John's Ratlings

This is an army I've assembled for my friend John. Some time ago he gave me all his old Warhammer Fantasy Skaven army and told me to make it into a Hordes of the Things army. Warhammer Fantasy was the first miniature wargame we played. I'd owned miniatures before then - but they were mostly for role-playing - and though I'd have loved to have played miniature wargames I simply didn't have enough miniatures in quantity, nor did I know anyone who'd played. I'd owned AD&D  Battle System, but was never able to get anyone to play it with me (and didn't have enough miniatures in quantity to play it anyway...). Warhammer Fantasy was the first miniature wargame I was able to find other people willing to play and the first I ever built armies for.

I should mention that this was... oh... 25 years ago, and neither of us has played Warhmmer Fantasy since DBA came out... or at least I haven't... Anyway, These had been sitting in boxes for decades and moved back and forth from province to province and finally John realized he'd never play WFB ever again, but might play HOTT with me... so he gave them to me to turn into a HOTT army...

I had originally thought I might strip and repaint these... but recently realized I would never, ever get around to doing that. As I've always maintained that basing is just as important as the painting of the miniature itself. A beautifully painted miniature poorly based (we've all seen them - beautifully painted minis plunked into a ugly plastic slotta-base that isn't even painted green - or even black!?) and that a decent basing job on a so-so figure (and a consistant basing system for a so-so army) can make it look not half bad... I decided just to re-based a bunch of them and see how they turned out....

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

Here is the whole force. There are lots of options... 

1x Magician (could be the general?) @4AP

1x Warband General @2AP

2x Rat Ogres (could be either Behemoths @4AP each or Blade @2AP each)

1x giant rats (Beast @2AP or Horde @1AP? )

2x Warp-lock Jezails (shooters @2AP each or ARtillery @3AP each?)

12x Ratlings (Horde @1AP each or Warband @2AP each) 

The Command options Magician (left) and Warband (right). I think all of these minis are from Games Workshop. 

Rat Ogres - could be either Behemoths (or maybe Blade?). The two elements on the left are old Ral Partha figures, the one on the right is from GW.

Giant Rat swarm (Horde or Beast?) - I think these were from Ral Partha...? 

Jezails (Shooters, or possibly Artillery...?) figures from GW.

Ratling Horde - I think john used these ones as Skaven Slaves. The figures awere from Ral Partha. I rather like them. Most likely be Horde... maybe Warband....

Finally More Ratling Hordes - these ones are from Games Workshop. (I actually painted three of the minis on these bases for John 20+ years ago... Can you spot them?)

Hopefully with these done I'll be able to get John out to play a bit more often!!