Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Chaos/Skaven

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

Why Play Skaven

Pros

• Hordes of vicious chaos ratmen.
• Hordes of vicious rats and rat monsters too.
• All the Skaven clans reunited under one faction.
• Warpstone, yes-yes!

Cons

• Strong as wet paper infantry units.
• , Unlike other factions, conditional battleline isn't "by general", it's "everyone is the same clan, though general can be Masterclan." So unless you really like Verminus' battleline, don't expect to run a mixed clan list with your battleline of choice.
• Clan Pestilens harms anything that gets to close, including your non-disease rats.
• Spell lores are exclusive to Grey Seers or Clan Skryre; other mages limited to general and personal spells.
• Skyre Overcharges have Become more dangerous with a Higher chance of Death.

Rulebooks

The Skaven Battletome has all the Warscrolls, Battations, Allegiance Abilities and Matched Play points.

• This should be supplemented with the Skaven Errata and Designers' Commentary from the FAQs.
• Alternatively, warscolls can be found in the WH AoS app.

As with all factions you'll want:

• The core rules are either downloadable or in the Core Book.
• Games taking place in a Realm need the Realm of Battle rules from the Core Book.
• In you want to take advantage of realm specific artefacts you'll need the Artefacts Of The Realms section from the Malign Sorcery book.
• Matched play battleplans are split across the Core Book and General's handbook 2018.
• All books should be supplemented with any updates from the FAQs.

Allegiance Abilities

Allegiance Traits

The first 4 ability affect all Skaventide units, while the rest Require you to take a hero from the corresponding clan to be used.

• Overwhelming Mass: In melee, +1 hit rolls for units of at least 20 models, and an extra +1 to wound rolls for units of at least 30. At first, most Skaven units look week, and then you remember you can amass 40 model units for cheap. Keep in mind that a unit size of 40 means you'll lose that +1 To Wound very quickly.

• Strength in Numbers: for every 10 models of Skaventide unit, add 2 to Bravery instead of 1 during Battleshock tests.

• Lead From The Back: Look Out Sir! applies to melee attacks and missile weapons if the target is a non-monster hero.

• Scurry Away: During combat phase, a hero, instead of piling in, retreats using a normal move.

• Clan Eshin - Masters of Murder: for each Eshin hero, you can pick an enemy hero, and all Echin units can re-roll wound rolls against them

• Clan Moulder - Prized Creations: Each Master Moulder can Pick a FIghiting Beast Modle. Each module in the unit gains d3 wounds(roll separately for each model) and they re-roll 1s to hit for weapon attacks. Great to make Abominations more Abominable or Give a RatOrger unit a champion.

• Clans Skyre - Warpstone Sparks: At the start of battle but before set up, you gain 3+d3 Warpstone Sparks. A Spark can be spent once per phase on your Skryre units to re-roll: a wizards' Casting and Unbinding Rolls, a Hero's failed to Hit or Wound Roll. Alternatively, it can add +1 to the Damage characteristic of any Skryre modules successful attack. This decision to re-roll must be made immediately after rolling. And to stick to the theme of instability, after the spell or attack resolves, roll a die, and on a 1 the unit suffers D3 Mortal Wounds. Magical Uranium, everyone!

• Clan Pestilens - Echoes of the Great Plagues: Once per turn, when a Pestilens Prest makes a successful prayer roll of a natural 6, you can manifest one of six Great plagues, but if you do, you can't manifest it again for the rest of the battle. 4/6 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.

1. Redmal 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.
2. The Neverplague: Pestilens Priests add 1 to prayer roll for the rest of battle.
3. Bubonic Blightplague: the nearest enemy unit within 13" suffers d6 mortal wounds. If the unit is then destroyed, pick another enemy unit 6" of the last model removed and inflicted D3 mortal wounds. Repeat this prosses until no unit gets wiped or their or no other units in range.
4. Undulant Scourge: the nearest enemy model within 13", its unit takes a mortal wound plus 1 more for each other model in the unit that's 3" of the infected model.
5. Crimsonueal 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

• Clan Verminus - Mighty Warlords: each non-general Clawlord may take a Command Trait, and no Clawlord can can take the same trait. So it is always better to make another unit hero your general to also give them a Command Trait.

