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Skaven are my favourite Fantasy race. I've never played them though, because the thought of painting that many slaves or clanrats makes my stomach clench up in a knot.

Then, it seemed almost simultaneously, along came three 40k Skaven blogs, all of which are awesome, and I want to pimp them here;

40k Skaven c/a Imperial Guard, by Blackhand

The Skave, c/a Orks, by Santo

40k Skaven c/a Tyranids, by Stubby

All three seem to have a lot to offer for making a Skaven army. Out of those three, Tyranids seem the best choice to me, with a horde mentality and lots of weird and cool gubbins. I actually disagree with the counts-as choices Santo is making, but it is his project, so it is his prerogative. I'd go with a Vermin Lord as Hive Tyrant, and use various Rat Ogre conversions for everything else big, then clanrats for various gaunts, stormvermin or gutter runners for 'stealers Snikch for a Broodlord and rats for swarms. But, like I said, it is not my project so I ought to butt out.

If you haven't checked out those blogs, you should. They are awesome.

What occurred to me though, is that I can see an even better fitting army that might allow to use a wider range of the skaven range, and to do, if anything, less converting (although I realise that is the appeal for many people).

Now, this may seem a bit odd, but bear with me... Eldar?

Think about it... starting with clanrats and guardians. The only difference on the stat line is the Ld, and that gets modified for skaven in WFB up to the same anyway! Either convert with some firearms, or play with Storm Guardians, and you are there! With either option, there are also appropriate weapons/weapon teams. You now have the basis of a foot-slogging Eldar army. And what does an Eldar foot-slogging list need?

Yes, you need an Avatar, conveniently represented by your Vermin Lord. Size and demeanour both just rght. Even that lovely spear with a chunk of warpstone in it will make a good Wailing Death. For that nod to authenticity, you could even have blood dripping from the Vermin Lord's pointing hand, just like the blood dripping from an Avatar's hand.

Now, if a Grey Seer is not a direct connection to a Farseer, what is? They are both master manipulators, they both step outside of their societies normal structures... Thanquol's staff and Eldrad's staff even look a teensy bit similar, and they have a similar pose too!

And then you have the perfect model to represent the Warlocks - Those lovely Plague Priest or Plague Monk models. Just imagine a Farseer and his council of Warlocks represented by a Grey Seer and a bunch of Plague Priests/Monks!

Then, of course, are the Autarchs. Hello Warlords. If a Skaven Warlord isn't designed to hold a Warplock Pistol/ Fusion Gun and look badass, I do not know who is.

If you can't figure out a way of having your Special Character HQs match up, try harder! Queek - Asurmen. Ikit Claw - Karandras. Snikch - Jain Zar. Okay, Fuegan I am struggling, but maybe Throt the Unclean? That grabber thing looks good for ripping vehicles to bits, just like the Fire Axe. Maugan Ra - Um... well, you'll probably need a conversion here. Why not use Gnawtooth, or Spinetail? And Baharroth? Why you'd want him I do not know, but I challenge someone to convert Nurglitch to ride a bat.

Onto some Elites.

Scorpions have a 3+ save, and extra strength. Oh look, Stormvermin.

Fire Dragons have awesome short-range guns. Warlocks with warp pistols. (I never said this would be cheap!)

Wraithguard. This is a weak area. Rat Ogres will be too big, and I want them for something else. Some sort of construct, like the Clan Eshin Rat Ogre from Mordheim would be nice. One idea I did have was to convert Bloodletters with skaven parts and make them look like mini-Vermin Lords, but this is a weak area. Wraithsight would represent the fact that they are drawn from the warp and their focus might wander back there. I can just about see some conversion work on a Saurus, turns scales into fur and adding rat heads. Anyway, difficult area.

Banshees - Gutter Runners and/or Night Runners

Harlequins - Gutter Runners and/or Assassins.

Troops

Dire Avengers. I admit I struggle here. To be honest, my regular army already includes a fair few Avengers, so I would want this army to not. Some better equipped looking clanrats should do the job though.

Rangers. Jezzail teams seem obvious here, with the supporting shield-bearer taken away to do something else.

Guardians discussed above. Ratling Guns would represent Scatter Lasers or Shuriken Cannons. Converted Warpfire Throwers a Bright Lance or Star Cannon. EMLs... Not sure. In a Storm Guardian squad, a Single Warpire Thrower could be used to reprsent flamers, although that is tricky. I don't quite like Plague Censer Bearers for flamers, but maybe in a pinch. Globadiers, with their short range weaponry, equate to fusion guns, maybe, but I want them for something else. May have to just convert some clanrats with appropriate weapons.

Jetbike Guardians. My only idea that I like is to convert Ork Deffcoptas, but I can't say I love the idea..

Fast Attack

Shining Spears - See jetbikes.

Warp Spiders. Well, Poisoned Wind Globadiers have a cool looking backpack, and a little glass ball that does not look like it should be thrown far, and probably would not get through armour... Not quite right, but workable.

Swooping Hawks. Flying bats might be just naff enough for these guys. I love the real Swooping Hawk models, but that is the only reason to put them on the table. In terms of skaven, maybe some personal gyrocoptor device for a few skaven could be bitz-parted together. Like a mini-version of Santo's Flying Hive Tyrant he made from a Rat Ogre.

Vyper - the larger, metal Deffcopta.

Heavy Support

Support Weapon Battery. I've never seen these used, but the Skaven Warp Lightning Cannon is surely a lock for D-Cannon and Vibro-Cannon? Once it comes out, then if the size is right a Plague Claw Catapult for the Shadow Waeaver, with minimal conversion.

Dark Reapers could be done using Warlocks with Jezzailichi, or if not already used for Rangers, actual Jezzail models.

Wraithlords not easy, but Rat Ogres posed on something to get the height, I would suggest.

War Walkers. Come on - Doom wheels!!!!!

Falcons and Fire Prisms. Two options. EITHER, go look a Blackhands flying rocks. Copy that. Lob a Warp Lightning Cannon on top. Job done. OR, go look at Stubby's Doom Wheel gyrocoptor conversion. Do that with a Warp Lightning Cannon in the middle for A Fire Prism, or some sort of Howdah in the middle, plus other assorted weaponry for a Falcon. Job Done. Both difficult options, as a large amount of school has been shown in both versions, but possible.

So, conclusive proof that Skaven = Eldar.

The only things left unused from the Skaven Range would be packmasters and Giant Rats/Rat Swarms and the two big War Engines (Furnace and Bell). I challenge someone to come up with ideas on how to use them!

Seems like a bad idea to look like a Skaven force you would have to have a lot of gurdiens , i may use skaven as tyranids in the future but ill probaly just use them as lesser daemons.
Using Clanrats as Genestelers is just over powered , they should be hormaguants or termagants. Tyrants should be Vermin lords , rat orges as Tyrant guards , weapon teams as biorves and pyrovors , Stormvermin as genestelers , Rat swarms as rippers , plague monks maybay as Warriors , any leaders as othere specials and stuff.

Try looking up the Hrud.

They're basically 40k's equivalent to Skaven without looking like space rats.

I think Skaven as Eldar is a pretty good idea. How about Skaven as the new Dark Eldar? There's the real potential for the flying chunks o' stone!

Someone else has started...

joshoftheforests' c/a Dark Eldar Nezumi