Mutant horrors emerge from the rank pits of the Clans Moulder, the foetid spawn of flesh-grafting and organ-splicing techniques known only to the Master Moulders.
The Clans’ ultimate goal is to graft all of Skavendom together into one gestalt entity to consume the cosmos. It’s in service to this plan that these deranged flesh-shapers experiment on themselves, twisting themselves and their subjects into new forms beyond recognition.
Only the cruellest and most unhinged Skaven can expect to attain the title of Master Moulder. They take a deep pride in their grotesque creations, and attend battles mostly to watch them wreak havoc, attributing all victories to their own warped genius.
Each Tyrannical Packmaster stays within close proximity of their favourite creation, goading it into combat with high-pitched squeaks and jabs from their various surgical tools and thing-catchers – improving their charge roll in the process.
Brood Terrors are favoured creations, shambling towers of flesh and warp-machinery purchased from the Clans Skryre. A Master Moulder might stitch itself into the pulsating form of its greatest work – a fate most awesome or terrible, depending on your perspective.
The Warsptone Fumes that belch from ramshackle generators make it even harder for enemies to strike true in combat, subtracting 1 to the hit rolls of nearby units. If by some miracle they do succeed, this Regenerating Terror can simply Heal (D6) at the end of any turn, and a nearby Master Moulder may boost this roll further.
Perhaps it is due to the many years Thanquol has spent with his trusty mount Boneripper, but the cunning Grey Seer has taken a liking to the brutish horrors of the Clans Moulder.
Thanqoul’s Mutated Menagerie is the second Army of Renown in Battletome: Skaven, in which the infamous Grey Seer joins a carnival of Rat Ogors, Hell Pit Abominations, Brood Terrors, Stormfiends, and Master Moulders.
With Thanqoul’s approval, the Clans Moulder push their battlefield experiments far beyond the usual limits, to gleeful cries of More-More Mutation! Each turn, a non-Hero Mutated Menagerie unit can be enhanced with increased durability, speed, and strength, at the cost of a much-shortened lifespan.
The callous Thanquol Is more than happy to command his mutant minions to one final calamitous outburst. This Rampaging Demise is so sudden and violent that enemy troops are caught unaware – though the beasts tear themselves apart by the end of the turn. This results in such an explosion of rancid flesh and warpstone that it may even deal Mortal Damage to nearby enemy units.
Further rules overclock this misshapen parade yet more, and they can be found inside Battletome: Skaven – which is available for pre-order tomorrow. Later today we’ll be having a look at how you can create your very own Skaven hero on the Anvil of Apotheosis. How did the Great Horned Rat get one of those? Don’t ask.