Age of Sigmar: New Skaven Rules – Strength In Numbers
The Skaven have a new Battletome on the way and their numbers about about to grow along with their strength.
When you think of Skaven you might image crazy ramshackle contraptions, warp stone, and assassin. But don’t forget one very important features: Rats. Lots and lots of rats. The Skaven have some new rules to further lean into this concept and it’s going to show up on the tabletop in force!
“On top of a unique selection of command traits and artefacts, each of the Great Clans now has a two-tiered allegiance ability – include one or two HEROES with the same Great Clan keyword, and they’ll unlock a nifty battle trait. If you take three or more HEROES from that Great Clan, however, that trait will get much stronger – strength in numbers, yes-yes!”
Skaven Rules – Strength In Numbers
The first example of this new Hero bonus is the Grey Seers. Their Skilled Manipulators rule helps to keep them alive thanks to their totally willing sacrifices.
That’s not too shabby to start. However, if you added three heroes from this masterclan you get an even bigger benefit with Always Three Clawsteps Ahead.
The extra kicker for this is (appropriately) threefold. You can replicate the Run roll for friendly Skaven units in your army. You can also replicate a Charge roll for Skaven units in your army. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll get to pile-in with your entire Skaven force first. This is a HUGE advantage as you’ll get to position your swarms of rats exactly how you want to so you can block off units and position things in the most advantageous way for you.
Next up we have a look at the Clan Eshin Battle Trait. They are Master of Murder after all.
Your bonuses for hitting and wounding enemy Heroes applies to all Clans Eshin units when you have 3 of them in your lists. Seeing as how they are Assassin, this is quite fitting!
How about Clans Verminus? These Mighty Warlords have a few martial skills of their own to showcase.
Why not triple down on your command traits?! Seems like a pretty good scheme to me. This could provide some great boosts for a relatively low cost of your Heroic Action (which you were probably going to do anyway). What sorts of boosts? How about Powerful Alpha as an example.
And folks think Skaven aren’t that tough…this Alpha begs to differ!
Skaven players should be pretty pumped about this new system. GW has said that it’s going to be possible to “maximise two Great Clans at once” in a 2000 point list. So it looks like it might be time to form some alliances with those other Clans you might have been avoiding…
The new Skaven Battletome is coming soon!
