Do I need a Skaven Renegade with my Chaos Pact?

[Warpstone]

So my latest Skaven renegade, Double Dutch-Rudder, has been dismissed due to -1 ST. That makes 3 rats in 28 games and none of them really did anything of import.

Has anybody found a decent role for the Skaven on their Pact team? I find his AV7 really just doesn't cut it despite the extra speed. After all, the Chaos Pact team isn't designed for a quick score. So is there any reason to pick another Skaven instead of a Marauder for the same cost?

[Fist of Gales]

I have not been too happy with the skaven renegade on my pact team either. I have stuck with him, mostly because I like the way the model looks

Currently I am planning on having him be kind of a deep saftey/Catcher killer with Block and Tackle (adding tail next)

TL

[Carnis]

Can only think of horns+wrestle.

I'd probably use one though.

[Joemanji]

Don't bother.

It's not just that MA7/AV7 is worse than a Marauder (it is). It's that Marauders gets S and P access too for skill rolls.

I find him too much of a liability. Your opponent targets him every turn, and you can't protect him because you have to protect your DE and Goblin too.

[Pagan]

I didn't look at his skills when I first made mine, so I have him. I do agree his skill choice is what makes him rather unwanted on the team. If he had Agility he'd be fine.

I ended up playing him hoping he'd die, so I could replace him with no guilt. Kept sending him into mass skirmishes to kick players on the ground and 2 die block big guys. Now I have a 3 armed Skaven with Kick Off return who is leading the team in TDs...

Once he dies I may end up purchasing a new one, just because of the flavor of the Skaven running upfield. He can be a decent ball carrier, and getting Sure hands would be nice.

[solarflare]

You don't need the rat. I think Joemanji is right that he's not as good as a marauder.

Nonetheless, I like putting one on the team anyway. It just seems to be more in character with the team...

[mrmojoz]

I pulled off an end around backside blitz on a ball carrier last weekend that required the skaven's MA 7 (beat Orcs 2-0). Its another tool in the shed and I'm glad to have it.

[Fist of Gales]

Another issue that he has that makes him worse than a maurader is the annimosity. I would have gone the sure hands/extra arms route if not for that.

[Marlow]

I think he is fairly useless on the team. The extra square of movement is nice but not worth giving up the armour, Strength access and gaining Animosity.

[mattgslater]

Having a single MA7 player is very, very nice: it lets you threaten a 2TTD much more effectively, and really puts the crimp in a stalling-game, especially with the Pact capacity to suddenly dole out the hurt without warning. I'd keep a Skaven on if I had 12 or more players, but wouldn't feel the need to field him on offense, unless I needed to hurry-up. Chaos Pact can get everything they need for a 1TTD threat, but without MA7 it will probably fail anyway. I'd can him if I got two Marauders with +MA, though, or maybe just one if my Skaven wasn't progressing nicely.

[Smeborg]

Warpstone - you ask a good question. I have not played Chaos Pact (yet), but I have played against them. Here is my take on the team:

- The mass of Marauders can be developed in a variety of ways according to taste, but should include the ball handler builds (Runner, Thrower, Receiver). These paths are very flexible (GSPM access) and avoid basic problems with Animosity.

- The 3 Big Guys are excellent, if rather passive, Blockers, and quite good value as a trio.

- The 3 Renegades are all ideally suited by nature for building as Blitzers (as in Blitzers who sack the opposing ball carrier). This is because they all have advantages that are not immediately available to the Marauders (such as AG4, Dodge/Stunty, access to AG skills, or, in the case of the Linerat, +1MA). These advantages combine well with mutations on a Blitzer build (for example Horns, Two Heads). The Blitzer role also avoids the most obvious problems with Animosity.

+1MA may not sound like much, but the Linerat is the fastest player on an otherwise relatively slow team, provided you can find an appropriate build. 7337 with GM access at 50,000 is also the best value MA7 player in the game, so perhaps not to be sniffed at.

Hope that helps.

[mattgslater]

I think that Rat is the 3rd-best 7MA bargain in the game, after the Woodie Lino and the Skink. But both of those guys are more expensive, and in a way that hurts the teams they play on.

[stashman]

First: The flavour to the team! have a skaven in the team.

Second: If you get +MA stat increase it's 8337 and thats pretty fast in a MA6 team

Teams need variation and all players don't need Strength skills!

[Blammaham]

I'd have one for sure, I would also be looking to drop a big guy as soon as the other two rolled doubles for block. Screw flavor, I like the mobility.S.

[Setomidor]

I would probably NOT hire the Skaven, because in my mind the Pact plays a game of attrition, with three big guys smacking the opponents and a filty elf keeping the ball safe. In this scenario, I much rather have a marauder than the Skaven on the field.