The Skaven Black Ark.....................350 points

Near La Maisontaal Abbey - 2491

Comte de la Luc raised his visor and surveyed the approaching Skaven hordes. The sulphurous clouds of warpstone gas generated by the whirling plague censer bearers made seeing difficult, but here and there he saw the hunched forms of rat ogres being driven forward by their beastmasters. A Skaven wizard on a Screaming Bell dominated the center and on the edges of the mass and he could make out jezzail teams and other less known war machines.

As the mighty Skaven horde appeared, Comte de la Luc showed no fear. After all, the flower of Brettonian nobility stood arrayed behind him. When news that La Maisontaal Abbey was under siege, every noble, soldier, and peasant rushed to join the army that would relieve La Maisontaal and end the Skaven presence in Brettonia forever.

As he looked upon the Brettonian host, he could see the banners of almost every important house in Brettonia. Up on a nearby hill massive catapults were being manhandled into position and on the flanks peasant Archers and levies prepared to do what little they could. In front were the royal Archers and mercenary crossbowmen. As much as Comte de la Luc despised mercenaries, he was experienced enough to respect them. With the might of Brettonia assembled thus, the promise of deeds and even greater glory awaited.

Suddenly, a groan of despair rippled through the ranks. Comte de la Luc squinted through the smoke and, involuntarily, began to pray. Coming through the smoke, surrounded by a heaving mass of Skaven, was an ebony carriage bearing a massive rat skull twice the size of an ordinary man. The Black Ark. Upon the platform two techno-sorcerers operated a pulley and winch; a third surveyed the battlefield from a raised chair. Suddenly, at some unheard command, the two Warlocks raised the jaws of the skull to reveal a pulsating warpstone meteor, casting an evil greenish glow. Comte de la Luc tried to shake off the feeling welling up inside him. But he could not escape the thought that the great jaws which held the glowing stone hungered for him.

Indeed, much blood would be shed this day.

Rules for using the Black Ark

The Black Ark is perhaps the most sacred of all Skaven artifacts. It has been said that a Skaven army carrying the Black Ark before it cannot be defeated. Made from the hearts of the semi-sentient, black ghostwood trees that grow at the edge of Skavenblight, the Ark is carved into the shape of a massive rat skull. Over countless generations the Warlocks of Clan Skryre have summoned the blessings of the Horned Rat over the Ark and instilled it with spells, turning it into a portal for the release of pure warp energy. In battle, the Ark is placed upon a wheeled carriage and pushed into combat by masses of Skaven warriors. A winch, connected to the top of the Ark, allows its jaws to be opened revealing the Fury of the Horned Rat.

The Ark may be opened or closed during the compulsory movement phase of the Skaven turn. When open, the baneful energies of the Warp surround it. In addition, the Fury of the Horned Rat may be released by the Warlock crew in the Skaven shooting phase. The Fury takes the form of a giant rat claw of blinding green light. The claw climbs high into the sky before crashing down, crushing whatever is unfortunate enough to be beneath it. Three Skaven Warlocks crew the Ark and attempt to direct the Horned Rat's blind fury at the enemy and away from the Skaven hoards.

Firing the Ark
The Ark is fired like a catapult. However, because it fires magically and may be directed in flight by the Warlock crew, some special rules apply. The Skaven player may elect a target within 360 degrees and guess a range up to 48 inches away from the Ark. A rat claw shaped template (use the Foot of Gork template) is placed on the target unit or model. The Skaven player then rolls the Artillery and Scatter dice. If a misfire is rolled, consult the chart below. If a number is rolled, this represents the number of inches that the template has deviated off target in the direction indicated on the Scatter die. If a "HIT" is rolled on the Scatter die, ignore any numerical result on the Artillery die. Any models even touched by the template will suffer a Str 7 hit doing D6 wounds. No save is allowed, not even for magic armour. If a model with only one wound is killed by the Fury, the extra wound taken against that model are wasted. In addition, any model or unit hit by the Fury must take an immediate panic test if it suffers a wound.

As long as all three Warlocks are alive, the Skaven player may re-roll both the Artillery and Scatter dice once, if he so chooses. The second die result must always be accepted. If a Warlock should die, leaving two Warlocks crewing the Ark, the Skaven player may re-roll the Scatter die only. If the Ark is crewed by a single Warlock, then the Artillery and Scatter die results may not be re-rolled.

If a misfire is rolled, the Warlocks have failed to control the Fury of the Horned Rat. Consult the misfire chart below. The number of Warlocks remaining on the Ark will determine their ability to take corrective action.

Roll a D6 and consult the appropriate chart

The Ark doesn't fire: the Warlocks have managed to close the Ark before anything can go seriously wrong. The Ark may be opened and fired normally in the next Skaven turn, however its magical effects will not apply until it is opened again.

A Warlock is killed: the Ark has still been closed, but not before one of hapless crew is sucked into the Warp to satisfy the hunger of the Horned Rat. Again, assuming any Warlocks are still alive, the Ark may be opened and fired normally in the next Skaven turn.

