his mastery of metal and yang magic, and the occasional bout of fire breath courtesy of his dragon form. However, being on the entry-point to Cathay he also sees the travellers and traders that make it from the west, with permanent embassies from the Empire, Estalia and Tilea.

Zhao Ming holds great skill in alchemy and likes to integrate it into his armies. He welcomes mages of all kinds, which causes his siblings to worry about his mental stability due to his proximity to the Great Maw, especially when he comes under a moment of eccentricity. This eccentricity is actually treating the people he leads as actual human beings with value and not simply viewing himself as above them unlike the rest of his family, so take it with a grain of salt. He is not exactly on good terms with his older sister [[Miao Ying]], and is often offended by her aloofness when they and their other three siblings meet.

Surprisingly, he's on pretty decent terms with [[Greasus Goldtooth]], the two having met in a negotiation to allow Cathayan Caravans through his territory. The two had bonded over their not so great relationship with their dads and came to an agreement to allow Cathayan Caravans through the Goldtooth lands in exchange for a toll. It seems to be a pretty major friendship, as Zhao's faction in Total War Warhammer 3 comes with a factionwide army upkeep buff to Ogre Mercenaries. Gotta respect a guy who sees beyond appearances.

He also turns out to be a bit of a mamas boy and is the Moon Empress' favourite child, which probably contributes to his continued rule over the West while his other siblings think he might be nuts.

==Tabletop Extrapolations==

While it probably be years before the Old World picks up steam enough to be able to feature Cathay and the Dragon siblings as units, one can extrapolate what kind of abilities Zhao Ming would bring to the tabletop. Thanks to Total War, we know three of these:

* Dragon Shapechange: A bit of a given, though it really begs the question whether Zhao (or any of his siblings) will start out in human form, or dragon.

* Spellcasting: Zhao is a hybrid caster, drawing from both the Lores of Yang and Metal.

* Ward of Iron: Zhao's unique ability in Total War, which gives units surrounding Zhao a boost to their defense.

*If Old world has an ally system, maybe the ability to take a few Ogre units in a kind of Age of Sigmar style coalition.

[[Category:Total Warhammer]]

[[Category:Cathay]]

Heresy

2023-02-10T10:33:51Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* On Heresy, Blasphemy, Heathens, Schismatics, Sinners, and Apostasy */

{{awesome}}
{{heresy}}
{{topquote|+++ Any person who speaks ill of the Emperor, the Imperium, cites his loyalty to any entity besides the Emperor, defaces holy artifacts or buildings, incites heretical thoughts or actions, talks openly about forbidden subjects and generally behaves in a manner disrespectful to all that is holy and good will have his extremities removed and left to bleed to death, for the Emperor's pleasure. The body will then be burned to ensure no taint remains.+++|The [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer]], Art 6741/09a}}
{{topquote|Beware the [[xenos|alien]], the [[heresy|heretic]], and the [[mutant]].|Thought for the Day}}
{{topquote|Since the time of Sigmar Himself, we have been no more than a flickering beacon of hope amidst a sea of despair and corruption, but never before have we faced so many dangers. We must suffer the simple-minded liberalism of our burgomeisters, the sanctioning of magic use, the heresy of false prophets and religions, the arrogance of the Arch-lectors, and the convoluted plots of the Dark Gods - the rot has sunk deep into the flesh of the Empire, where even now it festers and grows. The time has come to act and only within this proud and ancient order lies the strength of will, the zeal, and the righteous fury required to save us. They call us Witch Hunters, in their fear and ignorance, without even the slightest idea of the monstrous deeds we must commit on their behalf.|The Witch Hunter's Handbook}}
{{topquote|Betrayal isn't ridiculous. It's the reason empires fall.|Marisha Pessl}}

[[Image:Heresy_vein-popping.png|thumb|right|'''HERESY''' must be regarded with the [[RAGE|appropriate]] [[Exterminatus|severity]].]]
In [[Warhammer 40,000]], '''heresy''' (or {{BLAM|'''''HERESY!'''''}}) is the most severe accusation the Imperium can make against one of its citizens. It is almost always punishable by [[Blam|death]] or [[Arco-flagellant|worse]]. Most commonly, Heresy involves what real-world politics would call High Treason: willingly consorting with [[Chaos]], unwillingly consorting with Chaos, acknowledgeding the existence of Chaos (basically anything to do with Chaos bar annhilating it in zealous flame), betraying the Imperium to Xenos, which the Imperium gravely forbids, and in particular anyone guilty of [["If only."|merely suggesting anything good about Chaos]] will receive a [[Exterminatus|retribution of Inquisitorial proportions]]. In terms of mass Heresy, [[Exterminatus|mass cleansing]] is often applied as punishment. However, heresy, depending on the tolerance of your planetary government, can also include blasphemy against or defamation of the Emperor and/or the Imperium; saying anything against the Imperial Creed, which details pretty much everything not related to the veneration of the [[Empra]].

The trials for heresy are broad, but the majority of them occur [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jViTte8VAzU&feature=g-vrec like this], or [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BxFlmb6S6E this], or [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2xlQaimsGg this] or even [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnF1OtP2Svk this]. The funniest thing is that 99% of the time heresy is actually heathenry since heresy is revering the same God but differently (catholics vs protestants or ecclesiarchy vs mechanicum) while heathenry is worshipping something completely different (shinto vs hindu or Chaos Gods vs The Emperor).

==What IS heresy?==
[[File:1289624777422.jpg|200px|thumb|They're all around you.]]
[[Image:Witch Hunters Handbook.jpg|thumb|left|The only book you should ever learn to read for.]]
The Imperium realizes that heresy is a serious matter and that its implications and consequences must be made perfectly clear to all servants of the Emperor, from the lowliest serf to the highest commander. And so with the aid and wisdom of the Inquisition and the Holy Ecclesiarchy, the definition of heresy in the eyes of our immortal God-Emperor is made known:
*EVERYTHING IS HERESY
*<s>EVERYTHING</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!}}{{BLAM}}
*Banging an Eldar lady is probably heresy too, but try saying that to your Commissa{{BLAM|QUESTIONING YOUR COMMISSAR IS HERESY!}}{{BLAM}}

If you are not sure if something is heresy, it probably is. Play it safe and report it so that it can be properly BLAMMED.

Those interested in finding out more about heresy for the express purpose of removing it from our world are encouraged to check out a copy of ''"The Witch Hunter's Handbook"'', which is available at any Temple of Sigmar and contains useful information on the subject, as well as amusing anecdotes from the late Kasper von Liebenstein. (The second edition has been cleansed of its borderline-heretical text by Huntress Karin Schiller. Reprobates in possession of the first edition copy are required to burn it immediately and repent of their sin of knowledge or else be deemed heretics in the eyes of our Lord Sigmar.)

==But Seriously, What Is It?==
[[Image:Canossa-gate.jpg|thumb|right|Extra heretic Henry IV re-evaluates some of his life choices.]]
Well, outside of the [[Warhammer 40000|the Warhams]] world, heresy is derived from the word '''Heterodoxy''', a Greek word used to describe deviation from ''Orthodoxy'' or established religious doctrine. While most established religions have their share of offenses which are considered "heresy", the word has become most closely associated with the Roman Catholic [[Inquisition]], and by extension all of Christianity because they're the ones that made the biggest splash in Europe and most of the world. Consequently, this whole section will focus mostly on them in the brief history below.

Seeing that Catholic doctrine dictates that the Pope is the guy who has the keys to Heaven, and has a direct phone line to God, he could issue orders of excommunication and interdiction, meaning the affected people and/or countries were effectively permabanned from the Heaven server; The Pope can still do this (and has, notably on Nazis and Cartels) but no one really cares what some old fart in a funny hat thinks any more. Also, way back before books were mass-produced and education was widespread, Peasants (and even some nobles) couldn't read so everyone went to church because the Priest was the only guy who could actually read the Bible. Worse yet, the Bible was written in Latin because that was considered the proper language in much the same way Weeaboos insist that subtitled anime is better because you're listening to the original Japanese. The first attempt at translating it into English ended with the translator being burnt at the stake.

This had severe consequences, as Christianity had far more power and influence in Western society then than it does today. For starters, heresy was considered a one way ticket to [[Warp|Hell]] which, whether or not you're a Christian and believe Hell actually exists, everyone can agree it's a horrible place. Also, there was the little issue that all important oaths of the day were sworn before God, meaning excommunication rendered them null and void. Since the Catholic Church functioned as the court of last appeal for most major matters, this could make the excommunicated person an outlaw, which was especially bad for excommunicated nobles and monarchs. Your [[knight]]s and vassals didn't have to serve you, your [[peasant]]s didn't have to pay their taxes, and if one of them tortured and killed you they could get <strike>in good with the clergy which could lead to rewards</strike> high fives from Jesus. This gave the Church incredible power, which many of the clergy wielded like a club to bludgeon people into acting correctly. And by "correctly", we mean "however the Church wanted them to act at the time" (sometimes justified, sometimes not). The only way to get an excommunication lifted invariably involved large amounts of donations to the Church and/or general ass-kissing.

Now for all we like to joke about the [[Warhammer 40000|the Imperium]] being "Catholic Space Nazis" for their Gothic aesthetics, its has more in common (including its stance on heresy and badass double-headed eagle) with the Eastern Orthodox Church, most notably in Byzantium: The secular and ecclesiastical organizations existed separately, but they were meant to supplement and support eachother ("symphonia") and Ecclesiarchy was kind of part of the Imperial administration, with Emperor having serious influence. So while excommunication by the church may have meant the severing Eucharistic ties for an individual rather than actual corporeal punishment, due to above-mentioned concept, he would be considered to be a criminal by the state. So instead of being lynched by the mob of autists, you would get judged by the state itself. Though instead of getting {{BLAM|BLAMMED}} they would mostly get exiled in some remote monasteries in middle of nowhere.

[[Image:tic.jpg|thumb|left|A hairy tick on the prowl.]]
That isn't to say there wasn't real heresy going on for a while. In the early history of Christianity people developed some funny ideas that lasted for a surprisingly long time, despite the Church telling them to stop in a very pointed manner (and if that failed, out came the pointed objects). These heresies could be grouped into two rough categories- the Trinitarian/Christological heresies and the Gnostic belief systems. To put it in terms someone who isn't a theologian could understand, the former is basically a bunch of people coming up with their own ideas about Jesus' nature and relation to God based on their interpretations of the Bible and trying to make it the official belief system of the Church. The most important of these was Arianism, which basically said that Jesus Christ the Son wasn't the same entity as God the Father, and that he was subordinate to the Father; by contrast, the orthodox view was that the Son and the Father were the same being in different persons. This may sound really weird even before you get into the details of the Trinity, but that's why Arianism is important: '''it made the Christian canon as we know it...well, canon.''' Other heresies managed to hang on long enough to become established sects of their own, such as the Nestorian heresy giving rise to the Assyrian Church of the East.

Gnosticism was a very different beast, since it was less of a divergence from established theology and more of a completely unrelated set of religious beliefs that occasionally borrowed elements from Christianity. While what the many different sects of Gnosticism practiced and believed wasn't entirely standard or agreed upon, they all shared a contempt for the material world in general [[Iron Hands|and the human body in particular]] and claimed that the material world was created by an inferior god or Demiurge (no relation to the Tau) opposed to the true God of the spiritual world. By the use of the esoteric knowledge held by the various Gnostic sects, collectively referred to as [[Mage: The Awakening|Gnosis]], its practitioners could free their spirits from the confines of the material world and escape the influence of the False God. Obviously, their appropriation of various elements of Christianity did not go over very well with the nascent Church, and as of now they exist solely as a few minor groups of mystics with no real influence outside their own communities. As you can probably tell, some of their beliefs were also repurposed for use in several works of fiction, like in Mage: the Awakening.

Eventually, the charges of heresy were leveled against the Catholic Church itself (or rather it was done and not immediately stomped out as had usually the case) when a monk by the name of Martin Luther denounced the corruption that had been growing within the Church and its clergy. In particular, he was outraged by the selling of indulgences which would supposedly assure the salvation of whoever bought them despite the Bible stating that salvation comes only from faith in Jesus. The Pope wasn't willing to listen to him, Luther refused to recant his views, and to make a long and bloody story short the dominance of Catholicism fell apart in western Europe soon afterwards in what became the start of the Protestant Reformation as various kings and princes throughout the continent realized they could escape from the Pope's influence while still staying in God's good graces. Heretical sects popped up among the Protestants on occasion, but the Protestant were usually too busy defending themselves from Catholic persecution or persecuting them back to do much persecuting of heretics themselves (although they still tried to do it when they could). As a result, said sects were typically left alone to develop into independent groups such as the Anabaptists (whose descendants include the present-day Amish and Mennonites).

While heresy was still taken seriously by both Catholics and Protestants for a time, later events such as a series of brutal and ultimately inconclusive religious wars between Protestants and Catholics, nationalism becoming more important to the general public than religious affiliation, religious tolerance and secularization becoming increasingly popular with the spread of Enlightenment ideals, and other similar concerns have slowly weakened the effectiveness of cries of 'Heresy!' as time went on. At least, that's the case as of this article's writing.

== On Heresy, Blasphemy, Heathens, Schismatics, Sinners, and Apostasy ==

Similar but not identical terms you'll often hear include Heathen, Blasphemy/Blasphemous, Sin/Sinner, and Apostate/Apostasy. Explaining them is pretty simple so we'll start with the one that comes first alphabetically.

An apostate is someone who abandons a pre-existing faith for either another or no faith at all while apostasy is the act of abandoning said faith. A lot of what is often called Heresy in 40k is more correctly called apostasy, such as people taking up worship of the Dark Gods or the Tyranids through Chaos and Genestealer cults in Warhammer 40k and abandoning the Imperial Cult. Apostasy is usually the most serious sort of religious crime you can commit in highly religious societies for obvious reasons. It can take the form of converting to another religion, being a theist (a person who believes in and tries to follow God or gods but doesn't follow an established religion), a deist (a person who believes God or gods exist but doesn't see them as having an active role in society) or becoming an atheist (believing there is no such thing as gods and not following any religion - [[Skub|except maybe Buddhism]]).

'''Example''': <s>I praise Chaos not the Emperor!!</s> {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|Apostasy!}}

Blasphemy is saying or writing something that is obscene to the faith. Blasphemy can overlap with Heresy but blasphemy is saying something disrespectful about the god/s or something sacred in the religion in question, where heresy is distorting the religion's teachings and spreading those ideas. For the Imperial Cult, calling the God Emperor a magpie driven by his draconic heritage to hoard golden and shiny objects would very definitely be blasphemous on multiple levels.

'''Example''': <s>The Emperor and Khorne are the same deity!</s> {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|Blasphemy !}}

Heathens are people who were never part of a faith to begin with and the term broadly overlaps with the labels of Infidel and Pagan, though Pagan tends to more specifically refer to polytheistic faiths (Interestingly, the term pagan itself was originally a Latin word that was their equivalent of "hick" or "redneck", and was an insulting term that Roman Christians referred to followers of Greco-Roman polytheism as) while Infidel is usually used for other monotheistic faiths. Someone born into a religion different from yours has committed no heresy nor apostasy and while being a Heathen is seen as something to be corrected by evangelical faiths, most evangelical faiths want to convert heathens rather than kill them. In history, the Catholic Church even complained to the Pope that the Spanish were killing most of their potential converts in the new world and thus preventing them from bringing the native Americans to Christianity because the survivors started seeing the faith as an instrument of terror. In 40k, technically speaking most non-Imperial humans are heathens due to having been born to a different faith, and the Imperium will usually try to convert human heathens who are not tainted by Chaos, aliens, or thinking machines.

'''Example''' <s><span style='color:blue;font-size:115%;font-family:serif'> Your faith is false join the Logic of the Greater Good!</s>{{BLAM}} {{BLAM|Heathen!}}

Schismatics are those who follow a branch of a religion created by some form of schism, most famously the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox branches in Christianity or the Sunni and Shiite branches in Islam. It doesn't see much use today (because in this era Christians of different branches, and to a lesser degree Muslims of different branches, have learned to tolerate each other's existence or at least not start wars over which branch is the "true" religion) but it's still there and occasionally gets used by Traditionalist Catholic nutcases (think the Catholic equivalent of Jack Chick) still fighting the Thirty Years' War almost 500 years after the fact. It technically overlaps with heresy, but it can be properly thought of as the term to call heretics who have become big enough to gain some form of legitimacy. Like the difference between "cult" and "religion" mostly being one of scale these days.

'''Example''' <s>These are the tenates of the [[Cult of the Redemption]] Join us as do the Emperor's work!</s> {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|Schismatics!}}

These are all considered forms of sin, which can be thought of as spiritual crimes. Sinners are essentially anyone who commits such wrongdoings, and given how broadly defined sin as a concept is for religions that care about the concept essentially everyone is a sinner to varying degrees (and that's before we even get into original sin). "Forgiveness for your sins" is essentially the religious equivalent of getting a pardon for crimes. Like secular crimes, sins come in varying degrees of severity with similarly variably harsh punishments or requirements to earn forgiveness for them. In more extreme cases, the sin cannot be forgiven by any means available to the mortal coil and the sinner must be put to death. Given that modern countries really dislike other institutions intruding on their ability to enforce and create laws, most religions that aren't the ruling power of a theocracy of some kind can't proscribe punishment for sins that clashes with the laws of the country (eg; most countries that don't have corporal punishment would not permit caning from Islam's Sharia Law). Now, if you do live in a theocracy on the other hand... what if any punishment you suffer depends on the theocracy and religion in question. The odds for mercy are very good in the Vatican City but very bad in Saudi Arabia, for example.

To make this as simple as possible; a heretic is someone who still claims to be part of the faith but makes irreconcilable challenges to its dogmas, an apostate is someone who outright abandons the faith for another, a blasphemer is someone who says something deemed spiritually obscene to that faith, a heathen, infidel, or pagan was someone who was never part of that faith to begin with, a schismatic is someone who follows a rival church of the same faith, and a sinner is basically any sort of religious criminal. Ironically, this means the Horus Heresy which is defined by half the legions and a third of the army forsaking the Imperial Truth for Chaos might be more correctly called the Horus Apostasy while the Age of Apostasy whose primary conflict was a doctrinal schism between Vandire and Thor is more correctly called the Age of Heresy or the Vandirian Schism. But on the other hand, "Horus Apostasy" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Maybe if Horus were named "Amon" or "Anubis" instead...hrm...

==Major Heresies in 40K==
While any individual can be branded a heretic for the slightest offense, a number of big-time heresies have occured in the 40k timeline.
*Earlier
**'''The Matt Ward Heresy''': A HUGE, ancient heresy lost to time. According to the few reliable reports that have been collected, he was a crazy, demented proto [[Chaos|chaos]] cultist(see:normal), who believed in things that [[Malal|contradicted his very existence]], such as Grey Knights being the best SPEHSS MAHREENS, or Necrons using '''GODS AS POKEMON'''. Luckily, he lost the favor of the chaos gods after he fell in love with the Ultrasmurfs, and died sometime in 2k. However, rumors indicate that his head may have been found by a certain [[Angry Marines|Space Marines]] chapter, now as a horrid chaos deity. Pray to the Emperor that it is untrue.
**'''The Multilazer Heresy''': An ancient heresy with little information on it. What is known is that there was a heretic known as [[C.S. Goto]]. He was vile and unrepentant for his sins, and did everything from torturing [[Dark Eldar|elvenfolk]] for no other reason other than it turned him on, to making things happen when physically, they shouldn't or frankly cannot, such as making a heavy Tyranid bioform a '''FRICKIN FEATHER!''' Everything seems to indicate he was a follower of Tzeentch. Which explains why he was such a [[Eldrad|dick.]] Nothing is solid yet, but some believe he may have been taken to Commorragh. Which both [[Not As Planned|freaks him out]] and [[Just As Planned|pleases him.]]
**'''The Furry Heresy''': A vile heresy that started in M2. Likely a plan from Tzeentch (Slaanesh didn't exist back then) to get others to worship Chaos, followers were described to have a strange obsession with dressing or identifying as animals, and sexing them too. It isn't confirmed, but some believe the Eldar may have adopted this heresy during the Dark Age of Technology, and as a result led to a [[Slaanesh|certain tentacled thing]] being made, as well as creating the Eye of Terror. Even now, millennia later, loyal forces of the Adeptus Astartes (most commonly of the [[Black Templars]] and [[Angry Marines]]), Ordos Malleus and Hereticus, and even the Golden Legion themselves are on the hunt for these specific breeds of heretics, fit only for execution by boltgun.
*M32
**'''The [[Horus Heresy]]''': The big one where [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|FUCKING HORUS]] embraced Chaos worship and caused the biggest civil war to date in the Imperium.
**'''Schism of Mars''': Horus' rebellion coincided with an equally big Tech-Heresy within the Mechanicus, as the Fabricator-General at the time revealed that he was backing the Warmaster. Half the Mechanicum turned to worship the Chaos Gods and went to war with the other half, creating the [[Dark Mechanicus]].
*Later
**'''Catelexis Heresy''': An extremely powerful Xenos Psyker called the Cacodominus succeeded in capturing the Catelexis sector for himself; when the [[Black Templars]] finally killed him, he let out a psychic scream known as "The Howling," which killed countless astropaths and caused many ships to go astray in the warp, resulting in even more widespread dissarray and chaos. It may have also left the Black Templars unable to produce Librarians, but nobody's completely sure about that.
**'''The Moirae Schism''': During the [[Nova Terra Interregnum]], a heretical branch of the Mechanicus claimed not only to be able to predict the future in the [[Astronomicon]], but also that the Ecclesiarchy and Mechanicus would merge into one organization. This pissed off both the Mechanicus leadership and the Ecclesiarchy, but it also spread like wildfire, leading to two millenia of civil war and the exile of a faction of [[Iron Hands]] that supported it; these would later be recognized as the [[Sons of Medusa]] Chapter.
**'''[[Age of Apostasy]]''': While not labelled explicitly as a Heresy (due to predating the Ordo Hereticus) this war revolved around the conflict between the Temple of the Saviour Emperor and the Confederation of Light for supremacy as the state religion. It ended when the batshit insane Ecclesiarch/Master of the Administratum [[Goge Vandire]] was assassinated by his own bodyguards after the sustained efforts of an alliance of Space Marines, Mechanicus, Custodes, and the Confederation of Light threatened his power.
**'''[[Macharian Heresy]]''': Immediately following the [[Macharian Crusade]], the once-loyal generals of [[Lord Solar Macharius]] pounced upon his death and immediately drew up their own mini-empires independent of the Imperium - [[FAIL|necessitating ANOTHER crusade just to get their territory back and punish the generals.]] And since their superstar commander Macharius was dead (likely the fault of the High Lords/Inquisition, but its vague who pulled the trigger) it took them ten times as long to conquer the same worlds.
**'''[[Abyssal Crusade]]''': A bunch of chapters of Space Marines were deemed as heretics by a Saint and were forced to enter a warp rift in order to fight for their penance. All but one of the chapters were lost, and when that last chapter finally returned, they noticed that this same saint was still the exact same. Surprise, surprise, the saint was actually a chaos-worshipper and thus he was killed and his many records eliminated.

==Heresy in Warhammer Fantasy==

In [[Warhammer Fantasy]], the [[Empire|Empire of Sigmar]] is FAR more benevolent than its science fiction counterpart. Religions of any (non-Chaos) form are allowed despite the state religion being the worship of [[Sigmar|Sigmar Heldenhammer]], magical (psyker) aptitude is met with apprehension but is encouraged within the halls of the Colleges of Magic (established by a [[Teclis|xeno ally of mankind]]), and humanity seeks alliances with other races and actively recruits them as soldiers, or enters into trade and treaties with them ([[Halflings]] are all citizens of the Empire as a matter of fact despite having the personalities of [[Tyranid]] [[Kender]]). Scientific innovation is greatly encouraged, and as a result the Empire is the most scientifically advanced race in the setting. There is less freedom in other ways however; as humanity within cities is VERY prone to rioting, behaviors seen as likely to lead to a riot (including spreading factual news about the current state of the realm and of impending invasion) are suppressed. Undeath in all forms (including concepts accepted in 40k such as the state of the God Emperor and use of [[Dreadnought|Dreadnoughts]]) is a worse form of heresy than consorting with the Ruinous Powers, and any magical act not taught and officiated to you from a College of Magic is considered at best malicious mischief.

While it's commonly known that Chaos Mutations occur with regularity and are normally just unpleasant afflictions, mutants are not officially second-class citizens as long as they are loyal. However, they are prone to mistreatment and are generally the victims of any riot (well, them and teenage girls) and in [[Kislev|areas commonly attacked by the servants of Chaos]] are killed at birth. Chaos Mutants called [[Beastmen]] dedicated to the Ruinous Powers are one of the biggest threats to the Empire, but despite the fact that most learned men are fully aware of the existence of the most powerful of these groups ([[Skaven]], who possess technology on par with real world World War I weapons) they are considered to be fictitious by the general population. Generally, while considered heretical, speaking of Skaven is more likely to be met with public mockery rather than BLAMing. Those who have actually encountered them laugh nervously, those living in ignorance guffaw with the crowd, and those in positions of authority who fear a sudden riot just as capable of destroying the city as an attack by the mutants scowl and throw accusations of madness.

The Witch Hunters of Warhammer Fantasy, despite being far more effective than their "'Kill Everything' Button"-happy counterparts are also entirely more insane than the Inquisition of Warhammer 40k and consist of personalities akin to [[Cultist-chan|Chaos Cultists]]. They themselves are secretly dedicated to a Chaos God of Order (what, you expected logical rules from Chaos?) who empowers them against the servants of the Big Four and Undivided. Most Witch Hunters are severely traumatized individuals taught that their word is higher than that of the Church (they are known to burn [[Sisters of Sigmar]] at the stake due to receiving visions from Sigmar), who see heresy in all actions, and their past is full of self-purges and mass murders as the head of their order inevitably falls into paranoia and senility each generation.

Those in the Warhammer equivalent to Russia, [[Kislev]], are a much more suffering lot than the Empire. Sitting right at the invasion route from [[Warriors of Chaos]], [[Orcs & Goblins|greenskins]], and dwelling in a land where portals to the Warp constantly open and close letting in entire Daemon armies but themselves being a poor and uneducated people, they lack any Inquisitorial group. Each position of authority from local Sheriff straight to Tzarina Katarin herself take it upon themselves to personally purge the population. Any sign of Chaos mutation marks the afflicted for immediate execution, any strange behavior or sign of madness is an indication of an incoming assault. The people of Kislev themselves have become a hardened race, who will face an army of [[Khorne|Bloodletters]] outnumbered armed only with rocks while standing shirtless and in bare feet in the middle of a blizzard and come out triumphant with minimal casualties (in other words, Imperial Guardsmen who can out-NONEPURER Gray Knights).

In addition, the [[High Elves]] of [[Ulthuan]] (like [[Eldar]], but badasses who solve the world's problems, instead of fuckups trying and failing to solve their own) have their own internal Inquisition. The order of the Swordmasters of Hoeth is older than [[Tomb Kings|mankind's first civilization]], and were founded by one of the early Phoenix Kings as a way of purging Elves who joined the [[Slaanesh|Cult of Pleasure]]. While officially they are Sapherian bodyguards, messengers, and general police force of the High Elves and more specifically the spellcasters of the race, the Swordmasters are also master informants who collect information in a complex spy network and send it all to Hoeth, the center of learning in the Warhammer World (also the location of the magic internet). There, the High Loremaster (who is blessed by [[Lileath]], a Lawful Good loli Tzeentch) filters it and signs the death certificates of those [[Dark Elves|Elves so strap-on on head insane they'd fucking worship a god who just wants to eat their souls]]. The Swordmasters themselves are actually more like the super calm variety of Jedi knights, spending most of their time training with animu greatswords bigger than their own bodies which are continually smithed and re-forged using magical liquid metal cores and Ithilmar (hard as steel, lighter than sheet tin) to the point that the lengths of their fingers and the weight of their eyelashes are accounted for in their balance and technique. The result is lightly-armored Elves who fight like Zorro on the Speedforce in groups of one hundred at a time.

==What do they do with heretics?==
In Warhammer Fantasy, heresy is usually met with (questionably historical) torture until a confession is extracted and the TRUE torture (or immediate execution in a busy week) can take place. Although the various churches of the setting are slow to act and generally are only capable of convicting those who march into a city square covered in Chaos tattoos and trying to recruit Priests of Sigmar, or are doing Thriller in a group of Zombies while singing "I am a Vampire" at the top of their lungs, Witch Hunters tend to BLAM without second thought any who smells a bit too nice/bad or stutters when attempting to recite a prayer on command. Any time a [[Mordheim|major event that does not involve large armies occurs]], chances are good Witch Hunters will soon be converging on the area to execute anything still moving.

The Imperium has a much more complex system of dealing with things. If your heresy was serious but you are repentant in your trial, the church may strap you to a horrific war machine called the [[Penitent Engine|Penitent Engine]], which is a bit like a Space Marine dreadnought except it's designed to be really painful and humiliating for the pilot who themselves are drugged and tortured until there's nothing left of their mind but rage and shame. What's creepy is that it's an entirely voluntary way of seeking absolution (obviously, since strapping someone against their will to a war machine they can control is [[derp|NOT SMART]]). Considering how many of these are stomping around, it's a wonder the [[Adeptus Mechanicus|AdMech]] hasn't designed a not-insane version to be used by the [[Imperial Guard]] as an assault walker. [[Sentinel|... right]].

The body of an [[Arco-flagellant]] is a much similar fate for heretics. In fact Penitent Engines and Arco-flagellants seem to be the same concept given to two different writers. In any case if your heresy was serious but you are repentant in your trial, the church may Lobotomize you, fry your prefrontal cortex responsible for rational thinking, strap VR goggles on your newly-lobotomized head, install combat drug pumps into your spine, chop off your arms and replace them with weapons, and hold you in storage as what is basically a combat [[Servitor]]. The fate of an Arco-flagellant is oddly merciful and calming; during times of peace you're sedated and made to watch Ecclesiarchy-approved public television all day. In times of battle you're used as a suicide bayonet rusher.

The [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer]] says that a heretical Guardsman should have his extremities severed and left to bleed to death. At the discretion of the commanders, he may just get moved to a penal battalion or classically BLAM'd.

On remote Imperial worlds and [[Necromunda|highly populated hiveworlds]], minor heresies naturally spring up all the time because the Ecclesiarchy has a weak presence, so visiting preachers may try to take a softer approach with these things. They may even tolerate some fanciful unorthodox beliefs as long as they don't offend the core values of the church. While this might seem at first to be common sense over-ruling grimdark in some some small way, the scary bit is that how far this tolerance extends varies a lot and shifts, some benign little deviation which one high ranking priest would know to be a harmless quirk of local customs may be seen as another as being heretical and dooms millions to die as heretics.

Oddly (in earlier editions of Fluff), it was implied that even significant Heresy could be redeemed but a traitor could never ever be forgiven. One character in The Emperor's Gift was a penitent who had been a member of a significant heretical cult but was redeemed by an Inquisitor and entered her service. Despite this, most other characters viewed him with suspicion or outright hatred, so your mileage may vary.

In terms of mass Heresy, (Example given, a large congregation of worshippers that worship a deity that isn't the God-Emperor of Mankind) the usual solution to such crimes is either [[Exterminatus|genocide via orbital bombardment]] or the deployment of [[Space Marines|death squads]] to the planet itself to commit mass-genocide via [[Bolter]], [[Chainsword]], and armored boot. The [[Black Templars]] are especially gifted at the latter option, often landing on planets deemed to be infected with mass Heresy and usually committing mass murder and torture on a scale that would make an Inquisitor puke (And that's saying something).

For [[Xenos]], their existence is an automatic Heresy. Xenos are usually exterminated on sight, usually in an excessively brutal fashion (e.g. Chainsword disembowelment). Even in several rare cases of Xenos attempting to surrender, the majority were usually purged. In the rare (Read: Nearly nonexistant) cases of a Xeno being captured, the captive is usually "questioned" (Read: Tortured via Chainsword and/or Bolter) and then executed (Usually via Chainsword and/or Bolter).

Humans that have utterly surrendered themselves to [[Chaos]] are of course, treated no longer as a human, but as the lowest form of Heresy possible. Those that are captured (If ever) are usually tortured (In a fashion nearly similar to what Chaos does with unfortunate souls), then turned into [[Arco-flagellant|Arco-flagellants]] and/or killed in an excessively brutal and painful manner (The manner of which is still unknown but horrific).

==Witch Hunters==
Witch Hunters from Warhammer Fantasy are usually recruited from those who had come dangerously close to heretics or Chaos mutants, but who had themselves been spared. Their training is regimented and involves self-flagellation as well as group flagellation to give a high tolerance for pain, constant schooling so that all prayers and religious works concerning Sigmar can be recited by heart simply by being asked for specific page and paragraph number, and tests with a higher mortality rate than facing an actual Chaos incursion. [[Chaos Spawn]] are brought into more elite classes to harden the minds of the young recruits against the taint of Chaos and to teach them how to fight that which is unnatura-- oh nooo'''GRAGHBBGEBBLELBGBELGBLEL'''{{BLAM}} *Ahem*. They are taught the use of martial weapons, both large and imposing like the titular Warhammer to bootknives which can be brought to bear against those thinking they are merely being briefed on situations. Poisons, wilderness survival (in all climates of the world), and general knowledge of the regions of the world are taught to any who manage to make it thus far as knowledge is far more dangerous than weaponry.
Witch Hunters are familiarized with all forms of codes and secret languages known in the Warhammer World, with the exception of arcane scripts which they are taught only to recognize but not to read. Those who manage to pass all other forms of training are taught how to use crossbows and flintlock pistols, which are blessed with each bullet they fire being inscribed with prayers to cause maximum damage to the unnatural forces of the world.

Those deemed particularly possessing of zeal are given access to tainted texts recovered from everything from Necromancer Covens to Chaos Cults. Generally speaking, the information in these are histories of heretics as well as all the knowledge available to those on the other side of the fourth wall who read the Army Books and codices of the games.

Once recruits pass their trials they are then depending on their specialties either armed with crossbows (which is why rather than BLAMming, execution may come in the form of a FWIP instead) and assigned to city bastions or to patrol groups, or are sent out on their own to follow any rumor of heresy and pass judgement on those they find.

They have been reinstated as the [[Azyr#Age_of_Sigmar|Order of Azyr]] in [[Age of Sigmar]].

==Extra heresy==
[[Extra heresy]] is a decree recently enacted by local Commissar [[Fuklaw]]. While we're still a bit sketchy on the details, it is clearly mentioned that [[LCB|Xenos]] [[Heretical Love|love]] is Extra heretical (that just makes it even more appealing) but it is a well known fact that anything remotely related to Jersey Shore, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus or anything Western pop music is extra extra heretical. Punishment is still the generic execution by your local [[commissar]]... those dic{{BLAM}} -Most virtuous and excellent officers of the Emperor. Actually, if the Emperor saw all this shit, he'd have a single manly teardrop from his eye.

==What isn't heretical (40k)==
[[Image:Heresy meter.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Imperium's patented heresy detector.]]
Much like the whole Rule 34 and Rule 35 gig, there are a few things that aren't heresy. Here's a short and general list:
*The [[Emperor|immortal God-Emperor of the Imperium of Man]]
*Veneration of the immortal Emperor
*Dying for the Emperor in the most manly way possible.
*Dying for the Emperor in as many ways as possible {{*BLAM*|HERESY!!! LIVING MORE THAN ONCE IS CHAOS WORSHIP}} [[Nagash|But what if I worship the skelepope and not the barbarian gods?]] Life is the currency of the Emperor! (Spend it well... and not on heresy)
*Despising Matt Ward, the future <s>[[Malal|sixth]]</s> <s>[[Retcon|fifth]]</s> [[Skub|sixth]] chaos god.
*Nearly dying for the Emperor while doing something badass as many times as you can before you actually die for the Emperor
*Brutally slaughtering and burning heaps of xenos, mutants, heretics and most especially Modern Pop Fans, for the God Emperor of Mankind. (If you can live long enough to fire that flashlight that is OH GOD NO NOT THE FACE-*{{*BLAM*}} If unable to do so, fighting to distract them until the end.
*Discovering new planets so the Emperor can have even more wars. Unsullied planets + war = More burning Heretics for the Emperor, hurrah!
*Building gigantic Gothic cathedrals the size of sky scrapers for the Emperor.
*[[Imperial Navy|Rendering said cathedrals spaceworthy.]]
*Praising of the Emperor.
*Praising the Emperor through song that isn't modern pop/rap/hip-hop/dubstep.
*Listening to Gregorian choirs praising the Emperor, as well as any militaristic song that does not violate any Imperial Law. (E.g., the song is approved as long as it doesn't violate the [[Imperial Truth]])
*<s>Sexing Aeldari ladies, probably heresy but I'm pretty sure [[Jaq Draco|inquisitors]] [[An Eldar's Ears|do this]] so it's o---</s>{{*BLAM*}} {{BLAM|EXTRA HERESY!!!}} It's Okay so long as they're of the Goth Variety, Lord Guilliman approves.
*Hailing to the High Lords of Terra/Administratum/Ecclesiarchy- except when they commit heresy.
*accusing random people of {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}
**{{*BLAM*}}
*{{BLAM|Why are you still reading this instead of venerating the motherfucking Emperor?! You must be a heretic for having doubt! Die heretic scum! *BLAM*}}
**Calling the Emperor motherfucking is {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}} {{*BLAM*}}
*getting {{*BLAM*}}'d

==What isn't heretical (Fantasy)==
*Our lord [[Sigmar|Sigmar Heldenhammer, true god of the Empire]]
*Veneration of the holy comet
*Worship of '''Non Chaotic''' lesser deities, special mention being Ulric.
*Growing mustaches
*Brutally slaughtering and burning heaps of daemons, witches, greenskins, Vampires, walking skeletons, talking cats, and [[Warriors of Chaos|Scandinavians]] (remember, the pointy end of the spear faces AWAY from you)
*Fucking Elf ladies (good, people like banging elves)
*Getting drunk with Dwarves (considered a minor anti-heresy)
*Adding [[Steam Tank|steam engines]] to things
*Not rioting
*Praising the Elector Counts (except in times of civil war), and the glorious Emperor Karl Franz
*Not talking about the <strike>[[Skaven|giant rat-men armed with weapons that spit fire, who spread the plague through the water, who have planted a bomb in the city square and...]] IT'S ALL OVER, OUR ONLY REMAINING SOLUTION IS TO RIOT</strike> <strike>{{FWIP|HERESY! *FWIP*}}(fwip? they have guns you know)</strike> {{BLAM|... *sigh* Alright... HERESY!!! *BLAM*}}

==Gallery (40k)==
<gallery>
Image:HeresyStamp.png|The Official Imperial Stamp O' Heresy
Image:Fucklaw.jpg|[[Commissar Fuklaw]] wants to explain a few things to you about Heresy.
Image:Heresy-explained.jpg|Heresy and you.
Image:Heresy-explained2.jpg|You know heres...uh...oh wow...i got to get some Eldar heres{{BLAM}}
Image:Notheresy.jpg|Not heresy.
Image:But_That's_Heresy.jpg|"Sisters can't love Sisters!"
Image:Heresy.jpg
Image:Absolutely heretical newscast.jpg|In the 41st millenium, everything is absolutely heretical.
Image:Extra_Heretical.jpg|[[Lofn|Half-Xenos]] cosplaying commissars? EXTRA HERETICAL.
Image:HeresyComic.jpg|What IS heresy?
Image:HeresyHorus.jpg|Pro-heresy.
File:Beach Bitch.jpg|Go ahead, sleep with it. Just remember foxes have fleas.
File:Hairy Heresy.jpg|<s>Should not want...</s> {{BLAM}} Suffer not the furry to live.
Image:Emperor s will be done pt26a by dustygrafix-d3efy6s.jpg|Heresy at it's finest..in a horrifying and heretical way, of course.
Image:Heresy_Flowchart.jpg
</gallery>

== See Also ==
*[[Chakat]]
*[[Cake]]
*[[:Category:Heresy]]
*[[Extra Heresy]]
*[[:Category:Vampire Counts]]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZg1c3BAjbk The Heresy Alarm]

[[File:1233076587396.jpg|center]]

[[Category:Heresy]]
[[category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]

Heresy

2023-02-10T10:33:25Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* On Heresy, Blasphemy, Heathens, Schismatics, Sinners, and Apostasy */

{{awesome}}
{{heresy}}
{{topquote|+++ Any person who speaks ill of the Emperor, the Imperium, cites his loyalty to any entity besides the Emperor, defaces holy artifacts or buildings, incites heretical thoughts or actions, talks openly about forbidden subjects and generally behaves in a manner disrespectful to all that is holy and good will have his extremities removed and left to bleed to death, for the Emperor's pleasure. The body will then be burned to ensure no taint remains.+++|The [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer]], Art 6741/09a}}
{{topquote|Beware the [[xenos|alien]], the [[heresy|heretic]], and the [[mutant]].|Thought for the Day}}
{{topquote|Since the time of Sigmar Himself, we have been no more than a flickering beacon of hope amidst a sea of despair and corruption, but never before have we faced so many dangers. We must suffer the simple-minded liberalism of our burgomeisters, the sanctioning of magic use, the heresy of false prophets and religions, the arrogance of the Arch-lectors, and the convoluted plots of the Dark Gods - the rot has sunk deep into the flesh of the Empire, where even now it festers and grows. The time has come to act and only within this proud and ancient order lies the strength of will, the zeal, and the righteous fury required to save us. They call us Witch Hunters, in their fear and ignorance, without even the slightest idea of the monstrous deeds we must commit on their behalf.|The Witch Hunter's Handbook}}
{{topquote|Betrayal isn't ridiculous. It's the reason empires fall.|Marisha Pessl}}

[[Image:Heresy_vein-popping.png|thumb|right|'''HERESY''' must be regarded with the [[RAGE|appropriate]] [[Exterminatus|severity]].]]
In [[Warhammer 40,000]], '''heresy''' (or {{BLAM|'''''HERESY!'''''}}) is the most severe accusation the Imperium can make against one of its citizens. It is almost always punishable by [[Blam|death]] or [[Arco-flagellant|worse]]. Most commonly, Heresy involves what real-world politics would call High Treason: willingly consorting with [[Chaos]], unwillingly consorting with Chaos, acknowledgeding the existence of Chaos (basically anything to do with Chaos bar annhilating it in zealous flame), betraying the Imperium to Xenos, which the Imperium gravely forbids, and in particular anyone guilty of [["If only."|merely suggesting anything good about Chaos]] will receive a [[Exterminatus|retribution of Inquisitorial proportions]]. In terms of mass Heresy, [[Exterminatus|mass cleansing]] is often applied as punishment. However, heresy, depending on the tolerance of your planetary government, can also include blasphemy against or defamation of the Emperor and/or the Imperium; saying anything against the Imperial Creed, which details pretty much everything not related to the veneration of the [[Empra]].

The trials for heresy are broad, but the majority of them occur [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jViTte8VAzU&feature=g-vrec like this], or [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BxFlmb6S6E this], or [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2xlQaimsGg this] or even [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnF1OtP2Svk this]. The funniest thing is that 99% of the time heresy is actually heathenry since heresy is revering the same God but differently (catholics vs protestants or ecclesiarchy vs mechanicum) while heathenry is worshipping something completely different (shinto vs hindu or Chaos Gods vs The Emperor).

==What IS heresy?==
[[File:1289624777422.jpg|200px|thumb|They're all around you.]]
[[Image:Witch Hunters Handbook.jpg|thumb|left|The only book you should ever learn to read for.]]
The Imperium realizes that heresy is a serious matter and that its implications and consequences must be made perfectly clear to all servants of the Emperor, from the lowliest serf to the highest commander. And so with the aid and wisdom of the Inquisition and the Holy Ecclesiarchy, the definition of heresy in the eyes of our immortal God-Emperor is made known:
*EVERYTHING IS HERESY
*<s>EVERYTHING</s> {{BLAM|HERESY!}}{{BLAM}}
*Banging an Eldar lady is probably heresy too, but try saying that to your Commissa{{BLAM|QUESTIONING YOUR COMMISSAR IS HERESY!}}{{BLAM}}

If you are not sure if something is heresy, it probably is. Play it safe and report it so that it can be properly BLAMMED.

Those interested in finding out more about heresy for the express purpose of removing it from our world are encouraged to check out a copy of ''"The Witch Hunter's Handbook"'', which is available at any Temple of Sigmar and contains useful information on the subject, as well as amusing anecdotes from the late Kasper von Liebenstein. (The second edition has been cleansed of its borderline-heretical text by Huntress Karin Schiller. Reprobates in possession of the first edition copy are required to burn it immediately and repent of their sin of knowledge or else be deemed heretics in the eyes of our Lord Sigmar.)

==But Seriously, What Is It?==
[[Image:Canossa-gate.jpg|thumb|right|Extra heretic Henry IV re-evaluates some of his life choices.]]
Well, outside of the [[Warhammer 40000|the Warhams]] world, heresy is derived from the word '''Heterodoxy''', a Greek word used to describe deviation from ''Orthodoxy'' or established religious doctrine. While most established religions have their share of offenses which are considered "heresy", the word has become most closely associated with the Roman Catholic [[Inquisition]], and by extension all of Christianity because they're the ones that made the biggest splash in Europe and most of the world. Consequently, this whole section will focus mostly on them in the brief history below.

Seeing that Catholic doctrine dictates that the Pope is the guy who has the keys to Heaven, and has a direct phone line to God, he could issue orders of excommunication and interdiction, meaning the affected people and/or countries were effectively permabanned from the Heaven server; The Pope can still do this (and has, notably on Nazis and Cartels) but no one really cares what some old fart in a funny hat thinks any more. Also, way back before books were mass-produced and education was widespread, Peasants (and even some nobles) couldn't read so everyone went to church because the Priest was the only guy who could actually read the Bible. Worse yet, the Bible was written in Latin because that was considered the proper language in much the same way Weeaboos insist that subtitled anime is better because you're listening to the original Japanese. The first attempt at translating it into English ended with the translator being burnt at the stake.

This had severe consequences, as Christianity had far more power and influence in Western society then than it does today. For starters, heresy was considered a one way ticket to [[Warp|Hell]] which, whether or not you're a Christian and believe Hell actually exists, everyone can agree it's a horrible place. Also, there was the little issue that all important oaths of the day were sworn before God, meaning excommunication rendered them null and void. Since the Catholic Church functioned as the court of last appeal for most major matters, this could make the excommunicated person an outlaw, which was especially bad for excommunicated nobles and monarchs. Your [[knight]]s and vassals didn't have to serve you, your [[peasant]]s didn't have to pay their taxes, and if one of them tortured and killed you they could get <strike>in good with the clergy which could lead to rewards</strike> high fives from Jesus. This gave the Church incredible power, which many of the clergy wielded like a club to bludgeon people into acting correctly. And by "correctly", we mean "however the Church wanted them to act at the time" (sometimes justified, sometimes not). The only way to get an excommunication lifted invariably involved large amounts of donations to the Church and/or general ass-kissing.

Now for all we like to joke about the [[Warhammer 40000|the Imperium]] being "Catholic Space Nazis" for their Gothic aesthetics, its has more in common (including its stance on heresy and badass double-headed eagle) with the Eastern Orthodox Church, most notably in Byzantium: The secular and ecclesiastical organizations existed separately, but they were meant to supplement and support eachother ("symphonia") and Ecclesiarchy was kind of part of the Imperial administration, with Emperor having serious influence. So while excommunication by the church may have meant the severing Eucharistic ties for an individual rather than actual corporeal punishment, due to above-mentioned concept, he would be considered to be a criminal by the state. So instead of being lynched by the mob of autists, you would get judged by the state itself. Though instead of getting {{BLAM|BLAMMED}} they would mostly get exiled in some remote monasteries in middle of nowhere.

[[Image:tic.jpg|thumb|left|A hairy tick on the prowl.]]
That isn't to say there wasn't real heresy going on for a while. In the early history of Christianity people developed some funny ideas that lasted for a surprisingly long time, despite the Church telling them to stop in a very pointed manner (and if that failed, out came the pointed objects). These heresies could be grouped into two rough categories- the Trinitarian/Christological heresies and the Gnostic belief systems. To put it in terms someone who isn't a theologian could understand, the former is basically a bunch of people coming up with their own ideas about Jesus' nature and relation to God based on their interpretations of the Bible and trying to make it the official belief system of the Church. The most important of these was Arianism, which basically said that Jesus Christ the Son wasn't the same entity as God the Father, and that he was subordinate to the Father; by contrast, the orthodox view was that the Son and the Father were the same being in different persons. This may sound really weird even before you get into the details of the Trinity, but that's why Arianism is important: '''it made the Christian canon as we know it...well, canon.''' Other heresies managed to hang on long enough to become established sects of their own, such as the Nestorian heresy giving rise to the Assyrian Church of the East.

Gnosticism was a very different beast, since it was less of a divergence from established theology and more of a completely unrelated set of religious beliefs that occasionally borrowed elements from Christianity. While what the many different sects of Gnosticism practiced and believed wasn't entirely standard or agreed upon, they all shared a contempt for the material world in general [[Iron Hands|and the human body in particular]] and claimed that the material world was created by an inferior god or Demiurge (no relation to the Tau) opposed to the true God of the spiritual world. By the use of the esoteric knowledge held by the various Gnostic sects, collectively referred to as [[Mage: The Awakening|Gnosis]], its practitioners could free their spirits from the confines of the material world and escape the influence of the False God. Obviously, their appropriation of various elements of Christianity did not go over very well with the nascent Church, and as of now they exist solely as a few minor groups of mystics with no real influence outside their own communities. As you can probably tell, some of their beliefs were also repurposed for use in several works of fiction, like in Mage: the Awakening.

Eventually, the charges of heresy were leveled against the Catholic Church itself (or rather it was done and not immediately stomped out as had usually the case) when a monk by the name of Martin Luther denounced the corruption that had been growing within the Church and its clergy. In particular, he was outraged by the selling of indulgences which would supposedly assure the salvation of whoever bought them despite the Bible stating that salvation comes only from faith in Jesus. The Pope wasn't willing to listen to him, Luther refused to recant his views, and to make a long and bloody story short the dominance of Catholicism fell apart in western Europe soon afterwards in what became the start of the Protestant Reformation as various kings and princes throughout the continent realized they could escape from the Pope's influence while still staying in God's good graces. Heretical sects popped up among the Protestants on occasion, but the Protestant were usually too busy defending themselves from Catholic persecution or persecuting them back to do much persecuting of heretics themselves (although they still tried to do it when they could). As a result, said sects were typically left alone to develop into independent groups such as the Anabaptists (whose descendants include the present-day Amish and Mennonites).

While heresy was still taken seriously by both Catholics and Protestants for a time, later events such as a series of brutal and ultimately inconclusive religious wars between Protestants and Catholics, nationalism becoming more important to the general public than religious affiliation, religious tolerance and secularization becoming increasingly popular with the spread of Enlightenment ideals, and other similar concerns have slowly weakened the effectiveness of cries of 'Heresy!' as time went on. At least, that's the case as of this article's writing.

== On Heresy, Blasphemy, Heathens, Schismatics, Sinners, and Apostasy ==

Similar but not identical terms you'll often hear include Heathen, Blasphemy/Blasphemous, Sin/Sinner, and Apostate/Apostasy. Explaining them is pretty simple so we'll start with the one that comes first alphabetically.

An apostate is someone who abandons a pre-existing faith for either another or no faith at all while apostasy is the act of abandoning said faith. A lot of what is often called Heresy in 40k is more correctly called apostasy, such as people taking up worship of the Dark Gods or the Tyranids through Chaos and Genestealer cults in Warhammer 40k and abandoning the Imperial Cult. Apostasy is usually the most serious sort of religious crime you can commit in highly religious societies for obvious reasons. It can take the form of converting to another religion, being a theist (a person who believes in and tries to follow God or gods but doesn't follow an established religion), a deist (a person who believes God or gods exist but doesn't see them as having an active role in society) or becoming an atheist (believing there is no such thing as gods and not following any religion - [[Skub|except maybe Buddhism]]).

Example: <s>I praise Chaos not the Emperor!!</s> {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|Apostasy!}}

Blasphemy is saying or writing something that is obscene to the faith. Blasphemy can overlap with Heresy but blasphemy is saying something disrespectful about the god/s or something sacred in the religion in question, where heresy is distorting the religion's teachings and spreading those ideas. For the Imperial Cult, calling the God Emperor a magpie driven by his draconic heritage to hoard golden and shiny objects would very definitely be blasphemous on multiple levels.

Example: <s>The Emperor and Khorne are the same deity!</s> {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|Blasphemy !}}

Heathens are people who were never part of a faith to begin with and the term broadly overlaps with the labels of Infidel and Pagan, though Pagan tends to more specifically refer to polytheistic faiths (Interestingly, the term pagan itself was originally a Latin word that was their equivalent of "hick" or "redneck", and was an insulting term that Roman Christians referred to followers of Greco-Roman polytheism as) while Infidel is usually used for other monotheistic faiths. Someone born into a religion different from yours has committed no heresy nor apostasy and while being a Heathen is seen as something to be corrected by evangelical faiths, most evangelical faiths want to convert heathens rather than kill them. In history, the Catholic Church even complained to the Pope that the Spanish were killing most of their potential converts in the new world and thus preventing them from bringing the native Americans to Christianity because the survivors started seeing the faith as an instrument of terror. In 40k, technically speaking most non-Imperial humans are heathens due to having been born to a different faith, and the Imperium will usually try to convert human heathens who are not tainted by Chaos, aliens, or thinking machines.