• Clan Masterclan - Skilled Manipulators: Every time a Masterclan model use command points, refund on a 5+.

Command Traits

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

Shared

• Malevolent: Re-roll wound rolls of 1
• Verminous Valour: Allocate wound or mortal wound to friendly unit within 3" on a 4+ (5+ for war machine or monster)
• Savage OverLord: Add 1 to bravery for units wholly within 18"

Masterclan

• Supreme Manipulator: Re-roll the Skilled Manipulators roll
• Master of Magic: Once Per hero phase add 1 to casting, dispelling, or unbinding.
• Cunning: Roll a D6 each time your opponent receives a Command Point, on a 6 you receive it instead

Skrye

• Masterful Scavanger: Recieve 2 extra warpstone sparks
• Deranged Inventor: 1 friendly unit within 13" can re-roll hit rolls for missile attacks this phase
• Overseer of Destuction: 3 friendly WEAPON TEAM units within 13" can re-roll hit rolls for attacks this phase

Pestilens

• Master of Rot and Ruin: Re-roll the dice that determines if a prayer is answered.
• Architect of Death: Re-roll wound rolls for missile attacks within 18”
• Diseased: Roll a dice if within 3” of an enemy, on a 4+ inflict D3 mortal wounds.

Verminus

• Brutal Fury: Once per battle, add 3 to the attacks characteristic of 1 melee weapon.
• Powerful: +1 Wounds.
• Devious Adversary: If an unmodified hit roll against this model is a 1, add 1 to this models attack characteristics.

Moulder

• Moulder Supreme: when using Prized Creation, a Chosen Fighting Beast model adds a flat 3 to wounds or rolls a D6 instead.
• HordeMaster: Reduce Unleash-more-more-beasts to a 4+
• Burly: +1 wounds.

Eshin

• Unrivalled Killer: Re-roll hits against a specific hero.
• Incredible Agillity: Can fly.
• Shadowmaster: Whilst within 1” of terrain unit is invisible over 6” away.

Artefacts Of Power

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

Masterclan

• Warpstorm Scroll: Once per battle, 1 dice for each unit within 13", on a 4+ unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
• Suspicous Stone: 5+ ward save.
• 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: Once per battle, 1 friendly unit with 3" suffers D3 mortal wounds but adds 1 to it's attacks characteristic.
• Snoutgrovel Robes: No battleshock tests within 13" of the wearer (Great for those clanrats that keep running away!)
• Staff of Rightful Supremacy: -1 from enemy wizards casting rolls within 13". Once per battle it can automatically dispel an endless spell.

Skrye

• The Brass Orb: Once per battle, in your Shooting Phase, the closest enemy model within 6" is slain on a 6+.
• Warpstone Armour: Roll a dice for each wound allocated to the bearer, on a 5+ the attacker suffers 1 mortal wound.
• Esoteric Warp Resonator: Once Each turn, this model does not expend a Warpstone Spark when used.
• Skryre's-breath Bellows: Roll a die for each other unit within 3" (Friend or foe), they take D3 Mortal Wounds on a 4+.
• 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 4+ the unit takes D3 mortal wounds.
• Vigordust Injector: In the Hero Phase, a Skaventide unit wholly within 12" gains +1 to Charge and Hit Rolls until your next Hero Phase, but they take D3 Mortal Wounds at the start of your next Hero Phase.

Pestilens

• Blade of Corruption:
• The foul Pendant:
• Brooding Blade:
• The Fumigatous:
• Blistrevous the Living Cyst:
• Liber Bubonicus:

Verminus

• Things-Bane: Add 1 to damage characteristic of 1 melee weapon
• Shield of Distraction: Re-rolls saves of 1. Subtract 1 from melee hit rolls from an enemy model within 3"
• Screenskull Trophies: Subtract 1 from bravery characteristic of enemy units within 13".
• Flaypelt Cloak: Re-roll hit and wound rolls for melee weapons.
• Rustcursed Armour: Re-roll saves of 1. Pick an enemy hero with an artefact of power within 3" and roll 3D6. On a roll of 13 destroy the artefact (a 9.72% chance each turn).
• Warpstone Charm: Every hero phase pick a unit within 3" and roll a dice. On 2-5 inflict 1 mortal wounds, on a 6 inflict D3 mortal wounds. (if no enemy units must pick a friendly unit or itself)

Moulder

• Lash of Fangs:
• Foulhide:
• Snap-snap Snarepole:
• Rat-tail Snake:
• Rabid Crown:
• Fleshgift:

Eshin

• Shadow Magnet Trinket:
• Farskitter Cloak:
• The Three Fangs:
• Warpweeper Stars:
• The Cube of Mists:
• Gnawbomb:

Spell Lore

Any Wizard Hero, depending on it's type, gets to choose one spell from the appropriate list.

