Warhammer Lore: Age Of Sigmar – Skaven

The Skaven are one of the most iconic and uniquely vile factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar. These ratmen are an insidious, backstabbing race of scavengers and schemers who thrive on chaos, deceit, and destruction. Living in the underground warrens of the Mortal Realms, the Skaven are dedicated to their malevolent deity, the Great Horned Rat, and are constantly plotting to spread their corrupt influence across the realms. Their vast numbers, twisted technology, and insatiable hunger for power make them a constant threat to the civilisations of the Mortal Realms.

Origins and Lore

At the heart of Skaven society is their deity, the Great Horned Rat, a god of chaos, corruption, and deceit. Originally a minor deity, the Great Horned Rat ascended to godhood at the end of the Old World, becoming one of the Chaos Gods after the cataclysmic events of the End Times. Now, the Great Horned Rat competes with the likes of Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh, seeking to overthrow them and rise to supremacy. The Skaven see themselves as the chosen race of their god, destined to conquer the Mortal Realms in his name.

The Great Horned Rat embodies many of the traits that define Skaven society: greed, treachery, and a relentless hunger for power. He whispers into the minds of his followers, urging them to destroy their enemies and climb over the corpses of their rivals to achieve dominance. This divine ambition fuels the Skaven’s relentless pursuit of power and their constant infighting, as each Skaven seeks to be the one who ascends in the Great Horned Rat’s favour.

The Skaven in the Mortal Realms

The Skaven dwell in the under-empire, a sprawling network of tunnels and warrens that stretches beneath the Mortal Realms. From this hidden realm, they launch raids and invasions against surface-dwellers, always seeking to spread corruption, steal resources, and expand their influence. The Skaven’s ultimate goal is the total domination of the Mortal Realms, though their rampant infighting and self-destructive tendencies often undermine their own efforts.

In the Realm of Chaos, the Skaven have their own domain, known as Blight City, where the vast majority of their race resides. It is a sprawling, polluted metropolis filled with filth, warpstone (a magical substance crucial to Skaven technology), and the ruins of their own failed experiments. The city is a symbol of Skaven society itself: chaotic, unstable, and constantly on the verge of collapse.

Society and Structure of the Skaven

Skaven society is structured around chaos, treachery, and ruthless ambition. They are divided into clans, each of which serves a different purpose within Skaven society. Despite their hierarchical nature, Skaven are notorious for betraying one another in their quest for personal power. The Skaven political system is based on the principle that might makes right, and only the strongest or most cunning will rise to positions of leadership.

The Council of Thirteen

At the pinnacle of Skaven society is the Council of Thirteen, the ruling body of the Skaven under-empire. This council is made up of twelve powerful Skaven lords, each representing a different faction within Skaven society, and one final seat that is reserved for the Great Horned Rat himself (though this seat is often left empty to symbolise his divine authority). The council is a den of political backstabbing and treachery, with its members constantly vying for dominance over one another.

The Great Clans

The Skaven are divided into several Great Clans, each specializing in a different form of warfare, magic, or technology. While the clans often work together during large-scale invasions, they are just as likely to betray one another at the first opportunity. The main Great Clans are:

Clan Verminus: These are the most numerous of the Skaven clans, providing the bulk of the Skaven’s warriors and slaves. They are known for their vast hordes of Clanrats and Stormvermin, who swarm their enemies with overwhelming numbers. Clan Verminus is the militaristic backbone of the Skaven under-empire.

Clan Skryre: The mad scientists and engineers of the Skaven, Clan Skryre is responsible for the Skaven’s twisted technology. They harness the volatile power of warpstone to create devastating weapons like Warp-Lightning Cannons, Doomwheels, and Warpfire Throwers. Clan Skryre units are known for their unpredictable, explosive firepower, which is just as likely to destroy the enemy as it is the Skaven using them.

Clan Pestilens: Fanatical devotees of disease and decay, Clan Pestilens worships the Great Horned Rat as a god of plague. They seek to spread the virulent blessings of their god across the Mortal Realms, using their pestilence-ridden weapons and the vile Plague Monks to devastate their enemies with disease. They are also known for their powerful Plague Furnaces and Plagueclaw Catapults, which spread death and sickness across the battlefield.

