Age Of Sigmar: 3 Devious Uses for Skaven Gnawholes
With the release of the new Gnawholes scenery kit, several new tactical options have opened up for Skaven players. As a Skaven player myself, here are three combos that I’m really looking forward to trying out with Gnawholes in future games.
Backfield Artillery(Warp Lightning Cannon, Any Engineer, Grey Seer w/Skitterleap)
This one requires a bit of setup but can be devastating if executed properly. When you place your Gnawholes, make sure one of them is next to your Cannon and Seer. In the hero phase, use your Grey Seer to cast Skitterleap and throw your Engineer next to a Gnawhole. Since the Gnawholes count as Arcane for Skaventide units, it will boost the casting to make sure the plan works. Once the Engineer lands, it can also make use of the Arcane feature to power up its Warp Lightning, and make it a safer bet to use its boosted cast without risking backlash. In the movement phase, bounce the Warp Lightning Cannon through the Gnawhole and place it next to your Engineer. In the shooting phase, since you are next to the Engineer, you can overcharge the cannon for a potential of 12 Mortal wounds! Sure your cannon might explode, but such is the way of the Skaven, and the damage a backfield Warlock/Cannon combo can do is worth the risk.
Objective Grab (Any Unit at max strength)
When setting up your Gnawholes, they must be at least 3” from objectives, but a unit that pops out from one can be 6” away. During your movement phase, throw a solid unit (looking at you 40 Stormvermin blob) through the Gnawhole to snag the objective. Since the Gnawhole counts as Deadly, it will discourage your opponent from going for the objective anyway. A heavy unit with boosted hit and wound rolls from Overwhelming Mass and high bravery from Strength in Numbers will just solidify your hold. For added punch, throw a Clawlord through in the second turn and use its command ability to make your verminous wall all the more terrifying.
Knife in the Dark (Max strength Unit, Deathmaster)
This one is fairly simple, but can turn the tide of the game in a single turn. Throw your juicy battleline through the Gnawhole and wait for your opponent to take the bait and charge your unit (or, even better, charge into them yourself). Once you’re engaged, pop out your Deathmaster and let him start cracking skulls. If things get dicey, just jump him back through the Gnawhole and send him back to safety. For bonus fear factor, equip the Deathmaster with The Three Fangs artefact. With the threat of having one of their big juicy characters deleted, your opponent will be more cautious about triggering the Deathmaster. This combos well with the Objective Grab tactic, since adding a scary hidden hero will make your opponent even less likely to want to mess with your objective grabbers.
~What sorts of ideas do you have for the new Gnawholes? Will you be using them in your devious scheming? Let us know in the comments below!
