We are the Skaven, the cunning ratmen of the Under-Empire! Born in the shadows, we scurry, scheme, and plot, driven by our insatiable hunger for power and domination.
With our sharp teeth and clever minds, we seek to overthrow the weak and claim the world above for ourselves.
Betrayal and treachery are our ways, and we revel in chaos.
Who Are the Skaven?
The Skaven are a treacherous and cunning bunch in the Age of Sigmar, known as the ratmen of the Under-Empire, sometimes called ‘Children of the Horned Rat’ too.
They are a race of malevolent humanoid rodents that are constantly plotting to expand their dominion over the realms.
They are often disorganised and at each other’s throats. Their will to survive means only the cruellest, most cunning and strongest survive.
Their overall aim to bring about the ‘Great Ascendancy’ where they will rise up and take over the world for the rat race. Probably unlikely to happen due to all the in-fighting, but they do have a vast number so get your rat traps out ASAP.
What Are Skaven Army Strengths?
A fun army to play with and to frustrate opponents with; Skaven can cause all sorts of annoying shenanigans on the battlefield. However, they don’t really have a major strength in one area, but rather decent in most regards. You’ll need to play smart to win with this faction.
The strength lies in numbers, using their tricks and range (melee is not the one for this army really).
Having a strong ranged backbone is probably the best bet and then using all the sneaky tricks to block, bleed and annoy the opposing forces. Ratmen are pretty replaceable, so you can sacrifice and replace, and repeat. Are you going to dazzle your way to an easy victory? Probably not. Will you have fun grinding your opponent into a vermin mothball fury, hopefully!
Utilising Gnawholes will also come in handy and can turn the tide when used right.
Where Should Beginners Start?
If you’re starting your collection of Skaven as a beginner, consider these key models:
- Clanrats: These infantry units form the backbone of most Skaven armies. You could see them as pretty weak but as a charging unit with the ability to resculpt, and with added buffs creating more damage, they can start to become deadly units to overwhelm opponents (and fairly low on points too).
- Stormvermin: These elite troops are more durable and capable in combat and also give an Infantry Hero a 5+ ward when around them. However, they can be costly on points compared to a buffed clanrat.
- Warplock Jezzails: Range is really where Skaven can excell and Jezzails are essential for this, picking off enemy targets from a distance. Get them, get them, get them.
- Grey Seer: A powerful caster unit that is good for range and reliable spell output. Can be protected by Clanrats.
- Doomwheel: Good for adding a powerful war machine to the mix.
- Rattling Guns: Very good unit to have (probably going to get nerfed at some point) and can help add to the range attack.
How To Paint Skaven
A very cool army to paint. We’ve put some color scheme ideas together for new Skaven players:
Color Scheme Ideas
- Classic Ratmen Scheme: Unsurprisingly, dark gray or black works well for the rodent skin. You can then add lighter shades to this for more depth. For armor and weapons, you can use the standard metallics like gunmetal or brass, whilst adding a wash for further detailing. It doesn’t all have to be dark and muted colors though; you can bring some bright shades in for accents, such as red or green. This works well for clothing and banners.
- Warpstone Glow: The base coat could be a deep green, making your Skaven look mutated and ominous. Add lighter greens and even some glowing effects by using a bright yellow or lime green on select areas – eyes, weapons, or armor edges. A solid black or dark gray then could be used for the armor to offset and finally and wash it with a dark green for a finish.
- Rusty Doomwheel: Begin with a rusty brown or dark copper base – this will give it a nice industrial / machine feel. Add some brighter oranges and reds to give more of that good rust effect. Paint armor in basic metallic silver or brass but use washes to give it a weathered look. Get some glowing warpstones going in there too with some bright green or blues.
Painting Techniques for Skaven
- Base Coating: A solid base coat will establish your primary colors of your miniaturs. This beginning layer will set the scene for subsequent techniques, allowing them to stand out more.
- Drybrushing: For Skaven, this will be good for highlighting textures on fur and armor. Basically just use a lighter shade of your base color to drybrush over raised areas. This will make them look far more polished.
- Washes: Washes are great for shadows and making a grittier appearance for a model. Classic dark washes like Nuln Oil or green washes will work well for Skaven.
- Edge Highlighting: Edge highlighting is good for finishing armor and weapons. You just apply a lighter color along the edges to create sharp contrasts and make your model stand out a bit more.