Lore of Ruin

Grey Seers Only

1. Scorch: casting 5, roll number of dice equal to casting roll, for each 6 an enemy unit within 13" suffers 1 mortal wound.
2. Splinter: casting 6, roll a dice against a model within 6" and if you roll over is wounds, it is slain. Best against Unit command Models and elite units.
3. Skitterleap: casting 6, 1 friendly hero with wounds characteristic of 12 or less can be placed anywhere on the battlefield more than 9" from enemy units.
4. Plague: casting 7, roll a dice for each model in an enemy unit within 13", on a 5+ that model suffers 1 mortal wound.
5. 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.
6. Warpgale: casting 8, D3 mortal wounds against an enemy unit within 26". Charge and run rolls are halved, and flying units cannot fly until next hero phase.

Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism

Clan Skryre Only

1. More-more-more Warp Power!: casting 7, 1 SKRYRE unit within 12" can re-roll hit and wound rolls until next hero phase. Then suffers D3 mortal wounds.
2. Chain Warp Lightning: casting 6, select D6 enemy units within 18", each suffers 1 mortal wound.
3. Warp Lightning Shield: casting 6, first 3 wounds allocated to the caster are negated. On a 4th wound the caster suffers D6 wounds and the spell is unbound.

Endless Spells

• Vermintide: useful as a Predatory Roadblock, when a Non-Skaventide unit is near it, roll 13 dice and they take mortal wounds for each 6.

• Warp Lightning Vortex: A Area Denial Spell, that creates a 7" acute Triangle( hard to set up on uneven Terrain) with any unit that is within 6" of it takes mortal wounds. If they happen to start their turn, they can't run or fly.

• Bell of Doom:

Warscrolls

Named Leaders

• Lord Skreech Verminking:

• Thanquol on Boneripper:

• Skritch Spiteclaw:

Leaders

• Verminlord Warbringer: Clan Verminus wizard daemon. like all Verminlord, he has 12 wounds, two spells per turn, Degrading stats, a 5+ save against wounds and mortal wound, and a -1 bravery aura. Warbringer's also re-roll wounds when near swarms, a knife that is lily to deal extra damage. His best stuff is his command ability that lest Vermnus to Reroll 1s to hit and wound and a spell that let d3 Skaventide Attack before they are killed.

• Verminlord Deceiver: Clan Eshin wizard daemon. A sneaker Verminlord, with an anti-hord Shirican, increased ability to dodge missiles, and the ability to teleport almost any distant skaven hero to anywhere on the board.

• Verminlord Corruptor: a Daemon of Clan Pestilence. With his insane 10 attacks on his melee weapon, he can equip the Sword of Judgement from the shadow realm artifact list and have 10 chances to absolutely murder heroes and monsters. Cast two spells and abilities to deal mortal wounds. His COMMAND ABILITY gives Pestalence wholly within 13" re-roll to hit.

• Verminlord Warpseer: More Wizard of the Greater daemons, able to generate more command points each round and has an orb that gives a Re-roll saves until you fill like chucking it a hero.

• Warpgnaw Verminlord (Forgeworld):

• Clawlord: 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.

• Clawlord on Brood Horror (Forgeworld): A Clawlord riding a giant rat and getting +3", +3 wounds, d3 wound regen, and a +1 Bravery Aura. Don't have the monster keyword so it doesn't lose Scurry Away (which is strange given the giant rat). The rat itself is no slouch with two weapons putting out a total of 9 well hitting and wounding attacks. At a steep price and low(ish) wound count for a 200+ model, you will have to use him strategically.

• Warlock Engineer: 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.

• Warlock Bombardier: A Warlock with a Bazuka, which can overcharge its single shot's damage from d6 to 2d6.

• Arch-Warlock: 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.

