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Skaven (Renegades fan list) · 115 points · Screen, bait and redirector
Are Giant Rats and handlers good?
Giant Rats and handlers are bad in a fair fight, and I think that is fine. They won none of their 30 charges into Jade Warriors, Ironbreakers and Clanrats, but their job is to screen and bait.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Giant Rats at
- Role
- Screen, bait and redirector
- Good against
- Rat Ogres on the charge (4/10): their best result
- Struggles against
- Jade Warriors on the charge (0/10), Ironbreakers on the charge (0/10), Clanrats on the charge (0/10), charging Knights of the Realm (3/20), charging Gors (0/10)
- Record
- 4/40 charging · 3/30 receiving
Their job is to screen, bait and redirect. Judging them on fair fights misses the point.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 70 complete combats with Giant Rats and handlers, each fought through break tests and pursuit to the end: 40 with them charging and 30 with the enemy charging. These were the results.
Treat my Giant Rats results as evidence rather than gospel: I strip out terrain, magic, characters and an opponent’s choices so the unit’s own performance shows through. One lucky break test can move a result by a whole fight, so the Giant Rats’ Ironbreakers on the charge (0/10) could easily have come out one either way. Use these Giant Rats figures as a strong guide to the job, not a promise.
How do Giant Rats do on the charge?
Giant Rats charging. Fights won. n = 10 fights per opponent
| Opponent | Pts | Won |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jade Warriors | 138 | 0/10 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | 141 | 0/10 |
| 20 Clanrats | 137 | 0/10 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | 150 | 4/10 |
How do Giant Rats do when the enemy charges?
Giant Rats receiving. Fights won. n = 20 and 10 fights
| Charging enemy | Pts | Won |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Knights of the Realm | 141 | 3/20 |
| 17 Gors | 136 | 0/10 |
What I think Giant Rats are good at
- Scurry Away helps them escape, and they are ideal for screening or pulling Frenzied enemies out of position.
- Things-catchers add a niche: Killing Blow made the handler-heavy unit surprisingly dangerous to Rat Ogres in a few of my simulations.
- I would use them to bait, redirect, occupy space and protect a valuable unit, and accept that the rats may die.
Watch out
Do not ask them to hold a frontal fight.
Combinations that worked for me
I paired Giant Rats with other units in these combinations, which I explain on my Battle March units page:
- Giant Rats as Frenzy bait
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
- Clanrats with spears and shields137 pts · Tarpit and ranked anvil
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Giant Rats and handlers for screening, baiting Frenzied units and redirecting, and not for fair frontal fights, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Giant Rats and handlers best against?
Rat Ogres + Master Moulder: the Giant Rats won 4 of 10 charges into them in my tests. The worst charging matchup for the Giant Rats was Jade Warriors, at 0 of 10.
Are Giant Rats and handlers better on the charge or receiving one?
Charging. The Giant Rats won 10% of their charges in my tests, against 10% of fights when the enemy charged them.