Example <s><span style='color:blue;font-size:115%;font-family:serif'> Your faith is false join the Logic of the Greater Good!</s>{{BLAM}} {{BLAM|Heathen!}}

Schismatics are those who follow a branch of a religion created by some form of schism, most famously the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox branches in Christianity or the Sunni and Shiite branches in Islam. It doesn't see much use today (because in this era Christians of different branches, and to a lesser degree Muslims of different branches, have learned to tolerate each other's existence or at least not start wars over which branch is the "true" religion) but it's still there and occasionally gets used by Traditionalist Catholic nutcases (think the Catholic equivalent of Jack Chick) still fighting the Thirty Years' War almost 500 years after the fact. It technically overlaps with heresy, but it can be properly thought of as the term to call heretics who have become big enough to gain some form of legitimacy. Like the difference between "cult" and "religion" mostly being one of scale these days.

Example <s>These are the tenates of the [[Cult of the Redemption]] Join us as do the Emperor's work!</s> {{BLAM}} {{BLAM|Schismatics!}}

These are all considered forms of sin, which can be thought of as spiritual crimes. Sinners are essentially anyone who commits such wrongdoings, and given how broadly defined sin as a concept is for religions that care about the concept essentially everyone is a sinner to varying degrees (and that's before we even get into original sin). "Forgiveness for your sins" is essentially the religious equivalent of getting a pardon for crimes. Like secular crimes, sins come in varying degrees of severity with similarly variably harsh punishments or requirements to earn forgiveness for them. In more extreme cases, the sin cannot be forgiven by any means available to the mortal coil and the sinner must be put to death. Given that modern countries really dislike other institutions intruding on their ability to enforce and create laws, most religions that aren't the ruling power of a theocracy of some kind can't proscribe punishment for sins that clashes with the laws of the country (eg; most countries that don't have corporal punishment would not permit caning from Islam's Sharia Law). Now, if you do live in a theocracy on the other hand... what if any punishment you suffer depends on the theocracy and religion in question. The odds for mercy are very good in the Vatican City but very bad in Saudi Arabia, for example.

To make this as simple as possible; a heretic is someone who still claims to be part of the faith but makes irreconcilable challenges to its dogmas, an apostate is someone who outright abandons the faith for another, a blasphemer is someone who says something deemed spiritually obscene to that faith, a heathen, infidel, or pagan was someone who was never part of that faith to begin with, a schismatic is someone who follows a rival church of the same faith, and a sinner is basically any sort of religious criminal. Ironically, this means the Horus Heresy which is defined by half the legions and a third of the army forsaking the Imperial Truth for Chaos might be more correctly called the Horus Apostasy while the Age of Apostasy whose primary conflict was a doctrinal schism between Vandire and Thor is more correctly called the Age of Heresy or the Vandirian Schism. But on the other hand, "Horus Apostasy" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Maybe if Horus were named "Amon" or "Anubis" instead...hrm...

==Major Heresies in 40K==
While any individual can be branded a heretic for the slightest offense, a number of big-time heresies have occured in the 40k timeline.
*Earlier
**'''The Matt Ward Heresy''': A HUGE, ancient heresy lost to time. According to the few reliable reports that have been collected, he was a crazy, demented proto [[Chaos|chaos]] cultist(see:normal), who believed in things that [[Malal|contradicted his very existence]], such as Grey Knights being the best SPEHSS MAHREENS, or Necrons using '''GODS AS POKEMON'''. Luckily, he lost the favor of the chaos gods after he fell in love with the Ultrasmurfs, and died sometime in 2k. However, rumors indicate that his head may have been found by a certain [[Angry Marines|Space Marines]] chapter, now as a horrid chaos deity. Pray to the Emperor that it is untrue.
**'''The Multilazer Heresy''': An ancient heresy with little information on it. What is known is that there was a heretic known as [[C.S. Goto]]. He was vile and unrepentant for his sins, and did everything from torturing [[Dark Eldar|elvenfolk]] for no other reason other than it turned him on, to making things happen when physically, they shouldn't or frankly cannot, such as making a heavy Tyranid bioform a '''FRICKIN FEATHER!''' Everything seems to indicate he was a follower of Tzeentch. Which explains why he was such a [[Eldrad|dick.]] Nothing is solid yet, but some believe he may have been taken to Commorragh. Which both [[Not As Planned|freaks him out]] and [[Just As Planned|pleases him.]]
**'''The Furry Heresy''': A vile heresy that started in M2. Likely a plan from Tzeentch (Slaanesh didn't exist back then) to get others to worship Chaos, followers were described to have a strange obsession with dressing or identifying as animals, and sexing them too. It isn't confirmed, but some believe the Eldar may have adopted this heresy during the Dark Age of Technology, and as a result led to a [[Slaanesh|certain tentacled thing]] being made, as well as creating the Eye of Terror. Even now, millennia later, loyal forces of the Adeptus Astartes (most commonly of the [[Black Templars]] and [[Angry Marines]]), Ordos Malleus and Hereticus, and even the Golden Legion themselves are on the hunt for these specific breeds of heretics, fit only for execution by boltgun.
*M32
**'''The [[Horus Heresy]]''': The big one where [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|FUCKING HORUS]] embraced Chaos worship and caused the biggest civil war to date in the Imperium.
**'''Schism of Mars''': Horus' rebellion coincided with an equally big Tech-Heresy within the Mechanicus, as the Fabricator-General at the time revealed that he was backing the Warmaster. Half the Mechanicum turned to worship the Chaos Gods and went to war with the other half, creating the [[Dark Mechanicus]].
*Later
**'''Catelexis Heresy''': An extremely powerful Xenos Psyker called the Cacodominus succeeded in capturing the Catelexis sector for himself; when the [[Black Templars]] finally killed him, he let out a psychic scream known as "The Howling," which killed countless astropaths and caused many ships to go astray in the warp, resulting in even more widespread dissarray and chaos. It may have also left the Black Templars unable to produce Librarians, but nobody's completely sure about that.
**'''The Moirae Schism''': During the [[Nova Terra Interregnum]], a heretical branch of the Mechanicus claimed not only to be able to predict the future in the [[Astronomicon]], but also that the Ecclesiarchy and Mechanicus would merge into one organization. This pissed off both the Mechanicus leadership and the Ecclesiarchy, but it also spread like wildfire, leading to two millenia of civil war and the exile of a faction of [[Iron Hands]] that supported it; these would later be recognized as the [[Sons of Medusa]] Chapter.
**'''[[Age of Apostasy]]''': While not labelled explicitly as a Heresy (due to predating the Ordo Hereticus) this war revolved around the conflict between the Temple of the Saviour Emperor and the Confederation of Light for supremacy as the state religion. It ended when the batshit insane Ecclesiarch/Master of the Administratum [[Goge Vandire]] was assassinated by his own bodyguards after the sustained efforts of an alliance of Space Marines, Mechanicus, Custodes, and the Confederation of Light threatened his power.
**'''[[Macharian Heresy]]''': Immediately following the [[Macharian Crusade]], the once-loyal generals of [[Lord Solar Macharius]] pounced upon his death and immediately drew up their own mini-empires independent of the Imperium - [[FAIL|necessitating ANOTHER crusade just to get their territory back and punish the generals.]] And since their superstar commander Macharius was dead (likely the fault of the High Lords/Inquisition, but its vague who pulled the trigger) it took them ten times as long to conquer the same worlds.
**'''[[Abyssal Crusade]]''': A bunch of chapters of Space Marines were deemed as heretics by a Saint and were forced to enter a warp rift in order to fight for their penance. All but one of the chapters were lost, and when that last chapter finally returned, they noticed that this same saint was still the exact same. Surprise, surprise, the saint was actually a chaos-worshipper and thus he was killed and his many records eliminated.

==Heresy in Warhammer Fantasy==

In [[Warhammer Fantasy]], the [[Empire|Empire of Sigmar]] is FAR more benevolent than its science fiction counterpart. Religions of any (non-Chaos) form are allowed despite the state religion being the worship of [[Sigmar|Sigmar Heldenhammer]], magical (psyker) aptitude is met with apprehension but is encouraged within the halls of the Colleges of Magic (established by a [[Teclis|xeno ally of mankind]]), and humanity seeks alliances with other races and actively recruits them as soldiers, or enters into trade and treaties with them ([[Halflings]] are all citizens of the Empire as a matter of fact despite having the personalities of [[Tyranid]] [[Kender]]). Scientific innovation is greatly encouraged, and as a result the Empire is the most scientifically advanced race in the setting. There is less freedom in other ways however; as humanity within cities is VERY prone to rioting, behaviors seen as likely to lead to a riot (including spreading factual news about the current state of the realm and of impending invasion) are suppressed. Undeath in all forms (including concepts accepted in 40k such as the state of the God Emperor and use of [[Dreadnought|Dreadnoughts]]) is a worse form of heresy than consorting with the Ruinous Powers, and any magical act not taught and officiated to you from a College of Magic is considered at best malicious mischief.

While it's commonly known that Chaos Mutations occur with regularity and are normally just unpleasant afflictions, mutants are not officially second-class citizens as long as they are loyal. However, they are prone to mistreatment and are generally the victims of any riot (well, them and teenage girls) and in [[Kislev|areas commonly attacked by the servants of Chaos]] are killed at birth. Chaos Mutants called [[Beastmen]] dedicated to the Ruinous Powers are one of the biggest threats to the Empire, but despite the fact that most learned men are fully aware of the existence of the most powerful of these groups ([[Skaven]], who possess technology on par with real world World War I weapons) they are considered to be fictitious by the general population. Generally, while considered heretical, speaking of Skaven is more likely to be met with public mockery rather than BLAMing. Those who have actually encountered them laugh nervously, those living in ignorance guffaw with the crowd, and those in positions of authority who fear a sudden riot just as capable of destroying the city as an attack by the mutants scowl and throw accusations of madness.

The Witch Hunters of Warhammer Fantasy, despite being far more effective than their "'Kill Everything' Button"-happy counterparts are also entirely more insane than the Inquisition of Warhammer 40k and consist of personalities akin to [[Cultist-chan|Chaos Cultists]]. They themselves are secretly dedicated to a Chaos God of Order (what, you expected logical rules from Chaos?) who empowers them against the servants of the Big Four and Undivided. Most Witch Hunters are severely traumatized individuals taught that their word is higher than that of the Church (they are known to burn [[Sisters of Sigmar]] at the stake due to receiving visions from Sigmar), who see heresy in all actions, and their past is full of self-purges and mass murders as the head of their order inevitably falls into paranoia and senility each generation.

Those in the Warhammer equivalent to Russia, [[Kislev]], are a much more suffering lot than the Empire. Sitting right at the invasion route from [[Warriors of Chaos]], [[Orcs & Goblins|greenskins]], and dwelling in a land where portals to the Warp constantly open and close letting in entire Daemon armies but themselves being a poor and uneducated people, they lack any Inquisitorial group. Each position of authority from local Sheriff straight to Tzarina Katarin herself take it upon themselves to personally purge the population. Any sign of Chaos mutation marks the afflicted for immediate execution, any strange behavior or sign of madness is an indication of an incoming assault. The people of Kislev themselves have become a hardened race, who will face an army of [[Khorne|Bloodletters]] outnumbered armed only with rocks while standing shirtless and in bare feet in the middle of a blizzard and come out triumphant with minimal casualties (in other words, Imperial Guardsmen who can out-NONEPURER Gray Knights).

In addition, the [[High Elves]] of [[Ulthuan]] (like [[Eldar]], but badasses who solve the world's problems, instead of fuckups trying and failing to solve their own) have their own internal Inquisition. The order of the Swordmasters of Hoeth is older than [[Tomb Kings|mankind's first civilization]], and were founded by one of the early Phoenix Kings as a way of purging Elves who joined the [[Slaanesh|Cult of Pleasure]]. While officially they are Sapherian bodyguards, messengers, and general police force of the High Elves and more specifically the spellcasters of the race, the Swordmasters are also master informants who collect information in a complex spy network and send it all to Hoeth, the center of learning in the Warhammer World (also the location of the magic internet). There, the High Loremaster (who is blessed by [[Lileath]], a Lawful Good loli Tzeentch) filters it and signs the death certificates of those [[Dark Elves|Elves so strap-on on head insane they'd fucking worship a god who just wants to eat their souls]]. The Swordmasters themselves are actually more like the super calm variety of Jedi knights, spending most of their time training with animu greatswords bigger than their own bodies which are continually smithed and re-forged using magical liquid metal cores and Ithilmar (hard as steel, lighter than sheet tin) to the point that the lengths of their fingers and the weight of their eyelashes are accounted for in their balance and technique. The result is lightly-armored Elves who fight like Zorro on the Speedforce in groups of one hundred at a time.

==What do they do with heretics?==
In Warhammer Fantasy, heresy is usually met with (questionably historical) torture until a confession is extracted and the TRUE torture (or immediate execution in a busy week) can take place. Although the various churches of the setting are slow to act and generally are only capable of convicting those who march into a city square covered in Chaos tattoos and trying to recruit Priests of Sigmar, or are doing Thriller in a group of Zombies while singing "I am a Vampire" at the top of their lungs, Witch Hunters tend to BLAM without second thought any who smells a bit too nice/bad or stutters when attempting to recite a prayer on command. Any time a [[Mordheim|major event that does not involve large armies occurs]], chances are good Witch Hunters will soon be converging on the area to execute anything still moving.

The Imperium has a much more complex system of dealing with things. If your heresy was serious but you are repentant in your trial, the church may strap you to a horrific war machine called the [[Penitent Engine|Penitent Engine]], which is a bit like a Space Marine dreadnought except it's designed to be really painful and humiliating for the pilot who themselves are drugged and tortured until there's nothing left of their mind but rage and shame. What's creepy is that it's an entirely voluntary way of seeking absolution (obviously, since strapping someone against their will to a war machine they can control is [[derp|NOT SMART]]). Considering how many of these are stomping around, it's a wonder the [[Adeptus Mechanicus|AdMech]] hasn't designed a not-insane version to be used by the [[Imperial Guard]] as an assault walker. [[Sentinel|... right]].

The body of an [[Arco-flagellant]] is a much similar fate for heretics. In fact Penitent Engines and Arco-flagellants seem to be the same concept given to two different writers. In any case if your heresy was serious but you are repentant in your trial, the church may Lobotomize you, fry your prefrontal cortex responsible for rational thinking, strap VR goggles on your newly-lobotomized head, install combat drug pumps into your spine, chop off your arms and replace them with weapons, and hold you in storage as what is basically a combat [[Servitor]]. The fate of an Arco-flagellant is oddly merciful and calming; during times of peace you're sedated and made to watch Ecclesiarchy-approved public television all day. In times of battle you're used as a suicide bayonet rusher.

The [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer]] says that a heretical Guardsman should have his extremities severed and left to bleed to death. At the discretion of the commanders, he may just get moved to a penal battalion or classically BLAM'd.

On remote Imperial worlds and [[Necromunda|highly populated hiveworlds]], minor heresies naturally spring up all the time because the Ecclesiarchy has a weak presence, so visiting preachers may try to take a softer approach with these things. They may even tolerate some fanciful unorthodox beliefs as long as they don't offend the core values of the church. While this might seem at first to be common sense over-ruling grimdark in some some small way, the scary bit is that how far this tolerance extends varies a lot and shifts, some benign little deviation which one high ranking priest would know to be a harmless quirk of local customs may be seen as another as being heretical and dooms millions to die as heretics.

Oddly (in earlier editions of Fluff), it was implied that even significant Heresy could be redeemed but a traitor could never ever be forgiven. One character in The Emperor's Gift was a penitent who had been a member of a significant heretical cult but was redeemed by an Inquisitor and entered her service. Despite this, most other characters viewed him with suspicion or outright hatred, so your mileage may vary.

In terms of mass Heresy, (Example given, a large congregation of worshippers that worship a deity that isn't the God-Emperor of Mankind) the usual solution to such crimes is either [[Exterminatus|genocide via orbital bombardment]] or the deployment of [[Space Marines|death squads]] to the planet itself to commit mass-genocide via [[Bolter]], [[Chainsword]], and armored boot. The [[Black Templars]] are especially gifted at the latter option, often landing on planets deemed to be infected with mass Heresy and usually committing mass murder and torture on a scale that would make an Inquisitor puke (And that's saying something).

For [[Xenos]], their existence is an automatic Heresy. Xenos are usually exterminated on sight, usually in an excessively brutal fashion (e.g. Chainsword disembowelment). Even in several rare cases of Xenos attempting to surrender, the majority were usually purged. In the rare (Read: Nearly nonexistant) cases of a Xeno being captured, the captive is usually "questioned" (Read: Tortured via Chainsword and/or Bolter) and then executed (Usually via Chainsword and/or Bolter).

Humans that have utterly surrendered themselves to [[Chaos]] are of course, treated no longer as a human, but as the lowest form of Heresy possible. Those that are captured (If ever) are usually tortured (In a fashion nearly similar to what Chaos does with unfortunate souls), then turned into [[Arco-flagellant|Arco-flagellants]] and/or killed in an excessively brutal and painful manner (The manner of which is still unknown but horrific).

==Witch Hunters==
Witch Hunters from Warhammer Fantasy are usually recruited from those who had come dangerously close to heretics or Chaos mutants, but who had themselves been spared. Their training is regimented and involves self-flagellation as well as group flagellation to give a high tolerance for pain, constant schooling so that all prayers and religious works concerning Sigmar can be recited by heart simply by being asked for specific page and paragraph number, and tests with a higher mortality rate than facing an actual Chaos incursion. [[Chaos Spawn]] are brought into more elite classes to harden the minds of the young recruits against the taint of Chaos and to teach them how to fight that which is unnatura-- oh nooo'''GRAGHBBGEBBLELBGBELGBLEL'''{{BLAM}} *Ahem*. They are taught the use of martial weapons, both large and imposing like the titular Warhammer to bootknives which can be brought to bear against those thinking they are merely being briefed on situations. Poisons, wilderness survival (in all climates of the world), and general knowledge of the regions of the world are taught to any who manage to make it thus far as knowledge is far more dangerous than weaponry.
Witch Hunters are familiarized with all forms of codes and secret languages known in the Warhammer World, with the exception of arcane scripts which they are taught only to recognize but not to read. Those who manage to pass all other forms of training are taught how to use crossbows and flintlock pistols, which are blessed with each bullet they fire being inscribed with prayers to cause maximum damage to the unnatural forces of the world.

Those deemed particularly possessing of zeal are given access to tainted texts recovered from everything from Necromancer Covens to Chaos Cults. Generally speaking, the information in these are histories of heretics as well as all the knowledge available to those on the other side of the fourth wall who read the Army Books and codices of the games.

Once recruits pass their trials they are then depending on their specialties either armed with crossbows (which is why rather than BLAMming, execution may come in the form of a FWIP instead) and assigned to city bastions or to patrol groups, or are sent out on their own to follow any rumor of heresy and pass judgement on those they find.

They have been reinstated as the [[Azyr#Age_of_Sigmar|Order of Azyr]] in [[Age of Sigmar]].

==Extra heresy==
[[Extra heresy]] is a decree recently enacted by local Commissar [[Fuklaw]]. While we're still a bit sketchy on the details, it is clearly mentioned that [[LCB|Xenos]] [[Heretical Love|love]] is Extra heretical (that just makes it even more appealing) but it is a well known fact that anything remotely related to Jersey Shore, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus or anything Western pop music is extra extra heretical. Punishment is still the generic execution by your local [[commissar]]... those dic{{BLAM}} -Most virtuous and excellent officers of the Emperor. Actually, if the Emperor saw all this shit, he'd have a single manly teardrop from his eye.

==What isn't heretical (40k)==
[[Image:Heresy meter.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Imperium's patented heresy detector.]]
Much like the whole Rule 34 and Rule 35 gig, there are a few things that aren't heresy. Here's a short and general list:
*The [[Emperor|immortal God-Emperor of the Imperium of Man]]
*Veneration of the immortal Emperor
*Dying for the Emperor in the most manly way possible.
*Dying for the Emperor in as many ways as possible {{*BLAM*|HERESY!!! LIVING MORE THAN ONCE IS CHAOS WORSHIP}} [[Nagash|But what if I worship the skelepope and not the barbarian gods?]] Life is the currency of the Emperor! (Spend it well... and not on heresy)
*Despising Matt Ward, the future <s>[[Malal|sixth]]</s> <s>[[Retcon|fifth]]</s> [[Skub|sixth]] chaos god.
*Nearly dying for the Emperor while doing something badass as many times as you can before you actually die for the Emperor
*Brutally slaughtering and burning heaps of xenos, mutants, heretics and most especially Modern Pop Fans, for the God Emperor of Mankind. (If you can live long enough to fire that flashlight that is OH GOD NO NOT THE FACE-*{{*BLAM*}} If unable to do so, fighting to distract them until the end.
*Discovering new planets so the Emperor can have even more wars. Unsullied planets + war = More burning Heretics for the Emperor, hurrah!
*Building gigantic Gothic cathedrals the size of sky scrapers for the Emperor.
*[[Imperial Navy|Rendering said cathedrals spaceworthy.]]
*Praising of the Emperor.
*Praising the Emperor through song that isn't modern pop/rap/hip-hop/dubstep.
*Listening to Gregorian choirs praising the Emperor, as well as any militaristic song that does not violate any Imperial Law. (E.g., the song is approved as long as it doesn't violate the [[Imperial Truth]])
*<s>Sexing Aeldari ladies, probably heresy but I'm pretty sure [[Jaq Draco|inquisitors]] [[An Eldar's Ears|do this]] so it's o---</s>{{*BLAM*}} {{BLAM|EXTRA HERESY!!!}} It's Okay so long as they're of the Goth Variety, Lord Guilliman approves.
*Hailing to the High Lords of Terra/Administratum/Ecclesiarchy- except when they commit heresy.
*accusing random people of {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}}
**{{*BLAM*}}
*{{BLAM|Why are you still reading this instead of venerating the motherfucking Emperor?! You must be a heretic for having doubt! Die heretic scum! *BLAM*}}
**Calling the Emperor motherfucking is {{BLAM|HERESY!!!}} {{*BLAM*}}
*getting {{*BLAM*}}'d

==What isn't heretical (Fantasy)==
*Our lord [[Sigmar|Sigmar Heldenhammer, true god of the Empire]]
*Veneration of the holy comet
*Worship of '''Non Chaotic''' lesser deities, special mention being Ulric.
*Growing mustaches
*Brutally slaughtering and burning heaps of daemons, witches, greenskins, Vampires, walking skeletons, talking cats, and [[Warriors of Chaos|Scandinavians]] (remember, the pointy end of the spear faces AWAY from you)
*Fucking Elf ladies (good, people like banging elves)
*Getting drunk with Dwarves (considered a minor anti-heresy)
*Adding [[Steam Tank|steam engines]] to things
*Not rioting
*Praising the Elector Counts (except in times of civil war), and the glorious Emperor Karl Franz
*Not talking about the <strike>[[Skaven|giant rat-men armed with weapons that spit fire, who spread the plague through the water, who have planted a bomb in the city square and...]] IT'S ALL OVER, OUR ONLY REMAINING SOLUTION IS TO RIOT</strike> <strike>{{FWIP|HERESY! *FWIP*}}(fwip? they have guns you know)</strike> {{BLAM|... *sigh* Alright... HERESY!!! *BLAM*}}

==Gallery (40k)==
<gallery>
Image:HeresyStamp.png|The Official Imperial Stamp O' Heresy
Image:Fucklaw.jpg|[[Commissar Fuklaw]] wants to explain a few things to you about Heresy.
Image:Heresy-explained.jpg|Heresy and you.
Image:Heresy-explained2.jpg|You know heres...uh...oh wow...i got to get some Eldar heres{{BLAM}}
Image:Notheresy.jpg|Not heresy.
Image:But_That's_Heresy.jpg|"Sisters can't love Sisters!"
Image:Heresy.jpg
Image:Absolutely heretical newscast.jpg|In the 41st millenium, everything is absolutely heretical.
Image:Extra_Heretical.jpg|[[Lofn|Half-Xenos]] cosplaying commissars? EXTRA HERETICAL.
Image:HeresyComic.jpg|What IS heresy?
Image:HeresyHorus.jpg|Pro-heresy.
File:Beach Bitch.jpg|Go ahead, sleep with it. Just remember foxes have fleas.
File:Hairy Heresy.jpg|<s>Should not want...</s> {{BLAM}} Suffer not the furry to live.
Image:Emperor s will be done pt26a by dustygrafix-d3efy6s.jpg|Heresy at it's finest..in a horrifying and heretical way, of course.
Image:Heresy_Flowchart.jpg
</gallery>

== See Also ==
*[[Chakat]]
*[[Cake]]
*[[:Category:Heresy]]
*[[Extra Heresy]]
*[[:Category:Vampire Counts]]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZg1c3BAjbk The Heresy Alarm]

[[File:1233076587396.jpg|center]]

[[Category:Heresy]]
[[category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]]

Tarasha Euten

2023-02-10T10:21:13Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* Post-Heresy */

[[File:Tumblr_p8wow2RRoU1s422e6o1_640.png|300px|right|thumb|The lady herself, with her charge.]]{{Topquote|'As the little emperor he pretends to be, he does so chronicle himself. I have heard of you. Tarasha Euten, Chamberlain Principal, and to all intents a mother to him. A mother.' Curze sighed. 'Thanks to the genius of my father, my kind does not enjoy the luxury of mothers. You are rare. You are a rare and obscene thing, you ragged witch. I wish Roboute had been alive to suffer the damage of your death.'
''Euten rose to her full height and looked the monster in the eye. 'Go to hell, you bastard,' she said.''|Tarasha Euten, being the absolute baddest of asses.}}

'''Tarasha Euten''', also known as '''Guillimom''', was one of Konor Guilliman's chief retainers during his time as Consul of Macragge, and continued to serve [[Roboute Guilliman]] as he became Lord of Ultramar and then Primarch of the Ultramarines. She is notable for being the only known mother figure any of the primarchs ever had (leaving aside [[Erda|the careless deadbeat Sphess Karen]]) who is not a [[Leman_Russ|literal Bitch]] and is therefore [[awesome]], since this means that she managed to raise a Primarch without them going nuts or causing him irreparable psychological harm. An interesting little note is that sadly, the Lion very nearly also could've had this experience as well, as apparently [[Luther]]'s wife and daughter died shortly before the discovery of the first primarch. Some interesting food for thought. Vulkin meanwhile was raised by a single father, N'bel, who did an equally well job by him.

==Early History==

As a young woman, Tarasha served as seneschal to Consul Konor Guilliman. The two were personally close, though whether their relationship was more than platonic is unclear. When a strange pod crashed into a forest on Macragge, the nobles who found it brought its contents--an infant surrounded by a glowing aura--to Konor, who adopted the child and named him Roboute. Tarasha helped raise the boy, watching as he grew rapidly into a military genius, brilliant scholar, and wise leader. Perhaps her proudest moment as his adoptive mother was his peaceful resolution of a rebellion among the tribespeople of the Illyrian Mountains; rather than crushing the Illyrians, he had instead presented their chieftain with a sacred artifact which the consuls of Macragge had stolen generations before, causing the Illyrian chieftain to end his campaign and resolve to become a wise and just leader in Roboute's mold. It was at this moment that Tarasha knew he was ready to become a true leader and king of Macragge.

After Konor's assassination and Roboute's ascension to the office of consul, he kept Tarasha on as his seneschal and chamberlain. When the [[The God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]] arrived at Macragge, Guilliman left her to govern the planet in his stead while he went out to help his father unite the galaxy under the aegis of the Imperium. Guilliman also made sure to secure regular juvenat treatments for her, meaning that she would have a much longer lifespan than a typical human.

==Horus Heresy==

When Guilliman retreated to Macragge in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Calth]] and began laying the foundations of [[Imperium Secundus|his "Imperium 2.0" backup plan]], he often turned to Tarasha for advice. Though she was now elderly, she had lost none of her fiery, boisterous spirit, and continued to speak to the Primarch as if he were the same child she'd raised to manhood. She still referred to him as "boy", a form of address unthinkable to anyone else in the galaxy, while Guilliman called her "mam" and treated her with great respect and affection, frequently confiding in her about his doubts and fears. In turn, Tarasha was one of the few who could accept and verbalize that Guilliman was not infallible, and sought to remind him of that fact. She was also not above sassing him, as proven when he spent a night getting drunk with his Space Wolves watch pack and she told him off for it the following morning.

Her finest moment, however, came when Konrad Curze invaded the Fortress of Hera. After wreaking havoc and (apparently) assassinating Guilliman and [[Lion El'Jonson]], Curze made his way to Tarasha's quarters, killing her personal aide and demolishing the Space Wolves when they tried to intervene before threatening Tarasha herself. Notably, Curze actually seemed kind of jealous of her relationship with Guilliman, which leads one to wonder how well Space Marine Batman Who Laughs might have done if he'd had a mother of his own (or, you know, any positive influence in his childhood). Despite her sheer terror at being confronted by the Night Haunter himself, Tarasha steeled herself and told him to fuck off, which cements her as one of the bravest people in all of 40K. She was saved at the last moment by [[Vulkan]], freshly resurrected after having burned up in Macragge's atmosphere and out for Konrad's blood. Later on, Tarasha was present when it was revealed that Guilliman and the Lion had survived Curze's attack thanks to the Pharos, which had sensed Barabas Dantioch and Alexis Polux's desperation to save the loyal Primarchs and allowed them to pull the two through to Sotha. When Guilliman learned that Curze had attacked Tarasha, he immediately stepped back through the portal without even noticing, [[Dawww|because he was that worried about his mom]].

==Post-Heresy==

It is unclear what happened to Tarasha after the end of the Heresy. One audio drama puts her aboard ''Macragge's Honour'' while it's under attack by Chaos forces, during which she tells an Ultramarines sergeant about Guilliman's pacification of the Illyrians while they're slowly dying from smoke inhalation. By the timeline this would have had to occur after Guilliman's ship returned from its grudge match with the ''Infidus Imperator'', which would mean Tarasha was old as dirt by the time this happened.

She is of course very probably quite dead baring exceptionally unlikely warp time shenanigans (I'm just saying: I'd read the story where Guilliman gets his mom back) by the beginning of the 42nd Millennium, but Guilliman still misses her and wishes he had her counsel. And, really, who ''wouldn't'' want their mom when they'd woken up after ten millennia to find out that the galaxy was worse than ever and their dad's [[noblebright|Imperium of Reason and Enlightenment]] had collapsed into a [[grimdark|superstitious, oppressive, theocratic nightmare]]?

Tarasha Euten

2023-02-10T10:18:23Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47:

[[File:Tumblr_p8wow2RRoU1s422e6o1_640.png|300px|right|thumb|The lady herself, with her charge.]]{{Topquote|'As the little emperor he pretends to be, he does so chronicle himself. I have heard of you. Tarasha Euten, Chamberlain Principal, and to all intents a mother to him. A mother.' Curze sighed. 'Thanks to the genius of my father, my kind does not enjoy the luxury of mothers. You are rare. You are a rare and obscene thing, you ragged witch. I wish Roboute had been alive to suffer the damage of your death.'
''Euten rose to her full height and looked the monster in the eye. 'Go to hell, you bastard,' she said.''|Tarasha Euten, being the absolute baddest of asses.}}

'''Tarasha Euten''', also known as '''Guillimom''', was one of Konor Guilliman's chief retainers during his time as Consul of Macragge, and continued to serve [[Roboute Guilliman]] as he became Lord of Ultramar and then Primarch of the Ultramarines. She is notable for being the only known mother figure any of the primarchs ever had (leaving aside [[Erda|the careless deadbeat Sphess Karen]]) who is not a [[Leman_Russ|literal Bitch]] and is therefore [[awesome]], since this means that she managed to raise a Primarch without them going nuts or causing him irreparable psychological harm. An interesting little note is that sadly, the Lion very nearly also could've had this experience as well, as apparently [[Luther]]'s wife and daughter died shortly before the discovery of the first primarch. Some interesting food for thought. Vulkin meanwhile was raised by a single father, N'bel, who did an equally well job by him.

==Early History==

As a young woman, Tarasha served as seneschal to Consul Konor Guilliman. The two were personally close, though whether their relationship was more than platonic is unclear. When a strange pod crashed into a forest on Macragge, the nobles who found it brought its contents--an infant surrounded by a glowing aura--to Konor, who adopted the child and named him Roboute. Tarasha helped raise the boy, watching as he grew rapidly into a military genius, brilliant scholar, and wise leader. Perhaps her proudest moment as his adoptive mother was his peaceful resolution of a rebellion among the tribespeople of the Illyrian Mountains; rather than crushing the Illyrians, he had instead presented their chieftain with a sacred artifact which the consuls of Macragge had stolen generations before, causing the Illyrian chieftain to end his campaign and resolve to become a wise and just leader in Roboute's mold. It was at this moment that Tarasha knew he was ready to become a true leader and king of Macragge.

After Konor's assassination and Roboute's ascension to the office of consul, he kept Tarasha on as his seneschal and chamberlain. When the [[The God-Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]] arrived at Macragge, Guilliman left her to govern the planet in his stead while he went out to help his father unite the galaxy under the aegis of the Imperium. Guilliman also made sure to secure regular juvenat treatments for her, meaning that she would have a much longer lifespan than a typical human.

==Horus Heresy==

When Guilliman retreated to Macragge in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Calth]] and began laying the foundations of [[Imperium Secundus|his "Imperium 2.0" backup plan]], he often turned to Tarasha for advice. Though she was now elderly, she had lost none of her fiery, boisterous spirit, and continued to speak to the Primarch as if he were the same child she'd raised to manhood. She still referred to him as "boy", a form of address unthinkable to anyone else in the galaxy, while Guilliman called her "mam" and treated her with great respect and affection, frequently confiding in her about his doubts and fears. In turn, Tarasha was one of the few who could accept and verbalize that Guilliman was not infallible, and sought to remind him of that fact. She was also not above sassing him, as proven when he spent a night getting drunk with his Space Wolves watch pack and she told him off for it the following morning.

Her finest moment, however, came when Konrad Curze invaded the Fortress of Hera. After wreaking havoc and (apparently) assassinating Guilliman and [[Lion El'Jonson]], Curze made his way to Tarasha's quarters, killing her personal aide and demolishing the Space Wolves when they tried to intervene before threatening Tarasha herself. Notably, Curze actually seemed kind of jealous of her relationship with Guilliman, which leads one to wonder how well Space Marine Batman Who Laughs might have done if he'd had a mother of his own (or, you know, any positive influence in his childhood). Despite her sheer terror at being confronted by the Night Haunter himself, Tarasha steeled herself and told him to fuck off, which cements her as one of the bravest people in all of 40K. She was saved at the last moment by [[Vulkan]], freshly resurrected after having burned up in Macragge's atmosphere and out for Konrad's blood. Later on, Tarasha was present when it was revealed that Guilliman and the Lion had survived Curze's attack thanks to the Pharos, which had sensed Barabas Dantioch and Alexis Polux's desperation to save the loyal Primarchs and allowed them to pull the two through to Sotha. When Guilliman learned that Curze had attacked Tarasha, he immediately stepped back through the portal without even noticing, [[Dawww|because he was that worried about his mom]].

==Post-Heresy==

It is unclear what happened to Tarasha after the end of the Heresy. One audio drama puts her aboard ''Macragge's Honour'' while it's under attack by Chaos forces, during which she tells an Ultramarines sergeant about Guilliman's pacification of the Illyrians while they're slowly dying from smoke inhalation. By the timeline this would have had to occur after Guilliman's ship returned from its grudge match with the ''Infidus Imperator'', which would mean Tarasha was old as dirt by the time this happened.

She is of course quite dead by the beginning of the 42nd Millennium, but Guilliman still misses her and wishes he had her counsel. And, really, who ''wouldn't'' want their mom when they'd woken up after ten millennia to find out that the galaxy was worse than ever and their dad's [[noblebright|Imperium of Reason and Enlightenment]] had collapsed into a [[grimdark|superstitious, oppressive, theocratic nightmare]]?

Badab Primaris

2023-02-10T10:07:06Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47:

[[File:Badap_Primaris.PNG|300px|right|thumb|[[Lugft Huron]]'s old home, before the [[Administratum|IRS kicked him out.]]]]
'''Badab Primaris''', also known as [[Wat|'''Badab II''']] (presumable it's the second planet out from it's star), is a Dead World located near the Maelstrom Warp rift in the southwestern portion of Segmentum Ultima. It was the homeworld of the [[Astral Claws]] Chapter and a thriving, productive Hive World, until shit went sideways, [[Lugft Huron]] decided to take matters into his own hands, and the [[Carcharodons|sharky bois]] decided that there was no kill like overkill.

==Overview==

Badab Primaris was first settled in the late 38th Millennium and quickly became a trade hub and industrial powerhouse in the region. Everything was fine until some idiots decided to throw a civil war in 718.M41 and the [[Astral Claws]] stepped in to shut their shit down. In the aftermath, Lugft Huron decided that the Badab government couldn't be trusted and took personal control of the planet. Styling himself the "Tyrant of Badab", he purged the planet's nobility and government, then did the same to the rest of the system, proclaiming it to be the Claws' personal fiefdom. He went on to clean out the surrounding star systems' governments and install his own cronies as rulers on these worlds, turning the entire region into a kind of pocket empire along the lines of [[Ultramar]]. This actually went pretty well at first; the sector's defenses had never been stronger and its planets had never been more productive, and Huron was a fairly effective ruler. Things started to go sour when Huron asked the Administratum to exempt Badab from its Imperial tithe so that he could use those resources to strengthen the defenses around the Maelstrom. When the Administratum presented him with a counter-offer of "fuck you, give us more", Huron promptly turned off the taps and transformed the sector into a heavily fortified no-go zone. After a century and a half of increasing tension, Huron seceded from the Imperium entirely, then set about making the lives of everyone on Badab a living hell. Every symbol of Imperial authority on the planet was torn down and destroyed, while Administratum and Ecclesiarchy personnel were ruthlessly executed. Any baseline human who dared look an Astral Claw in the eye would be blinded, and after an assassin nearly killed Huron in his palace, thousands of innocents were massacred by Astral Claws squads in retaliation.

By the end of the [[Badab War]], Badab Primaris was one of the few worlds still in rebel hands. The Space Marine chapters assigned to the conflict laid siege to the planet, with the [[Star Phantoms]] storming Huron's Palace of Thorns while the [[Exorcists]] and [[Sons of Medusa]] dealt with the orbital defenses and the [[Carcharodons]] went after the planet's infrastructure. Being who they were, the Carcharodons quickly got bored with trashing hives and breaking defenses and decided that what they were going to do instead was sabotage Badab's network of atomic and geothermal reactors. [[Exterminatus|Badab's power grid promptly went berserk, with entire hives shaking themselves to pieces or being swallowed by gigantic fissures as colossal earthquakes split tectonic plates and continents wide open, spraying millions of tons of ash and radioactive fallout into the atmosphere]]. As Badab Primaris tore itself apart, the loyalist Space Marines had to effect a hasty retreat, and the planet's civilian population was eradicated entirely within a few days, either consumed by the earthquakes and fissures or killed by ash storms and fallout. With Badab Primaris now a burnt, radioactive ball of glass and ash, the Carcharodons figured it was a job well done and were a bit confused when the Star Phantoms started yelling at them about all the Space Marines who'd been killed in the retreat. After that clusterfuck, the entire planet is now under the dominion of the Star Phantoms, along with the other worlds of the Badab Sector.

==Trivia==

Badab has its origins in the [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|early days of 40K]], having first appeared in 1988. In White Dwarf 97, it was mentioned that Badab survived the end of the war and was taken over by an Imperial Mission. It was also the homeworld of [[Illiyan Nastase]] before he disappeared into the Retconnian and got spit back out 30-odd years later as Illiyanne Natasé.

{{40k-Planets}}

[[Category:Imperial]]

Dwarf

2023-02-10T09:51:07Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* Real Life Dwarves */

[[Image:Tordek.jpg|thumb|right|Fig. 1.1: A dwarf. Note the prominent beard, the ornate axe, and the helmet covering everything above the ears.]]
{{Topquote|He has an accent."<br>"He likes beer."<br>"He worships Thor."<br>"And hates trees!"<br> "Can you tell me ''anything'' about him that differentiates him from '''every other dwarf?'''|Conversation from The Order of the Stick}}
A '''Dwarf''' (or more properly, '''Dorf''') is a short guy who is made of muscle and beard and alcohol and awesome. No member of dwarf society can function without alcohol. Even their infants are made to chug a whole keg of ale down before Mommy ever lets the baby near her nipples (although, given the liquor intake of the average dwarven mother, she probably lactates eggnog). They like to live in [[Dwarf Fortress|fortresses]]. Dwarf characters should have one or a combination of the words "beer", "beard", "bronze", "stone", "Urist", "Mc/Mac", "iron", "hammer", or "axe" in their names. A good example would be Hammer McShieldbearded. They are one of the most iconic non-human races in fantasy media, alongside their eternal rivals, the [[elf|elves]]. Popularized by the works of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] and [[Gary Gygax]], dwarves are fundamental to most fantasy games and have earned themselves a place of eternal love on [[/tg/]].

=Mythological Origins=
The basic name "Dwarf" stems from the Germanic and/or Nordic mythologies of ancient Europe, where they were envisioned as a race of short, magical beings who came into being after the death of Ymir (the giant whose corpse formed the world after the gods slew him); once the father of all [[giant]]s had his body turned into the earth, the maggots boring through his flesh were transformed into diminutive, pallid humanoids - the first dwarves. That said, the dwarven archetype is, frankly, kind of wide-spread; most cultures have some kind of diminutive [[fey]]-type entity, and what's worse is that their nature as "short magical people" means the dwarven "lineage" is a confusing tangle that interconnects with [[elves]], [[gnome]]s and even [[goblin]]s - many dwarves have been described as hideously ugly, or turning into stone when exposed to sunlight, like certain breeds of [[troll]].

The most famous dwarf is the aforementioned Germanic/Nordic dwarf. Resembling a short, long-bearded old man, these dwarves are fierce-tempered and quite strong, despite their stature, as well as being renowned for their ability to craft magical items, and their love of precious stones and metals, which they mine incessantly. These traits were popularized by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], who used them as the basis for his dwarves in [[The Lord of the Rings]]. What he left out of his dwarves is the fact that, in the mythology, dwarves are often hideously ugly, sometimes turn into stone when exposed to sunlight, and are often skilled sorcerers as well as crafters of magic items. Dwarves forged Odin's spear and Thor's hammer, as well as many other magical treasures of the Nordic gods, including the fetter that binds the Fenris Wolf and hair of living gold for Thor's wife after Loki sheared her bald. European tales of dwarves often depict them as superhumanly strong and with an affinity for illusion and shapeshifting.

[[Leprechaun]]s are dwarf-like in appearance, but are mischievous tricksters who use their sorcerous talents to prank humans, especially when they are sought out for their legendary hidden treasures, which are usually depicted as soup cauldrons full of gold coins. Unlike the smithing and mining Nordic Dwarf, leprechauns are more associated with cobbling and tailoring, making them an Irish relative of the [[Brownie]]. They have a cousin called the Clurichaun, which is a booze-fiend who likes to make a nuisance of itself by hiding in wine and beer cellars to guzzle the liquor.

Domovoi and Dvorovoi are Russian [[fey]] who visibly resemble dwarves. Domovoi are house spirits, kind of like [[Brownie]]s; so long as they feel a house's owner is hardworking and respectful, they will guard the house from mundane and magical harm, especially focused on protecting the children or battling evil fey. Dvorovoi are a more fearsome relative of the Domovoi who inhabit farmsteads; unlike Domovoi, they stay outside, looking after the animals and protecting against threats from outside... but also playing pranks and killing animals they take a dislike to.

Ancient Egypt also had dwarves, as well as a patron god of dwarves: Bes. Egyptian dwarves were more like Japanese [[Tanuki]] than anything else; they were lucky, jovial, and had tremendous bedroom prowess supported by enormous genitals. This was fortunate for the Egyptians that were born with dwarfism as it afforded them a kind of revered and protected status in society.

Asia's legendaria, like the Norse, have dwarfish humanoids with their own crossover with other fey and even demonic beings. China has the god Kuei Xing who is described as ugly but brilliant dwarf, being a patron god of learning, scholars and examination. India too has a semi-deity called Apasmara which is described as dwarfish and represents ignorance that needs to be quashed but not killed in order to uphold the balance between knowledge and ignorance. The Ainu people of Hokkaido have the "Korpokkur" who were described as having lived there before the Ainu - being small, agile and proficient in fishing, they also lived in pits with thatched roofs and traded with the Ainu on occasions.

Lastly, the mythological image of dwarves as reclusive diminutive people may have some historical basis as we know of at least one diminutive archaic human species - Homo Floresiensis which lived 50.000 years ago in Indonesia, right as anatomically modern humans began to predominate the world. It is not difficult to theorise that this and potential other similar offshoots of humanity may have been the inspirational seed for the Dwarf we all know and love today.

=Physiology=
Let's start with the obvious; dwarves are most readily distinguished from humans by their stature, being notably shorter than the human average. Over the editions, this has fluctated somewhat, but in general dwarves have a height range between 4 and 5 feet - which still makes them taller than [[gnomes]] and [[halflings]], who average closer to the 3ft-4ft mark. Combined with their strong builds and stocky frames, dwarves are technically considered Medium creatures rather than Small ones, although usually they're slower than "full-sized" Medium races. If you want to over examine things, this works well with the dwarf association with heavy armor. Shorter size, less surface area, less metal needed to give equal protection to that of a human size species, and due to their greater strength for their size, they can wear thicker armor and yet have it weigh and even cost the same as armor for a human that gives overall less protection.

Dwarves are noted for their rugged natures; their [[Constitution]] is higher than the average human's and even beyond that, they're inherently resistant to poisons (which suggests that their food should, in fact, be more flavourful than humans; however, dwarven food is often portrayed as bland). This, incidentally, may play a part in their famous love of alcohol. In earlier editions, dwarves are also strongly resistant to magical energy, due to a combination of physical and mental fortitude; this aspect has died away over the editions as it was mostly used to justify dwarves not being able to play [[wizard]]s or [[bard]]s (in fact in the minds of many [[grognard|grognards]] a dwarven wizard is as big an oxymoron as something like a [[celestial]] [[fiend]] or an arachnophobic [[drow]]).

One of the most famous aspects of dwarven physiology is the beard. Dwarven men are prone to male pattern baldness, but compensate for it with the ability to readily grow thick, luscious, bushy beards and/or moustaches. Why? Well... because dwarves are just associated with beards (goes back to their folkloric roots). You can have cleanshaven dwarves - in fact, the dwarves of [[Dark Sun]] are naturally hairless - but the image is quite subversive.

Dwarves are often depicted as having difficulties reproducing - they may not be formally considered a "dying" race, but they often have either a slow population growth rate, or a dearth of females (it should be noted that in real life species with this sort of asymmetric population ratio, the rarer sex is usually significantly larger on average and keeps a harem of the more common sex, which in the case of bigger and rarer females would likely result in a matriarchal society if sapience develops), if not both. In [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons|traditional D&D lore]], dwarf women make up only one ''third'' of the dwarf population, which is not good when it takes a year for them to give birth after getting pregnant. In the [[Forgotten Realms]] in the same era, lore from the splatbook "Dwarves Deep" states that not only do dwarf men outnumber the women (only 3 in 10 dwarves are female), but also that 55% of the total population has fertility issues so bad that they might as well be sterile when interbreeding with each other.

Mind you, Forgotten Realms actually gives a reason for this in the "Spawn Wars"; an ancient dwarven civil war where the dwarves used aberrations called Deepspawn to produce huge armies of clone soldiers. When the war ended, they were left with not only a surplus of males, but interbreeding with these clones (and clones of clones of clones) damaged their genetic stock, leaving the dwarves with their current damaged fertility. Until 3rd edition basically retconned all the damage away, at least, courtesy of a divine intervention called "the Thunder Blessing".

Likewise, 3e dumped the "dwarf men outnumber the women" angle, and it's never been seen since.

As part of this, dwarves usually aren't depicted as being capable of crossbreeding with other races, as elaborated on the [[half-dwarf]] page.

==The Bearded Females Debate==
[[file:FemaleDwarf.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Frigga loves wrestling, drinking and flower-pressing.]]

If you bring up Dwarves anywhere, chances are, you'll hear somebody mocking them for the idea that their womenfolk have beards. This stems from Tolkien, whose works established that Dwarven women visually resemble Dwarven men to the extent that human eyes can't tell them apart at a casual glance. Its not explicitly stated however that "female Dwarves have beards", so among Tolkien fans there tends to be debate on if he meant they have full beards or just that they are just masculine; Peter Jackson's portrayal in the movies took the middle ground, giving them a small amount of wispy hair that looks like a human beard, although the massive and thick styled beards of the males along with the females wearing feminine clothing make it clear to the audience which is which.

Because [[Dungeons & Dragons]] was inspired by Tolkien, to an arguable extent, you probably think D&D popularized the idea, right? Well... yes and no. In fact, D&D books are actually all over the place on the subject. The [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] 1e PHB doesn't even mention the concept (though the DMG does), and it's likewise absent from the 1e Monster Manual. In [[Complete Book Series|The Complete Book of Dwarves]], it's stated that only the Deep Dwarves strain possess bearded women - or, admittedly, a cultural trait of women ''keeping'' their beards; the exact line goes "the females wear their beards long, unlike other dwarf women (who are typically clean-shaven)". In [[Dragonlance]], it was established that female dwarves don't grow beards proper, but instead merely have very bushy sideburns. But then there were the [[Forgotten Realms]]... here, [[splatbook]]s like "Dwarves Deep" establish Faerunian female dwarves as having beards, although this is not culturally required and many do shave. This is further cemented by books like "Demihuman Deities", which portrays all of the female members of the [[Morndinsamman]] as being bearded.

When WoTC took over, they did their best to sweep this under the rug. All references to dwarven female beards were retconned away, pointedly left absent even from the 3e update of the Realms. When [[Eberron]] was released, it was explicitly stated that the native dwarves do '''not''' have bearded women. When 4th edition was rolled out, female dwarf beards were officially stricken from the canon of D&D - they even devoted a section of "Wizards Presents: Races & Classes" to it - and this seems to be one 4e change that has since been preserved by 5e.

As an aside, 4th edition actually made its female dwarves surprisingly attractive, which, given that [[mul]]s also lost their [[Grimdark#Grimderp|grimderp]] "sterile and usually kill the mother in birth" lore, should have made human/dwarf relationships a lot more common...

The evolution of most current fantasy race tropes usually goes to [[Warhammer Fantasy]], but WFB opted to take a different route and instead made Dwarf women super rare rather than bearded as an excuse to make no([[The Grudge Of Drong|t many]]) female Dwarf miniatures. Of course Citadel's Dwarf miniatures originated as the old lines made when [[Games Workshop]] was the sole distributor of D&D minis in Europe, and their original Dwarf females also lacked beards. Canonically female Dwarfs instead grow their hair into plaits, and judge them by said plaits the same way male Dwarfs do beards (which is a bit unfair since female Slayers must shave their hair into a mohawk despite male Dwarfs getting to keep their beards, unless said beard being shaved is why they're taking the Oath anyway).

[[file:Girlbreard_PF2nd.png|thumb|right|350px|Apologies for any weird feelings this gives you.]]
[[Warcraft]] only began showing female Dwarves with the release of [[World of Warcraft]], where they were a player race. Although unbearded, there are jokes in the game that some ancient heroic Dwarf females had beards (which makes sense, they are descended from a visually all-male race of magic metal/stone robots that were corrupted by Lovecraftian horrors into flesh animals (makes only a bit more sense in-context)), jokes that they just shave, and jokes that their beard [[/d/|isn't on their face]].

Why does the [[meme]] persist? Grandfather clause, basically; while many fans argue it's a defining aspect of what makes dwarves unique, citing that if it was good enough for [[Tolkien]], [[Gygax]] and [[Terry Pratchett]], it should be good enough for the modern DM, just as many fans rebut that D&D isn't Tolkien anymore and that "bearded women" are never really anything deeper than a silly joke. As with any meme that persists on /tg/ to this day, nobody will give an inch.

To date, [[Hackmaster]] remains the primary setting to find bearded female Dwarves as far as active tabletop gaming, although given the setting was created mostly as a parody originating in [[Knights Of The Dinner Table]] comics it obviously isn't being played straight.

In its 2nd edition, [[Pathfinder]] is giving it a go in the character art. Now it varies from culture to culture. Grondaksen(Undeground) Dwarf women often go bearded, Ergaksen(Surface) and Holtaksen(Mountain) women usually don't.

As a side-note, if you want to put an interesting spin on the "dwarves all look alike" cliche, you could always try reversing it. Thus, instead of bearded dwarf women being mistaken for menfolk, you have dwarf men who, due to facial features and cultural values of appropriate dress/accessories/behavior/etc, are easily mistaken for their womenfolk... at least until their pants come off. This will likely get you called out on [[Magical Realm]], especially if you're also slapping dwarves with the [[shortstack]] build at the same time (for example, male dwarf tits are actually fat-based mating displays; the bigger his tits, the more successful that dwarf is, and so the better a catch he is for a lady dwarf), but, hey, it's your table, and if your party doesn't mind, who cares? Consider also having a traditional hairstyle being to braid the hair of their head beneath the chin like its a beard, or having the soldiers have helmets that depict a beard regardless of the gender of the wearer.

=Psychology=
Dwarves are generally described as a naturally Lawful race, if you put stock in [[alignment]]. Specifically, dwarves tend to be focused, disciplined, organized, and naturally driven. When they start something, they devote their whole attention to it, and they hate to either leave something unfinished or give it anything less than their best. Furthermore, dwarves tend to be deeply conservative; they don't like change very much and are deep believers in the importance of tradition.

In contrast to the elves, dwarves are usually described as being a very stoic and emotionally closed off sort of race. Which is rather weird given how cheerful and friendly the dwarves are in Tolkien's original "The Hobbit" - most sources try to rectify the discrepancy by claiming that dwarves are naturally suspicious and so only let their hair down around people they feel they can truly trust. All of these factors combine to form the stereotype of the dwarf as a grumpy, surly, hard-working yet unpleasant little bugger.

