Can you play Skaven like Dwarfs?

[@SaltyRocksPew]

never truly win this challange until you max out relations with thorgrim and he gives you a 'ALL HERE ARE HONORED DWARF KIN' dialogue

[@guilliman1990]

Im going to push for that my self maye as astrogoth

[@Zuginator]

My favorite Vampire Counts playthrough is when I got a Military Alliance with the dawi!

[@darthvader1417]

@@Zuginator how do you do this? just gift them gold every turn and dont fight factions that they like?

[@scipioafricanus2212]

I got that as Queek during a Clan Mors vs Crooked Moon multiplayer game. The "enemy of my enemy" thing led to a pretty cursed Skaven + Dwarf + Wood Elf coalition against the tyranny of Skarsnik

[@erikp5393]

Ok, time to do that with Skarbrand.

[@amerrackhunter3913]

After Queek Headtaker was hit in the head by a Dwarven warhammer, he's become convinced that he is, in fact, a Dwarf. This is the rather confused account of the conquests that followed.

[@slywhemwick8071]

I don’t know Skaven and 40k lore but I hope there is a clan of Skaven that think they were just weird dwarves

[@grimportent8792]

@@slywhemwick8071 there is a bit of lore that the dwarves think the Skaven were made by one of their Ancestor Gods, so by that lore the dwarves think the Skaven are evil sort-of-dwarves, a betrayal of the core of what it is to be a dwarf even more so than the chaos dwarves, while the Skaven hate the idea.

[@pifilixxiv3192]

Thanks for the idea for my future Rimworld run: ratmen who think they are dwarves

[@WiggleJimmy]

Which book was that? I read the book with him and his weirdly loyal bodyguard but don't remember reading that part.

[@BierBart12]

@@slywhemwick8071 Reminds me of something that DOES exist in 40k, a colony of humans who believe they are Orks, dress and fight like them. Digganobz! They're the descendants of a stranded imperial surveying team and have just adapted to their orky environment over generations.

[@transorm987]

Fun fact: Skaven are actually not short, they just have a significant hunch. Also each caste of skaven increases in height with skavenslaves being about 4 foot (which is actually very short) while clanrats are 5 foot and stormvermin at 6 foot. Pretty intresting bit of lore.

[@skycaptain95]

Ok so they're all short.

[@transorm987]

@@skycaptain95 Alot taller than dwarfs or goblins

[@skycaptain95]

6 feet is short

[@Dudebro665]

turns out skaven can be pretty big when you actually feed them.

[@marconarvaez9871]

​@@skycaptain95Are you Dutch or something? In what world is 6ft considered short?

[@myawsomebox]

Queek at the end of this campaign: "Worship-Pact ended with Great Horned Rat-thing! Now Grimnir is Queek's new best-worthy God-leader!"

[@Pandawanabe]

The title of the video already gets you a spot in the book

[@RealCodreX]

Bit which book? The rats or the shorts?

[@justcreastive5513]

@@RealCodreX book of grudges

[@Pandawanabe]

@@RealCodreX Yes

[@demonkingsparda]

And the thumbnail gets two more

[@molnarandras6556]

​@@RealCodreX ALL OF 'EM

[@Anvilarm07]

Love your themed campaign replays. But "rats are the best dwarfs" is going in the Book of Grudges.

[@somewhereelse1235]

If the rats truly choose to be like the dawi and respect the ancestors, then they may yet cross off a grudge.

[@diooverheaven6561]

That's going to Rattest Book of Grudges

[@Nemmy72]

Like many things in the book, its simply true

[@Flackamus]

It's a real nod to the cinematography done for this video when Queeks return can get you feeling hyped up.

[@jimmybob6740]

Throwback to some of his 2v2 grimgor/final dwarf rallies.

[@samuelcontreras9248]

was laughing so hard, I was like its fucking QUEEK! 🤣🤣

[@thanquolrattenherz9665]

when i saw queek returning i knew that before the battle he said to the second army "Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east yes-yes"

[@aputin654]

You were so magnificent when I found you, the biggest in your litter, and they were all large before you ate them. I raised you, I fed you the best Dwarf-meat and Man-flesh. And you have become even more magnificent. Such courage. There is none other like you, Queek. You are unnaturally brave. Others think you freakish for leading from the front, not the back. But I do not. I am proud of my Queek. - Warlord Gnawdwell, Lord of Clan Mors

[@magni5648]

I just love that Mors' entire "superpower" is that they're slightly less prone to constantly backstabbing each other than all the other clans.

