Saturday 4 June 2016

Skaven 8th and 9th ed updates out now!

Updated 6/6

Took a bit longer than planned since I had to do quite a lot of layout changes, as well as working on both the Beastmen and Albion books (which will also be updated soon). This update changes the following:

  • Verminlord variants from End Times added.
  • Skreech Verminking added.
  • More background for Master Moulders, Rat Ogres and Assassins, as well as short stories for the greater clans.
  • Hell Pit Abomination now goes berserk on roll of 13 rather than doubles.
  • Warlock Engineers cannot use the Curse of the Horned Rat.
  • Ratling Gun rolls dice like 7th ed. 
  • Fell Blade can only be taken by Warlords.
  • Standard 9th ed changes for the 9th ed version (can be found under the new "9th ed books" tab).

30 comments:

  1. -Scurry Away! says that the Skaven use the rules for Swiftstide when fleeing.
    -Verminous Valor mentions Champions despite Champions no longer being able to issue and accept challenges.
    -The Warpstiletto wielded by the verminlord deceiver does not specify how good it is at piercing armor.
    -Rat Swarms and Plague Rats should not be Ld 10. They are unbreakable already so leadership shouldn't matter and they are also weak willed beasts who would be Ld 3 at the most.
    -A Plague Priest should be T4 to go with how lord wizards have +1 toughness over their hero counterparts.
    -The Lore of Stealth should function like a normal lore of magic since in 9th edition, all wizards can choose their spells.
    -Warpstone-Laced Armor does not need to be specified as Heavy Armor. Just call it Heavy Armor.
    -The Thanquol, Skreech Verminking, Grey Seer and Verminlord entries say that they roll for spells.
    -The Warlord, Master Mutator and Master Moulder are barred from wielding two hand weapons when mounted even though you removed that rule.
    -Warlock and Warlock Masters should be limited to those spells instead of knowing all four despite being level 1 wizards.
    -I still think that Chieftains should be able to ride Broodhorrors, Bonebreakers, and Pox Rats.
    -Run-run, flee-flee! is still present in the Skavenslave list of special rules.
    -Plague Rats and Rat Swarms are almost identical with the exception being that one has poisoned attacks. Perhaps just make poisoned attacks a 5pt per base upgrade to Rat Swarms.
    -Warlords, Chieftains, Master Mutators and Master Moulders should be able to upgrade from light to medium armor. The Rust armor should also be made medium armor. Currently, no one is able to take it.

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    Replies
    1. - Fixed.
      - Fixed.
      - Fixed.
      - Good point, Ld3 now.
      - It's better to look at them like Warrior Priest, hence T5 makes sense.
      - Fixed.
      - Fixed.
      - Will fix today.
      - That's was the intention, but I've clarified it better now.
      - Still keeping those exclusive to the Master Moulder :)
      - Fixed.
      - Different fluff, different clans, different sections of the army list. Otherwise I agree with you.
      - Warlord and Chieftains always wear the same armour as Stormvermin, Moulders wear very little armour by comparison. Rust Armour is medium now.

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  2. There is still the old version for the 8th army book online, is it?

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, the link did not update correctly, I've fixed it now.

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  3. Was Paired Weapon removed as a rule in 9th ed? If so, Queek's weapon still has that rule.

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  4. Just something I noticed, the War-Litter currently has the poisoned attacks special rule instead of Borne Litter in its bestiary entry.
    Keep up the great work, loving how 9th edition is coming along so far.

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  5. Something I think needs some slight clarification. The Screaming Bell states that both itself and the Grey Seer mounted on it gain a 4+ Ward Save. This suggests that they function as two separate entities similar to 8th edition. Upon consulting the BRB I found no rules regarding characters mounted on shrines. I assume they function the same way as characters on chariots, but some clarification would be helpful.

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  6. Posted on the 8th ed codex page, but also figured I'd mention it here.

    I can't seem to find the Dreaded Thirteenth Spell in either book. Am I completely mad, or what?

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    Replies
    1. The Dreaded Thirteenth Spell is the Curse of the Horned Rat, forgot to change that.

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    2. Screech's entry also says, that he has to pick the Curse of the Horned Rat as his signature spell. A signature spell is a ceratin spell in a lore and it is the same for every wizard using that lore. It is available to Wizards from Level 1 to 4 and can be taken multiple times. So how does Screech take CotHR as HIS signature? Does he simplay not take it away from other wizards? Does that mean you can have two wizards with CotHR?

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  7. Oh, well I feel the stooge for having scanned past its actual name for years now. I'm sure the discussion of lowering its casting cost and "damage" dice number has also already been had, so I'll show myself out.

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  8. I think that the Hell Pit Abomination needs to have increased impact hits. While most monsters didn't lose much power by shifting from stomp to impact hits, the HPA lost a great deal of power as one if its most important special rules was granted to all other monsters. Maybe just increasing them to D6+1 or D6+2 would help it overcome this loss of power.

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  9. Did you mean to make Stormfiends a unit of Monsters instead of Monstrous Infantry? A unit that can pop up out of nowhere, inflict 6d3 s5 impact hits, throw out 12 s5 cc attacks, and then 3d6 thunderstomps for an average of 32 s5 hits sounds...strong.

