Ratkin have not seen any massive changes in third edition from one Clash of Kings book to the next. Whilst in some ways it can be quite exciting to have half your army overhauled, it also may mean the faction hasn’t been in a great place, which is probably far less exciting. In the UK we have had the mighty Simon Brand championing rats throughout the third edition and pulling out some great results, which demonstrates just what can be achieved with the furry little devils. If you’re reading this because you’re interested in playing Ratkin I’d recommend this year’s Countercharge army review because it is one of the best overviews of the faction to date.
However, if you don’t have three hours to spare and want something a little more condensed, and rough around the edges you could finish reading this article! So, without further ado, let’s kick off with the two most impactful changes, in my humble opinion.
Spears and Swarm Criers
Of all the changes from CoK 2024 these two have probably had the biggest impact on ratkin armies. Most armies I’ve seen on the UK tournament scene have had at least a couple of hordes of rats with pointy sticks. Generally, these have been warriors, however I’ve been bringing shock troops as well. A great question that got raised this year was whether Shock Troops are actually worth the additional points when they’re essentially as durable as Spear Warriors, and the main bonus is melee 4 over 5? As someone who easily gets attached to units on the basis of lore, or cool models, this was a question I really didn’t want to engage with, however some really unhelpful outcomes at the Clash of Kings event got me thinking about this more seriously. Over the course of the weekend, I had some truly horrendous rolls come from the shock troops that didn’t do me any favours (the three or four turns one horde spent in combat with an Ogre Palace Guard Captain and failed to kill it was particularly galling). Ignoring the combat outcomes for a second though, I would say that hordes with phalanx have been an absolute must for me this year and have massively changed the way I approach games, I certainly have a lot less concerns about alpha strike armies now.
Swarm Criers have also become something of a mainstay in line ups now. Mine went immediately onto a fleabag and started hanging out with the Tunnel Runners and a Night Terror. The result was some pretty impressive damage output and suddenly, when combined with a sharpness drinking Tunnel Runner regiment, my army had a reliable unit for damage output, something rats are not really known for. Over the course of the year these units have been causing so much frustration the Swarm Crier regularly finds himself taking a charge, which is when you know an individual is doing something right! One of the other benefits I’ve found with the elite aura is the impact it has on Brute Enforcers and Night Terrors. These low attack units have definitely benefitted from the aura a few times, which has helped chip away a few extra wounds on the enemy.
I suspect the Swarm Crier upgrade has also contributed to more Nightmares making their way to the table. Whilst I’m not a fan, I can absolutely see why they are proving popular. Sitting them in the middle of an army, fully rallied, with support from radiance of life, drain life, a fury aura, and now elite in melee, well, there’s a lot to be said for that. Currently I only have one horde painted, and since I don’t often play with Brood Mothers or the Tangle, when I do put them on the table they disappoint, but who knows what the future will hold! (Me, and I’m currently trying out lists with Brood Mothers and the Tangle)
Disappointing spam and the surprising MVP
One of the changes from last year across the game was how wizards were priced. As a result Ratkin became able to access large amounts of lightning bolts for even less points. Having tried a lightning themed list in 2023 I decided to have another go as I was hoping the extra points this would free up would result in some of the gaps in the previous list getting plugged. So, I took lightning bolt heavy lists to two events with some very consistent results. Of all the lists I’ve played this year, this style felt the most match up dependent. Facing an army that had good targets the shooting was brilliant. A great example was facing a Green Lady army where the casters were able to shoot away the chaff leaving the heavy cavalry facing off against spear hordes they would eventually get overwhelmed by. However, against factions with loads of heal and defence five or six on everything (looking at you Empire of Dust) the shooting just wasn’t effective and so the warlocks contributed very little. It’s for this reason I’ve found myself gravitating to war engine teams, which have become my MVP for the year.
Whilst I feel more comfortable shooting at things a long way away, than things that are very close, the point at which the warlocks aren’t causing damage they have no other use and can be easily ignored. The weapons teams need to get closer, but they also act as excellent chaff. They’ve pulled me out of some incredibly tight spots and caused so much disruption for opponents that it is hard to consider the 85 point price tag anything other than a bargin.
The cherry on top of the iced bun
The final change I wanted to mention is the Night Terror. I’ve always loved playing these little critters, but couldn’t for the life of me understand why they were considered heroes throughout third edition. As fun as they are, I could never quite get them into a list because there were so many better heroes to choose from. Like a number of rat fans all I really wanted was for them to become monsters, but the rules committee absolutely went above and beyond on these. Not only did they become monsters, but the got rallying. I feel like these have absolutely increased my enjoyment of running Hackpaws and Scud. In the past Scud was always a unit that gave rallying, but rarely benefitted from it. This year it’s been a rare occurrence that Scud has been without a Night Terror by his side and their rallying of each other has been the source of any number of raised eyebrows.
That’s all great, but what about next year?
As I’m writing this, I’m still waiting for my copy of CoK to arrive, but to be honest I’m not expecting things to change massively as I understand there aren’t major changes to Ratkin in the new book (if you have the book and there are: no spoilers please), other than the command dice. I’m intrigued by the dice, but I think that’s more because of what they could become, rather than what they are now. Fielding a synergy heavy army I’m totally okay with effects being applied to units that don’t normally have them when a certain set of circumstances align. I also think that the increasing number of synergies being built into armies more generally means there is a need for another mechanic to set up differentiation. I also don’t mind a bit of randomness (my other army is a Halfling army with two saucerors, don’t you know). The one concern currently at the back of my mind is whether there are certain factions that will benefit more from the general orders than others, for example rerolling damage dice for a unit with crushing strength two and vicious is arguably more valuable than rerolling a wound without these things (and that’s before you consider the defence of the unit they are facing). For this reason, I’m keen to play as many games as possible with the dice and talk about them, because if there is any chance of them becoming a fixture in fourth edition it would be good to see issues pre-empted and sorted out so only the positive bits make it into the next version.
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