=Culture=
Dwarf culture is usually described as fairly monolithic, although settings do play around with the basics - [[Dragonlance]] in particularly gives dwarves a very fleshed out history and culture.

Typically, dwarven culture is clannish, where extended family groupings form the foundation of greater dwarf society. Clans may be independent nation-states in their own right, or they may be used to form specific divisions of skill in dwarf society as a whole; for example, one clan may actually mine the ore, a second smiths it, a third trades with other races, and a fourth clan produces livestock.

Dwarven leadership is usually a form of parlimentarian monarchy, with clan-chiefs forming councils that advise but ultimately answer to a single reigning dwarf king. Dwarven culture may also have some aspects of a gerontocracy, although being a full-fledged case of "rulership by the eldest" is actually rarely seen.

Because dwarves don't like change much, dwarven society is usually depicted as being at best conservative and at worst stubbornly hidebound. Whether this is admirable, a surmountable issue or a fatal flaw tends to depend on what the setting designer thinks of dwarven conservatism.

Mining and smithing are usually portrayed as hugely important to dwarven culture, which is mythologically true. Of course, in the hands of some authors, this can be taken to silly extents - in [[Mystara]], originally, the Dwarves of Rockholm valued mining and smithing so much that the single clan responsible for herding livestock and farming was considered second-class and literally treated as a bunch of near-criminals. This eventually changed when reality ensued and the farmer-clan barricaded the smiths in their underground tunnels, telling them "Okay you shits, let's see you '''eat''' that fucking gold!" Once the smiths learned they couldn't actually eat gold, coal or iron, they were forced to admit that the farmers actually were an important part of the dwarven society.

In general, dwarf culture usually borrows a lot of themes and concepts from [[Viking|Nordic cultures]], seeing as how the fantasy dwarf is most closely derived from the Nordic dwarf. Depending on a DM's taste, they may supplement or replace this influence with Germanic, Scottish or Welsh attributes. This is interesting, since the popular image of Dwarves derives in great part from Tolkien's work, who described them as being allegories for the Jews. Quote: "The dwarves of course are quite obviously - wouldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic." Consider...they speak the local language but with an accent, are at once considered locals and yet outsiders who have lost their homeland, have a propensity for being Craftsmen (a common trade for Jews who couldn't own land in medieval times) and of course the greed for gold based off stereotypes of usury. Tolkien seemed to have made several positive statements about Jews (and notably sent a scathing letter to the Nazi government when asked to confirm he was not Jewish for the Hobbit's publishing in Germany), and the Dwarves in LoTR are generally portrayed positively.

==Robots==
Given where we got our notion of dwarves from (see below), several settings have had them cook up their own ''[[golem]]s''. Usually out of stone, sometimes metal. Not flesh so much.

The [[Fiend Factory]] had the Grey Sqaargs, which may have evolved to the rune golems in [[Warhammer]]. The dwarves of [[Warlords of the Accordlands]] make [[gargoyle]]s. World of Warcraft and Dragon Age (yeah, we know, /v/, but both have /tg/ translations) also feature dwarven golems.

=Flaws=
The dwarves are not without their share of moral failings, no matter what their legions of fanboys may think. From the perspective of narrative this is a good thing.

One of the most prominent of these is avarice: dwarves '''love''' gold and gems and other valuable materials - it's why they're so obsessed with mining in the first place. The sight of gold make's a typical dwarf's palms get sweaty, and they are notorious for their greed. If a dwarf is motivated to do something dickish, at least 7 times out of 10, it'll be for the love of money. Even in the Complete Book of Dwarves, it was admitted that gold has an almost spell-like pull on the dwarven psyche. This mainly comes from the Nordic and Germanic myths, where the dwarven lust for gold is quite pronounced; they are greedy little bastards, most exemplified by the story of Sigurd, where the root of all the trouble comes from a dwarf named Fafnir, who murders his father to steal the weregild (treasure paid as restitution for murder) given to his father for the murder of his brother Otar, transforming into a dragon to better guard his wealth, only to be murdered by Sigurd, who was put up to the task by Fafnir's other brother Regin. Oh, and the gold was cursed because it was originally stolen from another dwarf, Andar. But, of course, like most "standard" dwarf traits, it was popularized in Tolkien's work, where the mental and cultural fixation dwarves have for gold is said to be the result of the corrupting influence of the seven rings of dark power that Sauron gave them.

Another common dwarven flaw is being direct and orderly to a fault. Not in terms of tyranny (which does manifest on occasion, but is far from the norm) but in terms of rigidness and inflexibility. Dwarves like tradition, they like honest dealings, they like cultivating their skills and they like putting the raw chaotic mess of the world into order, which they have long ago mastered. The problem is that problems keep coming up which mar their efforts, from humans that don't make their payments to orcs raiding their mountain homes. The view they cultivate is not to adapt to the changing situation, but to dig in and stew in indignation.

One manifestation of that, and the one that /tg/ often has the hardest time admitting, is arrogance. Just like their fellow "Elder Race", the [[elf|elves]], dwarves take a huge amount of pride in their long history, their skills and their close ties to their patron god(s). They look down on many other races, and often demand respect and recognition - sometimes in far greater proportion than is actually warranted. This can make some dwarves quite braggadocios.

Dwarves are not conventionally attractive. They ''make'' beautiful things, are not hideous or monstrous, there are exceptions to the rule and there are people out there which are going to be into short, robust fellows with severe features and a beard you could loose a chicken in, but as a general rule your average Dwarf is pretty far removed from the classical ideals of beauty. Contrast them with elves which are either idealized humans or possess a etheric willowy grace to them.

Less universal failings include stubbornness, low self-esteem, hypocrisy and vindictiveness. Once a dwarf makes up his mind, he will rarely back down, sometimes well beyond the point of stupidity. Likewise, if a dwarf fails at something, it can often be hard for them to get over to it, leading to everything from maudlin self-pity to self-destructive behavior, or simply blaming everyone for it, especially other races that are close enough to blame). Finally, dwarves are associated with [[Book_of_Grudges|bearing grudges for a reason]].

Though most dwarf failings are mental, cultural failings aren't unheard of either. There are two major forms that this tends to take.

The first is strict social calcification. Dwarven culture can easily slip into a strict caste structure, where some or all of the population is treated like crap just because of how the dwarves view their culture. [[Mystara]]n dwarves are a good example of this; they used to treat any dwarf who wasn't involved in mining as little better than a criminal.

The second, somewhat more common form, is over-conservatism. Dwarves are pretty much universally depicted as proud of their traditions and cautious about changing, but in some dwarven cultures, this can go to almost suicidal lengths, to the point where dwarves practically consider "progress" and "change" to be dirty words.

It should bear mentioning that just how prominent these traits are, and how crippling they are, depends a lot on the setting. [[Dark Fantasy]] settings in particular tend to use this to make dwarves seem "appropriately flawed". The [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)|Dawi]] of [[Warhammer Fantasy]] are perfect examples of just how these traits can turn a normally admirable race into a bunch of petty little assholes when cranked up. For example, in Warhammer the [[High Elves (Warhammer)|High Elves]] - who have the standard elven arrogance - acknowledge the existence of the [[Dark Elves (Warhammer)|Dark Elves]] and the infighting they originated from, but the Dwarfs pretend [[Chaos Dwarfs]] don't exist and get very butthurt if they're even mentioned.

=Diplomacy=
Dwarves may not be the most conventionally charismatic of races, but they are still part of the [[demihuman]]s crowd, which means that the default expectation is that they're good guys, and thus they're expected to interact with other races like rational people.

Typically, dwarves often get portrayed as the "grumpy but loving conservative grandpa" in the general hierarchy of demihumans; the other races respect them, even like them, but they don't always get along, and they're not afraid to call them out on their shit.

Dwarves usually get on the best with [[human]]s, more or less. They find the human lack of respect for tradition exasperating, and it actually bugs them that humans don't live so long - you start getting to like one, and then the next thing you know, he's dead. Still, the human drive and passion, combined with their admiration for dwarven prowess and skill, means the races do respect each other. Plus, when they team up, they can ''really'' get shit done, as many settings show. Honestly, with how well the two races get on, it really is odd that [[half-dwarf|human/dwarf mating]] isn't as common as [[half-elf|human/elf mating]] - or even more so. In short, if Dwarfs are the best then humans are a close second with anyone in third being far more distant.

Dwarves and [[elf|elves]] have a... complicated relationship. Despite what you'd think, dwarves and elves don't actually go to war much in D&D. The two races actually have a lot in common; their shared longevity - and thus, preference to look at the long term when it comes to making decisions - gives them a common attitude towards dealing with problems, and dwarves can appreciate the fact that elves put a lot of work into their craft as well. It's the difference in work ethic and priorities that causes the races to have troubles communicating; dwarves don't understand the "play first, work later" general attitude of elves, and it annoys them that, rather than sitting down at something and getting it done, elves will drift back and forth between projects as their interest waxes and wanes. Still, they can tolerate each other, and when they deign to work together, great shit happens. If the Elves are of the manlier, bearded variety this alliance will be a solid wall against whatever bad guy attacks that day.

Dwarves are probably closest to their [[gnome]] cousins, but even then, it's a somewhat rocky relationship. The gnomish love of humor and obsession with magic of leaves dwarves dumbfounded and sighing at their "silliness".

Dwarves usually don't even think about [[halfling]]s. The two races just don't move in the same terrain, never mind the same circles. When together, it is usually a shared love of strong drink and great food that forms the basis of friendships.

Perhaps the most consistent and reliable relationship that dwarves have is their enmity with [[orc]]s and [[goblinoid]]s. They fight in almost '''every''' fantasy setting you care to name, and this actually makes a lot of sense. Beyond the fact that the races are natural foils for each other (long-lived, slow-breeding, orderly, skilled crafter dwarves vs. short-lived, fast-breeding, anarchic, crude crafter orcs/goblins), it also reflects nature. See, both dwarves and orcs/goblins live in the mountains, and as the latter races are by nature opportunists, it makes sense that they would consider it more expedient to oust dwarves and take over their well-made, long-lasting homes than go to the trouble of digging out their own cave-cities.

=Religion=
Dwarven religion usually centers around implicit or explicit ancestor worship. Dwarf gods tend to exemplify what dwarves consider both the proper way to behave and the iconic virtues of their race. In D&D lore, the traditional leader of the dwarf gods is [[Moradin]] (or [[Reorx]], on Krynn); a gruff, no-nonsense creator-deity obsessed with making stuff and ensuring the multiverse is filled with creation.

Other deities tend to be subordinate to Moradin and usually a lot more forgettable, being just "dwarfy" takes on standard archetypes like the War God or the Love Goddess.

In [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], it was established that dwarves refer to their pantheon as the '''[[Morndinsamman]]'''.

An exception is in [[Forgotten Realms]] via the Mulhorandi (Egyptian) pantheon. There, the god Bes is the patron god of dwarves and is affable, personable, lucky, and has enormous genitals. Which is because he's a shameless rip-off of the Egyptian god Bes, who was a god of sex, happiness, music, dancing, partying, fertility, childbirth, and the protection of women and children, who was portrayed in religious as a dusky-skinned dwarf with a huge set of male sexual organs.

=Dwarves vs. Gnomes=
Casuals who stumble across [[Dungeons & Dragons]] may find themselves wondering why there are ''two'' races of mechanically adept artisic short hairy men in the game, the dwarves and the [[gnomes]]. Well, the answer is fairly simple.

See, in mythology, "dwarves" and dwarf-like beings cover a wide spectrum of critters. They're usually considered a kind of [[fey|faerie]], and thusly in many cultures, dwarves are depicted not as the stern, grim, magical craftsmen of [[Viking]] lore, but as surprisingly down-to-earth people, but possessed of many magical abilities. There are many stories of dwarves in European cultures weaving illusions and changing shapes and otherwise performing all manner of mystical feats. Now, [[Gygax]] and his buddies were big mythology buffs, and they knew these stories. But, at the same time, they were also huge [[Tolkien]] fans, and their vision for the prototype of D&D was to use the Tolkienian model for dwarves. So, in the end, they said "fuck it", and just brought the magical yet down to earth dwarves of Europe into D&D as gnomes, whilst dwarves in the Tolkien model were allowed to retain their name. And it has continued ever since out of tradition.

The highlight of this has to be found in [[Mystara]], the very first campaign setting of [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. In this setting, originally, the dwarves were a people known as the Kogolor, who dwelled in cities they established on the mountains. Physically and mentally, they were more like the gnomes of the present day; outgoing, cheerful, talkative and gregarious. They had no particular resistance to magic or toxin, nor any great focus on craftsmanship, although they were (and remain) great brewers of liquor. During the Rain of Colorless Fire, their numbers began to drop rapidly, as the poisons released by the [[Blackmoor]] disaster devastated their number. An Immortal named [[Kagyar]] decided that he could use the dwarves to create a race to his design; one shaped to survive against future disasters of this scale. He took the hardiest of the Kogolor and made them tougher still, granting them resistance to magic and toxin. He filled their minds with an obsession to craft lasting works in stone and metal - things would survive the passage of time - and made them feel an instinctive yearning for the shelter of deep caves, that they would naturally gravitate towards homes that doubled as fallout shelters. He made them stubborn, conservative, and xenophobic, inclined to shun others and to cling to tradition above all else, that they would not stray from this mold. Satisfied with his work, he dubbed them "dwarves" and returned them to claim the mountains of Mystara, whilst the Kogolor he absent-mindedly swept away and discarded in the Hollow World. This did not sit particularly well with one of Kagyar's students, Garal Glitterlode - the prototype for [[Garl Glittergold]], himself an ascended Kogolor. Since his former people were gone, he recreated them, this time shaping them to be smaller and more flexible, to seek out shelter in forests as well as mountains, and thus were born the first gnomes, as a more "true to the original" descendant of the original Kogolor.

=Subraces=
Though the dwarven concept is regarded as fairly homogenous, the truth is that dwarves do have some racial diversity - perhaps not so much as the [[elf]] or [[gnome]] races, but they've had their fair share of variant cultures and subraces over the years.

Tolkien himself gives one example in the [[Silmarillion]], the Petty-Dwarves, who aren't a subspecies so much as some clans who were cast out by the other clans. For the rest of their history, see the [[Middle Earth]] page section on them.

The most classic dwarf subraces are the '''Hill Dwarf''' and the '''Mountain Dwarf'''. Both adhere to the same basic outline established elsewhere on this thread. The difference is their choice of living habits and their personality.

''Hill Dwarves'' live in hill-country, and tend to live closer to the surface - or even on the surface - as well as being the most "wanderlusty" of the dwarven subraces; instead of staying cooped up in cavern homes all the time, hill dwarves have been known to travel regularly, either for work or just for the sake of seeing the sights! They are the most common dwarven subrace, and also the most diplomatic; they have the most contact with other [[demihuman]] races and so are the most friendly and open-minded of the dwarves. You know, by comparison. Hill dwarves tend to put comparatively less focus on mining, or occupy themselves with more "practical" mining pursuits - coal, iron, and copper. Smithcraft is usually more important, as they tend to make more money through trade.

''Mountain Dwarves'', as the name suggests, occupy the high mountainous regions of the world, where they accommodate the lack of horizontal terrain by burrowing into the cliffs and occupying completely subterranean homes. Mountain Dwarves are typically richer than hill dwarves, as their homes are better sources of gemstones and precious metals. Add in that their choice of landscape abounds in [[dragon]]s, [[orc]]s and [[goblinoid]]s (amongst other monsters), and it makes sense that they tend to be both more professionally war-like and more suspicious of outsiders. Mountain dwarves often are (or at least claim to be) the "original" version of the dwarf race, and feuding with their hill dwarf cousins isn't unheard of. In fact, in the [[Dragonlance]] setting, the mountain/hill dwarf feuds are more bitter and bloody than the elf/dwarf feuds!

'''[[Duergar]]''' are the third of the "core" dwarf subraces. They're covered in more detail on their own page, but in a nutshell, they are the obligatory "evil [[Underdark]] subrace", the dwarven analogue to [[Drow]]. Interesting in part for their characterization as the worst impulses of the dwarf race, but without their cousins' redeeming qualities. Notably the most psychic of the dwarves.

'''Deep Dwarves''' are a dwarven strain that has adapted to life in the [[Underdark]]. They're more or less the dwarf equivalent of [[Svirfneblin]]; they live down in the dark but they're not evil, just somewhat justifiably reclusive and xenophobic. Introduce in AD&D, the deep dwarves miraculously made it into 3e based solely on their presence in the [[Forgotten Realms]], but because they lack any cultural nuance beyond being "non-evil duergar", they never really caught on and have basically been forgotten ever since.

'''Sunderered Dwarves''' are a subrace introduced in [[The Complete Book of]] Dwarves, and are basically former clans of hill or mountain dwarves who have been forced to live exclusively on the surface after some catastrophic event chased them away. In fact they are now incapable of handling prolonged periods underground, suffering racially from claustrophobia, which compels them to inhabit surface settlements and often live alongside other races. You'd think that this would make them much more socially adept than other dwarves, but nope; they're just described as miserable, tortured creatures full of self-loathing. The idea was so badly handled that they never were revived.

'''[[Derro]]''' are another [[Underdark]]-dwelling species of short humanoids, who may or may not be part of the dwarf family tree; it depends on edition.

'''Arctic Dwarves''' (who call themselves "Innugaakalikurit") are, as the name suggests, a tundra dwelling dwarf subrace who have forsaken the traditional miner's lifestyle of their kin for a simpler life as hunter-gatherers. Described as short and squat even by dwarf standards, these white-haired dwarves favor the harpoon and the bow over the axe and the pick. They love to sunbathe, being impervious to both the cold and to the pain that should normally result when their skin turns red from an overexposure to the sun. This subrace was native to the [[Forgotten Realms]], and appeared in an AD&D [[splatbook]] relating to "The Great Glacier", but the concept of an arctic dwarf has been touched upon in a more setting neutral fashion in 3rd edition. In Eberron the '''Glacier Dwarves''', or "Toldun Nordorthak", are those who remained on the Frostfell and continued to adapt to it instead migrating south. They aren't given a stat block, but presumably are just the 3E Arctic Dwarves.

'''Wild Dwarves''' are another Faerunian subrace; primitive, jungle-dwelling tribals who pursue an almost feral existence in the tropical forests of Chult, and to the Mhair and Black Jungles. Wielding poisoned weapons and going about naked, they worship their own patron god, [[Thard Harr]] and do little other than hunt, mate and sleep. Introduced in "Dwarves Deep" for AD&D, their resemble to [[/pol/|pygmy stereotypes]] has made them increasingly uncomfortable to many players.

'''Chultan Dwarves''' are albino dwarves native to the jungles of Chult in the [[Forgotten Realms]], who first appeared in the splatbook "Jungles of Chult". Whilst they lack the abundant metal resources of their kin, they are not as primitive as their Wild Dwarf cousins. Based on their recent reappearance in 5e's [[Tomb of Annihilation]], where they were described as more primitive than they had been in AD&D, WoTC may be planning to make them subsume the "jungle dwarf" aspect from their Wild Dwarf cousins.

'''Desert Dwarves''' are another Faerunian dwarf subrace, consisting of stranded dwarves who have adapted to survive in the desert cliffs of [[Maztica]]. Aside from their darker skin, they're basically identical to normal dwarves, which has led to their being forgotten; 3e did touch upon the archetype with both Desert Dwarves in [[Unearthed Arcana]] and Badlands Dwarves in Sandstorm.

'''Gully Dwarves''' are the most infamous and hated of all the dwarf subraces. Originating from dwarves breeding with gnomes in the [[Dragonlance]] setting, they can be basically described as "what if dwarves had devolved to fill the role normally taken by [[goblin]]s?" Dirty, slovenly, stupid creatures, gully dwarves are regarded in-universe and out as an embarrassment, huddling in ruins or the trash-heaps of other races and grubbing out a meager existence on the leavings of other, greater peoples. The fact that they sound like they were written by a goddamn nazi geneticist is probably why they haven't been mentioned in recent editions.

'''[[Kogolor]]s''' (Or "Kogolor Dwarves") are technically the oldest dwarves in all of D&D; native to [[Mystara]], these dwarves are literally the ancestor species of the modern dwarf, and are much more like gnomes in behavior... which is fitting because they're also the ancestor of gnomes, too. Most notably, they lack the dwarven knack for craftsmanship - save in brewing beer, ale and wine - and are cheerful, outgoing, friendly and welcoming. Also, absurdly Alpine German, to the point of dressing in lederhosen and having a special proficiency in yodelling. Because of the Great Rain of Fire and the intervention of [[Kagyar]] the Artisan, they only survive in the [[Hollow World]], having been abandoned there after being replaced with "conventional" dwarves.

Though the above is pretty much the standard template for dwarves, some settings have shown some deviance from them... usually in the form of sub-races or offshoot clans.

==Elemental Dwarves==
Since the dawn of the game, the [[Element]]al Plane of Fire has been home to [[Azer]]s, who look like bronze-skinned dwarves with great flaming beards & hair. For most editions, they have been officially classified as "not dwarves", with Pathfinder describing them as a race of elemental constructs who just happen to look like dwarves (a step 5e basically stole). 4e, however, went and said "yes, they're dwarves; at the dawn of time, dwarves were slaves to [[giant]]s (who're [[elemental]]s) - the ones who didn't get away in time eventually became elementals themselves".

There's also the oft-forgotten Earth elemental the [[Galeb Duhr]], who became a rock-elemental dwarf in 3e and stayed that way in 4e.

Dwarves mutated into elemental beings or otherwise [[planetouched]] have always been a minor concept, but do exist. The most obvious are the [[Azerblood]]s, dwarven fire [[genasi]] descended from [[azer]]s, in 3rd edition. The oldest are the earth-manipulating, god-touched [[Urdunnir]] of the [[Forgotten Realms]]. 3rd edition introduced the obscure [[Frost Dwarf|Frost Dwarves]] as an extraplanar race, as well as obscure elementally-touched variant dwarf races. 4th edition introduced the [[Eisk Jaat]], an icy counterpart to the Azer and Galeb Duhr who, like them, descends from dwarves that mutated due to being trapped in the [[Elemental Chaos]] by the [[giant]]s.

[[Dragon Magazine]] #383 contains the rules and lore for Forgeborn Dwarves, a dwarfin variant representing clans who didn't ''quite'' get away from the Giants in time. They basically took a racial feat that gave them resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire and Lightning damage and let them deal bonus elemental damage whenever they hit someone once per encounter.

==Unique Strains==
For obvious reasons, this page has mostly talked about dwarves as depicted in [[Dungeons & Dragons]], which is the most widespread of /tg/ games and thus the most iconic depiction of dwarves. But, there are other games on /tg/ that have more unique depictions of dwarves...

The dwarves of [[Warhammer Fantasy]] [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)|have their own page]], but in a nutshell can be described as taking the D&D dwarf stereotype and cranking the knobs up a couple of notches. They are Grudge-obsessed, culturally unchanging, and absolutely racist fucks who only barely tolerate humans and hate every single other thing, especially each other when they have a reason, to varying degrees. They almost wiped themselves out just out of their inability to resolve conflicts such as those caused by an insult given by accident ten generations ago while a third invading force was on the march causing a three-way fight where the Dwarfs could only lose. But out of sheer tenacity and refusal to admit weakness or being wrong, they managed to make it to the [[End Times|death of the setting]] as a powerful force.

Their cousins, the evil [[Chaos Dwarfs]], force magic into their own bodies unnaturally (as Warhammer Dwarf bodies and minds resist and nullify magic) which slowly turns them to stone. They have an intense hatred of all other races but instead of good old boy conservatism/Grudge induced racism it's straight up [[Nazi]] tier, to the point of being like their kin with an even bigger Grudge. They are based on Mesopotamians, and the size and type of their hat is more important to them than a beard.

In [[Shadowrun]], the dwarven fondness for crafting and artisanship has led to them mostly abandoning old-fashioning smithing and turning to cybernetics and digital engineering - the iconic dwarf is a cybered-up hacker, not a warrior or a smith. Also, beards are basically unimportant to dwarves, but the males usually wear beards in order to stop humans from mistaking them for children.

In [[Castle Falkenstein]], dwarves are an all-male race of [[artificer]]s, who do the mining and smithing thing mostly to support their love of being mad scientist engineers. In fact, they used to be magical fairies, but they gave up their magic and their immortality (although they still live a long time) to be able to work with iron. They couldn't give two shits about their beards, are immune to fire and magic, are superhumanly strong, have goose-like feet (which they're very embarrassed about, so '''don't mention them'''), and reproduce by interbreeding with female fairies; sons are dwarves, daughters are fairies. Incidentally, this is why they tend to be so obsessed with making their mark on the world; this is the only way they can change their name to what they want, instead of being stuck with a typical fairy name like "Morningblossom" or "Buttercup". Also, rather than an axe, an angry dwarf will usually try and club you to death with a fuck-off-huge wrench.

In ''[[Wicked Fantasy]]'', they're called uvandir; don't call them dwarves if you value your kneecaps. They arrived in the Reign of Men along with the [[halfling|haffuns]] and [[gnome]]s when they popped through the wall of a mine shaft, having dug their way through the world to escape their alien masters. They integrated into human culture and improved on every human craft they encountered. They are immortal, tireless craftsmen who have no time for anything that isn't productive. They will suffer physically if they spend too much time ''not'' working, to the point of sitting down, lost in deep melancholy, until they literally turn to stone. The only thing that they'll do other than work is drink beer. The setting book sets aside a whole page for "THE UVANDIR LOVE BEER" in massive text. Uvandir miners don't just dig for precious stones and metals, they are also digging in search of sleeping brothers and their god.

''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'' (hey, it has an official tabletop) has a race of elves that were called dwarves by the setting's [[Giant|giants]], and the name stuck. Properly referred to as "Dwemer", they are most notable for studying Creation until they found specific musical notes that change the very laws of nature, for being [[Malal#Necoho|die-hard atheists in a world filled with gods]], and for vaporising their entire people by building a colossal robot that flat-out denied out of existence everything it saw - including itself, linear time, [[Not as planned|and the race that built it]]. Thousands of years later their abandoned subterranean cities still stand, powered by geothermal steam, lit with gas lamps or arc lights, and patrolled by maintenance bots, murder bots and the occasional ghost. An insular and xenophobic people, the Dwemer weren't on good terms with anyone, seeing the other races either as idiots, savages, slaves, or test subjects. For an example of what happened to those who trusted them, the Dwemer [[Grimlock| alchemically blinded, then enslaved]] another elven race, the Falmer, on the brink of extinction just so they wouldn't have to share their knowledge or even the sight of their underground cities.

=PC Stats=
==BECMI==
The BD&D Dwarf is essentially a [[Fighter]] (since back then every non-human race was a class) with a few special gimmicks. Requiring a base [[Constitution]] of 9 to qualify for, and treating Strength as its primary requisite, the BD&D Dwarf's main advantage over the standard fighter is its toughness; it has a d8 hit dice mechanic, and at Attack Rank G (1,400,000 XP) it halves all damage taken from spells and magical attacks (quartering it on a save). It also has infravision and a 1-in-3 chance to detect hidden/secret doors, traps or other stonework related details. It technically maxes out its level at level 12, but can keep gaining XP to increase its Attack Rank up to AR M

The [[Known World Gazetteers|Dwarves of Rockhome]] introduced a variant dwarf class, in the form of the Dwarf-[[Cleric]]; able to cast clerical magic, if not to the same potency as the human cleric... whilst also mandated to hide this ability from other races. Needless to say, if you weren't running an all-dwarf campaign or didn't have a DM who waived that bit of fluff, this made you all but unplayable. Yes, you were allowed to waive this rule if the party's survival depended on you revealing you can cast clerical magic, but let's be honest, a lot of DMs were willing to dick you over about this.

Mechanically, the dwarf-cleric functions as a sort of proto-prestige class. It follows all of the same rules as a standard dwarf, but requires an extra amount of XP to advance a level, and from 2nd level onwards gains access to clerical magic. This is tabled up below. Due to TSR's "one true wayism" approach to racial & class crunch 'n' fluff, dwarf-cleric PCs can only belong to [[Kagyar]], even though NPC dwarf-clerics of the Chaotic Immortals respected by dwarves do exist. For this reason, dwarf-clerics are... discouraged... from using Destruction type clerical spells, especially the Reversed form of appropriate spells (Inflict Wounds, Harm, Bane, etcetera). As in, if you use these abilities "too frequently" for the DM's liking, they are encouraged to slap you with everything from warning dreams of Kagyar's displeasure to a divine geas/quest to seek redemption, to just arbitrarily taking away your clerical powers '''permanently'''. Yeah, you got to deal with the same shit as the [[Paladin]], how nice is that?

Dwarf-clerics cannot raise members of any race except dwarves when they cast Raise Dead spells, and they cannot [[Turn Undead]]. They require [[Strength]] 9 and [[Wisdom]] 9 to qualify for the racial class, and treat these ability scores as primary requisites; dwarf-clerics need ''both'' Str and Wis to be 13+ for their +5% EXP boost, and they need Wisdom 16+ for their +10% EXP boost. Dwarf-clerics have access to all forms of armor, abut are culturally restricted to hammers and axes for weapons; they normally use the Character Hit Rolls table column for a [[Fighter]] when fighting with hammers & axes, but if they are forced to use some other weapon, they use the "normal" CHR table column instead. Unlike normal dwarves, dwarf-clerics only have a D6 hit dice, but they still use the Fighter's saving throw table. Their high level bonus traits are effectively identical to the standard dwarf, but they gain dwarven magic resistance at Attack Rank C.

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::Level: Bonus EXP Required: Spells
::1: 0: 0
::2: 4,000: 1 First Level Spell
::3: 8,000: 2 First Level Spells
::4: 16,000: 2 First Level Spells, 1 Second Level Spell
::5: 32,000: 2 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells
::6: 64,000: 2 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells, 1 Third Level Spell
::7: 120,000: 2 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells, 2 Third Level Spells
::8: 250,000: 2 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells, 2 Third Level Spells, 1 Fourth Level Spell
::9: 400,000: 3 First Level Spells, 2 Second Level Spells, 2 Third Level Spells, 2 Fourth Level Spells
::10: 600,000: 3 First Level Spells, 3 Second Level Spells, 2 Third Level Spells, 2 Fourth Level Spells, 1 Fifth Level Spell
::11: 800,000: 4 First Level Spells, 3 Second Level Spells, 3 Third Level Spells, 2 Fourth Level Spells, 2 Fifth Level Spell
::12: 1,000,000: 4 First Level Spells, 4 Second Level Spells, 3 Third Level Spells, 3 Fourth Level Spells, 2 Fifth Level Spell, 1 Sixth Level Spell
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{{D&D1e-Races}}

==AD&D==
The dwarf PC first appeared in the AD&D [[Player's Handbook]], specifically with the classic subraces of Hill Dwarf and Mountain Dwarf. Rules would later be expanded upon with their own dedicated sourcebook, [[the Complete Book of]] Dwarves, which provided not only a collection of dwarfin cultural notes, but also dedicated dwarf [[kits]] and complete ability score writeups for the six extant dwarven subraces of the time; Mountain Dwarf, Hill Dwarf, Deep Dwarf (a non-evil [[Underdark]]-dwelling dwarf, which would be phased out in subsequent editions), Sundered Dwarf (surface-dwelling culturally shattered dwarves), Gully Dwarf (degenerate and stupid dwarf-kin originating from [[Dragonlance]]), and [[Duergar]].

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::Dwarven Hardiness: All Dwarves receive a bonus to their saving throws against poison and magical attacks determined by their Constitution modifier; +1 for Con 4-6, +2 for Con 7-10, +3 for Con 11-13, +4 for Con 14-17, and +5 for Constitution 18-19.
::Racial Enmity: [[Ogre]]s, [[troll]]s, [[oni]], [[giant]]s and [[titan]]s suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls against dwarves. Dwarves receive a +1 bonus to attack rolls made against [[orc]]s, [[half-orc]]s, [[goblin]]s and [[hobgoblin]]s.
::Magical Interference: When a dwarf attempts to use a magic item that is ''not'' either specifically intended for the dwarf's class or else a weapon, shield, armor, gauntlet or girdle, there is a 20% chance that it will instead dramatically fail. A check is made each time the dwarf attempts to use an item; if it fails one time, it may work the next, and vice-versa.
::Stonecunning: Dwarves are naturally adept at surviving underground, and can attempt to identify specific aspects of their environment by rolling a d6. A dwarf can detect the gradient or slope of a passage on a 1-5, detect new tunnels or other construction on a 1-5, identify sliding/shifting walls and rooms on a 1-4, locate stonework traps/pits/deadfalls on a 1-3, and estimate just how deep underground they are on a 1-3.
::Dwarves have a base movement rate of 6, and encumbrance affects their movement rate as follows: Light (None), Moderate (-1/3rd), Heavy (-1/2) and Severe (-2/3rds).
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;Hill Dwarf
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::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Constitution, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 3/17, Constitution 11/18, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/17
::Infravision: 60 feet
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 15, Priest 10, Thief 12
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +10% Open Locks, +15% Find/Remove Traps, -10% Climb Walls, -5% Read Languages
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;Mountain Dwarf
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::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Constitution, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 3/17, Constitution 11/19, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/16
::Infravision: 60 feet
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 16, Priest 10, Thief 12
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +10% Open Locks, +15% Find/Remove Traps, -10% Climb Walls, -5% Read Languages
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;Deep Dwarf
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::Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 3/16, Constitution 13/19, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/15
::Infravision: 90 feet
::Special Advantage: +1 to the dwarven saving throw bonus against poison and magical attacks.
::Special Disadvantage: -1 penalty on attack rolls when within Sunlight or Continual Light spells.
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 14, Priest 12, Thief 10
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +5% Pick Pockets, +10% Find/Remove Traps, +5% Hide In Shadows, -10% Climb Walls, -15% Read Languages
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;Sundered Dwarf
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::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 8/18, Dexterity 3/17, Constitution 11/18, Intelligence 3/16, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/16
::Infravision: 30 feet
::Special Disadvantage: Sundered Dwarves are Claustrophobic; they must successfully save vs. death in order to overcome their fear before they can enter any underground locale, be it a dungeon, cave or tomb. Furthermore, when underground, a sundered dwarf suffers a -2 penalty to its attack rolls. Each day they remain underground, they must make another save vs. death to master their claustrophobia; if they fail, then their attack penalty increases by -1 for each additional day spent underground. Once a sundered dwarf has panicked like this, the saving throw vs. death to try and master its claustrophobia takes a penalty equal to the attack roll penalty.
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 14, Priest 10, Thief 15
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +5% Open Locks, +10% Find/Remove Traps, +5% Move Silently, +5% Hide in Shadows, -10% Read Languages
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;Gully Dwarf
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::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 6/18, Dexterity 6/18, Constitution 8/16, Intelligence 3/12, Wisdom 3/14, Charisma 3/12
::Infravision: 60 feet
::Special Advantage: Gully dwarves excel at the art of groveling, and can attempt to avoid being attacked by mock-fainting or putting on a pitiful display of pleading. All hostile creatures must succeed on a save vs. spells, with a penalty depending on the gully dwarf's level (-2 at level 5-8, -3 at level 9-12, -5 at level 13+) or be incapable of actually harming the gully dwarf, though they can still capture or otherwise restrain it.
::Special Disadvantage: Gully dwarves are legendarily stupid, and even if a gully dwarf PC is uncommonly smart for its kind, it should still be portrayed as a dimwitted simpleton. Additionally, gully dwarves are so wretched that magic items have a 40% chance of failing to work for them, rather than the normal 20% chance.
::Class/Level Limits: Warrior 8, Priest 8, Thief 16
::Thief Skill Adjustments: +10% Pick Pockets, -5% Open Locks, +5% Find/Remove Traps, -5% Hide In Shadows, -5% Climb Walls, -25% Read Languages
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'''Innugaakalikurit''' (aka '''Arctic Dwarf'''):
Whilst not presented in the Complete Book of Dwarves, the Innugaakalikurit did receive a brief PC writeup in "The Great Glacier", a guide to the pseudo-Arctic Circle region of the [[Forgotten Realms]] released for AD&D.
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::Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -1 Dexterity, -1 Charisma
::Ability Score Minimums/Maximums: Strength 14/18, Dexterity 3/16, Constitution 13/18, Intelligence 3/18, Wisdom 3/18, Charisma 3/14
::Special Advantage: Arctic Dwarves are Immune to Cold, including magically generated cold such as spells or the breath of [[Chromatic Dragon|White Dragons]].
::Class/Level Limits: [[Fighter]] Unlimited, [[Ranger]] 8, [[Rogue|Thief]] 8
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{{D&D2e-Races}}

==3rd Edition==
In 3.5, dwarves changed a little from their 3.0 selves, mostly in the form of tightening up their rules, but the end-result was fundamentally the same.

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::+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
::Humanoid (Dwarf)
::Medium
::Base Speed 20 feet, but ignore the movement penalties from medium & heavy armor and loads
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Stonecunning: This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a [[rogue]] can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
::Weapon Familiarity: Dwarven Waraxes and Urgoshes count as Martial Weapons for a dwarf, rather than Exotic Weapons.
::Stability: +4 racial bonus on checks made to resist being Bull Rushed or Tripped when standing on solid ground.
::+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like effects.
::+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against [[orc]]s and [[goblinoid]]s.
::+4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against creatures of the [[Giant]] type.
::+2 racial bonus on Appraise and Craft checks relating to stone or metal.
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Fighter]]
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After humans (who are considered the best race in the entire game, or at least the top 5), dwarves are likely the most powerful PHB race, though this isn't much of a challenge since the other PHB races are very weak. Their defensive (and search) bonuses are universally good and only 3 classes even care about losing charisma (and Cleric doesn't care all THAT much). Their bonus on search applies almost always, since underground caves and buildings constructed of stones are the vast majority of adventure locations. Aside from the obvious melee classes dwarves, unusually enough, make for good [[Rogue]]s. Their defensive abilities offset how squishy rogues are, and aside from half-orcs (which are terrible) the only PHB race with darkvision, which is invaluable for sneaking around in the dark and (more importantly) get around the rule oddity that rogues can't use sneak attack in darkness without it.

The above stats applies to both Hill Dwarves and Mountain Dwarves equally. However, myriad dwarven subraces exist in 3.5, and they all tweak the formula in some way.

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'''Aquatic Dwarves''' were underwater-dwelling versions of the dwarf introduced in the 3e [[Unearthed Arcana]] sourcebook. In addition to the normal dwarven statblock, they gain +2 Strength, suffer -4 Dexterity, and possess the Aquatic subtype, the Water-Breather racial trait (breathe water instead of air, can survive out of 2 rounds per Constitution point before starting to suffocate), a Swim speed of 20 feet, the ability to "run" whilst swimming, +8 racial bonus on Swim checks and the ability to Take 10 when swimming.

'''Arctic Dwarves''', also from the 3e Unearthed Arcana, gain +2 Strength and suffer -4 Dexterity in addition to the normal dwarf modifiers, and tweak their statblock in various ways. Their racial attack bonus is against ''[[kobold]]s'' and goblinoids instead of orcs & goblinoids, they also apply their Appraise & Craft check bonus to ice, they have the Cold Endurance trait (+4 racial bonus on Fort checks against cold and exposure), and the Icecunning trait, which is literally "Stonecunning but with Ice". This is a generic version of the arctic dwarf, and not based on the original Innugaakalikurit, who hail from the [[Forgotten Realms]].

'''Badlands Dwarves''' are a version of dwarf that has adapted to life in the hot, barren badland regions - essentially a more focused and arguably better designed version of the Desert Dwarf from Unearthed Arcana. These guys appeared in the Sandstorm splatbook, and mostly change their racial traits; they lose Stonecunning and gain Waterwise, which is essentially Stonecunning but for finding water and water conduits, and lose their Appraise & Craft bonuses in favor of Heat Endurance and the ability to go for 2 days + Constitution score hours before thirst starts affecting them.

'''Deep Dwarves''', the non-evil [[Underdark]] dwarves mentioned above, appeared in the 3.5 [[Monster Manual]], and have the most meager changes of any dwarven subrace; their resistance to poison and magic increases to +3, their Darkvision increases to 90 feet, and they gain the Light Sensitivity trait.

'''Desert Dwarves''' are another of the many "environmental variant" subraces to appear in 3e's [[Unearthed Arcana]]. These dwarves trade their Charisma penalty for a -2 penalty to Dexterity, lose Stonecunning, change the target of their racial attack bonus from orcs & goblinoids to reptilian humanoids & dragons, change the target of their racial defense bonus from giants to dragons, change their bonus to Craft checks for a +2 bonus on Knowledge (Architecture, Engineering & Dungeoneering) and Profession (Miner), and gain the Heat Endurance trait.

'''Dream Dwarves''' are a mystical, sagely dwarven subrace introduced in Races of Stone. These dwarves lack the inherent craftsmanship or warlike skills of their kin, but are valued for their innate magical powers and spiritual connection to the earth. Dream Dwarves trade their -2 Charisma for -2 Dexterity, increase their Darkvision to 90 feet, and trade their racial saving bonuses, Craft bonus, Appraise bonus, attack roll bonus and dodge bonus for +1 Caster Level with Divination type spells, a +1 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks against Earth subtype creatures, and the ability to see ethereal creatures at will. Additionally, their favored class is [[Druid]] rather than fighter.

'''Frost Dwarves''', introduced in the Planar Handbook, are a race of [[planetouched]] dwarves native to the icy layers of the [[Abyss]]. The ability modifiers for these dwarves is +4 Constitution, -4 Charisma, they gain the Extraplanar subtype, their Darkvision increases to 120 feet, and they gain Cold Resistance 10, +4 to Move Silently checks, Light Sensitivity, and the ability to cast Chill Touch and Obscuring Mist 1/day each at Charater Level +2 (minimum of 3rd). Needless to say, these dwarves get a [[Level Adjustment]] of +1.

'''Earth Dwarves''' are, as the name suggests, [[planetouched]] dwarves with earth elemental ancestry, and are yet another Unearthed Arcana variant. They get +2 Strength and -2 Dexterity on top of the normal dwarf ability modifiers, their Stonecunning modifier is +4, their Stability modifier is +8, they change the target of their racial attack bonus from orcs & goblinoids to creatures with the Air subtype, their Appraise & Craft bonuses increase to +4, and their racial saving bonus against spells is replaced with a -2 racial penalty on saving throws vs spells, spell-like abilities or supernatural abilitys that either have the Air subtype or come from a creature with the Air subtype.

'''Glacier Dwarves''' are, like Badlands Dwarves, a second attempt at an environmental based dwarven subrace in the wake of those done by Unearthed Arcana. They're closer to the Innugaakalikurit than the Arctice Dwarves are, but still not a perfect conversion. Appearing in the Frostburn sourcebook, Glacier Dwarves replace Stonecunning with Icecunning (same thing, but using ice instead of stone), change their Appraise & Craft bonuses to applying to ice, snow & other frostfell materials, trade their save bonus vs. poison for a +2 racial bonus on saves vs. cold damage & cold-based effects, can comfortably survive in conditions ranging from "severe cold" to "hot" without needing a Fortitude save, and are always considered to have the Cold Endurance feat in order to meet prerequisites for feats & prestige classes.

'''Gold Dwarves''' appeared in the [[Dungeon Master's Guide]], and represent either dwarves at the very height of their power, the ancestral form of dwarves, or some other form of deep-dwelling dwarf-kin. The only real changes they make are suffering -2 Dexterity intead of -2 Charisma, and changing their attack roll bonus target to [[aberration]]s instead of orcs & goblinoids.

'''Jungle Dwarves''' are the last of the environmental variants introduced in Unearthed Arcana. These dwarves lose Stonecunning, downgrade their Darkvision to Low-light Vision, trade their Craft bonus for a +2 racial bonus on Heal, Knowledge (Nature), Spot & Survival checks, and switch their favored class from Fighter to [[Ranger]].

'''Seacliff Dwarves''' are coastal dwarves introduced in the Stormwrack sourcebook, and are essentially an alternative to Aquatic Dwarves, like the Badlands & Glacier Dwarves before them. These dwarves lose their racial attack roll bonus and instead gain the Strong Swimmer racial trait; +2 racial bonus on Swim checks and the ability to hold their breath for twice their Constitution score.

'''Innugaakalikurit''', or Faerunian Arctic Dwarves, appeared in the Races of Faerun sourcebook. These have the normal abilities of a dwarf, even though their traditional lore says they shouldn't have Stonecunning, but their ability scores are +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution and -2 Charisma, they are Small instead of Medium, they are Immune To Cold, their Favored Class is Ranger, and they have a [[Level Adjustment]] of +2.

'''Urdunnir''' are [[Planetouched]], or at least very magical, dwarves native to the [[Forgotten Realms]]. Presented as a PC race in Races of Faerun, Urdunnir have all the normal dwarven racial abilities, but their saving throw bonus against Poison is increased to +4, they have the Stone Walk supernatural ability, can cast Stone Shape and Shape Metal, both at-will and with the power of an 8th level sorcerer, their favored class is Expert, and their Level Adjustment is +4.

'''Wild Dwarves''' are feral dwarves native to the tropical jungles of Chult in the [[Forgotten Realms]] and appeared in Races of Faerun alongside the Innugaakalikurit and the Urdunnir. These dwarves are Small, are affected by medium/heavy armor & loads, replace the standard dwarven weapon familiarity trait with free prociency in the handgun and blowgun, have the Poison Use trait, have Fire Resistance 5, have a +3 bonus to saves against poison, are immune to Wild Dwarf Knockout Poison, have a +4 racial bonus to saving throws against disease, lack the Stonecunning trait and the bonuses to Appraise and Craft, and their Favored Class is [[Barbarian]].
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==Pathfinder==
[[Pathfinder]], for obvious reasons, mostly used the 3.5 version of the dwarf, but tweaked it. Since it was the second most powerful anyways and had a lot of features, it didn't really get much new stuff compared to the other races. Past the core rules, Pathfinder introduced the idea of variant racial traits you could swap in for more unusual versions of the dwarf. As a core race, these alternate traits are everywhere; the Advanced Race Guide, Inner Sea Races, even Horror Adventurers had a few dwarfin variant abilities. Compared to the other core races, Dwarves didn't get much variety here though they do get the ability to make their Defensive Training/Hatred abilities work on a few different monsters.

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::+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
::Medium
::Slow & Steady: Base speed is 20 feet, but medium/heavy armor and loads don't affect this speed.
::Darkvision 60 feet
::Defensive Training: +4 Dodge bonus to AC against Giants.
::Greed: +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks made to determine the price of nonmagical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
::Hatred: +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against Orcs and [[Goblinoid]]s.
::Hardy: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells and spell-like abilities.
::Stability: +4 racial bonus to Combat Maneuver Defense against Bull Rush and Trip when standing on solid ground.
::Stonecunning: +2 racial bonus on Perception checks made to notice unusual stonework, and can make a check to notice such things whenever they pass within 10 feet of them.
::Weapon Familiarity: Proficient with Battleaxe, Heavy Pick and Warhammer, treat any weapon with "Dwarven" in its name as a Martial Weapon.
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The main additions were an extra ability score boost (standard for PF races), some free martial weapons (even better for a medium BAB class not proficient with martial weapons) and better "Dwarven" exotic weapons (Dwarven Longhammer is a greatsword with bludgeoning damage and reach, taking a good weapon and making it better.). With these boosts Dwarves make even better Clerics and Rogues than they did in 3E. Dwarves make natural [[Warpriest]], since that uses charisma even less than a cleric.

A survey of Pathfinder characters determined Dwarves were the 6th most popular race in the game (losing to Human, Half-Elf, Elf, [[Half-Orc]] and the non-core [[Tiefling]]). Dwarves mostly fall so low since Half-Orc is now a viable race for most beatstick classes as well and they split the non-human beatstick percentage. Naturally Dwarf Clerics and Warpriests are exceptionally common. Weirdly Dwarves are popular fighters even though fighters already get the ability to wear heavy armor without speed penalty. Despite making excellent [[Druid]]s, Dwarf druids are exceptionally rare.

{{Pathfinder-Races}}
{{Starfinder-Races}}

==4th Edition==
Iconic, well-defined, and readily adapted, the dwarf took pride of place in the very first Player's Handbook, where they were the second PC race option only because [[Dragonborn]] alphabetically precedes them. This version of the dwarf didn't have the flashy racial powers that most other races of the edition had, but emphasized its traditional strengths with lots of racial traits, which made them one of the hardiest races in the game, and yet also surprisingly good at being [[Cleric]]s, [[Shaman]]s and [[Druid]]s.

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::Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom (or +2 Strength, post Essentials Update)
::Size: Medium
::Speed: 5 squares (25 feet)
::Vision: Low-Light
::Skill Bonuses: +2 Dungeoneering, +2 Endurance
::Cast-Iron Stomach: +5 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
::Dwarven Resilience: Triggering 2nd Wind only costs you a minor action.
::Dwarven Weapon Proficiency: You have proficiency with the throwing hammer and the warhammer.
::Encumbered Speed: You ignore the normal movement penalties caused by armor or carrying a heavy load.
::Stand Your Ground: You can choose to reduce the effects of all forced movements (pull, push, slide) by -1 square; this can negate an effect that would normally only move you 1 square. Additionally, you can immediately make saving throws against attacks that would knock you prone.
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4e also introduced the concept of subraces in two different ways.

[[Dragon Magazine]] #383 introduced the ''Forgeborn'' subrace for dwarves, representing dwarves whose ancestors hadn't been freed from their slavery to the [[Archomental|Primordials]] before elemental energy had contaminated them, turning them into essentially the dwarven equivalent of [[genasi]]. This version of a subrace took advantage of the plethora of feats that 4e characters received. A forgeborn dwarf was defined by taking a normal dwarf and then taking the ''Forgeborn Heritage'' feat; this gave them the Elemental Legacy racial power (1/encounter, when you hit an enemy with an attack, inflict +3/tier Acid, Cold, Fire or Lighting damage - your choice of which element) as well as minor resistance to Acid, Cold, Fire and Lightning damage simultaneously. Not much - 2 points of damage resistance, increasing to DR 3 at 11th level and to DR 5 at 21st level.

Of course, the racial feat ''Iron Hide Resilience'' boosted this damage resistance to 5 points per character tier; still inferior to the fire resistance of [[tiefling]]s or the cold resistance of winterkin [[eladrin]], but hey, you're getting '''four''' types of damage resistance for the price of two feats; don't get greedy!

Other forgeborn feats include ''Ancestral Wrath'' (+1 speed when bloodied), ''Keen Hatred'' (using Elemental Legacy grants a +2 bonus to your next attack roll), ''Wrathful Legacy'' (Elemental Legacy recharges the first time you are bloodied), ''Improved Legacy'' (boosted damage with Elemental Legacy) and ''Wrathful Resurgence'' (gain temporary hitpoints when you use 2nd Wind).

The forgeborn also have a racial [[Paragon Path]] in the ''Fireforged Champion'', which is very focused on withstanding and dishing out fire damage - very reminiscent of the [[azer]]s.

The [[Neverwinter]] campaign setting was much simpler, instead presenting alternate racial traits that a dwarf could simply "swap in" that represented the Gold and Shield Dwarves of the [[Forgotten Realms]].

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'''Gold Dwarf Alternate Traits'''
::Replace Cast-Iron Stomach with Cast-Iron Mind (+5 racial bonus to saves against ongoing psychic damage)
::Replace Dwarven Weapon Proficiency with Gold Dwarf Weapon Proficiency (War Pick and the Maul)
'''Shield Dwarf Alternate Features'''
::Replace Dwarven Weapon Proficiency with either Dwarven Weapon Proficiency (Axe and Battleaxe) or Shield Proficiency (Light Shield)
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{{D&D4e-Races}}

==5th Edition==
Your trusty dwarf, of course, once again appeared in the [[Player's Handbook]], with the Mountain Dwarf and Hill Dwarf subraces. The [[Forgotten Realms|Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide]] added the [[Duergar]] subrace as well.

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::Ability Score: +2 Constitution
::Typical Alignment: Favor Lawful Good.
::Size: Medium. Listed as being between 4 and 5 feet tall, and average 150 pounds.
::Speed: 25 feet
::Darkvision
::Dwarven Resilience: Advantage on saving throws against poison, and resistance against poison damage.
::Dwarven Combat Training: Proficiency with Battleaxe, Handaxe, Light Hammer, and, of course, Warhammer.
::Free tool proficiency with choice of smith's, brewer's or mason's tools.
::Stonecunning: Double Proficiency bonus when making history checks on the origin of stonework.
::Languages: Common and Dwarvish.

Of course, subraces get their own bonuses.

'''Hill Dwarf'''
::Ability Score: +1 Wisdom
::Dwarven Toughness: Free +1 max hp every level.

'''Mountain Dwarf'''
::Ability Score: +2 Strength (only subrace which allows you to start with two +2 bonuses)
::Dwarven Armor Training: Free Proficiency with Light and Medium Armor.

The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide also gave info on the Duergar subrace, the dour, evil cousins of the dwarves that inhabit the Underdark.

'''Duergar'''
::Ability Score: +1 Strength
::Superior Darkvision (120 feet max instead of plain Darkvision's 60 feet)
::Duergar Resilience: Advantage on saves against illusions and being charmed or paralyzed.
::Duergar Magic: Free Enlarge/Reduce at 3rd level, and free Invisibility at 5th level, but has an interesting limitation: they cannot be cast when you are in direct sunlight. The spells still work while you're in sunlight if you cast them somewhere else, but while you're in the sun, nada. Both spells recharge on a long rest, and use Intelligence as their spellcasting Modifier.
::Sunlight Sensitivity: Disadvantage on attack rolls and Perception checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you're trying to perceive, is in direct sunlight.
</div></div>

{{D&D5e-Races}}

===Eberron===
Dwarves of [[Eberron]] were [[Frost Dwarf|originally from the Frostfell (north pole)]] before moving south. They control the world's banking due to House Kundarak's Mark of Warding enhancing security and the vast mineral wealth of their homeland. Otherwise the Dwarves of Eberron don't differ too much from the norm.