The Ark explodes: The Warlocks were unable to close the Ark, and the Fury of the Horned Rat has been directed back upon it. The Carriage is destroyed and the Arc is removed from the game. On a 4+ any Skaven in the unit pushing the Ark will suffer a Str 3 hit from flying debris.

Given its raised carriage, normal sized models do not block the Ark's line of sight. The Ark may fire even if it has moved in the Skaven turn. The Ark may not target creatures that are flying high. The Ark may not fire if engaged in hand to hand combat, as the Warlocks are too busy fighting to coax the Fury of the Horned Rat from the Warp. The Ark's other magical effects will continue to apply however, as long as the Ark remains open.

Magical Effects
The following effects will only apply if the Ark is left open in either players magic phase and the potent warp energies within are allowed to permeate the surrounding area

Any spells, whether friendly or hostile, targeted at the Ark (but not at the unit pushing it) will be dispelled on a 4+. In addition, any wizards casting non-Skaven spells within 6 inches of the Ark must roll equal to or under their magic levels on a D6. If they fail this roll their spells will fail to take effect and any power cards used are wasted.

Finally, any models within 6 inches of the Ark risk being mutated in the magic phase by the warp energies emanating from it. The effects of these mutations on non-Skaven models are resolved according to the Skaven spell "Curse of the Horned Rat." As stated on that spell card, these models must roll a D6 and add their toughness to the result. The Skaven player rolls 2D6. If the Skaven roll exceeds the non-Skaven models total, the model is transformed into a Skaven clanrat. Should an enemy unit be partially effected by the Curse of the Horned Rat, the transformed models are formed into a new unit and placed into hand to hand combat with their former unit. Skaven models within the influence of the Curse must roll a single D6. Upon a roll of 6 they will be transformed into pools of semi-intelligent ooze and are removed from the game. Skaven Warlocks and Seers are immune to this effect.

Note that the "Curse of the Horned Rat" caused by the Ark should be applied as a spell in the magic phase and thus its effects may be dispelled by either player. The use of the Drain Magic card will dispel the Curse, but it will not prevent it from reoccurring in subsequent magic phases where the Ark has remained open.

Moving the Ark
The Ark carriage may be moved by a unit of 15 or more Skaven, and uses the same rank bonus rules as the Screaming Bells, i.e., four models are treated as a rank, as shown on the diagram below

SSAAASS
SSAAASS
SSAAASS
SSAAASS
SSAAASS
SSSSSSS

The unit shown counts as having five ranks (and a +3 combat resolution bonus). The Ark may not march move, but may charge as normal. It must wheel to turn. If the number of pushers drops to less than 15, the Ark will be slowed by 1" for every model below the minimum. Thus if there were only 14 Skaven pushing the Ark it would move 4", eleven models could move it 3" and so on. The Ark may be pushed by a unit of either clanrats, stormvermin, plaugemonks or slaves. If the Ark is moved over difficult terrain it will suffer D6 wounds. The Ark may not be moved over very difficult terrain such as steep hills or rivers. If the Ark charges into combat it will inflict a D6+1 Str 7 automatic hits as the enemy are crushed beneath its wheels.

Combat and Shooting
The Ark is fought in hand to hand like a chariot. The enemy models fighting it compare their weapon skill to the highest weapon skill of its crew. If all of the Warlocks are killed the Ark counts as having a WS of 0. The Warlock Engineers have normal statistics. The Warlocks wear heavy armour and each is each armed with a pistol and additional hand weapon. For combat and point cost purposes, the Warlocks are considered war machine crew and not characters. (Due to the warping energies from the Ark, these Warlocks do not receive spell cards or carry magic items). If the Ark is attacked in hand to hand, all of the Warlocks may engage any models in base to base contact with the Carriage regardless of where the miniatures are placed.

The models in the unit pushing the Ark will not flee readily, as the eyes of the Horned rat are upon them. They are immune to psychology and will take all leadership tests on an unmodified leadership of 10 as long as they remain with the Ark. Should the unit flee, it will abandon the Ark carriage behind. The Warlock crew will remain with the Ark until killed however, as they are immune to both psychology and break tests.

The Ark is a large model and is therefore +1 to be hit by missile weapons. Due to the size of the Ark and the placement of its winch, frame and trusses, the Warlocks have good cover from missile attacks. Use the following hit location charts for combat and shooting

The Carriage has a Toughness of 7 and 8 wounds. If the carriage is destroyed it will collapse upon itself. The Ark will slam shut and the Warlocks will be killed. Remove the model from the game (Since only Skaven Warlocks and Seers can actually touch the Ark without being mutated by the Curse of the Horned Rat, it may be assumed that the Ark will be recovered by the Skaven at a later date).

The Ark itself is blessed by the Horned Rat and cannot be wounded if hit. Moreover, if hit in hand to hand combat, the Ark will rebound the blow back at the attacker with the same strength with which it was struck. Resolve such rebounds as automatic hits at the attacker's strength. Armour and devices of protection will save as usual against such rebounds, with the appropriate modifiers for strength being applied. Hits on the Ark by missile weapons will likewise fail to wound the Ark, however hits by missile weapons do not cause a rebound against the shooter.

Rules by Bob Lippman. Story by Mike Kan