• Deathmaster: 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.

• Master Moulder: A heroic Packmaster that can Heal a Pack model d3 wounds. Also once per phase, if a Pack unit is destroyed, on a roll of 5+, redeploy on the boarder eage of your depliment zone.

• Plague Priest: Your standard Pestilens hero. Gets an extra attack on the charge because of PESTILENS. He now only has two damage Prayers and deals more mortal wounds after combat to all non PESTILENS units.

• Plague Priest on Plague Furnace: 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 2D6 attacks with Rusty Wheels and Spikes instead of D6 when it charges. It stops battleshock for Skaventide and it damages all the non-Clans Pestilens units that approach it. The Plague Priest on it gets different prayers, boosting Pestilens units either by giving them +1 weapon attacks or by allowing them to reroll wounds. It's clearly a centerpiece. It will pack a punch thanks to the Censer, but it needs Plague Monks to push it around and pushing stuff around and not charging is something Plague Monks with their awful survivability really don't like to do. On the other hand, the Monks do very much like those tasty tasty buffs, yes-yes.

• Grey Seer:

• Grey Seer on Screaming Bell:

Battleline

• Clanrats: your Baseline Skaven unit, a hoard of cowardly rats that get stronger and braver when they have the numbers. Can have 40 of them for 200pts. They have a 6" move and shields that improve save as long as they have 10+ models, an ability that lets them retreat and charge and +2 to run. A possible strategy is to use enemy units as a slingshot to reach weaker targets by a series of move+charge+retreat+move+charge another unit. You have the usual decision of a better chance to hit or getting more models in range..

• Stormvermin: An elite upgrade to clanrats with 2 attack rending halberds and 5+ save + shield.

Eshin Battleline

• Night Runners: 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 another hit on a natural 6. Useful as Early game objective grabbers.
• Gutter Runners: Elite version of Night Runners, having fewer attacks for some quality. Instead of vangaurding, they come onto any board edge on the first turn. Could make for good backfield distraction.

Moulder Battleline

• Giant Rats: A weaker but faster than Clanrats with a more variable size. They have no save and the reach of their attacks increase the more models they have. Command points are likely required to keep them in line.

• Rat Ogors: as the name implies they are Ogors like Fighting beast Pack unit with strong attacks and 1 out of 2 can have a Gunhand. Keep them near your Handler for +1 to hit and make them your champions for more wounds.

Pestilens Battleline

• Plague Monks: Your basic Pestilens troop, having less armor but make up in damage potential. can take one of two Standards and Instruments for every 20 models. their leader damages a unit each hero phase. The Standards can either inflict mortal wounds when they die or increase damage by 1. The musicians can either give you a chance for better Rend or improve your movement. Let's analyze the two weapons options:
  • Plague Monks with two foetid blades an average of 0,75 damages per model or 1,12 when they charge
  • Plague Monks with a foetid blade and a woe-stave an average of 0,66 damages per model or 0,91 when they charge with one of the weapon hitting from 2" instead of 1", so is basically the same when **you have a big unit to cover for the second rank attacks. Another bonus of the Woe Stave is that it counts as a separate melee weapon, so buffs that add 1 attack to every weapon are doubly effective on units with Stave (a unit of 20 with blade/stave in two ranks makes, unsupported, 50 attacks on the charge, and 80 with the one-more-attack-for-each-weapon buff, think about that).

• Plague Censer Bearers: Get an extra attack when charging, deal a mortal wound to every non-Clan Pestilence unit within 3" on a 4+ during your hero phase, and can reroll hits and Battleshocks if they're within 13" from a Plague Monk unit. Basically, Censer Bearers on their own are nigh useless, but with proper support, they are even deadlier wound-per-wound than Plague Monks. The best use for these is swinging over the top of a line of Plague Monks. Yes, you won't be getting that charge bonus but these are two expensive points for point to be throwing away like, well, Plague Monks.

Skryre Battleline

• Stormfiends: 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.
  • they are also are part Moulder, lending their array of Weaponry to but they lack the Keywords to properly interact with them.

• Skryre Acolytes: Mass bomb throwers, able to run and throw their globes with -2 rend and d3 damage.

