Duldrum...

So, I'm sure anyone reading this will note that I tend not to post much on the blog other than the episodes and other things that I think are really pertinent to it, but I couldn't help myself. I've been so excited about building a new army and for a number of reasons, cost, conversions, models, paint schemes, size, oh it's good stuff. Skaven baby, apparently they are where I'm at... So let's fill in on what I've managed to procure.

After our Game Group discount from our FLGS (10%) I paid around $97 after tax for the Island of Blood. I traded my High Elves to Chuck for his Skaven. I traded a box of Ogre Ironguts (bought from our local with discount) so around $37 for a 3rd set of Skaven. I procured a last edition Screaming Bell for $20 which I will use to convert a much cooler and larger one. I also got a box of Rat Ogres from our FLGS for painting their 40K starter Orks and finally dragged the 10 Giant Rats from my old Warhammer Quest set. So for a grand total of $154 I have gotten:

3 Warpfire Throwers
3 Poisoned Wind Mortars
3 units of 20 Clanrats with HW/Sh
3 units of 20 Clanrats with Sp/Sh
6 Rat Ogres
19 Giant Rats
6 Packmasters
3 Warlords
3 Warlock Engineers
(Note: I didn't count the Rat Ogres themselves that I got for painting the starter set as I'm going to use those for an abomination.)

Obviously this as it stands isn't a very good looking (same model over and over again) or effective (small units and ineffective equipment) army. To that I've gone through and worked out some serious changes to what I have. Currently I've formed up:

2 Units of 26 Clanrats with HW/Sh (with a unit filler count as 30)
1 Unit of 30 Clanrats with Sp/Sh (with a unit filler count as 34)
1 Unit of 30 Stormvermin with Sh (with a unit filler count as 34)
1 Unit of 5 Rat Ogres with 2 Packmasters
1 Unit of 19 Giant Rats with Packmaster
1 Warlord on Bonebreaker
1 Greyseer
1 Screaming Bell
1 Battle Standard Bearer
2 Warlock Engineer's (1 with Warp Energy Condenser, 1 with Doom Rocket)

Obviously I have to start somewhere right... About a 2500 point army. So I've started on the models that most excited me and those would be the Island of Blood Rat Ogres. I started with the Bonebreaker conversion and just recently finished doing the main work on the 3 Rat Ogres that I wanted to change. The other 2 can stay as they were for mixed variation. As far as unit fillers are concerned I'm not a huge proponent of them, but I think they can add a lot to the look of the army and while I don't intend to use them too terribly often I am going to use them to add to the overall theme. That isn't to say I disapprove of their use, I mean, it's an expensive hobby and if it fits thematically then cool. I'm not overly fond of the people who use a 40mm base and a skeleton to represent 4 of them, but you'll never hear me tell an opponent to not use it. I also didn't list Weapons Teams in there as I plan on changing them up quite often and converting a lot since they currently have no models.

If your interested in any of the work please check out the forum (links over to the right) and down near the bottom you'll find the painting hobby threads and there is one in there for my Skaven progress. I'd put them up here, but limited ability at work computer means I can't. Let me know what you think and throw any suggestions out there.

On a differnet yet still the same topic, GW did just announce that they will be bringing out more new Skaven models in January of 2011. While this is great news it sucks that its so far away. Also the fact that they've given no hint as to what's coming is a bummer. One would imagine that a lot of the rumors are garbage, but I'm hoping at least for a new Rat Ogre kit as the currents are absolutely deplorable when compared to the Island of Blood set. Also a plastic abomination while nice seems like a little far from GW's usual throw for me. I mean they haven't given the Chaos their Warshrine or any of the Rare slots for Beastmen so who knows... I would think the rest of the weapons teams in plastic would be a boon, especially the little ball of death thats name escapes me at the moment.

The point of this thread? I'm excited... Can you tell?