Important takeaways
- The heroes of the Skaven take center stage in Age of Sigmar.
- Forgotten legends like Thratsnik, Plaguelord Nurglitch, and Gnawretch Skrray can enhance the Vermindoom story.
- Characters like Morskittar and Skrittar have fascinating backstories but are neglected in the current tabletop game.
The latest edition of Warhammer: Age of Sigmar has arrived, ushering in Vermindoom and bringing the countless hordes of Skaven armies to the forefront of the ongoing story of the Realms. While Skaven has always been a fan-favorite race in Warhammer world, they have taken a backseat to the reboot of the fantasy setting while large-scale battles have been fought between the divine forces of Sigmar and the soldiers of death, destruction and chaos.
At last the ratmen have returned; the newest starter box pits the Stormcast Eternals against classic Skaven models that have been reworked into beautiful new sculpts. New characters have been revealed, and rules for the heroes that will carry over to the new edition have been released on Warhammer place. But several heroes remain forgotten in the Old World despite cries to bring them back.
While some of the vermin folk have made a splash in the world of Total War: Warhammer 3more remain lost in obscurity, awaiting a comeback, whether on screen, in the pages of a Black Library novel, or on the tabletop.
1 Lord Skrolk
The disease that goes
While the wily plagueborn is one of the playable legendary lords in the Total War: Warhammer 2 and can also be brought to the Immortal Empires map in the third entry in the series, Skrolk has been left in the current interaction of the tabletop game. The most trusted servant to the ruler of his clan, Lord Skrolk wields the Staff of Corruption and has such a noxious odor to bear to be in his presence that he has a poisonous and sickening effect on everything in his vicinity. He also once held the Liber Bubonicus: a book containing nightmarish details of every form of disease and decay seen in the mortal realms. With the new rise of the rats over the kingdoms of AoSwould it be appropriate for Skrolk to return with his encyclopedia of entropy.
A special character version of Plague Priest, it looks like he will be benched for a while due to Priest being moved to the Legends category, meaning it is likely that he will remain in this edition.
2 Goritch
Castellan of Hell Pit
Another character who makes a subtle appearance as an unlockable hero Total warGhoritch is a perfect experiment of Throt the Unclean. Ghoritch has remained since his introduction, but the newest Verminlord to be revealed Age of SigmarVizzik Skour, is in some ways a tribute to the chaos bound rat troll. Ghoritch was once a human warrior and a disciple of Khorne. Defying his master, he was given to Clan Moulder, a cult of rats devoted to mutation and experimentation.
His mind was put into the body of a very powerful Rat Togre, and he proceeded to command an army in the massive form of one of Moulder's elite assassins of the Old World. His model for release was incredible, with Khorne's influences all over the traditionally grotesque rat train reform. But if Ghoritch survived the end times or could reappear Age of Sigmar remains unclear.
3 Ikit Claw
Chief Warlock Claw
One of the most infamous Skaven wizards and perhaps the most fun campaign to play in Warhammer 3 – Ikit Claw is a mad tyrant obsessed with progress and explosive engineering. A member of Clan Skryre, Ikit has been removed from the game in Age of Sigmarperhaps because of his advanced age. The heavily armored gray silver rat has a flamethrower built into its mechanical frame and wields the Storm Daemon halberd, which can fire warp bolts. Ikit is the inventor of the wheel of doom and has a wealth of knowledge that sets him apart from many of his fellow Skaven.
As fans of Total war will know, Ikit has constructed his own destructive weapon known as a Doom Sphere. Many forces gathered to stop the Claw from using this weapon in the Old World, but this bomb is basically a chaos-powered nuclear weapon. Ikit is a threat that would fit well with the Skryre-focused troops that currently straddle the Realms.
4 Plaguelord Nurglitch
Lord of Decay and Supreme Leader of Pestilence
Having never appeared outside of the tabletop and the many novels set in the Old World, Plaguelord Nurglitch is a member of the Council of Thirteen – the shadowy elite who manage the movement of the vermin hordes in their undercities. He is so horribly infected that Lord Skrolk tore his eyes out and looked at his leader. The Plaguelord is a master of manipulation and cunning backstabbing.