One [[RPGA]] module has a scholar with the theory that, unlike the rest of Eberron's races, Dwarves were not formed from Eberron, but from [[Dragon Gods|Khyber]] and reforged by [[Dragon Gods|Eberron]] to fight other creations of Khyber. This scholar posits that the short, muscular frame of the Dwarves was to allow them to fight Khyber's other creations (fiends) in [[Underdark|Khyber]]. The text of the module explicitly says this may or may not be true.

===3rd Party Settings===
;Arkadia
The [[Dwarves]] of the world of [[Arkadia]] believe they were forged by [[Erebos]], the God of Fire and Craftsmanship, from the stone and bronze of Kor Erebos, the volcano that is their ancestral homeland. Whilst there is a passing implication that the traditional dwarven subraces of Mountain Dwarf and Hill Dwarf exist in Arkadia, the race is primarily divided between two unique subraces, with all of the lore being lavished upon them.

'''Volcano Dwarves''' are the original form of the race, although they have spread from their fiery mountain homelands and now tend to smithies and shops throughout the great city-states; whilst the smith-priests of Erebos work bronze and even [[orichalcum]] in Kor Erebos, lesser volcano dwarves can be found working with metal, jewelry and glass wherever there is a market for such things. They make crystal glass and beaten lead funeral masks in Crixos; jewelry in Corinth; and rams, nails, and all the tools needed to furnish Ithean ships. Their most common work, however, is found in Kryta and Hyperium, where the bronze of their swords and spears and armor is prized above all others. Volcano dwarves have relatively light complexions, but are typically seared into permanent partial tans by the molten metal and stone with which they work. Their hair and beards, black or reddish brown, is worn in matted locks. They cap these coils in heavy beads of gold, bronze, or mountain glass. They trade with humans for royal colors of cloth and adorn themselves with thick rings and armbands, set with wide stones. In their native environment, volcano dwarves burrow into the deepest depths of the earth, tapping magma for heat, light, and raw minerals with which to work. Weirdly, it is stated that volcano dwarves are a "mysterious", "secretive" and "reclusive" folk, withdrawn from the daily life of other races. This then might explain the discrepancy noted above; it is possible that mountain and hill dwarves are considered volcano dwarves by culture, but "mountain" dwarves represent the warrior-clans, and "hill" dwarves represent those volcano dwarves who trade with humans or who have integrated into surface life.

'''Field Dwarves''' fill much the same role in Arkadia that [[halfling]]s fill elsewhere in the multiverse. Reputedly created when [[Phaedrus]], the God of Fae and Wilderness, lured away a portion of the dwarven race from their volcanic homes, these dwarves have become a simple folk who cherish wine, and growing things, and rich, dark earth. Forsaking metal and glass, field dwarves instead concern themselves with the shaping of clay and stone, or the cultivation of crops. The majority of the race live in the countryside as simple farmers, growing bounties of grapes, olives and other foodstuffs; those who have moved into the cities focus instead on masonry, pottery and sculpture. They are darker skinned and less ostentatious than their elder cousins, preferring loose hair and simple clothes in which they are comfortable.

The two races don't really like each other all that much. Volcano dwarves look down on field dwarves as lazy and unskilled, claiming they have forgotten their purpose in the world and are too addicted to the dark drink of wine. Field dwarves, in turn, think their volcano-dwelling cousins are stiff-necked stick-in-the-muds who need to loosen up and get over themselves.

Regardless of subrace, all Arkadian dwarves consider themselves Arkadians by blood if not by race, and thusly feel a strong kinship to the [[human]]s with whom they share their world.

Arkadian Dwarves have a unique take on the 5e dwarven core racial statblock: whilst it's mostly identical, it replaces Dwarven Weapon Proficiency with the following:

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<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
::Arkadian Dwarven Weapon Proficiency: You are Proficient with the Sling, the (Bronze) Mace, the (Bronze) Sword and the (Bronze) Shortsword.

'''Volcano Dwarves''' have the following subrace traits:
::Added Tool Proficiency: You are Proficient with your choice of either Glassblower's Tools or Jeweler's Tools.
::Erebos' Gift: As a light activity during a long rest you may hone one simple or martial weapon. At the end of the long rest, the object becomes a magic item, if it is not already, granting a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls in addition to the weapon’s other effects. The weapon retains these benefits until you use this feature again. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

'''Field Dwarves''' have the following subrace traits:
::Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
::Phaedrus' Gift: You may use your action to cause 4d4 magical grapes to grow from the soil at your feet. A creature can use its action to eat one or more of these grapes. Eating a grape restores 1 hit point, and the grape provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. You must finish a long rest before using this ability again. The grapes lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the use of this ability. The number of grapes created increases to 8d4 at 11th level and 16d4 at 17th level.
</div></div>

;Midgard
The [[Midgard]] setting, having begun as a more nordic-inspired borderline [[Dark Fantasy]] setting, naturally has dwarfs in it. In fact, there are three major dwarven nations; the Northlanders, the Cantonals, and the Southlanders, although the Tome of Heroes added some more minor dwarven subraces.

Northlander dwarves lean heavily into the Nordic/[[Viking]] element, but are more mystical than your typical dwarves; bearskin-clad [[berserker]]s and [[wizard]]s who use enchanted rings as focuses for their powers are major elements of their culture. Mechanically, these guys just use the standard ''Mountain Dwarf'' statblock.

'''Cantonal''' dwarves are from the Ironcrags, and are, well, more "generically dwarfy". They're a race of smiths, miners, merchants and mercenaries, heavily involved in local politics. They use the ''Hill Dwarf'' statblock.

'''Southland''' dwarves hail from the [[Southlands]], the not!Africa of Mdigard, and are very distinct from their more northerly kin. With dark skin and dark hair, they are renowned primarily as alchemists and mystics. They get a unique statblock in the Midgard Heroes Handbook (+1 Intelligence and the trait "Dwarven Msticism", which gives them proficiency with alchemist's supplies and one of two racial cantrips; Guidance or Resistance), but weirdly this wasn't repeated in the Southlands Player's Guide, even though it did feature a much larger cultural writeup on the Southlands dwarves.

'''Fireforge''' dwrves are one of the two dwarven subraces added in the Tome of Heroes, and descend from clans of dwarves that made the gamble of settling in and around volcanoes to exploit the ambient heat and rare metals. Generations of living amidst the molten rock, and possibly some interbreeding with [[azer]]s (they don't say it ''explicitly'', but the two fiery dwarfkin ''are'' close allies...) has given them some unique traits, as well as a more "fiery" color scheme. Fireforge dwarves get +1 Intelligence, and the traits Burned Vision (you lose Darkvision), Expert Artisan (you gain proficienc y in either glassblower's or smith's tools, and double your proficiency bonus with them), Forgeborn (Resistance: Fire), Friend to the Azer (Ignan as a bonus language), and Reforge (as an action, you can repair a broken metal item, as per the Mending cantrip).

'''Spindrift''' dwarves have forsaken the earth and stone of their ancestors and instead taken to the seas, living on coasts, islands and, if legen is to be believed, artificial floating islands of their own construction. They get +1 Dexterity, replace Dwarven Combat Training with Dwarven Marine Training (free proficiency with club, handaxe, hand crossbow, net, rapier and scimitar), replace Tool Proficiency with Nautical Proficiency (you have Proficiency with Water Vehicles and either Carpenter's, Navigator's or Woodcarver's Tools), replace Stonecunning with Shipwright (apply double your Proficiency bonus to Invesigation checks made to evaluate the craftsmanship or seaworthiness of a sailing vessel) and have the unique racial traits Rigger (you have a Climb speed equal to your base speed when not wearing heavy armor or using a shield), Sailor's Eyes (you lose Darkvision), and Spindrift Step (1/short rest, as a bonus action, you can walk on water for rounds equal to your level as a Concentration effect; if you use this power whilst submerged, it only costs a Reaction and you are instead propelled towards the surface at a rate of 60ft per round).

;World of Farland
In the [[World of Farland]], some tweaks are made to the standard 5e dwarf. Most notably, Stonecunning is not a core racial trait for the Farlandish dwarf, and they have the unique subraces of '''Khazak''' and '''Dwamok''' dwarves.

'''Khazak''' dwarves, whose name means "High Folk", are the "pureblood" dwarf subrace of Farland, and analogous to the Mountain Dwarves of core 5e. These are the only dwarves with the Stonecunning trait, and they also gain +1 Strength and the unique racial trait ''Magic Resistance'', which gives them Advantage on saving throws against spells of one school of magic, set at character creation.

'''Dwamok''', or "Shieldfolk", are the Farlandish equivalent of Hill Dwarves. They gain +1 Wisdom and the Hill Dwarf's Dwarven Toughness trait, but also have the unique racial trait of ''Stable'', which grants them Advantage on checks made to resist being pushed and knocked prone, and lets them reduce the distance of involuntary movement effects they are subjected to by -5 feet.

"War of the Immortals" also introduces two historical dwarven subraces. '''Kibil-Gunders''' are the "ur-dwarf" stock, the original dwarven strain who lived in and around active volcanoes. They gain +1 Strength, the Dwarven Armor Training and Stonecunning traits, and the Heat Resistance trait (Advantage on saves against Fire damage, Advantage on Constitution checks against natural heat). '''Shieldfolk''' are, despite the shared name, the ancestral stock of the Dwamoks from the modern era, and so they trade the Stable Trait for free Proficiency with either Insight or Perception.

;Scarred Lands
Dwarves of [[Scarred Lands|Scarn]] are largely the same as the core 5E dwarf, just with Dwarven Armor Training and Dwarven Weapon Training switching places. The Player's Guide introduces the Kelder and [[Charduni]] dwarves, with Yugman's Guide to Ghelspad adding the Broadreach dwarves.

'''Kelder''' or Mountain Dwarves are native to Ghelspad and most make their home in the Kelder Mountains. They gain +1 Wisdom, Dwarven Weapon Training, and the ''Steadfast'' trait, which gives them advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

'''Charduni''' originate from Termana, and came to Ghelspad to expand their tyrannical empire. If the name didn't spell it out, they worship [[Chardun]] almost exclusively. They gain +1 Strength, Dense Flesh, which is just renamed Dwarven Toughness, and ''Charduni Combat Training'', which gives them proficiency with the light hammer, warhammer, warscepter, and the spiked chain.

'''Broadreach''' or Wood Dwarves are descended from Kelder Dwarves that escaped from slavery in Glivid-Autel to the Hornsaw Forest where they settled to live alongside the local elves. They gain +1 Dexterity, replace Stonecunning with ''Woodcunning'', gain advantage when examining woodwork, and the ''Keen Senses'' trait, which gives them proficiency in Perception.

;Seas of Vodari
The swashbuckling [[pirate]]-themed setting of [[Seas of Vodari]] is home to not only the standard Hill and Mountain Dwarves of 5e, but also a unique subrace; the '''Aurirn''', or '''Sea Dwarves'''. They descend from clans of dwarves who were ambitious or crazy enough to try and mine the unique metals seeping from a volcanic crack in the seafloor, where exposure to magical radiation mixed with dwarven stubbornness mutated them into an amphibious race capable of surviving underwater on their own. They're still part of dwarven society, but have grown somewhat more reclusive... but they're so stinking rich that even the most grizzled of traditional dwarves is forced to accept the scaly-skinned, web-digited water-breathing freaks, and many honor them for the sheer dedication it took to pull off so crazy a stunt as to set up underwater mines in the first place.

A sea dwarf has the standard 5e dwarf core racial traits and these unique subrace traits:

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<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
::Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
::From the Depths. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water. You ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment.
::Fireborn. Adapted to living along the boiling cracks of the seafloor, you have resistance to fire damage.
</div></div>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Dwarf ODD1.png|Original D&D
Hill dwarf monster card.jpg|1e
Dwarf MCV2.jpg|2e
Dwarf MM 2e.png
Wild dwarf MCAV2.jpg|Wild Dwarf
Ravenloft 3e Dwarves.png|3e
Female Charduni Dwarf.jpg
4e_Dwarves_1.jpg|4e
4e_Dwarves_2.jpg
4e_Dwarves_3.jpg
4e_Female_Dwarf_Rogue_Concept.jpg
4e Female_Dwarf_Cleric_Concept.jpg
4e_Female_Dwarf_Rampaging_Brute.jpg
4e_Female_Dwarf_Wizard.jpg
Eva_Widermann_4e_Female_Dwarves.jpg
4e_Dwarf_Warlock_Concept.png
5e Dwarf.png|5e
RacesDramagAthasdwarves.jpeg|[[Dark Sun]]
Dwarf_PF_2e.png|Pathfinder 2e, playing it straight for once
Dwarf_Monk.png|It's easy to reach your face once I've broken your balls and kneecaps, Manling!
Nhalmika Ironsight.png
Stafinder Dwarf.png|Starfinder, going Deep in the Galactic Rock
SF Dwarf Teacher.png
</gallery>

=Dwarf Fortress=
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
This is how Dwarves appear in [[Dwarf Fortress]].
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===Dwarven Physiology===
[[Image:KHALID_OAKDICK.jpg|KHALID OAKDICK, BEARDKING OF THE KINGBEARD CLAN!|300px|thumb|right]]
Dwarves typically consist of seventeen main organs: The beard (yes, female dwarves have these too), the boozehole, the gratuitous Celtic accent, 13 livers and an axe. Many outsiders erroneously dismiss a dwarf's axe as an implement of the most common trade, but recent experiments probing into dwarven society (and consuming dwarven booze) have revealed that it is in fact a rare biological example of a fully detachable organ.

The beard is used primarily for attracting mates, and probably something to do with converting argon gas into vitamin C. I mean, these guys live on mead and rocks, so they gotta get antioxidants somehow, right? We'll just go with that. The only notable thing to remember about dwarf beards is that when a pansy human and a dwarf argue over whether or not shaved chicks are better, they're probably not on the same page. The thirteen livers do the same thing as a human liver, just thirteen times better (equaling 169 times the alcohol). Maybe other shit, too, but dwarves don't have time for boring biology crap. Moving on. Boozeholes are for booze. There's other shit you can throw in there too, but those things mostly just act like a sponge, hampering the booze-absorption process. If a particularly whiny dwarf feels the need to "not starve to death," he can fill his empty boozehole with some nice non-porous rocks, or maybe a stack of five wine and rendered fat biscuits if he's really desperate. The accent is used for interrace relations, since dorfs typically spice up their sentences with foul swears and oaths the incomprehensibility of the accent is the only reason a dorf-notdorf alliance was ever made.

==Mating Practices==
The dwarven male touches the female and promptly impregnate them. She then immediately falls in love with the dwarf male (love was originally something created for record keeping but has evolved into the ability to share one's room) and has a baby nine months later. Then the baby dies on a goblin's -copper spear-

Dwarfs do not [[half-dwarf|interbreed]] with the other races. Dwarf sperm is too corrosive to fertilize any woman that doesn't have +4 save vs. poison, and dwarven wombs don't even acknowledge the weak spoor of even the most fecund of human gigolos. The only [[half-dwarf]] is a bisected dwarf, likely from an unfortunate axeident.

==Society==
Dwarven cities, called "fortresses", are underground. Now, we're not talking nice little hillside retreats full of plenty of free cake and fat, chain-smoking midgets. I'm looking at you, "Ring Bearer." No, dwarves live in mountains they carve out themselves with their bare fucking hands. I kid you not. Those *copper picks* are purely status symbols.

Your average dwarf spends his free time wishing he had more to do or, ideally, has no free time. If a dwarf ain't busy building something huge, epically awesome and dwarfy, he ain't happy. Idleness in dwarves has been medically proven to result in depression, erectile dysfunction, chronic sobriety, facial pattern baldness and [[elves|pointy ears]].

Other honorable pursuits among dwarves include digging, metalworking, stoneworking, brewing booze, killing goblins, killing kobolds, thinking of new ways to kill giants, tragically neglecting safety protocol when visited by elven liaisons, swindling gullible elves and humans, and drinking contests.

Dwarven politics are a funny thing, even if they are obviously superior to all that sissy tall people "let's talk about our problems" bullshit. Upon visiting a [[Dwarf Fortress|dwarven stronghold]], you will notice a perhaps disproportionate number of dwarves running around draped in purple velvet and pimpin' bling. Absolutely fucking useless.

No, if you want to find the guy in charge, whip out your measuring stick, 'cause the largest beard you come across is likely attached to the boozehole giving the orders. The owners of these beautiful, shaggy neck blankets often go for bonus points by decking out their beards with thick braids and two-ton cast iron phallic symbols and whatever else their presumably dwarfy square jaws can support. If you need a question answered, these are the guys who'll tell you "no, fuck you, we're doing it my way."

==Religion==
[[File:Ironbeard_dwarfbreath.JPG|300px|thumb|right|Dwarves will build elaborate floodgates and use them as weapons, even as their clothes rot from their bodies.]]
In a time before time, the god of blood ([[Khorne|no, not that one... at least probably not]]) created the universe on a colossal anvil, and then molded the first dwarves with earth, blood, and magma. He also molded the other races out of mud and dust, but he was less than pleased with them. Then He sat back, and as the universe grew older and more peaceful, He grew bored.

He called his children around Him, and said. "Dwarves. This universe grows boring. I will remake it on the forge of creation, unless it becomes less boring"

The dwarves were obviously terrified. And then Urist, the firstborn and the bravest of them, had an idea. He asked His god how could they possibly make the universe less boring for Him.

So He gave His chosen people, the dwarves, their holy mission: to make this world a world of everlasting conflict, so He may escape divine boredom. He gave them their tools of war : the axe, the hammer, the floodgate and the lever, so they may shed blood and magma in His name.

Dwarves worship the stone and earth that surrounds them. Each strike of the pick is a psalm, and each tunnel is a sacrament, and the miner is the dwarves's priest.

Dwarves worship the fiery magma that they were made of. Magma is a purifying force and therefore they pour it on [[elf|elves]], kobolds, goblins and other less worthy creatures.

Dwarves also worship blood, as one of the elements of life, and shed the blood of lesser creatures because it pleases Him, else the universe will be set upon the anvil of creation to be reforged.

Everything a dwarf does is to please their god of blood.

The song of the pick and of the battle axe is music to His ears. The magma-charred corpse of an elf is food to His hunger. The spilled lifeblood of goblins is drink for His insatiable thirst.

PRAISE ARMOK! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
</div></div>

=Magic the Gathering=
Oddly enough, while Human, [[Elf]], and [[Goblin]] are all common, well defined creature types, Dwarfs are quite rare in [[Magic: The Gathering]]. Dwarfs have no solid theme and virtually no tribal effects (4, one of which isn't a Dwarf, compared to 64 Dwarf cards) either. Virtually all dwarfs come from early sets, [[Kaladesh]] or [[Shadowmoor|Eventide]]. They are (with the exception of one wizard and two Black vampires) all Red and/or (more commonly now) White. Why they were ever Red in the first place is unclear, since Dwarfs are traditionally the opposite of every single part of Red: Defensive, emotionally restrained, patient, traditionally minded and disinclined to raw offensive magic. Possibly because Dwarfs are associated with mountains, which are, of course, the Red mana producing land. Dwarves do show up once in one of the novels, where they help Urza's Coalition fight the Phyrexians, primarily by giant tunneling machines.

=Historical Comparison=
On the whole Dwarves across fiction tend to have the following tendencies...

* Are typically employed in metal related artisanry rather than as agricultural workers
** Additionally in fantasy settings with technology on higher level (warhammer fantasy is a good example) Dwarves are typically the ones with the most advanced. If any one has gun powder, they do.
* Tend to live in tightly-knit relatively insular communities and have interconnected extended families.
* Despite that, these communities work in conjunction and are dependent on other peoples (ale is made from barley, which - like all plants - tends not to grow well at the bottom of a mine without sunlight) which generally outnumber them, trading their metalworks and other products in exchange for food.
* While they can speak the languages of others that surround them quite well, they usually use their own language amongst themselves
* Are conservative (in that their society is the way that they like it, thank you very much, and seldom change it, if ever)
* Tend to put a great amount of emphasis on the written word
* Often have their communities come under assault by [[Orc|stupid brutish morons]]
* Grow long beards (depending on the universe, women included)
* Generally are a declining race having suffered some disaster at their golden age and are slowly dying off.

As such, if one thinks in terms of historical analogues, Dwarves come across as early Germanics, Australians and, in a more [[Tolkien]]-influenced work, Jews. Tolkien said that his "dwarves of course are quite obviously - wouldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic." The comparison was largely a stylistic choice - semitic languages are quite different in structure from Indo-European languages (being a linguist, he put a lot of thought into his made-up languages), while thematically, the loss of Erebor and the exile of Thorin's people resembled the plight of the post-Roman Jewish diaspora. Of course, [[SJW|some people]] suggest that the real reason for the comparison was racist in nature - both dwarves and the stereotype of Jews are that they're greedy. Tolkien however made it a point that his characters, while just as fallible as any other human being, were ultimately heroic and honorable.

On the other hand, much of Dwarven culture, like most aspects of Tolkien's major races, derives from early Germanic culture - Tolkien's Dwarves are even named after Dwarves from Norse mythology; nearly all dwarven names come directly from the Norse Eddas. In many fantasy universes, they tend to ape Scandinavian culture much more directly, which is fitting, considering the mythology they come from. [[Warhammer Fantasy|Even if there are already]] [[Warriors of Chaos|Scandinavian]] [[Warhammer Fantasy|people in the setting]].

Another common historical analogue are Celts, in particular Scots, living in clans, in the mountains, full of berserker rage when angered, hospitable when not, gruff, wear horned helmets, are drunkards, short, grippy with money, brew the strongest ales, skilled artificers and usually starters of anything remotely resembling industrialization, are fond of Celtic knotwork and of course speak in Scottish accents like many depictions of dwarves.

Of note is is the spelling: Dwarves VS Dwarfs. when in doubt, look for how it's used in the setting involved. Nearly everyone uses the first spelling when regarding the fantasy creature. The Dwarfs variation is mainly used in astronomy, biology (dwarfism), the Snow White animation movie, the Discworld novels, and the [[Warhammer_Fantasy_Battle|WFB]] race. The latter is actually the original, more common version. Tolkien viewed 'dwarfs' rather unsightly, and coined 'dwarves' (paralleling elf-> elves, and wolf -> wolves. Related: milf -> milves). Usually, Dwarf is the singular, Dwarves is the plural.

=Etymology=
The most common name for a dwarf on /tg/, however, is Dorf (plural: Dorfz), which results from psudophonetics, as do many /tg/ related words and [[meme]]s.

=Real Life Dwarves=
Dwarfism in humans is something that's been around for forever though (obviously) unlike in mythology and religion where they are often either a cousin-race of humans or a separate humanoid species - in real life they are a result of hormonal imbalances arising in early infancy or childhood. The average height of real-life dwarves is ~120cm/4ft though sizes up to +140cm/4.5ft can be reached as well. Additionally there are several types of dwarfism with the most common being ''achondroplasia'' or limb-shortening. There's also Homo floresiensis who, while yes were nicked named the human hobbit were talking about real life dwarves here not the halfling page, were a sub species of humanity who as far as we can tell were very, very short, the skeleton we found being just a bit over a meter.

Historically their treatment was all over the place, from being displayed for entertainment and generally shunned through being accepted as regular or even esteemed members of society (such as in ancient Egypt). In recent times, actors such as Peter Dinklage have brought much positive attention to dwarves and they are generally treated as equals in all but the most backwards countries.

=Monstergirls=
{{Monstergirls}}
[[File:MGE Dwarf.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Ravioli ravioli do not lewd the hammer loli.]]
Whether or not dwarves can be [[monstergirls]] is an issue of.. some debate on /tg/. See, whereas the [[elf]] races have always been portrayed as full of beautiful women (and men, depending on your preferences), and female elves are the archetype for elfin characters, dwarves are considered an incredibly masculine race; there's doubtlessly only one female dwarf character at most that you can name for every ten male ones. Add to it the ancient lore of dwarven women being bearded, and female dwarves have generally been in the sad position of being considered ''less'' inherently fuggable than female [[goblin]]s and [[orc]]s.

But this is /tg/, and fantasy has moved on. As editions have gone past, D&D dwarves have gotten hotter and sexier, their fembeard past consigned to [[Discworld|one particular comic relief section of fantasy]] and the desks of the most hardcore [[grognard]]s, and /tg/ has slowly begun to open to the idea that dwarf women can be hot.

The monstergirl dwarf typically fills what is called the [[shortstack]] niche; small yet truly curvaceous women (which was actually the canon direction D&D 4e took for them) who let their stature work ''for'' them in terms of being sexy. The modern iteration of the dwarf monstergirl often incorporates aspects of either the [[musclegirl]] (a strong yet sexy woman), the ladette (a hot woman who nonetheless acts like one of the guys), or both; the end result is a hard-playing hot woman who will sit on the couch with you, nestled neatly into your lap as she cheers on the wrestling or the monster trucks of whatever, eating spicy wings and chugging beer by the gallon, and who'll then drag you into bed and fuck you until the bed breaks afterwards, all whilst being the perfect height you can pick her up and carry her around. Or she can give you boobsex without even needing to bend down.

Or there's the Japanese take on the idea, where your female dwarf is a spunky, super-strong [[loli]] with an elaborately oversized hairdo, as seen in hentai like [[Queen's Blade]]. The [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]] infamously went this route for its dwarf mamono, creating one of the youngest-looking lolis in its archive until the even-more-controversial [[Slime|Humpty Egg]] was released. The MGE Dwarf is a [[succubus]]-type mamono who specializes in applying its dexterous fingers to give absolutely incredible handjobs, although it relishes the chance to show off its [[goblin]]-like stretchiness by making even the biggest manhood disappear.

A third option is the dirndl-clad traditional lady, often carrying several large tankards of ale for the thirsty men. This plays more to their German roots and caters to an entirely different kind of taste. Incidentally, male dwarves wearing the ''tracht'' that form the counterparts of said dresses (think something like lederhosen) is rather uncommon.

Ironically, despite the existence of Bes above, dwarf monstergirls as dusky-skinned skimpily clad party girl [[shortstack]]s has never appeared on /tg/.

=See Also=
* [[Unified_Setting/Dwarf]]
* [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)]]
* [[Dwarf Fortress]]
* [[Squat]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWz0qVvBZ0 Diggy Diggy Hole], a song based on a one-note joke in a Yogscast video on [[Minecraft]], but manages to summarize the true dwarven way of life perfectly, it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CZjsEI1yU has eventually gone on to be covered by a full metal band].

=Gallery=
<center>
<gallery>
-Neanderthal-Comparison-2.jpg|Some choose to believe that Neanderthals were the forefathers of the concept of the Dwarves, and they rightfully look like one too... God bless our extinct stone-age brethren.
</gallery>
</center>

[[Category:Dwarves]][[Category:Dwarf Fortress]][[Category:Scarred Lands Races]][[Category:Monsters]]

Drizzt

2023-02-10T09:44:07Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* But what about MY not-evil Drow character!? */

{{Skubby}}
{{Plot Armour}}
{{HurfDurf}}
{{Fail}}
[[File:DrizztSue.png|300px|thumbnail|right|Blame the people who did his clones.]]

'''Drizzt Do'Urden''' is the <del>[[Drow]]</del> <del>[[Elf]]</del> [[Drow]] protagonist of several of [[R.A. Salvatore]]'s [[Forgotten Realms]] novels. He is well known - and well-hated - on /tg/ for being the origin of the "Good Drow Ranger Fighting To Prove Him/Herself Worthy Despite The Sins Of His/Her Kin While Dual-Wielding Scimitars" stereotype used as a template to create characters by hundreds upon thousands of pathetically unoriginal idiots the world over. While Drizzt really isn't a terrible character in and of himself (especially in light of shit like [[Twilight|Pinelight]]), the sheer volume of Drizzt-clones he's spawned are capable of inducing [[Rage|burning fury]] in even the most [[Reasonable Marines|mild and even-tempered of dudes]].

He is also commonly described as a [[Mary Sue]], although whether this is really a property of the character himself or if he's simply tainted by association with the thousands of knock-off characters he spawned is open to debate. Some bet on the latter, having moved into "sick of people who are sick of the original subject matter". Other point out that, all copycats aside, Drizzt has stupid amounts of [[plot armor]] in the books and is able to carve his way through armies and Epic-level encounters such as Balors without sweating despite only being lvl16 pure-class [[ranger]]. Given past experience by players being inspired by [[Stephanie Meyer|stupid shit]], there is every reason to take a lot of problems with the guy with a grain of salt. However, keep in mind that Drizzt's author Mr. Salvatore had given him a thoroughly well-planned plotline to at least justify to kill the Balor, such as an extremely powerful frost weapon scores of pages and chapters ago, so under such circumstances killing a Balor with a well-planned ambush as a level 16 ranger ''can be tolerated'' to a degree, and character-wise, Drizzt is a pretty mellow, morally consistent, and reasonable individual without going into needless heroism and Kaldor Draigo level of challenges. It's the cargo cult-grade fanboyism that made the fucker be hated by the rest of the world's [[Neckbeards]].

No matter what your verdict, keep in mind he is an elf, and thus automatically 5 billion times less manly than even the dreaded [[Tau|Space Communists]].

Doubly fun fact: He was planned as a SECONDARY character, a sidekick in support of a human [[Barbarian]] called Wulfgar, in a crusty old book named ''The Crystal Shard''. Then the writing started and, whattaya know? He just had too much charisma to not end up becoming the main character.

==Ok, so why is this son of a bitch so popular?==
* Drizzt is a [[Twilight|unique and beautiful snowflake]] (well, he used to be unique).
** To his credit however, even Drizzt himself is [[FAIL|facepalming]] at the above line. ''Jesus.''
* He has [[Cadia|lavender eyes]], making him popular among the [[-4 Str|ladies]].
* Drow are hot, and Drizzt is a drow. Therefore we can safely conclude that Drizzt is hot. (Confirmed by our [[Gay Purple Man|on-staff homosexual.]])
* He occasionally hangs out with [[Dwarves|dorfs]] and helped them greatly, which basically means he cannot ''completely'' suck.
* [[Meme|I think Drizzt is a pretty cool gal, seh kills demons and doesn't afraid of anything.]]
* His name sounds exactly like the Russian word for "diarrhea" (was even renamed into Dzzirt in the official Russian translation, go figure).
* Because he's a male drow that doesn't get slapped for not GB2Kitchen. Indeed, he slaughtered his way across his [[Stupid Evil]] members to his well-earned freedom, got the fuck back to the Underdark, killed some more, blew up Lol'th's temple, got back to the surface and warned everyone to unite. Pretty much heroic.
* Has a badass black panther animal companion from the Astral Realms.
* Drizzt isn't a fan of his clones either. And to his credit, he gets shit done better than them.
* Though Chaotic Good, he isn't Chaotic Stupid. Uses chaotic things like lies, deceit and lawful things like principles and plain self-sacrifice to ensure his friends' safety, and good is preserved without resorting to Mary Sue killings like Kaldor Draigo did. In one tale, he uses a sack of flour to drown Crenshinibon, a world-threatening sentient crystal; in another he willingly takes blows from the now-grown hateful elf girl he once saved from death, who thought he was going to kill her. So he is a bro, bro'est of all Drow.
* We're reasonably sure he didn't cause [[4e]].
* <s>He's part of the elf master-race.</s> [[Dwarf|WHO LET THE ELVES IN HERE???]]
* He's a [[ranger]] and a bad motherfucker, two things that, in ''D&D'', have rarely blended well. Might have to do with being raised by a badass bearded blind ranger, and at least having a class of barbarian in the older editions for the "berserk" trance he used in the Dark Elf Trilogy.
* Did we mention he dual-wields scimitars like Baraka on crack? It's as good as it sounds.

...On a serious note, it's because people have always liked the idea of playing "monster" races. From [[goblins]] to [[orcs]] to [[minotaur]]s, it's as old as ''D&D''. Literally; Gygax included notes expressing different opinions on the idea in different supplements over the years and reportedly once let someone bring a ''balrog'' to the table. Evil races are often kinda ''sweet''. Why else would [[Chaos]] have as many fans as it does? But bringing a monster attitude to a normal gaming table is often disruptive. Gygax pointed out that having a balrog in the party made it hard to adventure, since it kept trying to dominate or abuse the other party members into line.

So, to the kind of mind that likes coming up with "unconventional" PC choices, playing a non-evil version of a traditionally-evil race is a good way to try to create a character with an adventuring-party-friendly personality without fully sacrificing the cool-factor that made the traditionally-evil race popular in the first place. And it was pretty good roleplay fodder too, before it got run into the ground: the player in question got to have angst while the party got to show how cool and not-racist they were for looking past the monster PC's race to see them for the good person they were inside.

Drizzt, bless his heart, was merely the first PROMINENT example of what people have always been doing to get lots of spotlight. In the Prequel explaining his backstory, he gets a considerable amount of fleshing out and has good explanation for his items and skills. It is learned that his father, Zaknafein, is a Drow so manly that he openly repudiates Lol'th in public, and yet is given leeway by his fuckbuddy, Matron Malice (Drizzt's mom who fucks him regularly because of his rejection of submission typical of Drow males). It is Drizzt's father that infuses his idealism and good heart, and subtly tells Drizzt that Drow are backstabbing sons of bitches who can't wait a split second before going on free-for-all a la [[Neogi]]. So Drizzt got saved from an evil Matriarchal society by a strong father figure; an evil, lawless society of dark skinned beings where fatherless, demonised, dark skinned-children go on cathartic murder sprees and enslave others and males are generally second-class.

Wow. Sort of makes it sound like a [[/pol/]] fantasy, doesn't it? Who'd have pegged Salvatore for the type?

He starts well enough in the Crystal Shard of the Icewind Dale trilogy. This trilogy came before he himself was a main character and Instead plays a hybrid Aragon/Gandalf role to the actual main character Wulfgar. But over time his plot relevance grew and the books go batshit [[Mary Sue]] by the time his Stupid Evil kin decide to attack the surface to enslave and murder. He infiltrates their city, complete with magic time bombs (Yes, magic C-4) to blow up Drow cathedrals and fight dozens of Drow at once like some Assassin's Creedfag on steroids and pointy ass elf ears. <s>Seriously Salvatore, you done fucked up.</s> Which is actually '''a lot''' more reasonable than most people realize since the difference in strength/power/speed/durability between people in a D&D world can be so huge that one person dies to an arrow while another can <s>headbutt</s> facetank meteors and dodge lightning with little effort so (while game mechanics cannot allow it for balance reasons) it '''does''' make sense that a "high level" charachter can solo armies of "low level" conscripts or soldiers that had less potential or needed more time to grow than them.

Afterwards, he kinda mellows and goes on a few adventures, fucks a light elf chick and saves her ass, that sort of comicbook shit. He never really lets being the most popular and iconic drow ''and'' the most popular and iconic ranger in the gameline go to his head, stays reasonably kind, humble and cool and that makes him pretty tolerable.

==The Companions of the Hall==
Whilst Drizzt ''has'' done more than his fair share of solo adventuring or bumming around with other people, he is most associated with his own distinct team of [[adventurer]]s that he lived much of his life with. Originally, he outlived them all, which only makes sense since none of them were elves and adventuring is a fairly high-risk profession, but they were actually reincarnated after the [[Spellplague]].

'''Bruenor Battlehammer''' (Male [[Dwarf|Shield Dwarf]] [[Fighter]]) is the co-founder of the Companions. The last living heir to the throne of the dwarven clanhold of Mithral Hall, from which he and his relatives were driven when he was a child by a [[Shadow Dragon]] named Shimmergloom and its army of [[duergar]]. He encountered Drizzt during the drow's early days on the surface, originally hunting Drizzt for a crime the drow hadn't committed, then siding with Drizzt after his innocence was proven. He became Drizzt's longstanding friend, and that companionship was rewarded when Drizzt helped Bruenor to find and reclaim dominion over Mithral Hall. After the [[Spellplague]], he was reincarnated as the Male [[Dwarf|Shield Dwarf]] [[Fighter]] '''Reginald Roundshield''' ("Little Arr Arr" to his close friends); initially failing to remember that he had volunteered to come back to the world of the living to aid [[Drizzt]] at the request of [[Mielikki]], he found his second life unwanted and quite embarrassing at first. He later got over it and used the revelation of his original incarnation to become a legendary dwarf leader.

'''Catti-brie''' (Female [[Human]] [[Fighter]]) is Bruenor's adoptive daughter, rescued from [[Icewind Dale|Termalaine]] in the wake of a [[goblin]] attack that killed her father, her mother having died in childbirth. She was one of the first surfacers to meet and befriend Drizzt, which is partly how he got in her father's good books. She initially wielded the enchanted bow ''Taulmaril'', and eventually took up the (psychotic) intelligent sword ''Khazid'hea''. Prior to the [[Spellplague]], her leg was crushed in an attack by [[Frost Giant]]s, and she feared the loss of her life as a warrior, only to discover an untrained latent as a [[wizard]]. However, she was killed by some of the first manifestations of the [[Spellplague]]. She was reincarnated as '''Ruqiah''' (Female [[Human]]) in the Desiah tribe of the Bedine nomads of the Anarouch. In this life, she forsook the path of the warrior and concentrated on her mystical abilities, of which she had plenty! Possessing scars in the shape of the holy symbols of [[Mystra]] and [[Mielikki]] on her forearms, she may have been [[spellscar]]red, and definitely wielded a mixture of arcane and divine magics. She may have even had some druidic abilities, as she was able to use certain druid spells like Call Lightning and to shapeshift into the forms of a wolf, owl, hawk and eagle, but no official statblock exists. At least some of her magical powers, most notably the shapeshifting, were lost when [[the Sundering]] saw the restoration of Mystra's Weave and the removal of all spellscars. Ruiqiah is the most controversial of the reincarnated Companions, as she went from the most friendly and open-minded of the group to a religious zealot convinced that all non-demihumans were utterly, irredeemably evil.

'''Wulfgar''' (male [[Human]] [[Barbarian]] - or [[Fighter]]-with-Uthgardt-Barbarian-kit in AD&D) is an Uthgardt Barbarian from the Tribe of the Elk who partook in a raid on the Ten-Towns of [[Icewind Dale]] when he was a youth. In the fight, he came up against Bruenor Battlehammer, who was shocked by the boy's youth and so decided to spare him, knocking him out cold and taking him as a prisoner of war instead of simply killing him. Wulfgar initially resented this, but came to see the dwarf as a substitute father. They grew so close that Bruenor even invoked the mystical ability of all dwarves to, once in their life, create a single powerful magical weapon as their ultimate masterpiece to forge a weapon for Wulfgar: Aegis-fang, a mighty warhammer that could be freely used as a missile weapon, as it would fly back to its wielder's hand. Wulfgar had the most tumultuous life of the Companions, and even left their company for many years prior to his death, first by being dragged into the [[Abyss]] by a vengeful [[demon]] and then voluntarily leaving to try and recover from his scars. Ultimately, he lived to be a hundred years old, with three living children, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, but neither his age nor his being sick with pneumonia stopped him from responding to a [[yeti]] attack on his tribe by launching himself at the hulking ape-things, killing several with his bare hands before being struck down. The most reluctant to be reborn, he was revived as ''Hrolf Alfarinson'', an Uthgardt Barbarian of the Tribe of the Elk.

'''"Rumblebelly" Regis''' (Male [[Halfling]] [[Rogue]]) was an orphaned halfling from Calimshan who grew up as a street thief in a guild run by Pasha Pook... until the day he realized his boss was sporting a magical ruby necklace that could be used to hypnotize people, and he stole it. Desperate to keep his innards where they belonged, Regis fled to [[Icewind Dale]], and somehow ended up a member of the Companions. Whilst he was adept at handling social stuff for them, and could be surprisingly handy in a fight, he was very much ''not'' a great warrior like his companions, and this ate at him. He was slain by the [[Spellplague]] when his soul was ripped from his body and into his magical necklace. He was reincarnated as ''Spider Parrafin'', a Male Halfling but also a Water [[Genasi]]... which technically doesn't have official stats, but isn't as impossible as you'd think, considering that [[D'hin]] exist. Whilst still a [[Rogue]], this reincarnated Regis was much more aggressive and combat-trained, fighting with rapier, dagger, and plenty of poison & alchemical items to augment his abilities - more a [[Swashbuckler]] and less a [[Thief]] compared to his original incarnation.

==So, about those books==
There have been a ''lot'' of books featuring Drizzt and his friends, from full-fledged novels to short stories.

'''Novels:'''
* Dark Elf Trilogy (Homeland< Exile, Sojourn)
* Icewind Dale Trilogy (The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, The Halfling's Gem)
* Legacy of the Drow (The Legacy, Starless Night, Siege of Darkness, Passage to Dawn)
* Paths of Darkness (The Silent Blade, The Spine of the World, Sea of Swords)
* Hunter's Blade Trilogy (The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow, The Two Swords)
* Transitions (The Orc King, The Pirate King, The Ghost King)
* The Neverwinter Saga (Gauntlgrym, Neverwinter, Charon's Claw, The Last Threshold)
* The Sundering (The Companions)''
* Companions Codex (Night of the Hunter, Rise of the King, Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf)
* Homecoming (Archmage, Maestro, Hero)
* Generations (Timeless, Boundless, Relentless)

He also appears in the short stories "The Fires of Narbondel" in Realms of the Underdark, "Dark Mirror" in Realms of Valor, "The Dowery" in The Collected Stories: The Legend Of Drizzt, and "Comrades at Odds" in The Collected Stories: The Legend Of Drizzt".

Finally, he appears in the books The Stowaway, A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt, The Shadowmask, and The Collected Stories: The Legend of Drizzt Anthology.

Non-book appearances consist of the adventure module "The Accursed Tower", and the videogames Menzoberranzan, Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn • Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, Dungeons and Dragons: Neverwinter, Arena of War, and Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance.

==But what about ''MY'' not-evil Drow character!?==
To repeat, Drizzt has inspired legions of copycats and imitators. And while it isn't necessarily the case that no roleplayer has ever done a good job with a "good Drow" or some other heroic member of a different generally evil monster race, there ''is'' a difference between a heroic Drow who actually feels like something distinct (say, a female Cleric or a Wizard instead of a male ranger), and ones who are just Drizzt in all but name...but with few if any of the things that made folks fall for that character in the first place.

Put another way, the difference between an acceptable or good Drow OC who isn't evil and a Drizzt clone that makes /tg/ want to declare an [[Exterminatus]], is similar to the difference between a Fantasy setting that makes even a minimal good-faith effort to feel mildly distinct, and one that feels like Lord of the Rings with its soul sucked out.

To put another, another way: TG does not give a shit about what your playing at your table or your character. Sometimes just leaning into an archetype is what you want to do and not challenge things, same reason people play stereotype barbarians after all. Just be aware if you talk about your OC on the internet and somebody goes 'there a drizzle clone', just know to accept it and don't be [[that guy]] defensive about it.

==Gallery==
*See also [http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/all_drow_are_drizzt_1654.jpg here].

==See Also==
* [[Elf]]
* [[Dwarf]]

[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]][[Category:Forgotten Realms]][[Category:RAGE]][[Category:Mary Sue]]

M4 Sherman

2023-02-10T08:51:41Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* In Real Life */

{{America}}

{{topquote|War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want.|General William Tecumseh Sherman}}

{{topquote|Someone call the cavalry?|M4 Sherman, Company of Heroes}}

[[File:M4 Sherman.png|thumb|I can be whatever you want me to be baby.]]
The '''M4 Sherman''' is the poster child of freedom, the Freeaboo's ideal body type, and the backbone of the Western allies' armored forces. It was mass produced at a higher rate than even the Russian [[T-34]], and came out as the 2nd most produced tank of the war. It came in a dizzying number of variants, with a wide variety of weapons, engines, and even suspensions and hull types. It is one of only a few tanks to be deployed on all theaters of the war, including the Eastern Front, China, and the Pacific. It's one of the first tanks to enter service with stabilization for the main gun. It's reliable, easy to fix, ergonomic, and extremely versatile, both in Flames of War and in real life.

For all this, the Sherman tends to get a bad rep. Most of this focuses on it's armor and firepower, which is weaker than [[Panther|German]] [[Tiger|tanks]] of the later war period. We won't get into this debate here more than to say that you will have to find ways to compensate for your weaker armor and cannon when going up against German and Soviet heavy tanks as a Late War Flames of War player. However, with effective combined arms, mobile tactics, and a little bit of luck the M4 will serve you just as reliably as it served the allies in World War 2.

==In Mid War==
===American===
===British===
==In Late War==
==='''American'''===
The M4 Medium Tank is just as it was in Mid War, but this time with far better crews! The Americans get the option of "trained" M4 crews that are hit on a 3+ and have a 3+ last stand, or "Veteran" M4 crews that trade all that in for a 4+ to hit and a 3+ tactics. What really makes the M4 stand out in the American force is its 'Stabilizer' special rule. This lets the M4 maintain it's rate of fire of 2 on the move, though it suffers a -1 to hit. This gives you a higher chance of hitting a shot in almost all situations, making the American M4 the king of mobile warfare and exceptionally flexible. A second point in the Sherman's favor is the sheer number of machineguns it brings, pumping out 5 shots per tank stationary and making it very capable at pinning enemy infantry and blocking enemy infantry assaults.

The US has a few different platoons to bring their M4s in late war. The first is the Dday formations, which bring M4 Sherman and Sherman 76 platoons. Compared to the bulge platoons, the 76mm platoons are more expensive and the 75mm platoons are slightly cheaper for their value. That being said, the Dday formations are less flexible than the Bulge formations, with homogenous platoons and fewer M4 variants available.

The Bulge formations is where the Sherman really blossoms into its full potential. The US unlocks access to the Late 75mm M4, the Easy Eight, the Jumbo, HVAP ammo, and up armored M4 variants. The coolest part though is that you can mix and match any of these variants freely within a platoon, letting you essentially customize your force completely ''down to the individual tank'' (with the exception being that you can only bring one jumbo per unit, including the HQ). Do you want something to hunt heavy tanks? Boom, E8s with HVAP, maybe a jumbo. You want something a bit more durable to maybe duel with enemy heavies and mediums? Slap a Jumbo 76mm on with some 76mm M4s and add some 75mm M4s with smoke. Need something cheaper to support and flank? Bring base M4s and tack on a jumbo for some good survivability. The possibilities are truly as endless as your imagination.

First off, we'll go over some of the command card options available in the Bulge: American book. The first is HVAP. This card costs half a point per tank and boosts all your 76mm cannons to pen 13. This is practically a must take, taking your 76mm M4s from scary medium tank hunters to capable heavy tank hunters as well for a relatively trivial rise in points.

Second is the uparmored sherman. This can be added to M4 (late), M4 (76mm), and E8s on an individual tank basis. This costs a point and boosts the front and side armor by one in exchange for a -1 on its cross rating. This can really help deal with medium tanks like the Stug and Panzer IV, but still leaves you rather vulnerable to heavy AT and limits your ability to take cover from them. As such, it really depends on your local meta if you take these: if PaK 40s and stugs or other medium tanks are the thing where you're at, or if you just really like the look, then take them! If not, it's not really worth it.

====M4 Sherman====
This is the generic stat card for the M4, M4A1, and early M4A2s in US service. The base M4 Sherman is a cheap middle of the road tank with a cannon that can deal with enemy medium tanks and armor that keeps it safe against light and medium antitank guns. That said, AT10 will struggle against the side armor of 8 on heavy tanks like the Tiger and IS-2, meaning that while the 75mm is a capable vehicle in most situations, it struggles against heavy tanks. Use the maneuverability provided by the stabilizer and artillery smoke to avoid enemy heavy tanks and heavy antitank guns and focus on breaking through and exploiting enemy light vehicles and medium tanks. This is where the M4 truly shines, being cheap and mobile. In addition, it has direct fire smoke, meaning that this tank can act in support to help smoke out enemy tanks and cover your own infantry and tanks from enemy infantry and antitank guns.
====M4 Calliope====
[[File:M4 Sherman Calliope Statcard.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Exorcist Multiple Missile Launcher|"Can you hear an Organ play?"]]]]
Rocket's on a armored platform, and before you ask, the gun is [[pretend|fake]].

====M4 (Late)====
This is the stat card for the later model M4A2s and M4A3s in US service. These models had their frontal armor increased to 65mm and wet stowage installed, but retained the reliable 75mm cannon. In game this gives them bonuses to frontal armor and remount, something that can really help in duels with German panzers. This tank is just as versatile and capable as the base vehicle, though without improved penetration it will still struggle to deal with heavier enemy armor.

====M4 (105)====
The M4 (105) is the odd one out here, being essentially an artillery/assault gun variant on the Sherman. It's got an AT9, FP2+, Brutal and Slow-Firing 105mm gun as well as the FA7 of the 76mm Sherman. All in all, it's kinda hard to find a place for, trying to fill a niche that doesn't really exist. It's got the armor to go toe to toe with enemy mediums, but not the penetration. It's helpless against heavies. It's job as artillery is done better by the cheaper priest and 105mm towed artillery. It lacks the volume of fire to deal with enemy infantry platoons in direct fire. It may find a place hunting enemy light and medium AT guns, but it will get slaughtered by enemy heavy AT. It might be useful as an integrated artillery asset in an M4 tank company, but you have so many other units you can put in there, why bother. If someone comes up with a use for this thing, let me know!

====M4 (76)W====
This stat card represents the M4 (76)W, M4A1 (76)W, M4A2 (76)W, and M4A3 (76)W fielded by the US. The M4 (76) is a capable enough antitank vehicle, with a 76mm high velocity gun that bumps the antitank up to 12, wet stowage that gives it a 3+ remount, and a front armor of 7 thanks to the up armored T23 turret. This, combined with the stabilizer, makes it a capable QRF vehicle for dealing with heavy tank breakthroughs as well as the king of dueling with enemy medium tanks. It also makes it a relatively pricy vehicle, with a full veteran platoon coming in at 28 points for 5. Nevertheless, this is currently ''the'' final word in American antitank and will serve you well if used properly. Consider escorting them with some form of infantry to help assault and capture enemy tanks, because FP3+ always bails when you need it to kill and chances are you really can't afford to lose these tanks. Something worth noting is the "No HE" rule on the main gun, meaning it suffers against infantry, but if you were looking for an infantry killer you shoulda just gone with the cheaper 75mm anyway.

====M4A3E8 Easy Eight====
[[File:Sherman Ez8 Statcard.jpeg|thumb|left|[[wikipedia:Easy (Commodores Song)#Im Easy/Be Aggressive|"Cause I'm eaaaasssaayyy~!"]]]]
The E8 takes everything the 76mm does and does it better. For a point boost, it gets 2 major bonuses: a 2+ cross and smooth ride, which essentially says that as long as it moves less than 4" it fires as if it was stationary. This is essentially a '''free''' blitz move that lacks some of the major drawbacks of an actual blitz move: you can assault following it (lmao you better be desperate to assault with M4s) and you can stack it with a regular blitz move to get an 8" blitz. This makes them the unparalleled masters of terrain and reserves, with their ability to reliably traverse all kinds of terrain and shoot at full rate of fire on their first turn on the table. That said, these things come with a hefty price tag: 7 points per tank for the elite variant, as much as a Soviet IS-2 heavy tank, and its not very tough for that cost. Be careful with them, use terrain and smoke to keep them alive so they can do their job. You aren't a brainlet Soviet or German player that can just push his tanks forward and suck up shots, you're a US player, be smart about it. It's generally smart to take this variant by itself, since the other variants will often slow it down, particularly the Jumbo.

====M4A3E2 Jumbo====
One tank in each Sherman platoon may be upgraded to one of the heaviest armored tanks in the game, the M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo. This thicc boi has front armor 11 and side armor 8 and comes in 2 variants, the 75mm and 76mm. Paired with the target allocation rules and smart use of terrain and distance, this tank can effectively halve the number of casualties you take to AT14 cannons ''at least.'' This does come with a massive drawback though: 4+ cross. This really limits your options when it comes to using terrain and advancing through walled fields, though its armor reduces your need for such cover. Consider pairing it with a lucky card to help with the occasional failed armor or target reallocation.

==='''British'''===
The US provided the British with 17,184 Sherman Tanks of all models throughout the war.

A notable British variant was the Firefly, which carried a QF 17-pounder 76.2mm cannon. Introduced in early 1944, Sherman Fireflies could pierce the armor of Panther and Tiger Tanks.

As a notable aside, it was the Brits who decided to give the M4 medium tank the official designation of Sherman.

==='''Soviet'''===
Some 4,102 Sherman Tanks were sent to the USSR as part of Lend Lease. These were notably equipped with Diesel Engines so they could use the same fuel that T-34s used. Fun fact: the Soviets that got to ride into lend-lease Shermans were full of praise about it, rating it as equal or even better than their own T-34; unlike the M3 which they called the "grave for seven brothers". The higher level of quality control also played a factor in it's success on the battlefield, with the survival rate of M4 crews being 4% higher than that of T-34 crews.

==In Real Life==
[[File:M4 Sherman IRL.jpg|thumb|"This American tub's not half bad wot?"]]

The M4 epitomizes the US Government's commitment to supplying its soldiers with massive quantities of good enough equipment. From the onset, the M4 was designed to maximize ease of repair and part longevity over all other concerns since the damn thing had to serve an ocean away from the factory making the parts for them. Mechanically, it was largely a continuation of the ''definitely not good enough'' M3, minimizing the amount of factory changes needed to produce it. Ultimately M4s would be churned out by a dozen companies with half a dozen different engine setups, ranging from V8s to twin diesels to repurposed aircraft engines (this was originally designated by the "Able" suffix; the Army's preferred V8 Sherman was the M4A3. Meanwhile Britain used Roman numerals and proper names, so their preferred multi-bank engine M4A4 instead became the Sherman V). Its slab-sided high profile was a consequence of a secondary requirement that it be easily transportable by existing railroads, which initially limited its overall width to 103 inches. It is fitting then that with all these considerations in mind, most of which were pragmatic consideration for logistics of waging an overseas war, that the vehicle would be named after one of the United States' most infamously pragmatic Generals.

