Darktan Bloodclaw, Skaven Warlord, and More Rats

Pasha Dan issuing a challenge to take on my ratty hordes with his Chaos Dwarves has gotten some momentum going on painting all these Skaven. Of course, seeing what can be done with some fast block painting, dry brush, and then an ink wash helps make these figures a lot less intimidating too. 

On! On! Kill the Man-things! Yes! Yes!

Of course I'm going for decent table top standard, not Golden Daemon or suitable for print photographry as well. That helps a lot when you aren't trying to edge highlight every thing.

And people think Napoleonics are complicated? I guess it depends upon what you're used too.

So here's a unit of Stormvermin. One of the little wee buggers broke at the ankle because of the stupid pegs GW forces you to use. But some plastic cement and a judiciously placed piece of clump foliage and he's right as rain.

A unit of Clanrats.

I do like the little rats included at the feet or on the shoulders of some of them.

My math tells me I'll have a few figures left over, and I hate left over figures. So I made one with a particularly commanding pose into a minor hero and gave him a purple robe instead of the normal dingy grey. Because he's special. His name is either Klik, or Spam.

And the best for last, my Army Commander, Darktan Bloodclaw riding his Clawbeast, another horribly tortured beastie from the Skaven labs. He's so big, I naturally had to load him up: armour 4, legendary weapon, brutal, plus some missile fire ability (note the gatling pistol). Of course, if he dies, I lose 8 of my 16 Reputation. 

The name Darktan is from the Terry Pratchett Discworld novel, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. Several other of my Skaven characters are named from the same book.

The figure was very complicated to assemble. Fortunately there were clear instructions. But we're almost entering scale model building territory here. I get why some GW folks paint the parts on the sprue.

I hope his glaive looks suitable ancient, legendary, and magical. I used some washes over silver to try and get the effect.

I've got a freind at work printing some movement trays for me, designed by another friend on the Quar Discord Server. Dan and I might try a match up in a couple of weeks. Although I will have to conscript some enslaved goblins to make up the numbers. Downgrading Darktan to a level 3 just doesn't seem right.

No Mini Left Behind!

I had a poor lonely one-armed Skaven left over. No left arm, and a metal right arm holding a cudgel. 

Consigned to oblivion in the Bitz Box. 

I hate left over figures. 

Then I saw this graphic:

And said to myself: "Self, that'd make a great Skaven banner!"

But who to carry it?

Then, fueled by a quiet day at work and some chatter on Bluesky, I had a thunderbolt of inspiration, and remembered the one-armed Skaven.

Digging through leftover plastic sprues for a left arm, or a standard, or both.  

But plastic hands are really too small to drill out.

The Oathmark Human Cavalry set has a left hand holding a sword. I covered the shoulder with a Wargames Atlantic Goth cloak. 

Parts from four different manufacturers!

Drilling out the metal fist I then added a RAFM spear.

Some epoxy sculpting putty is used to tie in the cloak better with the right shoulder. 

Several attempts to paint the words were botched, so I just went with a generic Skaven design. Electrical Pete said he needed a tactical rock to make him a low level hero. That would also help correct his lean to the right. A small piece of bark was quickly found and everything glued to a washer.

While finishing him I also finished repainting a Skaven with a barbed whip, who will hopefully keep the Rat Ogres on task.

"On! On! Kill the Man-things! Yes, yes!"

I also finished a second unit of Gutter Runners.  They needed repainting, and I added a Gothic sling to one upraised had that had been brandishing a triangular Skaven thingy (throwing weapon?).

The Beast Master and the 2nd Gutter Runners were all glued on to GW 20mm squares which were a pain to cut them off of. Fortunately I didn't break anything.

My horde of Skaven is growing!

Rats On A Roll

Knocked some more Skaven out this past week. The second unit of Clanrats with polearms and a unit of Gutter Runners. 

The Gutter Runners are the way the original owner assembled them. I just did an overpaint and repaired a crack in the sling.

They're classed as Light Infantry for Midgard. So more stabby and less shooty than other skirmish troops. But the slings give them decent range.

You can tell they have slings, because one of them is shooting with one!

My horde of painted Skaven is now up to 1x unit of Stormvermin, 3x Clanrats (2 of those with polearms), 1x unit of Gutter Runners, 3x Rat Ogres (who will be their own units once I get some giant rats to fill out their bases), and a Grey Seer.

Reinforcements for the Tolly-Maeryn

I wanted to work on these weirdos months ago. But I couldn't find the box of parts that I had set somewhere safe for weeks, until I found them while looking for something else, naturally. 

Fortunately I found them before Don reprinted everything. 

Light Machine Gunners

But what has been lost, is found again, as the Padre says. And assembled and painted. Hopefully I have enough now to put together a decent ~400 point force of them for Clash of Rhyfles.  I tried last month, but the low Skill value on the basic rhyflers meant I was struggling to get a 300 point squad together. 

They also rely on a lot of squad LMGs and an assortment of Leader options to make up for the low Skill of their basic conscript Home Guard rank and file. 

And I mean a lot of LMGs. They can have 3 per squad if I give one to the Milwer (Corporal). So I need Don to print me another 5 to 8 LMGs for the complete company. 

Veteran in camouflage cloak 

One of the leader options is a Veteran who has rejoined the ranks to defend the homeland. He has infiltrate and a better skill level, so he's good for sneaking about and being annoying.

Technically they're carrying Harlechs, but on one figure the rhyfle had broken off, so I cut the end off a Bostad rhyfle used by the squaddies.

Rebuilt rhyfle on the right 

Leaders all gesturing

Another character they get is the grouchy Veteran, who is missing an arm,  which explains his bad mood I'm sure, but he brings his experience, higher Skill, Leadership, and being a good pistol shot to the battlefield. 

Since I don't need two one-armed veterans, I added a pointing arm to another to make another officer. 

I also needed another NCO to finish the fourth squad. This is a dyna (quar female). 

Another one of their things is rhyfle grenadiers. Two per squad. Trying to build a rhyfler aiming their rhyfle upwards wasn't working, so I opted for declaring that all rhyfle grenadiers are wearing the soft hat with plumes. 

These ones also have spherical grenades on their belts. 

They're also dynas (female quar). But it's hard to tell with the rhyfles across their busts.

Except for more LMGs, this army is complete. 

Unless I want to add their bicycle dragoons.