Skaven Spearhead — Box Review & Guide

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The standalone Skaven Spearhead box is Spearhead: Skaven, and it builds a force called the Warpspark Clawpack. It’s led by a Grey Seer, with 20 Clanrats, three Stormfiends and a Warp Lightning Cannon. That gives you a horde of cheap rats, a heavy-hitting elite unit and long-range artillery. Skaven also have two other Spearheads, one from the Skaventide launch box and one from the 2026 City of Ash box, which we cover below. It’s a good choice if you like big numbers, dice-heavy shooting and a bit of chaos. New to the format? Start with our Age of Sigmar Spearhead guide.

What’s in the Box?

Spearhead: Skaven builds 25 plastic miniatures, used as five units:

Other Skaven Spearheads

Skaven have three Spearhead forces in all, and Warhammer Community lists rules for each:

• Gnawfeast Clawpack: the Skaven half of the Skaventide launch box for Age of Sigmar’s fourth edition. It’s a Clawlord on Gnaw-beast with a Grey Seer, a Warlock Engineer, two units of ten Clanrats and three Rat Ogors.
• Crixxit’s Kill-Pack: the Skaven force from the two-player Spearhead: City of Ash box, released in 2026. It’s Deathmaster Crixxit, a Deathmaster, two units of five Gutter Runners, ten Night Runners and Bomb Rat tokens. It’s a fast, sneaky Clans Eshin force with a very different feel.

This guide focuses on the Warpspark Clawpack, because it’s the one sold in its own box.

The Spearhead Rules

Here’s a plain-English summary of the Warpspark Clawpack’s rules. They’re a free download from Warhammer Community, which is where to check the latest version.

Battle trait: Always Three Clawsteps Ahead

Once per phase in the enemy movement phase, one of your units that isn’t in combat can make a normal move as if it were your turn. This lets you react to your opponent: dodge a charge, block a path or step onto an objective they’ve just left.

Regiment abilities (pick one)

• Warpstone-Laced Armour: once per battle, when your opponent targets your Stormfiends with an attack, the Stormfiends get a 5+ ward for the rest of the turn.
• Endless Swarm of Rats: when your Clanrats bring models back with their own ability, they return D6 models instead of D3.

Enhancements (pick one for the Grey Seer)

• Skilled Manipulator: the Grey Seer has a 4+ ward while within 1″ of a Clanrats unit.
• Cage of Warp Lightning: once per battle, give a nearby enemy unit Strike-last. On a roll of 1, the Grey Seer takes a mortal damage instead.
• Skitterleap: a spell that teleports the Grey Seer to another part of the battlefield.
• Scurry Away: the Grey Seer can try to retreat out of combat during any combat phase, without taking damage.

For beginners, Endless Swarm of Rats is the most straightforward pick: your Clanrats become very hard to wipe out. Skilled Manipulator is a simple, reliable way to keep your general alive.

What Each Unit Does

Grey Seer

Your general and wizard. Wither is a damage spell that can deal D3 mortal damage. Will of the Horned Rat adds the roll of a dice to a friendly unit’s control score until your next turn, which is excellent for holding a contested objective. The Grey Seer is fragile, so keep him behind or among the Clanrats.

Clanrats

Twenty Clanrats in two units of ten. They’re not good fighters, but at the end of every turn each unit gets D3 slain models back (D6 with Endless Swarm of Rats). That makes them excellent at holding objectives and getting in the enemy’s way. They also have Reinforcements, so a destroyed unit can return.

Stormfiends

Your hardest-hitting unit. The three models are armed differently: one with ratling cannons (a big pile of shots), one with windlaunchers (fewer but harder-hitting shots) and one with shock gauntlets, whose critical hits can turn into multiple hits. They’re good at both shooting and fighting, so they can push into the middle of the board and stay there.

Warp Lightning Cannon

A war machine with a 20″ range. It fires 2D6 shots, and each hit deals a mortal damage directly, ignoring saves. All its shots go into one target. It’s slow, with a 3″ move, so set it up somewhere with good sightlines and leave it there.

How to Play the Warpspark Clawpack

Use the Clanrats to hold objectives and slow the enemy down, while the Stormfiends and Cannon do the damage.

