AoS: Skaven Crackle with Power in 4.0
GW has released the latest Faction packs for Age of Sigmar 4.0. We’ve got the lowdown on the verminous victors of Hel Crown, the Skaven.
Welcome in, Generals of the Realms! Skaventide is out, the battle lines have been drawn, and we are firmly in the 4.0 season. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been chomping at the bit to see how your favorite faction fared in the update. Some are amazing, some are terrible, and most are a little bit of both. Whatever faction you play, there’s definitely been a massive shakeup in how you’re going to play.
Of all the factions in Age of Sigmar, the verminous Skaven have always been my favorite. Even back in Fantasy, I loved the mad science and unending hordes of the masters of Skavenblight. Now, they’re the poster villains of 4.0, and it’s a moniker that they’ve absolutely earned.
A few things are missing from the new Skaven ruleset, but I can’t say they’re terribly missed. Eshin was always one of my favorite clans, but I don’t feel their loss as keenly as I thought. To be fair, there ARE still some Eshin units in the book, but they’ve been slowly disappearing in every edition. It is the ascendancy of the rat scientists, and I couldn’t be happier.
Skaven – The Good: BRRZAP!
Skryre was the most prolific Skaven clan for a long time when AoS launched, and it’s easy to see why. All the powerful weapons the Skryre rats can bring to bear are game changers. Plus, if you’re the sort of Skaven player I am who doesn’t take things too seriously, it’s hilarious to watch your beautifully constructed (i.e., ramshackle and barely stable) war machines self-detonate in spectacular fashion. 4.0 is giving us all the great warmachines of old, plus a few new beauties.
The Warpblaster is the perfect example of this new nonsense. Not only can it shoot a staggering amount of times (potentially 39 shots if you overclock it), but it can slice apart large infantry blocks. Zombie hordes, Goblin mobs, and CoS Spearmen are no match for a single mad rat with a gatling gun and a dream. Of course, the Warpblaster is just as likely to blow itself up as the enemy, but that’s what Skaven is all about. Life is cheap: spend it to achieve victory.
Skaven – The Less Good: Infantry
Skaven has always relied on the weight of numbers over fighting skill, which carries over to 4.0. That’s not to say Skaven infantry is BAD (Stormvermin are particularly nasty at repelling charges), but they can’t compete with most other infantry in the game. You won’t be winning many control objectives or protracted fights, so make sure your gunline is buffed up. That said, Clanrats can regenerate now, making them very difficult to shift without applied force. They die to a stiff breeze, but field them in large enough groups, and they’ll give the most formidable opponents a run for their money.
How did your favorite faction do?
