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Giant Rat unit size in 7th; I've never fielded GR's!
Topic Started: 16th November 2009 - 01:56 PM (549 Views)
hakoMike
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More grey every day.
I need some experienced Moulder player's advice here. I'm trying to get all the Skaven I've ever bought into a playable form, and giant rats are a conundrum. As a flanking unit in 6th ed I could see fielding them in smallish blocks. In 7th, with the ability to attack in two ranks and the possibility of 2 attacks per model with Skweel, I'm considering a much larger frontage and unit size.

Currently, I can field a unit of 37 giant rats with 5 packmasters as a 7 file 6 rank unit. Is that oversized? Should I consider 2 x 20 models? Help!
So old. So so old.
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Dusty Rat


That's definitely over sized! 2 x 20 is better, maybe smaller. I'd field them in units of around 15 or so. They are still good as flankers like in 6th.
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Quarrel
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I've had success with my unit of 25 Rats, 4 Packmasters and a Master Moulder with Thing Catcher. Is surprisingly hitty in combat for such cheap troops. Usually deployed 6 files, 5 ranks.

I'd like to do a couple of 8 Rat, 2 Packmaster units for flanking, though.
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Skavendrool
Chieftain
>I'd like to do a couple of 8 Rat, 2 Packmaster units for flanking, though.

They'd need to be 10 rats, 2 packmasters - per p. 103, no more than 1 packmaster per 5 rats. Or 1 lonely packmaster and 5+ rats.

In 6th edition I generally fielded tham as 4-pack units, i.e. 24 rats & 4 packmasters. With the new book, I am thinking of 21 rats, 4 packmasters, in a 5x5 formation, or 25 rats & 5 packmasters in a 5x6 formation.

I've tried 'rat darts' (a single pack, to flank attack and break ranks), but found that for me they were too fragile.

Skavendrool
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Quarrel
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Skavendrool
Nov 16 2009, 11:59 AM
They'd need to be 10 rats, 2 packmasters - per p. 103, no more than 1 packmaster per 5 rats. Or 1 lonely packmaster and 5+ rats.

Actually, I interpreted that rule as the base pack being 5 Rats and a Packmaster, and then for every 5 Rats in the unit you could add an additional Packmaster. So with 5-9 Rats you would get 1-2 Packmasters, With 10-14 you would get 1-3 Packmasters and so on.
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Nevamore
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Stormvermin
My main opponents are O+G and VC, and I'll be using different sized giant rat units depending on who I'm facing.

Against O+G, multiple units of 5 giant rats and 1 packmaster. For 23 points, you get a unit that can set off fanatics, which as far as i know this is the cheapest unit to sacrifice for this sort of thing. They can also run after war machine crew, and make a very maneuverable bait and flee unit.

Using small units against VC however would be kinda pointless, except maybe for baiting. In this circumstance, I plan on fielding a nice big unit of 25 rats + 5 packmasters (6 wide with 5 ranks). For 115 pts you have a fast unit that dishes out 17 attacks (even on the charge), which makes them the perfect zombie killers (and can probibly take out skeletons too with little effort). The only real issue is passing the initial fear test, but on LD8 they should be alright.

The best thing about giant rats (beside them being free, easy to paint and bugger all points), is how versitile they are. Take units of difference sizes if you want, to fill different roles in your army.
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
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Skavendrool
Chieftain
>and then for every 5 Rats in the unit you could add an additional Packmaster.

I can see how you get to this interpretation, but I think that it is wrong. As I read it, 'no more than 1 for every x' means that until you've added at least x more rats, you aren't eligible for another packmaster. So I think that it means:

5 rats + 1 packmaster (initial pack)
0-4 additional rats = allows 0 additional packmasters
5-9 additional rats = allows 1 additional packmaster
10-14 additional rats = allows 2 additional packmasters

etc.

Skavendrool
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outbreak
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Warlord
i plan on trying 18 w/ 2 packmaster. Just running 3x6 then the 2 packies hanging behind.
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Hoof&Mouth
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Clanrat

I think that the best formation will be one that maximised their attacking in 2 ranks. I like 7x3 with 4 packmasters. thats 18 attacks , 2 ranks, US 25.
I also think that this is the best target for Death Frenzy in the army, as they will swing with a mighty 48 attacks.
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