Verminus Clawpack: Experience Report

[Maddok]

I took a variant of the Verminus Clawpack to the tables yesterday and figured I'd give a quick report of what I found. Would love to get feedback and thoughts on the list as well. Below is what I fielded:

• Verminlord Warbringer
  • Crown of Command
• Trech Craventail
  • General
• Skaven Warlord
  • Chaos Talisman
• Arch Warlock
• Sayl The Faithless
• 40 Clanrats
  • Spears
• 30 Clanrats
  • Spears
• 10 Clanrats
  • Swords
• 30 Storm Vermin
• Warpfire thrower
• Warpfire thrower
• Warpfire thrower
• Verminus Clawpack formation
• 40 point bid for a triumph

For those unfamiliar, the list works like this:

Tretch adds a point of rend and double damage on 6s to one of the units. Sayl allows that unit to move 18 inches and fly, while the verminlord casts a spell that allows them to pile in and fight again after they die in the combat phase. The formation allows the warlord to use his command ability, which gives an additional attack. This can result in a unit of clanrats hitting on 4s, wounding on 3s, double damage on 5s with rend 1 and 2 attacks a piece,  OR a unit of storm vermin hitting on 3s, wounding on 3s, double damage on 6s, and 

Game 1

I played against a stormcast Aether Wing Strikeforce and a Stardrake. Very interesting list that basically starts shooting you again any time you kill a unit. It made me think twice about anything I wanted to kill. The scenario was 3 places of power. Turn 1 the star drake with master of defense plopped down on the center objective. I decided to try my luck and threw a fully buffed unit of Storm Vermin at it, and with their pile ins after dying they dragged it down with them. In return the storm vermin got massacred by the gunline, as did a big block of clan rats. The rest of the game was a back and forth of body blows but I ended up taking it on turn 5 with the arch warlock on my far left flank. Once the stardrake and the banner that provides the chariot ability were gone, the army lost its mobility, and got mucked up in the meatgrinder with all the rats.

Game 2

I played against the new sky pirate dwarves. I think I caught my opponent off guard as she sent the midsized ship forward carrying 10 standard foottroops and her general. Sayl flew 40 rats forward, surrounded the ship and 1 shotted it, killing nearly 500 points in one go. The lack of chaff or combat units to ward off a pile of bodies seems to be a big problem for the dwarves. So I think this may be a bad matchup for them.

Recap

The warpfire throwers were tough to get into the game. In my mind, their mortal wound output would be helpful, but in practice they only shot a few times. The short range is difficult. Does anyone have success with these, or do they just end up being dead weight in the verminus clawpack? Curious if I should switch one to a grinder so I can pop the 10 rats up and grab objectives late game.

The other question I have is with the Arch Warlock. In concept he seems great. 2 spells, tough, and has a mortal wound cannon. But other options include the skaven banner for battleshock immunity, or the chaos sorcerer lord for futher buffing goodness. A fourth option would be to spend 20 additional points and pick up a nurgle demon prince for an 8 wound 3+ save character.

Thoughts on the build? Any thoughts from others who have fielded the verminus clawpack?

[Dead_Ghost]

Not my area of expertise, but great to read some skaven action.
Hopefully@dez will be along soon [emoji3]

Sent from my G3221 using Tapatalk

[Dez]

Will soon!

[Kosmion]

Ive only played with that formation mabye 1-2 times, and from what i can u derstand its made for the player to be able to have a chance at getting the throwers into range before getting sniped. However, the 6up isnt doing much against hard hitting ranged weaponry, so they usually end up dead anyway. But the times when they DO manage to get in range, they can be extremely deadly. I usually always try to overcharge them, since the damage output becomes really strong, and youre already gambling and taking huge risks from the moment you chose skaven as your army-so why not haha. I think the best way is to rather try and move them through cover than relaying on that special rule wich gives them the ward save, imo

[CanHammer-darren]

I've played this army many times recently with my own. It's strength is 3 things:

1) mortal wound output in the form of lightning artillery, warpflame throwers, and storm fiends. If you wanna hit hard and do a lot of mortals, use sayl to throw a unit of 6 stormfiends with warp flame forward and see what can survive that. Not much. 

2) fully tooled stormvermin. If your gonna go stormvermin gotta commit. I can't remember name of the heroes but you can get them up to 2+\3+ in large numbers wih good save and mystic shield. Very hard to deal with. 

3) target overload. Clan rats are decent.  Not that strong but can buff and suh massive numbers 

 

Personally in most scared of storm vermin.  

[Dez]

Stormvermin are indeed to be feared.

[Maddok]

Not looking to run the 6 or 3 fiend bomb since thats all but sorted in today's meta. The storm vermin I had were hitting on 2's re rolling, wounding on 3s and doing double damage on 6s with rend 2 and 3 attacks a piece. They were insanely powerful.

[CanHammer-darren]

What's funny is in my last tournament, 60 zombies still killed them and held them up in no mans land the whole game 

[Maddok]

6 storm fiends or 30 storm vermin? Unless they were immune to battleshock I find it hard to imagine 60 unarmored wounds could withstand 60 attacks (if unbuffed) coming at them per round. Even the 6 fiends is somewhat surprising. 24 damage 2 attacks is nothing to snub

[CanHammer-darren]

Storm vermin. They had 5+ saves from deathless minions. They piled in twice from danse from necromancer. 60 attacks at 3+/3+ piling in twice does work. Plus regenerating d6 a turn.