Total War: Warhammer 2 – Deathmaster Snikch and Clan Eshin campaign guide

Deathmaster Snikch campaign overview

Faction perks

As the devious assassin of Clan Eshin, Deathmaster Snikch has the following traits:

• Eshin Loyalty – Eshin lords will never defect (wow).
• +200% recruitment cost for non-Eshin units (ouch).
• Night Runners and Gutter Runners automatically use armor-piercing Warp-infused weaponry.
• +25% ambush success chance.
• +8 melee attack for heroes in lord’s army.
• Snikch, as an army leader, will have access to the “Concealment Bombs” ability. Clan Eshin will also be able to partake in the Shadowy Dealings mechanic.
• Starts with Eshin Triad, Warp-Grinders, and Gutter Runners units.

Vortex campaign victory requirements

• Complete 3 of the Nightlord’s Say-So rituals.
• Destroy Malus Darkblade’s faction (Hag Graef).
• Win the Rise of Darkness final battle.

Starting position

If you’re playing Total War: Warhammer 2‘s Vortex campaign, then Deathmaster Snikch will start in the Land of the Dervishes in Araby. You’re automatically at war with Sudenburg and the Empire’s colonial force is your first target. Arkhan the Black and several Tomb King minors are your next-door neighbors. Try to befriend them to protect your northern and western flank. Repanse de Lyonesse is further north, and she may blob by confederating with other Bretonnian crusaders. As for Malus Darkblade, his faction’s is all the way at the southern tip of the continent, and you’re not likely to encounter him until after dozens of turns pass.

In Total War: Warhammer 2‘s Mortal Empires campaign, meanwhile, Snikch and Clan Eshin will be situated in Gnoblar Country. This is at the eastern edge of the world map, and further expansion might let us see the Dark Lands in Warhammer 3. You’re up against the Red Cloud goblin tribe at first. The nearby province of the Dragon Isles is where you’ll find Malus Darkblade.

Deathmaster Snikch’s Rites

Some of Deathmaster Snikch’s rites will already look familiar to many Skaven players in Total War: Warhammer 2. There’s one that has to be mentioned and that’s the Sudden Kill Scheme. This one greatly boosts the speed of all units in all armies while giving them the “Stalk” and “Snipe” abilities. Similarly, all your Gutter Runners and Night Runners will gain a boost to missile damage.

It has a negligible cost, but it only lasts a turn. Still, you can’t go wrong with nuking your opponents from afar, all while Snikch is creeping his way to get rapid melee kills.

The Revitalizing Scheme, meanwhile, replenishes every unit’s HP to full. All lords and heroes that are wounded will automatically be available. It’s a painless way to have your forces in tip-top shape in case you got badly mauled.

Deathmaster Snikch’s skills

There’s truly no denying that Deathmaster Snikch is one tricky raki, and a majority of his skills would prove that. Several active and passive abilities emphasize stealth, evasion, increased ambush chances, and more. Here are some notable ones:

• From the Shadows (self-augment, affects allies in range) – gives “Snipe,” “Stalk,” and “Unspottable” for 30 seconds.
• Deathmaster’s Sigil (hex) – immobilizes enemy lord or hero for 7 seconds.
• Conceal-Hide Them (lord’s army) – +10% speed for all infantry units; grants “Concealment Bombs” ability for Night Runners and Gutter Runners.
• Jump-Scare (lord’s army) – +10% ambush success chance; defensive penalties for hostile armies when ambushed; -5 leadership for hostile armies in local region
• Ancient Cunning (lord’s army) – up to 30% ambush success chance when maxed out

It doesn’t stop there. With some techs, unique weapons, and even a trait gained when you beat Skarsnik in Mortal Empires, it’s possible to gain a whopping 115% ambush success chance. Let’s not forget that Snikch and Eshin’s Master Assassin lords come with the “Stalking” stance. This provides a chance of ambushing any army you attack.

When you add other bonuses into the mix, it spells disaster for your opponents when they’re sacrificed. Take a look at this Reddit thread from Ozymandiaz1 examining the possibilities.

The Whirl of Weeping Blades

Deathmaster Snikch’s first questline at level 3 lets you obtain the Whirl of Weeping Blades unique weapon. It has the following stats:

• +20 armor-piercing damage
• +5% weapon strength
• +10 leadership for all Gutter Runners, Death Runners, Night Runners, and Eshin Triads in Snikch’s army as long as they’re above rank 7 (gold chevrons)
• “Whirl of Weeping Blades” ability – a vortex-type spell that pins enemies in place for 5 seconds; good against armor and multiple units

Oddly enough, the quest to get this item only has one requirement. All you need to do is kill 1,000 enemies, and that’s it.

The Cloak of Shadows

Clan Eshin’s preeminent hit-rat has another questline that begins at level 5. This allows you to obtain the Cloak of Shadows. It has the following stats:

• +5 melee defense
• -10% enemy hero success chance
• +20% ambush success chance (lord’s army)
• “Cloak of Shadows” passive – an aura surrounds Snikch reducing enemy leadership and melee defense

Master Assassins and Eshin Sorcerers

Master Assassins are new lords who can lead your verminous armies. They don’t have a lot of health so they mostly rely on hit-and-run tactics, ranged buffs, deception via Concealment Bombs, and ambushes. Like Deathmaster Snikch and the other generic Eshin lords, they can use the “Stalking” ambush stance to get the drop of hostile forces.

Eshin Sorcerers, meanwhile, are a brand new hero type for the Skaven introduced in Total War: Warhammer 2‘s The Shadow & The Blade DLC. Trained in the martial and arcane arts in faraway Cathay, they’re able to fulfill a support role in any army. Here are some notable spells and skills:

• Cathayan Training – +40 unit experience gain per turn (embedded army)
• Skitterleap – hide target via “Stalk” and “Unspottable,” increases speed by +24%
• Black Whirlwind – a stationary vortex that lasts 17 seconds; good against armor and multiple units
• Armor of Darkness – target gains +60% armor and +22% missile resistance

These are just the basics when you start playing as Deathmaster Snikch and Clan Eshin. The core mechanics of his Total War: Warhammer 2 campaign revolve around the Shadowy Dealings and various contracts you can perform to increase your standing with the other Skaven Great Clans. Let’s take a look at these concepts over here, man-thing.

Total War: Warhammer 2‘s The Shadow & The Blade DLC is available on Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.