Skaven Project - Movement trays - Project time 1hr

Right so this is my last day of holidays.....
..sigh!....

From tomorrow it's back to 30' in the air where I like to spend my waking hours, which come to think of it might be the irony of why I like underground dweller armies (Dwarfs being my other favourite!) so much.

But on to the business at hand, this weekend past I discussed purchasing movement trays with Tom who makes his own out of balsa and toothpicks. At first the thought didn't quite sit with me, as I prefer to spend the money to get quality than fiddle about endlessly trying to save a few bob - and the best price I've found on trays is $5 apiece which for what you get I think is affordable.

Then I saw Tom's in the "balsa" and thought "Wow!"

But didn't really like the thought of having to sit there lining toothpicks up for hours. After adding up my stash of skaven into what they'll be worth in points, the purchase of trays would come to over $100. A week's gaming budget, sure enough, but still something I could consider.

THEN the lightbulb Homer Simpson moment went up!

SPRUES!
Of which I will have umpteen amounts, and which have a lovely beveled edge all about them. They are long enough to snip down, maybe...Just maybe...

And Ado taught me to use 3mm thick mounting board for bases rather than buy pre-cut MDF ones...ummm...

Let's see if it works:
I started off building all the models

I then started snipping the sprues and dry fitting them to the right size around the unit

Next I marked out and cut 11x8.5cm sections of mounting board

Having cleaned up the sprue of all the nasty little flash I superglued this onto the card base

I like the overall result

Next I placed a dot of superglue on each base and applied medium ballast sand - a lot of people use PVA but to be honest I'm an impatient sort and one .35cent stick of superglue I find will do some 20-25 bases easily with no waiting time opposed to PVA, so that's why I've opted to use this for years now

45min from on-the-sprue to undercoating for two 20 rat units including the movement tray building is a time I'm comfortable with

The finished product of 1 hours' work. I actually (yes, Murphy is ALWAYS on duty!) ran out of black undercoat after doing the first unit - what are the ODDS?!?!?
But I'm counting it as if both had been done as they're sanded but the second one is about 3min behind this due to the undercoating

TOTAL SkAVEN PROJECT TIME: 1hr

REQUIRED MINIS TO PAINT FOR 1500pt FORCE
1 Warchief
1 Warlock
120 Warriors (40 undercoated)
40 Slaves

So no matter what there are going to be uncanny quantities of Skaven to have to be done up before I can play anything resembling a painted army on the table.

But, for now, all this does give me a sigh of relief. If anything, I have a plan.

And like all plans, we know.....

Thanks for reading!