New Age 40k and The Rats of Clan Hashiji

Hello all!

It's been a while, what with a new job, 7th edition 40k, and now my newest project that I have started on - Asian Skaven!  So lets get right to it.

7th Edition Warhammer 40k

The internet is practically boiling with resentment and unease over several parts of this new edition: Daemonology, psychic phases, force org, FAQs that don't seem to fix anything....

And I really have no answers for you.  I've played a few games of it, enjoyed it numerous times with the new Mission Rules - one of my favorite parts of the game so far - and have generally just felt like it has some good fixes in it.

However, I am a basement gamer, and generally only play 40k with my friends at home or at the local stores.  I never play pick up games with people because of some left over irritations with 5th edition.  The last time I played competitively was a few months ago at a local game stores tournament.  However, our gaming group did not particularly enjoy that event, and so we have stayed in the basement since then.  So all in all, I am probably not qualified to say how the game will be competitively, but for club gamers?  This edition may be the best one yet.

Asian Skaven mk 1.1

So, as many of you know, I have planned several new fantasy projects over the past few months, but eventually talked myself out of each and every one until this current project.  I have decided that, in an effort to make my Skaven more unique and play with units that nobody seems to run in the new book, I have begun a phase to update and improve my army, and try to double its size.  I have planned for a 2500 point Skaven addition, but I need your help.

So far, I have built and converted the following units into an Asian themed force:

Grey Seer
20 Stormvermin
3 Warplock Jezzails
Warplightning Cannon

Here is the army list I plan to make.

Units marked with * are going to be carried over from my current Skaven build.

2500 Point Asian Skaven mk 1.1
----------
Queek Headtaker
*Warlock Engineer w/ lvl 2, Doom Rocket, Warp musket, Warplock Optics
Warlock Engineer w/ lvl 2, Brass Orb
Chieftain w/ BSB, Banner of the Under Empire
---
Stormvermin w/ 39, Queeks Upgrade, shields, full command, Warpfire Thrower
Nightrunners w/ 20, slings
Nightrunners w/ 20, slings
*Giant Rats w/ 15
*Giant Rats w/ 15
---
Warplock Jezzails w/ 3
*Gutter Runners w/ 8, slings, poison attacks
Poisoned Wind Globadiers w/ 10
Poisoned Wind Globadiers w/ 10
---
Doomwheel
Doomwheel
Warplightning Cannon
Warplightning Cannon

The army will function as such:

Queek and BSB will join the Stormvermin and gun it for whatever big block of troops the enemy has.  Brass Orb Engineer will travel with one of the Nightrunner units, which both of those will attempt to slow down any large blocks of units, or kill smaller units.  Giant Rats will be there to redirect charges or get flank charges into the enemy.  Gutter Runners will go warmachine hunting, or get rear charges into enemies.  Poisoned Wind Globadiers are made to go hunting for the elite infantry in the enemies army, hopefully getting flank charges in.  They will most likely be working with the Giant Rats.  Jezzails are there for sniping enemy backfield characters, or for killing any heavy cavalry that is coming; this is the one unit that I might make more models for in order to field 5 of them or so, 3 just seems like too few.  WLC will throw their shots at any blobs that are coming towards my lines, or go monster hunting.  Doomwheels are there for shot absorbing, monster hunting, and generally terrifying my opponent into shooting them instead of my actual units.

This army should have no problem dealing with squishy T3 armies, but if you throw it up against WoC or Ogres, it is going to struggle - which is why I included the PWG, Super Stormvermin, and all that Rare goodness.

This list also lets me run units that I have not run in the past: Queek, Nightrunners, Jezzails, PWG, Doomwheels, and WLC all have thus far evaded my use.

So please comment and critique this army build.  I would love to hear how you guys would change the build - however keep in mind that I am trying to avoid units that I have experience with.  As such I would prefer if this army did not include Plague Monks, Catapults, or Slaves.

Thanks in advance for any comments, and I will try and post some pictures as I get closer to completion!  Happy Wargaming!

Edit:  

I've made some progress on the Asian Skaven, so I finally have some pictures for the first time in a few months.

My Warplightning abomination, as well as a misfire marker, represented by a Dwarf slave pulling a ruined cannon away.

After a bit of airbrushing, got the primer, basecoat, and some basic gore painted onto the Warplightning abomination.

Here I have the first half of my Stormvermin block base coated.  I've since painted the red onto the armor and added a few red details.  Still a long way to go.  The second half of the unit is quietly sitting in it's box to be built until I receive some Katanas and Halberds I purchased recently from Puppets-War.

As an added bonus, here is a photo taken during my first game of 7th Ed.  As you can see, my opponent (and myself for that matter) demonstrate a clear air of professionalism and understanding of the new rules set.