The Lore of Stealth: All New Spells in Total War: Warhammer 2’s Next DLC
The Shadow and The Blade DLC, the next expansion for Total War: Warhammer 2, will be launching on the 12th of December. Alongside a host of new Skaven units and the addition of Deathmaster Snikch, the Skaven will actually be getting a whole new lore of magic; the Lore of Stealth. This will be the first time a new lore has been added to the game since the Curse of the Vampire Coast DLC.
The Skaven Lore of Stealth: The First Three Spells and Casting Ability
The Lore of Stealth will be the lore of magic used by the new Eshin Sorcerer Skaven hero, although it’s currently unknown whether the Sorcerers will be able to use other lores, such as the Lore of Shadows. It’s also unknown at present whether Grey Seers will be able to use the Lore of Stealth. Whatever the case proves to be, the starting spell for the Lore of Stealth is called Warp-Stars; a low-cost magic missile which causes moderate magical, armour-piercing damage. Rather than causing damage in a wide area, Warp-Stars are best used against single targets, in keeping with the assassination theme of Clan Eshin.
The second spell on the list is actually Skitterleap, an existing spell which has been moved from one of the other Skaven lores into the Lore of Stealth. This spell suits its new lore very well, as it causes the target friendly unit to become hidden for 25 seconds, granting Stalk, Unspottable, and a +24% Speed boost. Armour of Darkness, the third spell, is a simple Augment which lasts for 33 seconds, providing +60 Armour and +22% Missile Resistance; great for giving your lightly-armoured Eshin units more durability in combat.
Of course, every Lore of Magic also has a passive casting ability. In the case of the Lore of Stealth, this ability is Toxic Rain. In fact, this may prove to be one of the lore’s top selling points. Every time you cast a spell, Toxic Rain afflicts every enemy on the map with poison for 8 seconds. Now, this isn’t quite as strong as the normal poison effect, but it still imposes a host of penalties; -10% to Weapon Damage, Armour-Piercing Damage, Missile Damage, and Armour-Piercing Missile Damage, as well as -12% Speed!
The Lore of Stealth: Final Three Spells
The fourth spell, Veil of Shadows, is one of the most interesting spells on the list. This spell creates a huge but stationary vortex for 26 seconds. While the spell does disrupt enemy units, it doesn’t actually cause damage. However, it has no effect on friendly units. This means that you could cast Veil of Shadows over an ongoing engagement and then have your own units disengage much more easily.
The fifth spell in the lore is Brittle Bone, a hex which imposes a hefty debuff for 11 seconds; -40 Melee Defence, -24% Speed, and -9% Vigour. This spell is ideal for turning the tide of a losing battle; giving Skaven units the chance to overcome much more capable opponents. The topmost spell, however, is Black Whirlwind, a huge magical vortex which lasts for 15 seconds. Like Veil of Shadows, Black Whirlwind is a stationary vortex which disrupts units. However, this spell actually causes moderate, armour-piercing magical damage, making it a very dangerous effect. Additionally, it can damage friendly units, so don’t use this spell with your own units in the area!