The Horned Rat: What's in it?
Let's start with the big thing: the new character. Players will now be able to actually play as the Skavens of Warhammer lore. It's going to be a truly unique character to play, since there is absolutely 0 corruption there. The victory dial is going to advance upon his domination of regions with Skaven tokens, rather than corrupting them like most other characters do. The Horned Rat will require 8 spins for victory, equal to Tzeentch. Because his dial advances by dominating regions with Skaven tokens, the setup will change 2 Peasant tokens into Skaven tokens now. Domination doesn't seem like it'll be a large problem for him. He's got more figures than anyone else at a whopping 15 figures! 11 cultists (0/1), 3 warriors (standard 1/2), 1 greater daemon (3/3). As for ruination, because he doesn't actually contribute anything to corruption, his figures are going to do that for him. The power cost of his figures are going to be what determines how much "corruption" the Horned Rat has, encouraging you to scurry all of them over to places ready to ruin (you still get the ruiners bonus just for existing there). If the region is somewhat contested, it's not too difficult to get 6 "corruption" just by placing 3 warriors in there. I really doubt he'll be getting many first-place finishes though, unless he already had a presence in those regions (or his cards can help him). The image here does not show any upgrades, but it's reasonable to expect he'll be getting some. Of course, since the focus is on Skavens and those tokens are a little scarce in the base game, we get at least 9 new Skaven tokens, plus some extra power markers we probably lost. Finally, the Horned Rat will be placed between Khorne and Slaanesh. That means his priority is lowest and always moves last.
There's also going to be effectively a new game mode. All the gods' decks and upgrades are getting revised (presumably their dial advancement conditions, too). You'll have to decide which set all players use before starting the game. The only thing we really know for sure is that Khorne is going to have a focus on victory points. 2 Chaos cards have been revealed for Khorne, one allowing him to bring in enemy figures from adjacent regions, another making figures he kills count for his domination. His Bloodletters upgrade has also been shown to give him 2 points for each region where he kills with a Bloodletter. He has 6 of them, so he could get up to 12 points in a single round with that thing! Anything else is just pure speculation on my part.
Finally, there's going to be a new set of Old World cards that are supposed to make the game more challenging. We can clearly see Closing the Portal. It puts a Warpstone token wherever there's already 6+ corruption tokens, then says nobody can draw more than one Chaos card. Good luck, Tzeentch! Morrslieb Eclipsed seems to have an initial effect of removing one corruption from each player in all regions, and then a lot of stuff starting with a restriction effect. It also seems to really hate on figures. All this stuff definitely looks like it'd make the game harder, and I'll take great joy in trying it. It'll be like having a 6th player around!
There's going to be more information coming until it's released sometime in June, according to my local game shop. I'll be sure to update as things develop.
REVEALED UPGRADES
Khorne
Bloodsworn
Each Bloodsworn counts as two figures toward your domination value of any region it occupies.
(MC Note: Just as with the old Bloodthirster upgrade, Slaanesh's Abyssal Pact card will negate this.)
Bloodletters
You gain two victory points each time you kill a figure in a region containing a Bloodletter.
Crimson Tide
Each time you dominate a region, draw one Chaos card.
Nurgle
Cavalcade of Decay
Any region containing five or more Cultists is considered Populous.
(MC Note: This counts enemy cultists too, and for your normal dial advancement, it matters whether they die during battle.)
Infested Colony
When you dominate a region, place two corruption tokens in that region.
Tzeentch
Acolytes
Once per round during the battle phase, you may discard a card from your hand to cancel one hit assigned to one of your Acolytes.
Mystical Disregard
Once per round, you may play a Chaos card on top of an opponent's Chaos card, cancelling its effect. The card you play must have power equal to or greater than the card you cover.
Slaanesh
Keeper of Secrets
A Keeper of Secrets counts as three Noble tokens.
Fall from Grace
If you place three or more corruption tokens in a region with a Noble or Hero token, collect two dial advancement counters instead of only one.
Rise to Glory
When calculating domination in a region, each Noble token adds one to your domination value in that region.
The Horned Rat
Clan rats
When you summon a Clan Rat to a region where you do not currently have any Clan Rats, you may summon one additional Clan Rat to that region for 0 power.
The Under Empire
You treat all regions with Skaven tokens as adjacent regions. When a region is ruined, you may immediately move any number of your figures from that region into one adjacent region.
REVEALED CARD TEXTS
Khorne
Terror
Cost: 0
When you play this card, you may move one Cultist belonging to each opponent from this region to any one adjacent region.
Lambs to the Slaughter
Cost: 2
When you play this card, you may immediately move one figure belonging to each opponent from any adjacent regions to this region.
Nurgle
Virulent Outbreak
Cost: 0
This region is considered Populous.
Festering Fever
Cost: 1 (Magic)
If you dominate this region, immediately collect a dial advancement counter.
(MC Note: Although domination and corruption both happen in the same phase, two different effects are giving a counter.)
Choking Stench
Cost: 2
Nurgle's Quest
Cost: 4 (Magic)
If you place at least one corruption token in this region, immediately advance your dial one tick and carry out the dial instructions. This can be fulfilled once per phase.
(MC Note: This means Nurgle could potentially get 3 spins in that round, but victory is still only checked at the end of the round.)
Tzeentch
Glean
Cost: 0
Warp Portal
Cost: 0 (Magic)
When you play this card, you may discard a card from your hand to move any figure from this region to any other region.
Slaanesh
Debauchery
Cost: 3
When you play this card, immediately gain one power point for each Noble token in this region. If there are no Noble tokens in this region, place one.
The Horned Rat
Skitterleap
Cost: 0
If you dominate this region, you may immediately move any number of of your figures from this region to one adjacent region.
(MC Note: Primarily, you'll likely be using it to dominate the next region with what just dominated the previous one, but you have to do it in region order to work that way. This also means potentially more dial advancement. This has a nominal use as a kind of escape card from Khorne.
Empty the Warrens
Cost: 0
When you play this card, you may place a Skaven token from the stockpile in this region, or you may move a Skaven token from an adjacent region to this region.
(MC note: This will usually take a Skaven from the stockpile, but there will be occasions when you want to take a Skaven away from another player that would otherwise be dominating that region.)
Grey Seer
Cost: 1
When you play this card, immediately summon two Cultists to this region.
Strength in Numbers
Cost: 1 (Magic)
If you have more figures than any one other player in this region, the defense value of your figures is increased by one.
Verminous Horde
Cost: 1
If you have more figures than a single other player in this region, the cost for your opponents to summon figures to this region, and play Chaos cards in this region, is increased by one.
Old World
Closing the Portal
Place one Warpstone token in every region with six or more total corruption tokens (not counting Warpstone tokens already in that region).
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Players cannot draw more than one Chaos card during the draw phase.
The Light of Day
*Event card
Then, in order... (highest first), ... Event token... not already...
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All...
Morrslieb Eclipsed
In each region, remove... corruption token before... each player, if...
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Players cannot play... At the beginning... summoning... sacrifice two... on the board... for that... figure...
(MC note: Sacrifice? Really? I mean, it works, but we don't really need this new term from Magic players.)
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