Contrary to popular belief, the Sherman was very much intended to fight other tanks; its original 75mm gun M3 (the same as the M3's sponson gun, but more sensibly mounted in the turret) was the best possible tank gun the Americans had at the start of the war, and projects to find a replacement began as early as 1942. The 75mm was adequate against Panzer IIIs and IVs and could perform surprisingly well against the big cats as battles like Arracourt demonstrate. 75mm HE ammo was also highly regarded for its ability to kill enemy infantry (and this ''was'' a pretty significant consideration for tankers, with one tank battalion claiming to have used 55 AP rounds in 5 months but 19,634 HE rounds during that same time), and the Marine Corps retained the older Shermans for this reason while 76mm-using Sherman's HE rounds were largely considered disappointing by comparison (containing a third less explosive filler).

Additionally, the tank was technically supposed to be capable of providing anti-air fire with the M2 Browning 50. caliber machine gun attached at the back of the turret; however, the other methods the Allies used to control the skies were working well enough that the gun in this spot was rarely used in this role. Instead, they tended to be used against infantry and light armored vehicles, with aircraft as something of an afterthought. Early variants had the M2 mounted on the rear of the turret on the principle of supporting infantry using it, but many later had it moved to the front to be fired from inside the metal deathbox by one of the crew. More so, it was just American doctrine, due to the obscene number of M2s manufactured before and during the war, to bolt the damn things onto any vehicle that could take them. This tradition continues to this day, everyone and their dog in the vehicle sections has an M2.

Early attempts to add more powerful guns resulted in extremely cramped turrets, significantly compromising the ability to lay guns and make follow-on shots. The British decided the added anti-tank ability was worth the compromises, resulting in the Ic and Vc "Firefly" tanks incorporating their massive 17 pdr gun; these were effectively ambush vehicles, and would always be incorporated into larger units with 75mm Shermans. The US would finally adapt the T23 turret (with 76mm gun M1) from the Pershing prototypes in the "easy six" conversion, although very few of these tanks arrived in Europe in time for D-Day.

Like most prewar US tanks, the Sherman incorporated a bogie suspension system, with its initial incarnation using a vertical volute spring for each bogie. This made replacement of suspension elements very easy in the field, compared to a Christie or torsion bar system. However, the Sherman had more limited roadwheels, narrower tracks and a correspondingly higher ground pressure, making it a more difficult tank to operate in rough terrain. The US Army would attempt to mitigate this through "duckbill" end connecters, giving a somewhat wider track (the tank pictured has both a VVSS suspension and duckbills). Later, the "easy eight" modification introduced a new suspension bogie, with dual road wheels and a horizontal volute spring. The HVSS would make the Sherman more of an off-road contender, and its smoother travel allowed tanks to more effectively shoot on the move.

In spite of this, the Sherman gained a reputation for being a deathtrap on tracks that would go up in flames or explode after suffering a hit with even the Jerries being said to nickname them "Tommycookers", which had some basis due to poor storage of ammo, but later variants moved the ammo and introduced wet-ammo storage to mitigate this (In reality, most burning tanks are the result of deliberate overkill to prevent recovery). Their height tended to be a liability in open plains, making them easier to see and hit, and harder to employ in ambushes compared to casemate assault guns like Hetzers or Archers. By the end of the war the vehicle suffered against the immense number of weapons that could penetrate it, because two [[Nazi|fanatical]] [[Communism|retards]] thought that having a tank arms race was hilarious. Compare this to the Pacific Theater, where the Sherman was better than literally any of the tanks the Japanese were fielding operationally.

Shermans, being one of the most modular chassis in the entire war, had tons of variants that we won't waste your time with. Instead, we'll just focus on the two cool ones: The "105 Sherman" and the Flame variant, but we encourage you to look up "Hobart's Funnies."

Officially called the M4A3(105), the Sherman 105 is what happens when you look at the [[M8 Scott|Scott]], decide that its a good start, then proceed to shove a 105mm howitzer in the turret of a larger tank. 500 were built, and they were used in much the same role as the Scott fully replacing the [[M7 Priest]] in armor battalions. The 105 would go on to serve after his brothers had been withdrawn from US service until the end of the Korean War.

The U.S. Marine Corps, somewhat fed up with dealing with people with Katanas and bayonets at close range with flamethrowers decided to yank out the cannon and shove in a heavy flamethrower, creating an "M4 Zippo". It gave up its anti-tank capability and shared the same overall shortcomings as the conventional M4, but Marines loved this thing, because torching the enemy in their caves and bunkers with a [[Metal Boxes|MEHTUL BAWK]] was vastly better than going in after them with nothing but a shirt and a prayer between you and their bullets. Officially called the M4A3R3 because technical designations.

Despite it's shortcomings as a combat vehicle, the Sherman can easily be considered one of the "greatest tanks of WW2". Sure, it didn't fire [[Tiger|88mm shells of death over 2km]], or [[T-34|shrug off dozens of 40mm AT shells]], but no one can deny that it fulfilled one goal that almost no other tank fielded in that conflict could: That it was everywhere that it was needed and did its job well enough, and could do just about anything you needed it to, from the Deserts of North Africa to the Jungles of Burma, the Mountain Passes of Italy, the Beaches of the Pacific, the Rice Fields of China, the Steppes of Russia, the Hedgerows of Normandy, and finally the Streets of Berlin. The Sherman was everywhere.

Israel used the upgraded M-50 and M-51 "Super Shermans" retrofitted with high velocity French 75mm and 105mm guns in that order. These Shermans both served until the end of the Yom Kippur War. The M-50 was given as aid to Israel aligned factions in the Lebanese Civil War and some were exported to Chile which retrofitted 60mm self loading autocannons until being replaced by Leopard 1s. The post-war models saw combat service until 1999 when they were withdrawn from Yugoslav War service. Paraguay had 10 for training and support and 5 in storage usually deployed for parades until 2018 when these last few were retired from service.

{{US Forces in Flames of War}}
{{British Forces in Flames of War}}
{{Soviet Forces in Flames of War}}

Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Chaos/Skaven

2023-02-10T06:47:38Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* Battleline */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Skaven|Logo=Capture131114532.png|Alliance=Chaos|Motto=DIE DIE SOLDIER MANTHINGS DIE!!!!}}

The vermin horde is back with a bang! And a confusing battleline selection system!

==Why Play Skaven==

===Pros===
* Hordes of vicious rats and rat monsters too.
* All the Skaven clans reunited under one faction.
* Gnawholes
* Basically it's own mini Grand-Alliance with 40+ Warscrolls to choose from.
* Your access to the various clans give you extreme versatility. Need highly mobile infantry to harass the backline or nab objectives? Eshin. Want monsters or inexpensive monstrous infantry? Moulder. Do you need hordes and hordes of chaff? Verminus. Maybe you want to claim ranged superiority at all costs. In that case, better grab some Skryre. Are you looking to play a highly offensive army that can dish out tons of mortal wounds? Pestilens are your guys. And if you ever need any magic, Masterclan are always there to help you out.
* Most units are viable in casual games
* [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/JoJo%27s_Bizarre_Adventure SKAVEN SCIENCE IS THE BEST-BEST OF THE MORTAL REALMS!!!]
* Your models are ancient and that is both a blessing and curse. As a blessing it means the sculpts on your basic troops (Clan rats, Plague Monks and Night Runners) are old, but cheap.At 42 dollar's per 20 bodies you have one of the better dollar per model count ratios of the GW hoard armies, Imperial guard for example have to pay 60$ for 10, albiet with newer sculpts. Which is good since it's tottally in the realm of reason to bring 100 clan rats and still have over a thousand and a half points for other more killy toys.
* Do you want unrestricted industrial total war with absolutely no redeeming qualities capable to put to shame even the other Chaos aligned forces? Then look no further! Thematically speaking the Skaven use every single piece of grotesque nastiness developed by a WW<strike>1</strike>2 tech level society including radioactive, chemical and biological warfare, flamethrowers, snipers, gatling guns, human, eh, I mean (slave)rat-wave tactics as well as mechanized cavalry, all further powered by scifi-level technological stuff like tesla weaponry, dimensional portals and genetically engineered and cybernetically enhaced monstrosities as well as daemon-powered black magic and honest-to-Great-Horned-Rat ninjas! You can enjoy playing the villain seeing all the inferior silly fantasy/renaissance tech level "things" with their swords and bows die against the [[nazi| superior master race]] while you twirl your evil whiskers, yes-yes!

===Cons===
* Infantry as durable as wet paper.
* Nothing with better than a 4+ save (besides the Arch-Warlock) and good luck getting those 30 stormvermin in cover.
* Characters are key to most Skaven armies and will need constant protection - They die, the army crumbles.
* Most Skaven units rely on other units for something, making the contesting of multiple objectives difficult.
* Spell lores are exclusive to Grey Seers or Clan Skryre; other mages limited to general and personal spells. (Which is okay since the Grey Seer spell lore is terrible outside of Death Frenzy)
* Skyre Overcharges have become more dangerous with a Higher chance of Death.
* In terms of allies, you only have one, Nurgle.
* Your life will revolve around battleshock with no units save Verminlords going above Bravery 6.
* This also means that any army who can debuff your bravery (like undeath in general) will probably be your worst enemies.
* If you play Eshin, Pestilens or Verminus as core army's units, accept an endless move phase and the hate of your adversary. (That's what movement trays are for)
* Your models are ancient and that is both a blessing and curse.As a curse A huge chunk of the more elite part's of the army such as Warplocks or weapon teams are stuck with 20+ year old sculpts that are either [[Finecast| failcast]] or metal. Both aren't readily available so you'll have to order directly off the GW store or get used to having to convert the simplistic scuplts of your ancient, but cheap,troop models.

==Rulebooks==
{{AOSRulebooks|tome=Skaven|points=[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/b52ed84a.pdf Skaven Errata]|FW=1}}

'''Additional:''' Broken Realms: Kragnos
==Allegiance Abilities==

===Allegiance Traits===
*'''Lead From the Back''': Enemies take -1 to hit non-monster Skaven Heroes when they're within 3" of any units with 3+ models. After all, those hordes of clanrats are made to die in place of your clawlord.
*'''Scurry Away''': During combat phase, an unmounted hero may always retreat instead of fighting. Again, your hero is more valuable than your hordes.

*'''Strength in Numbers''': For every ten models in a Skaven unit, you improve the range of their melee weapons by 1". This can be quite vicious on larger blobs of Plague Monks and Stormvermin. Or ocassionally on Clanrats if buffed.

===Battle Traits===
*'''''Masterclan'''''
**'''Skilled Manipulators''': Whenever a non-monster Masterclan hero takes a wound or rolls a Ward save, roll a d6 for one Skaven unit of 3+ models within 3". On a 3+, you instead allocate that wound to the nearby unit, preserving your Grey Seer's life at the expense of the rats he commands. Everything becomes a Grey Seer's bodyguard now.
**'''Always Three Clawsteps Ahead''': Only usable if you field 3+ Masterclan heroes. After you have one unit charge/run on that turn, you can use that same roll for the run/charge actions of other units in that phase while letting one unit pile in during the fight phase lets other units within 3" of their enemies pile in as well.
***<strike>''NOTE: This works extremely well with Clan Moulder's "Crack The Whip" ability which adds 3" to a Pack unit's charge roll - Which you can in turn apply to all your other units. Can make for some really aggressive moves.</strike> No longer works as per the latest FAQ.

*'''''Clan Moulder'''''
**'''Prized Creations''': At the start of the game, you can assign a Hellpit Abomination (or several if you field 3+ Master Moulders) with a special mutation, barring any duplicates. Note, that you don't need a Master Moulder for the first buff.
***''Toughened Sinews'': The Abomination now gets 16 wounds and a 4+ save, buffering their peak effectiveness a little. Probably the best all-comers pick.
***''Lumbering Behemoth'': The Abomination gets a 7" movement and all run rolls are automatically 7.
***''Quivering Bulk'': +1 to rolls for Avalanche of Flesh
***''Accelerated Regeneration'': The Abomination's regeneration rolls are now activated on any hero phase, including your enemy's. What a way to piss off any limited-use kamikazes.
***''Best-Best Warpstone Spikes'': Re-roll when using the Warpstone Spikes ability.
***''Backup Organs'': The Abomination has so many redundant organs that you can re-roll for the Too Horrible to Die ability.

*'''''Clan Eshin'''''
**'''Masters of Murder''': Pick an enemy hero, all Eshin units can add 1 to hit and to wound rolls against them. If you pick up 3+ Eshin heroes, this benefit extends to anyone attacking any heroes, not just the designated target, but only for melee attacks.

*'''''Clan Verminus'''''
**'''Mighty Warlords''': A new Heroic Action that lets a Clawlord pick out a second faction Command Trait to use on top of their existing one until the end of the turn, providing momentary perks for key situations. If you pick up 3+ Clawlords then you can use this action on all Clawlords, letting each one pick up a unique Command Trait.

*'''''Clans Skryre'''''
**'''Warpstone Sparks''': At the start of the game, you gain 3+d3 Warpstone Sparks so long as you take a Skyre hero (upped to d6+3 if you take 3+ Skyre heroes). A Spark can be spent once per phase on your '''Skryre''' units to:
**#Reroll a wizards' casting, dispelling and unbinding rolls for that phase.
**#Reroll a Hero's to Hit rolls for that phase.
**#Pick a hero and choose up to 3 '''SKRYRE''' units wholly within 13" of them. Add +1 to the Damage characteristic of missile weapons used by these units for that shooting phase.
***Along with the theme of instability, at the end of the appropriate phase, roll a die, on a 1 the wizard or hero chosen suffers D3 Mortal Wounds. Magical Uranium, everyone!

*'''''Clan Pestilens'''''
**'''Echoes of the Great Plagues''': Pestilens priests add +1 to their prayer rolls for each fellow Pestilens priest wholly within 13". Once per turn, when a Pestilens Priest makes a successful prayer roll of a 6+, you can manifest one of six Great plagues, each of which can only be used once per battle. 4/5 of the plague's effects the nearest eligible unit so have placement in mind and bring a lot of Priests to more reliably get a six once per turn.
**#'''Bubonic Blightplague:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" suffers 2d6 mortal wounds. If the unit is then destroyed, pick another enemy unit 6" of the last model removed and inflict D6 mortal wounds. If this too destroys an enemy unit, pick another enemy unit within 6" of the last model removed and deal d3 mortal wounds. Repeat this process until no unit gets wiped out or there are no other units in range.
**#'''Crimsonweal Curse:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound, and it and other enemy units within 1" of that infected unit suffer a 1 mortal wound during your future hero phases. Forever.
**#'''Redmaw Plague:''' The nearest enemy Hero within 13" becomes infected. If within 3" of friends but no enemies at the start of the combat phase, gain ownership of that hero for the rest of the phase.
**#'''The Neverplague:''' Pestilens Priests may reroll prayer rolls for the rest of battle. Should always be the first you set off unless something horrible went wrong.
**#'''Undulant Scourge:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" rolls 1D6 for each member of the unit; the unit takes a mortal wound for every 4+ rolled.

===Command Traits===
Your General, depending on its type, gets to choose one trait from the appropriate list.

<tabs>
<tab name="Shared">
*'''Devious Adversary:''' if your general fights in melee against a unit that hasn't fought yet add 2 to the attacks characteristic of each of their weapons.
</tab>
<tab name="Masterclan">
*'''Supreme Manipulator:''' When you take a heroic action you can Re-roll the heroic leadership roll
*'''Master of Magic:''' Re-roll all casting, dispelling, and unbinding. Insane pickup for ensuring you get to cast key Endless spells and ''especially'' for shutting down key enemy spells.
*'''Diabolical Schemer:''' Roll a D6 each time your opponent issues a Command within 13" on a 5 the command isn't recieved, they lose that command point and you receive it instead. This can be nerve-wracking for armies that rely on key command abilities for buffs/bravery mitigation. You're likely to steal a CP each game, which, depending on when it happens, can really throw a wrench in certain game plans. Probably not worth it over the trait above though.
</tab>
<tab name="Skryre">
*'''Masterful Scavenger:''' Receive 2 extra warpstone sparks. Not the best trait, but still generally preferable to the shared ones if you're taking a large Skryre army.
*'''Deranged Inventor:''' 1 friendly Skryre unit wholly within 13" can add 1 to hit rolls for missile attacks this phase. Take along a Bombardier with this, pop some warp-crack, and watch those Jezzails start pulling off 360 no-scopes with the precision of a mountain-dew infused CoD enthusiast. 2+ to hit against protected characters is nothing scoff at. It seems this is specifically aimed towards buffing Stormfiends and Acolytes.
*'''Overseer of Destuction:''' If a unit within 13" is hiding a weapon team and they're destroyed, you can save the weapon team and set it back up wholly within 3" of your general and 3" away from enemies.
**Might be useful but at initial glance seems like a trait only useful for when you make a mistake.
</tab>
<tab name="Pestilens">
*'''Master of Rot and Ruin:''' +1 to chanting rolls for this general. Prayers being re-rollable is pretty solid and will help you get those Great Plagues faster than ever. Kind of redundant with The Neverplague, but also makes it to where you don't ''need'' to activate it immediately and can chuck some mortal wounds at a nearby enemy instead.
*'''Architect of Death:''' +1 to plagueclaw missile attacks damage characteristic wholly within 18”. Only affects Plagueclaws. If you're spamming catapults, may as well throw this in. Not that you should spam catapults though.
*'''Ridden with Poxes:''' At end of combat phase, roll a dice if within 3” of an enemy, on a 4+ inflict D3 mortal wounds on one of those units. Meh.
</tab>
<tab name="Verminus">
*'''Verminous Valour:''' The Masterclan Skilled Manipulators ability, but it gets passed to any Skaven unit regardless of size.
*'''Savage overlord:''' If a Skaven unit within 3" fails Battleshock you can make them take d3 mortals instead. One of the 4 Battleshock prevention methods at our disposal.
*'''Powerful Alpha:''' First 2 wounds, regular or mortal, EACH PHASE are negated.
</tab>
<tab name="Moulder">
*'''Cunning Mutator:''' the Masterclan skilled manipulators ability, but it gets passed to any Moulder unit regardless of size.
*'''Hordemaster:''' Once per battle when a pack unit is destroyed you roll a die and on a 3+ an identical unit replaces it and it's set up wholly withing 13" of the general and 9" away from enemies. Only once, you can't replace a unit you already replaced, but you CAN roll to replace a unit twice. Roll using the Master Moulder first and if that doesn't work, roll again with Hordemaster.
*'''Moulder Supreme:''' +1 to hit and wound rolls for friendly fighting beasts wholly within 13". Essential if you're running a bunch of Moulder. Can be replaced with the Rabid Crown and Crack the Whip to give +1/+1 when not going full monstrosity.
</tab>
<tab name="Eshin">
*'''Unrivalled Killer:''' Counts as 2 eshin heroes for Eshin battle traits.
*'''Incredible Agillity:''' Can fly and can finest hour twice instead of once. Lets you charge over units and reach key targets after you set up your Deathmaster.
*'''Shadowmaster:''' Whilst within 1” of terrain unit is invisible and can't be shot with missile weapons. Great way to keep your Deceiver from being sniped early in the game.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Artefacts Of Power===

One Hero (plus an additional hero for each battalion), gets to choose an artefact from the appropriate list.

<tabs>
<tab name="Masterclan">
*'''The Gnawshard:''' Pick a melee weapon, if this weapon inflicts a wound it continues to inflict 1 mortal wound at the end of each battle round. (What's that sticking out of your neck?)
*'''Skavenbrew:''' A favorite returning from WHFB. Once per <strike>battle</strike> turn, in your hero phase, 1 friendly unit within 3" suffers D3 mortal wounds but adds 1 to its attacks characteristic until your next hero phase.
*'''Staff of Rightful Supremacy:''' -1 from enemy wizards casting rolls within 13". Once per battle it can automatically dispel an endless spell. With all the other good artifacts around, this is a skip.
</tab>
<tab name="Skryre">
*'''The Brass Orb:''' Once per battle, at the start of your hero phase, the pick an enemy unit within 6" and roll a die on a 3+ they get teleported away. Remove them from the battlefield, then at the end of the turn they have to be set up wholly within their territory more than 9" away from enemies. Kinda neat if you're rocking a full-on ranged army. Really clunky though, as it is during ''your'' hero phase and has a range of 8.
*'''Esoteric Warp Resonator:''' At the start of each battle round, gain a Warpstone Spark if the bearer is on the battlefield, only to be used for the bearer and only for this battle round. Neat for larger Skryre armies.
*'''Vial of the Fulminator:''' At the start of the Movement phase, a Skryre Warmachine within 3" can move twice as fast. At the end of the phase, roll a dice, on a 1 the unit takes D3 mortal wounds. Literally +3" movement to specifically a Warp-lightning Cannon. And it takes damage. Hard Pass flesh-thing.
</tab>
<tab name="Pestilens">
*'''Blade of Corruption:''' Pick a melee weapon. If it's unmodified wound roll is 6 it's rend is -3 and its damage is a flat 6. Only useful on a Verminlord Corruptor, but in that case can be thought of as +0.83 damage to its Plaguereapers in addition to a rend-buff for that damage. Which is overall quite solid.
*'''The Fumigatous:''' Start of each combat phase, pick 1 enemy unit within 3”, roll a D6, on a 1-2 nothing happens, on a 3-4 that unit suffers d3 mortal wounds, on a 5+ it suffers D6 mortal wounds. Looks unimpressive on paper, but we're talking a lot of mortal wounds over time. Also notably at the start of the combat phase as opposed to the end.
*'''Blistrevous the Living Cyst:''' Strikes first if the bearer charged. Starting at the second battle round you must transfer to another '''Pestilens''' hero each of your hero phases. You want this on a Corruptor and Plague Furnace. If you have 2+ of either of them, this is a solid option - especially when combined with the Blade of Corruption for a really disgusting Corruptor.
</tab>
<tab name="Verminus">
*'''Shield of Distraction:''' Can't be fought by more than 1 unit per phase. Funky item on a Warbringer. Looks mighty silly when it charges an enemy army alone. Even sillier when it starts tearing said army apart.
*'''Rustcursed Armour:''' +1 to saves. At start of combat, pick an enemy hero with an artefact of power within 3" and roll 2D6. if it's higher than their bravery destroy the artefact (a 9.72% chance each turn(EDIT: Where does this number come from??? Depends on the enemy bravery)).
*'''Warpstone Charm:''' -1 to enemy saves within 3" At the beginning of your hero phase roll a dice. On a 1 take d3 mortal wound. Personally, I'd skip this one.
**''Alternate Take:'' Take on a Clawlord with Verminous Valor in conjunction with a Bell w/ Skavenbrew and a big unit of Clanrats. When the Clanrats don't need the extra attack, pop the brew on the Clawlord who can then redirect those mortal wounds right back to the bell - bringing you ever closer to that sweet sweet Verminlord. Same thing if you roll a 1 on the charm. Any mortal wounds not redirected only serves to power up the Clawlord himself through "Cornered Fury". The Charm comes in handy in this comp since none of the involved units have good Rend values - but very respectable damage outputs.
</tab>
<tab name="Moulder">
*'''Lash of Fangs:''' Pick 1 melee weapon, if unmodified hit roll is a 6 inflict d3 mortal wounds in addition to normal damage. Hard skip.
*'''Foulhide:''' Heal up to 1 wound each of your hero phases, and sets their base wounds characteristic to 10. This one's probably tied with the Crown for the best of the lot, as keeping your Master Moulder alive is top priority if Moulder units make up an important chunk of your army. Can be replaced with Cunning Mutator if you want the Rabid Crown. '''NOTE:''' Having a base wounds characteristic of 10 disallows the use of the "Look Out, Sir" rule, meaning you'll be much better protected against melee units, but pretty much the same against ranged.
*'''Rabid Crown:''' +1 to hit for '''Fighting Beast''' & '''Pack''' units within 13”. This is very VERY useful for turning Giant Rats into piranhas on legs. If running more fighting beasts, consider the Foulhide combined with Moulder Supreme.
</tab>
<tab name="Eshin">
*'''Shadow Magnet Trinket:''' Once per battle the bearer can fight first in combat phase. When deep striking your Deathmasters, they should never need to fight first since they should be getting hit that turn. And after that it'll probably situational. Skip.
*'''Farskitter Cloak''': Once per battle remove the bearer and set them up anywhere on the battlefield more than 9” from the enemy. It takes a relic for Eshin to deep strike decently. And that ability sure isn't worth an artifact slot.
*'''Gnawbomb:''' Once per battle 1 terrain feature within 6” becomes a Gnawhole until your next hero phase. Maybe useful? If you're mad enough to take it with a plan, let the rest of us rat-friends know how it goes.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Spell Lore===

<strike>Any</strike> Some Wizard Heroes, depending on their type, get to choose one spell from the appropriate list. Clans Pestilens Priests get one Noxious Prayer. Note, that the Verminlord Warpseer and Lord Skreech Verminking are Masterclan Wizards but not Grey Seers. Hence they do not gain a spell from the Lore of Ruin.

<tabs>
<tab name="Lore of Ruin">
''Grey Seers Only''
#'''Scorch''': casting 5, roll number of dice equal to casting roll, for each 6 an enemy unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound. If you're a big boy on a Bell or your name is Thanquol this on average deals a glorious 1.5/2 mortal wounds. Insert Owen Wilson Wauw.
#'''Skitterleap''': casting 6, 1 friendly hero with wounds characteristic of 13 or less (i.e. any hero except the bell, the furnace, and Thanquol) can be placed anywhere on the battlefield more than 9" from enemy units. Teleporting: no longer for the Deceivers alone. Use this to nab objectives, send a Warbringer to crush the enemy backline, or even as a panic button to get your Warpseer/Seer out of whatever bullshit you've gotten them into. Combos well with the gnawholes allowing you to skitterleap a Verminlord/Seer next to a Gnawhole deep in enemy territory, let off a couple of spells and then jump back in your movement phase.
**''Alternate Take:'' Most targets can't reliably charge the turn they leap and can't take the incoming charge when they fuck up their own. Also, remember how Skaven units rely on each other? Your rats will be very sad when you send your Bravery 10 bubble into the enemy backline.
#'''Death Frenzy''': casting 7, pick 1 Skaventide unit that is not a hero and wholly within 13", any model slain until the next hero phase can pile-in and attack.
#*It's worth noting that this applies to death from any source, so if your models are in combat then you may use this in reaction to shooting, spell damage, etc.
#* Anyone know if this pairs well with the Various suicide juices that skaven get (Skavenbrew, Vigourdust Injector, etc.)? Yes, rules state "When slain" with no indication on which source slayed the model. So, models slain from your Verminous Valor warlord trait will "death frenzy". It won't work with the Vigourdust Injector though, since those MWs are taken at the beginning of your NEXT Hero Phase in the window between the spell ending and being able to cast it again.
</tab>
<tab name="Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism">
''Clan Skryre Only''
#'''More-more-more Warp Power!''': casting 7, 1 SKRYRE unit within 13" +1 to hit and wound rolls until next hero phase. Then suffers D3 mortal wounds. Good with Stormfiends and Ratling Guns who (on average) can take the hit and survive.
#'''Chain Warp Lightning''': casting 7, each <strike>enemy</strike> unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound. Yes, it affects your own units and is therefore absolutely not worth it.
#'''Warp Lightning Shield''': casting 6, first 3 wounds allocated to the caster are negated (in each phase!). On a 4th wound the caster suffers 3 mortal wounds and the spell is unbound. Brilliant. Chow down on those Sparks without fear!
</tab>
<tab name="Noxious Prayers">
''Clans Pestilens Priests only''
#'''Disease-Disease!''': answer on 3, 13" range. 5+ deal MW for every model in enemy unit. No effect on Nurgle.
#'''Filth-filth''': answer on 3, 13" range. +1 toWound to one friendly Clans Pestilens unit until your hero phase.
#'''Rabid-rabid''': answer on 3, 13" range. +1 to melee attack to one friendly Clans Pestilens unit until your hero phase.
</tab>
<tab name="Endless Spells">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Vermintide.pdf Vermintide]:''' (60pts) useful as a Predatory damage dealer, when a unit is ends a move near it, roll 13 dice and they take mortal wounds for each 6. Can also do this to one nearby unit when it moves, chosen by the moving player. In the latest FAQ this now also affects any Skaven units.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Warp_Lightning_Vortex.pdf Warp Lightning Vortex]:''' (90pts) An Area Denial Spell, that creates a 7" equilateral Triangle( hard to set up on uneven Terrain) with any unit that is within 6" of it takes D3 mortal wounds on 4+ (D6 on an unmodified 6) with bonuses to the roll based on how many of the pylons they are in range of. If they happen to start their turn within 6" of it they can't run or fly. Combo with shackles and the warp gale spell from the grey seer. If all that gets cast the effect is brutal.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Bell_of_Doom.pdf Bell of Doom]:''' (85pts) Its a flying screaming bell! It has a janky "auto dispel itself and do damage" effect when moved with a low probability of happening. Otherwise it is a 13" no battleshock bubble which also reduces enemy bravery by 1. However, it must roll 3d6 whenever it finishes a move, and on a 13 it explodes and does d3 mortal wounds to everything (this includes your poor rats) within 13". Decent, but likely to be outshone by the vortex due to its risk factor and the ready availability of other, less temporary (and volatile) methods of negating battleshock.
</tab>
</tabs>

==Warscrolls==
*The following True Skaven, Verminlord Daemons, and Moulder pack animals and Fighting beasts are all united by the '''Skaventide''' Keyword.
===Named Leaders===

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Lord_Skreech_Verminking.pdf Lord Skreech Verminking]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 400pts) combining weapons from several of the vermin lord options and the same 5+ ward versus all damage, the king of the rats also brings a "choose each turn" multi-option buff that has six different effects. He can choose from +1 to spell casting, d3 wounds self-heal, exploding sixes mortal wounds off his plague reaper, - 1 to be hit by enemies or increased rend of the glaive from -1 to -3. In addition, he has the warpseer two spell cast and a really good spell that rolls 13d6 and does mortal wounds on a 4+ per dice. It then summons a unit of clan rats equal to wounds caused, making it go from good to amazing due to the potential swing on an objective being 14 on average (seven mortal wounds, seven new rats). He rounds off with a command ability that's a bubble of reroll 1s to hit within 13". A great character, although possibly outshone by the next guy...

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Thanquol.pdf Thanquol on Boneripper]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 415pts) oh lordy it's 415 points but you get a lot of bang for your buck here! The great grey seer and his custom ride are better than ever, combining solid spell casting and impressive ranged and melee damage with good resilience and a strong command ability in an all-round excellent package. Firstly, he's a 14 wound slab of health with the same 5+ ward after save on top of a 4+ normal save. This is supported by a d3 self heal every turn. The behemoth drop off isn't too bad either and bone ripper will be useful as long as it is alive. The good stuff is with Thanquol and his magic, boasting Arkhan the Black levels of casting buff, double cast and dispel, and a fantastic spell which forces enemy heroes to fight either their allies or even themselves. Hit the five times waagh buffed Warboss with this and he will literally beat himself to death! Thanquol also access the excellent lore of ruin as a grey seer. Bone ripper is no slouch either and can be equipped with any combination of up to four weapons chosen from warpfire projectors or braziers. The damage output can get crazy high and he has clubbing blows to back up whichever option suits you best. Four warpfire throwers are possibly one of the most rage-inducing answers to horde lists ever created...(Actually, that seems like huge overkill, two will on average hit every model in the unit that is in range for a mortal wound). Finally, Thanquol has a command ability which, whilst situational, will be amazing when needed. He spends one cp and grants, three other heroes, the ability to use the rules book standard command abilities for no cost. Combine this with the masterclan CP regain and you could harvest 3cp back for spending one...can anyone else say "faq"?

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Skritch_Spiteclaw.pdf Skritch Spiteclaw]:''' (Verminus, 165pts) Quite similar to the Clawlord, with a few key differences. He returns models to his Swarm. But, he lacks the +1 attack per suffered wound ability of the standard Clawlord. Else, the stats are all the same. Overall, a pretty good pick, take alongside his Swarm for obvious reasons.
**''Alternate Take:'' A Clawlord ticks in at 110pts. Swarm's 55 points. If you're gonna take a swarm with your Clawlord, take a Rat Swarm and keep Cornered Fury.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GnvshilvPiKWvp7A.pdf Slynk Skittershank]:''' (Eshin, 225pts) A Deathmaster who, instead of hiding in units, hides in terrain with his mandatory goons. When he strikes while within 3" of 'em he strikes first and can retreat afterwards. Not too impressive over a standard Deathmaster but his goons are cheap and nothing to scoff at. Also one of the few units that can Alpha strike since he comes in within 6".

===Leaders===

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Warbringer.pdf Verminlord Warbringer]:''' (Verminus, Behemoth, 395pts) Clan Verminus wizard daemon. like all Verminlords, he has 13 wounds, two spells per turn, degrading stats, a 5+ ward against wounds and mortal wound. Warbringers also re-roll wounds when near friendly swarms, and their punch-knife can deal extra damage. His best stuff is his command ability that lets Verminus to add 1 to hit and wound and a buffed Death Frenzy spell that affects D3 Skaventide units instead of the 1 (models get to attack as they are slain, but before you remove them) which can stack with death frenzy.
**Warbringer (and other Verminlords) one-up on Skreech is their access to command traits and artifacts. Which command trait you take will hugely impact your Warbringer's playstyle. Devious Adversary doubles the number of attacks with your Spike Fist and increases the chances that you will pick up that all-important 6 to wound. For a more defensive Warbringer, nab Verminous Valor and keep him close to units of Clanrats for what is essentially a 3+ Ward. If not running Valor, grab a unit of Stormvermin as stand-ins to give him a 2+ Ward in a pinch.
**The Warbringer is unfortunately ''not'' a Clawlord and can therefore not gain additional Warlord traits. So if you're running him with Clanrats or Stormvermin make sure you have something to help mitigate battleshock.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Deceiver.pdf Verminlord Deceiver]:''' (Eshin, Behemoth, 405pts) Clan Eshin wizard daemon. A sneaker Verminlord, with an anti-horde shuriken, an increased ability to dodge missiles, and the ability to teleport almost any distant '''Skaven hero''' to anywhere on the board more than 6" from an enemy. Teleport your Arch-Warlock smack in the middle of your opponent's forces, add a little bath-salts, and watch as your tesla bomb deals an absurd number of mortal wounds to everything around it (or explode in a blaze of drug-laced glory). A lot of dice need to be rolled for this to work out, but hey, why not?
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Corruptor.pdf Verminlord Corruptor]:''' (Nurgle Pestilens, Behemoth, 350pts) a Daemon of Clan Pestilens. Cast two spells and abilities to deal mortal wounds. His COMMAND ABILITY gives a Pestilens unit within range add 1 to hit and wound. Can hit hard in the first battle but brackets hard from 2d6 attacks to d3.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Warpseer.pdf Verminlord Warpseer]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 360pts) More Wizard of the Greater daemons and has an orb that gives a +1 to saves until you feel like chucking it a hero for D6 mortal wounds at 13". Gives friendly skaven wholly within 13" 10 bravery. Also counts as 2 Masterclans heroes for always three clawsteps ahead. Its spell can also cancel a units flying and halve run and charge rolls. Weirdly, due to the keyword restriction on spell lore, it can chuck out two spells per turn but can't know any of the lore spells. Good for the endless spells I guess?
*{{anchor|FWWarpgnaw}}'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ZSGu5E0qVvhlmEuC.pdf Warpgnaw Verminlord] (Forgeworld):''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 275pts) '''Note: This model is now in the Monstrous Arcanum which is still legal for matched play.'''The former Exalted Verminlord. He's generally inferior to the GW ones with only a glaive that's not as good as a doomglaive but has consistent damage (though it is subject to damage). He lacks a Command Ability, his only ability is being able to make a sudden arrival through a vanguard Gnawhole. It also can cast two spells, with a unique spell that can kill a single model if you roll a d6 and roll higher than its wounds, making it only useful on foot heroes and really weak things otherwise. The Warpgnaw Verminlord no longer brings a unit with him. Instead only the Verminlord deepstrikes in next to a Gnawhole (although this doesn't stop another unit from appearing at the same Gnawhole at the same time due to the wording of this ability). It has gained 2 wounds and Terrifying.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Clawlord.pdf Clawlord]:''' (Verminus, 105pts)Your standard hero with 5 wounds, a 4+ save. he has 3 3+/3+/-1/d3 attacks and gains +1 attack for each missing wound he has. Not that you actually want this guy in close combat as his true worth is his command ability which lets you pick a VERMINUS unit wholly within 13" and give it an extra attack with each of its melee weapons. This is an amazing command ability for your rat horde as it gives your clanrats 100% increased damage output and your Stormvermin 50% increased damage output. It should be noted that Clawlords can pick up the same command traits as other non-Clawlord generals. This can be particularly useful with Verminous Valor as it essentially doubles his durability at the cost of a few Clanrats. He can also pick up an Arcane Tome for counter-spelling, casting Flaming Weapon, and completing Prized Sorcery.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warlock_Engineer.pdf Warlock Engineer]:''' (Skryre, 105pts) your Mad Science wizards. armed with a Wizard staff and Pistol. The staff can be overcharged for more damage. The only spells Warlocks know are Warp Lightning and one from the Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism. Warp Lightning is a 13" upgraded Arcane Bolt that has no limit to the number of times it can be cast and can be overcharged following the usual method. Now 10 points more expensive than before, meaning he's less of a no brainer choice.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warplock_Bombardier.pdf Warlock Bombardier]:''' (Skryre, 115pts) A Warlock with a Bazooka, which can overcharge its single shot's damage from d6 to 2d6. Otherwise, all the same stuff and engineer can do. Considering how little you'd want an engineer in combat, the ranged weapon on the bombardier seems like a straight upgrade over the melee variant.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Arch_Warlock.pdf Arch-Warlock]:''' (Skryre, 155pts) A Wizard in Power Armor. Has a Warlock staff, Powerclaw and can cast two spells. His Unique spell is a Warp Lightning that effects d3 units instead of one, but on a bad overcharge, you can kiss his furry arse goodbye. Probably not worth it for 40 points over a Bombardier, but hey if you need more magics, this is your guy.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Deathmaster.pdf Deathmaster]:''' (Eshin, 145pts) The Skaven Ninja, able to hide in every skaven unit at once like Schrodinger's Fanatic. They throw a bunch of stars then charge in with either a dagger with rend and d3 damage or claws with 7 attacks. Always best to give this guy artifacts that improve his hero killing powers. He’s also got a nice new model courtesy of the Echoes of Doom boxset.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Master_Moulder.pdf Master Moulder]:''' (Moulder, 90pts) A heroic Packmaster with two very respectable weapon options. It can Heal a Pack model d3 wounds and also gives Pack units +1 to wond in melee. A steal for 90 points if you plan on making Moulder a pillar in your army. His Command ability can replace a destroyed Moulder Pack unit on a roll of 3+, within 12" of him. This might not sound like much initially, but it has a global range (so even if the unit dies on the other end of the table, you can attempt to bring it back). This allows Moulder units to fearlessly accept charges before respawning and counter-charging. Moulder units are priced around this guy though, with neither Giant Rats or Rat Ogres being point-efficient, so if this dude dies before them you'll be very sorry.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Plague_Priest.pdf Plague Priest]:''' (Pestilens, 100pts) Your standard Pestilens hero. Surprisingly killy since he gets an extra attack for each weapon on the charge. Fairly inexpensive for the damage they can do and an easy way to get extra chances at a GREAT PLAGUE.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Plague_Priest_Plague_Furnace.pdf Plague Priest on Plague Furnace]:''' (Pestilens, Behemoth 335pts) It's 3 Plague Monks with a Plague Priest on a huge censer-thing. It can't move its 6" unless within 6" of 10 or more friendly Skaventide models and it makes 6 attacks with Rusty Wheels and Spikes. At full health, the Great Plague Censer now does an impressive 1d3+4 mortal wounds on a 2+. On top of this, it stops battleshock for Skaventide. You probably want 2 to make sure one or both of these buffs goes off on your Plague Monks. It's clearly a centerpiece. It will pack a punch thanks to the Censer, but it needs Plague Monks to push it around and <s>pushing stuff around and not charging is something Plague Monks with their awful survivability really don't like to do.</s> with blocks of 40 monks you'll usually be able to chain 10 of them back to push the furnace. Or just charge with the furnace first and have your monks charge up along side it. With look out sir in melee, 5+ fnp and the big death ball the furnace is right at home charging into combat with it's pushing crew of 40 monks.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Grey_Seer.pdf Grey Seer]:''' (Grey Seer, 125pts) A generic spellcaster, but to be honest he's quite good at that. Can now cast and unbind 2 spells and has a unique spell, Wither, which can cause D3 damage to most units and hero's alike, and it also debuffs them for the next combat round. However, his best ability is probably the Warpstone Token; when you cast a spell you can use a token ( you have infinite, by the way ) and if you do so you roll 3D6, if the result is 13 then the spell is cast and cannot be unbound... BUT your Grey Seer is slain after the effects of the spell. On anything other than a 13 you can remove one dice and use the remaining result as your casting. Pretty good, but has a 10% chance of killing him. For what it costs the Grey Seer is pretty good, and it's not a bad idea to use him in almost every Skaven list.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Grey_Seer_Screaming_Bell.pdf Grey Seer on Screaming Bell]:''' (Grey Seer, War Machine 325pts) Take a Grey Seer and put him on a GIANT BELL OF DOOM and you have the Screaming Bell, a war machine that can alternate between Priest and Wizard depending on your whims and gets hefty buffs to both. The first thing to know about the Bell is that it can't move on its own and needs to be pushed by a pack of friendly Skaven within 6". This movement reduces as the bell takes damage, which feels like a bit of a dick-kick since it makes your towing squad more vulnerable to any bombardment. This obviously means that it should stay close to the Skaven Infantry (which is where it should be in the first place). The most important ability of the Bell, however, is, of course, the bell! It peals in your Hero Phase, and to do so you have to roll 1d6 and see what effect the peal has. You only hurt yourself on a roll of 1, and that's D3 mortal wounds. The other effects are mixed, you can buff your army, damage the opponent's army. Oh, and did I mention that even if your bell takes damage the effect of the peals doesn't change? Yeah. The only thing that decreases is the boosts given to your casting and preaching, which is a bigger issue than any melee penalties. The Seer on top of the Bell knows a different spell from the dismounted one, this time it damages units with low Move. Unfortunately, the Seer loses the Warpstone Tokens. The Bell also has a 5+ ward save and has a pretty good ability that negates battleshock tests within 13". It costs 125 points more than a vanilla Seer, but I'm sure it will repay its price.
**Echoes of Doom has changed the Verminlord summoning to its own action. If the bell takes 7+ wounds, you can roll a d6 - it simply blows up on a 1 but on any other roll, it can summon that Verminlord if the total of wounds+roll amounts to a 13+.
**'''Alternate Take:''' The bell is the weirdest Skaven unit '''''by far'''''. It is RIDICULOUSLY tanky with 15 wound 4+/5+ and can allocate wounds naturally to nearby units on a 3+ should it so desire. This means you can regulate how much damage it takes in order to set yourself up for summoning that sweet sweet Verminlord. Should you manage to summon it, it is practically game over. Summon Skreech Verminking and you will have gained ~425 points of value. Not only that, but your newly summoned Verminlord, while needing to be more than 9" from enemies, is free to move and guaranteed charge in the following phases. There are some caveats however:
***The bell is anything but cost-effective in itself. Compared to a Verminlord it isn't killy enough in combat, it requires nearby rats and it's slow as balls. Also, Crack's Call is extremely limited in its application, dealing a measly 2 mortal wounds to slow infantry. The pushing crew will probably be clanrats who can bodyguard, which are, similarly to the bell, not damage dealers. The peals of doom aren't impressive either, with occasionally impactful results.
***With the bell being such a slow piece of shit, ridiculously tanky and non-threatening like a puppy, enemies are bound to do the one thing they should be doing: Ignore the damn thing. Don't be suprised if it by turn 3 is stranded in the middle of the table and proceeds to do nothing for the last 2 turns.
***Your counter to this counter is to give your puppy claws. Enter Endless Spells and Master of Magic. With +2 and re-roll of casting rolls, you are almost guaranteed to get them off and wreak some Havoc Physics Engine. In addition, with Master of Magic, the Grey Seer will be much more likely to unbind enemy spells, making your big bell much more of a nuisance.
***Did I mention that most Endless spells don't distinguish between friendly and enemy units? That's right, if you want something damaged right, the best way is to damage it yourself. Should your bell takes a solid portion of wounds, you can metaphorically push it over the edge through endless spells. Use that sweet +2 to casting rolls and watch as your Gnashrak's Ravenous Jaw takes your bell from a measly 6 damage to 11 to threaten the dreaded Verminlord summoning. Since the summoning happens at the beginning of your hero phase it's best to damage your bell when you're not in danger of being double-turned as you don't want your bell getting crumpled at the critical moment.

===Battleline===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Skaventide}}</span>'''

''If you run a mixed SKAVENTIDE army these are your minimum required battlelines''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Clanrats.pdf Clanrats]:''' (Clan Verminus Min:20 100pts) The bread and butter of many Skaven armies. They are cheap fodder and can take a huge amount of punishment so long as their battleshock is taken care of. They can dish out some damage too with Skavenbrew and Gnaw-Gnaw on their bones! But nothing which should be relied on with 4+/4+/-0.

Clanrats main functions are to take charges, push the furnace or bell and freight weapon teams closer to their intended targets. For Masterclan and Verminus heroes they are also the preferred choice for bodyguards since they’re only half the price of a Stormvermin.
**Always grab the sword. With the Strength in Numbers rule you'll usually have a reach of at least 2". Usually 3" with a blob of 40, making the spear redundant. The sword also scales better with buffs like Skavenbrew and Gnaw-Gnaw on Their Bones.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Stormvermin.pdf Stormvermin]:''' (Clan Verminus Min:10 130pts) The closet you have to an elite troop and in-a-pinch bodyguards and there actually good. There halberds have two attacks each at a 3+/3+/-1. Which means 10 Stormvermin hit harder then 20 clan rats. There already decent damage can then be easily buffed by a clawlord "Gnaw-Gnaw on there bones" for even more attacks, Which increases said damage output by 50%. They can take hit's for heros of all claws, weapon types and Eshin assassins can hide in them, and there only 30 points more then clan rats WHILE also having a better save. Other clans may have better options but stormvermin are a solid option.
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Eshin}}</span>'''

''You can include 1 unit of this type as a Battleline unit for each CLANS ESHIN HERO you include in your army.''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Night_Runners.pdf Night Runners]:''' (Min:10 90pts) the mass vanguard slingers of Skaven. They can move 2d6” after setup and run and shoot. They have better aim than Grot Shootas and generate a mortal wound on a natural 6. Generally outclassed by the significantly cheaper clan rat, or the excessively killier plague censer bearer in mixed lists.
**On a turn they get to shoot and charge, 10 Night Runners will do more damage then what a unit of 20 clan rats would do at a 10 point cheaper price against all target's but the data get's a little more complicated. If you compare only the shooting to the clan rat's melee (thuse presuming your skirmishing with at range) They do a lot better against 2+, 3+ units but against 4+ save units there slightly worse, and there even worse save means there pop off the board even faster. In general: they like to be pointed at more specific high value targets they can theoretical trade up against.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Gutter_Runners.pdf Gutter Runners]:''' (Min:5 100pts) Elite version of Night Runners. Suffer the same fate as Night Runners too. In general they sport the same damage output at range as 100 points of clanrats do in melee since there throwing starts have 3 attacks making up for only 5 models and on paper if they shoot then charge: they can do a five wounds to a save 2+ target. All good on paper but there a hell of a lot more fragile. 5+ save on five bodies is not something to trust. In theory though they do have a game plan: Deep strike within 9 inches (and 6 of terrian) of the enemy and attempt an alpha strike with your 12 inch shurkens, then die, but at 100 points it's not that much of an investment. Range attacks alone can do a lot of damage to a 3+ save or better target thanks to 3 attacks and mortal wounds on 6. That's a lot that has to go right however. In theory it's probably better to deploy them normally, first turn run, and run on there actual move and shoot then. That's an 18 or 17 inch move on average on 12 inch range. Still they are very moderate risk given that 100 point price tag and very high reward. Not something you probably want an army of, but make a nice distraction running at the edges looking for hard target's to assassinate.
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Moulder}}</span>'''

''Battleline if the army has Skaventide Allegiance and a Masterclan or Moulder general and all other non-Allies units are Moulder ''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Giant_Rats.pdf Giant Rats]:''' (PACK, Min:6 60pts) The sharpest teeth on the wettest of noodle bodies. They get 2 attacks per for 10 points a pop with a movement of 8 and -2 rend. They can also be revived by the master moulder to suicide, die and then take revenge. They do not come with any saves however and have a bravery of 3, making them evaporate the second someone breathes on them. This squishiness makes them terrible at anything but one-sided engagements and makes sending them to the flanks through Gnawholes a risky endeavor indeed. They combo well with a plague furnace which can negate their morale problem. A unit of Giant rats are also an acceptable charge buffer with less durability than rat swarms but a higher damage output - useful for when they are replaced through a master moulder and themselves get to charge.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Rat_Ogors.pdf Rat Ogors]:''' ( FIGHTING BEAST, PACK, Min:2 140pts) Rat ogres are a below average unit, made viable through supporting units. Unsurprisingly, when you can get a second chance 66% of the time you need to be quite inefficient to be fair. Take a unit of 4, crack the whip, all-out attack and watch them do mediocre damage twice. Really solid for charging through Gnawholes since their bravery of 5 is okay when your unit only consists of 4 models, removing the need for Inspiring Presence.
</div>
</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Pestilens}}</span>'''

'' You can include 1 unit of this type as a Battleline unit for each CLANS PESTILENS HERO you include in your army. ''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls//AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Plague_Monks.pdf Plague Monks]:''' (Min:10 90pts) ** Supposed to be the pestilent front-line unit. Instead it is a weird support caster unit with a solid combat statline. They have abysmal saves and bravery and their bringer of the word deals approximately 1 mortal wound each shooting phase. Oh and they have a bunch of attacks on the charge with no rend. If you are running a crap-ton of censer bearers, consider picking up 10 of these to buff them with +1 to wound. Otherwise, hard skip. Notably synergizes with the Curse prayer. Still a hard skip though.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Plague_Censer_Bearers.pdf Plague Censer Bearers]:''' (Min:5 90pts) Yeeeeehaw! The best infantry on the roster and maybe the best infantry point for point in the entire game. Now with 2 wounds a piece, a -1 to wound defensive ability and '''4''' attacks on the charge with 3+/3+/-1/D2. [[rip and tear|That's 20 attacks on the charge]]. As opposed to last edition these boys are the new core for Pestilens as it's more cost-effective to take more of these bad-boys than the buff-giving Plague Monks. There one drawback, and it it's not a small one is defense: they can't take a hit. With a 6+ save even two wounds won't save them from even anti chaff attacks, -1 to wound helps in melee but these guys are a massive 'shoot me' target, and enough melee attacks means not even a -1 to wound would be enough and each lost censer hurt a lot.
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<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Skryre}}</span>'''

''Battleline if the army has Skaventide Allegiance and a Masterclan or Skryre general and all other non-Allies units are Skryre ''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Stormfiends.pdf Stormfiends]:''' (Clan Moulder, Clan Skryre, Min:3 320pts) The Unholy Collaboration Between Skryre and Moulder. Has Taken-taken a similar nerf Grundstok Thunderers suffers, the weapons are divided up between a Trio. the anti-infantry Rat can take either Warpthrowers or mortars, another can take Gatling guns or the ability for the unit to deep strike, and finally, another can take a pair of reliable or random fists. Skaven players who used them pre battletome will lament the loss of the triple warpfire projector unit. In their current incarnation, this may be the least attractive ranged choice. The projectors do not benefit from the engineer buffs available to the unit, nor can the be used after using gnawholes or grinder fists. The other weapon options do due to their longer range and standard hit mechanics.
**they are also are part Moulder, lending their array of Weaponry to but they lack the Keywords to properly interact with them.
***This also means that they can be included in pure Moulder armies, and are those armies' only dedicated range.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Skryre_Acolytes.pdf Skryre Acolytes]:''' (Clan Skryre, Min:5 75pts) Mass bomb-throwers, able to run and throw their globes with -2 rend and d3 damage. They look pretty bad on paper, but if you add in the buffs available to Skryre and you don't mind taking damage (hey its skaven) then this missile attack can become pretty impressive, with hit bonus and hit and wound rerolls and a damage buff all available.
**A large unit is still quite cheap and makes a good hiding place for warpfire throwers too. Shame that you have to build them, one model, at a time for $15 USD per model. Better get ready to do some conversion (the now-defunct poison wind mortars make decent acolytes).
***A quicker out of the box method for Acolytes would be the Skaven Bloodbowl team. Their Warpstone Footballs can be “passed off” as cluster mines that serve the same purpose as the poisoned wind globes.
****Even better, plague monks with Arkanaut Company packs.****
</div>
</div>

===Other Units===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Ratling_Gun.pdf Ratling Gun]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). Weapon teams are always a cheap way to increase your damage output, though lacks protection against retaliation. With 2d6 attacks with a 12" range and a 25% chance to hit, it does shockingly low damage, even when overcharged, and is liable to get shot off the board before getting into range. However, 3 of them buffed up with a skryre spark and overseer of destruction do massive amounts of damage, assuming you can get them into position.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warpfire_Thrower.pdf Warpfire Thrower]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 70pts). Close range anti-blobs that rolls for each model and deals mortal wounds on a 4+. When you overcharge, you roll 2 dice for each model but the Thrower dies on a roll of 1 or 2 made after dealing damage. Statistically, when used against single-wound infantry this will kill every model in the unit.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warp_Grinder.pdf Warp-Grinder]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). Allow you to deepstrike them and another unit. Similar to the Stormfiend Warp Grinder. Don't expect anything of it in combat, it's basically a points tax to get a more reliable deep strike for stormfiends.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Doom_Flayer.pdf Doom-Flayer]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). A melee sports unit. Really not worth it, they have 3 wounds, a 5+ save, and d6 attacks, so they will do no damage in melee, and then immediately die. They can boost their attacks from a d6 to 2d6s but will die after attacking on a roll of doubles or a 7.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Rat_Swarms.pdf Rat Swarms]:''' (Clan Moulder, PACK, Min:2 55pts). A unit which many will overlook. They are pathetic in all aspects. 5 attacks on 5+/5+ won’t hurt a fly. They’re squishy, with no saves and 8 wounds for 55 points but it’s all good because they’re Pack units. Stick 2 of them in front of your blobs to absorb charges. Put them on side-objectives. Heck, send them in for fun and res them because you can. Compared to the chaff of other armies, Skaven are blessed with these little critters. Also the best unit to take wounds as bodyguard.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Packmasters.pdf Packmasters]:''' (Clan Moulder Min:3 65pts). No longer heroes. 1 in 3 may take a Things-Catcher. +1 to Melee Hit Rolls and double Bravery of friendly Clans Moulder Pack units wholly within 12". At 60 points, they should be considered. Just remember their buffs don't stack with each other, or a Master Moulder. Can't buff Stormfiends any more.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NLAF5xUbMH8gumFD.pdf#page=18 Skaven Wolf Rats] (Forgeworld):''' (Clan Moulder, PACK, Min:5 100pts).'''Note: This model has been removed from the Forgeworld site and is now in the Legends: Monstrous Arcanum which is no longer legal for matched play.''' Giant Rats on steroids. With a Save to boot. Gets +1 to wounds the turn the charge. When normally hitting on 3s and wounding on 3s, have them charge, and keep them all in range of a pack of Packmasters or a Master Moulder, they're hitting and wounding on 2s. Overall, a very solid and relatively cheap cavalry option that'll rip into any soft target you launch them at.
**The cheapest way to convert them (and still look good) is Chaos Warhounds with Stormvermin heads (add gasmasks and beads and you also have 10 Skryre Acolytes)

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Spiteclaws_Swarm.pdf Spiteclaw's Swarm]:''' These guys can be nasty little buggers. 4 models, each with a different weapon. All are hitting on 4's, wounding on 4's, most with 2 attacks, one with 1, most with 1" range, one with 2", a 6+ save, they're a mixed bunch. Ideally, you're keeping these guys within 13" of Skritch, so he can give them back D3 models per turn. Just don't let Krrk die, he can't come back. If Skritch kicks it, Krrk gets 2 extra attacks. Should the unit take a Wound, or a Mortal Wound, on all successive Wounds and Mortal Wounds in that turn roll a dice, on a 5+ you ignore it. Sit these guys in cover, cast Mystic Shield, they've got a 5+ save, re-rolling 1s, ignoring all past the first Wound on a 5+, D3 coming back in your Hero Phase. All in all, they're alright. Can be a nuisance.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GnvshilvPiKWvp7A.pdf Skittershank's Clawpack]:''' Tougher than gutter runners and with the ability to deploy within 6" of an enemy unit in the first movement phase. Like Skittershank they dish out mortals on a natural 6. With Skittershank and his clawpack shooting and melee phases, that's 23 chanches of rolling a 6! That's 6-8 mortal wounds right there. Pick your enemy's general for the Masters of Murder battle trait and you've got a half decent chance of taking down some medium sized heroes turn 1 (assuming they left you space to get within 6")

===Behemoths===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Hell_Pit_Abomination.pdf Hell Pit Abomination]:''' (Clan Moulder 245pts). With a 2d6 move, it can keep pace with a Doomwheel, or lag behind your entire army. Has a melee weapon that deals mortal wounds for every 2+ (degrading) rolled (one dice per model from target unit that is within 3"). Heals d3 wounds in the Hero Phase, all enemies in 3" subtract 1 from their Bravery, it can flat out ignore spells that target it on a 4+, and it has a 1/3 chance to heal d6 wounds the first time it's killed. It won't be dying quickly based on this. But with a 5+ save, and 12 wounds, it could just as easily die with good enough rend and some poor dice rolls.
**If you want something that looks less like a centipede, the Beastman Ghorgon offers a good base for a Ratzilla.
***Assuming you took a Master Moulder, this is where you'll be using Prized Creation since it is a Fighting Beast (albeit not a Pack model) and is the best place to add d3 wounds - or even d6 if you take the Moulder Supreme wralord trait and gamble. Even starting with 13-15 wounds puts its durability a lot better than the warscroll by itself would indicate, which is something of a Skaven theme all around. Just remember that the damage chart is based on wounds taken, not wounds remaining, so you'll get to stay alive longer on your last bracket, not your first. Good thing you regen d3 a round.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Doomwheel.pdf Doomwheel]:''' (Clan Skryre 165pts). A Chariot with an overchargeable Gun and can run over and Mortal wound almost everything that was near it during the movement phase. You can also reroll its 4d6 move but any rolls of a 1 the second time, your opponent can run over your lines if you roll a 1 on a dice. It has a gnarly gun (1d6/3+/3+/-1/d3) that can potentially evaporate anything with decent rolls. Like most of the Skryre things, it can overcharge its Warp Bolts, but on a double, you take 2d6 mortal wounds. This is definitely a go big or go home type of unit and you'll be overcharging it every chance you get. Its speed will ensure you get in range of key targets (elite infantry/behemoths/heroes) and even with lower-end rolls (4-6 shots), you'll be doing a decent amount of damage. All in all, this is somewhat random and a little risky. It can win you the game or lose it for you. Fun times all around though.

