Don’t miss our latest Age of Sigmar tactics post on how to take your Carrion Empire Skaven to 2000 points for those bigger games!
The rats are back in town and with the release of Carrion Empire and their new battletome they are better than ever. Unlike the Flesh Eater Courts (that we covered in our other Carrion Empire 2000 points article) which has a limited (but very powerful) army of troops, the Skaven Battletome has an army list that rivals those goodie too shoes the Stormcasts. This army is going to take the models from the Carrion Empire set and build up to a 2000 point army similar to what we did in the Flesh Eater Courts.
Special Rules
Let’s first see what you are getting in terms of special rules in the Skaven Battletome:
- Skaventide Heroes that are not monsters get looks out sir (-1 to missile hit rolls against this model if he is within 3 or more models) in melee as well.
- Skaventide Heroes, when chosen to pile in the combat phase, can instead make a normal retreat move.
- Skaventide units with 20 or more models add 1 to hit rolls if there are 30 or more models they add 1 to wound rolls as well.
- Skaventide units add 2 to its Bravery for every 10 models in the unit for battleshock tests.
These are great overarching abilities that cover a lot of your bread and butter troops. It adds some survivability and punch to you mass ranks of cheaper rats and gives your buffing hero troops a little bit more survivability. The next section is the special traits for the clans, but since this article focuses on the Carrion Empire which is built around Clan Skryre I only listed Masterclan and those abilities.
- Masterclan models that use a command ability, on a 5+ you receive 1 extra command point
- If you have any Clan Skryre Heroes in your army roll a D3 + 3 and you gain that number of Warpstone Spark tokens. These tokens can only be used 1 per phase but do one of the following effects.
- In hero phase 1 friendly Clan Skyre Wizard can re-roll casting, dispelling, and unbinding rolls until the end of the phase. At the end of the phase roll a dice on a 1 the Wizard suffers D3 mortal wounds.
- In shooting phase pick 1 friendly Clan Skyre Hero and then 3 friendly clan Skyre units wholly within 13” of that hero. You can add 1 to Damage to missile weapons used by those units until the end of the phase. At the end of the phase roll, a dice on a 1 that hero suffers D3 mortal wounds.
- In the combat, phase pick a friendly Clan Skyre Hero and you can re-roll hit rolls for that hero until the end of the phase. At the end of the phase roll a dice, on a 1 the hero suffers D3 mortal wounds.
Finally, here is the remaining bonuses you get for going with the Skaven Allegiance. This includes your terrain piece the gnawholes which are little expensive at $55 on top of the $40 you’re already spending on your battletome but they really help make this army get going.
- Unique artifacts, command traits, and spells for all clans.
Gnawholes: Can include up to three that must be placed before the game starts wholly within 8” of the table edge, more than 3” from enemy units and objectives, and more than 1” from other terrain. In the start of your movement phase if a Skaventide unit and Skaventide Hero is wholly within 6” of the gnawhole the Skaventide unit can be transported to anyone other gnawhole and set up whole within 6” of it more than 9” from enemy models. Skaventide units treat this terrain as arcane, while enemy units treat it as deadly, and priests can add 1 to their prayer rolls while within 1” of them.
Carrion Empire (Skaven)
Let’s dig into what comes in the Skaven side of the Carrion Empire box.
- Warplock Bombardier: 100 Points (Leaders 1 of 6)
- Doomwheel: 160 Points (Behemoth 1 of 4)
- Warplightning Cannon: 180 Points (Artillery 1 of 4)
- 3 Stormfiends: 260 Points (Battleline 1 of 3 *Meets qualifications*)
Total: 700 Points
Warplock Bombardier: Move 6”, 5+ Save, 5 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
Has a missile weapon doomrocket: Range 18”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 4+, wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for D6 Damage. Firing Pole melee weapon: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. You can choose to say the doomrocket is 2D6 damage but if the hit roll is a 1 this model takes 2D6 mortal wounds. He can cast and unbind 1 spell, with his unique spell being warp lightning: Casting Value 5, Range 13”, 1 enemy unit, and the unit suffers D3 mortal wounds. You can say the spell is going to do D6 damage, but if it is unbound or fails the casting roll this model suffers D6 mortal wounds.
Doomwheel: Move 4D6”, 4+ Save, 7 Bravery, 8 Wounds.
