Skaven · battle formation

Claw-horde: the Clan Verminus melee formation (AoS 4th Ed)

Sharpen the swarm - extra Rend turns cheap Clanrats and Stormvermin into a genuine melee hammer.

Age of Sigmar 4th edition

BySprue Sentry

ReviewedJul 13, 2026

SourceWahapedia - Skaven (AoS 4th Edition faction rules)

Sprue Sentry strategy commentary for Age of Sigmar 4th edition, not official rules. Games Workshop updates points and rules regularly; always confirm against the current official rules and latest update before a game.

Claw-horde is the Clan Verminus battle formation in the 4th-edition (2024) Skaven battletome, focused on straightforward melee infantry. It's the most beginner-friendly clan formation: fewer risky dice, just a reliable Rend boost that makes your cheap warriors bite harder. Numbers and targeting rules are seasonal, so confirm against the current battletome and Battlescrolls. (Note: some community sources spell it slightly differently; Claw-horde is the common current spelling.)

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What the formation does

Each turn it grants extra Rend to a few chosen Verminus melee units (community sources describe adding 1 to Rend, often for units that charged). That extra armour penetration is exactly what a cheap horde needs to threaten better-saving enemies. Confirm the number of units, timing and exact bonus in the current book.

Who it suits

Players who want a classic, reliable Skaven melee horde without leaning on unstable warpstone tech. If you like moving big blocks of Clanrats and Stormvermin onto objectives and grinding, this is the low-variance pick.

Key units

Clanrats - the cheap battleline core; the extra Rend makes their volume of attacks actually hurt.
Stormvermin - elite Verminus infantry that become a real hammer with a Rend boost.
Clawlord (including mounted) - the Verminus general to lead and buff the horde.
Screaming Bell - a support platform and morale engine for infantry-heavy lists.
Rat Ogors or other allies - optional muscle to break tough targets the horde can't.

When to pick it

Choose it for an infantry-centric Verminus army, especially if you're newer to Skaven and want consistency over gambles. It's strong on objective-heavy missions where you flood points and want your cheap blocks to win or hold fights. If your damage comes from shooting, monsters or plague swarms, take the matching clan formation instead.

Common questions

Is Claw-horde the best formation for new Skaven players?

It's often the most approachable, because it's low-variance: you get a reliable Rend boost rather than a risky dice table that can hurt your own units. It suits the intuitive Skaven plan of swarming objectives with cheap infantry. Relative strength still shifts by season, so check current Battlescrolls.

Why does extra Rend matter so much for a horde?

Cheap Skaven infantry throw lots of low-quality attacks, and better-armoured enemies normally save most of them. Adding Rend means more of those hits get through, letting sheer volume convert into real damage - turning expendable Clanrats and Stormvermin into a credible melee threat.

Rules sources

Written by Sprue Sentry, grounded in the cited sources. Original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.