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