Much hullabaloo is being made over the arrival of Sigmar’s Ruination Chamber, but they’ll need more than fresh new Liberators to stem the tide of Skavendom. The followers of the Great Horned Rat are done sniping from the shadows and concocting petty schemes – it’s time to roll across the Mortal Realms in a seething mass of verminous death, and for all their sorcery and technology, the ambitions of the Council of Thirteen will be carried aloft by uncountable legions of humble Clanrats.
To be a Clanrat is to be a single drop in an ocean of teeth, claws, and matted fur. They are the expendable foot soldiers of the Great Clans, armed with rusted weapons and ragged clothing, but for all their individual cowardice and lacklustre fighting skills they are still deadly in numbers and will gleefully overwhelm larger foes in a living tide of stabbing blades.
Such erratic soldiers still need to be kept in line despite the unstoppable inertia of their great swarms, and it’s common to see Skaven with above-average bravery and ambition take the role of champions, musicians, and banner bearers to rally their lesser kin. Quite how they found the time to fashion instruments in the din of battle is anyone’s guess.
There is no formal uniform for a Clanrat and most scavenge whatever sharp blades and sturdy shields they can find on their way to a battle. Their wooden bastions are as likely to fall apart as stop an attack from a Stormcast Eternal, but with such a dreadfully low survival rate being the norm on the Skaven frontline, any chance of blocking an errant arrow or sword swipe is greedily coveted.
In fact, if anything unites Skaven Clanrats at all, it’s their overall shabby appearance. But what incredible models they are nonetheless!
The existing plastic Clanrats are venerable artefacts from the World-that-Was, and it’s finally time for the backbone of the Skaven military to get the update they deserve. They still keep their classic hunched posture and raggedy equipment, rendering the sorry state of your rank and file in better detail than they’ve ever seen before.
Keep with us here at Warhammer Community for more coming from the new edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar soon. If these Clanrats have captured your attention, then we guarantee you won’t want to miss our dive into the lore and history behind the Skaven later this week – check back soon and join us for the ride.