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So! After getting back into 40K after 5 years and browsing around instore... i couldn't help but eye up some of the fantasy models. And after much browsing of books, I fell in love with the random nature of Skaven (I'm a "play for a laugh" kind of gal, rather than WAAC, so the chance to inflict misfortune on my own forces is too good to pass up).

So, I picked up a Isle of Blood boxset, traded the high elves for another set of IoB skaven, grabbed the Army Book and a Doomwheel because I like the model.

But now I'm looking for various things. Tips on where to go from here, any directions to nice painting articles, or just general advice! I'll likely be focusing on Stormvermin as I love the models, as well as the crazy vechiles and weaponry.

You did what did, pretty much, to actually, finally get an army together, and you went Skaven for the same reason I did.

The Doomwheel is a blast to assemble and paint, but don't build the thing before you paint! Do the central chassis and each half of the wheel separately and paint them up before you put the whole thing together, otherwise you won't be able to get your brush anywhere.

Skaven are fun to play AND competitive AND have very nice models.

It's a win-win-win situation.

Skaven have several interesting builds so if you're not into WAAC just pick up the models you like the most. I'm partial to doomwheels, HPA, queek and the friggin big bell.

To expand on why Skaven are fun, they have more units with special failure tables than any other army. They're very powerful when they work properly, and REALLY HILARIOUS and often STILL really powerful when they go wrong. It's really fun playing a game knowing that you are as big of a threat to your army as your opponent is. Maybe even a bigger one.

Numbers, numbers, and more numbers. People can't break a unit if it's constantly stubborn with a solid leadership. Your characters are cheap and offer a good leadership boost. Slaves are (i find) hilarious in combat. What? I broke combat? Alright, my unit will just explode and you take more wounds .

A word of advice with using the Doomwheel in games: while the doomwheel works somewhat like a chariot, you really shouldn't think of it as one, and don't, under any circumstances, base your strategy around it. Think of it more like a rocket that you light and hope isn't a dud and that it hits something worthwhile that isn't yours. Just try to keep it away from any unit you'd rather not see die.

Yeah, the sheer amount of hilarious failure tables is what drew me to Skaven. I'll probably just pick up bits and pieces that I enjoy the look of then. Though one thing i am curious about, is how people tend to equip Warlords/Chieftans, Warlock Engineers and Grey Seers? So many options, so little points!

Yeah if you cant laugh at your own misfortune while playing skaven, or get frustrated by dice gods mocking you, its not the army for you

ShivanAngel wrote:Yeah if you cant laugh at your own misfortune while playing skaven, or get frustrated by dice gods mocking you, its not the army for you

Seriously, this is the truth. Don't play Skaven if A: you aren't OK with you, yourself with being almost as much of a threat to your army as your opponent is and B: lack the ability to laugh off something you did going HORRIBLY wrong.

They are LOADS of fun, though, largely because of how things go wrong.

Yeah. Thankfully, I'm the sort of person who finds things going wrong absolutely hysterical. Be this in tabletop gaming, RPGs or whatever.

This is why I so very much want a Screaming Bell. And more warpfire thrower teams, muahahaha

The Warp Lightning Cannon is one of the greatest pieces of skaven technology available. Equal parts killy and hilarious, and cheap at 90 points a pop. Sometimes you'll blast a hole in your enemies lines, sometimes you'll spin like a top and blow your own unit apart.

Warpfire Throwers are one of my favorite weapon teams, but in the last couple games I've run a few ratling guns and I'm honestly impressed with how well they've done.

The best piece of skaven tech is the whip. Drive forward massive blocks of unwashed slaves. Throw them into anything (chaos warriors, hydras, anything...) while pounding the enemy with shooting and magic. Or, you can almost redeploy your army while their elite units try to chop through the tide of bodies to get to the parts you actually care about.


::activate meat shield::