1500 Point Skaven Age of Sigmar 2017

[Vandrare]

Hey everyone I am completely new to this forum and very new to the Age of Sigmar world. I am very desperate to get some oppionions or guidance about a current Skaven list I'm playing, to which I was told on the weekend is 'illegal' 

I have been purchasing models for the last few months now and painting them based on models I like and what I feel is a fair army to field. These models can be viewed on my Instagram @thebrokenbrush anyway I played a friendly match on the weekend and I was told shortly after by a fellow gamer that my army has no battleline or allegiance which is quite conceding as I have spent so much time painting these models and I had been checking regularly with my fellow games workshop staff if I was on the right path. 

I have been told I could attach 60 clan rats to my army to create a battleline but there is no way I'm doing that nor dropping any units I have now as I am really happy with them. Here is my current 1500 point list:

1 x Skaven warlord 

20 x StormVermin 

1 x Plague Priest 

20 x Plague Monks 

1 x Verminlord Corruptor 

3 x Stormfiends 

1 x Poisoned wind mortar team 

1 x Warp grinder weapon team 

3 x Warplock Jezzails 

and I really really wanted to get a hell pit abomination 

 

any help with this would be greatly appreciated as I am rather confused onto where I can take this list also with as little painting as possible as I'm close to burning out haha 

 

cheers guys, Brendan 

[rokapoke]

At 1500 points you'll need either 2 or 3 battleline units, depending on how your group (or relevant tournament organizer) interprets the table from page 75 of the General's Handbook 2017. Similarly, you can have 20% of your army made of allied units (again, subject to interpretation).

For your list, the majority of your models come from Clan Skryre. I'd suggest going all out Skryre, which would allow you to run the Stormfiends as battleline. You could still (likely) use the Verminlord as an ally, but would have to cut the other Pestilens units and the Warlord and Stormvermin. 

Alternatively you could build your Skaven list as general Chaos allegiance, but would need Clanrats as battleline. Lots of painting down that path. 

Of course, playing "points only" is perfectly valid, so you only have to change what you're doing if your opponents insist. 

[Professor Clio]

As someone who painted 60 clanrats and has another 20 to go to finish my 2k list I feel your pain but if you can get 3x half boxes of the dawn spite box it's a great deal and once buffed by a warlord or verminlord warbringer clanrats are actually quite scary for their points. With a quick 5 colours + wash I can knock out 10 clanrats in an avenging to a very acceptable tabletop standard so it won't take as long as you think with the added bonus that when you're done you'll have a legal 2k list without having to drop the models you already have. 

[Vandrare]

1 hour ago, rokapoke said:

At 1500 points you'll need either 2 or 3 battleline units, depending on how your group (or relevant tournament organizer) interprets the table from page 75 of the General's Handbook 2017. Similarly, you can have 20% of your army made of allied units (again, subject to interpretation).

For your list, the majority of your models come from Clan Skryre. I'd suggest going all out Skryre, which would allow you to run the Stormfiends as battleline. You could still (likely) use the Verminlord as an ally, but would have to cut the other Pestilens units and the Warlord and Stormvermin. 

Alternatively you could build your Skaven list as general Chaos allegiance, but would need Clanrats as battleline. Lots of painting down that path. 

Of course, playing "points only" is perfectly valid, so you only have to change what you're doing if your opponents insist. 

 

1 hour ago, Professor Clio said:

As someone who painted 60 clanrats and has another 20 to go to finish my 2k list I feel your pain but if you can get 3x half boxes of the dawn spite box it's a great deal and once buffed by a warlord or verminlord warbringer clanrats are actually quite scary for their points. With a quick 5 colours + wash I can knock out 10 clanrats in an avenging to a very acceptable tabletop standard so it won't take as long as you think with the added bonus that when you're done you'll have a legal 2k list without having to drop the models you already have. 

Thanks heaps guys. I don't know if this was the news I wanted to hear I think I would potentially rather build a whole new army than paint 60 clan rats haha it takes me 2 hours just to paint one stormvermin and the dream is basically over for me after that haha 

so what I gather is as long as my opponent is okay with it I should be alright to still keep using this army? I mainly only want it for friendly matches anyway? 

[rokapoke]

2 minutes ago, Vandrare said:

 

Thanks heaps guys. I don't know if this was the news I wanted to hear I think I would potentially rather build a whole new army than paint 60 clan rats haha it takes me 2 hours just to paint one stormvermin and the dream is basically over for me after that haha 

so what I gather is as long as my opponent is okay with it I should be alright to still keep using this army? I mainly only want it for friendly matches anyway? 