Other Units

• Ratling Gun: Clan Skryre weapons team. Weapon team are always a cheap way to increase your damage output, though lacks protection against retaliation. An infantry mower of 2d6 attack, that can double its roll, but like all weapon teams now, on a double the team auto-dies after it shoots.

• Warpfire Thrower: Clan Skryre weapons team. 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.

• Warp-Grinder: Clan Skryre weapons team. Allow you to deepstrike them and another unit. Similar to the Stormfiend Warp Grinder

• Doom-Flayer: Clan Skryre weapons team. A melee sports unit. can have some troubles with a movement of 2d6, but can give your clanrats the needed buzzsaws. They can boost their attacks from a d6 to 2d6s but will die after attacking on a roll of doubles of a 7.

• Rat Swarms: Clan Moulder. what happens when you condense 5 Giant rats into a single unit, they can never get the numbers to benefit from Overwhelming Mass. They can resurrect one 4 wound model a turn. Wound per models and number of attacks Giant rats hit better and have more wounds, but Swarms are less likely to suffer battleshock and recover models.

• Packmasters: Clan Moulder. No longer heroes. 1 in 3 may take a Things-Catcher. +1 to Melee Hit Rolls and 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 eachother, or a Master Moulder. Can't buff Stormfiends any more.

• Skaven Wolf Rats (Forgeworld): Clan Moulder. 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.

Behemoths

• Hell Pit Abomination: Clan Moulder. 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+ rolled (one dice per model on 1"). 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.

• Brood Horror (Forgeworld): Clan Moulder. your Macharius to a Baneblade. It's not that impressive. It's rules read like they took the rules of the Abomination, made the move the above average roll on a 2d6, improved the save by 1, knocked off 4 wounds, most of the abilities, and nerfed it's weapons a tad. One of them appears to be designed to fight from behind a line of your chosen Battleline, with a 3" range, but it only has 3 attacks with it, the average 3+/4+, no rend and 1 damage. The other weapon is where it shines; 6 attacks, 3+/4+, -1, 2 Damage. Not too shabby.

• Doomwheel: Clan Skryre. 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. Like most of the Skryre things, they're able to double their attacks, in this case with the Warp Bolts, roll a double and you take 2d6 mortal wounds. All in all, this is random and risky, could win you the game, could lose it for you. Fun times all around though.

Artillery

• Warp Lightning Cannon: Clan Skryre. Can deal up to 6 mortal wounds when shooting. You actually have to roll a dice in order to calculate the minimum roll you need for the wounds to score. Also gets +1 save against missile weapons. Decent, but too random and low Range; other armies get much better artillery.

• Plagueclaw: Clan Pestilens. It's an indirect firing war machine. You know those. They have a nice range and can stand waaay back. Brutal against big hordes, lame against Monster/Heroes, and subtracts 1 from the target bravery. An average war machine when used to it's fullest potential, and a terrible one when not.

• Warplock Jezzails: Clan Skryre. your Rat Snipers. Park on the backfield and pick off the support units. They Re-roll to hit if they don't move, deal 2 mortal wounds on 6 to hit. and gain +2 against missiles in addition to the cover you should be standing on. Potent 3+ save right there. Mystic Shield, and it's 3+ re-rolling 1s.

Scenery

• Gnawholes: In addition to to Improving casting and harming enemies near it, A Scaven hero can teleport a Skaven unit to another Gnawholes. Good for Defensive Relocations across the board or back lining.

Battalions

• ClawHorde:

• Congregation of Filth:

• Fleshmeld Menagerie:

Allied Armies

Age of Sigmar Tactics Articles
General Tactics	Tactics Realm Of Battle Malign Sorcery Path to Glory Skirmish
Order	Cities of Sigmar Daughters of Khaine Fyreslayers Idoneth Deepkin Kharadron Overlords Lumineth Realm-Lords Seraphon Stormcast Eternals Sylvaneth
Chaos	Beasts Of Chaos Blades of Khorne Disciples of Tzeentch Hedonites of Slaanesh Maggotkin of Nurgle Skaven Slaves to Darkness
Death	Flesh-Eater Courts Nighthaunt Ossiarch Bonereapers Soulblight Gravelords
Destruction	Gloomspite Gitz Ogor Mawtribes Orruk Warclans Sons of Behemat
Others	Monstrous Arcanum Legends Old Rules