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[Vester]

Skaven?

Grindermeat?

Heheheno.

[Aqizzar]

If the Skaven come to 40k, what role could the Imperial Guard possibly serve now that they have been replaced in the "meat for the grinder" department?

Well, they're not.  Nobody's bringing Skaven into 40K but me (and other dorks on the Internet).  Since there is no Codex: Ratmen I would proxy them as something else.  Probably Guardsmen anyway, since they die properly.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

If the Skaven come to 40k, what role could the Imperial Guard possibly serve now that they have been replaced in the "meat for the grinder" department?

Well, they're not.  Nobody's bringing Skaven into 40K but me (and other dorks on the Internet).  Since there is no Codex: Ratmen I would proxy them as something else.  Probably Guardsmen anyway, since they die properly.

What.

Skaven's armours? Skaven now has Tanks?

Leman Russ Tanks, even...

[Jakkarra]

Could work, but rather than Proxying, WHy don't you just make some "house stats" for them?

Proxy them as guards if others will not let you use them in their games, however.

[Areyar]

Skaven in 40K is entirely plausible, afterall everything is possible in places where the immaterium meets the materium. In realm of chaos (and contemporaries such as warhammer fantasy v1) it was entirely possible for champions of chaos to be rewarded with 40K equipment. The reverse would be equally plausible.


Even using skaven as they are in 40K might be fun.
Though creating rules to incorporate the benefits and drawbacks of rank-and-file might be possible, I fear the drawbacks against modern weaponry would be devastating.
(rapidfire weapons would get a chance to hit an entire front rank f.e. Area effect weapons would be even more deadly.)

You are probably thinking of making the skaven skirmishers as are all the units in 40K. That is fine too, but may I suggest giving them special rules for morale and unit coherence...say: If no models around within 5" the skaven will automatically break and hide or run away from the nearest enemy model in LOS, furthermore for every model within 1" it will get a +1 bonus .

As for weapons, you could order plastic sprues from GW or forgeworld.
Also you could model them yourself from scrap and putty.
A few jezzails would be a good addition. The old models though, the new ones were hiddeous. . . unless there are even newer ones I've not yet seen.
Also hidden setup and poison weapons!
Probably the body of the horde (slaves) will just be closecombat troops with lowtech handweapons such as knives and swords. 


Skaven 40K would be a great excuse to mod a steampunk army.

[Jakkarra]

I can see this working.

thing is, are they all going to have around ONE for most of the lower guy's stats?

[Areyar]

Well stats such as ws and bs would need to be above 1, in order to have some fun playing. Rolling buckets full of dice to score 1 hit is no fun.

There are (were) rules for using improvised weapons, depending on the backstory... the skaven could have just appeared out of a warpstorm on an unsuspecting planet and acquired a few modern weapons. (though skaven are highly adept at using and modifying tools and weapons.) unfamiliarity gives negative modifiers anyhow.
Or they could have been here for quite a while (more logically for skaven to lurk until overwhelming advantage is gained) and have stolen and adapted modern weapons and trained with them.
Still slaves (skaven and alien) would get no ranged weapons...save for maybe slings, which are almost totally useless against armoured targets.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

save for maybe slings, which are almost totally useless against armoured targets.

Well, god damnit.
I got this great image of clockwork-powered slings. Essentially, gun, but it's sling.

[DJ]

Power slings? I too have no idea what they're supposed to do, but if you add "power" in front of any weapon's name it should be capable of dealing damage to tanks, or at least APCs.

*edit* damn you and your ninja ways 

[Areyar]

well, combine a sling with a bag full of grenades and you got a fine lowtech mortar.

clockwork power bows...eldar shuriken ?

[Aqizzar]

Allow me to expand a bit on my 40K Skaven vision.  The most important part is that they're not Skaven.  GW already loves to tease the idea with the Hrud, but even with that, a underfoot civilization of schemers just doesn't work on a galaxy spanning scale.  Or at least I don't believe so.  My answer instead is that my ratmen would be another minor alien civilization like the Zoat, Squats, or Tau, confined to a little region of space where they raise Hell, but are otherwise unknown.

How this came about is a meandering tale.  Originally, I just wanted to use the Skaven models for something.  Looking around the online store for more ideas, I found the Forest Goblin Spider Riders.  Arachnid riding ratman raiders.  Perfect.  But then I though, what am I to do with all the goblin models?  And the paucity of guns?

The brainstorm of an Alien Empire struck, and suddenly it all made sense.  My Ratmen would be the rules of a multi-species collective.  Thoroughly evil of course.  Basically, the ethos of the Skaven, but 40K compatible.  This opened up more modeling options, such as using Dwarf Thunderers and the new line of plastic 40K Grots as sources of more guns.  Just a little remodeling to make them alien enough - I was thinking of turning the Dwarves' braided beards into fanning tentacles.  And because three races didn't seem Empire-y enough, I'd throw in some Skinks for more numbers.  And plenty of other odds and ends for special stuff, like Ork vehicle bits for a ramshackle look.  All in all, a monstrous mountain of modeling, but a beautiful symmetry of ethic and production.

Obviously, I'd love to have some special rules to reflect their unique composition.  But I'm still staunchly opposed to making up my own ruleset for them, not least I alone would be willing to play with it.  And it's not like I don't have enough game design on the brain already.  When I first came up with the idea, the Eye of Terror book and it's Lost and Damned section was still a legit armylist, and I had planned on using that.  I briefly considered using the Eldar as a ruleset (fast and flimsy), but the new Guard Codex would work great.  Grey Seer for a Primaris Psyker, plenty of conscripts and heavy weapon squads, Doomwheel Hellhounds, Warpcannon artillery, and a gussed up Assassin for a Sly Marbo stand in.  If only I had the will.

[Luke_Prowler]

If you're not up to make your own rules, then thank god for "counts as"

[Areyar]

Cut up Eldar for their helms, mount them upside down and put a ponytail in the neck bit on top, steal pauldrons from the marines and use them as intended.
All sorts of quirky modding can be done.

Pity your opponents are so heavyhanded on the rules.
Discussion of the used rules and what terrain feature is what before battle is ensued is good gaming practice anyhow. Though having an entire new codex to discuss can take some time.
If you're playing with mates, include them in the rulemaking, you are going to need them for playtesting and balancing said rules.

...though you might just don't feel like making up rules, that is fine too.

[Jakkarra]

Anyone know what i can use to make good exhausts with?

I might probably use the Bitz from a Warbikerz sprue, i found quite a good site for Bitz where you can get a wide selection of things.

Bitz Box

Have a look there if you do any converting.

[Servant Corps]

Right now on the fluff forums, there is a debate over some short story in the Chaos Codex: In the heat of battle, some Wolfies defected and joined up with Chaos, because they were outnumbered and demoralized.

Is that an indiciation that the Wolfies are not as Overpowered as this forum claim them to be?

EDIT: And nobody mentioned my democracy post. /me shrugs.