The army composition rules like battleline requirements are only for straight-from-the-Handbook Matched Play. If your opponent is okay with adjustments (here just ditching battleline) then you're good to go. 

[Vandrare]

9 minutes ago, rokapoke said:

The army composition rules like battleline requirements are only for straight-from-the-Handbook Matched Play. If your opponent is okay with adjustments (here just ditching battleline) then you're good to go. 

Okay thanks very much. What would be the minimum amount of clan rats I would have to paint? Sorry to push 

[Vandrare]

2 hours ago, rokapoke said:

At 1500 points you'll need either 2 or 3 battleline units, depending on how your group (or relevant tournament organizer) interprets the table from page 75 of the General's Handbook 2017. Similarly, you can have 20% of your army made of allied units (again, subject to interpretation).

For your list, the majority of your models come from Clan Skryre. I'd suggest going all out Skryre, which would allow you to run the Stormfiends as battleline. You could still (likely) use the Verminlord as an ally, but would have to cut the other Pestilens units and the Warlord and Stormvermin. 

Alternatively you could build your Skaven list as general Chaos allegiance, but would need Clanrats as battleline. Lots of painting down that path. 

Of course, playing "points only" is perfectly valid, so you only have to change what you're doing if your opponents insist. 

 

1 hour ago, Professor Clio said:

As someone who painted 60 clanrats and has another 20 to go to finish my 2k list I feel your pain but if you can get 3x half boxes of the dawn spite box it's a great deal and once buffed by a warlord or verminlord warbringer clanrats are actually quite scary for their points. With a quick 5 colours + wash I can knock out 10 clanrats in an avenging to a very acceptable tabletop standard so it won't take as long as you think with the added bonus that when you're done you'll have a legal 2k list without having to drop the models you already have. 

Could I use anything else from the chaos Alliance as a battleline? Oppose to 60 clanrats?

[Flood]

Yes you can use plenty of other chaos units as battleline. 

If you buy the generals handbook  (great buy btw) it will outline what a legal list is and what units are listed as "battleline." Make sure you don't get units that say something like "skryre battleline," as you would need to be all skryre (with the exception of allies) to have skryre alleigiance for them to be battleline. 

I'd imagine youd want low model count units to minimize painting. Decent low count battleline units are blood warriors out of the khorne bloodbound faction. They are general battleline and are only 5 per unit. So you'll only need to paint 15 for 3x battleline (instead of 60 clanrats). Another good unit are plague bearers which are 10 per unit. You would need 30 to fulfill battleline, but they are probably a more resilient unit. Your list looks pretty fun but probably not the most competitive, so don't worry about plague bearers being better or not. Just get what you think looks better. Again, youd be running the allegiance of grand alliance chaos. 

Once more, I highly suggest getting  generals handbook 2017. It's pretty cheap and will answer all your questions. You can buy it in the aos app and its super cheap. I think $15. I bought it on my ipad. 

[Vandrare]

3 minutes ago, Flood said:

Yes you can use plenty of other chaos units as battleline. 

If you buy the generals handbook  (great buy btw) it will outline what a legal list is and what units are listed as "battleline." Make sure you don't get units that say something like "skryre battleline," as you would need to be all skryre (with the exception of allies) to have skryre alleigiance for them to be battleline. 

I'd imagine youd want low model count units to minimize painting. Decent low count battleline units are blood warriors out of the khorne bloodbound faction. They are general battleline and are only 5 per unit. So you'll only need to paint 15 for 3x battleline (instead of 60 clanrats). Another good unit are plague bearers which are 10 per unit. You would need 30 to fulfill battleline, but they are probably a more resilient unit. Your list looks pretty fun but probably not the most competitive, so don't worry about plague bearers being better or not. Just get what you think looks better. Again, youd be running the allegiance of grand alliance chaos. 

Once more, I highly suggest getting  generals handbook 2017. It's pretty cheap and will answer all your questions. You can buy it in the aos app and its super cheap. I think $15. I bought it on my ipad. 

