Skaven! Why do you like them?

[Cyberpunk66]

Just a fun discussion about Skaven. Our favorite Rat-men. Personally, I love the rat fiends. For a bunch of reasons. I am curious why other people love them? Models? Rules? Fluff/background? Fun?

On a side note. What are other peoples favorite model/unit?

Thanks!

[James Q]

I loved playing them, massive regret was selling them :-(. I always had a mind set that if I won with them, I must of done something wrong lol. What I loved about them, is the fluff, there backstabbing ways, and the fact that you can fire your cannons, jezzails into combat if you were using slaves lol. The bell, my god was that fun to use, when you get a good result on that, fun times. And the dreaded 13th spell, yes please!! And who doesnt like holding up units with rat swarms!

[Wildeybeast]

I don't play them, but I love the background, the wacky units and the casual disregard for the lives of their comrades.

[Mr Mystery]

It's all about Thanquol baby!

I've got the Thanquol trilogy, and combined with his numerous star turns in the Slayer series, I'm a dedicated follower of the Horned Rat because of Thanquol!

The half-arsed 'how could it possibly go wrong.....oh....' plotting amuses me no end, as does the typical Skaven penchant for outrageous political spin.

In a way, reading those books set me up for my current career and work environment. Ultimately, we're all working toward the same goal, but it's dog eat dog (or rat eat rat, to continue the theme), and Skaven have ensured I watch my back, and keep my knives not only sharp, but blackened and poisoned. Makes me sound far more mercenary and vicious than I actually am, but the point still applies. Got to take your defeats and do your best to make them victories (albeit not by blaming and blasting the nearest hapless underling).

They've got the richest background of any fantasy race I've encountered, more so than the man-things and elf-things.

Add in that they're everything steampunk tries and fails to be (successful marriage of science and magic) and pretty original in the wider fantasy genre, and you're onto a winner.

In short, if you're not a big fan of at least their background (not the army, two separate entities), you'll likely struggle to fully embrace Warhammer

[Chronowraith]

I simply love the characterfulness of the army. It isn't an army of heroes or even anti-heroes. It is an army of ambitious cowards out for personal power and gain. It is a miracle they can even fight effectively as an army since it really is an army of individuals and not cohesive units of warriors.

The meld of magic and technology only adds to the character of the army. Technology spewing magic and magic items emulating technology (that usually fail miserably) make for many memorable moments.

On the tabletop I love the playstyle of the army. I've always had a penchant for Horde armies and the "All or Nothing" method for Skaven make for epic wins or crushing defeats. I very rarely "barely lose" with my Skaven which, to me, makes games very interesting.

[Cyberpunk66]

Yeah! I agree. There is nothing like the Skaven in any other system or fantasy setting. Unique! I mean everyone has seen Dwarves and Elves before. But, NOT Skaven!

I have been collecting the crazy rat-men for 20 years or more. I have a whole bunch to say the least. Love Rat-ogres. Among so many other weird things...

Someday I will retire and paint the 5000 points or so that I have Ha ha!

I also read the fiction. I really recommend Headtaker. How the writing is and how they describe Queek is so much fun! I want to convert several of the characters from the book.

Thanks folks and keep it coming!

[Mr Mystery]

On the tabletop I love the playstyle of the army. I've always had a penchant for Horde armies and the "All or Nothing" method for Skaven make for epic wins or crushing defeats. I very rarely "barely lose" with my Skaven which, to me, makes games very interesting.

That's a really good point.

Skaven, when all is going well and your opponent isn't firing on all cylinders are a really, really straightforward powerful army. Hordes of Ratmen which aren't that bad in a fight, backed up by horrendous beasties and specialists can and will take anyone and anything apart.

But...as any Skaven worth his pelt knows, you need plans within plans within plans to deal with the inevitable 'oh god it's all gone horribly wrong' moments. This is a challenge you don't really get so much with the other armies, as nobody else has things go wrong quite like Skaven.

It's not for everybody, but I find it made my victories all the sweeter, knowing I'd not only managed to outthink and overpower my opponent, but also managed to avoid my army self destructing. Very satisfying.

Plus, it encourages daft behaviour in the player. Skitterleaping a Warlock Engineer with the Doomrocket, knowing it's not even 50/50 at best, and he is going to die, but not caring because..... lovely!

[Chronowraith]

That's a really good point.

Skaven, when all is going well and your opponent isn't firing on all cylinders are a really, really straightforward powerful army. Hordes of Ratmen which aren't that bad in a fight, backed up by horrendous beasties and specialists can and will take anyone and anything apart.

But...as any Skaven worth his pelt knows, you need plans within plans within plans to deal with the inevitable 'oh god it's all gone horribly wrong' moments. This is a challenge you don't really get so much with the other armies, as nobody else has things go wrong quite like Skaven.

It's not for everybody, but I find it made my victories all the sweeter, knowing I'd not only managed to outthink and overpower my opponent, but also managed to avoid my army self destructing. Very satisfying.

Plus, it encourages daft behaviour in the player. Skitterleaping a Warlock Engineer with the Doomrocket, knowing it's not even 50/50 at best, and he is going to die, but not caring because..... lovely!

...and in true Skaven style if you lose you can always blame it on someone else! :-)

Skaven really are Zero to Hero. The DoomRocket Engineer can fail miserably (pathetic whelp) or be the hero of the match (I once devastated a unit of Chaos Chosen who panicked off the board and sent a chariot and a unit of Chaos Warriors running for the hills as well).

[Mr Mystery]

Yup. And it's armies like Skaven that help set the stage for the intended spirit of the game. Rather than some high stakes competition, it's primarily there to be a laugh, and something to do. Anyone rocking up to a Tournament with a Skaven army is packing it because they love it, rather than some cunning masterplan (though to have some cunning masterplan is just as Skaven as it all blowing itself up!)

Most of the really nice Skaven stuff can all go belly up in one way or another, no matter how sound your strategy, and I loves it.

And, if I ever find that little scrote that pinched my Skaven army out the shop whilst I was away on management training, they're for it. Proper, proper for it.

[Darren Richardson]

I think for a lot of us older players in our 30's and 40's, the Skaven were our first REAL taste of the Warhammer world, as many of us will have undoubtably came from Hero Quest and had decided to upgrade to Advanced Hero Quest, which of course featured the Skaven heavily, after all the first plastic Skaven came in that boxed game.

That and the starter game Mighty Warriors, which used the same figures as Advanced Hero Quest but used the older dungeon floorplans that Games Workshop had put out, that also introduced many future warhammer gamers to the setting as well.

Then of course Bill King with his Gotrek and Felix books also helped, especially since he introduced old Thanqual as well, alas poor Boneripper we know him well.

So yeah, Skaven are one of those odd races in Fantasy games in general, which rewards players with fun even if their losing...... and all thanks to Advanced Hero Quest and Bill King

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and when i Was 14 back in 1994 I had a small fledgling Skaven force, clan rats and Storm Vermin, damn they were great figures, which you could get away with painting poorly back then too!