[@rachnussouldrinkerlibraria5640]

Wait, a skaven showing PRIDE in their childs accomplishments?!?!?! Is that genuine affection I hear?

[@fildariusv7045]

​@@rachnussouldrinkerlibraria5640I believe its a combination of genuine proudness over his protegee to a degree, but also his ego in "I built the perfect and most loyal warrior". Of course, Gnawdell must, and yes I mean it, MUST pay assasins to go kill Queek from time to time, not to really kill him of course, he knows Queek will kill them all. Its simply a way to ensure no backstabing ideas get to Queek if left too comfortable

[@idiotgaming6376]

​@@fildariusv7045 from what I've heard he specifically picks poor assassins to go after Which is the skaven equivalent of giving there loved ones a letter

[@artellusnumeon819]

he's just plain lying. queek is a useful tool. nothing more. gnawdwell realised it's profitable to have actual loyal henchmen/rats. notice how he never told queek anything beyond battle tactics. queek could win every fight and still lose the war if he was to rebel against his master ​@@rachnussouldrinkerlibraria5640

[@SDOne-or6vm]

When you start watching the video wondering if it is possible to play Skaven like Dwarfs and you find out that's the only way you have played your Skaven yet!

[@sympunny8636]

Really he should've played Tretch instead of Queek. He actually has more buffs for stormvermin. Queek only really gets the upkeep reduction for them, but Tretch gives stormvermin bonus armour/weapon damage whenever they lvl up, as well as encourage, devastating flanker, extra speed, missile resist and charge bonus. Throt would've also been a good choice, being able to augument stormvermin up to god mode, but that would've taken longer to stack auguments.

[@panther-nk2hn]

Also would've diverted the focus away from playing Skaven like Dwarves. It would've just been a relatively standard Throt game, just with more stormvermin and less hell pit abominations.

[@generalgrievous2202]

Yeah tretch is much better for this kind of stormvermin focused challenge

[@liamcullen3035]

Wouldn’t have been a “Dwarf” campaign without settling some grudges against the Chaos Dawi! Love how this turned out! 😂

[@EagleScoutmano]

not to mention the elves and greenskin...

[@dr.kinderman5290]

Not only are you in The Book, but also in the Libra Bubonicus as well. All accomplished in the title alone

[@HiddenEvilStudios]

On the inverse: I recommend the mod "The Miners Below". Three guesses what that one does.

[@keaering5183]

Skaven Henti?

[@botep5529]

That is a hilarious name and idea for a mod. I can imagine just a bunch of drunken lost miners who finally find they're way out of the tunnels only to come up right in the middle of a massive battle, behind the enemies lines

[@faithfullukodureg2140]

What a comeback Queek had! Loved the ending! Reminds me of your box kings video where Throgg gave the final vomit!

[@eviljoshy3402]

Any other skaven lord would have left the rats to die lol

[@thrandompug2254]

Honestly that's how I played Skaven for a while. I would play like a conventional gunpowder faction with ratling guns firing over or next to blocks of skaven spear infantry and artillery picks them apart as they approach/stand still while I march forwards. I had some success, but I don't think it's optimal, or maybe I'm just bad lol

[@ktvindicare]

It's a lot better than it used to be. In WH2 Stormvermin were straight up worthless. The AI's melee cheats meant that they would get killed by low tier chaff of other races, so there was zero point in investing extra in an "elite" infantry unit for Skaven when all it was going to do was die and be a roadblock for your ranged units anyway. Now they perform a lot better because those melee cheats from WH2 got reduced drastically in WH3. It's had the benefit of making more infantry focused playstyles viable for pretty much every race not just the Skaven. But thanks to the heavy nerfing of Supply lines, it's also much easier to just SPAM armies as Skaven and overwhelm with sheer numbers of lower tier units which make Stormvermin again feel like a heavy investment for not that much benefit, but now it's just more of a playstyle thing. Now you can use them to win head to head with "quality" Skaven units instead of just drowning your enemies in Clan Rats and Skavenslaves.

[@R_J8]

@@ktvindicare What cheats? I can't really feel the difference between 2 and 3 infantry tbh.

