Avian
The new Skaven army book is due the 7th of November 2009 and is written by Jeremy Vetock. It will be the second and last army book in 2009 (sadly).
Remember that an absence of rumours is not a rumour of absence. Just because there are no rumours on your favourite unit or character doesn't mean that it won't be in the army book.
New models:
There are four new boxes, plus three metal models and a new battalion box.
Clanrats / Slaves
- plastic box of 20 for £20
- concept sketches by Jes Goodwin and Brian Nelson
- wear tattered robes and armour somewhat similar to LotR moria goblins
- the box does not contain parts to make weapon teams
Stormvermin
- plastic box of 20 for £30
Doomwheel
- plastic box of 1 for £20
- smaller than the old version to make it fit on a chariot base
Screaming Bell / Plague Furnace
- plastic box, makes one or the other for £35
- goes on a brand new 60 x 100 mm base (so three rats wide and five deep)
- the bell variant comes with part of the church still attached
- the furnace variant comes with sculpted plastic smoke
Deathmaster Snitch
- metal blister of 1 for £8
- whirling around with his trademark three daggers, in the shape of the Skaven triskele symbol
Queek Head-taker
- metal blister of 1 for £8
- in a leaping pose and has a rat ogre skeleton on his trophy rack
Skweel Gnawtooth
- metal blister of 1 for £8
- has a warpstone whip and many little rats crawling over him
Battalion Box
- same makeup as currently, just with new Clanrats(?)
- £55
Army list structure
As with all recent army books, there will be ONE and only one army list, i.e. no variant list for a Clan Pestilence or Clan Moulder or anything like that. HOWEVER, the army list is most likely going to be less restrictive than now, making it easier to play a Clan Pestilence or Clan Moulder list using the main army list. This is done partly by removing the Mainstay rule and partly by having with certain special characters altering the army list structure (ex: Lord Skrolk lets you take Plague Monks as Core).
Not an army wide rule as such, but it appears that everything that uses a template now automatically also hit partials without needing to roll a 4+. This might be a sign of things to come in 8th edition.
Army special rules
Strength in Numbers - still in
Live to Fight Another Day - still in
Lead From the Rear - now ONLY lets a character moved to a rear rank use magic items and other rules, it no longer lets you pick who gets retired after declining a challenge, etc.
Life is Cheap - applies to shooting AT Slaves and/or WITH Globadiers ONLY (so any unit can shoot into combats if only Slaves are involved, while Globadiers can shoot into combat with any unit)
Magic items
Weeping Blades are armour piercing and cause D3 wounds
Storm Banner only works for one turn and affects all enemy shooting.
New equipment
Clan-specific equipment is still in and in addition there are some new 'generic' equipment available, such as a pet giant rat (who gives an extra attack but might bite its owner), a tail blade, poisoned attacks, etc.
Magic
- There are two spell lists, one for Skryre (Lore of Ruin) and one for Pestilence (Lore of Plague). Warlock Engineers get spells from one lists while Plague Priests get spells from the other.
- Grey Seers can choose which list to use and can mix (so if they roll a 1, 2, 3 and 5, they can get the first and fifth spell from the Skryre list and the second and third from the Pestilence list, or some other mix)
- Grey Seers can also swap any spell for either Skitterleap or Curse of the Horned Rat
- Irresistible Force is supposedly back to being on double 6s like with any other army
- casters can supposedly consume any number of their warpstone tokens when casting spells
Lore of Ruin
#1: Skitterleap, 5+
#2: Warp Lighting, 6+
- only D6 hits, though if you take the Warp-power Accumulator it adds +2 hits (a 1 is still one hit on the caster)
- the default spell for Clan Skryre
#3: Howling Warpstorm, 7+
- stops flying
- enemies get -1 BS
#4: Death Frenzy
- Frenzy with +2 attacks rather than +1 (replaces normal frenzy if the unit is already frenzied)
#5: Scorch, 11+
- place 3" template within 24", models hit (even if only partially covered) suffer a Strength 5 flaming hit
#6: Crack's Call
- draw a line 4D6" from the caster, all models hit must pass an Initiative test or be removed. Chariots and war machines are removed on a 5+
Lore of Plague
#1: Pestilent Breath, 5+ to cast
- only Strength 2, otherwise as before
#2: Poisoned Gift
- friendly unit within ?" gains Poisoned attacks for the rest of the game. If it already had poisoned attacks, they now poison on a 5+
#3: Wither, 8+
- an enemy unit within 12" suffers -1 Toughness for the rest of the game (unknown if multiple castings are cumulative)
#4: Vermintide, 8+
- appears to be the same as before
#5: Foul Cloud
- may affect all units within 12" (enemy units are affected on 2+, Clan Pestilence on a 5+ and other Skaven on a 4+)
- affected units take D6 S5 hits with no armour save
#6: Plague, 12+
- as before
Grey Seers only
#13: Curse of the Horned Rat, 25+ to cast
- can only target infantry
- causes 4D6 casualties to the enemy unit (no saves allowed!). If the unit is wiped out, it is replaced by an equal number of skaven (clanrats?). If it does not cause enough Wounds to wipe out the unit, no skaven are produced (it is assumed that they are slain as they mutate)
Lords
- there are no clan-specific Lord choices other than special characters
Warlord
- Mount options: Bonecrusher Rat Ogre, Giant Pox Rat or a War Litter
- otherwise pretty much as before
Grey Seer
- new plastic Screaming Bell presumably includes a plastic Grey Seer
- Leadership 7
- start with D3 Warpstone tokens
- Mount option: Screaming Bell
Heroes
Chieftain
- BSB upgrade follows the current trend (i.e. he can take shields and other equipment as normal)
Warlock Engineer
- are now more like a cross between wizards and engineers
- start off at half the cost of a Night Goblin Big Boss (previously the cheapest character in the game) with no magic level.
