AdamH’s Skaven final month! - Rank and file month

Here we are at the end of another OWAC, or at least the painting part of it. This month was my Jezzails, as well as more Globadiers and a few random Stormvermin that I needed to finish in order to complete a unit.

I also decided that the base on my Doomwheel from a previous challenge was simply too large to be practical for gaming so I removed it from that base, put it on a new one and reclaimed some of the giant rats from the old base to make a small unit. I also repainted the driver in my new black and red Skyre scheme:

I’m not going to claim any points for painting these as all I really did was the bases but it took up hobby time so I thought I would at least include it as part of this month’s work.

Month six stats:

Models painted: 32

Total points: 746.5

Chance of the Jezzails hitting anything in-game: 0

I also had the opportunity to bring the army (and some bits from previous challenges) to Japan and play a couple of games of Warhammer Renaissance, it really is a pleasure to see painted models facing off against each other on the battlefield:

So that’s it for painting in this year’s OWAC. I have a few finishing touches, mainly varnishing and then adding grass and tufts to the bases which I will do over the next few weeks ready for the wrap-up post in July. I can’t wait to see the army all together and then with all the rest of my Skaven, I haven’t put it together myself yet so it should be interesting seeing what it looks like.

Until the wrap-up post though I hope you have enjoyed following my rats come together over the last six month, I always enjoy painting them and I probably have enough to do one more challenge but not next year. I already have something planned for that but I will save talking about it until the wrap-up post.

Graeme's Skaven (part three - Revolutions)

Graeme's Skaven - OWAC 7 Introduction Post

Paint something different this year! That was my plan. I wanted to get out my comfort zone and paint something new. Not more Skaven. Definitely not!

I put a poll up in the OWAC Facebook group and Slann came out on top, with Norse coming a close second. I dutifully dusted off both my Slaan and Norse models and started counting out and organising them. I had enough models to do either. I had some interesting models looked out to give both armies a bit more character. I opted to go for Slann, because they're ancient, sentient, space frogs, with an Aztec theme!

Then, halfway through my prep, I hit some snags with my Slann...

...and at the same time came across my remaining Skaven models.

I got to thinking...

I wasn't happy how I left off on OWAC 6...
...and I still didn't have a full 3000 point Skaven army I could play with...
...and I had a bunch of already prepped Skaven, just squeaking out for some paint...
...and I was tantalisingly close to having enough painted models to be able to field that Skaven army I dreamed of...

...and, in the end, yet again, the lure of the Great Horned One was too great!

There's definitely some masochistic tendencies needed when choosing a Skaven force to paint for an OWAC. The Jes Goodwin sculpts which make up my force are packed full of detail, which makes them a real pleasure to look at, but sometimes a bit of a chore to paint. And you need lots of them for a decent horde army.

So, ehm, I might have gotten a bit carried away with my prep...

I mean, I had a few Clan Eshin Gutter Runners lying around from my first OWAC...

And it was obvious I had to add to the Clanrats I had left over...

And maybe I could either add to the main Clanrat unit, or create a new Stormvermin unit...

Bulking up the unit was spears was needed...

And adding to the Skavenslave unit was a no-brainer...

Then I added to the bunch of Black Skaven I had lying around...

Obviously I'd need some firepower from Clan Skryre...

And some muscle from Clan Moulder, with something exotic thrown in for good measure...

And, of course, we have to have some leaders and special troops...

To be honest, I stopped counting after a while. It's the largest number of models I've ever prepped for an OWAC. The only thing I need to do in the next five or six months is paint (sounds so simple, right?). I have a few of conversions and something special in the pipeline, but only if I have time.

Realistically, though, I'm going to aim low. To complete a legal, practical force which I'm likely to actually play with, I'm going to focus on finishing these:

• 20 Clanrats, armed with hand weapons, light armour and shields (120 points)
• 10 Clanrats, armed with spears, light armour and shields (65 points)
• 5 Skavenslaves, armed with spears and shields (17,5 points)
• 2 Jezzailachis teams (78 points)
• 2 Poisoned Wind Globadiers (52 points)
• 1 Plague Censer Bearer (41 points)
• 1 Warpfire-thrower team (81 points)
• 1 General (level 20 hero, around 100 points)

This little horde of 42 Skaven only brings me to about 550 points - well short of the target 1000 points.

Either I paint a LOT more Skaven from the core units, or some elites (Black Skaven or Gutter Runners), or I recruit the swarm, Rat Ogres, and the Manticore (or Harpies that I planned to use last OWAC) to bump up the points. We shall see!

Fingers crossed I can make it through at least the stuff I plan to do. I'm hoping for more, but I've seen real life get in the way far too often.

Good luck to all the other challengers! (Especially the other member of #teamSkaven this year - AdamH).

There are some great-looking plans already afoot. I suspect this will be a sensationally good OWAC!

AdamH’s OWAC VII Intro Post – The rats are back in town!

Why do I hate myself... a question I have been asking for years without an answer. 

Here we are again, me plus over 100 rats. You might be thinking that surely I must have run out of Skaven models by now? Ha, I laugh, I could probably do the challenge another two times with what I have left in my box of shame.

