Models in our collection - My Skaven
Okay. I have been thinking about this
for some time now. Recently I have read inspiring article from Phil
Dutré in Wargames Soldiers and Strategy about miniatures outliving
our gaming rule sets. By the time I have read the article, I have
already started rebirth of my old Skaven models. This is their story.
Ten years ago, I have started playing
Warhammer Fantasy Battles with some friends. I have bought several
boxes of dwarfs and even before I have glued them together, I
switched side to the Skaven. My friend recently asked me why I have
chosen Skaven? Why the rats? Even now I have no idea. I have fell in
love with the great background and society systém of the
UnderEmpire. I also liked the high amount of randomness of the Skaven
warmachines.
My absolute
favourite were warp lightning cannon that had random range and random
power or a ratling gun which allowed you to push your luck (and
nerves) to the very edge of sanity! That time, I have bought my first
bunch of Gutter Runners and clan Eshin assassins. I rapidly grew fond
of their ability to dig a tunnel under the battlefield and emerge in
the back of enemy formation (or in front of enemy spears, or not
emerge at all, lost in the tunnels). Assassins could have been hidden
in the regiment of your lowly scum and prepare some nasty surprises
for the enemy. At that time I just bought all three assassins I could
lay my hands on and ended up with about fifteen Gutter Runners.
When the new
edition (8th I think) of rules arrived, most of our group ceased
playing WHFB the way that I did. Some switched to higher level of
tournament gaming, some sold all their models. My Skaven army, mostly
unpainted, collected dust. I have started to look at new systems and
games. My major interest has been caught by Infinity. I have sold
majority of my Skaven (it were almost three hundred miniatures at the
time), keeping few characters and all my clan Eshin models (assassins
and gutter runners). I just liked the models too much. I have bought
plenty of Infinity stuff and put these unfinished rat guys in a box,
never to be opened again.
Photo by Bára Zemanová |
Flash Forward five
years! Quick look at the Lion Rampant from Osprey Wargames opened my
eyes to new opportunities. Me and my brother have bought several of
the Osprey games and I have fell in love with A Fistful of Kung Fu. I have been sitting with the book,
thinking about gangs I could play, models I would have to buy for
those gangs or how to use my Infinity models. Then it struck me in
the head! I still have the Gutter Runners! Assassins would make great
protagonists! Other Gutter Runners would be extras. A clan of Rat
Ninja! How cool is that?!
I have searched
all the boxes of models (and my wifes shoes accidentally) I have in
the wardrobe to finally find the Skaven models that I kept all those
years ago. Grey Seer, warlock engineers, chieftains, warp lightning
cannon, ratling guns and, most of all, assassins and gutter runners
all waited there in varying states. I have never made a good color
scheme for my skaven so they were in strange, half-painted states
where I have tried some schemes. Few has been painted that I have
been satisfied with it but most needed to be stripped of paint. I
have decided to make new colour scheme (I am lot more experianced
now) and put it on the first model. Looked satisfying. I decided I
want the scheme to be simple and grimm so I have made them with dark
brown fur with black clothes with gleaming red eyes and white fangs.
Quick to paint and looking quite good.
As I see the
models in front of me, I must say that I fell in love with them
again. I am going to use them in several games. I have already
mentioned Rat Ninja gang for A Fistful of KungFu but they will be great as Nezumi Bandits in Ronin
and maybe I will be able to use them even in Frostgrave(coming out in July). Lot of work to be done on these guys but they
will see some action again. I am happy for them. I still wonder if I
should rebase them on a round bases though.
See you at the table.
autor: Dalcor
Komentáře
Okomentovat