- can be upgraded to a level 1 or level 2 wizard (following much more normal rules than currently)
- becomes more shooting-oriented than previously, can take a Warplock Musket with a special sight that allows him to snip models in units (presumably like an Empire Hochland Long Rifle) or a pair of Warplock Pistols
- Warp-Power Accumulator is apparently an Arcane item (not know if it is unique or not) that only generates an extra Power Dice on a D6 roll of 5+, but adds +2 hits caused with the Warp Lighting spell (an unmodified 1 still does a hit on the Warlock)
- Mount options: Doomwheel?
Assassin
- still a character and not a Core choice (unlike the Dark Elf ones)
- Always Strike First, Initiative 9
- 4+ "dodge" Ward save
Plague Priest
- 30 pts more expensive, but starts as level 1 wizards and can upgrade to level 2 for the usual cost
- Mount options: Giant Pox Rat or a Plague Furnace
Master Moulder
- now a unit upgrade for Giant Rat Packs and Rat Ogres rather than a character
Character mounts
Giant Pox Rat (Warlord and Plague Priest)
- a large Giant Rat like the one being ridden by Nurglitch
- has two WS3 S4 attacks that are poisoned
- counts as a cavalry mount
- moves at Giant Rat speed
Bonecrusher Rat Ogre (Warlord)
- like a Rat Ogre champion, except that it doesn't have to charge (still 5 attacks, though) and +1 wound
- can only join Clanrats, Stormvermin or Rat Ogres
War Litter (Warlord)
- a large-base cavalry mount much like a Palanquin of Nurgle
- moving at Stormvermin speed
- has five attacks at WS4 and Strength 4
Screaming Bell (Grey Seer)
- new plastic model
- same cost as currently
- must join a unit of Clanrats or Stormvermin, making the unit Unbreakble
- now has a Rat Ogre swinging the bell
- stats as before, pushing it apparently also works as before
- ringing the Bell works much as before, but the first turn you can only ring with one dice, if you roll a double the unit suffers D6 S4 hits, if you roll a triple the Bell is not destroyed, it only suffers a S5 hit (as does the Grey Seer)
- missile fire with Strength 5+ hitting the Bell now causes it to ring (but only 1 dice)
- now "only" a 4+ Ward save, but this now also applies to the Grey Seer
Plague Furnace (Plague Priest)
- made from same kit as the Screaming Bell
- noticeably cheaper than the Screaming Bell
- Frenzied
- the Plague Monk crew have 6 attacks in total
- also pushed into battle, also causing impact hits, also making the unit Unbreakable
- has a breath weapon which is placed with the wide end facing the Furnace. Models touched must pass Toughness tests or lose a wound
- in combat, each unit in contact with it must take D6 Toughness tests, losing one Wound for each test failed, this stacks with plague censer bearers
- the giant censer thing can be swung as a weapon in combat, causing an Artillery Dice worth of Strength 5 hits (with a special mishap chart)
- was rumoured to give a bonus to units around it (poison or frenzy, details unknown), while Pestilence units nearby would get further bonuses (Hatred or Stubborn, details unknown) but newer rumours have not mentioned this
Core
Clanrats
- new plastic box
- lose Mainstay rule, which allows you to take more of the other units without needing clanrats first. It appears that to compensate for this, other units are getting more limited (Night Runners become a block unit, Globadiers become Special, etc.)