[@ktvindicare]

@@R_J8 On the higher battle difficulties in Warhammer 2 the AI used to get significant bonuses to melee attack, melee defense, and leadership for all of their melee units. That was before adding in the very rapid rate of chevrons they'd get which would boost those stats even further. It essentially made elite infantry nearly worthless because thanks to those melee cheats they would lose outright to lower tier infantry in a 1v1 fight. In WH3 those cheats have been greatly reduced or all out eliminated. They still get leadership cheats but not melee stat increases, It makes fighting head to head with melee units in WH3 way more viable on higher battle difficulties than it was in WH2. Combined with how expensive supply lines were (20% on Legendary difficulty vs 5% on WH3) and you were almost forced into building very cost effective doomstacks of heavy ranged units or monsters in order to win with a lot of factions. In WH3 the game is much more forgiving of what kind of armies you can make. The difference is huge between the two games on higher difficulties.

[@R_J8]

@@ktvindicare Thanks for sharing. I probably didn't notice because I picked up WH2 closer to the games end of life and played Skaven and Bretonnia, whom I thought had the worst infantry as a trade off for Weapons Teams and diverse cav.

[@ktvindicare]

@@R_J8 Skaven have some decent specialist infantry like Plague Monks but yea in general Skaven and Bretonnia are two of the worst melee infantry factions. Their infantry are all meant to be cheap and expendable. Which is why it was super frustrating that in WH2 a unit of Saurus Warriors would literally lose to a unit of Clan Rats in a 1v1 fight. Their cheats were insane.

[@guilliman1990]

That queek charge in the end chefs kiss. 👩‍🍳 utterly brilliant

[@Kaiimei]

4:05 When you didn't balance the deal with some free money, I heard a million skaven cry out at once.

[@AloysNeverood]

22:15 That reference just brought a giant smile on my face. To this day that OG dwarf lord 2v2 game is still my favourite replay of total war on youtube, period

[@ryangallant1886]

Zerk: *Starts video by saying Skaven and Dwarfs enjoy their food, implying that Greenskins don't. * Grom: And I took that personally.

[@fraxtorgaming]

2:08 Gave me a good chuckle with how casual it was

[@TheAfroMenace]

Now I gotta try a "Can you play Dwarves like Skaven?" and run dwarf miner stacks into the enemy and hold them up for my artillery strikes.

[@mesuper455]

That page for skarsnik looks pretty small right now.. you’re getting a lot more than a page in the book

[@kuski5512]

That will be entire chapter

[@Boglorio]

I keep mistaking the dwarf for a skaven in Vermintide, so I think it's safe to assume they're probably the same species.

[@rafaelcastor2089]

"That's a keen eye, wutelgi"

[@Boglorio]

In my defense, indiscriminate fireballs is the best way to play.

[@rafaelcastor2089]

@@Boglorio Don't worry about it. I run duckfoot and doubleshot, i'm all for that (mostly) accidental friendly fire XD

[@TheVerendus]

Protip for when a faction offers diplomacy with a gold tribute: if you counter offer, delete the gold tribute, then rebalance the deal it will give you more gold than they initially offered.

[@shorewall]

Most of the time. I've had instances where when I rebalanced it, they gave me less gold than they had originally offered. I don't know why.

[@kenziemathews926]

​@brentwaller37 The indignity of haggling for something they offered offends them. Sometimes the AI will give more money or ask for less money than they normally would because they really want the exchange.

[@juliancate7089]

"My box is slowly getting dismantled..." That's what she said.

[@eudescardozo3395]

To be fair clan mors is the closest to a dwarf army since they are actualy loyal and dont rely on skaven slaves

[@fritzorino]

Just wanted to say I absolutely love these newer type of challenge/weird strategy campaign videos. Keep them coming!

[@DustinBarlow8P]

The Skaven also started their own "Book of Grudges". I is said to be 2 million grudges, spaced out over 1000 Volumes!

[@ronaldp7573]

These themed 20min videos keep getting better. I wish I had the time to watch multi 40min videos of a campaign but few of us do these days. Thanks for making content like this.

[@Dracosian4802]

it's even funnier when you realise there is a theory that skaven are basically the beastmen version of dwarves even if it may not be true it does make it funnier

[@50_foot_punch99]

Dreadanon "elf rivalries" short sums up Dwarves and Skaven they're more alike than they are different.

[@psychedellictoxin1195]

2:08 Nice transition. Way more amusing and entertaining than a bleep.

[@DragoonlordXXiV]

lol seeing as Queek is my favorite of the Skaven lords and got me into playing them almost exclusively since wh2 launched I got to say this is how most of my armies turn out.

[@arcana5625]

“Skarbrand just declared war on me, mother fu-“

[@christhovhannisyan2074]

The video editing is pure GOLD

[@Gelwain]

Queek is the bravest-best Rat-Dwarf around!! What a hero!

