Skaven help needed

Frost808 · Post by **Frost808** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:09 am

I guess it wouldn't hurt to hear wut u guys have to say about skaven.... tactics, tips etc.

Thanks

Pmpn8ez · Post by **Pmpn8ez** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:13 am

What about them? They're evil ratmen who tend to come in large numbers. Beyond that, it's hard to give much advice without any knowledge of your own list and playstyle, as well as those of your opponent. Is there something you are having particular trouble with, or is it just the Skaven in general? Are you even going to be playing against them anytime soon? To be sincere, ambiguous questions receive like-minded answers. If you would be so kind as to narrow down what you're asking, I'd be more than willing to help (or try).

Frost808 · Post by **Frost808** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:16 am

alright i guess if ther is no universal skaven tatics...... i would just like to know how you would play a skaven army, wut units you would get, Wut strat would you use

Pmpn8ez · Post by **Pmpn8ez** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:26 am

I would say that no, there's no real 'universal' anti-Skaven tactics. It will always change depending on the list, really. Try to kill support guns ASAP with whatever means you can muster and use units which net a large amount of attacks per model so as to kill as many of the blighters as possible. If all else fails, just flank/ rear charge them; they break even easier than other armies' units when the attack is coming from an unexpected quarter.

Alex c · Post by **Alex c** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:27 am

frost808 wrote:alright i guess if ther is no universal skaven tatics...... i would just like to know how you would play a skaven army, wut units you would get, Wut strat would you use

Being an ex-Skaven player, I'll chip in. And I'm assuming you want to command a Skaven force and are not playing against one.

I used to have a Warlord clan themed army, with lots of Clanrats and a few Skryre toys sprinkled in for good measure. Add a pinch of Eshin for Skirmishers, and that was my force. Not too cheesy, looked the part and was fun to play.

If you don't care about having fun and just want to win, jam as many Skryre units in as you can (concentrate on multiple Warlocks and Ratlings guns) and blow the enemy to kingdom come...

Frost808 · Post by **Frost808** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 1:27 pm

yeah i am just looking to have fun that would explain my army list i might as well post it

HEROS
535-- x1 Grey Seer Riding a Screaming Bell
-four warpstone token/warpstone amulet/eye of the horned rat/and two dispel scroll(if i am playing agianst some one in lack of an awsome magic phase i would usually pic the twisted crown so i can regenerate wounds i take from warp lighting etc.)

124-- x1 plauge priest
-addtional hand weapon/ and the black blade of fury (or the gourger again depending on the oppenent)

155-- x1 Assasin w/ 2 hand weapons and warpstone stars(deployed as a scout or skitterleap, if i do put him in a regiment i would give him weeping blades instead)

155-- x1 Assasin w/ weeping blades and throwing starts

151-- x1 Cheiften carrying battle standard (storm banner)
heavy armor/sheild and hand weapon

85-- x1 warlock engineer w/ energy condenser/ warp powered accumulator/ warplock pistol

CORE

205-- x30 clanrats w/ spear/light armor/ sheilds/standard/ musician/ champion

205-- x30 clanrats w/ spear/light armor/ sheilds/standard/ musician/ champion

205-- x30 clanrats w/ spear/light armor/ sheilds/standard/ musician/ champion

280-- x30 clanrats w/ spear/light armor/ sheilds/standard/ musician/ champion and attached warpfire thrower

280-- x30 clanrats w/ spear/light armor/ sheilds/standard/ musician/ champion and attached warpfire thrower

252--20 stormvermin w/ halbreds/ heavy armor/ standard /musician /champion /attached warp fire thrower

60-- 25 slaves with spears

40-- 20 slaves with spears

225-- 5 bases of rat swarms

60-- 6 poision wind globadiers

SPECIAL
80-- 4 jessials

200-- 4 rat ogres with pack masters

182--10-- gutter runners w/ 2 hand weapons and slings

182--10-- gutter runners w/ 2 hand weapons and slings

340-- x34 pluage monks w/ additional hand weapons/ umbanner/standard/ musician/ champion

I realize that clan skrye is one of the best clans but this list is just for fun.... it look like a genuine horde army(Expecailly next to a elf army)..... and i would have some more jessials and slaves but lack of money means lack of figures... i am sure you no how it is

Pmpn8ez · Post by **Pmpn8ez** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:30 pm

I was under the impression that you'd be fighting against them, not with them. Well then, that changes things quite a bit.

Unless slaves get spears for free, don't arm them with any. Slaves are meant to die in the role of a screen or something similar, so giving them more stuff is just wasteful since they won't really kill anything anyway. For gutter runners, you'd be better off with poisoned hand weapons than slings, since slings really aren't all that effective and you will be wanting to get to use the runners for their combat abilities, slicing and dicing missile units or WM crews as necessary. 34 plague monks is a bit big; even for an army that (looks like it's 3000 points), you'd be better off with more units and smaller unit sizes. 25 is a good number for them, as is it good for clanrats too (30 is getting unwieldly). Also give your engineer some nice equipment like a warpscroll, since he can take it and it'll improve your magic quite a bit for the turn it's used (draws out a few dice or scroll usually).

Alex c · Post by **Alex c** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 5:37 pm

4001 points of Skaven, and you say "lack of money means lack of figures"? :lol:

I think you have more than enough there!

pmpn8ez has some good suggestions, but I'd like to add one more. Assassins are REALLY not worth their points, at least in my opinion. I would drop them and get a couple more Warlocks, maybe even fit in a Ratling Gun or two if you can.