- one point cheaper, but start without shields (thus only really half a point cheaper)
- shields and spears are both upgrades costing half a point each
- can get all weapon teams other than the tunneling one
Slaves
- made from the same plastic box as clanrats
- Worthless: you can shoot into close combat as long as only Slaves are involved from your side
- spears, shields and slings are all upgrades costing half a point each
- can no longer get a champion, musician is even cheaper than previously
- Cornered Rats: Whey the break, they cause hits (D6 + a number equal to their number of ranks) on all units within D6" and are then removed from the table.
- still don't cause Panic in friendly units
- now apparently count towards the minimum number of Core units
Stormvermin
- new plastic box
- no longer 0-1
- one point cheaper with the same stats, equipment and options
- one unit may take a magic standard worth up to 50 pts
- champion can get extra equipment (such as the tail blade, poisoned attacks, warplock pistol, etc)
- can get all weapon teams other than the tunneling one
Night Runners
- no longer skirmish(!)
- special rule Slinking Advance gives them a free Move (no marching) before the first turn (like Ghouls get if you have a Vampire with the Ghoulkin power)
- apparently same stats as now
- champion has a 6+ "dodge" Ward save
- 2 points more expensive, but start off with two hand weapons and throwing stars
- (one unit only?) can take a Warp Grinder weapon team, allowing them to tunnel
- unit size 10+?
Giant Rat Pack
- Giant Rats and Pack Masters bought individually, works out slightly cheaper than currently
- don't count towards minimum number of Core units
- one rumour said you could add Rat Ogres to this unit, but that was wishful thinking
- some rumours say that if all pack masters are slain, the unit gets Stupidity on a 1-3 and Frenzy on a 4-6, others say the rule is as now
- Master Moulder is now a champion-type upgrade with the same stats as now except -1 In and -1 Attack. He can have a whip, things-catcher, electric whip, great weapon or some new special weapon that ignores armour saves. No magic items?
- new special character Skweel Gnawtooth is an upgrade for this unit
- Eager: the first two ranks can attack in close combat
Rat Swarms
- no longer 0-1
- cost almost halved
- can't get Poison
- don't count towards minimum number of Core units
Weapon Teams
- these function more or less as now (i.e. they must deploy within 3" of the parent unit and can be targeted like any other unit), but if they are within 3" of their parent unit, they get a 4+ Ward save and add that unit's rank bonus to their Leadership. They all come with heavy armour
- some early rumours had them hiding in their parent unit, somewhat like a Dark Elf Assassin, though that was not correct
- there does not appear to be any new models for these at the moment, making them a likely candidate for a plastic kit (like the Imperial Guard Heavy Weapon team box for 40K) sometime in the future
Ratling Gun
- now has to roll to hit (no penalties for long range or more than one shot), otherwise as before
- slightly cheaper
Warpfire Thrower
- now explicitly flaming...
- slightly altered misfire chart
- slightly cheaper
Poisoned Wind Mortar
- fires like a stone thrower with 36" range, though it can use the line of sight of the parent unit (in which case you double the scatter distance) and can move AND fire
- uses the 3" template, wounding the model under the hole on a 4+ and all other models hit on 4+
- no armour saves allowed
- no model at the moment
Doom Flayer / Thing Shredder
- close combat weapon team which moves randomly(?) and causes D3 impact hits
- in close combat it makes an Artillery Dice number of attacks (misfire can cause it to go out of control)
- Strength 4, armour piercing
- 3+ armour save
- no model at the moment
Warp Grinder / Warp Tunneler
- allows its unit to tunnel (essentially just like the current tunneling rules)
- no model at the moment
Special units
Jezzails
- can get a BS 4 champion
- lose skirmish
- 4+ armour save all the time
Plague Monks
- one point more expensive, but start with two hand weapons
Rat Ogres
- Frenzy
- cost 10 pts less than currently, but that is without a handler (who cost 8 pts, so if you get one handler per Rat Ogre you end up paying 2 pts less)
- can get one Master-bread Rat Ogre per unit who have +1 WS, +1 In and +1 A
- can take a Master Moulder (see Giant Rat Packs)
Gutter Runners
- start with two hand weapons and throwing stars
- 6+ "dodge" Ward save (5+ for champion)
- poison is an upgrade (somewhat costly as well)
- can get nets, who are apparently not quite the same as for Night Goblins
- can Scout or sneak onto the table from any edge, like Dwarf Miners
- half the units (rounding down) can have a Warp Grinder, letting them tunnel
- champion can get Weeping Blades
Globadiers
- unit size 5-15
- Life is Cheap: may fire into close combat; if the unit is enganged in close combat, unengaged models may lob poisoned globes at the enemy (in their own shooting phase?)
