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Skaven (Renegades fan list) · 137 points · Tarpit and ranked anvil
Are Clanrats with spears and shields good?
Clanrats with spears and shields are much better than the word “chaff” suggests. Of the 11 units that charged them in my tests, only Chaos Knights and Huscarls won most of their fights.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Clanrats at
- Role
- Tarpit and ranked anvil
- Good against
- charging Knights of the Realm (4/10): their best result
- Struggles against
- charging Gors (3/10): their worst result
- Record
- 7/20 receiving
Their job is to hold, pin and add Combat Result while something else does the killing. First Charge disruption is the thing to fear, because it strips their ranks.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 20 complete combats with Clanrats with spears and shields, each fought through break tests and pursuit to the end: 20 with the enemy charging. These were the results.
These Clanrats numbers are not the whole story, because my dice roll on an empty table without terrain, spells, characters or a real player on the other side. One lucky break test can move a result by a whole fight, so the Clanrats’ result against charging Gors (3/10) could easily have come out one either way. Use these Clanrats figures as a strong guide to the job, not a promise.
How do Clanrats do when the enemy charges?
Clanrats receiving. Fights won. n = 10 and 10 fights
| Charging enemy | Pts | Won |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Knights of the Realm | 141 | 4/10 |
| 17 Gors | 136 | 3/10 |
What I think Clanrats are good at
- Ranks, Horde, Warband, a standard, Close Order and Massed Infantry can generate a lot of Combat Result.
- I would use them to absorb, pin and set up countercharges that protect more valuable hammers.
Watch out
First Charge disruption is particularly nasty for them: it removes their Rank Bonus, which also weakens Warband Leadership.
Combinations that worked for me
I paired Clanrats with other units in these combinations, which I explain on my Battle March units page:
- Clanrat screen + Rat Ogre countercharge
Other Battle March units I tested
- Khorne Chaos Warriors with great weapons137 pts · Armour and monster breaker
- Khorne Chaos Warriors with additional hand weapons130 pts · Attack-volume infantry
- Khorne Chaos Knights with lances142 pts · Elite shock cavalry
- Huscarls with flails120 pts · Cheap shock hammer
- Berserkers with flails137 pts · All-round melee infantry
- Bloodied Hound Marauders with great weapons143 pts · Ranked block with sustained S5
- Bloodied Hound Marauders with flails137 pts · Charge-dependent ranked infantry
- Rat Ogres with a Master Moulder150 pts · Monstrous hammer
- Plague Monks153 pts · Attritional attack-volume block
- Jade Lancers138 pts · Support, flank and pursuit cavalry
- Giant Rats and handlers115 pts · Screen, bait and redirector
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Clanrats with spears and shields for holding and pinning enemies while something else does the killing, and not for facing a heavy-cavalry First Charge head on, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
How do Clanrats with spears and shields do when the enemy charges?
They won 4 of 10 fights against charging Knights of the Realm and 3 of 10 against charging Gors in my tests.