On page eleven of the Skaven army book, the Skaven Black Ark is described as:

"a magically protected casket holding a huge piece of raw warpstone. When the Arc is opened the fury of the Horned Rat is called down upon the foe, causing terrifying devastation on all sides."

Upon first reading this passage I was pretty excited, but alas, was disappointed to learn that rules for the Black Ark (let alone a miniature) were nowhere to be found. Well, rather than wait for Games Workshop to get around to it, I decided to pick up the gauntlet and write the rules myself. What followed was a 3 month long debate on the Warhammer Fantasy Battles mailing list over point values, stats and rules, including battle reports from playtesters in 4 different countries. While this was going on, I was working evenings on the Black Ark miniature. The culmination of these efforts was a set of very cool rules and a miniature that was entered in the 1996 Games Day Golden Deamon "Open Competition" in Baltimore, Md. While my mini didn't win the competition, it turned a lot of heads! It was the only Warhammer Fantasy Battles model to be selected as one of the top ten finalists and was featured in the U.S. edition of White Dwarf, issue #201. To me this was every bit as good as winning. My Ark miniature also won first place in the "best large miniature" category at Dexcon 5, held in Somerset, N.J.

THE BLACK ARK ... 350 points

Since the Black Ark is not official you may only include it in your army if your opponent agrees to it beforehand. It is a Warmachine and is paid for from the War Machine point allowance.
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 Warlock Engeneers 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 Black Ark is crewed by three Warlock Engeneers.

EQUIPPMENT
The Warlock Engeneers wear heavy armour and each is each armed with a pistol and additional hand weapon. For combat and point cost purposes, the Warlock Engeneers are considered war machine crew and not characters. (Due to the warping energies from the Ark, these Warlock Engeneers do not receive spell cards or carry magic items). If the Ark is attacked in hand to hand, all of the Warlock Engeneers may engage in combat regardless of where the miniatures are placed on the model.

MOVEMENT
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 six 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
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 three Warlock Engeneers are killed the Ark counts as having a WS of 0.
If the Black Ark is hit in hand to hand combat or by shooting roll a D6 and consult the table below to see where you have hit.

	Shooting:	Hand to Hand:
1	Carriage	Carriage
2	Carriage	Ark
3	Carriage	Ark
4	Ark	Warlock
5	Ark	Warlock
6	Warlock	Warlock

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 Warlock Engeneers will be killed. Remove the model from the game (Since only Skaven Warlock Engeneers 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 recove8F8FBD 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.

SHOOTING
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. The three Skaven Warlock Engeneers that crew the Ark will attempt to direct the Horned Rat's blind fury at the enemy and away from the Skaven hoards.

The Ark is fi8F8FBD 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 Warlock Engeneers 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 Warlock Engeneers 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 Warlock Engeneers have failed to control the Fury of the Horned Rat. Consult the misfire chart below. The number of Warlock Engeneers remaining on the Ark will determine their ability to take corrective action. Roll a D6 and consult the appropriate chart:

Skaven Black Ark Misfire Chart
	Three Warlocks	Two Warlocks	One Warlock
1	Ark doesn't fire	Ark doesn't fire	Ark doesn't fire
2	Ark doesn't fire	Ark doesn't fire	Warlock killed
3	Ark doesn't fire	Warlock killed	Warlock killed
4	Warlock killed	Warlock killed	Ark explodes
5	Warlock killed	Ark explodes	Ark explodes
6	Ark explodes	Ark explodes	Ark explodes

If the Ark doesn't fire the Warlock Engeneers have managed to close the Ark before anything can go seriously wrong. The Ark may be opened and fi8F8FBD normally in the next Skaven turn, however its magical effects will not apply until it is opened again.

If 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 Warlock Engeneers are still alive, the Ark may be opened and fi8F8FBD normally in the next Skaven turn, but until such time the Ark's magical effects will be canceled.

If the Ark explodes The Warlock Engeneers 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 Warlock Engeneers 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 the skaven player's 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 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 skaven 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 Warlock Engeneers 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 skaven magic phase and thus its effects may be dispelled.  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.

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.

Thease rules are here with the approval of the author Bob Lippman. If you follow the link below you can find on his website all the information you will need to create your own Black Ark and more concerning the Black Ark.

BOB LIPPMANS STRATEGIC HEADQUARTERS