But yea, once more around Skavenblight we go:

Just like my previous Skaven entry I am looking at filling out my existing force with missing units as well as bolstering the core:

Mainly this means some additional Clan Skyre units in the form of a unit of Globadiers and while not technically from 4th/5th edition a couple of Warplightning Cannons:

As well as a few Jezzails:

And who better to lead this part of the army but a selection of Warlock Engineers:

I am also filling out a few older units with additional options, mainly this means random command models:

and some more Plague Monks:

For this year’s challenge I am targeting the following list:

Every time I do Skaven for the challenge I increase the number that I plan to paint, and somehow I manage to get them done. This time is no different, this is the most models I will have attempted in an OWAC yet (as long as we don't account the many small Giant Rats from last time). But if I can get them done I think my army will be touching 5k points when fully equipped! (On a side note if anyone in the UK fancies a game hit me up!)

Best of luck to the rest of the competitors as always, and especially to my fellow #TeamSkaven!

Graeme's OWAC3 Skaven wrap-up

My first OWAC is done! My lead pile is dented (if you look really closely)! My purveyors of pestilence may have got a little carried away though... sorry 'bout that!

Thanks to Iannick for organizing a great challenge and congratulations to all the challengers who overcame some serious adversity to deliver some truly impressive armies! This has been a weird year so far and it's been great to be part of a little community that share the same passion and have provided support, encouragement and the threat of shaming to keep everyone going. Special mention goes to the other members of #teamskaven, Adam and Brendan - together we managed to delivery the vermin triple whammy in the year of the rat. No mean feat.

Okay, on to the final muster...

- Gnawdoom (level 15 wizard), with hand weapon: 144 points

- Clan Chieftain (Level 5 Hero ), with spear and light armour: 31 points

- 1 Clan Chieftain (level 5 hero), with hand weapon, shield and light armour: 31 points

- 1 Clan Skyre Poisoned Wind Globadier, with hand weapon: 25 points

- Warpfire-thrower team: 81 points - Jezzailachis Team: 39 points

- 3 Plague Censer Bearers: 120 points

- 3 Clan Moulder Beastmasters, with hand weapon, and light armour: 31.5 points

- 16 Giant Rats: 32 points

- 8 Black Skaven, with halberds, and light armour: 60 points

- Clan Chieftain (Level 5 Hero ), with halberd, and light armour: 32 points

- 14 Plague Monks, with hand weapons, and light armour: 82.5 points (including extra 5.5 points for the standard-bearer)

- 10 Clan Eshin Gutter Runners, with hand weapons, light armour, and slings: 140 points

- 2 Clan Moulder Beastmasters, with hand weapon, and light armour: 21 points

- 5 Clan Moulder Rat Ogres, with hand weapon: 190 points

And of course the Offering to the Overlord (25 points) isn't shown, as it's already found its way to Iannick.

So here's what my 1060 points of Skaven look like:

I had been planning to paint more in the last couple of months of the challenge, but I lost my focus. I've got about 40 models in progress on my painting desk and a bunch of scenery sitting not far away. I made a start on some banners too. All these mini-projects vying for my attention meant that none got finished... Still, it leaves me something to do in the months before the next OWAC... :-)

Right, I'm off to feast my eyes on the other submitted armies. See you next time!

Graeme's Skaven Spearhead Force for April (210.5 points)

After the disease and pestilence had taken it's toll, it was time for the Skaven to throw their elite troops into the fray - to smash through the defender's line and make a gap for the following hordes to pour through....

I got off to a good start in April, getting a couple of Rat Ogres and a handler done quite quickly.

Rat Ogres and handler - 86.5 points
Two Rat Ogres, to help punch through the enemy lines, with a handler to keep them in check. I varied the colour of the Rat Ogre fur again this month - there's not many other options when there are just two poses from this generation to choose from.

Then I turned to a bit of cunning Skaven technology.

This is not the angle you want to view one of these from if you're fighting against them...

Jezzail Team - 39 points
A Jezzail team, to keep the enemy archer's heads' down and provide some much-needed missile support.

Then I moved onto the Black Skaven and the challenge really began. I love these model for all the detail, but that very same detail took an enormous amount of time to paint. So many layers of leather, scraps of plate mail, chain-mail, ragged clothes, coils of rope, pouches and bags, earrings(?!).... There's a lot of depth to the modelling as well, with details tucked in almost unreachable places. It almost broke me - I came very close to taking a Mulligan this month, but just about scraped in. I had been planning to to 15 of these in April, but didn't even get close. I may not do any more for  while to let my eyes recover from the strain....
At least the final result seems worth the effort.

1st rank of the Black Skaven

2nd rank of the Black Skaven

Black Skaven - 60 points

Eight Black Skaven - one of the few shock elites available to Skaven forces. Well armed and armoured with halberds and light armour. A whopping 7.5 points each!
Maybe the command group will make an appearance next month...

Offering to the Overlord - 25 points

A word of thanks to Iannick for the time and effort he puts into running this challenge, especially during these strange, stressful, and for some, very busy times.
The challenge has definitely been a great distraction for me, and I'm sure others will agree and add their appreciation.
Once I chose the colour of the cloak I suspected this would be designated the offering model. Plus, since it was Iannick's birthday month, it seemed suitable timing. Iannick, it will be winging its way towards you this week. Hope the cloak meets your approval :-)

All of April's force:

2 Rat Ogres and their handler - 86.5 points
8 Black Skaven - 60 points
Jezzailachis Team - 39 points
Offering - 25 points

Total for April: 210.5 points

Total for the army: 871.5 points (846.5 points, not including the offering)

Next month the work on building up my rank-and-file troops continues. Probably not Black Skaven, though... maybe the command group.
I did make a start on some Giant Rats in April, but these are such low points cost in 3rd Edition, I'll need something expensive to compensate.
The banners I was experimenting with last month didn't materialize, so I really want to add at least one.

Good luck to the other challengers! The armies are really taking shape now and starting to look amazing.