Skaven Army Pusfoot, a 20 Year Work in Progress

After a recent game of Warhammer using my beloved Skaven army I decided to share it with anyone who might be interested. I've been collecting skaven since 1992 so there are a lot of old figures with old paint jobs on them. As I am very much a fair weather painter (I generally only paint when I'm playing) my rate of figure completion is rather erratic. As I've been playing quite a lot recently I have been painting more too so my army may well after 20 years get finished!

First picture is of the army as I brought it round to Phil's for a game. My two most notable absentee units were my plague monks and my rat ogres. Apart from a few barely base coated models I used  to make up numbers for the game this is what I brought.

The battling rats of Clan Pusfoot

This is one of my Skavenslave units. I have two units of approximately 50 meat shields who many people on the internet think they are broken due to their low points cost and ability to tarpit big fighty units for a couple of turns. Observe how I have two types of basing themes in this unit (90's goblin green verdant valley and my more recent standing on a ravaged pile of crap brown). Part of my mission is to base all my Skaven the latter method. The three models in the front row on the right are all Black Tree Design ratmen who look not too bad at all, even though slaves can no longer have standard bearers! Some of the models at the back are veterans of The Neverending Night Of Paint (a rather unpleasant paint marathon I undertook to finish my army for a game in GW Thurrock many years ago) and partly why it takes me so very long to proper finish any model.

Bugger all points of almost mayhem

This is my Clanrat with spears unit. Multi-schemed bases, this unit was the first one where I actually decided on a colour scheme (worm purple) and an overall look (spears all pointing the same way). The command figures need to be rebased as well. I haven't officially named this clan, although I am leaning towards Clan Manktail. Other possibilities are Clan Skulk, Clan Wurm and Clan Halftail.

Unnamed Clan in Purple

My Stormvermin Unit. I love the models but they unfortunately attract an awful lot of attention on the battlefield so rarely see the battles end. I am waiting for them to do something impressive so they can have it immortalised on the big red banner. Last battle out they flank charged and routed an orc boar chariot and nothing else so the wait continues......

Stormvermin baby, yeah!

This is my main Clanrat unit. The ever brave Clan Pusfoot. They never run (due to the Screaming Bell) so unless they get wiped out to a rat, I'm pretty certain they last the distance. They have a Pythonsque foot on their banner which has only just seen it's first battle and it wasn't captured so I'm happy with that. The main colour of this unit is the archaic Battle Green paint, of which there is very little left so this unit may eventually become two tone.

Clan Pusfoot, yay!

Giant rat units are one of my favourite units in the game. Cheap, fast moving and expendable. Just what any budding Skaven general needs. They are rife with mutation as well so plenty of opportuinity to chop them up a bit. I have modelled a standard stitched into the back of the central giant rat even though it is forbidden! I just don't play the rules do I?

Here are some more of my cheap as chips Skavenslaves. these have been painted fairly recently so the bases are built up. These have a fair old smattering of greenstuff rats, carbuncles and farming equipment instead of lethal weapons, but I think it gives them a certain air of patheticity that all slaves should have.

More indentured rats

Here's probably the most fun thing in a Skaven army. Warpfire Throwers. Anything that can kill 16+ models in one go and make the rest scamper off the table in panic has to be good. Oh yeah, and they frequently rout my own units too. But as any experienced Skaven general will tell you, every model in the army has it's own agenda!

Burning Love

Here are my Plague Censer Bearers. Currently not as good as in previous Warhammer editions but pretty lethal against certain armies all the same.

Frothing Rabid Smoke Kill

Plague Monks are cool. I love the idea of frenzied squeeking fanatics spreading tuberculosis like a knife spreads butter, plus the models are enjoyable to paint too!

Great Horned Rat Fundamentalists

Without doubt (well maybe a little) the greatest shock troops in the Skaven army. Rat Ogres kick arse in a major way but have been slightly fucked over by 8th edition. If you have a master moulder (counts as a unit champion) he has to go in the front rank in the middle, which if nothing else ruins the aesthetic of the unit and his chances of survival - which makes it a very unlikely place for any self preservation loving Skaven demi hero to be.

Rarrgh!

Here are my Jezzails and a Ratling Cannon. Note my weapons teams are in the transitional position between infantry and cavalry bases.

Pew, pew, pew! Dakka dakka!

I have 15 painted Gutter Runners, and they are amongst some of my favourite troops & miniatures. I have another 15 or so that I will be painting up as nautical pirate types, but that is for another blog entry!

Black clad Death Machines

So that was pretty much my army for a game I had last week, so Odin willing I'll get a battle report written up for your entertainment!