Has a Warp Bolts Missile Attack: Range 13”, D6 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for D3 Damage. Then a Grind Wheels attack Range 1”, D6 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage. Finally, Knives attack Range 1”, 6 Attacks, hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. If can pass over models with wounds 3 or less, and each unit is passed over roll a dice, on 2+ it suffers D3 mortal wounds. You can re-roll the 4D6 move roll if you want but if you do and roll any 1’s on the dice your opponent gets to move the model. You choose to roll 2D6 Warp Bolts, but if it is a double this model sufferers 2D6 mortal wounds.
Warplightning Cannon: Move 3”, 4+ Save, 4 Bravery, 8 Wounds.
It has a missile weapon Lightning Cannon: Range 24”, you roll a D6, then roll an additional 6D6 and for everyone that is equal to or greater than the first D6 that target suffers a mortal wound. It also has a Knife attack: Range 1”, D6 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. If there is a friendly warlock engineer within 3” you can roll 12 dice instead of 6, but for every roll of 1, this model suffers D3 mortal wounds.
Stromfiends: Move 6”, 4+ Save, 6 Bravery, 6 Wounds. They have a variety of weapon choices they can be armed with one of the following:
- Ratling Cannons: Range 12”, 3D6 Attacks, Hitting on 4+, Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 1 Damage.
- Windlauncher: Range 24” (do not need to be visible), 3 Attacks, Hitting on a 4+ (3+ if the unit has 10 or more models), Wounding on a 4+, with -3 Rend, for D3 Damage.
- Warpfire Projectors: Range 8” Each model within range in the unit takes a mortal wound on a 4+.
- Doomflayer Gauntlets: Range 1”, 2D3 Attacks, Hitting (Add one to hit rolls on a charge) and Wounding on a 3+, -2 Rend, for D3 Damage.
- Grinderfists: Range 1”, 4 Attacks, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, with -2 Rend, for 2 Damage.
- Shock Gauntlets: Range 1”, Hitting on a 4+ (rolls of 6 cause D6 hits rather than just 1), Wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for 2 Damage.
- Clubbing Blows: Range 1”, 4 Attacks, Hitting on a 4+, Wound on a 3+, for 2 Damage.
The stormfiend with either of the gauntlets they receive an additional wound. Finally, the Grinderfists allow the Stormfiends to tunnel and instead of setting up as normal they are set up in reserve. In your movement phase roll a D6 on a 3+ they can pop up anywhere more than 9” away from the enemy. *1 in 3 can be armed with Projector or Windlauncer, 1 in 3 can be armed with Fists or Cannons, and 1 in 3 can be armed with Doomflayer or Shock Gauntlets.
Moving up to 2000 Points
This is a great start to a Skyre Skaven army and really the cheapest way to get this army to 2000 points is to grab another Skaven side of the Carrion Empire box. You should be able to trade or sell your Flesh Eater side for it if you bought the box, or you can find them for sale on eBay or marketplace for around half the cost of the box. Doing this restricts you a little bit in terms of models you can use but cost wise it makes up for it and brings you to 1400 Points. Then we add the other Clan Skyre Battle line which is Skaven Acolytes which cost a whopping 10 bucks per model. This would be the last models I would buy because I do think GW is going to release a box of 10 of these for a $50-dollar price point. On top of that let’s add a Grey Seer ($22) and Arch Warlock ($15), some Warplock Jezzals ($55), and finish off our list with endless spells.
- Warplock Bombardier: 100 Points (Leader 1 of 6)
- Warplock Bombardier: 100 Points (Leader 2 of 6)
- Arch Warlock: 160 Points (Leader 3 of 6)
- Grey Seer: 120 Points (Leader 4 of 6, General)
- Doomwheel: 160 Points (Behemoth 1 of 4)
- Doomwheel: 160 Points (Behemoth 2 of 4)
- Warplightning Cannon: 180 Points (Artillery 1 of 4)
- Warplightning Cannon: 180 Points (Artillery 2 of 4)
- 3 Stormfiends: 260 Points (Battleline 1 of 3 *Meets qualifications*)
- 3 Stormfiends: 260 Points (Battleline 2 of 3 *Meets qualifications*)
- 10 Skryre Acolytes: 120 Points (Battleline 3 of 3 *Meets qualifications*))
- 3 Warplock Jezzails: 140 points (No Unit Type)
- Vermintide: 40 Points (Endless Spell)
- Soulsnare Shackles: 20 Points (Endless Spell)
Arch Warlock: Move 6”, 3+ Save, 6 Bravery, 6 Wounds.
