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Warlock Engineer- Level 1 Wizard, Warp Energy , Doom Rocket 100
Plague Priest- Level 2 Wizard, Plague Censer 150

Clanrats x25: Full Command, Shields, Warpfire Thrower 190
Clanrats x25: Full Command, Shields, Doom Flayer 175

Plague Monks x20: Banner of the Under Empire 165
Rat Ogre x2, Pack Master 88

Warp Lightening Cannon 90

I realize that it's ever so slightly over 1,000 due to the DoomRocket, but my buddy said since it's my first time and all its okay if I use it. My friend wanted to start High Elves and I was torn between Warriors of Chaos and Skaven. Ultimately I chose Skaven because I already play Chaos Space Marines in 40k, so I'd be playing the same army herp derp. Then he showed me the battleforce and we each pitched in a few dollars, it should be here on Monday. I bought Plague Monks and The Warp Lightening Cannon because they are coolio. Until I buy more Clanrats 10 will be something counts as Clanrats and my Warlord will count as a Plague Priest for now.

But what do you guys think of my first list? I use everything that the Island of Blood gives me plus the kits that I bought. I thought that Plague Monks are cool, two hand weapons and Frenzy will give them three attacks each, is that correct?

The Warp Lightening Cannon is cool and the attack that it does seems really good, with everything being hit in the path of the blast template. The possibility of using the large template is simply intoxicating.

I'm pretty much in favor of everything you have here with two exceptions. Keep in mind this is just advice, and you are free to do whatever you want with it.

The doomflayer is really only worth taking if you really think it looks cool. They otherwise don't work very well. I suggest either switching for a ratling gun (they can do a lot of shots, so I like them, but they don't do as much damage as WFT and PWM, so a lot of other people don't) or you can take my advice on part two and get a PWM or WFT with the extra points.

If you have the Plague monks, you also have a ton of little rats. I reccomend using those rats and gluing them to a 40mm square base and using them as rat swarms. Rat swarms are very good at tying things up, are cheap, and fast. They also have quite a few attacks, so they might even kill some smaller things or warmachines. Three swarms is 75 points. If you drop the rat ogres, because only two of them die pretty easy, you have enough points to take the rat swarms and a Plague Wind Mortar.

Also, the Doomrocket and Warp Lightning Cannon are the best things in your list...but you have some really good stuff in there too...Plague monks do indeed get 3 attacks each, but only in the front rank.

Overall I think it's pretty solid for a 1k list. Good luck.

The Island of Blood we're ordering should be in on Monday, so I don't have the rulebook in front of me.

Doesn't the second rank of monks get attacks too?

Do extra 40mm bases come with the set or one of the kits I'm buying? I'm getting the Skaven half of IoB and the Plague Monks and Warp Lightening Cannon kit.

I'll think about the Doom Flayer, I have the Poisoned Wind Globadier Weapon Team as well because it's in the IoB box.

Any other tips about my first list?

Since this is a thousand point list I could not recomend a Greyseer more. At these points he will win you games

The best way by far for starting a Skaven or HE army is 2 IOB and 2 Battalions. I realize Rome wasn't built in a day and it takes time and money to get that rolling, but to answer your quesitons:

Yes, the second rank gets attacks, I believe he was just saying they don't get spears or weapon choices.

No, there should not be extra 40mm bases in your boxes... but ya never know, I have gotten extra bases... I also have been shorted, buy them. Though I would look at all your rats, you get some on the plague monk sprue and rat ogre stuffs, take the smaller and make them rat swarms. The bigger ones put on the 20mm bases you get and use as giant rats, these are cheaper than clan rats and more or less have spears.

Mortars are far and away the best weapon team, as they can move and fire along with not needing line of sight.

As far as a Grey Seer goes he is high risk, I like a smaller wizard at 1k, though the previous poster is correct he can win games alone.

My suggestions would be more battalions/IOB as Skaven thrive off bigger units... your clanrats/slaves should be in 40+'s, your rat ogres 5+, the wepaon teams and extra rats you get are nice. A grey seer, bell, 3 total cannons and you got a solid 3k army.

The tricky stuff is Globadiers, expensive, to bell or not to bell, same with furnace and all this I would check out before you finish that model. As against a HE player most furnaces will never see combat, (plague monks are easy to shoot at). HPA, how many do you like to field?

Rough List at 1k
Warlord w/bonebreaker
BSB
2x Engineer
clan rats/slaves
3x Globadier w/ 2 mortars
2x cannon
without looking or doing long math/min-maxing this would be more a tourney list

I would suggest alot of testing and begging your buddy's forgiveness as you figure out what works for you.

Everyone poops on the doom flayers.
Try using them in mass.
I ran a list with 7 of them, and found them to be awesome. They can concentrate hitting power like nothing else in your list can. I used large slave blocks to catch and hold, and doom flayer madness into the flanks (sending in 3 or 4 at a time).

Yeah, with only a 3+ armor save you do lose a few before they strike, but 4D3 impact hits, followed by 2 or 3 Artillery dice of S4 save -2 hits cleans house.

Skaven is a very flexible list, you get a lot of options that can work.

-Matt

Justus wrote:Doesn't the second rank of monks get attacks too?

2nd ranks do get attacks but they only get 1 per model in the 2nd rank, 3rd if horded, unless they are monsterous infantry then they get up to 3 supporting attacks per model


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Justus wrote:Doesn't the second rank of monks get attacks too?

2nd ranks do get attacks but they only get 1 per model in the 2nd rank, 3rd if horded, unless they are monsterous infantry then they get up to 3 supporting attacks per model

We agreed to buy another Island of Blood, so we're upping the ante to 1,500, still keeping it WYSIWYG. Here's the updated list.

Warlock Engineer- Level 2 Mage, DoomRocket, Warp Energy Condenser 135
Warlock Engineer- Level 2 Mage, DoomRocket, Warp Energy Condenser 135

Clanrats x40- Full Command, Warpfire Thrower, Shields 270
Clanrats x40- Full Command, Warpfire Thrower, Shields 270
Giant Rats x6, Pack Master x1

Plague Monks x30: Full Command, Shroud of Dripping Death 265
Rat Ogres x5, Packmaster x2 216

Warp Lightening Cannon 90
Warp Lightening Cannon 90

You can only take one Doomrocket and one Warp energy condensor. I would take Dispel Scroll on one of those. In fact, I would probably take a Plague Priest instead of the second WE. Give the PP a dispel scroll. Looks good otherwise.

About the other questions: you can get some (I think 5) 40mm bases in the five dollar square base pack from GW. Yes the second rank gets attacks, but they are limited to just one supporting attack.

Like Matt said, doomflayers may do fine for you, but probably only en masse.

One more thing, are spears worth it on clan rats? And how are storm vermin?

No clanrats or slaves are only for holding things up while other units put in the work.

Stormvermin are not worth it on the tourney level, but a cool bunch of figs and can be fun. So it is all personal flavor on this.

I still don't see a BSB, and I would make another fig your general as Skaven wizards tend to do bad things to themselves.

What does a BSB do?

It saves ratses from running away... it is in your rule book you got in the IOB.

I'm in Martha's Vineyard now, not getting home until Monday, which means I got nothing. Is it a better idea to have a Warlord or a Cheiftan be your BSBro?

Cheiftain

Chieftan is your only option for BSB. Basically a BSB lets you re-roll failed leadership checks. Very helpful for low leadership.

You really need a Chieftan with a BSB for any skaven army. Give him a Halberd and a ward save then stick him in one of your clanrat units.