Speculation on a skaven rerange

[Garrac]

Posting this again...

First of all: I allways read some guys from 40k telling me the state of the skavens is not that bad since eldars stil have warp riders, so let me explain the problem with the skaven range on 40k terms: imagine your army has catachans. But some years after that, a big chunk of the army is updated to modern terms. Problem is, there are still catachans, but the catachans dont aesthetically fit anymore with the rest of the range, like, in very wild terms. The catachans are not only dated, but are hard to be kitbashed with the rest of the army, you can't use their ****** because it doesnt even come in correct proportions or even the hands look alien in other bodies.

... so, yes, skavens are catachans, yes.

Now, on the range itself :

-Verminlords. Nah, too young. I must note however that Ive read the "avatar of the verminlord" rumours, and I tell you that verminlords aren't technically avatar of the Horned Rat, but rats put together with celofan. They're demons only in the most strict sense, don't know the will of their god, and make schemes of their own, as this amuses very much their god 100/0%.

-Clanrats/stormvermin. Well, skavens are keeping their name in both TOW and AoS, so I imagine all the waves they received in 7th and 8th eds of Fantasy will keep being the same without any updates. Still cool minis tho. If GW were to change them, then skavens would have been able to change their names in TOW to allow them having support there, since updating all the 2010-11 minis would mean a very substantial rerange. Alltho, with stormvermins I have my doubt because GW is clearly trying to end their stock, but that can be form any reasons. Nah of 80/20%

-Assasin. Nah, 90/10% of not getting a new mini

-Bombardier. The other AoS miniature, nah 100/0%

-Warpfire thrower. Changing the stat because this guy is getting ******, yes: either an update, or its going to disappear. Im going to opt for the latter since the IoB swordmasterss have been shown on TOW rulebook: that sprue is mixed with the new flamethrower IoB got. Would be weird for GW to make the model again. It may get squatted in AoS, or included in a weapon team kit (more on that later) 60/40%

-Screaming bell/Plague furnace. Seb rules, keeps existing, 100/0%

-Plague censer bearers. GW hates resin now, it's safe to say these should get an update, 85/15%

-Plague priest. The mini is from 1994, and Pestilens still needs a cheap foot leader. Update, 100/0%

-Plague monks. The most contentious unit here for an update, and the only case where Im not certain of what GW might do. They do need an update, since the minis are from 2005, and are kinda dated to this point. But the new skabik warband is made to aesthetically fit with these guys. I dunno, it may get an update, it depends on how big are the plans of GW, 50/50%

-Warlock engineers. Comes from 2001, also dated. Either it gets an update, or is squatted in favour of the bombardier. I think tho that this character is due for a radical reconception so the bombardier keeps his own niche. Update vs squatting, 80/20%

-Clawlord/grey seer, come from the End times wave, too new, nah of 95/5%

-Stormfiends/Thanquol. Definetely nah, 100/0%

-master Moulder/Arch-Warlock. Don't need an update very badly, but theyre resin minis, and GW is trying to keep their main games resin-free. More on master moulder later, and engineers have already been explained. Update of 100/0%

-Packmasters and Rat ogres. Definetely need an update, but here's the thing: GW nowadays hates combined untis on the same kit. But the rat ogre/packmasters duo is pretty iconic. My very personal bet? They come separate, but packmasters/master moulders come with such juicy rules woud want to field them even if there aren't any more moulder beasts. Alltho, packmasters/master moulders will come with a very rad reconceptualization. For rat ogres, they do need an update, and Ive already explained why GW won't use the IoB minis for AoS. Update 89/11%

-Rat swarms. Oh, my, youre totally out of the game, yes 100/0%

-Jezzails. Pretty iconic, resin, update, 100%

-Doom flayer/warpgrinder/ratling gun. I mean, a generic weapon team kit is still a possibility, and the only one if GW wants to recover all of them, as a unique kit for each weapon team could be a nightmare to plan for an already too big rerange. Many alternative companies have shown it's possible. Update for all or for none, 85/15%

-Giant rats. Update or squatting? Good question. Who knows, i dunno, 30/70%

-Gutter runners/night runners. Update, 100/0%, please GW kill the ninja monkeys

-Skyrre acolytes. Update or it gets squatted, 30/70%

-Hell pit abo. All claim Seb Perbet superiority, nah of 100/0%

-Artillery/grievouswheel. Nah, 100/0%

And that's it. If taken everything at 50% or above, that would leave a rerange with a minimum of 8 new plastic kits, and that's whitout including all possible new miniatures, or whitout taking into account all the dual kits. It's safe to asume a starter box with skavens as the enemy would include Pestilens. Why? Because Pestilens is a very safe bet: you use the starter box to update the priest, the plague monks and the censer bearers on monopose models. Then include perhaps one or two new hero/monsters and that's it.

Why not Skyrre, Moulder, or Eshin on the starter box? Because Skyrre and Moulder badly need dual kits for most of these updates, and that's something you can't do on a starter box. There's the possibility of getting the monoopose unit on a starter box and doing multipose later on the battletome launch, as was the case of the termagants. But Skyrre and Moulder do badly need too many multipose kits to think on that.

Eshin is a more complicate matter, and Id say it has equal chances of getting in a starter box as the ones for Pestilens. But a starter box needs a centrepice for each faction, and its harder to justify one for Eshin. Plus, they already have their main generic leader on a plastic kit, would be weird to see it again on a starter box, or to see it getting renewed again. I mean, Eshin can get a new leader type, but the assasin is too iconic.

And well, that's it. Im no model expert, but Im so sure about all of this that I presume GW is facing the same issues with the range. If it does care about it at all. So, if GW is reaaaaaaally planing a rerange, I only ask for one thing: let either Seb Perbet or Jess Goodwin lead the project. They know how to make humanoid rats cool af. Please GW?

Edited January 7 by Garrac