===Artillery===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warplock_Jezzails.pdf Warplock Jezzails]:''' (Clan Skryre, Min:3 120pts). your Rat Snipers. Park on the backfield and pick off the support units. They get +1 to hit and +1 to save against misile attacks if they don't move and every hit roll that ends on 6 is automatic 2 mortal wounds. Slap on mystic Shield, and it's a potent 3+ save right there. Another unit that gets a little crazy good with the skryre buffs in for small-low price of the engineer, that provides the buffs, to drop dead at the end of the shooting phase. As the game has very few long-range attacks, jezzails will mess with your opponent as they are a great medium wound hero killer.
** Without any buffs, one unit of 3 is causing an average of 1.5 saves at -2 and 2 damage. A reliable way to deal 2-4 damage at a long-range, but not all that impressive given their point cost. Like most skaven, they really start to shine when you take them in large quantities and stack a couple of buffs. Take 2-3 units with an accompanying skryre hero to increase their missile damage. Keep them stationary, apply warpstone spark buff, and now you have a 30" volley that averages around 3.5 saves at -2 and 3 damage. That's 9 damage against anything with a 4+ save (not even accounting for the potential mortal wounds on 6s). Even with Look Out Sir! taken into consideration, you're averaging 7 damage, which is enough to take out a large number of heroes in the game.
**If you want a little extra, you can cast "More-more-more warp power" on them too, resulting in their missile attack only requiring +2 to hit and wound. By far, the most unnecessary buff, given that they get +1 to hit if they didn't move in previous phase and the d3 mortal wounds that they'll have to suffer next hero phase.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warp_Lightning_Cannon.pdf Warp Lightning Cannon]:''' (Clan Skryre 150pts). Skryre's most potentially deadly artillery, both to the enemy and itself. To fire, roll a dice and then roll 6 more against the first one. Any dice that are equal or higher than the first roll result in a mortal wound, meaning that if you rolled 1 on the first dice you deal 6 mortal wounds automatically. Can be overcharged but requires a Warlock Engineer within 3" of the model. When overcharged, you roll 12 dice instead of 6, but for every roll of 1 results it takes D3 mortal wounds after it's done shooting.

===Scenery===
*'''[https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AoSSkavenEndlessSpells-Feb7-GnawholeWarscroll5wjc.jpg Gnawholes]:''' They might not seem like much, but the Skaventide terrain piece has a couple of nifty abilities that most Skaventide lists should try and take advantage of. Their only downside is that you are limited to 3 and they all have to be setup along the board edges more than 18" away from each other and more than 3" from objectives and scenery.
**As long as there is a Skaventide Hero within 6" of a gnawhole, you can transport any Skaventide unit that finished a move within 6" of that gnawhole to another gnawhole (wholly within 6" but 9" from enemies). This can let you play whack-a-mole(rat?) with weapons teams or artillery pieces that might have become compromised. Or you can set one up in your opponents backfield and force them to baby sit it or risk an unpleasant surprise later in the game. It's a welcome mobility option and something to consider when scheming you army lists.
**In addition, Skaventide Wizards and Priests get +1 to Casting, Unbinding, and Prayer rolls when within 1" of a gnawhole. Great for making sure you get that Warpgale or Warplightning Storm off, or getting that yummy prayer buff on your flanking Plague Monks. The +1 to unbinding is a juicy cherry on top. Synergizes well with your wizards' various drug addictions, giving Skaven a strong presence in the hero phase that many factions can't compete with.
**Lastly, each gnawhole inflicts D3 mortal wounds on a 6+ for any enemy that ends a move/charge within (a rather pitiful) 1".
**A fun trick with gnawholes is to set them one or two of them up in your opponent's back line. This forces them to waste units on babysitting them so you can't teleport behind them, which in turn means two units that could otherwise be fighting you are instead sitting around doing fuck all.

==Battalions==
''No longer valid in Matched Play games''. Now battalions are universal. Please refer to the Age of Sigmar Tactics page (when it finally gets updated).
===Virulent Procession===
''One Verminlord Corruptor, 2+ Congregations of Filth, 0-1 Foulrain Congregation, 0-1 Plaguesmog Congregation''

At the start of your hero phase pick 1 terrain feature within 13" of the Verminlord Corruptor. Roll a D6 for each enemy unit within 3" of that terrain feature. On a 4+ they suffer D3 mortal wounds. Not a bad super battalion in a Pestilens list since you're likely running all these units anyways. 420 points for 3 CP, 3 Artefacts and some okay buffs - it's gonna depend on how much you value the CP/artefacts.

====Congregation of Filth====
''One Plague Priest on Plague Furnace, 2+ units of Plague Monks''

Roll a dice each time you allocate wounds to the Plague Monks whilst within 18" of the battalion's Plague Furnace. On a 6 that wound is negated.
*Under "ideal" circumstances, this probably saves 5 out of 30 monks that would have been killed before you fight back. Maybe it happens twice in a match, but that's still only worth 80 points and super situational. You are usually better off with more monks. Taking this is contingent on how much you value CP/Artefact/First Turn.

====Foulrain Congregation====
''One Plague Priest, 3 Plagueclaws''

Add 1 to wound rolls for missile attacks whilst within 13" of the battalion's Plague Priest. Bumps each Plagueclaws success rate from 55% to 69% (when targeting units of 10 or more). You may as well go all in and give the Plague Priest Architect of Death to bump it up to a respectable 80%.

====Plaguesmog Congregation====
''One Plague Priest on Plague Furnace, 2+ units of Plague Censer Bearers''

Re-roll the dice that determines if any enemy units suffer mortal wounds when using the Poisonous Fumes ability.

===Warpcog Convocation===
''One Arch-Warlock, 2-5 Enginecovens chosen from the list below''

Weird sort of miniature Super Battalion which consists of an Arch-Warlock and some smaller Battalions that can only ever be included via this battalion. All of them convey buffs to certain units, so long as they're within 13" of either the Warlock you took with the coven, or the Arch-Warlock leading the whole Convocation.

If you're taking this, you'll want to lean into the buffs you get and take large amounts of the units that benefit from them. This would probably make for a fun 1-drop army that has a lot of pretty efficient ranged weapons.

====Arkhspark Voltik====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 Warp Lightning Cannon''

In your shooting phase, pick one of the included Warp Lightning Cannons and lower the result of dice roll to determine that cannon's power by 1.
*You can apply the buff to one Warp Lightning Cannon per phase, even if you take more than one with the coven.
*The only Enginecoven that doesn't have a Stormfiend tax. This makes it the cheapest of all the Enginecovens.

====Gautfyre Skorch====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-4 units of Stormfiends, 1-5 units of Warp-Grinders, 1-5 Warpfire Throwers''

2 units can travel with the coven's Warp-Grinders instead of 1, as long as they're all part of the same enginecoven. Now that the FAQ made it actually cheaper than just buying a second Warp-Grinder, this is a solid enginecoven to take if you were already planning on using them. You don't get the extra body to warp-shank people with, but it helps fill out your Warp Convocation and get those battalion benefits.

====Gascloud Chokelung====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 2-5 units of Skryre Acolytes''

Reroll hit rolls of 1 with missile attacks from the coven's Acolytes or Stormfiend's Wind Launchers.

====Rattlegauge Warplock====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 1-3 units of Warplock Jezzails, 1-5 Ratling Guns''

Reroll 1s for missile attacks from the coven's Jezzails and Ratling Guns. This sounds like a promising enginecoven at first, but unfortunately it doesn't affect the Stormfiends' Ratling Cannons and the Jezzails are already usually getting rerolls to hit.

====Whyrlblade Threshik====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 1-3 Doomwheels, 1-5 Doom-Flayers''

Add 3" to moves for any units from the coven as long as they started in range of the buff.

===Skratchnik's Warpcoven===
''One Warlock Bombardier, 1 units of Stormfiends, 1 Doomwheels, 1 Warp Lighting Cannon''

The exclusive battalion comes with the Carrion Empire box, separate from the stock Warpcovens. In the first battle round, roll a dice each time a wound or mortal wound is allocated to a model from this battalion. On a 5+ that wound or mortal wound is negated.

===Rattachak's Doomcoven===
''One Warlock Bombardier(Rattachak), 1 units of Stormfiends, 1 Warp Lighting Cannon''

Re-roll hits and +1 damage for Rattachak's doom rocket and +1 damage to the Stormfiends Shock Gauntlets

===Claw-Horde===
''One Clawlord, 1-3 units of Stormvermin and 2-9 units of Clanrats''

When the Clawlord uses their Gnash-gnaw ability, instead of picking 1 unit within 13", pick all battalion units within 13". Conveniently contains 3 battleline units. The buff itself is pretty situational since it can be tricky/clunky trying to keep two or more units wholly within range.

===Fleshmeld Menagerie===
''One Master Moulder, 0-3 Hell Pit Abominations, 1-3 units of Packmasters, 1-4 units of Rat Swarms or Giant Rats and 1-4 units of Rat Ogres''

When the Master Moulder uses Unleash More-More Beasts ability, a new unit is added on a 4+ instead of a 5+.

===Slinktalon===
''One Deathmaster, 1-4 units of Gutter Runners and 2-8 units of Night Runners''

During the combat phase in which the Deathmaster is deployed, re-roll all hit rolls for units in the battalion. Arguably a must have for any Eshin-heavy lists. The main reason to take this battalion is for that extra relic to make your Deathmaster more killy.

==Allied Armies==

If you devote yourself to a particular clan it's been FAQ'ed that you can’t take another skaventide clan as allies. FAQ explicitly states that models with the SKAVEN keyword (which is pretty much everything Skaven) cannot be taken as allies in a Skaventide army.

*'''One-Eyed Grunnok''': A Warstomper Mega-Gargant available to all Chaos factions. Recruit a your own monstrous centerpiece at the cost of your entire allied points allowance. He’s a best used right in the heat of combat where he can throw enemies at each other and disrupt enemy formations. Re-rolls jump attacks of 1, plus enemies get -1 to hits on previous jump attacks of 6.

===Nurgle===

Our one and only ally option. Only permitted if you take a Pestilens Warlord. There are a lot of options here (over 30 leaders!) so it's recommended you look through the [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Age_of_Sigmar/Tactics/Chaos/Maggotkin_of_Nurgle#Named_Characters Maggotkin of Nurgle Tactics] page if you're considering them as an ally.

*Horticulous Slimux can spawn a single Feculent Gnarlmaw that allows your Nurgle units to advance and charge when near it. This can make spacing your forces a lot easier and help ensure you get to initiate fights on your terms.

A quick note here - you, unfortunately, can't use any of the Nurgle spells like Blades of Putrefaction when allying with Nurgle, since you will only get access to these spells if your army is NURGLE allegiance (as "the Lores of Nurgle" is an Allegiance Ability).

{{Age_of_Sigmar_Tactics}}

Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Chaos/Skaven

2023-02-10T06:33:06Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* Battleline */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Skaven|Logo=Capture131114532.png|Alliance=Chaos|Motto=DIE DIE SOLDIER MANTHINGS DIE!!!!}}

The vermin horde is back with a bang! And a confusing battleline selection system!

==Why Play Skaven==

===Pros===
* Hordes of vicious rats and rat monsters too.
* All the Skaven clans reunited under one faction.
* Gnawholes
* Basically it's own mini Grand-Alliance with 40+ Warscrolls to choose from.
* Your access to the various clans give you extreme versatility. Need highly mobile infantry to harass the backline or nab objectives? Eshin. Want monsters or inexpensive monstrous infantry? Moulder. Do you need hordes and hordes of chaff? Verminus. Maybe you want to claim ranged superiority at all costs. In that case, better grab some Skryre. Are you looking to play a highly offensive army that can dish out tons of mortal wounds? Pestilens are your guys. And if you ever need any magic, Masterclan are always there to help you out.
* Most units are viable in casual games
* [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/JoJo%27s_Bizarre_Adventure SKAVEN SCIENCE IS THE BEST-BEST OF THE MORTAL REALMS!!!]
* Your models are ancient and that is both a blessing and curse. As a blessing it means the sculpts on your basic troops (Clan rats, Plague Monks and Night Runners) are old, but cheap.At 42 dollar's per 20 bodies you have one of the better dollar per model count ratios of the GW hoard armies, Imperial guard for example have to pay 60$ for 10, albiet with newer sculpts. Which is good since it's tottally in the realm of reason to bring 100 clan rats and still have over a thousand and a half points for other more killy toys.
* Do you want unrestricted industrial total war with absolutely no redeeming qualities capable to put to shame even the other Chaos aligned forces? Then look no further! Thematically speaking the Skaven use every single piece of grotesque nastiness developed by a WW<strike>1</strike>2 tech level society including radioactive, chemical and biological warfare, flamethrowers, snipers, gatling guns, human, eh, I mean (slave)rat-wave tactics as well as mechanized cavalry, all further powered by scifi-level technological stuff like tesla weaponry, dimensional portals and genetically engineered and cybernetically enhaced monstrosities as well as daemon-powered black magic and honest-to-Great-Horned-Rat ninjas! You can enjoy playing the villain seeing all the inferior silly fantasy/renaissance tech level "things" with their swords and bows die against the [[nazi| superior master race]] while you twirl your evil whiskers, yes-yes!

===Cons===
* Infantry as durable as wet paper.
* Nothing with better than a 4+ save (besides the Arch-Warlock) and good luck getting those 30 stormvermin in cover.
* Characters are key to most Skaven armies and will need constant protection - They die, the army crumbles.
* Most Skaven units rely on other units for something, making the contesting of multiple objectives difficult.
* Spell lores are exclusive to Grey Seers or Clan Skryre; other mages limited to general and personal spells. (Which is okay since the Grey Seer spell lore is terrible outside of Death Frenzy)
* Skyre Overcharges have become more dangerous with a Higher chance of Death.
* In terms of allies, you only have one, Nurgle.
* Your life will revolve around battleshock with no units save Verminlords going above Bravery 6.
* This also means that any army who can debuff your bravery (like undeath in general) will probably be your worst enemies.
* If you play Eshin, Pestilens or Verminus as core army's units, accept an endless move phase and the hate of your adversary. (That's what movement trays are for)
* Your models are ancient and that is both a blessing and curse.As a curse A huge chunk of the more elite part's of the army such as Warplocks or weapon teams are stuck with 20+ year old sculpts that are either [[Finecast| failcast]] or metal. Both aren't readily available so you'll have to order directly off the GW store or get used to having to convert the simplistic scuplts of your ancient, but cheap,troop models.

==Rulebooks==
{{AOSRulebooks|tome=Skaven|points=[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/b52ed84a.pdf Skaven Errata]|FW=1}}

'''Additional:''' Broken Realms: Kragnos
==Allegiance Abilities==

===Allegiance Traits===
*'''Lead From the Back''': Enemies take -1 to hit non-monster Skaven Heroes when they're within 3" of any units with 3+ models. After all, those hordes of clanrats are made to die in place of your clawlord.
*'''Scurry Away''': During combat phase, an unmounted hero may always retreat instead of fighting. Again, your hero is more valuable than your hordes.

*'''Strength in Numbers''': For every ten models in a Skaven unit, you improve the range of their melee weapons by 1". This can be quite vicious on larger blobs of Plague Monks and Stormvermin. Or ocassionally on Clanrats if buffed.

===Battle Traits===
*'''''Masterclan'''''
**'''Skilled Manipulators''': Whenever a non-monster Masterclan hero takes a wound or rolls a Ward save, roll a d6 for one Skaven unit of 3+ models within 3". On a 3+, you instead allocate that wound to the nearby unit, preserving your Grey Seer's life at the expense of the rats he commands. Everything becomes a Grey Seer's bodyguard now.
**'''Always Three Clawsteps Ahead''': Only usable if you field 3+ Masterclan heroes. After you have one unit charge/run on that turn, you can use that same roll for the run/charge actions of other units in that phase while letting one unit pile in during the fight phase lets other units within 3" of their enemies pile in as well.
***<strike>''NOTE: This works extremely well with Clan Moulder's "Crack The Whip" ability which adds 3" to a Pack unit's charge roll - Which you can in turn apply to all your other units. Can make for some really aggressive moves.</strike> No longer works as per the latest FAQ.

*'''''Clan Moulder'''''
**'''Prized Creations''': At the start of the game, you can assign a Hellpit Abomination (or several if you field 3+ Master Moulders) with a special mutation, barring any duplicates. Note, that you don't need a Master Moulder for the first buff.
***''Toughened Sinews'': The Abomination now gets 16 wounds and a 4+ save, buffering their peak effectiveness a little. Probably the best all-comers pick.
***''Lumbering Behemoth'': The Abomination gets a 7" movement and all run rolls are automatically 7.
***''Quivering Bulk'': +1 to rolls for Avalanche of Flesh
***''Accelerated Regeneration'': The Abomination's regeneration rolls are now activated on any hero phase, including your enemy's. What a way to piss off any limited-use kamikazes.
***''Best-Best Warpstone Spikes'': Re-roll when using the Warpstone Spikes ability.
***''Backup Organs'': The Abomination has so many redundant organs that you can re-roll for the Too Horrible to Die ability.

*'''''Clan Eshin'''''
**'''Masters of Murder''': Pick an enemy hero, all Eshin units can add 1 to hit and to wound rolls against them. If you pick up 3+ Eshin heroes, this benefit extends to anyone attacking any heroes, not just the designated target, but only for melee attacks.

*'''''Clan Verminus'''''
**'''Mighty Warlords''': A new Heroic Action that lets a Clawlord pick out a second faction Command Trait to use on top of their existing one until the end of the turn, providing momentary perks for key situations. If you pick up 3+ Clawlords then you can use this action on all Clawlords, letting each one pick up a unique Command Trait.

*'''''Clans Skryre'''''
**'''Warpstone Sparks''': At the start of the game, you gain 3+d3 Warpstone Sparks so long as you take a Skyre hero (upped to d6+3 if you take 3+ Skyre heroes). A Spark can be spent once per phase on your '''Skryre''' units to:
**#Reroll a wizards' casting, dispelling and unbinding rolls for that phase.
**#Reroll a Hero's to Hit rolls for that phase.
**#Pick a hero and choose up to 3 '''SKRYRE''' units wholly within 13" of them. Add +1 to the Damage characteristic of missile weapons used by these units for that shooting phase.
***Along with the theme of instability, at the end of the appropriate phase, roll a die, on a 1 the wizard or hero chosen suffers D3 Mortal Wounds. Magical Uranium, everyone!

*'''''Clan Pestilens'''''
**'''Echoes of the Great Plagues''': Pestilens priests add +1 to their prayer rolls for each fellow Pestilens priest wholly within 13". Once per turn, when a Pestilens Priest makes a successful prayer roll of a 6+, you can manifest one of six Great plagues, each of which can only be used once per battle. 4/5 of the plague's effects the nearest eligible unit so have placement in mind and bring a lot of Priests to more reliably get a six once per turn.
**#'''Bubonic Blightplague:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" suffers 2d6 mortal wounds. If the unit is then destroyed, pick another enemy unit 6" of the last model removed and inflict D6 mortal wounds. If this too destroys an enemy unit, pick another enemy unit within 6" of the last model removed and deal d3 mortal wounds. Repeat this process until no unit gets wiped out or there are no other units in range.
**#'''Crimsonweal Curse:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound, and it and other enemy units within 1" of that infected unit suffer a 1 mortal wound during your future hero phases. Forever.
**#'''Redmaw Plague:''' The nearest enemy Hero within 13" becomes infected. If within 3" of friends but no enemies at the start of the combat phase, gain ownership of that hero for the rest of the phase.
**#'''The Neverplague:''' Pestilens Priests may reroll prayer rolls for the rest of battle. Should always be the first you set off unless something horrible went wrong.
**#'''Undulant Scourge:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" rolls 1D6 for each member of the unit; the unit takes a mortal wound for every 4+ rolled.

===Command Traits===
Your General, depending on its type, gets to choose one trait from the appropriate list.

<tabs>
<tab name="Shared">
*'''Devious Adversary:''' if your general fights in melee against a unit that hasn't fought yet add 2 to the attacks characteristic of each of their weapons.
</tab>
<tab name="Masterclan">
*'''Supreme Manipulator:''' When you take a heroic action you can Re-roll the heroic leadership roll
*'''Master of Magic:''' Re-roll all casting, dispelling, and unbinding. Insane pickup for ensuring you get to cast key Endless spells and ''especially'' for shutting down key enemy spells.
*'''Diabolical Schemer:''' Roll a D6 each time your opponent issues a Command within 13" on a 5 the command isn't recieved, they lose that command point and you receive it instead. This can be nerve-wracking for armies that rely on key command abilities for buffs/bravery mitigation. You're likely to steal a CP each game, which, depending on when it happens, can really throw a wrench in certain game plans. Probably not worth it over the trait above though.
</tab>
<tab name="Skryre">
*'''Masterful Scavenger:''' Receive 2 extra warpstone sparks. Not the best trait, but still generally preferable to the shared ones if you're taking a large Skryre army.
*'''Deranged Inventor:''' 1 friendly Skryre unit wholly within 13" can add 1 to hit rolls for missile attacks this phase. Take along a Bombardier with this, pop some warp-crack, and watch those Jezzails start pulling off 360 no-scopes with the precision of a mountain-dew infused CoD enthusiast. 2+ to hit against protected characters is nothing scoff at. It seems this is specifically aimed towards buffing Stormfiends and Acolytes.
*'''Overseer of Destuction:''' If a unit within 13" is hiding a weapon team and they're destroyed, you can save the weapon team and set it back up wholly within 3" of your general and 3" away from enemies.
**Might be useful but at initial glance seems like a trait only useful for when you make a mistake.
</tab>
<tab name="Pestilens">
*'''Master of Rot and Ruin:''' +1 to chanting rolls for this general. Prayers being re-rollable is pretty solid and will help you get those Great Plagues faster than ever. Kind of redundant with The Neverplague, but also makes it to where you don't ''need'' to activate it immediately and can chuck some mortal wounds at a nearby enemy instead.
*'''Architect of Death:''' +1 to plagueclaw missile attacks damage characteristic wholly within 18”. Only affects Plagueclaws. If you're spamming catapults, may as well throw this in. Not that you should spam catapults though.
*'''Ridden with Poxes:''' At end of combat phase, roll a dice if within 3” of an enemy, on a 4+ inflict D3 mortal wounds on one of those units. Meh.
</tab>
<tab name="Verminus">
*'''Verminous Valour:''' The Masterclan Skilled Manipulators ability, but it gets passed to any Skaven unit regardless of size.
*'''Savage overlord:''' If a Skaven unit within 3" fails Battleshock you can make them take d3 mortals instead. One of the 4 Battleshock prevention methods at our disposal.
*'''Powerful Alpha:''' First 2 wounds, regular or mortal, EACH PHASE are negated.
</tab>
<tab name="Moulder">
*'''Cunning Mutator:''' the Masterclan skilled manipulators ability, but it gets passed to any Moulder unit regardless of size.
*'''Hordemaster:''' Once per battle when a pack unit is destroyed you roll a die and on a 3+ an identical unit replaces it and it's set up wholly withing 13" of the general and 9" away from enemies. Only once, you can't replace a unit you already replaced, but you CAN roll to replace a unit twice. Roll using the Master Moulder first and if that doesn't work, roll again with Hordemaster.
*'''Moulder Supreme:''' +1 to hit and wound rolls for friendly fighting beasts wholly within 13". Essential if you're running a bunch of Moulder. Can be replaced with the Rabid Crown and Crack the Whip to give +1/+1 when not going full monstrosity.
</tab>
<tab name="Eshin">
*'''Unrivalled Killer:''' Counts as 2 eshin heroes for Eshin battle traits.
*'''Incredible Agillity:''' Can fly and can finest hour twice instead of once. Lets you charge over units and reach key targets after you set up your Deathmaster.
*'''Shadowmaster:''' Whilst within 1” of terrain unit is invisible and can't be shot with missile weapons. Great way to keep your Deceiver from being sniped early in the game.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Artefacts Of Power===

One Hero (plus an additional hero for each battalion), gets to choose an artefact from the appropriate list.

<tabs>
<tab name="Masterclan">
*'''The Gnawshard:''' Pick a melee weapon, if this weapon inflicts a wound it continues to inflict 1 mortal wound at the end of each battle round. (What's that sticking out of your neck?)
*'''Skavenbrew:''' A favorite returning from WHFB. Once per <strike>battle</strike> turn, in your hero phase, 1 friendly unit within 3" suffers D3 mortal wounds but adds 1 to its attacks characteristic until your next hero phase.
*'''Staff of Rightful Supremacy:''' -1 from enemy wizards casting rolls within 13". Once per battle it can automatically dispel an endless spell. With all the other good artifacts around, this is a skip.
</tab>
<tab name="Skryre">
*'''The Brass Orb:''' Once per battle, at the start of your hero phase, the pick an enemy unit within 6" and roll a die on a 3+ they get teleported away. Remove them from the battlefield, then at the end of the turn they have to be set up wholly within their territory more than 9" away from enemies. Kinda neat if you're rocking a full-on ranged army. Really clunky though, as it is during ''your'' hero phase and has a range of 8.
*'''Esoteric Warp Resonator:''' At the start of each battle round, gain a Warpstone Spark if the bearer is on the battlefield, only to be used for the bearer and only for this battle round. Neat for larger Skryre armies.
*'''Vial of the Fulminator:''' At the start of the Movement phase, a Skryre Warmachine within 3" can move twice as fast. At the end of the phase, roll a dice, on a 1 the unit takes D3 mortal wounds. Literally +3" movement to specifically a Warp-lightning Cannon. And it takes damage. Hard Pass flesh-thing.
</tab>
<tab name="Pestilens">
*'''Blade of Corruption:''' Pick a melee weapon. If it's unmodified wound roll is 6 it's rend is -3 and its damage is a flat 6. Only useful on a Verminlord Corruptor, but in that case can be thought of as +0.83 damage to its Plaguereapers in addition to a rend-buff for that damage. Which is overall quite solid.
*'''The Fumigatous:''' Start of each combat phase, pick 1 enemy unit within 3”, roll a D6, on a 1-2 nothing happens, on a 3-4 that unit suffers d3 mortal wounds, on a 5+ it suffers D6 mortal wounds. Looks unimpressive on paper, but we're talking a lot of mortal wounds over time. Also notably at the start of the combat phase as opposed to the end.
*'''Blistrevous the Living Cyst:''' Strikes first if the bearer charged. Starting at the second battle round you must transfer to another '''Pestilens''' hero each of your hero phases. You want this on a Corruptor and Plague Furnace. If you have 2+ of either of them, this is a solid option - especially when combined with the Blade of Corruption for a really disgusting Corruptor.
</tab>
<tab name="Verminus">
*'''Shield of Distraction:''' Can't be fought by more than 1 unit per phase. Funky item on a Warbringer. Looks mighty silly when it charges an enemy army alone. Even sillier when it starts tearing said army apart.
*'''Rustcursed Armour:''' +1 to saves. At start of combat, pick an enemy hero with an artefact of power within 3" and roll 2D6. if it's higher than their bravery destroy the artefact (a 9.72% chance each turn(EDIT: Where does this number come from??? Depends on the enemy bravery)).
*'''Warpstone Charm:''' -1 to enemy saves within 3" At the beginning of your hero phase roll a dice. On a 1 take d3 mortal wound. Personally, I'd skip this one.
**''Alternate Take:'' Take on a Clawlord with Verminous Valor in conjunction with a Bell w/ Skavenbrew and a big unit of Clanrats. When the Clanrats don't need the extra attack, pop the brew on the Clawlord who can then redirect those mortal wounds right back to the bell - bringing you ever closer to that sweet sweet Verminlord. Same thing if you roll a 1 on the charm. Any mortal wounds not redirected only serves to power up the Clawlord himself through "Cornered Fury". The Charm comes in handy in this comp since none of the involved units have good Rend values - but very respectable damage outputs.
</tab>
<tab name="Moulder">
*'''Lash of Fangs:''' Pick 1 melee weapon, if unmodified hit roll is a 6 inflict d3 mortal wounds in addition to normal damage. Hard skip.
*'''Foulhide:''' Heal up to 1 wound each of your hero phases, and sets their base wounds characteristic to 10. This one's probably tied with the Crown for the best of the lot, as keeping your Master Moulder alive is top priority if Moulder units make up an important chunk of your army. Can be replaced with Cunning Mutator if you want the Rabid Crown. '''NOTE:''' Having a base wounds characteristic of 10 disallows the use of the "Look Out, Sir" rule, meaning you'll be much better protected against melee units, but pretty much the same against ranged.
*'''Rabid Crown:''' +1 to hit for '''Fighting Beast''' & '''Pack''' units within 13”. This is very VERY useful for turning Giant Rats into piranhas on legs. If running more fighting beasts, consider the Foulhide combined with Moulder Supreme.
</tab>
<tab name="Eshin">
*'''Shadow Magnet Trinket:''' Once per battle the bearer can fight first in combat phase. When deep striking your Deathmasters, they should never need to fight first since they should be getting hit that turn. And after that it'll probably situational. Skip.
*'''Farskitter Cloak''': Once per battle remove the bearer and set them up anywhere on the battlefield more than 9” from the enemy. It takes a relic for Eshin to deep strike decently. And that ability sure isn't worth an artifact slot.
*'''Gnawbomb:''' Once per battle 1 terrain feature within 6” becomes a Gnawhole until your next hero phase. Maybe useful? If you're mad enough to take it with a plan, let the rest of us rat-friends know how it goes.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Spell Lore===

<strike>Any</strike> Some Wizard Heroes, depending on their type, get to choose one spell from the appropriate list. Clans Pestilens Priests get one Noxious Prayer. Note, that the Verminlord Warpseer and Lord Skreech Verminking are Masterclan Wizards but not Grey Seers. Hence they do not gain a spell from the Lore of Ruin.

<tabs>
<tab name="Lore of Ruin">
''Grey Seers Only''
#'''Scorch''': casting 5, roll number of dice equal to casting roll, for each 6 an enemy unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound. If you're a big boy on a Bell or your name is Thanquol this on average deals a glorious 1.5/2 mortal wounds. Insert Owen Wilson Wauw.
#'''Skitterleap''': casting 6, 1 friendly hero with wounds characteristic of 13 or less (i.e. any hero except the bell, the furnace, and Thanquol) can be placed anywhere on the battlefield more than 9" from enemy units. Teleporting: no longer for the Deceivers alone. Use this to nab objectives, send a Warbringer to crush the enemy backline, or even as a panic button to get your Warpseer/Seer out of whatever bullshit you've gotten them into. Combos well with the gnawholes allowing you to skitterleap a Verminlord/Seer next to a Gnawhole deep in enemy territory, let off a couple of spells and then jump back in your movement phase.
**''Alternate Take:'' Most targets can't reliably charge the turn they leap and can't take the incoming charge when they fuck up their own. Also, remember how Skaven units rely on each other? Your rats will be very sad when you send your Bravery 10 bubble into the enemy backline.
#'''Death Frenzy''': casting 7, pick 1 Skaventide unit that is not a hero and wholly within 13", any model slain until the next hero phase can pile-in and attack.
#*It's worth noting that this applies to death from any source, so if your models are in combat then you may use this in reaction to shooting, spell damage, etc.
#* Anyone know if this pairs well with the Various suicide juices that skaven get (Skavenbrew, Vigourdust Injector, etc.)? Yes, rules state "When slain" with no indication on which source slayed the model. So, models slain from your Verminous Valor warlord trait will "death frenzy". It won't work with the Vigourdust Injector though, since those MWs are taken at the beginning of your NEXT Hero Phase in the window between the spell ending and being able to cast it again.
</tab>
<tab name="Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism">
''Clan Skryre Only''
#'''More-more-more Warp Power!''': casting 7, 1 SKRYRE unit within 13" +1 to hit and wound rolls until next hero phase. Then suffers D3 mortal wounds. Good with Stormfiends and Ratling Guns who (on average) can take the hit and survive.
#'''Chain Warp Lightning''': casting 7, each <strike>enemy</strike> unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound. Yes, it affects your own units and is therefore absolutely not worth it.
#'''Warp Lightning Shield''': casting 6, first 3 wounds allocated to the caster are negated (in each phase!). On a 4th wound the caster suffers 3 mortal wounds and the spell is unbound. Brilliant. Chow down on those Sparks without fear!
</tab>
<tab name="Noxious Prayers">
''Clans Pestilens Priests only''
#'''Disease-Disease!''': answer on 3, 13" range. 5+ deal MW for every model in enemy unit. No effect on Nurgle.
#'''Filth-filth''': answer on 3, 13" range. +1 toWound to one friendly Clans Pestilens unit until your hero phase.
#'''Rabid-rabid''': answer on 3, 13" range. +1 to melee attack to one friendly Clans Pestilens unit until your hero phase.
</tab>
<tab name="Endless Spells">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Vermintide.pdf Vermintide]:''' (60pts) useful as a Predatory damage dealer, when a unit is ends a move near it, roll 13 dice and they take mortal wounds for each 6. Can also do this to one nearby unit when it moves, chosen by the moving player. In the latest FAQ this now also affects any Skaven units.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Warp_Lightning_Vortex.pdf Warp Lightning Vortex]:''' (90pts) An Area Denial Spell, that creates a 7" equilateral Triangle( hard to set up on uneven Terrain) with any unit that is within 6" of it takes D3 mortal wounds on 4+ (D6 on an unmodified 6) with bonuses to the roll based on how many of the pylons they are in range of. If they happen to start their turn within 6" of it they can't run or fly. Combo with shackles and the warp gale spell from the grey seer. If all that gets cast the effect is brutal.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Bell_of_Doom.pdf Bell of Doom]:''' (85pts) Its a flying screaming bell! It has a janky "auto dispel itself and do damage" effect when moved with a low probability of happening. Otherwise it is a 13" no battleshock bubble which also reduces enemy bravery by 1. However, it must roll 3d6 whenever it finishes a move, and on a 13 it explodes and does d3 mortal wounds to everything (this includes your poor rats) within 13". Decent, but likely to be outshone by the vortex due to its risk factor and the ready availability of other, less temporary (and volatile) methods of negating battleshock.
</tab>
</tabs>

==Warscrolls==
*The following True Skaven, Verminlord Daemons, and Moulder pack animals and Fighting beasts are all united by the '''Skaventide''' Keyword.
===Named Leaders===

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Lord_Skreech_Verminking.pdf Lord Skreech Verminking]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 400pts) combining weapons from several of the vermin lord options and the same 5+ ward versus all damage, the king of the rats also brings a "choose each turn" multi-option buff that has six different effects. He can choose from +1 to spell casting, d3 wounds self-heal, exploding sixes mortal wounds off his plague reaper, - 1 to be hit by enemies or increased rend of the glaive from -1 to -3. In addition, he has the warpseer two spell cast and a really good spell that rolls 13d6 and does mortal wounds on a 4+ per dice. It then summons a unit of clan rats equal to wounds caused, making it go from good to amazing due to the potential swing on an objective being 14 on average (seven mortal wounds, seven new rats). He rounds off with a command ability that's a bubble of reroll 1s to hit within 13". A great character, although possibly outshone by the next guy...

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Thanquol.pdf Thanquol on Boneripper]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 415pts) oh lordy it's 415 points but you get a lot of bang for your buck here! The great grey seer and his custom ride are better than ever, combining solid spell casting and impressive ranged and melee damage with good resilience and a strong command ability in an all-round excellent package. Firstly, he's a 14 wound slab of health with the same 5+ ward after save on top of a 4+ normal save. This is supported by a d3 self heal every turn. The behemoth drop off isn't too bad either and bone ripper will be useful as long as it is alive. The good stuff is with Thanquol and his magic, boasting Arkhan the Black levels of casting buff, double cast and dispel, and a fantastic spell which forces enemy heroes to fight either their allies or even themselves. Hit the five times waagh buffed Warboss with this and he will literally beat himself to death! Thanquol also access the excellent lore of ruin as a grey seer. Bone ripper is no slouch either and can be equipped with any combination of up to four weapons chosen from warpfire projectors or braziers. The damage output can get crazy high and he has clubbing blows to back up whichever option suits you best. Four warpfire throwers are possibly one of the most rage-inducing answers to horde lists ever created...(Actually, that seems like huge overkill, two will on average hit every model in the unit that is in range for a mortal wound). Finally, Thanquol has a command ability which, whilst situational, will be amazing when needed. He spends one cp and grants, three other heroes, the ability to use the rules book standard command abilities for no cost. Combine this with the masterclan CP regain and you could harvest 3cp back for spending one...can anyone else say "faq"?

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Skritch_Spiteclaw.pdf Skritch Spiteclaw]:''' (Verminus, 165pts) Quite similar to the Clawlord, with a few key differences. He returns models to his Swarm. But, he lacks the +1 attack per suffered wound ability of the standard Clawlord. Else, the stats are all the same. Overall, a pretty good pick, take alongside his Swarm for obvious reasons.
**''Alternate Take:'' A Clawlord ticks in at 110pts. Swarm's 55 points. If you're gonna take a swarm with your Clawlord, take a Rat Swarm and keep Cornered Fury.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GnvshilvPiKWvp7A.pdf Slynk Skittershank]:''' (Eshin, 225pts) A Deathmaster who, instead of hiding in units, hides in terrain with his mandatory goons. When he strikes while within 3" of 'em he strikes first and can retreat afterwards. Not too impressive over a standard Deathmaster but his goons are cheap and nothing to scoff at. Also one of the few units that can Alpha strike since he comes in within 6".

===Leaders===

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Warbringer.pdf Verminlord Warbringer]:''' (Verminus, Behemoth, 395pts) Clan Verminus wizard daemon. like all Verminlords, he has 13 wounds, two spells per turn, degrading stats, a 5+ ward against wounds and mortal wound. Warbringers also re-roll wounds when near friendly swarms, and their punch-knife can deal extra damage. His best stuff is his command ability that lets Verminus to add 1 to hit and wound and a buffed Death Frenzy spell that affects D3 Skaventide units instead of the 1 (models get to attack as they are slain, but before you remove them) which can stack with death frenzy.
**Warbringer (and other Verminlords) one-up on Skreech is their access to command traits and artifacts. Which command trait you take will hugely impact your Warbringer's playstyle. Devious Adversary doubles the number of attacks with your Spike Fist and increases the chances that you will pick up that all-important 6 to wound. For a more defensive Warbringer, nab Verminous Valor and keep him close to units of Clanrats for what is essentially a 3+ Ward. If not running Valor, grab a unit of Stormvermin as stand-ins to give him a 2+ Ward in a pinch.
**The Warbringer is unfortunately ''not'' a Clawlord and can therefore not gain additional Warlord traits. So if you're running him with Clanrats or Stormvermin make sure you have something to help mitigate battleshock.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Deceiver.pdf Verminlord Deceiver]:''' (Eshin, Behemoth, 405pts) Clan Eshin wizard daemon. A sneaker Verminlord, with an anti-horde shuriken, an increased ability to dodge missiles, and the ability to teleport almost any distant '''Skaven hero''' to anywhere on the board more than 6" from an enemy. Teleport your Arch-Warlock smack in the middle of your opponent's forces, add a little bath-salts, and watch as your tesla bomb deals an absurd number of mortal wounds to everything around it (or explode in a blaze of drug-laced glory). A lot of dice need to be rolled for this to work out, but hey, why not?
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Corruptor.pdf Verminlord Corruptor]:''' (Nurgle Pestilens, Behemoth, 350pts) a Daemon of Clan Pestilens. Cast two spells and abilities to deal mortal wounds. His COMMAND ABILITY gives a Pestilens unit within range add 1 to hit and wound. Can hit hard in the first battle but brackets hard from 2d6 attacks to d3.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Warpseer.pdf Verminlord Warpseer]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 360pts) More Wizard of the Greater daemons and has an orb that gives a +1 to saves until you feel like chucking it a hero for D6 mortal wounds at 13". Gives friendly skaven wholly within 13" 10 bravery. Also counts as 2 Masterclans heroes for always three clawsteps ahead. Its spell can also cancel a units flying and halve run and charge rolls. Weirdly, due to the keyword restriction on spell lore, it can chuck out two spells per turn but can't know any of the lore spells. Good for the endless spells I guess?
*{{anchor|FWWarpgnaw}}'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ZSGu5E0qVvhlmEuC.pdf Warpgnaw Verminlord] (Forgeworld):''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 275pts) '''Note: This model is now in the Monstrous Arcanum which is still legal for matched play.'''The former Exalted Verminlord. He's generally inferior to the GW ones with only a glaive that's not as good as a doomglaive but has consistent damage (though it is subject to damage). He lacks a Command Ability, his only ability is being able to make a sudden arrival through a vanguard Gnawhole. It also can cast two spells, with a unique spell that can kill a single model if you roll a d6 and roll higher than its wounds, making it only useful on foot heroes and really weak things otherwise. The Warpgnaw Verminlord no longer brings a unit with him. Instead only the Verminlord deepstrikes in next to a Gnawhole (although this doesn't stop another unit from appearing at the same Gnawhole at the same time due to the wording of this ability). It has gained 2 wounds and Terrifying.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Clawlord.pdf Clawlord]:''' (Verminus, 105pts)Your standard hero with 5 wounds, a 4+ save. he has 3 3+/3+/-1/d3 attacks and gains +1 attack for each missing wound he has. Not that you actually want this guy in close combat as his true worth is his command ability which lets you pick a VERMINUS unit wholly within 13" and give it an extra attack with each of its melee weapons. This is an amazing command ability for your rat horde as it gives your clanrats 100% increased damage output and your Stormvermin 50% increased damage output. It should be noted that Clawlords can pick up the same command traits as other non-Clawlord generals. This can be particularly useful with Verminous Valor as it essentially doubles his durability at the cost of a few Clanrats. He can also pick up an Arcane Tome for counter-spelling, casting Flaming Weapon, and completing Prized Sorcery.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warlock_Engineer.pdf Warlock Engineer]:''' (Skryre, 105pts) your Mad Science wizards. armed with a Wizard staff and Pistol. The staff can be overcharged for more damage. The only spells Warlocks know are Warp Lightning and one from the Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism. Warp Lightning is a 13" upgraded Arcane Bolt that has no limit to the number of times it can be cast and can be overcharged following the usual method. Now 10 points more expensive than before, meaning he's less of a no brainer choice.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warplock_Bombardier.pdf Warlock Bombardier]:''' (Skryre, 115pts) A Warlock with a Bazooka, which can overcharge its single shot's damage from d6 to 2d6. Otherwise, all the same stuff and engineer can do. Considering how little you'd want an engineer in combat, the ranged weapon on the bombardier seems like a straight upgrade over the melee variant.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Arch_Warlock.pdf Arch-Warlock]:''' (Skryre, 155pts) A Wizard in Power Armor. Has a Warlock staff, Powerclaw and can cast two spells. His Unique spell is a Warp Lightning that effects d3 units instead of one, but on a bad overcharge, you can kiss his furry arse goodbye. Probably not worth it for 40 points over a Bombardier, but hey if you need more magics, this is your guy.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Deathmaster.pdf Deathmaster]:''' (Eshin, 145pts) The Skaven Ninja, able to hide in every skaven unit at once like Schrodinger's Fanatic. They throw a bunch of stars then charge in with either a dagger with rend and d3 damage or claws with 7 attacks. Always best to give this guy artifacts that improve his hero killing powers. He’s also got a nice new model courtesy of the Echoes of Doom boxset.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Master_Moulder.pdf Master Moulder]:''' (Moulder, 90pts) A heroic Packmaster with two very respectable weapon options. It can Heal a Pack model d3 wounds and also gives Pack units +1 to wond in melee. A steal for 90 points if you plan on making Moulder a pillar in your army. His Command ability can replace a destroyed Moulder Pack unit on a roll of 3+, within 12" of him. This might not sound like much initially, but it has a global range (so even if the unit dies on the other end of the table, you can attempt to bring it back). This allows Moulder units to fearlessly accept charges before respawning and counter-charging. Moulder units are priced around this guy though, with neither Giant Rats or Rat Ogres being point-efficient, so if this dude dies before them you'll be very sorry.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Plague_Priest.pdf Plague Priest]:''' (Pestilens, 100pts) Your standard Pestilens hero. Surprisingly killy since he gets an extra attack for each weapon on the charge. Fairly inexpensive for the damage they can do and an easy way to get extra chances at a GREAT PLAGUE.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Plague_Priest_Plague_Furnace.pdf Plague Priest on Plague Furnace]:''' (Pestilens, Behemoth 335pts) It's 3 Plague Monks with a Plague Priest on a huge censer-thing. It can't move its 6" unless within 6" of 10 or more friendly Skaventide models and it makes 6 attacks with Rusty Wheels and Spikes. At full health, the Great Plague Censer now does an impressive 1d3+4 mortal wounds on a 2+. On top of this, it stops battleshock for Skaventide. You probably want 2 to make sure one or both of these buffs goes off on your Plague Monks. It's clearly a centerpiece. It will pack a punch thanks to the Censer, but it needs Plague Monks to push it around and <s>pushing stuff around and not charging is something Plague Monks with their awful survivability really don't like to do.</s> with blocks of 40 monks you'll usually be able to chain 10 of them back to push the furnace. Or just charge with the furnace first and have your monks charge up along side it. With look out sir in melee, 5+ fnp and the big death ball the furnace is right at home charging into combat with it's pushing crew of 40 monks.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Grey_Seer.pdf Grey Seer]:''' (Grey Seer, 125pts) A generic spellcaster, but to be honest he's quite good at that. Can now cast and unbind 2 spells and has a unique spell, Wither, which can cause D3 damage to most units and hero's alike, and it also debuffs them for the next combat round. However, his best ability is probably the Warpstone Token; when you cast a spell you can use a token ( you have infinite, by the way ) and if you do so you roll 3D6, if the result is 13 then the spell is cast and cannot be unbound... BUT your Grey Seer is slain after the effects of the spell. On anything other than a 13 you can remove one dice and use the remaining result as your casting. Pretty good, but has a 10% chance of killing him. For what it costs the Grey Seer is pretty good, and it's not a bad idea to use him in almost every Skaven list.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Grey_Seer_Screaming_Bell.pdf Grey Seer on Screaming Bell]:''' (Grey Seer, War Machine 325pts) Take a Grey Seer and put him on a GIANT BELL OF DOOM and you have the Screaming Bell, a war machine that can alternate between Priest and Wizard depending on your whims and gets hefty buffs to both. The first thing to know about the Bell is that it can't move on its own and needs to be pushed by a pack of friendly Skaven within 6". This movement reduces as the bell takes damage, which feels like a bit of a dick-kick since it makes your towing squad more vulnerable to any bombardment. This obviously means that it should stay close to the Skaven Infantry (which is where it should be in the first place). The most important ability of the Bell, however, is, of course, the bell! It peals in your Hero Phase, and to do so you have to roll 1d6 and see what effect the peal has. You only hurt yourself on a roll of 1, and that's D3 mortal wounds. The other effects are mixed, you can buff your army, damage the opponent's army. Oh, and did I mention that even if your bell takes damage the effect of the peals doesn't change? Yeah. The only thing that decreases is the boosts given to your casting and preaching, which is a bigger issue than any melee penalties. The Seer on top of the Bell knows a different spell from the dismounted one, this time it damages units with low Move. Unfortunately, the Seer loses the Warpstone Tokens. The Bell also has a 5+ ward save and has a pretty good ability that negates battleshock tests within 13". It costs 125 points more than a vanilla Seer, but I'm sure it will repay its price.
**Echoes of Doom has changed the Verminlord summoning to its own action. If the bell takes 7+ wounds, you can roll a d6 - it simply blows up on a 1 but on any other roll, it can summon that Verminlord if the total of wounds+roll amounts to a 13+.
**'''Alternate Take:''' The bell is the weirdest Skaven unit '''''by far'''''. It is RIDICULOUSLY tanky with 15 wound 4+/5+ and can allocate wounds naturally to nearby units on a 3+ should it so desire. This means you can regulate how much damage it takes in order to set yourself up for summoning that sweet sweet Verminlord. Should you manage to summon it, it is practically game over. Summon Skreech Verminking and you will have gained ~425 points of value. Not only that, but your newly summoned Verminlord, while needing to be more than 9" from enemies, is free to move and guaranteed charge in the following phases. There are some caveats however:
***The bell is anything but cost-effective in itself. Compared to a Verminlord it isn't killy enough in combat, it requires nearby rats and it's slow as balls. Also, Crack's Call is extremely limited in its application, dealing a measly 2 mortal wounds to slow infantry. The pushing crew will probably be clanrats who can bodyguard, which are, similarly to the bell, not damage dealers. The peals of doom aren't impressive either, with occasionally impactful results.
***With the bell being such a slow piece of shit, ridiculously tanky and non-threatening like a puppy, enemies are bound to do the one thing they should be doing: Ignore the damn thing. Don't be suprised if it by turn 3 is stranded in the middle of the table and proceeds to do nothing for the last 2 turns.
***Your counter to this counter is to give your puppy claws. Enter Endless Spells and Master of Magic. With +2 and re-roll of casting rolls, you are almost guaranteed to get them off and wreak some Havoc Physics Engine. In addition, with Master of Magic, the Grey Seer will be much more likely to unbind enemy spells, making your big bell much more of a nuisance.
***Did I mention that most Endless spells don't distinguish between friendly and enemy units? That's right, if you want something damaged right, the best way is to damage it yourself. Should your bell takes a solid portion of wounds, you can metaphorically push it over the edge through endless spells. Use that sweet +2 to casting rolls and watch as your Gnashrak's Ravenous Jaw takes your bell from a measly 6 damage to 11 to threaten the dreaded Verminlord summoning. Since the summoning happens at the beginning of your hero phase it's best to damage your bell when you're not in danger of being double-turned as you don't want your bell getting crumpled at the critical moment.