Slayer69 · Post by **Slayer69** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 6:19 pm

ALL HAIL CROSSBOWELVES! They rock against theeir low toughness....I'd also include 2 reapers (to take care of Jezzails) of course some DR and maybee some good anti magic......then fear causers!!!!!

Alex c · Post by **Alex c** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 6:25 pm

@slayer69: Erm, he is going to be USING a Skaven army, not playing AGAINST one. We have clearly established this...

Slayer69 · Post by **Slayer69** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:25 pm

OH....go magic heavy...drop those 4 Jezzails....they suck..either take a large unit 10 or none!

Then looking at your list too many toys...go with upgraded warlocks and 1 assassine and 1 plague priest.....then give some of your clanrat units some ratling guns....maybee drop a unit of clanrats for 2 ratling guns and a warplightning cannon!

Saint anger · Post by **Saint anger** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 8:58 am

methinks one would be advised to become a member of the website in my sig for useful skaven advice ect.

and slayer69; never, ever try playing with that list if you want to have fun, or win the game because of the tactics you used as opposed to your machines not having blown up, but yeah, small jezzail units arnt really worth the points, they're an all or nothing type of unit

Slayer69 · Post by **Slayer69** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 3:35 pm

Saint Anger wrote:and slayer69; never, ever try playing with that list if you want to have fun, or win the game because of the tactics you used as opposed to your machines not having blown up, but yeah, small jezzail units arnt really worth the points, they're an all or nothing type of unit

My skaven opponent always plays a SAD army of this type (their all the same) and I hate it.....
But he is right...if you want to have fun then go for a grey seer and only one warlock(at most)!.....
then many funny things....cause skaven are the funniest next to orcs!

Neferata · Post by **Neferata** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:25 pm

Youre damn right! Skaven and orcs are the funniest armies. You play to have fun so my advice to you is to take all the funny troops that the Skaven army can offer. And play sneaky thats the best tactic!

Llamarama · Post by **Llamarama** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 8:55 pm

Well, Slaves should NEVER have ANY upgrades. They're expendable for a reason. I think you could use more in your army, to be honest. I'm assuming the stormvermin are pushing the Bell? The assassins, although cool, really arn't worth the points.

As my good buddy Saint Anger mentioned, either LOTS of jezzails or none at all. Just 4 is a waste of points.

A suggestion on the gutter runners: Pick either stars/slings OR 2 hand weapons, not both. Too many points otherwise. As pmp said, 34 plague monks are too many in one unit. 25-30 is better.

Realize that rat swarms really don't kill much of anything....they are just there to slow stuff down so you can set up flank charges. I think 5 might be a bit too many.

Don't mean to be critical, just trying to help you out.

Skaven are a lot of fun to play, especially when you don't powergame them up with 5,000,000 skyre units. That's no fun for either player.

Try tunneling teams for the Gutter runners -- Let hilarity ensue! :lol:

Have fun playing the Skaven and come visit us at the UnderEmpire! *points to Saint Angers sig*

Post by **Rork** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:35 pm

Llamarama wrote:Well, Slaves should NEVER have ANY upgrades. They're expendable for a reason. I think you could use more in your army, to be honest. I'm assuming the stormvermin are pushing the Bell? The assassins, although cool, really arn't worth the points.

A musician is always worthwhile, even for slaves.

Llamarama · Post by **Llamarama** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:52 pm

Rork wrote:A musician is always worthwhile, even for slaves.

Touche. Personally I don't care if they run, so the musician isnt worth it to me. It's all up to the person playing. All I was trying to say is that I think its kind of a waste to almost double their cost to give them spears and a musician.....I guess I just play them that way -- suicidal meat shields. I'm only paying 2 points apiece, I'm not worried about them dying/running. Everyone to his/her own. I was just offering my belief on the matter.

Slayer69 · Post by **Slayer69** » Wed Apr 06, 2005 6:13 pm

Well a musician is actually worth it IMO!.....even if they are slaves they are not expendable!!!

Furthermore I think may weapons...like warpflamethrowers and ratling guns are funny.......!

Some posion Globadiers and an assassine are funny two!!!

Lord potsmasher · Post by **Lord potsmasher** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 12:50 am

slayer69 wrote:Well a musician is actually worth it IMO!.....even if they are slaves they are not expendable!!!

Actually, Slaves have a special rule, called Expendable

Pmpn8ez · Post by **Pmpn8ez** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:17 am

Slaves are meant to be expendable; essentially, they are there to die. They are indispensable in that they are better at serving their purpose than any other unit the Skaven have, but they are definetely expendable. You want them to die; this is far preferably to losing even a clanrat, or worse, something of use like plague monks or stormvermin. They also provide you with invaluable time to set up your weapons teams and start firing away while they hold up an enemy unit in combat. Occasionally it's good to give them a muso to help them out and stop them from running away, but in the end, if they die then they've served their purpose (even if they don't kill anything).

Scourge of ulthuan · Post by **Scourge of ulthuan** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 1:15 pm

I have to admit to this, previous to my dark elves, I had the Skaven army of death. If you want to win every time unrelentlessly, then fill out youy hero slots with as many grey seers and warlock engineers as possible. take lots of units of clanrats with ratling guns, some slaves(cos they are 2pts each), plague monks wsith censer bearers, and my favourite, a big unit of rat swarms. I you are in a really bad mood, get a warplightning cannon. The rat swarms are a must in my opinion and have won me countless games. Hope this helps. Apologies to whoever you play against, because this is a HORRIBLE army.