The Skaven have combined vile magic with cursed artifice since their earliest days, and the techno-arcanists of the Clans Skryre have been busy in the Age of Sigmar.
The new Warlock Engineer is a sniper of surpassing skill, who uses warpstone-infused bullets to take down enemy characters from afar – the best place for any Skaven to be.
The warplock musket is deadly indeed, with two shots at D3 Damage and 2 Rend – and the ability to Auto-wound on a critical hit. An eager engineer can further amplify its power using the reaction ability More-More Warp Energy – granting the musket a flat 3 Damage for the turn, provided you shot without moving. This being a Skaven device, of course, there’s always the chance it might blow up in your face…
What’s more, the Warlock Engineer is a spiteful Sniper-Master, spotting enemy leaders with well-honed expertise – and the far-peeker tube of its warplock optics, patent pending – before pointing them out for any Warplock Jezzails within a staggering 13" range!
Ignoring the Guarded Hero ability is obviously fantastic, but… what is a Guarded Hero, exactly? These are leaders and characters who are protected by the press of friendly bodies around them – much like the old Look Out, Sir! rule – making them harder to snipe with a cheeky arrow or glowing musket round.
MONSTERS and WAR MACHINES are a bit too conspicuous to benefit from this kind of protection, but smaller HEROES can find safety in obscurity – and INFANTRY HEROES can be downright impossible to target from far away. At least, until a Warlock Engineer gets involved…
The Warlock Engineer is just one of a number of Skaven characters returning to the game with a fresh look and some unpleasant innovations – we’ll have more to show you soon. But for now, check out the rest of the coverage of the new edition.