===Battleline===
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Skaventide}}</span>'''

''If you run a mixed SKAVENTIDE army these are your minimum required battlelines''
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*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Clanrats.pdf Clanrats]:''' (Clan Verminus Min:20 100pts) The bread and butter of many Skaven armies. They are cheap fodder and can take a huge amount of punishment so long as their battleshock is taken care of. They can dish out some damage too with Skavenbrew and Gnaw-Gnaw on their bones! But nothing which should be relied on with 4+/4+/-0.

Clanrats main functions are to take charges, push the furnace or bell and freight weapon teams closer to their intended targets. For Masterclan and Verminus heroes they are also the preferred choice for bodyguards since they’re only half the price of a Stormvermin.
**Always grab the sword. With the Strength in Numbers rule you'll usually have a reach of at least 2". Usually 3" with a blob of 40, making the spear redundant. The sword also scales better with buffs like Skavenbrew and Gnaw-Gnaw on Their Bones.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Stormvermin.pdf Stormvermin]:''' (Clan Verminus Min:10 130pts) The closet you have to an elite troop and in-a-pinch bodyguards and there actually good. There halberds have two attacks each at a 3+/3+/-1. Which means 10 Stormvermin hit harder then 20 clan rats. There already decent damage can then be easily buffed by a clawlord "Gnaw-Gnaw on there bones" for even more attacks, Which increases said damage output by 50%. They can take hit's for heros of all claws, weapon types and Eshin assassins can hide in them, and there only 30 points more then clan rats WHILE also having a better save. Other clans may have better options but stormvermin are a solid option.
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Eshin}}</span>'''

''You can include 1 unit of this type as a Battleline unit for each CLANS ESHIN HERO you include in your army.''
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*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Night_Runners.pdf Night Runners]:''' (Min:10 90pts) the mass vanguard slingers of Skaven. They can move 2d6” after setup and run and shoot. They have better aim than Grot Shootas and generate a mortal wound on a natural 6. Generally outclassed by the significantly cheaper clan rat, or the excessively killier plague censer bearer in mixed lists.
**On a turn they get to shoot and charge, 10 Night Runners will do more damage then what a unit of 20 clan rats would do at a 10 point cheaper price against all target's but the data get's a little more complicated. If you compare only the shooting to the clan rat's melee (thuse presuming your skirmishing with at range) They do a lot better against 2+, 3+ units but against 4+ save units there slightly worse, and there even worse save means there pop off the board even faster. In general: they like to be pointed at more specific high value targets they can theoretical trade up against.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Gutter_Runners.pdf Gutter Runners]:''' (Min:5 100pts) Elite version of Night Runners. Suffer the same fate as Night Runners too. In general they sport the same damage output at range as 100 points of clanrats do in melee since there throwing starts have 3 attacks making up for only 5 models and on paper if they shoot then charge: they can do a five wounds to a save 2+ target. All good on paper but there a hell of a lot more fragile. 5+ save on five bodies is not something to trust. In theory though they do have a game plan: Deep strike within 9 inches (and 6 of terrian) of the enemy and attempt an alpha strike with your 12 inch shurkens, then die, but at 100 points it's not that much of an investment. Range attacks alone can do a lot of damage to a 3+ save or better target thanks to 3 attacks and mortal wounds on 6. That's a lot that has to go right however. In theory it's probably better to deploy them normally, first turn run, and run on there actual move and shoot then. That's an 18 or 17 inch move on average on 12 inch range. Still they are very moderate risk given that 100 point price tag and very high reward. Not something you probably want an army of, but make a nice distraction running at the edges looking for hard target's to assassinate.
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Moulder}}</span>'''

''Battleline if the army has Skaventide Allegiance and a Masterclan or Moulder general and all other non-Allies units are Moulder ''
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*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Giant_Rats.pdf Giant Rats]:''' (PACK, Min:6 60pts) The sharpest teeth on the wettest of noodle bodies. They get 2 attacks per for 10 points a pop with a movement of 8 and -2 rend. They can also be revived by the master moulder to suicide, die and then take revenge. They do not come with any saves however and have a bravery of 3, making them evaporate the second someone breathes on them. This squishiness makes them terrible at anything but one-sided engagements and makes sending them to the flanks through Gnawholes a risky endeavor indeed. They combo well with a plague furnace which can negate their morale problem. A unit of Giant rats are also an acceptable charge buffer with less durability than rat swarms but a higher damage output - useful for when they are replaced through a master moulder and themselves get to charge.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Rat_Ogors.pdf Rat Ogors]:''' ( FIGHTING BEAST, PACK, Min:2 140pts) Rat ogres are a below average unit, made viable through supporting units. Unsurprisingly, when you can get a second chance 66% of the time you need to be quite inefficient to be fair. Take a unit of 4, crack the whip, all-out attack and watch them do mediocre damage twice. Really solid for charging through Gnawholes since their bravery of 5 is okay when your unit only consists of 4 models, removing the need for Inspiring Presence.
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Pestilens}}</span>'''

''Battleline if the army has Skaventide Allegiance and a Masterclan or Pestilens general and all other non-Allies units are Pestilens ''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls//AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Plague_Monks.pdf Plague Monks]:''' (Min:10 90pts) ** Supposed to be the pestilent front-line unit. Instead it is a weird support caster unit with a solid combat statline. They have abysmal saves and bravery and their bringer of the word deals approximately 1 mortal wound each shooting phase. Oh and they have a bunch of attacks on the charge with no rend. If you are running a crap-ton of censer bearers, consider picking up 10 of these to buff them with +1 to wound. Otherwise, hard skip. Notably synergizes with the Curse prayer. Still a hard skip though.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Plague_Censer_Bearers.pdf Plague Censer Bearers]:''' (Min:5 90pts) Yeeeeehaw! The best infantry on the roster and maybe the best infantry point for point in the entire game. Now with 2 wounds a piece, a -1 to wound defensive ability and '''4''' attacks on the charge with 3+/3+/-1/D2. That's 20 attacks on the charge. As opposed to last edition these boys are the new core for Pestilens as it's more cost-effective to take more of these bad-boys than the buff-giving Plague Monks.
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Skryre}}</span>'''

''Battleline if the army has Skaventide Allegiance and a Masterclan or Skryre general and all other non-Allies units are Skryre ''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Stormfiends.pdf Stormfiends]:''' (Clan Moulder, Clan Skryre, Min:3 320pts) The Unholy Collaboration Between Skryre and Moulder. Has Taken-taken a similar nerf Grundstok Thunderers suffers, the weapons are divided up between a Trio. the anti-infantry Rat can take either Warpthrowers or mortars, another can take Gatling guns or the ability for the unit to deep strike, and finally, another can take a pair of reliable or random fists. Skaven players who used them pre battletome will lament the loss of the triple warpfire projector unit. In their current incarnation, this may be the least attractive ranged choice. The projectors do not benefit from the engineer buffs available to the unit, nor can the be used after using gnawholes or grinder fists. The other weapon options do due to their longer range and standard hit mechanics.
**they are also are part Moulder, lending their array of Weaponry to but they lack the Keywords to properly interact with them.
***This also means that they can be included in pure Moulder armies, and are those armies' only dedicated range.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Skryre_Acolytes.pdf Skryre Acolytes]:''' (Clan Skryre, Min:5 75pts) Mass bomb-throwers, able to run and throw their globes with -2 rend and d3 damage. They look pretty bad on paper, but if you add in the buffs available to Skryre and you don't mind taking damage (hey its skaven) then this missile attack can become pretty impressive, with hit bonus and hit and wound rerolls and a damage buff all available.
**A large unit is still quite cheap and makes a good hiding place for warpfire throwers too. Shame that you have to build them, one model, at a time for $15 USD per model. Better get ready to do some conversion (the now-defunct poison wind mortars make decent acolytes).
***A quicker out of the box method for Acolytes would be the Skaven Bloodbowl team. Their Warpstone Footballs can be “passed off” as cluster mines that serve the same purpose as the poisoned wind globes.
****Even better, plague monks with Arkanaut Company packs.****
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===Other Units===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Ratling_Gun.pdf Ratling Gun]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). Weapon teams are always a cheap way to increase your damage output, though lacks protection against retaliation. With 2d6 attacks with a 12" range and a 25% chance to hit, it does shockingly low damage, even when overcharged, and is liable to get shot off the board before getting into range. However, 3 of them buffed up with a skryre spark and overseer of destruction do massive amounts of damage, assuming you can get them into position.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warpfire_Thrower.pdf Warpfire Thrower]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 70pts). Close range anti-blobs that rolls for each model and deals mortal wounds on a 4+. When you overcharge, you roll 2 dice for each model but the Thrower dies on a roll of 1 or 2 made after dealing damage. Statistically, when used against single-wound infantry this will kill every model in the unit.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warp_Grinder.pdf Warp-Grinder]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). Allow you to deepstrike them and another unit. Similar to the Stormfiend Warp Grinder. Don't expect anything of it in combat, it's basically a points tax to get a more reliable deep strike for stormfiends.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Doom_Flayer.pdf Doom-Flayer]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). A melee sports unit. Really not worth it, they have 3 wounds, a 5+ save, and d6 attacks, so they will do no damage in melee, and then immediately die. They can boost their attacks from a d6 to 2d6s but will die after attacking on a roll of doubles or a 7.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Rat_Swarms.pdf Rat Swarms]:''' (Clan Moulder, PACK, Min:2 55pts). A unit which many will overlook. They are pathetic in all aspects. 5 attacks on 5+/5+ won’t hurt a fly. They’re squishy, with no saves and 8 wounds for 55 points but it’s all good because they’re Pack units. Stick 2 of them in front of your blobs to absorb charges. Put them on side-objectives. Heck, send them in for fun and res them because you can. Compared to the chaff of other armies, Skaven are blessed with these little critters. Also the best unit to take wounds as bodyguard.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Packmasters.pdf Packmasters]:''' (Clan Moulder Min:3 65pts). No longer heroes. 1 in 3 may take a Things-Catcher. +1 to Melee Hit Rolls and double Bravery of friendly Clans Moulder Pack units wholly within 12". At 60 points, they should be considered. Just remember their buffs don't stack with each other, or a Master Moulder. Can't buff Stormfiends any more.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NLAF5xUbMH8gumFD.pdf#page=18 Skaven Wolf Rats] (Forgeworld):''' (Clan Moulder, PACK, Min:5 100pts).'''Note: This model has been removed from the Forgeworld site and is now in the Legends: Monstrous Arcanum which is no longer legal for matched play.''' Giant Rats on steroids. With a Save to boot. Gets +1 to wounds the turn the charge. When normally hitting on 3s and wounding on 3s, have them charge, and keep them all in range of a pack of Packmasters or a Master Moulder, they're hitting and wounding on 2s. Overall, a very solid and relatively cheap cavalry option that'll rip into any soft target you launch them at.
**The cheapest way to convert them (and still look good) is Chaos Warhounds with Stormvermin heads (add gasmasks and beads and you also have 10 Skryre Acolytes)

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Spiteclaws_Swarm.pdf Spiteclaw's Swarm]:''' These guys can be nasty little buggers. 4 models, each with a different weapon. All are hitting on 4's, wounding on 4's, most with 2 attacks, one with 1, most with 1" range, one with 2", a 6+ save, they're a mixed bunch. Ideally, you're keeping these guys within 13" of Skritch, so he can give them back D3 models per turn. Just don't let Krrk die, he can't come back. If Skritch kicks it, Krrk gets 2 extra attacks. Should the unit take a Wound, or a Mortal Wound, on all successive Wounds and Mortal Wounds in that turn roll a dice, on a 5+ you ignore it. Sit these guys in cover, cast Mystic Shield, they've got a 5+ save, re-rolling 1s, ignoring all past the first Wound on a 5+, D3 coming back in your Hero Phase. All in all, they're alright. Can be a nuisance.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GnvshilvPiKWvp7A.pdf Skittershank's Clawpack]:''' Tougher than gutter runners and with the ability to deploy within 6" of an enemy unit in the first movement phase. Like Skittershank they dish out mortals on a natural 6. With Skittershank and his clawpack shooting and melee phases, that's 23 chanches of rolling a 6! That's 6-8 mortal wounds right there. Pick your enemy's general for the Masters of Murder battle trait and you've got a half decent chance of taking down some medium sized heroes turn 1 (assuming they left you space to get within 6")

===Behemoths===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Hell_Pit_Abomination.pdf Hell Pit Abomination]:''' (Clan Moulder 245pts). With a 2d6 move, it can keep pace with a Doomwheel, or lag behind your entire army. Has a melee weapon that deals mortal wounds for every 2+ (degrading) rolled (one dice per model from target unit that is within 3"). Heals d3 wounds in the Hero Phase, all enemies in 3" subtract 1 from their Bravery, it can flat out ignore spells that target it on a 4+, and it has a 1/3 chance to heal d6 wounds the first time it's killed. It won't be dying quickly based on this. But with a 5+ save, and 12 wounds, it could just as easily die with good enough rend and some poor dice rolls.
**If you want something that looks less like a centipede, the Beastman Ghorgon offers a good base for a Ratzilla.
***Assuming you took a Master Moulder, this is where you'll be using Prized Creation since it is a Fighting Beast (albeit not a Pack model) and is the best place to add d3 wounds - or even d6 if you take the Moulder Supreme wralord trait and gamble. Even starting with 13-15 wounds puts its durability a lot better than the warscroll by itself would indicate, which is something of a Skaven theme all around. Just remember that the damage chart is based on wounds taken, not wounds remaining, so you'll get to stay alive longer on your last bracket, not your first. Good thing you regen d3 a round.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Doomwheel.pdf Doomwheel]:''' (Clan Skryre 165pts). A Chariot with an overchargeable Gun and can run over and Mortal wound almost everything that was near it during the movement phase. You can also reroll its 4d6 move but any rolls of a 1 the second time, your opponent can run over your lines if you roll a 1 on a dice. It has a gnarly gun (1d6/3+/3+/-1/d3) that can potentially evaporate anything with decent rolls. Like most of the Skryre things, it can overcharge its Warp Bolts, but on a double, you take 2d6 mortal wounds. This is definitely a go big or go home type of unit and you'll be overcharging it every chance you get. Its speed will ensure you get in range of key targets (elite infantry/behemoths/heroes) and even with lower-end rolls (4-6 shots), you'll be doing a decent amount of damage. All in all, this is somewhat random and a little risky. It can win you the game or lose it for you. Fun times all around though.

===Artillery===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warplock_Jezzails.pdf Warplock Jezzails]:''' (Clan Skryre, Min:3 120pts). your Rat Snipers. Park on the backfield and pick off the support units. They get +1 to hit and +1 to save against misile attacks if they don't move and every hit roll that ends on 6 is automatic 2 mortal wounds. Slap on mystic Shield, and it's a potent 3+ save right there. Another unit that gets a little crazy good with the skryre buffs in for small-low price of the engineer, that provides the buffs, to drop dead at the end of the shooting phase. As the game has very few long-range attacks, jezzails will mess with your opponent as they are a great medium wound hero killer.
** Without any buffs, one unit of 3 is causing an average of 1.5 saves at -2 and 2 damage. A reliable way to deal 2-4 damage at a long-range, but not all that impressive given their point cost. Like most skaven, they really start to shine when you take them in large quantities and stack a couple of buffs. Take 2-3 units with an accompanying skryre hero to increase their missile damage. Keep them stationary, apply warpstone spark buff, and now you have a 30" volley that averages around 3.5 saves at -2 and 3 damage. That's 9 damage against anything with a 4+ save (not even accounting for the potential mortal wounds on 6s). Even with Look Out Sir! taken into consideration, you're averaging 7 damage, which is enough to take out a large number of heroes in the game.
**If you want a little extra, you can cast "More-more-more warp power" on them too, resulting in their missile attack only requiring +2 to hit and wound. By far, the most unnecessary buff, given that they get +1 to hit if they didn't move in previous phase and the d3 mortal wounds that they'll have to suffer next hero phase.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warp_Lightning_Cannon.pdf Warp Lightning Cannon]:''' (Clan Skryre 150pts). Skryre's most potentially deadly artillery, both to the enemy and itself. To fire, roll a dice and then roll 6 more against the first one. Any dice that are equal or higher than the first roll result in a mortal wound, meaning that if you rolled 1 on the first dice you deal 6 mortal wounds automatically. Can be overcharged but requires a Warlock Engineer within 3" of the model. When overcharged, you roll 12 dice instead of 6, but for every roll of 1 results it takes D3 mortal wounds after it's done shooting.

===Scenery===
*'''[https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AoSSkavenEndlessSpells-Feb7-GnawholeWarscroll5wjc.jpg Gnawholes]:''' They might not seem like much, but the Skaventide terrain piece has a couple of nifty abilities that most Skaventide lists should try and take advantage of. Their only downside is that you are limited to 3 and they all have to be setup along the board edges more than 18" away from each other and more than 3" from objectives and scenery.
**As long as there is a Skaventide Hero within 6" of a gnawhole, you can transport any Skaventide unit that finished a move within 6" of that gnawhole to another gnawhole (wholly within 6" but 9" from enemies). This can let you play whack-a-mole(rat?) with weapons teams or artillery pieces that might have become compromised. Or you can set one up in your opponents backfield and force them to baby sit it or risk an unpleasant surprise later in the game. It's a welcome mobility option and something to consider when scheming you army lists.
**In addition, Skaventide Wizards and Priests get +1 to Casting, Unbinding, and Prayer rolls when within 1" of a gnawhole. Great for making sure you get that Warpgale or Warplightning Storm off, or getting that yummy prayer buff on your flanking Plague Monks. The +1 to unbinding is a juicy cherry on top. Synergizes well with your wizards' various drug addictions, giving Skaven a strong presence in the hero phase that many factions can't compete with.
**Lastly, each gnawhole inflicts D3 mortal wounds on a 6+ for any enemy that ends a move/charge within (a rather pitiful) 1".
**A fun trick with gnawholes is to set them one or two of them up in your opponent's back line. This forces them to waste units on babysitting them so you can't teleport behind them, which in turn means two units that could otherwise be fighting you are instead sitting around doing fuck all.

==Battalions==
''No longer valid in Matched Play games''. Now battalions are universal. Please refer to the Age of Sigmar Tactics page (when it finally gets updated).
===Virulent Procession===
''One Verminlord Corruptor, 2+ Congregations of Filth, 0-1 Foulrain Congregation, 0-1 Plaguesmog Congregation''

At the start of your hero phase pick 1 terrain feature within 13" of the Verminlord Corruptor. Roll a D6 for each enemy unit within 3" of that terrain feature. On a 4+ they suffer D3 mortal wounds. Not a bad super battalion in a Pestilens list since you're likely running all these units anyways. 420 points for 3 CP, 3 Artefacts and some okay buffs - it's gonna depend on how much you value the CP/artefacts.

====Congregation of Filth====
''One Plague Priest on Plague Furnace, 2+ units of Plague Monks''

Roll a dice each time you allocate wounds to the Plague Monks whilst within 18" of the battalion's Plague Furnace. On a 6 that wound is negated.
*Under "ideal" circumstances, this probably saves 5 out of 30 monks that would have been killed before you fight back. Maybe it happens twice in a match, but that's still only worth 80 points and super situational. You are usually better off with more monks. Taking this is contingent on how much you value CP/Artefact/First Turn.

====Foulrain Congregation====
''One Plague Priest, 3 Plagueclaws''

Add 1 to wound rolls for missile attacks whilst within 13" of the battalion's Plague Priest. Bumps each Plagueclaws success rate from 55% to 69% (when targeting units of 10 or more). You may as well go all in and give the Plague Priest Architect of Death to bump it up to a respectable 80%.

====Plaguesmog Congregation====
''One Plague Priest on Plague Furnace, 2+ units of Plague Censer Bearers''

Re-roll the dice that determines if any enemy units suffer mortal wounds when using the Poisonous Fumes ability.

===Warpcog Convocation===
''One Arch-Warlock, 2-5 Enginecovens chosen from the list below''

Weird sort of miniature Super Battalion which consists of an Arch-Warlock and some smaller Battalions that can only ever be included via this battalion. All of them convey buffs to certain units, so long as they're within 13" of either the Warlock you took with the coven, or the Arch-Warlock leading the whole Convocation.

If you're taking this, you'll want to lean into the buffs you get and take large amounts of the units that benefit from them. This would probably make for a fun 1-drop army that has a lot of pretty efficient ranged weapons.

====Arkhspark Voltik====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 Warp Lightning Cannon''

In your shooting phase, pick one of the included Warp Lightning Cannons and lower the result of dice roll to determine that cannon's power by 1.
*You can apply the buff to one Warp Lightning Cannon per phase, even if you take more than one with the coven.
*The only Enginecoven that doesn't have a Stormfiend tax. This makes it the cheapest of all the Enginecovens.

====Gautfyre Skorch====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-4 units of Stormfiends, 1-5 units of Warp-Grinders, 1-5 Warpfire Throwers''

2 units can travel with the coven's Warp-Grinders instead of 1, as long as they're all part of the same enginecoven. Now that the FAQ made it actually cheaper than just buying a second Warp-Grinder, this is a solid enginecoven to take if you were already planning on using them. You don't get the extra body to warp-shank people with, but it helps fill out your Warp Convocation and get those battalion benefits.

====Gascloud Chokelung====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 2-5 units of Skryre Acolytes''

Reroll hit rolls of 1 with missile attacks from the coven's Acolytes or Stormfiend's Wind Launchers.

====Rattlegauge Warplock====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 1-3 units of Warplock Jezzails, 1-5 Ratling Guns''

Reroll 1s for missile attacks from the coven's Jezzails and Ratling Guns. This sounds like a promising enginecoven at first, but unfortunately it doesn't affect the Stormfiends' Ratling Cannons and the Jezzails are already usually getting rerolls to hit.

====Whyrlblade Threshik====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 1-3 Doomwheels, 1-5 Doom-Flayers''

Add 3" to moves for any units from the coven as long as they started in range of the buff.

===Skratchnik's Warpcoven===
''One Warlock Bombardier, 1 units of Stormfiends, 1 Doomwheels, 1 Warp Lighting Cannon''

The exclusive battalion comes with the Carrion Empire box, separate from the stock Warpcovens. In the first battle round, roll a dice each time a wound or mortal wound is allocated to a model from this battalion. On a 5+ that wound or mortal wound is negated.

===Rattachak's Doomcoven===
''One Warlock Bombardier(Rattachak), 1 units of Stormfiends, 1 Warp Lighting Cannon''

Re-roll hits and +1 damage for Rattachak's doom rocket and +1 damage to the Stormfiends Shock Gauntlets

===Claw-Horde===
''One Clawlord, 1-3 units of Stormvermin and 2-9 units of Clanrats''

When the Clawlord uses their Gnash-gnaw ability, instead of picking 1 unit within 13", pick all battalion units within 13". Conveniently contains 3 battleline units. The buff itself is pretty situational since it can be tricky/clunky trying to keep two or more units wholly within range.

===Fleshmeld Menagerie===
''One Master Moulder, 0-3 Hell Pit Abominations, 1-3 units of Packmasters, 1-4 units of Rat Swarms or Giant Rats and 1-4 units of Rat Ogres''

When the Master Moulder uses Unleash More-More Beasts ability, a new unit is added on a 4+ instead of a 5+.

===Slinktalon===
''One Deathmaster, 1-4 units of Gutter Runners and 2-8 units of Night Runners''

During the combat phase in which the Deathmaster is deployed, re-roll all hit rolls for units in the battalion. Arguably a must have for any Eshin-heavy lists. The main reason to take this battalion is for that extra relic to make your Deathmaster more killy.

==Allied Armies==

If you devote yourself to a particular clan it's been FAQ'ed that you can’t take another skaventide clan as allies. FAQ explicitly states that models with the SKAVEN keyword (which is pretty much everything Skaven) cannot be taken as allies in a Skaventide army.

*'''One-Eyed Grunnok''': A Warstomper Mega-Gargant available to all Chaos factions. Recruit a your own monstrous centerpiece at the cost of your entire allied points allowance. He’s a best used right in the heat of combat where he can throw enemies at each other and disrupt enemy formations. Re-rolls jump attacks of 1, plus enemies get -1 to hits on previous jump attacks of 6.

===Nurgle===

Our one and only ally option. Only permitted if you take a Pestilens Warlord. There are a lot of options here (over 30 leaders!) so it's recommended you look through the [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Age_of_Sigmar/Tactics/Chaos/Maggotkin_of_Nurgle#Named_Characters Maggotkin of Nurgle Tactics] page if you're considering them as an ally.

*Horticulous Slimux can spawn a single Feculent Gnarlmaw that allows your Nurgle units to advance and charge when near it. This can make spacing your forces a lot easier and help ensure you get to initiate fights on your terms.

A quick note here - you, unfortunately, can't use any of the Nurgle spells like Blades of Putrefaction when allying with Nurgle, since you will only get access to these spells if your army is NURGLE allegiance (as "the Lores of Nurgle" is an Allegiance Ability).

{{Age_of_Sigmar_Tactics}}

M4 Sherman

2023-02-10T04:03:48Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* M4 Calliope */

{{America}}

{{topquote|War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want.|General William Tecumseh Sherman}}

{{topquote|Someone call the cavalry?|M4 Sherman, Company of Heroes}}

[[File:M4 Sherman.png|thumb|I can be whatever you want me to be baby.]]
The '''M4 Sherman''' is the poster child of freedom, the Freeaboo's ideal body type, and the backbone of the Western allies' armored forces. It was mass produced at a higher rate than even the Russian [[T-34]], and came out as the 2nd most produced tank of the war. It came in a dizzying number of variants, with a wide variety of weapons, engines, and even suspensions and hull types. It is one of only a few tanks to be deployed on all theaters of the war, including the Eastern Front, China, and the Pacific. It's one of the first tanks to enter service with stabilization for the main gun. It's reliable, easy to fix, ergonomic, and extremely versatile, both in Flames of War and in real life.

For all this, the Sherman tends to get a bad rep. Most of this focuses on it's armor and firepower, which is weaker than [[Panther|German]] [[Tiger|tanks]] of the later war period. We won't get into this debate here more than to say that you will have to find ways to compensate for your weaker armor and cannon when going up against German and Soviet heavy tanks as a Late War Flames of War player. However, with effective combined arms, mobile tactics, and a little bit of luck the M4 will serve you just as reliably as it served the allies in World War 2.

==In Mid War==
===American===
===British===
==In Late War==
==='''American'''===
The M4 Medium Tank is just as it was in Mid War, but this time with far better crews! The Americans get the option of "trained" M4 crews that are hit on a 3+ and have a 3+ last stand, or "Veteran" M4 crews that trade all that in for a 4+ to hit and a 3+ tactics. What really makes the M4 stand out in the American force is its 'Stabilizer' special rule. This lets the M4 maintain it's rate of fire of 2 on the move, though it suffers a -1 to hit. This gives you a higher chance of hitting a shot in almost all situations, making the American M4 the king of mobile warfare and exceptionally flexible. A second point in the Sherman's favor is the sheer number of machineguns it brings, pumping out 5 shots per tank stationary and making it very capable at pinning enemy infantry and blocking enemy infantry assaults.

The US has a few different platoons to bring their M4s in late war. The first is the Dday formations, which bring M4 Sherman and Sherman 76 platoons. Compared to the bulge platoons, the 76mm platoons are more expensive and the 75mm platoons are slightly cheaper for their value. That being said, the Dday formations are less flexible than the Bulge formations, with homogenous platoons and fewer M4 variants available.

The Bulge formations is where the Sherman really blossoms into its full potential. The US unlocks access to the Late 75mm M4, the Easy Eight, the Jumbo, HVAP ammo, and up armored M4 variants. The coolest part though is that you can mix and match any of these variants freely within a platoon, letting you essentially customize your force completely ''down to the individual tank'' (with the exception being that you can only bring one jumbo per unit, including the HQ). Do you want something to hunt heavy tanks? Boom, E8s with HVAP, maybe a jumbo. You want something a bit more durable to maybe duel with enemy heavies and mediums? Slap a Jumbo 76mm on with some 76mm M4s and add some 75mm M4s with smoke. Need something cheaper to support and flank? Bring base M4s and tack on a jumbo for some good survivability. The possibilities are truly as endless as your imagination.

First off, we'll go over some of the command card options available in the Bulge: American book. The first is HVAP. This card costs half a point per tank and boosts all your 76mm cannons to pen 13. This is practically a must take, taking your 76mm M4s from scary medium tank hunters to capable heavy tank hunters as well for a relatively trivial rise in points.

Second is the uparmored sherman. This can be added to M4 (late), M4 (76mm), and E8s on an individual tank basis. This costs a point and boosts the front and side armor by one in exchange for a -1 on its cross rating. This can really help deal with medium tanks like the Stug and Panzer IV, but still leaves you rather vulnerable to heavy AT and limits your ability to take cover from them. As such, it really depends on your local meta if you take these: if PaK 40s and stugs or other medium tanks are the thing where you're at, or if you just really like the look, then take them! If not, it's not really worth it.

====M4 Sherman====
This is the generic stat card for the M4, M4A1, and early M4A2s in US service. The base M4 Sherman is a cheap middle of the road tank with a cannon that can deal with enemy medium tanks and armor that keeps it safe against light and medium antitank guns. That said, AT10 will struggle against the side armor of 8 on heavy tanks like the Tiger and IS-2, meaning that while the 75mm is a capable vehicle in most situations, it struggles against heavy tanks. Use the maneuverability provided by the stabilizer and artillery smoke to avoid enemy heavy tanks and heavy antitank guns and focus on breaking through and exploiting enemy light vehicles and medium tanks. This is where the M4 truly shines, being cheap and mobile. In addition, it has direct fire smoke, meaning that this tank can act in support to help smoke out enemy tanks and cover your own infantry and tanks from enemy infantry and antitank guns.
====M4 Calliope====
[[File:M4 Sherman Calliope Statcard.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Exorcist Multiple Missile Launcher|"Can you hear an Organ play?"]]]]
Rocket's on a armored platform, and before you ask, the gun is [[pretend|fake]].

====M4 (Late)====
This is the stat card for the later model M4A2s and M4A3s in US service. These models had their frontal armor increased to 65mm and wet stowage installed, but retained the reliable 75mm cannon. In game this gives them bonuses to frontal armor and remount, something that can really help in duels with German panzers. This tank is just as versatile and capable as the base vehicle, though without improved penetration it will still struggle to deal with heavier enemy armor.

====M4 (105)====
The M4 (105) is the odd one out here, being essentially an artillery/assault gun variant on the Sherman. It's got an AT9, FP2+, Brutal and Slow-Firing 105mm gun as well as the FA7 of the 76mm Sherman. All in all, it's kinda hard to find a place for, trying to fill a niche that doesn't really exist. It's got the armor to go toe to toe with enemy mediums, but not the penetration. It's helpless against heavies. It's job as artillery is done better by the cheaper priest and 105mm towed artillery. It lacks the volume of fire to deal with enemy infantry platoons in direct fire. It may find a place hunting enemy light and medium AT guns, but it will get slaughtered by enemy heavy AT. It might be useful as an integrated artillery asset in an M4 tank company, but you have so many other units you can put in there, why bother. If someone comes up with a use for this thing, let me know!

====M4 (76)W====
This stat card represents the M4 (76)W, M4A1 (76)W, M4A2 (76)W, and M4A3 (76)W fielded by the US. The M4 (76) is a capable enough antitank vehicle, with a 76mm high velocity gun that bumps the antitank up to 12, wet stowage that gives it a 3+ remount, and a front armor of 7 thanks to the up armored T23 turret. This, combined with the stabilizer, makes it a capable QRF vehicle for dealing with heavy tank breakthroughs as well as the king of dueling with enemy medium tanks. It also makes it a relatively pricy vehicle, with a full veteran platoon coming in at 28 points for 5. Nevertheless, this is currently ''the'' final word in American antitank and will serve you well if used properly. Consider escorting them with some form of infantry to help assault and capture enemy tanks, because FP3+ always bails when you need it to kill and chances are you really can't afford to lose these tanks. Something worth noting is the "No HE" rule on the main gun, meaning it suffers against infantry, but if you were looking for an infantry killer you shoulda just gone with the cheaper 75mm anyway.

====M4A3E8 Easy Eight====
[[File:Sherman Ez8 Statcard.jpeg|thumb|left|[[wikipedia:Easy (Commodores Song)#Im Easy/Be Aggressive|"Cause I'm eaaaasssaayyy~!"]]]]
The E8 takes everything the 76mm does and does it better. For a point boost, it gets 2 major bonuses: a 2+ cross and smooth ride, which essentially says that as long as it moves less than 4" it fires as if it was stationary. This is essentially a '''free''' blitz move that lacks some of the major drawbacks of an actual blitz move: you can assault following it (lmao you better be desperate to assault with M4s) and you can stack it with a regular blitz move to get an 8" blitz. This makes them the unparalleled masters of terrain and reserves, with their ability to reliably traverse all kinds of terrain and shoot at full rate of fire on their first turn on the table. That said, these things come with a hefty price tag: 7 points per tank for the elite variant, as much as a Soviet IS-2 heavy tank, and its not very tough for that cost. Be careful with them, use terrain and smoke to keep them alive so they can do their job. You aren't a brainlet Soviet or German player that can just push his tanks forward and suck up shots, you're a US player, be smart about it. It's generally smart to take this variant by itself, since the other variants will often slow it down, particularly the Jumbo.

====M4A3E2 Jumbo====
One tank in each Sherman platoon may be upgraded to one of the heaviest armored tanks in the game, the M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo. This thicc boi has front armor 11 and side armor 8 and comes in 2 variants, the 75mm and 76mm. Paired with the target allocation rules and smart use of terrain and distance, this tank can effectively halve the number of casualties you take to AT14 cannons ''at least.'' This does come with a massive drawback though: 4+ cross. This really limits your options when it comes to using terrain and advancing through walled fields, though its armor reduces your need for such cover. Consider pairing it with a lucky card to help with the occasional failed armor or target reallocation.

==='''British'''===
The US provided the British with 17,184 Sherman Tanks of all models throughout the war.

A notable British variant was the Firefly, which carried a QF 17-pounder 76.2mm cannon. Introduced in early 1944, Sherman Fireflies could pierce the armor of Panther and Tiger Tanks.

As a notable aside, it was the Brits who decided to give the M4 medium tank the official designation of Sherman.

==='''Soviet'''===
Some 4,102 Sherman Tanks were sent to the USSR as part of Lend Lease. These were notably equipped with Diesel Engines so they could use the same fuel that T-34s used. Fun fact: the Soviets that got to ride into lend-lease Shermans were full of praise about it, rating it as equal or even better than their own T-34; unlike the M3 which they called the "grave for seven brothers". The higher level of quality control also played a factor in it's success on the battlefield, with the survival rate of M4 crews being 4% higher than that of T-34 crews.

==In Real Life==
[[File:M4 Sherman IRL.jpg|thumb|"This American tub's not half bad wot?"]]

The M4 epitomizes the US Government's commitment to supplying its soldiers with massive quantities of good enough equipment. From the onset, the M4 was designed to maximize ease of repair and part longevity over all other concerns since the damn thing had to serve an ocean away from the factory making the parts for them. Mechanically, it was largely a continuation of the ''definitely not good enough'' M3, minimizing the amount of factory changes needed to produce it. Ultimately M4s would be churned out by a dozen companies with half a dozen different engine setups, ranging from V8s to twin diesels to repurposed aircraft engines (this was originally designated by the "Able" suffix; the Army's preferred V8 Sherman was the M4A3. Meanwhile Britain used Roman numerals and proper names, so their preferred multi-bank engine M4A4 instead became the Sherman V). Its slab-sided high profile was a consequence of a secondary requirement that it be easily transportable by existing railroads, which initially limited its overall width to 103 inches. It is fitting then that with all these considerations in mind, most of which were pragmatic consideration for logistics of waging an overseas war, that the vehicle would be named after one of the United States' most infamously pragmatic Generals.

Contrary to popular belief, the Sherman was very much intended to fight other tanks; its original 75mm gun M3 (the same as the M3's sponson gun, but more sensibly mounted in the turret) was the best possible tank gun the Americans had at the start of the war, and projects to find a replacement began as early as 1942. The 75mm was adequate against Panzer IIIs and IVs and could perform surprisingly well against the big cats as battles like Arracourt demonstrate. 75mm HE ammo was also highly regarded for its ability to kill enemy infantry (and this ''was'' a pretty significant consideration for tankers, with one tank battalion claiming to have used 55 AP rounds in 5 months but 19,634 HE rounds during that same time), and the Marine Corps retained the older Shermans for this reason while 76mm-using Sherman's HE rounds were largely considered disappointing by comparison (containing a third less explosive filler).

Additionally, the tank was technically supposed to be capable of providing anti-air fire with the M2 Browning 50. caliber machine gun attached at the back of the turret; however, the other methods the Allies used to control the skies were working well enough that the gun in this spot was rarely used in this role. Instead, they tended to be used against infantry and light armored vehicles, with aircraft as something of an afterthought. Early variants had the M2 mounted on the rear of the turret on the principle of supporting infantry using it, but many later had it moved to the front to be fired from inside the metal deathbox by one of the crew. More so, it was just American doctrine, due to the obscene number of M2s manufactured before and during the war, to bolt the damn things onto any vehicle that could take them. This tradition continues to this day, everyone and their dog in the vehicle sections has an M2.

Early attempts to add more powerful guns resulted in extremely cramped turrets, significantly compromising the ability to lay guns and make follow-on shots. The British decided the added anti-tank ability was worth the compromises, resulting in the Ic and Vc "Firefly" tanks incorporating their massive 17 pdr gun; these were effectively ambush vehicles, and would always be incorporated into larger units with 75mm Shermans. The US would finally adapt the T23 turret (with 76mm gun M1) from the Pershing prototypes in the "easy six" conversion, although very few of these tanks arrived in Europe in time for D-Day.

Like most prewar US tanks, the Sherman incorporated a bogie suspension system, with its initial incarnation using a vertical volute spring for each bogie. This made replacement of suspension elements very easy in the field, compared to a Christie or torsion bar system. However, the Sherman had more limited roadwheels, narrower tracks and a correspondingly higher ground pressure, making it a more difficult tank to operate in rough terrain. The US Army would attempt to mitigate this through "duckbill" end connecters, giving a somewhat wider track (the tank pictured has both a VVSS suspension and duckbills). Later, the "easy eight" modification introduced a new suspension bogie, with dual road wheels and a horizontal volute spring. The HVSS would make the Sherman more of an off-road contender, and its smoother travel allowed tanks to more effectively shoot on the move.

In spite of this, the Sherman gained a reputation for being a deathtrap on tracks that would go up in flames or explode after suffering a hit with even the Jerries being said to nickname them "Tommycookers", which had some basis due to poor storage of ammo, but later variants moved the ammo and introduced wet-ammo storage to mitigate this (In reality, most burning tanks are the result of deliberate overkill to prevent recovery). Their height tended to be a liability in open plains, making them easier to see and hit, and harder to employ in ambushes compared to casemate assault guns like Hetzers or Archers. By the end of the war the vehicle suffered against the immense number of weapons that could penetrate it, because two [[Nazi|fanatical]] [[Communism|retards]] thought that having a tank arms race was hilarious. Compare this to the Pacific Theater, where the Sherman was better than literally any of the tanks the Japanese were fielding operationally.

Shermans, being one of the most modular chassis in the entire war, had tons of variants that we won't waste your time with. Instead, we'll just focus on the two cool ones: The "105 Sherman" and the Flame variant.

Officially called the M4A3(105), the Sherman 105 is what happens when you look at the [[M8 Scott|Scott]], decide that its a good start, then proceed to shove a 105mm howitzer in the turret of a larger tank. 500 were built, and they were used in much the same role as the Scott fully replacing the [[M7 Priest]] in armor battalions. The 105 would go on to serve after his brothers had been withdrawn from US service until the end of the Korean War.

The U.S. Marine Corps, somewhat fed up with dealing with people with Katanas and bayonets at close range with flamethrowers decided to yank out the cannon and shove in a heavy flamethrower, creating an "M4 Zippo". It gave up its anti-tank capability and shared the same overall shortcomings as the conventional M4, but Marines loved this thing, because torching the enemy in their caves and bunkers with a [[Metal Boxes|MEHTUL BAWK]] was vastly better than going in after them with nothing but a shirt and a prayer between you and their bullets. Officially called the M4A3R3 because technical designations.

Despite it's shortcomings as a combat vehicle, the Sherman can easily be considered one of the "greatest tanks of WW2". Sure, it didn't fire [[Tiger|88mm shells of death over 2km]], or [[T-34|shrug off dozens of 40mm AT shells]], but no one can deny that it fulfilled one goal that almost no other tank fielded in that conflict could: That it was everywhere that it was needed and did its job well enough, and could do just about anything you needed it to, from the Deserts of North Africa to the Jungles of Burma, the Mountain Passes of Italy, the Beaches of the Pacific, the Rice Fields of China, the Steppes of Russia, the Hedgerows of Normandy, and finally the Streets of Berlin. The Sherman was everywhere.

Israel used the upgraded M-50 and M-51 "Super Shermans" retrofitted with high velocity French 75mm and 105mm guns in that order. These Shermans both served until the end of the Yom Kippur War. The M-50 was given as aid to Israel aligned factions in the Lebanese Civil War and some were exported to Chile which retrofitted 60mm self loading autocannons until being replaced by Leopard 1s. The post-war models saw combat service until 1999 when they were withdrawn from Yugoslav War service. Paraguay had 10 for training and support and 5 in storage usually deployed for parades until 2018 when these last few were retired from service.

{{US Forces in Flames of War}}
{{British Forces in Flames of War}}
{{Soviet Forces in Flames of War}}

Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Chaos/Skaven

2023-02-10T03:41:38Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:D1B7:C44E:CEE3:2C47: /* Battleline */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Skaven|Logo=Capture131114532.png|Alliance=Chaos|Motto=DIE DIE SOLDIER MANTHINGS DIE!!!!}}

The vermin horde is back with a bang! And a confusing battleline selection system!

==Why Play Skaven==

===Pros===
* Hordes of vicious rats and rat monsters too.
* All the Skaven clans reunited under one faction.
* Gnawholes
* Basically it's own mini Grand-Alliance with 40+ Warscrolls to choose from.
* Your access to the various clans give you extreme versatility. Need highly mobile infantry to harass the backline or nab objectives? Eshin. Want monsters or inexpensive monstrous infantry? Moulder. Do you need hordes and hordes of chaff? Verminus. Maybe you want to claim ranged superiority at all costs. In that case, better grab some Skryre. Are you looking to play a highly offensive army that can dish out tons of mortal wounds? Pestilens are your guys. And if you ever need any magic, Masterclan are always there to help you out.
* Most units are viable in casual games
* [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/JoJo%27s_Bizarre_Adventure SKAVEN SCIENCE IS THE BEST-BEST OF THE MORTAL REALMS!!!]
* Your models are ancient and that is both a blessing and curse. As a blessing it means the sculpts on your basic troops (Clan rats, Plague Monks and Night Runners) are old, but cheap.At 42 dollar's per 20 bodies you have one of the better dollar per model count ratios of the GW hoard armies, Imperial guard for example have to pay 60$ for 10, albiet with newer sculpts. Which is good since it's tottally in the realm of reason to bring 100 clan rats and still have over a thousand and a half points for other more killy toys.
* Do you want unrestricted industrial total war with absolutely no redeeming qualities capable to put to shame even the other Chaos aligned forces? Then look no further! Thematically speaking the Skaven use every single piece of grotesque nastiness developed by a WW<strike>1</strike>2 tech level society including radioactive, chemical and biological warfare, flamethrowers, snipers, gatling guns, human, eh, I mean (slave)rat-wave tactics as well as mechanized cavalry, all further powered by scifi-level technological stuff like tesla weaponry, dimensional portals and genetically engineered and cybernetically enhaced monstrosities as well as daemon-powered black magic and honest-to-Great-Horned-Rat ninjas! You can enjoy playing the villain seeing all the inferior silly fantasy/renaissance tech level "things" with their swords and bows die against the [[nazi| superior master race]] while you twirl your evil whiskers, yes-yes!

===Cons===
* Infantry as durable as wet paper.
* Nothing with better than a 4+ save (besides the Arch-Warlock) and good luck getting those 30 stormvermin in cover.
* Characters are key to most Skaven armies and will need constant protection - They die, the army crumbles.
* Most Skaven units rely on other units for something, making the contesting of multiple objectives difficult.
* Spell lores are exclusive to Grey Seers or Clan Skryre; other mages limited to general and personal spells. (Which is okay since the Grey Seer spell lore is terrible outside of Death Frenzy)
* Skyre Overcharges have become more dangerous with a Higher chance of Death.
* In terms of allies, you only have one, Nurgle.
* Your life will revolve around battleshock with no units save Verminlords going above Bravery 6.
* This also means that any army who can debuff your bravery (like undeath in general) will probably be your worst enemies.
* If you play Eshin, Pestilens or Verminus as core army's units, accept an endless move phase and the hate of your adversary. (That's what movement trays are for)
* Your models are ancient and that is both a blessing and curse.As a curse A huge chunk of the more elite part's of the army such as Warplocks or weapon teams are stuck with 20+ year old sculpts that are either [[Finecast| failcast]] or metal. Both aren't readily available so you'll have to order directly off the GW store or get used to having to convert the simplistic scuplts of your ancient, but cheap,troop models.

==Rulebooks==
{{AOSRulebooks|tome=Skaven|points=[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/b52ed84a.pdf Skaven Errata]|FW=1}}

'''Additional:''' Broken Realms: Kragnos
==Allegiance Abilities==

===Allegiance Traits===
*'''Lead From the Back''': Enemies take -1 to hit non-monster Skaven Heroes when they're within 3" of any units with 3+ models. After all, those hordes of clanrats are made to die in place of your clawlord.
*'''Scurry Away''': During combat phase, an unmounted hero may always retreat instead of fighting. Again, your hero is more valuable than your hordes.

*'''Strength in Numbers''': For every ten models in a Skaven unit, you improve the range of their melee weapons by 1". This can be quite vicious on larger blobs of Plague Monks and Stormvermin. Or ocassionally on Clanrats if buffed.

===Battle Traits===
*'''''Masterclan'''''
**'''Skilled Manipulators''': Whenever a non-monster Masterclan hero takes a wound or rolls a Ward save, roll a d6 for one Skaven unit of 3+ models within 3". On a 3+, you instead allocate that wound to the nearby unit, preserving your Grey Seer's life at the expense of the rats he commands. Everything becomes a Grey Seer's bodyguard now.
**'''Always Three Clawsteps Ahead''': Only usable if you field 3+ Masterclan heroes. After you have one unit charge/run on that turn, you can use that same roll for the run/charge actions of other units in that phase while letting one unit pile in during the fight phase lets other units within 3" of their enemies pile in as well.
***<strike>''NOTE: This works extremely well with Clan Moulder's "Crack The Whip" ability which adds 3" to a Pack unit's charge roll - Which you can in turn apply to all your other units. Can make for some really aggressive moves.</strike> No longer works as per the latest FAQ.

*'''''Clan Moulder'''''
**'''Prized Creations''': At the start of the game, you can assign a Hellpit Abomination (or several if you field 3+ Master Moulders) with a special mutation, barring any duplicates. Note, that you don't need a Master Moulder for the first buff.
***''Toughened Sinews'': The Abomination now gets 16 wounds and a 4+ save, buffering their peak effectiveness a little. Probably the best all-comers pick.
***''Lumbering Behemoth'': The Abomination gets a 7" movement and all run rolls are automatically 7.
***''Quivering Bulk'': +1 to rolls for Avalanche of Flesh
***''Accelerated Regeneration'': The Abomination's regeneration rolls are now activated on any hero phase, including your enemy's. What a way to piss off any limited-use kamikazes.
***''Best-Best Warpstone Spikes'': Re-roll when using the Warpstone Spikes ability.
***''Backup Organs'': The Abomination has so many redundant organs that you can re-roll for the Too Horrible to Die ability.

*'''''Clan Eshin'''''
**'''Masters of Murder''': Pick an enemy hero, all Eshin units can add 1 to hit and to wound rolls against them. If you pick up 3+ Eshin heroes, this benefit extends to anyone attacking any heroes, not just the designated target, but only for melee attacks.

*'''''Clan Verminus'''''
**'''Mighty Warlords''': A new Heroic Action that lets a Clawlord pick out a second faction Command Trait to use on top of their existing one until the end of the turn, providing momentary perks for key situations. If you pick up 3+ Clawlords then you can use this action on all Clawlords, letting each one pick up a unique Command Trait.

*'''''Clans Skryre'''''
**'''Warpstone Sparks''': At the start of the game, you gain 3+d3 Warpstone Sparks so long as you take a Skyre hero (upped to d6+3 if you take 3+ Skyre heroes). A Spark can be spent once per phase on your '''Skryre''' units to:
**#Reroll a wizards' casting, dispelling and unbinding rolls for that phase.
**#Reroll a Hero's to Hit rolls for that phase.
**#Pick a hero and choose up to 3 '''SKRYRE''' units wholly within 13" of them. Add +1 to the Damage characteristic of missile weapons used by these units for that shooting phase.
***Along with the theme of instability, at the end of the appropriate phase, roll a die, on a 1 the wizard or hero chosen suffers D3 Mortal Wounds. Magical Uranium, everyone!

*'''''Clan Pestilens'''''
**'''Echoes of the Great Plagues''': Pestilens priests add +1 to their prayer rolls for each fellow Pestilens priest wholly within 13". Once per turn, when a Pestilens Priest makes a successful prayer roll of a 6+, you can manifest one of six Great plagues, each of which can only be used once per battle. 4/5 of the plague's effects the nearest eligible unit so have placement in mind and bring a lot of Priests to more reliably get a six once per turn.
**#'''Bubonic Blightplague:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" suffers 2d6 mortal wounds. If the unit is then destroyed, pick another enemy unit 6" of the last model removed and inflict D6 mortal wounds. If this too destroys an enemy unit, pick another enemy unit within 6" of the last model removed and deal d3 mortal wounds. Repeat this process until no unit gets wiped out or there are no other units in range.
**#'''Crimsonweal Curse:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound, and it and other enemy units within 1" of that infected unit suffer a 1 mortal wound during your future hero phases. Forever.
**#'''Redmaw Plague:''' The nearest enemy Hero within 13" becomes infected. If within 3" of friends but no enemies at the start of the combat phase, gain ownership of that hero for the rest of the phase.
**#'''The Neverplague:''' Pestilens Priests may reroll prayer rolls for the rest of battle. Should always be the first you set off unless something horrible went wrong.
**#'''Undulant Scourge:''' The nearest enemy unit within 13" rolls 1D6 for each member of the unit; the unit takes a mortal wound for every 4+ rolled.

===Command Traits===
Your General, depending on its type, gets to choose one trait from the appropriate list.

