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I am a returning player, but a Skaven player for 13 years+

It is bittersweet that Skaven is in the starter box. They have become much more popular, but also a little bit too common now. In my gaming area, I was one of very few Skaven players when I started. I won a lot of games b/c my opponent was unfamiliar with the army. I always felt people overlooked Skaven and played Orcs and Goblins if they wanted the crazy, evil style.

Anyways, onto my point. Infantry has become so much more powerful and cheaper in the new rules. I love it. That's Skaven's specialty.

How big of blocks do you make? Here are my thoughts.

Clanrats, I was thinking 35-40 was a good size. All with spears.

Stormvermin, 25-30.

Slaves, 40-50 with spears

If/when I take the Screaming Bell, I think Clanrats are the best choice and I would boost the unit to 45. They're unbreakable.

Plague Monks, 30 would be enough, but 35-40 if pushing the plague furnace.


How big of blocks do you people make? Have you had luck with that size, or even been shot to pieces?

The winners of tournaments here in Oz are for the most part cookie cutter lists for their main horde, then slight variations in characters, and rare choices (noone laves without a HPA though), at 2250 - 2500 points

1: Screaming bell and 40 clanrats deployed 5 wide (including the bell as 3 bases wide) - If the bell falls, they will still be steadfast
2: Plague furnace with 30-40 plague monks, deployed exactly as per the clanrats for the same reason
3: 3 units of 40 skaven slaves, deployed 5 wide, for steadfast

4: Occasionally the will be another clanrat unit 40 models, 5 wide.

Then a wall of units just runs straight at the enemy.

I have seen skavenslaves used 10 wide and 10 deep, and they do hold for a few turns, but very pen to combo charges, and will disappear in a few turns anyway.

I've also seen the plague monks deployed 10 wide for the extra rank of attacks, but again, gets opened up to multicarges, and the enemy can (if using chariots or small frontage units like lances, avoid the plague furnace altogether and kill of the unit around it)

5 wide and 1 rank more than you think you will need is a good place to start for any Skaven unit. 30 is a good starting size for all the units, 35-40 is about right. I wouldn't go much larger than that though unless you an in Horde formation as something like a 5 wide unit of 50 Slaves has a massive flank and can be tricky to maneuver. Imo the only Skaven units which should go 10 wide for Horde are units pushing the Bell/Furnace as they take up a decent chunk of the unit anyway and it makes it easier (models wise). The rest of the time going 5 wide to maximum ranks is more important.

However with the exception of Slaves (who are never ever going to win combats and are just there to block/get shot) you should always be flexible with your formations. 8th allows you to change your frontage fairly freely, and as long as you make sure you have enough ranks to be Steadfast you can stretch wider if you think it will improve your chances to winning combat.

There is no set size. Much bigger and much smaller units are quite viable, too. I've seen a competent player with a unit of 20 Stormvermin behind the main line including his General to bolster it and/or plug gaps and protect the General at the same time. In the same vein, my Empire knights overran into a block of 70 Slaves. All 10 and their Grand Master and a Captain were stuck and finally overwhelmed by the sheer number of attacks, 1+ AS notwithstanding.

Last game, a similar block of 70 blocked a Steam Tank, 35 Halberdiers and a Warrior Priest for three turns, and finally killed the Tank. It took another 30 Swordsmen in the flank to break them, so all in all a considerable effort, and all my units suffered heavy casualties.