- may take a Poison Wind Mortar weapon team
Plague Censer Bearers
- get one extra Attack (so 3 while frenzied)
- can add the ranks of Plague Monk unit within 6" to their Ld
Rare
Warp Lightning Cannon
- no longer have to flee from charges (and there was much rejoicing!)
- fires like a normal cannon but also with a 3" round template placed where the bounce ends
- the second artillery dice rolled for bounce also determines the Strength of the shot
- no armour save, D6 wounds
- Leadership 7
- still a single model (with three S3 attacks to represent the crew) and not like other war machines who have separate crewmen
- loses it's Ward save
- slightly cheaper
Plagueclaw Catapult
- stone thrower variant with 5" round template
- conflicting rumours on damage, some have it as Strength 2, others as wounding on 4+ regardless of Toughness (might be confusion with the mortar weapon team)
- no armour saves allowed,
- units hit must take a Panic test if they take one or more wounds
- like the Warplighting Cannon, the catapult is supposedly a single model and does not have separate crewmen
- No model for the time being, it seems. Eventually there might be a plastic kit that makes this or the Warplightning Cannon.
Doomwheel
- new plastic model
- Large target, Terror, does NOT count as a chariot
- still moves 3D6", impact hits as scythed chariot (S6)
- takes less damage than normal chariots from moving through difficult terrain
- shoots lighting blast each turn at the closest unit unless the driver can pass a leadership test (at Ld7), lightning causes 3 hits with a Strength equal to the roll of an Artillery dice and inflict D6 wounds
- a misfire can increase / decrease the Doomwheel's speed or cause it to move in a random direction (next turn?)
- can "grind" in close combat much like a Steam Tank, causing D3 impact hits
Hell Pit Abomination
- supposedly sort of like a big monstrous worm thing melded with many other creatures
- Large Target, Terror, Regneration
- Stubborn (on Ld 8)
- Strength, Toughness and Wounds like a Giant
- slightly more expensive than a Giant
- special rule Shambling Horror, moves 3D6" and on a triple something interesting might happen
- special rule Too Horrible To Die means you have to roll a D6 after killing it,
-- 1-3: It's actually dead
-- 4-5: it dies but you get D3 rat swarms
-- 6: it comes back to life with D6 Wounds
- special rule Warpstone Spikes gives it random attacks
-- 1-2 Feast: S6 hits on all models in contact with no armour save causing D3 wounds
-- 3-4 Lash: 3D6 attacks and any unit that suffers casualties is at -1 to hit the Abomination
-- 5-6 Crush: all models in contact must pass In-tests or take a Strength 6 hit and one unit in contact take 2D6 S6 hits
- no model for the time being
- does NOT tunnel
- can get an upgrade to give it Magic Resistance and magical attacks
Special characters
Thanquol & Boneripper (Grey Seer with Rat Ogre bodyguard)
Lord Skrolk (Clan Pestilence Lord)
- classic model available through the GW website
- most expensive character
- makes Plague Monks Core
Ikit Claw (Clan Skryre Lord)
- classic model available through the GW website
- has the Storm Daemon, which casts and Artillery Dice hits version of Warp Lightning
Throt the Unclean (Clan Moulder Lord)
- Giant Rat Packs in his army count towards the minimum number of Core units
- allows up to two Rat Ogre units to be taken as Core choices
Queek Head-Taker (Clan Mors Warlord)
- new metal model
- WS7 and 6 attacks total
- 3+ armour save
- can give one unit of Stormvermin +1 WS and +1 Strength (for a 50% increase in their cost), but he is the only character who can join that unit
Vermin Lord (Greater Rat Daemon)
- not a special character as such, but presumably you can't have more than one
- classic model available through the GW website
- stats very much like a Shaggoth, though higher Move and Weapon Skill, but less Leadership
- 5+ Ward save, counts as a daemon
- level 4 wizard
- can't be the army general, can't join units
Deathmaster Snikch (Eshin Hero(!))
- new metal model
- his Cloak of Shadows means you have to roll a 4+ to be able to target him outside of close combat
Tretch (unknown)
- new character
- no model for the time being
Skweel Gnawtooth (Clan Moulder Packmaster)
- new metal model
- upgrade champion model for Giant Rat Packs
Originally Posted by Occam's Razor
Reply With Quote
speculate away!