[@BlackHat-qf2bc]

"Rock-pebble and stone-stone!"

[@conwaysquest6961]

"We will take-take the Dwarf-thing's tactic-plans! We steal-pillage their ideas!" -Queek Headtaker, Clan Mors General.

[@Mandalore9999]

The second draw reaction was hilarious

[@zombieking1o1]

22:36 Am I the only one that's about to cry tears of joy?

[@AnomalyINC]

In the really old lore, Skaven were descendants of a Dwarf ancestor, Skavor, son of Gazul, the Protector of the Dead. So their relationship runs pretty deep.

[@LordRegal94]

I was fully expecting the subversion of the timer coming back for round 3 on that last fight - was nice to see it played straight and the true victory was achieved.

[@simoncodrington]

Great content mate, really enjoying these random campaigns / challenge videos. Best series

[@inductivegrunt94]

Tanky Dwarf Skaven. Now that is something I never thought I'd see. The Skaven Ankor will rise!! Yes-Yes!! But you're going into the book for this, both the Dwarf book and the Skaven book.

[@tracesosebee5485]

This was a very good example of "The victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself so." Rock on Karak Azul!

[@cyborgrhinofromspace1108]

I teared up when Queek saved the day

[@keaering5183]

In a clan moulder game I went all out Storm Vermin was a blast and surprising powerful even on VH battle difficulty

[@ShadowWolfRising]

I love the idea of Skaven that are like "Ok you know what-what? The Beard-Things might have a point. What if-if we decided to copy them-them in order to live lives that-that.........isn't bad-bad?" And then just become massive Dwarf Weeaboos and start Worshipping the Ancestors and Dwarf Deities (Who are incredibly confused what the hell is happening.) and start actually refining their tech and treating each other even slightly decently.

[@thesittingacheroraptor7565]

"By the Ancestor Gods! The vermin 'startin to grow beards!"

[@ShadowWolfRising]

@@thesittingacheroraptor7565 "In the name-name of Grimnir!" Dawi: 'Incredibly Confused'

[@mooselover6345]

Dude i play skaven like dwarfs all the time tho :,). Artillery and weapon teams

[@skytheannur6168]

You too? Must be a Skyre thing

[@mooselover6345]

@@skytheannur6168probably🤣

[@adammclaughlin845]

Zerk, I've recently started watchign Total Warhammer videos again and you're the bloody king. I used to watch your videos but don't remember them being as lively and funny as they are now. Thank you mate and keep going!

[@liamcullen3035]

Queek is unironically my favourite Skaven lord

[@pride2184]

Queek strongest warlord yes-yes! No other can-will conquer all.

[@thatoneannoyingclown4996]

Blowing a hole in a wall rather then climbing over is the most dwarven thing I heard of today

[@FxTR22]

Also if y chasing behind a enemy ransacking through your territory, recruite a second lord to corner them in by attacking with the small army and forcemarching into reinforcement range with the main army

[@RavensbladeDX]

What an epic ending! Just when you thought all was lost.

[@FirelordJade]

I like this kind of series. I love doing campaigns with themes. Max blob undead, Imrik oops all dragons, artillery only gelt, vampirates with only guns...

[@Dejawolfs]

yeah it's fun. i did a ghoul king themed campaign where i limited my recruitment to zombies, skeleton spearmen, ghouls, crypt horrors, dogs and terrorgheist. also no LL, only ghoul kings and necromancer heroes.

[@Dante-sm4vs]

Dawi must code the book to accept new formats and put this entire video in there.

[@goldpeen2661]

Every other word in the opening of this video is a grudgin

[@Daggerboy1231]

this is a grudgen

[@jackakimbo5718]

Today I learned that this ISN'T the normal way that Skaven are usually played

[@Gortrok]

This is the most despicable, blood-boiling heresy I've ever witnessed, but damn if I don't want to give it a go now. Great video as always, thank you Zerk!

[@mrpaintwolf2010]

well now you gotta play dwarfs like skaven...

[@magicalawnmower4764]

i misread the title and thought you were going to play dwarfs like skaven lmao

[@ProgenitorGoblin]

I think this video single handedly made me a Skaven fan. Bless his cotton socks inDEED

[@JJTN2K]

That miniature is going on the book

[@MrRolci]

Hearing 'Karak Azgul' instead of 'Karak Azul' drove me insane

[@cuffedjeans7320]

But can you play dwarves like skaven?