<tabs>
<tab name="Shared">
*'''Devious Adversary:''' if your general fights in melee against a unit that hasn't fought yet add 2 to the attacks characteristic of each of their weapons.
</tab>
<tab name="Masterclan">
*'''Supreme Manipulator:''' When you take a heroic action you can Re-roll the heroic leadership roll
*'''Master of Magic:''' Re-roll all casting, dispelling, and unbinding. Insane pickup for ensuring you get to cast key Endless spells and ''especially'' for shutting down key enemy spells.
*'''Diabolical Schemer:''' Roll a D6 each time your opponent issues a Command within 13" on a 5 the command isn't recieved, they lose that command point and you receive it instead. This can be nerve-wracking for armies that rely on key command abilities for buffs/bravery mitigation. You're likely to steal a CP each game, which, depending on when it happens, can really throw a wrench in certain game plans. Probably not worth it over the trait above though.
</tab>
<tab name="Skryre">
*'''Masterful Scavenger:''' Receive 2 extra warpstone sparks. Not the best trait, but still generally preferable to the shared ones if you're taking a large Skryre army.
*'''Deranged Inventor:''' 1 friendly Skryre unit wholly within 13" can add 1 to hit rolls for missile attacks this phase. Take along a Bombardier with this, pop some warp-crack, and watch those Jezzails start pulling off 360 no-scopes with the precision of a mountain-dew infused CoD enthusiast. 2+ to hit against protected characters is nothing scoff at. It seems this is specifically aimed towards buffing Stormfiends and Acolytes.
*'''Overseer of Destuction:''' If a unit within 13" is hiding a weapon team and they're destroyed, you can save the weapon team and set it back up wholly within 3" of your general and 3" away from enemies.
**Might be useful but at initial glance seems like a trait only useful for when you make a mistake.
</tab>
<tab name="Pestilens">
*'''Master of Rot and Ruin:''' +1 to chanting rolls for this general. Prayers being re-rollable is pretty solid and will help you get those Great Plagues faster than ever. Kind of redundant with The Neverplague, but also makes it to where you don't ''need'' to activate it immediately and can chuck some mortal wounds at a nearby enemy instead.
*'''Architect of Death:''' +1 to plagueclaw missile attacks damage characteristic wholly within 18”. Only affects Plagueclaws. If you're spamming catapults, may as well throw this in. Not that you should spam catapults though.
*'''Ridden with Poxes:''' At end of combat phase, roll a dice if within 3” of an enemy, on a 4+ inflict D3 mortal wounds on one of those units. Meh.
</tab>
<tab name="Verminus">
*'''Verminous Valour:''' The Masterclan Skilled Manipulators ability, but it gets passed to any Skaven unit regardless of size.
*'''Savage overlord:''' If a Skaven unit within 3" fails Battleshock you can make them take d3 mortals instead. One of the 4 Battleshock prevention methods at our disposal.
*'''Powerful Alpha:''' First 2 wounds, regular or mortal, EACH PHASE are negated.
</tab>
<tab name="Moulder">
*'''Cunning Mutator:''' the Masterclan skilled manipulators ability, but it gets passed to any Moulder unit regardless of size.
*'''Hordemaster:''' Once per battle when a pack unit is destroyed you roll a die and on a 3+ an identical unit replaces it and it's set up wholly withing 13" of the general and 9" away from enemies. Only once, you can't replace a unit you already replaced, but you CAN roll to replace a unit twice. Roll using the Master Moulder first and if that doesn't work, roll again with Hordemaster.
*'''Moulder Supreme:''' +1 to hit and wound rolls for friendly fighting beasts wholly within 13". Essential if you're running a bunch of Moulder. Can be replaced with the Rabid Crown and Crack the Whip to give +1/+1 when not going full monstrosity.
</tab>
<tab name="Eshin">
*'''Unrivalled Killer:''' Counts as 2 eshin heroes for Eshin battle traits.
*'''Incredible Agillity:''' Can fly and can finest hour twice instead of once. Lets you charge over units and reach key targets after you set up your Deathmaster.
*'''Shadowmaster:''' Whilst within 1” of terrain unit is invisible and can't be shot with missile weapons. Great way to keep your Deceiver from being sniped early in the game.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Artefacts Of Power===

One Hero (plus an additional hero for each battalion), gets to choose an artefact from the appropriate list.

<tabs>
<tab name="Masterclan">
*'''The Gnawshard:''' Pick a melee weapon, if this weapon inflicts a wound it continues to inflict 1 mortal wound at the end of each battle round. (What's that sticking out of your neck?)
*'''Skavenbrew:''' A favorite returning from WHFB. Once per <strike>battle</strike> turn, in your hero phase, 1 friendly unit within 3" suffers D3 mortal wounds but adds 1 to its attacks characteristic until your next hero phase.
*'''Staff of Rightful Supremacy:''' -1 from enemy wizards casting rolls within 13". Once per battle it can automatically dispel an endless spell. With all the other good artifacts around, this is a skip.
</tab>
<tab name="Skryre">
*'''The Brass Orb:''' Once per battle, at the start of your hero phase, the pick an enemy unit within 6" and roll a die on a 3+ they get teleported away. Remove them from the battlefield, then at the end of the turn they have to be set up wholly within their territory more than 9" away from enemies. Kinda neat if you're rocking a full-on ranged army. Really clunky though, as it is during ''your'' hero phase and has a range of 8.
*'''Esoteric Warp Resonator:''' At the start of each battle round, gain a Warpstone Spark if the bearer is on the battlefield, only to be used for the bearer and only for this battle round. Neat for larger Skryre armies.
*'''Vial of the Fulminator:''' At the start of the Movement phase, a Skryre Warmachine within 3" can move twice as fast. At the end of the phase, roll a dice, on a 1 the unit takes D3 mortal wounds. Literally +3" movement to specifically a Warp-lightning Cannon. And it takes damage. Hard Pass flesh-thing.
</tab>
<tab name="Pestilens">
*'''Blade of Corruption:''' Pick a melee weapon. If it's unmodified wound roll is 6 it's rend is -3 and its damage is a flat 6. Only useful on a Verminlord Corruptor, but in that case can be thought of as +0.83 damage to its Plaguereapers in addition to a rend-buff for that damage. Which is overall quite solid.
*'''The Fumigatous:''' Start of each combat phase, pick 1 enemy unit within 3”, roll a D6, on a 1-2 nothing happens, on a 3-4 that unit suffers d3 mortal wounds, on a 5+ it suffers D6 mortal wounds. Looks unimpressive on paper, but we're talking a lot of mortal wounds over time. Also notably at the start of the combat phase as opposed to the end.
*'''Blistrevous the Living Cyst:''' Strikes first if the bearer charged. Starting at the second battle round you must transfer to another '''Pestilens''' hero each of your hero phases. You want this on a Corruptor and Plague Furnace. If you have 2+ of either of them, this is a solid option - especially when combined with the Blade of Corruption for a really disgusting Corruptor.
</tab>
<tab name="Verminus">
*'''Shield of Distraction:''' Can't be fought by more than 1 unit per phase. Funky item on a Warbringer. Looks mighty silly when it charges an enemy army alone. Even sillier when it starts tearing said army apart.
*'''Rustcursed Armour:''' +1 to saves. At start of combat, pick an enemy hero with an artefact of power within 3" and roll 2D6. if it's higher than their bravery destroy the artefact (a 9.72% chance each turn(EDIT: Where does this number come from??? Depends on the enemy bravery)).
*'''Warpstone Charm:''' -1 to enemy saves within 3" At the beginning of your hero phase roll a dice. On a 1 take d3 mortal wound. Personally, I'd skip this one.
**''Alternate Take:'' Take on a Clawlord with Verminous Valor in conjunction with a Bell w/ Skavenbrew and a big unit of Clanrats. When the Clanrats don't need the extra attack, pop the brew on the Clawlord who can then redirect those mortal wounds right back to the bell - bringing you ever closer to that sweet sweet Verminlord. Same thing if you roll a 1 on the charm. Any mortal wounds not redirected only serves to power up the Clawlord himself through "Cornered Fury". The Charm comes in handy in this comp since none of the involved units have good Rend values - but very respectable damage outputs.
</tab>
<tab name="Moulder">
*'''Lash of Fangs:''' Pick 1 melee weapon, if unmodified hit roll is a 6 inflict d3 mortal wounds in addition to normal damage. Hard skip.
*'''Foulhide:''' Heal up to 1 wound each of your hero phases, and sets their base wounds characteristic to 10. This one's probably tied with the Crown for the best of the lot, as keeping your Master Moulder alive is top priority if Moulder units make up an important chunk of your army. Can be replaced with Cunning Mutator if you want the Rabid Crown. '''NOTE:''' Having a base wounds characteristic of 10 disallows the use of the "Look Out, Sir" rule, meaning you'll be much better protected against melee units, but pretty much the same against ranged.
*'''Rabid Crown:''' +1 to hit for '''Fighting Beast''' & '''Pack''' units within 13”. This is very VERY useful for turning Giant Rats into piranhas on legs. If running more fighting beasts, consider the Foulhide combined with Moulder Supreme.
</tab>
<tab name="Eshin">
*'''Shadow Magnet Trinket:''' Once per battle the bearer can fight first in combat phase. When deep striking your Deathmasters, they should never need to fight first since they should be getting hit that turn. And after that it'll probably situational. Skip.
*'''Farskitter Cloak''': Once per battle remove the bearer and set them up anywhere on the battlefield more than 9” from the enemy. It takes a relic for Eshin to deep strike decently. And that ability sure isn't worth an artifact slot.
*'''Gnawbomb:''' Once per battle 1 terrain feature within 6” becomes a Gnawhole until your next hero phase. Maybe useful? If you're mad enough to take it with a plan, let the rest of us rat-friends know how it goes.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Spell Lore===

<strike>Any</strike> Some Wizard Heroes, depending on their type, get to choose one spell from the appropriate list. Clans Pestilens Priests get one Noxious Prayer. Note, that the Verminlord Warpseer and Lord Skreech Verminking are Masterclan Wizards but not Grey Seers. Hence they do not gain a spell from the Lore of Ruin.

<tabs>
<tab name="Lore of Ruin">
''Grey Seers Only''
#'''Scorch''': casting 5, roll number of dice equal to casting roll, for each 6 an enemy unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound. If you're a big boy on a Bell or your name is Thanquol this on average deals a glorious 1.5/2 mortal wounds. Insert Owen Wilson Wauw.
#'''Skitterleap''': casting 6, 1 friendly hero with wounds characteristic of 13 or less (i.e. any hero except the bell, the furnace, and Thanquol) can be placed anywhere on the battlefield more than 9" from enemy units. Teleporting: no longer for the Deceivers alone. Use this to nab objectives, send a Warbringer to crush the enemy backline, or even as a panic button to get your Warpseer/Seer out of whatever bullshit you've gotten them into. Combos well with the gnawholes allowing you to skitterleap a Verminlord/Seer next to a Gnawhole deep in enemy territory, let off a couple of spells and then jump back in your movement phase.
**''Alternate Take:'' Most targets can't reliably charge the turn they leap and can't take the incoming charge when they fuck up their own. Also, remember how Skaven units rely on each other? Your rats will be very sad when you send your Bravery 10 bubble into the enemy backline.
#'''Death Frenzy''': casting 7, pick 1 Skaventide unit that is not a hero and wholly within 13", any model slain until the next hero phase can pile-in and attack.
#*It's worth noting that this applies to death from any source, so if your models are in combat then you may use this in reaction to shooting, spell damage, etc.
#* Anyone know if this pairs well with the Various suicide juices that skaven get (Skavenbrew, Vigourdust Injector, etc.)? Yes, rules state "When slain" with no indication on which source slayed the model. So, models slain from your Verminous Valor warlord trait will "death frenzy". It won't work with the Vigourdust Injector though, since those MWs are taken at the beginning of your NEXT Hero Phase in the window between the spell ending and being able to cast it again.
</tab>
<tab name="Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism">
''Clan Skryre Only''
#'''More-more-more Warp Power!''': casting 7, 1 SKRYRE unit within 13" +1 to hit and wound rolls until next hero phase. Then suffers D3 mortal wounds. Good with Stormfiends and Ratling Guns who (on average) can take the hit and survive.
#'''Chain Warp Lightning''': casting 7, each <strike>enemy</strike> unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound. Yes, it affects your own units and is therefore absolutely not worth it.
#'''Warp Lightning Shield''': casting 6, first 3 wounds allocated to the caster are negated (in each phase!). On a 4th wound the caster suffers 3 mortal wounds and the spell is unbound. Brilliant. Chow down on those Sparks without fear!
</tab>
<tab name="Noxious Prayers">
''Clans Pestilens Priests only''
#'''Disease-Disease!''': answer on 3, 13" range. 5+ deal MW for every model in enemy unit. No effect on Nurgle.
#'''Filth-filth''': answer on 3, 13" range. +1 toWound to one friendly Clans Pestilens unit until your hero phase.
#'''Rabid-rabid''': answer on 3, 13" range. +1 to melee attack to one friendly Clans Pestilens unit until your hero phase.
</tab>
<tab name="Endless Spells">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Vermintide.pdf Vermintide]:''' (60pts) useful as a Predatory damage dealer, when a unit is ends a move near it, roll 13 dice and they take mortal wounds for each 6. Can also do this to one nearby unit when it moves, chosen by the moving player. In the latest FAQ this now also affects any Skaven units.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Warp_Lightning_Vortex.pdf Warp Lightning Vortex]:''' (90pts) An Area Denial Spell, that creates a 7" equilateral Triangle( hard to set up on uneven Terrain) with any unit that is within 6" of it takes D3 mortal wounds on 4+ (D6 on an unmodified 6) with bonuses to the roll based on how many of the pylons they are in range of. If they happen to start their turn within 6" of it they can't run or fly. Combo with shackles and the warp gale spell from the grey seer. If all that gets cast the effect is brutal.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Endless_Spell_Bell_of_Doom.pdf Bell of Doom]:''' (85pts) Its a flying screaming bell! It has a janky "auto dispel itself and do damage" effect when moved with a low probability of happening. Otherwise it is a 13" no battleshock bubble which also reduces enemy bravery by 1. However, it must roll 3d6 whenever it finishes a move, and on a 13 it explodes and does d3 mortal wounds to everything (this includes your poor rats) within 13". Decent, but likely to be outshone by the vortex due to its risk factor and the ready availability of other, less temporary (and volatile) methods of negating battleshock.
</tab>
</tabs>

==Warscrolls==
*The following True Skaven, Verminlord Daemons, and Moulder pack animals and Fighting beasts are all united by the '''Skaventide''' Keyword.
===Named Leaders===

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Lord_Skreech_Verminking.pdf Lord Skreech Verminking]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 400pts) combining weapons from several of the vermin lord options and the same 5+ ward versus all damage, the king of the rats also brings a "choose each turn" multi-option buff that has six different effects. He can choose from +1 to spell casting, d3 wounds self-heal, exploding sixes mortal wounds off his plague reaper, - 1 to be hit by enemies or increased rend of the glaive from -1 to -3. In addition, he has the warpseer two spell cast and a really good spell that rolls 13d6 and does mortal wounds on a 4+ per dice. It then summons a unit of clan rats equal to wounds caused, making it go from good to amazing due to the potential swing on an objective being 14 on average (seven mortal wounds, seven new rats). He rounds off with a command ability that's a bubble of reroll 1s to hit within 13". A great character, although possibly outshone by the next guy...

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Thanquol.pdf Thanquol on Boneripper]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 415pts) oh lordy it's 415 points but you get a lot of bang for your buck here! The great grey seer and his custom ride are better than ever, combining solid spell casting and impressive ranged and melee damage with good resilience and a strong command ability in an all-round excellent package. Firstly, he's a 14 wound slab of health with the same 5+ ward after save on top of a 4+ normal save. This is supported by a d3 self heal every turn. The behemoth drop off isn't too bad either and bone ripper will be useful as long as it is alive. The good stuff is with Thanquol and his magic, boasting Arkhan the Black levels of casting buff, double cast and dispel, and a fantastic spell which forces enemy heroes to fight either their allies or even themselves. Hit the five times waagh buffed Warboss with this and he will literally beat himself to death! Thanquol also access the excellent lore of ruin as a grey seer. Bone ripper is no slouch either and can be equipped with any combination of up to four weapons chosen from warpfire projectors or braziers. The damage output can get crazy high and he has clubbing blows to back up whichever option suits you best. Four warpfire throwers are possibly one of the most rage-inducing answers to horde lists ever created...(Actually, that seems like huge overkill, two will on average hit every model in the unit that is in range for a mortal wound). Finally, Thanquol has a command ability which, whilst situational, will be amazing when needed. He spends one cp and grants, three other heroes, the ability to use the rules book standard command abilities for no cost. Combine this with the masterclan CP regain and you could harvest 3cp back for spending one...can anyone else say "faq"?

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Skritch_Spiteclaw.pdf Skritch Spiteclaw]:''' (Verminus, 165pts) Quite similar to the Clawlord, with a few key differences. He returns models to his Swarm. But, he lacks the +1 attack per suffered wound ability of the standard Clawlord. Else, the stats are all the same. Overall, a pretty good pick, take alongside his Swarm for obvious reasons.
**''Alternate Take:'' A Clawlord ticks in at 110pts. Swarm's 55 points. If you're gonna take a swarm with your Clawlord, take a Rat Swarm and keep Cornered Fury.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GnvshilvPiKWvp7A.pdf Slynk Skittershank]:''' (Eshin, 225pts) A Deathmaster who, instead of hiding in units, hides in terrain with his mandatory goons. When he strikes while within 3" of 'em he strikes first and can retreat afterwards. Not too impressive over a standard Deathmaster but his goons are cheap and nothing to scoff at. Also one of the few units that can Alpha strike since he comes in within 6".

===Leaders===

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Warbringer.pdf Verminlord Warbringer]:''' (Verminus, Behemoth, 395pts) Clan Verminus wizard daemon. like all Verminlords, he has 13 wounds, two spells per turn, degrading stats, a 5+ ward against wounds and mortal wound. Warbringers also re-roll wounds when near friendly swarms, and their punch-knife can deal extra damage. His best stuff is his command ability that lets Verminus to add 1 to hit and wound and a buffed Death Frenzy spell that affects D3 Skaventide units instead of the 1 (models get to attack as they are slain, but before you remove them) which can stack with death frenzy.
**Warbringer (and other Verminlords) one-up on Skreech is their access to command traits and artifacts. Which command trait you take will hugely impact your Warbringer's playstyle. Devious Adversary doubles the number of attacks with your Spike Fist and increases the chances that you will pick up that all-important 6 to wound. For a more defensive Warbringer, nab Verminous Valor and keep him close to units of Clanrats for what is essentially a 3+ Ward. If not running Valor, grab a unit of Stormvermin as stand-ins to give him a 2+ Ward in a pinch.
**The Warbringer is unfortunately ''not'' a Clawlord and can therefore not gain additional Warlord traits. So if you're running him with Clanrats or Stormvermin make sure you have something to help mitigate battleshock.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Deceiver.pdf Verminlord Deceiver]:''' (Eshin, Behemoth, 405pts) Clan Eshin wizard daemon. A sneaker Verminlord, with an anti-horde shuriken, an increased ability to dodge missiles, and the ability to teleport almost any distant '''Skaven hero''' to anywhere on the board more than 6" from an enemy. Teleport your Arch-Warlock smack in the middle of your opponent's forces, add a little bath-salts, and watch as your tesla bomb deals an absurd number of mortal wounds to everything around it (or explode in a blaze of drug-laced glory). A lot of dice need to be rolled for this to work out, but hey, why not?
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Corruptor.pdf Verminlord Corruptor]:''' (Nurgle Pestilens, Behemoth, 350pts) a Daemon of Clan Pestilens. Cast two spells and abilities to deal mortal wounds. His COMMAND ABILITY gives a Pestilens unit within range add 1 to hit and wound. Can hit hard in the first battle but brackets hard from 2d6 attacks to d3.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Verminlord_Warpseer.pdf Verminlord Warpseer]:''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 360pts) More Wizard of the Greater daemons and has an orb that gives a +1 to saves until you feel like chucking it a hero for D6 mortal wounds at 13". Gives friendly skaven wholly within 13" 10 bravery. Also counts as 2 Masterclans heroes for always three clawsteps ahead. Its spell can also cancel a units flying and halve run and charge rolls. Weirdly, due to the keyword restriction on spell lore, it can chuck out two spells per turn but can't know any of the lore spells. Good for the endless spells I guess?
*{{anchor|FWWarpgnaw}}'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ZSGu5E0qVvhlmEuC.pdf Warpgnaw Verminlord] (Forgeworld):''' (Masterclan, Behemoth, 275pts) '''Note: This model is now in the Monstrous Arcanum which is still legal for matched play.'''The former Exalted Verminlord. He's generally inferior to the GW ones with only a glaive that's not as good as a doomglaive but has consistent damage (though it is subject to damage). He lacks a Command Ability, his only ability is being able to make a sudden arrival through a vanguard Gnawhole. It also can cast two spells, with a unique spell that can kill a single model if you roll a d6 and roll higher than its wounds, making it only useful on foot heroes and really weak things otherwise. The Warpgnaw Verminlord no longer brings a unit with him. Instead only the Verminlord deepstrikes in next to a Gnawhole (although this doesn't stop another unit from appearing at the same Gnawhole at the same time due to the wording of this ability). It has gained 2 wounds and Terrifying.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Clawlord.pdf Clawlord]:''' (Verminus, 105pts)Your standard hero with 5 wounds, a 4+ save. he has 3 3+/3+/-1/d3 attacks and gains +1 attack for each missing wound he has. Not that you actually want this guy in close combat as his true worth is his command ability which lets you pick a VERMINUS unit wholly within 13" and give it an extra attack with each of its melee weapons. This is an amazing command ability for your rat horde as it gives your clanrats 100% increased damage output and your Stormvermin 50% increased damage output. It should be noted that Clawlords can pick up the same command traits as other non-Clawlord generals. This can be particularly useful with Verminous Valor as it essentially doubles his durability at the cost of a few Clanrats. He can also pick up an Arcane Tome for counter-spelling, casting Flaming Weapon, and completing Prized Sorcery.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warlock_Engineer.pdf Warlock Engineer]:''' (Skryre, 105pts) your Mad Science wizards. armed with a Wizard staff and Pistol. The staff can be overcharged for more damage. The only spells Warlocks know are Warp Lightning and one from the Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism. Warp Lightning is a 13" upgraded Arcane Bolt that has no limit to the number of times it can be cast and can be overcharged following the usual method. Now 10 points more expensive than before, meaning he's less of a no brainer choice.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warplock_Bombardier.pdf Warlock Bombardier]:''' (Skryre, 115pts) A Warlock with a Bazooka, which can overcharge its single shot's damage from d6 to 2d6. Otherwise, all the same stuff and engineer can do. Considering how little you'd want an engineer in combat, the ranged weapon on the bombardier seems like a straight upgrade over the melee variant.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Arch_Warlock.pdf Arch-Warlock]:''' (Skryre, 155pts) A Wizard in Power Armor. Has a Warlock staff, Powerclaw and can cast two spells. His Unique spell is a Warp Lightning that effects d3 units instead of one, but on a bad overcharge, you can kiss his furry arse goodbye. Probably not worth it for 40 points over a Bombardier, but hey if you need more magics, this is your guy.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Deathmaster.pdf Deathmaster]:''' (Eshin, 145pts) The Skaven Ninja, able to hide in every skaven unit at once like Schrodinger's Fanatic. They throw a bunch of stars then charge in with either a dagger with rend and d3 damage or claws with 7 attacks. Always best to give this guy artifacts that improve his hero killing powers. He’s also got a nice new model courtesy of the Echoes of Doom boxset.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Master_Moulder.pdf Master Moulder]:''' (Moulder, 90pts) A heroic Packmaster with two very respectable weapon options. It can Heal a Pack model d3 wounds and also gives Pack units +1 to wond in melee. A steal for 90 points if you plan on making Moulder a pillar in your army. His Command ability can replace a destroyed Moulder Pack unit on a roll of 3+, within 12" of him. This might not sound like much initially, but it has a global range (so even if the unit dies on the other end of the table, you can attempt to bring it back). This allows Moulder units to fearlessly accept charges before respawning and counter-charging. Moulder units are priced around this guy though, with neither Giant Rats or Rat Ogres being point-efficient, so if this dude dies before them you'll be very sorry.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Plague_Priest.pdf Plague Priest]:''' (Pestilens, 100pts) Your standard Pestilens hero. Surprisingly killy since he gets an extra attack for each weapon on the charge. Fairly inexpensive for the damage they can do and an easy way to get extra chances at a GREAT PLAGUE.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Plague_Priest_Plague_Furnace.pdf Plague Priest on Plague Furnace]:''' (Pestilens, Behemoth 335pts) It's 3 Plague Monks with a Plague Priest on a huge censer-thing. It can't move its 6" unless within 6" of 10 or more friendly Skaventide models and it makes 6 attacks with Rusty Wheels and Spikes. At full health, the Great Plague Censer now does an impressive 1d3+4 mortal wounds on a 2+. On top of this, it stops battleshock for Skaventide. You probably want 2 to make sure one or both of these buffs goes off on your Plague Monks. It's clearly a centerpiece. It will pack a punch thanks to the Censer, but it needs Plague Monks to push it around and <s>pushing stuff around and not charging is something Plague Monks with their awful survivability really don't like to do.</s> with blocks of 40 monks you'll usually be able to chain 10 of them back to push the furnace. Or just charge with the furnace first and have your monks charge up along side it. With look out sir in melee, 5+ fnp and the big death ball the furnace is right at home charging into combat with it's pushing crew of 40 monks.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Grey_Seer.pdf Grey Seer]:''' (Grey Seer, 125pts) A generic spellcaster, but to be honest he's quite good at that. Can now cast and unbind 2 spells and has a unique spell, Wither, which can cause D3 damage to most units and hero's alike, and it also debuffs them for the next combat round. However, his best ability is probably the Warpstone Token; when you cast a spell you can use a token ( you have infinite, by the way ) and if you do so you roll 3D6, if the result is 13 then the spell is cast and cannot be unbound... BUT your Grey Seer is slain after the effects of the spell. On anything other than a 13 you can remove one dice and use the remaining result as your casting. Pretty good, but has a 10% chance of killing him. For what it costs the Grey Seer is pretty good, and it's not a bad idea to use him in almost every Skaven list.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Grey_Seer_Screaming_Bell.pdf Grey Seer on Screaming Bell]:''' (Grey Seer, War Machine 325pts) Take a Grey Seer and put him on a GIANT BELL OF DOOM and you have the Screaming Bell, a war machine that can alternate between Priest and Wizard depending on your whims and gets hefty buffs to both. The first thing to know about the Bell is that it can't move on its own and needs to be pushed by a pack of friendly Skaven within 6". This movement reduces as the bell takes damage, which feels like a bit of a dick-kick since it makes your towing squad more vulnerable to any bombardment. This obviously means that it should stay close to the Skaven Infantry (which is where it should be in the first place). The most important ability of the Bell, however, is, of course, the bell! It peals in your Hero Phase, and to do so you have to roll 1d6 and see what effect the peal has. You only hurt yourself on a roll of 1, and that's D3 mortal wounds. The other effects are mixed, you can buff your army, damage the opponent's army. Oh, and did I mention that even if your bell takes damage the effect of the peals doesn't change? Yeah. The only thing that decreases is the boosts given to your casting and preaching, which is a bigger issue than any melee penalties. The Seer on top of the Bell knows a different spell from the dismounted one, this time it damages units with low Move. Unfortunately, the Seer loses the Warpstone Tokens. The Bell also has a 5+ ward save and has a pretty good ability that negates battleshock tests within 13". It costs 125 points more than a vanilla Seer, but I'm sure it will repay its price.
**Echoes of Doom has changed the Verminlord summoning to its own action. If the bell takes 7+ wounds, you can roll a d6 - it simply blows up on a 1 but on any other roll, it can summon that Verminlord if the total of wounds+roll amounts to a 13+.
**'''Alternate Take:''' The bell is the weirdest Skaven unit '''''by far'''''. It is RIDICULOUSLY tanky with 15 wound 4+/5+ and can allocate wounds naturally to nearby units on a 3+ should it so desire. This means you can regulate how much damage it takes in order to set yourself up for summoning that sweet sweet Verminlord. Should you manage to summon it, it is practically game over. Summon Skreech Verminking and you will have gained ~425 points of value. Not only that, but your newly summoned Verminlord, while needing to be more than 9" from enemies, is free to move and guaranteed charge in the following phases. There are some caveats however:
***The bell is anything but cost-effective in itself. Compared to a Verminlord it isn't killy enough in combat, it requires nearby rats and it's slow as balls. Also, Crack's Call is extremely limited in its application, dealing a measly 2 mortal wounds to slow infantry. The pushing crew will probably be clanrats who can bodyguard, which are, similarly to the bell, not damage dealers. The peals of doom aren't impressive either, with occasionally impactful results.
***With the bell being such a slow piece of shit, ridiculously tanky and non-threatening like a puppy, enemies are bound to do the one thing they should be doing: Ignore the damn thing. Don't be suprised if it by turn 3 is stranded in the middle of the table and proceeds to do nothing for the last 2 turns.
***Your counter to this counter is to give your puppy claws. Enter Endless Spells and Master of Magic. With +2 and re-roll of casting rolls, you are almost guaranteed to get them off and wreak some Havoc Physics Engine. In addition, with Master of Magic, the Grey Seer will be much more likely to unbind enemy spells, making your big bell much more of a nuisance.
***Did I mention that most Endless spells don't distinguish between friendly and enemy units? That's right, if you want something damaged right, the best way is to damage it yourself. Should your bell takes a solid portion of wounds, you can metaphorically push it over the edge through endless spells. Use that sweet +2 to casting rolls and watch as your Gnashrak's Ravenous Jaw takes your bell from a measly 6 damage to 11 to threaten the dreaded Verminlord summoning. Since the summoning happens at the beginning of your hero phase it's best to damage your bell when you're not in danger of being double-turned as you don't want your bell getting crumpled at the critical moment.

===Battleline===
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Skaventide}}</span>'''

''If you run a mixed SKAVENTIDE army these are your minimum required battlelines''
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*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Clanrats.pdf Clanrats]:''' (Clan Verminus Min:20 100pts) The bread and butter of many Skaven armies. They are cheap fodder and can take a huge amount of punishment so long as their battleshock is taken care of. They can dish out some damage too with Skavenbrew and Gnaw-Gnaw on their bones! But nothing which should be relied on with 4+/4+/-0.

Clanrats main functions are to take charges, push the furnace or bell and freight weapon teams closer to their intended targets. For Masterclan and Verminus heroes they are also the preferred choice for bodyguards since they’re only half the price of a Stormvermin.
**Always grab the sword. With the Strength in Numbers rule you'll usually have a reach of at least 2". Usually 3" with a blob of 40, making the spear redundant. The sword also scales better with buffs like Skavenbrew and Gnaw-Gnaw on Their Bones.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Stormvermin.pdf Stormvermin]:''' (Clan Verminus Min:10 135pts) Your in-a-pinch bodyguards. Currently priced as if no better options are available (which they usually are). They have a decent damage output and can be targeted by Gnaw-Gnaw on their bones! Which increases said damage output by 50%. They’re Skryre and Eshin heroes only opportunity for bosyguard and can help guard verminlords when necessary. Probably still not worth it compared to Clanrats as bodyguards nor Plague Censer Bearers as damage dealers.
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Eshin}}</span>'''

''You can include 1 unit of this type as a Battleline unit for each CLANS ESHIN HERO you include in your army.''
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*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Night_Runners.pdf Night Runners]:''' (Min:10 90pts) the mass vanguard slingers of Skaven. They can move 2d6” after setup and run and shoot. They have better aim than Grot Shootas and generate a mortal wound on a natural 6. Generally outclassed by the significantly cheaper clan rat, or the excessively killier plague censer bearer in mixed lists.
**On a turn they get to shoot and charge, 10 Night Runners will do more damage then what a unit of 20 clan rats would do at a 10 point cheaper price against all target's but the data get's a little more complicated. If you compare only the shooting to the clan rat's melee (thuse presuming your skirmishing with at range) They do a lot better against 2+, 3+ units but against 4+ save units there slightly worse, and there even worse save means there pop off the board even faster. In general: they like to be pointed at more specific high value targets they can theoretical trade up against.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Gutter_Runners.pdf Gutter Runners]:''' (Min:5 100pts) Elite version of Night Runners. Suffer the same fate as Night Runners too. In general they sport the same damage output at range as 100 points of clanrats do in melee since there throwing starts have 3 attacks making up for only 5 models and on paper if they shoot then charge: they can do a five wounds to a save 2+ target. All good on paper but there a hell of a lot more fragile. 5+ save on five bodies is not something to trust. In theory though they do have a game plan: Deep strike within 9 inches (and 6 of terrian) of the enemy and attempt an alpha strike with your 12 inch shurkens, then die, but at 100 points it's not that much of an investment. Range attacks alone can do a lot of damage to a 3+ save or better target thanks to 3 attacks and mortal wounds on 6. That's a lot that has to go right however. In theory it's probably better to deploy them normally, first turn run, and run on there actual move and shoot then. That's an 18 or 17 inch move on average on 12 inch range. Still they are very moderate risk given that 100 point price tag and very high reward. Not something you probably want an army of, but make a nice distraction running at the edges looking for hard target's to assassinate.
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Moulder}}</span>'''

''Battleline if the army has Skaventide Allegiance and a Masterclan or Moulder general and all other non-Allies units are Moulder ''
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*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Giant_Rats.pdf Giant Rats]:''' (PACK, Min:6 60pts) The sharpest teeth on the wettest of noodle bodies. They get 2 attacks per for 10 points a pop with a movement of 8 and -2 rend. They can also be revived by the master moulder to suicide, die and then take revenge. They do not come with any saves however and have a bravery of 3, making them evaporate the second someone breathes on them. This squishiness makes them terrible at anything but one-sided engagements and makes sending them to the flanks through Gnawholes a risky endeavor indeed. They combo well with a plague furnace which can negate their morale problem. A unit of Giant rats are also an acceptable charge buffer with less durability than rat swarms but a higher damage output - useful for when they are replaced through a master moulder and themselves get to charge.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Rat_Ogors.pdf Rat Ogors]:''' ( FIGHTING BEAST, PACK, Min:2 140pts) Rat ogres are a below average unit, made viable through supporting units. Unsurprisingly, when you can get a second chance 66% of the time you need to be quite inefficient to be fair. Take a unit of 4, crack the whip, all-out attack and watch them do mediocre damage twice. Really solid for charging through Gnawholes since their bravery of 5 is okay when your unit only consists of 4 models, removing the need for Inspiring Presence.
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Pestilens}}</span>'''

''Battleline if the army has Skaventide Allegiance and a Masterclan or Pestilens general and all other non-Allies units are Pestilens ''
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*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls//AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Plague_Monks.pdf Plague Monks]:''' (Min:10 90pts) ** Supposed to be the pestilent front-line unit. Instead it is a weird support caster unit with a solid combat statline. They have abysmal saves and bravery and their bringer of the word deals approximately 1 mortal wound each shooting phase. Oh and they have a bunch of attacks on the charge with no rend. If you are running a crap-ton of censer bearers, consider picking up 10 of these to buff them with +1 to wound. Otherwise, hard skip. Notably synergizes with the Curse prayer. Still a hard skip though.
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Plague_Censer_Bearers.pdf Plague Censer Bearers]:''' (Min:5 90pts) Yeeeeehaw! The best infantry on the roster and maybe the best infantry point for point in the entire game. Now with 2 wounds a piece, a -1 to wound defensive ability and '''4''' attacks on the charge with 3+/3+/-1/D2. That's 20 attacks on the charge. As opposed to last edition these boys are the new core for Pestilens as it's more cost-effective to take more of these bad-boys than the buff-giving Plague Monks.
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'''<span style="font-size:150%">{{color|Black|Skryre}}</span>'''

''Battleline if the army has Skaventide Allegiance and a Masterclan or Skryre general and all other non-Allies units are Skryre ''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Stormfiends.pdf Stormfiends]:''' (Clan Moulder, Clan Skryre, Min:3 320pts) The Unholy Collaboration Between Skryre and Moulder. Has Taken-taken a similar nerf Grundstok Thunderers suffers, the weapons are divided up between a Trio. the anti-infantry Rat can take either Warpthrowers or mortars, another can take Gatling guns or the ability for the unit to deep strike, and finally, another can take a pair of reliable or random fists. Skaven players who used them pre battletome will lament the loss of the triple warpfire projector unit. In their current incarnation, this may be the least attractive ranged choice. The projectors do not benefit from the engineer buffs available to the unit, nor can the be used after using gnawholes or grinder fists. The other weapon options do due to their longer range and standard hit mechanics.
**they are also are part Moulder, lending their array of Weaponry to but they lack the Keywords to properly interact with them.
***This also means that they can be included in pure Moulder armies, and are those armies' only dedicated range.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Skryre_Acolytes.pdf Skryre Acolytes]:''' (Clan Skryre, Min:5 75pts) Mass bomb-throwers, able to run and throw their globes with -2 rend and d3 damage. They look pretty bad on paper, but if you add in the buffs available to Skryre and you don't mind taking damage (hey its skaven) then this missile attack can become pretty impressive, with hit bonus and hit and wound rerolls and a damage buff all available.
**A large unit is still quite cheap and makes a good hiding place for warpfire throwers too. Shame that you have to build them, one model, at a time for $15 USD per model. Better get ready to do some conversion (the now-defunct poison wind mortars make decent acolytes).
***A quicker out of the box method for Acolytes would be the Skaven Bloodbowl team. Their Warpstone Footballs can be “passed off” as cluster mines that serve the same purpose as the poisoned wind globes.
****Even better, plague monks with Arkanaut Company packs.****
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===Other Units===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Ratling_Gun.pdf Ratling Gun]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). Weapon teams are always a cheap way to increase your damage output, though lacks protection against retaliation. With 2d6 attacks with a 12" range and a 25% chance to hit, it does shockingly low damage, even when overcharged, and is liable to get shot off the board before getting into range. However, 3 of them buffed up with a skryre spark and overseer of destruction do massive amounts of damage, assuming you can get them into position.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warpfire_Thrower.pdf Warpfire Thrower]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 70pts). Close range anti-blobs that rolls for each model and deals mortal wounds on a 4+. When you overcharge, you roll 2 dice for each model but the Thrower dies on a roll of 1 or 2 made after dealing damage. Statistically, when used against single-wound infantry this will kill every model in the unit.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warp_Grinder.pdf Warp-Grinder]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). Allow you to deepstrike them and another unit. Similar to the Stormfiend Warp Grinder. Don't expect anything of it in combat, it's basically a points tax to get a more reliable deep strike for stormfiends.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Doom_Flayer.pdf Doom-Flayer]:''' (Clan Skryre weapons team 65pts). A melee sports unit. Really not worth it, they have 3 wounds, a 5+ save, and d6 attacks, so they will do no damage in melee, and then immediately die. They can boost their attacks from a d6 to 2d6s but will die after attacking on a roll of doubles or a 7.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Rat_Swarms.pdf Rat Swarms]:''' (Clan Moulder, PACK, Min:2 55pts). A unit which many will overlook. They are pathetic in all aspects. 5 attacks on 5+/5+ won’t hurt a fly. They’re squishy, with no saves and 8 wounds for 55 points but it’s all good because they’re Pack units. Stick 2 of them in front of your blobs to absorb charges. Put them on side-objectives. Heck, send them in for fun and res them because you can. Compared to the chaff of other armies, Skaven are blessed with these little critters. Also the best unit to take wounds as bodyguard.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Packmasters.pdf Packmasters]:''' (Clan Moulder Min:3 65pts). No longer heroes. 1 in 3 may take a Things-Catcher. +1 to Melee Hit Rolls and double Bravery of friendly Clans Moulder Pack units wholly within 12". At 60 points, they should be considered. Just remember their buffs don't stack with each other, or a Master Moulder. Can't buff Stormfiends any more.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NLAF5xUbMH8gumFD.pdf#page=18 Skaven Wolf Rats] (Forgeworld):''' (Clan Moulder, PACK, Min:5 100pts).'''Note: This model has been removed from the Forgeworld site and is now in the Legends: Monstrous Arcanum which is no longer legal for matched play.''' Giant Rats on steroids. With a Save to boot. Gets +1 to wounds the turn the charge. When normally hitting on 3s and wounding on 3s, have them charge, and keep them all in range of a pack of Packmasters or a Master Moulder, they're hitting and wounding on 2s. Overall, a very solid and relatively cheap cavalry option that'll rip into any soft target you launch them at.
**The cheapest way to convert them (and still look good) is Chaos Warhounds with Stormvermin heads (add gasmasks and beads and you also have 10 Skryre Acolytes)

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Spiteclaws_Swarm.pdf Spiteclaw's Swarm]:''' These guys can be nasty little buggers. 4 models, each with a different weapon. All are hitting on 4's, wounding on 4's, most with 2 attacks, one with 1, most with 1" range, one with 2", a 6+ save, they're a mixed bunch. Ideally, you're keeping these guys within 13" of Skritch, so he can give them back D3 models per turn. Just don't let Krrk die, he can't come back. If Skritch kicks it, Krrk gets 2 extra attacks. Should the unit take a Wound, or a Mortal Wound, on all successive Wounds and Mortal Wounds in that turn roll a dice, on a 5+ you ignore it. Sit these guys in cover, cast Mystic Shield, they've got a 5+ save, re-rolling 1s, ignoring all past the first Wound on a 5+, D3 coming back in your Hero Phase. All in all, they're alright. Can be a nuisance.

*'''[https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GnvshilvPiKWvp7A.pdf Skittershank's Clawpack]:''' Tougher than gutter runners and with the ability to deploy within 6" of an enemy unit in the first movement phase. Like Skittershank they dish out mortals on a natural 6. With Skittershank and his clawpack shooting and melee phases, that's 23 chanches of rolling a 6! That's 6-8 mortal wounds right there. Pick your enemy's general for the Masters of Murder battle trait and you've got a half decent chance of taking down some medium sized heroes turn 1 (assuming they left you space to get within 6")

===Behemoths===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Hell_Pit_Abomination.pdf Hell Pit Abomination]:''' (Clan Moulder 245pts). With a 2d6 move, it can keep pace with a Doomwheel, or lag behind your entire army. Has a melee weapon that deals mortal wounds for every 2+ (degrading) rolled (one dice per model from target unit that is within 3"). Heals d3 wounds in the Hero Phase, all enemies in 3" subtract 1 from their Bravery, it can flat out ignore spells that target it on a 4+, and it has a 1/3 chance to heal d6 wounds the first time it's killed. It won't be dying quickly based on this. But with a 5+ save, and 12 wounds, it could just as easily die with good enough rend and some poor dice rolls.
**If you want something that looks less like a centipede, the Beastman Ghorgon offers a good base for a Ratzilla.
***Assuming you took a Master Moulder, this is where you'll be using Prized Creation since it is a Fighting Beast (albeit not a Pack model) and is the best place to add d3 wounds - or even d6 if you take the Moulder Supreme wralord trait and gamble. Even starting with 13-15 wounds puts its durability a lot better than the warscroll by itself would indicate, which is something of a Skaven theme all around. Just remember that the damage chart is based on wounds taken, not wounds remaining, so you'll get to stay alive longer on your last bracket, not your first. Good thing you regen d3 a round.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Doomwheel.pdf Doomwheel]:''' (Clan Skryre 165pts). A Chariot with an overchargeable Gun and can run over and Mortal wound almost everything that was near it during the movement phase. You can also reroll its 4d6 move but any rolls of a 1 the second time, your opponent can run over your lines if you roll a 1 on a dice. It has a gnarly gun (1d6/3+/3+/-1/d3) that can potentially evaporate anything with decent rolls. Like most of the Skryre things, it can overcharge its Warp Bolts, but on a double, you take 2d6 mortal wounds. This is definitely a go big or go home type of unit and you'll be overcharging it every chance you get. Its speed will ensure you get in range of key targets (elite infantry/behemoths/heroes) and even with lower-end rolls (4-6 shots), you'll be doing a decent amount of damage. All in all, this is somewhat random and a little risky. It can win you the game or lose it for you. Fun times all around though.

===Artillery===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warplock_Jezzails.pdf Warplock Jezzails]:''' (Clan Skryre, Min:3 120pts). your Rat Snipers. Park on the backfield and pick off the support units. They get +1 to hit and +1 to save against misile attacks if they don't move and every hit roll that ends on 6 is automatic 2 mortal wounds. Slap on mystic Shield, and it's a potent 3+ save right there. Another unit that gets a little crazy good with the skryre buffs in for small-low price of the engineer, that provides the buffs, to drop dead at the end of the shooting phase. As the game has very few long-range attacks, jezzails will mess with your opponent as they are a great medium wound hero killer.
** Without any buffs, one unit of 3 is causing an average of 1.5 saves at -2 and 2 damage. A reliable way to deal 2-4 damage at a long-range, but not all that impressive given their point cost. Like most skaven, they really start to shine when you take them in large quantities and stack a couple of buffs. Take 2-3 units with an accompanying skryre hero to increase their missile damage. Keep them stationary, apply warpstone spark buff, and now you have a 30" volley that averages around 3.5 saves at -2 and 3 damage. That's 9 damage against anything with a 4+ save (not even accounting for the potential mortal wounds on 6s). Even with Look Out Sir! taken into consideration, you're averaging 7 damage, which is enough to take out a large number of heroes in the game.
**If you want a little extra, you can cast "More-more-more warp power" on them too, resulting in their missile attack only requiring +2 to hit and wound. By far, the most unnecessary buff, given that they get +1 to hit if they didn't move in previous phase and the d3 mortal wounds that they'll have to suffer next hero phase.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Warp_Lightning_Cannon.pdf Warp Lightning Cannon]:''' (Clan Skryre 150pts). Skryre's most potentially deadly artillery, both to the enemy and itself. To fire, roll a dice and then roll 6 more against the first one. Any dice that are equal or higher than the first roll result in a mortal wound, meaning that if you rolled 1 on the first dice you deal 6 mortal wounds automatically. Can be overcharged but requires a Warlock Engineer within 3" of the model. When overcharged, you roll 12 dice instead of 6, but for every roll of 1 results it takes D3 mortal wounds after it's done shooting.

===Scenery===
*'''[https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AoSSkavenEndlessSpells-Feb7-GnawholeWarscroll5wjc.jpg Gnawholes]:''' They might not seem like much, but the Skaventide terrain piece has a couple of nifty abilities that most Skaventide lists should try and take advantage of. Their only downside is that you are limited to 3 and they all have to be setup along the board edges more than 18" away from each other and more than 3" from objectives and scenery.
**As long as there is a Skaventide Hero within 6" of a gnawhole, you can transport any Skaventide unit that finished a move within 6" of that gnawhole to another gnawhole (wholly within 6" but 9" from enemies). This can let you play whack-a-mole(rat?) with weapons teams or artillery pieces that might have become compromised. Or you can set one up in your opponents backfield and force them to baby sit it or risk an unpleasant surprise later in the game. It's a welcome mobility option and something to consider when scheming you army lists.
**In addition, Skaventide Wizards and Priests get +1 to Casting, Unbinding, and Prayer rolls when within 1" of a gnawhole. Great for making sure you get that Warpgale or Warplightning Storm off, or getting that yummy prayer buff on your flanking Plague Monks. The +1 to unbinding is a juicy cherry on top. Synergizes well with your wizards' various drug addictions, giving Skaven a strong presence in the hero phase that many factions can't compete with.
**Lastly, each gnawhole inflicts D3 mortal wounds on a 6+ for any enemy that ends a move/charge within (a rather pitiful) 1".
**A fun trick with gnawholes is to set them one or two of them up in your opponent's back line. This forces them to waste units on babysitting them so you can't teleport behind them, which in turn means two units that could otherwise be fighting you are instead sitting around doing fuck all.

==Battalions==
''No longer valid in Matched Play games''. Now battalions are universal. Please refer to the Age of Sigmar Tactics page (when it finally gets updated).
===Virulent Procession===
''One Verminlord Corruptor, 2+ Congregations of Filth, 0-1 Foulrain Congregation, 0-1 Plaguesmog Congregation''

At the start of your hero phase pick 1 terrain feature within 13" of the Verminlord Corruptor. Roll a D6 for each enemy unit within 3" of that terrain feature. On a 4+ they suffer D3 mortal wounds. Not a bad super battalion in a Pestilens list since you're likely running all these units anyways. 420 points for 3 CP, 3 Artefacts and some okay buffs - it's gonna depend on how much you value the CP/artefacts.

====Congregation of Filth====
''One Plague Priest on Plague Furnace, 2+ units of Plague Monks''

Roll a dice each time you allocate wounds to the Plague Monks whilst within 18" of the battalion's Plague Furnace. On a 6 that wound is negated.
*Under "ideal" circumstances, this probably saves 5 out of 30 monks that would have been killed before you fight back. Maybe it happens twice in a match, but that's still only worth 80 points and super situational. You are usually better off with more monks. Taking this is contingent on how much you value CP/Artefact/First Turn.

====Foulrain Congregation====
''One Plague Priest, 3 Plagueclaws''

Add 1 to wound rolls for missile attacks whilst within 13" of the battalion's Plague Priest. Bumps each Plagueclaws success rate from 55% to 69% (when targeting units of 10 or more). You may as well go all in and give the Plague Priest Architect of Death to bump it up to a respectable 80%.

====Plaguesmog Congregation====
''One Plague Priest on Plague Furnace, 2+ units of Plague Censer Bearers''

Re-roll the dice that determines if any enemy units suffer mortal wounds when using the Poisonous Fumes ability.

===Warpcog Convocation===
''One Arch-Warlock, 2-5 Enginecovens chosen from the list below''

Weird sort of miniature Super Battalion which consists of an Arch-Warlock and some smaller Battalions that can only ever be included via this battalion. All of them convey buffs to certain units, so long as they're within 13" of either the Warlock you took with the coven, or the Arch-Warlock leading the whole Convocation.

If you're taking this, you'll want to lean into the buffs you get and take large amounts of the units that benefit from them. This would probably make for a fun 1-drop army that has a lot of pretty efficient ranged weapons.

====Arkhspark Voltik====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 Warp Lightning Cannon''

In your shooting phase, pick one of the included Warp Lightning Cannons and lower the result of dice roll to determine that cannon's power by 1.
*You can apply the buff to one Warp Lightning Cannon per phase, even if you take more than one with the coven.
*The only Enginecoven that doesn't have a Stormfiend tax. This makes it the cheapest of all the Enginecovens.

====Gautfyre Skorch====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-4 units of Stormfiends, 1-5 units of Warp-Grinders, 1-5 Warpfire Throwers''

2 units can travel with the coven's Warp-Grinders instead of 1, as long as they're all part of the same enginecoven. Now that the FAQ made it actually cheaper than just buying a second Warp-Grinder, this is a solid enginecoven to take if you were already planning on using them. You don't get the extra body to warp-shank people with, but it helps fill out your Warp Convocation and get those battalion benefits.

====Gascloud Chokelung====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 2-5 units of Skryre Acolytes''

Reroll hit rolls of 1 with missile attacks from the coven's Acolytes or Stormfiend's Wind Launchers.

====Rattlegauge Warplock====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 1-3 units of Warplock Jezzails, 1-5 Ratling Guns''

Reroll 1s for missile attacks from the coven's Jezzails and Ratling Guns. This sounds like a promising enginecoven at first, but unfortunately it doesn't affect the Stormfiends' Ratling Cannons and the Jezzails are already usually getting rerolls to hit.

====Whyrlblade Threshik====
''One Warlock Engineer or Warlock Bombardier, 1-3 units of Stormfiends, 1-3 Doomwheels, 1-5 Doom-Flayers''

Add 3" to moves for any units from the coven as long as they started in range of the buff.

===Skratchnik's Warpcoven===
''One Warlock Bombardier, 1 units of Stormfiends, 1 Doomwheels, 1 Warp Lighting Cannon''

The exclusive battalion comes with the Carrion Empire box, separate from the stock Warpcovens. In the first battle round, roll a dice each time a wound or mortal wound is allocated to a model from this battalion. On a 5+ that wound or mortal wound is negated.

===Rattachak's Doomcoven===
''One Warlock Bombardier(Rattachak), 1 units of Stormfiends, 1 Warp Lighting Cannon''

Re-roll hits and +1 damage for Rattachak's doom rocket and +1 damage to the Stormfiends Shock Gauntlets

===Claw-Horde===
''One Clawlord, 1-3 units of Stormvermin and 2-9 units of Clanrats''

When the Clawlord uses their Gnash-gnaw ability, instead of picking 1 unit within 13", pick all battalion units within 13". Conveniently contains 3 battleline units. The buff itself is pretty situational since it can be tricky/clunky trying to keep two or more units wholly within range.

===Fleshmeld Menagerie===
''One Master Moulder, 0-3 Hell Pit Abominations, 1-3 units of Packmasters, 1-4 units of Rat Swarms or Giant Rats and 1-4 units of Rat Ogres''

When the Master Moulder uses Unleash More-More Beasts ability, a new unit is added on a 4+ instead of a 5+.

===Slinktalon===
''One Deathmaster, 1-4 units of Gutter Runners and 2-8 units of Night Runners''

During the combat phase in which the Deathmaster is deployed, re-roll all hit rolls for units in the battalion. Arguably a must have for any Eshin-heavy lists. The main reason to take this battalion is for that extra relic to make your Deathmaster more killy.

==Allied Armies==

If you devote yourself to a particular clan it's been FAQ'ed that you can’t take another skaventide clan as allies. FAQ explicitly states that models with the SKAVEN keyword (which is pretty much everything Skaven) cannot be taken as allies in a Skaventide army.

*'''One-Eyed Grunnok''': A Warstomper Mega-Gargant available to all Chaos factions. Recruit a your own monstrous centerpiece at the cost of your entire allied points allowance. He’s a best used right in the heat of combat where he can throw enemies at each other and disrupt enemy formations. Re-rolls jump attacks of 1, plus enemies get -1 to hits on previous jump attacks of 6.

===Nurgle===

Our one and only ally option. Only permitted if you take a Pestilens Warlord. There are a lot of options here (over 30 leaders!) so it's recommended you look through the [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Age_of_Sigmar/Tactics/Chaos/Maggotkin_of_Nurgle#Named_Characters Maggotkin of Nurgle Tactics] page if you're considering them as an ally.

*Horticulous Slimux can spawn a single Feculent Gnarlmaw that allows your Nurgle units to advance and charge when near it. This can make spacing your forces a lot easier and help ensure you get to initiate fights on your terms.

A quick note here - you, unfortunately, can't use any of the Nurgle spells like Blades of Putrefaction when allying with Nurgle, since you will only get access to these spells if your army is NURGLE allegiance (as "the Lores of Nurgle" is an Allegiance Ability).

{{Age_of_Sigmar_Tactics}}