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    Replies
    1. Whoa, no! They are MI in the bestiary, it's just a typo in the army list. I will have that updated for their next version.

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    2. Haha that's great to hear! Thanks for the quick response and keep up the good work my local gaming group LOVES the books!

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    3. Queek Stormvermins aren't an upgraded version? I think it would be a good idea to mark the book version with a number like you do in the Core rules. Stormfiends still are a Monster in the last version downloadable?

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    4. Queek does not have special stormvermin, no. The Skaven book will be marked with version number in their next update.

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  10. short stories for the greater clans page?

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    Replies
    1. In the "Greater Clans" section of the main background, there is a short story for each clan, as can be found in the 6th ed army book.

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  11. Two brief comments concerning War-Litters.
    In the Skaven description you find that "Such platforms offer protection, extra fighters, and a more elaborate and visible display of the Warlord's platforms offer protection".

    But in the rules (General and Race Specific) the protection part doesn't appear (extra save, Killing blow protection or whatever).

    Also, it has been classified as Infantry, and according to that, in the Rulebook you'll find that it would be US 1 and that the base would be 20x20 or 25x25...and I think that is not the idea.The problem also continues as there is no mention to their specific base size anywhere (Skaven book or Rulebook)
    And I'm sure that Dwarfs will have a similar one so Base size should be ruled.

    Maybe a change to Monstrous Infantry can sort the problem or a special Classification for it.

    Hope it helps.

    And indeed I will play this version. Keep up with the Great Work!

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  12. Hi! I've been playing with your codex quite a bit, and I wanted to share some of my opinions:

    1) Stormfiends are really nice, they're very balanced, the LD really keeps them in check and assures you won't just blindly charge them into your enemies.

    2) The WPL is, well, underwhelming. It simply has no place in any list. It is slow, it cannot march, no even move and fire (as opposed to earlier), and the random range means that it will miss around 60% of the time even on a target 30' distant(on a roll of 2, 4, 6 and misfire, of course). It's just overpriced and underperforming compared to any other cannon of every other army book.

    3) The HPA is too another classic that has taken quite a big hit. I understand knocking down its durability a bit, but its random attack table now it is horrible. The HPA cannot kill other monsters. It either does 1 (avoidable) hit that still has to wounds and can potentially cause up to 3 wounds, 2d6 hits (the actually good result) or....1 hit, with no multiple wounds. (since monsters, cavalry or mi do not get thunderstomped.) It's far too easy to kill, ignore or tarpit this way. The Brood Horror is far more efficient for less points, AND it can be a mount.

    4)The skaven spellist. Why we have 3 spells, spread around 2 lores, that basically do the same identical thing? Warpstorm and Cloud of Corruption have the same exact range, deal the same amounts of hits. Warpstorm hits allied units on 6 only, and is casted at 8+. CoC hits allied units on a 4 or 5 (thus it's actually worse) and has a 12+ cast. World sores is just....bad. D6 hits at str2 have an hard time wounding against elves. Even with no armor saves, if you roll 6 hits, you're getting 2 wounds on average.

    5) There is no reason to pick the lord-level engeneer. Grey Seers do exactly what they do, but do it better. For 15 points more they get d3 warpstone, have access to the 13th dreaded, have access to both lores and allow you to field the screaming bell and the verminlord. Even against armies immune to the 13th (ogres, mainly), you'll still want a Grey Seer, because you'll go with plague.

    6) Eshin skirmishers need their LD bumped up OR some variant of strenght in numbers. LD5 or 6 (for a special unit!) cripples them and forces them to be small warmachine hunters teams (which in turn makes them even more vulnerable to LD test due to heavy casualities)

    7) There was a reason our warmachine had T6 instead of T7. I do not know if it is intentional, but now the Bell's hit on warmachines also gets our own!

    8) With the current rules, giant rats are better skavenslaves than the skavenslaves themselves. You can take 49 rats and a single packmaster, and you will have a 155-points unit that, for 55 points more than skavenslaves has: extra rank of attacks, ld8, 1 point more of movement, no run-run flee-flee (by the way, I love the name), and it can be joined by Master Moulders

    8) Eshin magic is just...weak. I understand the reasoning behind the spells, but in a game not even a single one of those will break through if you can only take it on a level 1 mage.

    9) The Storm Banner description is a bit faulty. Since it only specifies units, technically cannons can fire directly in front on your unit and avoid having to make the roll.

    Awesome work on the codex, I think it's expected for a few mistakes or typos to work their way in, expecially during such a massive overhaul!

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  14. Hi ! We also have played several games with the skavens.
    We totaly agree about the warp lighting cannon. This warmachine has no use. A few corrections can make it playable (reduicing the price or upgrading the range to artillery dice x5 for example).

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  15. are my eyes deceiving me? Skitterleep is gone? one of the coolest tricks is to move a warplock engineer near a unit, drop a brass orb and run away...

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    1. Are you using the latest version? The majority of the things mentioned in the comments above have been fixed.

      Brass Orb will return in their next update, Skitterleap was moved to the Lore of Stealth and can be used by Eshin Sorcerers, and you can still cast it on a warplock engineer if you want.

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  16. not going to be using the skaven 8th rule book as is, for many reasons, most stated by others above. Oh well, just stick to my 7th edition as is I think :(

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