Rasknitt

Lore & Background

Rasknitt is a Grey Seer, a rare and feared type of Skaven sorcerer who channels the corrupting energy of warpstone. Unlike the brutish chieftains of other clans, he relies on cunning, manipulation, and devastating magic. He rose to prominence by brokering an alliance between the warlike Clan Fester and the technologically advanced Clan Skryre, uniting them under his vision of conquest. His ultimate goal is to harness the power of a massive warpstone comet that has crashed into the Reikland, using it to fuel a plague that will wipe out the Empire and elevate him to godlike status among the Skaven.

Rasknitt is a fanatic, even by Skaven standards, believing himself chosen by the Horned Rat. He is utterly ruthless, sacrificing his own minions without hesitation to achieve his ends. His schemes are grand and apocalyptic, but his arrogance and reliance on unstable warpstone magic are his greatest weaknesses. He is the architect of the chaos that engulfs Helmgart and the surrounding lands, and his defeat is the central goal of the Ubersreik Five's campaign.

In Their Own Story

The air in the Blighted Reaches was thick with the stench of warpstone and decay. Rasknitt stood atop a ziggurat of fused bone and stone, his staff crackling with green lightning. Below, thousands of skaven toiled, dragging slaves and warpstone chunks toward a massive, pulsating engine. 'Soon,' he hissed, his voice a venomous whisper that somehow carried across the din. 'Soon, the comet's heart will beat for me alone. The man-things will choke on their own cities, and the Horned Rat will smile upon his true prophet.' He raised his staff, and a bolt of green energy lanced into the sky, splitting the clouds. The skaven below shrieked in worship, their eyes glowing with reflected madness. Rasknitt laughed, a dry, rattling sound, as the first plague cauldrons began to bubble.

Reader's Guide

Rasknitt is the final boss of the base *Warhammer: Vermintide 2* campaign, encountered in the mission 'The Skittergate.' He is not a playable character but a formidable enemy that players must defeat to complete the story. His boss fight is a two-phase encounter: first, he attacks with warpstone projectiles, summoning waves of skaven slaves and Stormvermin, and teleporting around the arena. In his second phase, he transforms into a larger, more powerful form, gaining a devastating close-range attack and a vortex spell that pulls players in.

Rasknitt's key relationships are with the Ubersreik Five, whom he sees as insignificant obstacles to his grand plan. He is also connected to the Skittergate, a magical portal he built to transport his army. Lore-wise, Rasknitt stands out from generic Grey Seers by his singular obsession: not mere conquest, but a world drowned in plague—a vision so extreme that even other Skaven find it unnerving.

Did You Know?

• Rasknitt's staff is carved from the bone of a defeated rival Grey Seer, a common practice among Skaven sorcerers to absorb their power.
• The Skittergate he constructs is a unique magical artifact, not a standard Skaven technology, requiring immense warpstone reserves to function.
• Rasknitt's defeat is not the end of the Skaven threat in Vermintide 2, as his plague experiments continue to affect the world in later missions.
• His name is a play on 'rat' and 'knit,' reflecting his role as a weaver of dark schemes.