Guide: Strategy guide for the Skaven mod by Sombre “Die manthings die!”

[Sombre]

How's that?

A few people have been telling me it's too weak.

[chrispedersen]

Hmm.. It was argadis that was too strong. Skaven: It requires a fair amount of sophistication in the placement of your units. So its easy to play them wrong.

Here's a few comments:

I think the strengths of the slaves (most of the units) are 1 pt too strong.

Pro: Interesting options. The pretender I prefer is a S9W9N4 oracle. Other options are an B9 N4 X9 Fob.

It would be better if there were a thematic pretender with a high dominion. I'd like to see something like a Death/Blood/Nature pretender chassis - to encourage afflictions.

I'd love a similar chassis with Air - although unthematic it would be a fun option.

The national sneak ability is fun as hell. Summons are good. Too bad you can't rename fort types. Warrens would be cool.

Perhaps you could make a warren special site. Summons skaven slaves, spreads disease?
Somehow rats should have sailing or amphib.

[Trumanator]

While Chris raises good points, I think he's underestimating how utterly horrid your troops are. Sneaking is cool... except for the fact that 10 pd of pretty much anyone requires you have an army of 30+ guys, not easy to sneak around. Skavenslaves are pretty good at what they do, but MM1 is a killer. I like his bless ideas, except for B9. Cave forts, while thematic and providing killer defense, are expensive and time consuming beyond belief, not really fitting a bunch of rats IMO. Were I to play again, I would probably go Const and Conj to get some thugs and warpfire/lightning throwers out quickly.

[chrispedersen]

Yes, I agree about the forts, I hinted at it but didn't say it explicily.

Skaven need *cheap* forts that are utterly disposable. Dark Citadels seem appropriate.. I'd also start them in a great city. Seems appropriate that they would originate in places of teeming life. Plus it gives a startup bonus on resources to crank out some of your albinos etc.

[Stavis_L]

Originally Posted by chrispedersen

Skaven need *cheap* forts that are utterly disposable. Dark Citadels seem appropriate.. I'd also start them in a great city. Seems appropriate that they would originate in places of teeming life. Plus it gives a startup bonus on resources to crank out some of your albinos etc.

Er...Dark Citadels cost 1200 gold and take 5 turns to build...not what I'd call cheap and utterly disposable. Only the various "City" type forts are more expensive.

[Joelz]

Skavens are pretty great at magic, and have rather nice summons. Most of their recruitable troops are pretty horrid though, with their low morale.
I think their national blood summons are pretty good as chaff, and are quite cheap too. The rat ogres could use a boost. They just don't quite feel like giant muscular rats ripping through enemy lines, since even brettonian peasants can kill them at the moment without too many casualties.
The costructs are useful, and have their uses.

[Kheldron]

A special site would be really cool. Is it possible to mod it? Maybe via an event?

Chris, I'm not sure a Blood or Water bless would be that useful.
Blood is crap, they don't need the strength and B9 is overexpensive. As for water, the censer bearers may be the worst sacreds for it since they've got abysmal defense and their poison cloud doesn't scale with attack or quickness it seems.

I wouldn't state again what I already described at length in my guide but overall their early game is tough if you don't play it well due to under average troops. Their late game is golden.

imho

[Trumanator]

W9 is actually rather good since your censer bearers hit so hard, and you'll get two poison clouds.

[Kheldron]

Are you sure? I was under the assumption that the poison clouds couldn't stack...
That would be great.

If so, I guess you should go for N6 at least unless you want to see your censers drop like flies from your clouds.

They already take 1-2 dmg/turn as it is, I can't imagine them surviving it without a good regen. I shall test it though

[Trumanator]

Its not so much the damage stacking as the increased area.