43. Skaven Warband

Skaven

 

The Skaven are a blight upon the roots of the world—verminous horrors born of madness, mutation, and ambition. Beneath Albion’s mist-choked hills and ley-warped ruins, they gnaw at the bones of the land, whispering praises to the Horned Rat and scheming in endless shadow. Emerging from their hidden tunnels in the wake of arcane upheaval, Skaven warbands seek warp-tainted relics, ancient secrets, and the chance to topple surface-kind one crumbling stone at a time.

 

Each Skaven warband is a frenzy of clawed ambition. Whether led by a cunning assassin, a warp-touched sorcerer, or a ruthless commander, these scavenger hordes strike with overwhelming speed and vicious efficiency. Swift Verminkin, deranged Giant Rats, and hulking Rat Ogres form the core of their forces, supported by underhanded tactics, deadly surprises, and dark blessings of the Horned Rat. Skaven excel at ambushes, infiltration, and sudden violence—preferring to break their prey before it has time to resist.

 

To face a Skaven warband is to fight an enemy already watching from the shadows. Their presence is an omen of rot and collapse, for wherever they scurry, ruin is never far behind.

 

 

Why Play Skaven?

 

Skaven warbands excel in overwhelming their enemies with speed, numbers, and unpredictability. With access to an expanded model count and free soldier units like Verminkin, they can flood the battlefield, control objectives, and outmaneuver more elite but slower foes. Their high mobility and synergy with terrain make them natural scavengers—perfectly suited for Albion’s ruined cities and twisted dungeons.

 

Tactically, Skaven reward cunning over brute strength. Their units may not be the toughest individually, but their warband thrives on group activations, support from nearby allies, and the ability to strike from unexpected angles. Paired with the eerie magic of the Horned Rat—capable of summoning verminous swarms, warping flesh, and igniting warpfire—Skaven players can disrupt enemy plans while buffing their own units with unnatural enhancements.

 

If you enjoy fast-paced, aggressive play and the thrill of swarming the enemy with relentless rodent hordes, the Skaven offer a playstyle that is as vicious as it is thematic. They are the embodiment of risk and reward—capable of brilliance or chaos in equal measure.

 

Leadership Choices

 

Leadership choice costs gold, which is deducted from the starting Warband allotment of 250gc. For one-off games, players can choose one leadership option per game. In a campaign, the selected leadership option remains fixed unless the leader(s) die(s), or a scenario allows a change.

 

Option 1: Eshin Sorcerer (Wizard) and Acolyte (Apprentice) – 75gc

Option 2: Eshin Sorcerer (Wizard) and Captain – 50gc

Option 3: Captain and Acolyte (Apprentice) – 25gc

 

Starting equipment is chosen from Arms and Armor List as normal. Eshin Sorcerer/Captain have 5 slots available; Acolyte has 4 slots available. Eshin Sorcerer/Acolyte may not wear any type of armor or carry shields as these interfere with spells.

 

Eshin Sorcerer (Wizard)
M	F	S	A	W	H	Notes
6	+2	+0	10	+4	14	Curses of the Horned Rat

 

•      Curses of the Horned Rat – Chooses 8 curses from Curses of the Horned Rat

 

Captain
M	F	S	A	W	H	Notes
6	+2	+1	10	+3	12	Stat Increase

•  Stat Increase - When creating a captain, you may choose one of the following stat increases for them: +1 Move, +1 Fight, +1 Shoot, +1 Will, +2 Health. The captain’s stat line should be changed accordingly.

 

Acolyte (Apprentice)
M	F	S	A	W	H	Notes
6	+0	+0	10	+2	12	Acolyte, Curses of the Horned Rat

 

•        Acolyte – If “Wizard” is an Eshin Sorcerer, knows same 8 curses as Sorcerer, casts at -2 penalty (per normal rules)

•       Curses of the Horned Rat – If Captain is chosen, Chooses 4 curses from Curses of the Horned Rat (Still casts at -2).

  

Warband

 

Warband Builder Reference

o   Max models – 12 (including leaders)

o   Max Gold – 250gc

o   Max Specialists – 4 (Including any hirelings)

 

Warband Traits

• Hunger of the Swarm: If a Skaven model is in melee with a target that is also engaged by at least one other friendly model, it gains +1 Fight. This bonus stacks with the normal bonus for multiple attackers.
• Scurry and Clamber: All Skaven models ignore movement penalties from difficult terrain and climbing vertical surfaces. Scenario rules may negate this ability.

 

 

Specialists								Min/Max
								0-3
Black Skaven
M	F	S	A	W	H	Notes	Cost	Min/Max
6	+3	+0	11	+1	12	Two-handed weapon, Light armor	50gc	0-2
Rat Ogre
M	F	S	A	W	H	Notes	Cost	Min/Max
6	+3	+0	11	+2	14	Stupidity	150gc	0-1
o   Stupidity: If no friendly Leader is within 6”, this model suffers –2 to Will rolls and cannot use Group Activation.

 

 

Soldiers								Min/Max
								0-10
Giant Rat
M	F	S	A	W	H	Notes	Cost	Min/Max
8	+1	+0	10	-2	8	Animal	10gc	0-6
Verminkin – Melee
M	F	S	A	W	H	Notes	Cost	Min/Max
6	+2	+0	10	-1	10	Hand Weapon & Shield or, Two-Handed Weapon	Free	0-6
Verminkin - Ranged
M	F	S	A	W	H	Notes	Cost	Min/Max
6	+0	+0	10	+0	10	Various ranged weapons	25gc	0-5