Deployment

Put the Cannon somewhere central with long lines of sight. Place the Clanrats in front, where they can reach objectives quickly and screen the Cannon. Deploy the Stormfiends where they can advance while shooting, and keep the Grey Seer near a Clanrats unit.

Turn 1

Move the Clanrats onto objectives. Shoot the Cannon and Stormfiends at the most dangerous enemy unit in range. Use Will of the Horned Rat on a Clanrats unit holding an important objective. In the enemy’s turn, use Always Three Clawsteps Ahead to get out of a bad charge or block one.

Turns 2 and 3

The enemy will be close now. Let the Clanrats take the charges, because they’ll get models back at the end of the turn. Keep shooting with the Cannon, and move the Stormfiends towards whatever is threatening your objectives. They can shoot and then fight in the same turn.

Turns 4 and 5

Count objectives carefully. Clanrats with high numbers, boosted by the Grey Seer, can usually hold their points. Use the battle trait’s out-of-turn move to put a unit on an objective at the last moment.

Common mistakes

• Expecting Clanrats to win fights. Their job is to hold ground and come back, not to kill things.
• Forgetting the Clanrats’ Seething Swarm at the end of every turn, including your opponent’s.
• Splitting the Cannon’s fire. All its attacks must go into one target, so pick it carefully.
• Leaving the Grey Seer exposed. He’s your only hero and quite fragile.

Building and Painting Notes

Twenty Clanrats is a lot of batch painting. Pick a quick scheme for them, with brown fur, rusty metal and a contrast or wash for cloth, and save your time for the Stormfiends and Cannon. Warpstone glows in bright green, and a little goes a long way. The Stormfiends kit can be built in several ways, but for this Spearhead you need the mix described above, so check the warscroll before gluing. Our Skaven painting guide covers a full scheme, and our general painting guides cover the basics.

Expanding Beyond Spearhead

Everything in the box is useful in a full Skaven army, and Skaven have one of the biggest ranges in the game. More Clanrats or Stormvermin are an easy next step, and the Skaventide and City of Ash models add very different units if you want more variety. Our Skaven army guide covers the faction, and our points guide explains how full armies are built. For the lore, see our Skaven lore guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Skaven Spearhead should I buy?

Spearhead: Skaven (the Warpspark Clawpack) is the only one sold in its own box. The Gnawfeast Clawpack comes from the Skaventide launch box, and Crixxit’s Kill-Pack comes from the two-player City of Ash box. Pick the City of Ash box if you want a two-player starter with a Cities of Sigmar opponent.

Is the Warpspark Clawpack good for beginners?

Yes. The units are easy to understand, and the Clanrats are very forgiving because they keep coming back. The main thing to learn is how to use the battle trait during your opponent’s turn.

Do I need the battletome?

No. The Spearhead rules are free from Warhammer Community. You’ll need the battletome only for full-size games.

Can I build the Stormfiends however I like?

Not for this Spearhead. The force uses one Stormfiend with shock gauntlets, one with windlaunchers and one with ratling cannons, so build them that way, or magnetise the arms if you want other options later.

How does Spearhead compare with Combat Patrol?

Both formats give you a small, ready-made army in a single box. Our Spearhead vs Combat Patrol guide compares them.

Can I add extra units to the Warpspark Clawpack?

No. Spearhead forces are fixed, so you play with exactly the units in the box: the Grey Seer, 20 Clanrats, three Stormfiends and the Warp Lightning Cannon. Your only choices are your regiment ability and the Grey Seer’s enhancement. To add more units, move up to full Age of Sigmar games.

Can the Skaven Spearhead play against any other Spearhead?

Yes. Every Spearhead force is designed to be played against every other one, so the Warpspark Clawpack can face any faction’s Spearhead. That includes the two other Skaven forces, the Gnawfeast Clawpack and Crixxit’s Kill-Pack, if a friend owns one of those.

Related Content

• Skaven – Warhammer Age of Sigmar Guide — apply this guide to a specific army
• How to Play Warhammer 40k — Complete Beginner’s Guide — learn the core rules of Warhammer 40K
• Ossiarch Bonereapers Spearhead — Box Review & Guide — explore another helpful guide
• All Warhammer 40k Factions Ranked — Tier List — see which factions rank highest