Rat in a Trap

Like all other unsuspecting rodents, sucked into the glamour of the ratty life, I too have started working on my long awaited Warhammer Fantasy army: Skaven.

My local Games Workshop (Toronto, Canada for those wondering) is holding an escalation league for the month of January, starting at 250 points, hero's excluded and going all the way to 1000 points of painted models at the end of the month. While I'm no slouch when it comes to turning grey plastic men into pieces of artwork, I suffer from what I'd like to call... the deflating balloon syndrome (name subject to change). I start a project or a new army with stars in my eyes - nothing could go wrong. All will fall before me and I will leave nothing but a path of red in my wake... and then slowly my enthusiasm fails, and I'm left with boxes of models on spur, half painted and half assembled. But this month not so!

I have committed to the army of the Underempire and with a little help from my beloved girlfriend (who will be taking over my pointy-eared friends) jumped in head first.

For better or worse, I figured that with such few points to start, most armies would have trouble fielding anything resembling a fighting force, so I should do what Skaven do best - bring more bodies. I ended up with over 60 rat men led by a Plague priest all under 250 points.

The week is slowly drawing to a close, and my painting deadline quickly approaches...

I have been long interested in the hobby, but for one reason or another I haven't been able to enjoy a game on the table for years. It was delightful to feel the smooth sides of dice in my hands last Friday when I threw down against all manner of elf and dwarf, dying ingloriously for the sake of a major victory for the forces of darkness.

However were I to do it over, from both a painting and a playing perspective, I'd rather have choses less rats and brought something with more bite. In theory, I have far more models than any other army, outnumbering most 3:1 but lack anything to take advantage of this.

Even the humble Warpfire thrower would have been a nice addition, held back until the right moment before shooting into the fray and incinerating my unsuspecting foes.

I have at least 2-3 more games to play between painting sessions over the next couple of days, so I'll do my best to learn all I can, even through gritted teeth as I watch my furious rat-men driven into the ground under hoof and lance.

I will bide my time, for this coming friday all will marvel at the horror that is the Warp Lightning Cannon... Cue evil laughter!

When its all said and done though, I couldn't be happier. Playing and painting each week, talking over army composition with my girlfriend, making new friends and foes at the game store - all in a days work when you're adding a dash of warpstone to your life!