Clan Moulder: The breeders and beastmasters of the Skaven, Clan Moulder specializes in creating horrifying mutant beasts to serve as shock troops in Skaven armies. Their most notorious creations include the Rat Ogres, Hell Pit Abominations, and Giant Rats. Clan Moulder’s grotesque monstrosities are a terrifying force on the battlefield, often capable of tearing through enemy lines with brute strength.

Clan Eshin: Masters of stealth, assassination, and espionage, Clan Eshin’s agents are the Skaven’s most feared killers. Their Night Runners and Gutter Runners are expert assassins, specializing in sabotage and guerrilla warfare. They are often sent on secret missions to weaken enemy defences, eliminate key targets, or steal vital information. Clan Eshin operates from the shadows, and its members are renowned for their agility, speed, and skill in subterfuge. Their Master Assassins are feared across the Mortal Realms, as few can stand against their poisoned blades and deadly traps.

Skaven Technology and Magic

The Skaven are infamous for their twisted and dangerous use of warpstone, a highly volatile substance that they mine from deep beneath the earth. Warpstone is both a source of energy and a material for magic, making it invaluable to Skaven society. However, its use is unpredictable and often leads to catastrophic results. The Skaven’s willingness to tamper with such dangerous materials reflects their reckless, desperate nature, as they care little for the consequences as long as they can achieve their immediate goals.

Clan Skryre and Skaven Technology

Much of the Skaven’s technological prowess comes from Clan Skryre, which combines warpstone with crude mechanical engineering to create weapons of mass destruction. These devices are as dangerous to their users as they are to the enemy, often malfunctioning or exploding with disastrous results. Despite the inherent risks, these weapons make Skaven armies incredibly destructive when deployed in large numbers. Some notable examples of Skaven technology include:

Doomwheel: A massive, rolling machine of death powered by warpstone and piloted by crazed Skaven engineers. It shoots warp-lightning bolts while careening across the battlefield, mowing down anything in its path.

Warp-Lightning Cannon: A powerful artillery piece that harnesses warp energy to fire devastating bolts of lightning at long range. It is highly destructive, but also prone to overloading and misfiring.

Warplock Jezzails: These long-barrelled, warpstone-powered rifles are wielded by sharpshooters, capable of punching through the toughest armour with ease. They provide long-range support for Skaven armies.

Clan Pestilens and Plagues

While Clan Skryre harnesses warpstone for technology, Clan Pestilens uses it to concoct devastating plagues and diseases. Pestilens views plague as a holy weapon, and their Plague Priests call upon the divine blessings of the Great Horned Rat to spread sickness among their enemies. Clan Pestilens units are equipped with plague-infused weapons and machines that spread corruption and disease. Some notable Clan Pestilens weapons and units include:

Plague Monks: Frenzied warriors who wield plague-ridden weapons and fight in massive, diseased mobs. They are fanatical devotees of the Great Horned Rat and fear nothing, charging into battle to spread the gifts of Nurgle’s rot and filth.

Plagueclaw Catapult: A terrifying siege engine that hurls massive, plague-infested projectiles at the enemy, spreading disease and death over a wide area.

Plague Furnace: A mobile altar to the Great Horned Rat, it radiates disease and corruption, emboldening nearby Skaven while weakening their enemies with plague clouds.

Skaven Magic

Skaven are also potent practitioners of magic, particularly in the use of Warpstone Sorcery. Skaven spellcasters, known as Warlock Engineers and Grey Seers, wield the unpredictable powers of the Great Horned Rat to warp reality, summon warp energy, or spread destruction. Their magic is dangerous, often harming the caster as much as it harms the enemy, but the Skaven see this risk as a necessary price for power.

Grey Seers: The most powerful and trusted spellcasters of the Great Horned Rat, Grey Seers wield potent sorceries infused with warpstone. They are feared by other Skaven for their ability to manipulate warp energy and summon legions of rats, as well as their deep connection to the Great Horned Rat himself.