[@Amokhunter]

"The Rats and the Dwarves have more in common..." THAT'S GOING IN THE BOOK!

[@Aqu2008]

"SHORT-SHORT !?!??!" -queek

[@THEHAMMERNOOB]

4:57 Maker? I think you meant Grugni, fellow Dawi.

[@jensenhaines6526]

These themed/challenged campaigns are gold!

[@JEGranberg]

I'm liking the new gaming approaches in your recent set of videos.

[@antonioperezhernandez5846]

That was the exact same music at the ending from your old video when that lone dwarf lord and Boris defeated the dark elves, beautiful!

[@SpaceKnight105]

Warhammers very own meme sound effect " short?!"

[@thefirstspartan1]

0:34 "get it over nice and Queeck", was a missed opportunity. fun vid as always though!

[@manfredthegreat]

2:07 MotherF… inally 👌 😂 Great editing

[@ariha2717]

Next you need to play the dwarfs like skaven

[@DustyTheKitty]

Going to make the knife ears cry for all the trees we'll need to fell for pages to add to the book for this one.

[@Joe_159]

Zerk this new video style is great and the swearing edits are hilarious, thanks!

[@saltamuertosturambar4050]

Rock 'n' Warp-warpstone!

[@jaratt85]

I feel like Queek's themesong would be Chumbawumba's Tub Thumpin... He gets knocked down but he gets up again, they're never gonna keep him down.

[@charleslister8465]

Great work - hope you have sorted the timer! Loe the narration and the end was glorious

[@jare3459]

Stormvermin are a good unite not good for weapon team builds but for anything else so good to have.

[@StraightKnots]

It always tickles me pink whenever you do a campaign in this area and Skarbrand declares war on you and it's just "Fuuuuuuuuuck". Because he's just that feckin scary

[@m4rsianer]

i mean there are alot good WH youtubers out there, but Zerkovich comes with very good ideas for campaign videos

[@Michael-kd1ho]

The name of the video and the first sentence alone are enough to earn one an honorary mention in a certain book.

[@Foxion7]

My man, your editing is hilarious. holy shit it keeps surprising me. Bless your cotton socks!

[@haku8135]

The ad i got when I started this video was for a Tea called Celestial Seasonings. This would have been quite funny if this video were about Cathay.

[@shumevkyo422]

This is something I have been trying to do since Warhammer 2. Glad I am not the only one.

[@antonioferrari241]

Something stirs-stirs in World's Edge Mountains-things... Death-death comes to Skaven Undercities... In years-decades Queek was Warlord, all things thought we-we weak, cowards hiding in dark-place-hold-things. Fools-fools! Every wrong-wrong recorded. Every slight against me-me, page after page, etched in blood! Karak Angkul! City of Pillars! Skreekrit Yellowtooth! Green-things must pay-pay. Let Green-things come-come!" [...] "One wrong put right-right. But Grudge book-thing... remains full-full." - High Warlord Queek Grudgebearer

[@DaUziel]

I had an idea for purified Skaven who lived in wandering caravans. Many started imitating the Slayers in penance for what their people have done. They can become Fire Mages who are powerful but burn themselves up. They have mechanized clockwork crossbows and females are fans of gunpowder weapons.

[@okupant880]

I dont skip clanrat stacks before upgrading, but this is basically how i play Queek in general. Its just so much fun.

[@booradley6832]

The problem with Skaven is they can mimic anyone elses playstyle, almost always better than the original, and freely match them too. The only one thing they dont have is heavy cavalry, but still have pseudo versions of that as well. Also Warhammer being the weakest heavy cav is in any total war game helps a lot too.

[@nicholaslvov8363]

first line of the video and Zerkovich is already number one in the Great book

[@arklaw8306]

Assaulted from all sides from the start with no breaks? Yup, that's very Dwarf.

[@theguyinthecorner605]

Oh this is going RIGHT in the book. Gimme a minute, I need to find an open spot.

[@merpymerpington9175]

Having to deal with constant greenskin attacks interrupting your buildup within the first minute of the video is definitely the Dwarf Experience(TM)

[@Lothi66]

Ty for this video, hope you will make more like this.

[@Skynet5885]

Dwarves: Perhaps I judged you too harshly ... Skaven: Perhaps no eat short beard thing ... yes, yes ...

[@ingamingpc1634]

Oh God I can't believe there exists a timeline where skaven are actually as strong as dwarfs and even faster

[@rydercope2517]

Loving these themed campaign videos!