Skaven confirmed for the next edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, out this summer

Skaven are confirmed to be making a grand return for the next edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar in Summer 2024.

Revealed at AdeptiCon via a flashy cinematic trailer, it shows the knightly Stormcast Eternals and hordes of Skaven ratmen beating seven bells out of each other. It also sets the narrative scene for Warhammer Age of Sigmar going forward, with the Skaven’s comeback accompanying a surprise twist: that humanity’s god-king, Sigmar, lied about his warriors’ immortality.

While details of the range have yet to be confirmed, it’s likely that the unit types seen throughout this footage will appear in upcoming boxsets. That was certainly the case with the Warhammer 40K 10th Edition reveal last year, so we can expect Hallowed Knights (silver-armored Stormcast Eternals that may as well be zealots for Sigmar) and angelic winged units to drop alongside madcap Skaven inventions such as warpstone-powered sniper rifles, gatling guns, and rats riding even bigger rats. As is tradition, many of these weapons suffer from friendly fire aplenty… but seeing how excited folks have been for the  comeback for this fan-favorite army, new Skaven sharing the same quirks as their predecessors will be no bad thing.

(Image credit: Games Workshop)

Not that it’s all about modernizing old units. We’ll also be getting a new kind of warrior tied to the mysterious ‘lie’ that publisher Games Workshop has been teasing for a week or so now. Sigmar always said that his Stormcast Eternals (who are resurrected humans chosen to fight again) were immortal and could be revived indefinitely, but as it turns out, that’s not true. The more these warriors die, the more of their soul is lost. Eventually, there will be nothing left – and that’s where the Reclusian Stormcast come in. Featured heavily throughout the trailer, these experienced warriors are powerful enough to shrug off most wounds or magical attacks… but are on their last life. If they die again, they’ll lose their soul completely. It’s a compelling concept, and one that finally makes me invested in this fantasy spin on the Space Marine archetype. A spot of tragedy helps to make these stoic do-gooders more interesting.

Still, the ratmen were the clear highlight for me. I’m very happy to see this weird blend of magic and science again, and even though they’re a little nastier than they were before (now they’re a horrifying wall of teeth and claws), they still have a slightly comedic edge. Although it’s arguably one of the best board games for wargamers, Age of Sigmar can always benefit from a little zaniness to offset the grimdark if you ask me.

I’m stoked about the new, faster game-type – dubbed ‘Spearhead’ – as well. Also announced at AdeptiCon, it’s due to land alongside the next Age of Sigmar edition. As we’ve suspected for a while, this is the fantasy equivalent of Combat Patrol for Warhammer 40,000; it’s bitesize and more accessible in comparison to the full Age of Sigmar game. Matches of Spearhead will apparently take around an hour, and pre-balanced Spearhead armies are being released for every faction.

Want to try the sci-fi equivalent to Age of Sigmar? Check out our guide to the Warhammer 40K Starter Sets. Alternatively, take a look at these must-have board games for adults.