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As the subject says, I recently bought the Spire of Dawn set (which apparently is a repackaging of an old starter) and I've started to build a Skaven army from it.

The box contains the following:

1 x warlord
1 x warlock engineer
1 x packmaster

40 x clanrats
2 x rat ogors
1 x warpfire thrower
1 x poisoned wind mortar

I have also bought a Hell Pit Abomination to bring my army up to 1000 pts.

So, what I should look into getting next? I was thinking maybe buying a Pestilens Start Collecting box next, but Stormvermin and Doom Wheel look attractive too.

Also, I should mention that this is my first foray into Age of Sigmar, and I I'm really enjoying it so far!

cpugeek13 wrote:
As the subject says, I recently bought the Spire of Dawn set (which apparently is a repackaging of an old starter) and I've started to build a Skaven army from it.

The box contains the following:

1 x warlord
1 x warlock engineer
1 x packmaster

40 x clanrats
2 x rat ogors
1 x warpfire thrower
1 x poisoned wind mortar

I have also bought a Hell Pit Abomination to bring my army up to 1000 pts.

So, what I should look into getting next? I was thinking maybe buying a Pestilens Start Collecting box next, but Stormvermin and Doom Wheel look attractive too.

Also, I should mention that this is my first foray into Age of Sigmar, and I I'm really enjoying it so far!

That hellpit abomination actually brings you above the 1000 pts. The content of SoD, countint he batallion are 820pts. The HPA is 300pts.

As for what to buy there's two pointers:

-Another SoD. More bodies and HW are welcome, plus I think I also allows you to field the superior verminous clawpack batallion.
-Warplightning cannons, long range support is very good. Furthermore, a WLC would just bring you to a 1k army.

Lord Kragan wrote:


That hellpit abomination actually brings you above the 1000 pts. The content of SoD, countint he batallion are 820pts. The HPA is 300pts.

As for what to buy there's two pointers:

-Another SoD. More bodies and HW are welcome, plus I think I also allows you to field the superior verminous clawpack batallion.
-Warplightning cannons, long range support is very good. Furthermore, a WLC would just bring you to a 1k army.

Doesn't the verminous clawpack require Stormvermin as well?

Also, do you know if the Pestilens box allows for the lightning cannon and bell, or can you only make the pestilens artillery?

cpugeek13 wrote:

Lord Kragan wrote:


That hellpit abomination actually brings you above the 1000 pts. The content of SoD, countint he batallion are 820pts. The HPA is 300pts.

As for what to buy there's two pointers:

-Another SoD. More bodies and HW are welcome, plus I think I also allows you to field the superior verminous clawpack batallion.
-Warplightning cannons, long range support is very good. Furthermore, a WLC would just bring you to a 1k army.

Doesn't the verminous clawpack require Stormvermin as well?

Also, do you know if the Pestilens box allows for the lightning cannon and bell, or can you only make the pestilens artillery?

Yes, but it's worth it from what I've heard.

You can only make the pestilens artillery since plague monks are only battleline.if you go all pestilens.

cpugeek13 wrote:

Lord Kragan wrote:


That hellpit abomination actually brings you above the 1000 pts. The content of SoD, countint he batallion are 820pts. The HPA is 300pts.

As for what to buy there's two pointers:

-Another SoD. More bodies and HW are welcome, plus I think I also allows you to field the superior verminous clawpack batallion.
-Warplightning cannons, long range support is very good. Furthermore, a WLC would just bring you to a 1k army.

Doesn't the verminous clawpack require Stormvermin as well?

Also, do you know if the Pestilens box allows for the lightning cannon and bell, or can you only make the pestilens artillery?

Bell and Lightning is also included in the Pestilens set

It depends which element you like most.
Skyre, Moulder or the Verminous clan.

I myself would advice a second box of spire at dawn. and even a third. (Including Island of blood sets, I bought it 5x)

at 2500 mixed skaven you will want the flexibility of being able to play 4x 30 clanrats or even 4x40. not other way to get those rats this cheap.

Fill it up with some hard hitting elements form the clan you like most.

SKyre:
Stormfiends
Warplightning canon
more kinds of weapon teams

Clan Moulder
Hell pit abomination, Stormfiends
Each set will give you a packmaster, their whip ability stacks.

Clan Verminous:
Get stormvermin and a Vermin lord.

 minisnatcher wrote:


at 2500 mixed skaven you will want the flexibility of being able to play 4x 30 clanrats or even 4x40. not other way to get those rats this cheap.

I'm curious, why are clanrats so essential? I know that they're the core battleline unit, but in the few games I've played, they've had very little impact on the outcomes (other than holding objectives). Wouldn't my points be better spent on more elite units, monsters, or artillery?

cpugeek13 wrote:

 minisnatcher wrote:


at 2500 mixed skaven you will want the flexibility of being able to play 4x 30 clanrats or even 4x40. not other way to get those rats this cheap.

I'm curious, why are clanrats so essential? I know that they're the core battleline unit, but in the few games I've played, they've had very little impact on the outcomes (other than holding objectives). Wouldn't my points be better spent on more elite units, monsters, or artillery?

They are not your hardhitting unit but they open up the possibility to blitz. They can charge, retreat and charge again and have +2 on run and retreat moves. So if the unit is big enough and has IP that is a lot of wounds to chew through for a unit you can occupy your ennemy with while your Stormfiends, rat ogors, weapon teams, destroy his other units 1 by one.

a unit of 30 or 40 parked next to an objective is an objective very hard to take by your opponent as he has to outnumber you. Elite armies would have to annihilate most of them before being able to claim the objective.

For mixed skaven they are your only battleline option.

When in large packs they become significantly more powerful where 10 or 20 are mere roadblocks.

With IP, Crown of conquest or a BSB Chieftain, you can make a lot of them battleshockfree making them really awesome.

They work perfect for turtle tactics. One unit before , one unit behind, pack the middle with flamers, stormfiends, warpfire canon doomwheel or anything that can shoot the hell out of anything that charges or comes near the clanrat turtle. the clanrats are just the buffer for you to keep on shooting without putting the middle units at risk. (this will not work against very shooty armies, but will work wonders against elite melee based armies)

But it is true, they die. But you are a skaven warlord and what do you care if the canon fodder dies, as long as you get your objective. I have won many battles with only 2-3 skaven models on the battlefield but having won by scoring a lot in the first 3 tuns.