Thankyou very much mate! I appreciate it!! I actually did buy it but I'm fairly new to the whole game so I'm unsure of what I can and can't do.. I would love to throw different units in oppose to the clan rats sounds like plague bearers could be a better choice.. if that was to work and then at least I could keep the models I've already worked so tirelessly on. Appreciate the help 

[Flood]

1 hour ago, Vandrare said:

Thankyou very much mate! I appreciate it!! I actually did buy it but I'm fairly new to the whole game so I'm unsure of what I can and can't do.. I would love to throw different units in oppose to the clan rats sounds like plague bearers could be a better choice.. if that was to work and then at least I could keep the models I've already worked so tirelessly on. Appreciate the help 

You're very welcome. I hope you find what you want and that it works out for you. 

I feel your pain on the clanrats. I painted 140 and it didn't feel good on the soul. 

[Vandrare]

4 minutes ago, Flood said:

You're very welcome. I hope you find what you want and that it works out for you. 

I feel your pain on the clanrats. I painted 140 and it didn't feel good on the soul. 

Oh mate I don't know how you even possibly did that. It would make me question my whole existence 

[Kramer]

13 hours ago, Flood said:

I feel your pain on the clanrats. I painted 140 and it didn't feel good on the soul. 

And didn't the massive regiment bonus just ease the soul pain  

19 hours ago, Vandrare said:

I have been told I could attach 60 clan rats to my army to create a battleline but there is no way I'm doing that nor dropping any units I have now as I am really happy with them. Here is my current 1500 point list:

 

@Vandrare, The following is of course only my personal opinion but this is what I would do as i'm guessing you are a hobbyist after my own heart. Rule of cool before anything else: You have an amazing core of cool stuff but within months you will most likely like to add other cool stuff. For that reason I would choose to add clanrats to move this list up to 2K and give you some battleline you can use with whatever goodies you want to add in time! (I.e. if you would go skryre and purchase two more units of Stormfiends, all of the sudden you limit yourself to keeping skryre alliance just to meet battleline requirements)

So I would add the 3*20 clanrats (and maybe expand the selection by 10 every month until you can field bigger units) with the hell pit abomination for incentive and an even 600 points extra to add to your collection. As for the torment of painting the 60 clanrats... I would do the following: Get a furry brown primer, assemble and spray, paint flesh & metal then put them aside. (at this point you can even use them a bit). Go all out on the Hell Pit Abomination. Break the Hell Pit up in 3 stages and between every stage go back on 20 clanrats for details and wash. Should be doable. 

And while we are all complaining when you are down with the clanrats you will be happy you did them  

Hope this helped

[Vandrare]

1 hour ago, Kramer said:

And didn't the massive regiment bonus just ease the soul pain  

@Vandrare, The following is of course only my personal opinion but this is what I would do as i'm guessing you are a hobbyist after my own heart. Rule of cool before anything else: You have an amazing core of cool stuff but within months you will most likely like to add other cool stuff. For that reason I would choose to add clanrats to move this list up to 2K and give you some battleline you can use with whatever goodies you want to add in time! (I.e. if you would go skryre and purchase two more units of Stormfiends, all of the sudden you limit yourself to keeping skryre alliance just to meet battleline requirements)

So I would add the 3*20 clanrats (and maybe expand the selection by 10 every month until you can field bigger units) with the hell pit abomination for incentive and an even 600 points extra to add to your collection. As for the torment of painting the 60 clanrats... I would do the following: Get a furry brown primer, assemble and spray, paint flesh & metal then put them aside. (at this point you can even use them a bit). Go all out on the Hell Pit Abomination. Break the Hell Pit up in 3 stages and between every stage go back on 20 clanrats for details and wash. Should be doable. 

And while we are all complaining when you are down with the clanrats you will be happy you did them  

Hope this helped

Legendary advice! I think you are right mate I'm going to just have to paint 60 clan rats. I think with that and a hell bit abomination it could be quite a good field of rats for my opponent. With that many models on the table it will be super frustrating for anyone coming up against it haha 

60 clan rats and one hell pit abomination it is then. Thanks for taking the time to respond appreciate it a lot 

[Kramer]

4 hours ago, Vandrare said:

Legendary advice! I think you are right mate I'm going to just have to paint 60 clan rats. I think with that and a hell bit abomination it could be quite a good field of rats for my opponent. With that many models on the table it will be super frustrating for anyone coming up against it haha 

60 clan rats and one hell pit abomination it is then. Thanks for taking the time to respond appreciate it a lot 

No worries mate. Happy we could help you out ? I'm actually going to follow my own advice on my next twenty daemonettes & chariot due to your excited response. Now for something cool for incentive. ..