Family
Funniest parts of Warhammer Lore
Warhammer lore is filled to the brim with epic tales of heroic deeds and feats of arms. However, these stories lean towards comedy.
Beloved by some of the Verminlord children of the Great Horned Rat, the title of Nurglitch has gone to every Plaguelord in the Pestilens Clan and so it can be difficult to assign the Rat's deeds to the correct leader. Some of those who have claimed the title have fought with rods that radiate disease, and others have simply recited dire prayers to cause disease in all who oppose them.
5 Lord Morshittar
Tinker-in-Chief
Plaguelord of the Skryre Clan, Morskittar is a mysterious genius who lives far from the prying eyes of other Skaven and has outlived any of his peers due to his strange mechanics and technological aids. In some ways, he's more of a robot than a rat, using warpstones and forbidden magic to survive. Lord Morskittar, who once called himself the ruler of all Skavenkind, has since stepped down to take a regular position on the Council of Thirteen.
Ikit Claw serves him loyally, but Morskittar is one of the few rats who can outsmart even Ikit with his ingenious schemes and creations. His armies use war machines and magic-infused attacks to overpower their enemies. Morskittar was always shrouded in mystery and now would be the perfect time to shed some light on one of the shadowy rulers of the clans.
6 Thratsnik
Gray Seer Of Festerhole
A powerful gray seer who rebelled against the powerful of the Skavenblight, Thratsnik was canonically killed by dwarves who destroyed the Festerhole hideout of the Skaven who followed Thratsnik. But his story is so interesting and influential that to see him, or the relic he left behind, reappear in Age of Sigmar would be a perfect return for some of the classics Warhammer lore. Thratsnik stole the hand of a revered rat that could be used to summon a vermin.
But when he died, the Gray Seer decided to cut off his own paw and replace the relic to eventually serve as compensation for the Skaven who wronged him. Many years later, Thanquol used the paw to attempt to summon help from the great horned rat, only to find that the paw summoned the demon of Khorne, Skarbrand, who proceeded to slaughter dwarves, Skaven, and anyone else in his path.
7 Steps
Herald of the Council of Thirteen
Skrittar is also cruel to the Skaven. He travels to the Undercities to deliver word from the Council of Thirteen and is carried by Stormvermin who also act as his bodyguards. Any Skaven who dare look at him, or disrespect his two-headed pet rat, is torn apart by dark sorcery. He forbids anyone who isn't a Gray Seer or Warlock Engineer from performing magic and even goes so far as to hunt down anyone who breaks this rule. A perfect example of the Skaven's overwhelming evil and the careless nature Gray Seer often has for his minions, many Skaven slaves have met their end at his command.
Having an important role in the End Times by opposing the destruction of the moon sought by the other Skaven, Skrittar was a unique character in Skaven history who was unceremoniously dumped in the move to Age of Sigmar. Seeing the herald return to aid the new prophet would make the coming Vermindoom even more terrifying.
8 Gnawretch Skrray
Castellan warlord under Middenheim
A lesser known character who has been almost completely forgotten since debuting in Warhammer Fantasy RPG Middenheim's sourcebook, Gnawretch Skrray is a strange mutated version of the common rat people. After eating his own tail and paw while suffering a frenzy of rage and hunger, he was scooped up by a Skaven general who fed him enough warpstones to allow him to recover. Skrray grew a new tail, tipped with a poisonous sting, not unlike a scorpion. He replaced his lost paw with a hook and now roams the fields below Middenheim ordering the Vermin there to increase the population.
His favorite punishment for anyone who defies his rule is to take out one of their eyes, and a second offense ensures that they lose their sight entirely and are left to starve in the sewers alone. These strange and slippery Skaven are a new version of the brutal warriors that hide in the tunnels below. Maybe Gnawretch can make a comeback in the latest edition of Age of Sigmar.