Warlock Engineers: These mad inventors combine magic with technology, creating dangerous war machines and casting warp-powered spells. They excel in offensive magic, unleashing devastating warp-lightning and blasts of raw energy.

Skaven Warfare and Tactics

Skaven warfare is defined by overwhelming numbers, deception, and destructive weaponry. They do not fight fair, nor do they value honour or bravery in battle. Instead, Skaven rely on sheer mass, flanking manoeuvres, sabotage, and surprise attacks to win their battles. Skaven armies often swarm their enemies with endless hordes of Clanrats, supported by terrifying war machines, mutant monstrosities, and powerful magic.

Strength in Numbers

The backbone of any Skaven army is the sheer number of bodies they can throw into battle. Skaven warriors, whether lowly Clanrats or more elite Stormvermin, are cowardly individually but fight with confidence when they are part of a large horde. Skaven generals exploit this tendency, relying on massed infantry units to swarm and overwhelm their enemies through sheer force of numbers.

Clanrats: The most common and numerous soldiers, Clanrats are weak individually but become dangerous in large groups. They often form the front lines of a Skaven army, pushing forward in an endless tide of bodies.

Stormvermin: Elite Skaven warriors who are larger, stronger, and better-equipped than Clanrats. They serve as the bodyguards for Skaven leaders and often spearhead important assaults, using their halberds to cut through enemy ranks.

Guerrilla Warfare and Treachery

Skaven are notorious for their unpredictable and treacherous battle tactics. They will not hesitate to betray their allies, and their armies often rely on underhanded tactics to achieve victory. Skaven generals are known to retreat at the first sign of danger, abandon weaker units to their fate, or use their own troops as fodder for war machines. Skaven will also dig tunnels beneath the battlefield, launching surprise attacks from underground, or sabotage enemy defences from the shadows using their Night Runners and Gutter Runners.

Skaven in the Mortal Realms

The Skaven are a persistent threat throughout the Mortal Realms, particularly in the Realm of Aqshy (the Realm of Fire) and Shyish (the Realm of Death), where they frequently raid the surface world. Their greatest ambition is to see the entire surface of the realms consumed by chaos and ruin, leaving only the under-empire of the Skaven in control. However, their own disunity and internal conflict often undermine their plans, and their greatest enemy is often themselves.

Aesthetics and Miniature Design

The Skaven have one of the most unique aesthetics in Age of Sigmar. Their models reflect their twisted, chaotic nature, with a mix of steampunk technology, grotesque mutations, and feral, rat-like features. Skaven miniatures often showcase a balance between crude, hastily-assembled weaponry and bizarre, warp-powered devices. Their units are swarming, chaotic masses, reflecting their tendency to overwhelm enemies with sheer numbers.

Clanrats and Stormvermin are depicted as ragged, rat-like humanoids, wielding rusty swords and spears. Their armour is often broken or piecemeal, reflecting their scavenger lifestyle.

Warpstone-powered machines like the Doomwheel and Warp-Lightning Cannon have a distinct cobbled-together look, with visible gears, wires, and warpstone crystals powering their unpredictable weapons.

Clan Pestilens models are particularly gruesome, featuring diseased, rotting warriors and plague-infested war machines that spread sickness across the battlefield.

The colour palette for Skaven armies typically includes browns, dirty reds, and greens, reflecting their underground, scavenger origins. Warpstone is often depicted as a glowing, toxic green, adding a distinct visual element to their war machines and magic effects.

Conclusion

The Skaven are one of the most distinctive and chaotic factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar. Their society is built on greed, treachery, and an insatiable hunger for power, reflected in both their lore and gameplay. Whether using hordes of rats to overwhelm enemies, deploying devastating warpstone technology, or relying on guerrilla tactics to outwit their foes, the Skaven are a force of relentless destruction. Despite their weaknesses and internal strife, they are a persistent threat to the Mortal Realms, always lurking beneath the surface, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.