He has a gauntlet he can use once per game: Range 8”, target suffers D3 mortal wounds. He also has a Claw attack: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, -2 Rend, for 3 Damage. Finally a Halberd: Range 2”, 1 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 3+, with -2 Rend, for D3 Damage. He is a wizard and can cast/unbind 2 spells a turn with his unique spell being Warpstorm: Casting value 7, Range 18”, Target D3 enemy units, they suffer D3 mortal wounds. Before casting roll you can say adding power, if successful and not unbound it is D6 mortal wounds. If you do so and it is unsuccessful or unbound the warlock suffers D3xD6 mortal wounds.
Grey Seer: Move 6”, 5+ Save, 6 Bravery, 5 Wounds.
Has staff attack: Range 2”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 4+, wounding on a 3+, with -1 Rend, for D3 Damage. In your hero phase you can roll 3D6 for a casting attempt and if it is 13 the spell is cast and cannot be unbound and once it goes off this model is slain. If it was not 13, remove 1 dice of your choice and then proceed as normal. He can cast and unbind 2 spells, with his unique spell being Wither: Casting Value 7, Range 13”, 1 enemy unit , roll 2D6 and if it is higher than the wound stat that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds and it sufferers a -1 to melee hit rolls.
Skryre Acolytes: Move 6”, 6+ Save, 4 Bravery, 1 Wound.
They have a missile weapon Poisoned Wind Globe: Range 8”, 1 attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 4+, with -2 Rend, for D3 damage. Rusty Knife attack: Range 1”, 1 Attack, Hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. This unit can run and shoot, and if the target unit has 10 or more models add 1 to hit rolls.
Warplock Jezzails: Move 6”, 6+ Save (4+ against missile weapons), 4 Bravery, 2 Wounds.
Missile Weapon Jezzail: Range 30”, 1 Attack, Hitting on a 4+, Wounding on a 3+, with -2 Rend, for 2 Damage. Melee Weapon Knives: Range 1”, 2 Attacks, Hitting and Wounding on a 5+, for 1 Damage. Each missile hit roll of 6 causes 2 mortal wounds and the attack sequence ends. If the unit did not move you can re-roll hit rolls.
Vermintide: Casting Value 7”, Range 13”, Move 7”.
After this model moved pick a unit within 3” of it and roll 13 dice, for each 6 that unit suffers a mortal wound. Each unit that finished a move within 3” of this model also must roll 13 dice and suffers a mortal wound for every 6 rolled. Skaventide units are not affected by this model and can move over it as if they could fly.
Soulsnare Shackles: Casting Value 5, Range 12” then additional 6” within the first model.
At the start of the movement phase roll a dice for each unit within 6” of the shackles on a 3+ halve that units’ movement, on a 6 they also take D3 mortal wounds. If the realm of death you can set up an additional 9” instead of 6”.
Total 2000 Points
Tactics & Gear
Loadouts: For your general, I would give him Mater of Magic to boost his casting and unbinding abilities. For an artifact, I would give the Arch Warlock the Esoteric Warp Resonator to get an additional Warpstone spark every turn. This lets you use the one for casting without burning through your reserves. For spells I am going to give me Grey Seer the Warpgale, my Archwarlock More More Warp Power, and then the Bombadiers get Chain Warp Lightning and Warp Lightning Shield. For my Stormfiends, I need all my models on the board, and they can use gnawholes to transport so I am going to for Ratling Cannons over Grinderfists. Then I still like the mortal wound potential of the Warpfire Projector, so I am going use those instead of the Windlauncher. Finally, I like that damage potential of the Shock Gauntlet, so I am going to run with that over the Doomflayer Gauntlets.
Tactics: Really this is all about dishing out wounds faster than your opponent, with so few models you have. Obviously, you’re going to use your Stormfields as Hammer and Hammer (you have no anvil), but I would focus as much artillery as you can on your opponents bigger single models over units. Be sure to use the gnawholes and endless spells to potentially plug holes forcing your opponent over deadly terrain or making them go around. The scenarios where there is a lot of objectives you are going to struggle with, as well as fast moving armies. If they get into your back field and start taking out the Bombardiers, you could be in some trouble.
Really outside of the Acolytes being $10 each this list is generally affordable in terms of a complete 2000-point army. It also has a lot of the “fun” Clan Skyre models so if you find yourself branching off into the other clans or adding “all the clans” then you already have some of the units that make Skaven a fun army to play!
More AoS How-To For Noobs!
About the Author: Travis Perkins
