After the first reports I got a lot of replies that can be summed up as "What kind of Skaven army is that?" Obviously the list was not what the tournament-happy community over at "Das Tabletop Forum was used to. So why do I play Skaven the way I do, and what thoughts are behind this list (if any)?

Regiments' Size and Setup

I know that 30 (or 29 to be exact) is larger than most regiments Skaven players use. There are three main reasons why I do this: I set up 5 wide, it looks great and I like to play music for the masses.

With the stormvermin I set up 5 wide out of conviction. They have decent punch for Skaven and I don't want to waste it. It also gives me the option to place two characters in the front rank next to full command.

Clanrats are an entirely different matter. I know that they are almost as effective if you take 24 (plus charakter) and set them up 4 wide, but I really like the look of larger regiments as well as the added survivability. 30 survive longer than 25, are more likely to outnumber and - especially when reformed into 4 wide - keep ranks longer. But when it comes down to it, it's all about stubborness. Skaven are a horde army and I want my regiments to convey that look. It might not be the most effective set up possible and the additional points spent might be missing elswhere, but I like it that way.

Why Spears?

I know, spears are a waste of points. You are very rarley used them with Skaven - if at all - and don't have enougth impact to justify the points with clanrats' weapon skill and strength. Passive combat boni are much more important, so you usually stick with handweapon and shield to get the improved armour save in close combat.

The sole reason I still use one regiment of clanrats with spears is WYSIWYG. I know I could mix hand weapons and spears in a regiment and say they all have hand weapons, but the third regiment (this time with hand weapons again) is already under way. I originally painted up two regiments of 40 and used the large multi-bases (25x100mm) to set up my troops. Obviously that does not fit with the 20mm bases and posed a lot of problems with templates. Furthermore regiments of 40 are so big that they get difficult to manouvre. Hence I decided to cut them down.

While doing so I also put the clanrats on new bases, now using 40mm bases to make set up easier. This also enabled me to break up the classic rank and file look that is just too clean and disciplined for Skaven. As a nice side effect I did not use the full number of 30 models for both regiments, so in addition to the 20 clanrats that were cut I had some additional spare models, all painted. So now all I have to do is fix the bases, exchange some spears for hand weapons and give them new shields. Until then I will play with one units of spear-rats - I am a patient man.

Why not use a Warpflamer?

"Wiesel" suggested that if I wanted to add more fire power but did not want to go the ordinary way I should try a warpflamer. That really put a thought in my head. I already have the model, I'm sure I could paint if up pretty fast (one model for 75 points? you can't get much better than that when painting Skaven!) and it would definitely be "different". Then again my previous tries with warpflamers had been mixed to say the least...

Drop the Master Moulder

I admit it, the master moulder is an expensive toy and nothing more. His combat prowess is mediocre at best, and his special rules don't make that much of a differnce to justify his points. The suggestion was to add a battle standard bearer, which I had already put some thoughts into. I just wasn't sure how to spare the points for one, especially since I wanted to equip him in a way that would enable him to fight, too, rather than hide in the rear of a unit for most of the game.

Why slings and no tunneling team?

The slings are easy - WYSIWYG. As soon as I have the next 10 painted, they will replaced by two units of 5 with second hand weapon. Maybe then I will make the gutter runners tunnelers again. So far it was too unreliable for my liking with them being my main warmachine hunters, even though I have a nice marker for them.

Why on earth did you do that?

Yes, I know. I made a few mistakes and really need to get more playing time to gain experience. But before that I need to do some serious painting...

Chapter 4 - two down, five to go...