If the skaven can be counted on for anything, it’s their legendary sense of self-preservation. Seeking to outnumber your foe isn’t cowardice, it’s simple mathematics – with thousands of other Clanrats by your side, it’s far less likely that any incoming spears and arrows will hit you.*
Emboldened by a perverse faith in the power of probability, the verminous warriors of the Under-Empire surge forward in a tidal wave of chittering teeth and rusty blades. The upcoming Battletome: Skaven gives these massive hordes the tools they need to fight as an irrepressible whole.
Previously a tool for keeping your scurrying clawpacks in the fight a little longer, the Strength in Numbers battle trait now takes a more proactive approach – by ensuring your foes are too dead to scare anybody. No longer will those lurking in the rear ranks** be left out of a fight, standing by while the foolish lemons at the front absorb the enemy’s attacks – now your entire swarm can pitch in, all eager to kill-steal the final blow.
Sufficiently large mobs of skaven will find the range of their melee weapons increased up to a maximum of 3", as a flurry of poisoned daggers and filthy claws squirm through the press of bodies for a quick stab… before melting back into the mob.
Elite opponents might once have been able to quarantine a pilgrimage of Plague Monks into a narrow bottleneck, taking the swarm down piecemeal – they’ll now find their front lines beset by the fighting strength of a fully-engaged unit.
Two other battle traits – Scurry Away and Lead from the Back – are also returning with slight reworks. These are indispensable tools in the playbook of any self-respecting (and self-preserving) Grey Seer, ensuring your tactical geniuses can leverage their powerful Clan abilities in relative safety. Valuable targets weave between disposable minions, luring in the cream of the crop before bogging them down in a protracted battle with numberless chaff.
Imagine having to sully your god-wrought thunderstrike armour with the blood of the clawpack’s dregs, when suddenly – surprise! – a sneaky Deathmaster stabs you in the back. Classic skaven.
Concoct your own devious plans of attack and pile hundreds of bodies into the fray when Battletome: Skaven arrives for pre-order this weekend, alongside a massive bounty of Warhammer Age of Sigmar releases. Do you have a clawpack of your own that’s looking forward to their new Strength in Numbers? Show us on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages!
* If you’re lucky, they might even hit your rivals – what an inspiring thought! No-one likes them anyway.
** A prized position, reserved only for the most cunning and shifty ratfolk.