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For a long time I have wanted to convert a Skaven force for use in 40k and after some inspiring stuff I've seen on Dakka lately I have decided to take myself up on the challenge!

In keeping with the GW tradition of adjusting names i.e. Elves to Eldar, Orcs to Orks etc. I have chosen to call the force "The Skave" and although I would love to create (and probably will)
a custom set of rules for the army for all intents and purposes I will be making units to fit the bill of Orks.

As a test for the project I set out to make Two unique models one a Flyer (war buggy) and a Rat Ogre (Mega Armor Nob).

Both of which I have completed today (though not painted yet) and thought I'd share them with the community and document the armies rise from my imagination to actuality.

So I began with my purchases


I then took the rotor blades from an Ork copter and with the Doomwheel's existing parts I created the Rotors. (Now I deliberately kept the wood look as it will fit in with the fluff
I am drawing up for the army).


Some assembly was required from here on in


I'm sorry the shots are so blurry I will add new cleaner ones just before I paint





Then I went onto the Rat Orge, now I don't have step images for this however the end result was a good one and though I still need to fill in the chaos symbols he is shaping up nicely!



C + C welcome

More pics to come over the next day or so as I paint the two prototypes and then build more, the next step will be to create a working troop choice form engineer parts and this and that.

P.S what should I call the flyer?

That flyer is fantastic. The rat ogre is kinda weird looking is the back but other wise pretty cool too.

What other sorts of bits are you planing to mix in to your army?

Very interesting. I like the kopta, great use of the new rat wheel.

Love the flyer! I would never have thought to use those part in that way.

Need better pics of the Mega Rat though, its a mix of rat and bloodcrusher obviously but I want to see the GS work!

Great start to the army, now keep it up!

I'll be watching to "borrow" ideas

cant quite make out the pics but it looks likeits goign to be cool - the giant hamster wheel of doom thing looks like it will kick

I'll join the rest of the gang and say that's a superb use of the doom-wheel Look forward to more space-rats, although the more people start these the stronger my cravings for 40krats get.

Doom-Wheli-kopta FTW!

I really like the flyer...

This is a concept that I have given thought to in the past. I was toying with the idea of using the Chaos Codex as a base, however, the clan nature of the "Skave" does lend itself to Orks.

Keep up the great work and post lots of pictures!!

Two of my fav armies put into one. Me likey very much!

Yeah I will try and get some better photo's today they were taken late at night with bad light and a phone camera with no flash (I've lost the charger on my actual digi camera)

The good thing with the new Skaven range is that a lot of the tech lends itself almost straight into 40k, the engineers are a perfect example of this.

I will be going for: 1 HQ 2 Elites 3 Troops 1 Fast Attack 1 Heavy Support.

HQ - Warboss (I'm leaning towards "Skeaklord").

Elites - MegaRats & Commandos "Eshins".

Troops - Ard Boyz "Storm Guard" & 2 x Boyz "Slavies" (I intend to make the Slavies from all sorts of models including Skaven but also Imperial Guard Orks Tau and Eldar.

Fast Attack - Doom-Wheeli-kopta (DefKopta with a Kustom Mega Blasta and Big Boom might make 2 of these).

Heavy Support - Def Dread "Warpstone Construct" (40k version of the Horned Rat).

I will be modifying weapons and making new ones then casting them with resin so the war gear should look unique to them, I am trying to keep a scavenged/salvaged look to the gear
which is why I kept the Kopta's original wheel surrounds (wood) and everything will be powered by chunks of Warpstone.

and of course a slice of




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Ok so as promised some cleaner pics of the flyer and rat orge






I still would like to do more to this maybe add some computer screens and extra controls etc.

The helmet on the rat orge will have the ear flaps as is common on Skaven helms I also want to add back banners to him and a bunch of rats on his base then finally I will beef up his gun arm and add more furr
as the look I will be going for in the end will be the plates embedded in his body more than as armor worn over it.


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Just as a side note the idea for the flyer was for it to land the rotors would simply fold down and it would be an updated Doomwheel again so the rotors are both landing gear and the flight mechanics.

Cool. I can make it all out better now - rat ogre great

Much better!, I like how you will be able to get 3 meganobs out of a two ogre box! ( and a box of bloodcrushers of course)
Minor criticism would be you may need to tidy up the GS a bit so it looks more like fur.

Are you going to leave the weapons as they are on the Doomwing (see what I did there ) or are you going to mount ork rokkits for WYSIWYG?

Ok so busy day ... kind of anyway

Guns for the grunt force of my Skave.

The original is a modified Ork shoota with the ammo pack replaced with a large rough stone chunk and some piping the barrel was cut back filed shaved reshaped and well that's about it

I then recast it in resin.



A better pick with a wash over the gun you can pick out the detail, the gist of the weapon is a large chunk of warpstone feeds the power to the weapon basically a yukky version of plasma



one more side by side, I have to re do the mold as this was my first attempt and I have learnt a few things like air vents are good and to do the mold in two sections using an oil or separator (not on the model as PinkySil only bonds to PnikySil
like all Silicone products). which will make the whole process faster to cast and easier to re-use.

Captain Klaw did a great tutorial for 2 part moulds using pinkasyl in my casting tutorial.

He used clay and gladwrap if I recall correctly

As for the GS - ing I'm pretty new to it so yeah I do need to go back with a finer tool which I will do shortly, I really rushed it so I could see if the concept would work, I will add a new layer of GS and work it in form there I think.

What are you using for tools?, I use a hobby blade and paint shapers, and water rather than oil for lubrication as oil gets in the way later when you get to painting.

Yeah I saw his two part tut the only issue was he used a non drying medium for the mold which will distort as it never sets and it's also a hard medium (even when hot) which risks damaging the conversions.

According to my local Barnes guy if I fill the mold halfway let it sit for 15 - 20 minutes and then apply an oil or petrolium gel it would be the simplest way of making an easily reusable mold with simple seam-lines.


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I used the GW molding tool and the tips of files though I have some dental tools now and water all the way

Cool, take pics and if works I would be grateful if you could post em to my casting tutorial, it would be great to get a new method up there.

I personally just cast the model into a chunk of silicone with vents on the "top" then cut down both sides with a hobby knife to free the master, the silicone seals up nicely and is ready to have the resin poured in! rubber bands are a good way to keep it together when pouring OR if you use lego for a casting box you can just rebuild the lego around the mould and pour the resin in the top.

I used a deep blister form a witch elf box lol.

btw I like your idea for the floating chunk of ruins as a vehicle make it feel like a 40k screaming bell mind if I steal erm borrow the idea

And sure if it works fine I'll upload pics of it and the results as well, how do you combat air bubbles my first try was hideously filled with tiny air bubbles which in the end
undermined the whole gun (I crushed it while trying to remove it from the mold).

When I pour the silicone hold the mixing cup a few inches above the mould box, as the silicone dribbles out in a thin stream the bubbles in it pop.

When pouring the resin I use a toothpick to pop bubbles and force the resin into nooks and crannies.

Unfortunately without a pressure box you will never get rid of all the bubbles, this is where GS becomes your best friend I spend a lot of time filling in bubble voids with GS


Oh and feel free to borrow the floating ruins idea, I may return the favour by stealing your Doomwheel idea its really simple and effective.

Go nuts that's what these pages are all about sharing ideas and information!

Weird. Which is good!

Awesome to see another Skaven 40k!

I love the flyer - incredibly inventive. I'll be keeping an eye on your work here.

BLACKHAND wrote:
Are you going to leave the weapons as they are on the Doomwing (see what I did there ) or are you going to mount ork rokkits for WYSIWYG?

I will be using this one as having a Kustom Mega Blaster (which suites the model) however I am going to add additional rings and wires to link the chambers (barrels)
and I was also thinking about adding some capacitors to it to show the weapon charges then discharges I will be adding them to the front (you can see the spot where the three gears are under the gun).
so 6 in all.

Basically just to bring it more into the 40k world oh and I will be giving the engineer a screen with radar etc.

Maniknok - Skaven of the 41st millennium unit

Godgod - cheers mate thanks very muchly!

Random update...

I will be attempting to build the first of my commando's (Eshins)tonight I will post how it goes

Think moving shadows with the odd limb/claw/tail poking out with weapons attached doing Parkour across ruins and debris
fingers crossed it turns out.

I have also begun rounding up my slaves and I'm about 1/3 of the way though casting the custom guns for them (including a new cast with a combat accessory).

On top of that I have begun a fluff story and I am beginning to fill in the codex blanks to create a pdf of the army-list all rules included (remembering I using them as Orks).

Good luck with the commandos bro they sound great already!

BLACKHAND wrote:Good luck with the commandos bro they sound great already!

Yeah I need it GS - ing is not my best skill... anyhow here is the test model for the concept

he is un-painted and still setting I also have a few edge to smooth etc after the GS dries a bit more.





Enjoy and feel free to comment.

As a side note these guy will replace the Ork Commando listing.

Very nice Santobell, The GS cloak is great has a good flow. It's hard to get movement like that in cloth, Keep it up!

BLACKHAND wrote:Very nice Santobell, The GS cloak is great has a good flow. It's hard to get movement like that in cloth, Keep it up!

Cheers on that mate, I really want these guys to look like they are on the move, they infiltrate and move like shadows so the wisping robes are essential to the look IMO
I'm going to have some classic poses like leaping sideways over a fence and the knee-tuck obstacle leap. But in the end these guys will be the least 40k looking things in the army.

I'm also working with very limited models at the moment, I should be picking up a box of Storm Vermin at the end of the weak and I have begun assembling the other race models for the slave units (Eldar, Orks, Imperial Guard, Tau and one unlucky Space marine scout) all will be shackled or bound with manacles and collars and lead by a Slave herder (Nob).

I will also be changing the Warpstone construct concept from a Vermin Lord to the floating ruins as we discussed earlier it's a great idea and one that deserves attention in any 40k Skaven army.

Oh and I just found out I won my bids on some of the IoB Skaven on Ebay so they'll be here soon which will give me my Warboss and my nob template.

That is some excellent modeling, I love the warpstone fed gun. You aren't just gluing skaven heads on guardsman, your doing it right. I will be following closely.