06 Skaven
06 Skaven
06 Skaven
Issue #6
Skaven
Lifting the manhole covers and peering into the under-earth, in this
month’s Gridiron Gazette we gaze at the volumous vermin, the riotous
rats, the hamsters of horror, the ginormous gerbils who are the Skaven!
INSIDE
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Skavenblight
Scramblers
Answerable to a hoard of
millions!
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Clan Bowl
Clan v Clan v Clan v Clan
v Clan v Clan . . . . you get
the idea
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Clan Moulder
Who knew
bioengineering had a
downside?
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Coaches Corner
Learning from the
packmasters!
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Who’s Who
The full player and staff
directory
Gridiron Gazette – Skaven
What’s extraordinary
History
about the Scramblers is
that they have done the
2442 – Clan Rigens decide to pile a disproportionate amount of their resources into one of
double not once but
the twenty teams they run in order to make an impact in the wider world. The choose the
twice!
Scramblers and it pays off instantly. They start a 5-year winning streak in the Warpstone Bowl.
Their winning record in
the Blood Bowl final is 2461 – Skavenblight is added to their name. They play the Potbelly Piemen in an exhibition
phenomenal. Four match on the eve of the new NAF season. The Piemen lose and are hit with an unexpected
appearances, four wins. tax before leaving Skavenblight. Unable to pay it they are sold into slavery. The NAF are left
They may not get there with a gap in the new season line up and are forced to admit the Scramblers as replacements
often, but when they do
you should bet your 2472 – Hearing of a huge rat fail in his try out for the Warpstone Wanderers, they take a risk
house on them winning. and offer a contract to Glart Smashrip
Strangely, in 3 of those 4 2475 – Glart is a massive hit and builds his own cult following of enormously fat rat fans. The
games they have played Scramblers are forced to insist that all games they play in have reinforced stands to
Orcish opposition. accommodate them.
Clearly favourite foes for
the efficient ratmen. 2485 – Pushing things too far (down his own throat mostly) Glart is banned for life but when
the ban is repealed he leaves the Scramblers to become a freebooter.
One of their more
controversial wins was in 2493 – The Scramblers make the Blood Bowl final but are in serious trouble at half time
2478 when amazingly against the Evil Gits. The Gits had placed a rope which couldn’t be crossed on the goal line
they sent a team of
which kept the Skaven out. The referees spotted the infringement and Azgar Razorspine who
reserves to qualify for the
had planted the rope, is sent off. Later, the Gits then claimed they were poisoned at half time
final. The first team were
as they suffered a terrible second half which saw the Scramblers steal a 3-2 victory.
too busy ‘fixing’ the
stadium with an
inordinate number of
2494 – Another final, another victory, this time against Da Deff Skwadd who started brightly
bottomless pits for the but eventually were outclassed in a crushing 4-0 victory.
Gouged Eye to fall into!
2495 – The Scramblers play the Doomfire Warphunters in their opening Blood Bowl title
defense match. The demand for tickets was so great that thousands of Skaven fans were shut
Trophy Cabinet
out. This forced many to try and tunnel their way in. So many tunnels were dug that it
collapsed the stadium, killing 14 players from both teams and forcing the Scramblers and
Blood Bowl (2477, 2478,
Warphunters out of the competition.
2493, 2494)
The Squeeze!
What’s in a name?
Warpfire Wanderers – show me the green!
The Wanderers weren’t the first
team to take the name Warpfire.
- By Rusty Hoelle
Before them were the Warpfire
Warriors, but they met a The number two Skaven team, where the Wanderers cannot be faulted for
decidedly sticky end. their drive and ambition, but they struggle to turn this into real success on
the pitch. Their warpstone habit frequently proves to be their greatest
The Warriors took on the strength but also their undoing.
Champions of Death in a game
where the Champs had star History
looney Barry Bigbones on the
roster. Barry decapitated 8 of 2451 – The Wanderers are formed almost without anyone noticing. For the next
the 16 Skaven on the team that 20 years they grow slowly and improve but struggle to compete for the fan’s
day forcing the team into attention due to the fanatical support of the more established Skavenblight
retirement.
Scramblers.
Warpstone Addiction
2472 – A terrible error of judgement is made as an enormously fat rat called Glart
Smashrip tries out for the Wanderers but is not offered a contract. Despite his
The Wanderers aren’t the only
ones to suffer with a warpstone awesome feat of swallowing an assistant coach whole, the Wanderers decide to
habit. Clearly Skaven society as a pass hm up, missing out on a legend.
whole has an issue with the
bright green rock they base their 2477 – An unexpected event catapults the Wanderers out of the shadows and
economy around. into the headlines. Star Blitzer Rattagat Bruxt’s warpstone addiction came to
light in a Spike Magazine expose. Rather than face public condemnation as may
Naqat Queer, the Blitzer from the have happened in other societies, the Wanderers suddenly an increased
Pestilens Plaguebringers is demand for tickets in their next game. This gave team owner Norvejik the crafty
famed for snorting warpstone
idea of addicting the whole squad and making sure everyone knew it.
snuff. This led him to become
heavily mutated as his body
sprouted a mass of tentacles and
2481 – The cost of the addiction starts to tell. The team become less and less
his features were so hideous, recognisable as mutation after mutation takes hold.
even his teammate found him
hard to look at. Eventually the 2487 – The players have consumed so much warpstone they are no longer fit to
snuff sniffing and its foul effects play and so the Wanderers field a fresh team of rookies and begin the addiction
forced Naqat into retirement. process all over again.
Another Skaven great whose 2489 – Learning their lesson from Glart Smashrip, the Wanderers happily try out
career ended early due to a new Clan Moulder creation as Kreek Rustgouger makes his bloody debut.
warpstone issues is Wanderers
thrower, Furrut Ringtail. No two
players suffer the same ‘benefits’
of warpstone. In Furrut’s case, all
of his fur fell off (shameful for a
Skaven to be considered ‘naked’)
and his body developed large
and painful looking sores.
Trophy Cabinet
Despite his ending, Tarsh was a huge success. This prompted Clan Moulder to try again at the behest of Clan Rigens who
were desperate to replace their lost star. From the laboratory stepped Hakflem Skuttklespite, another 2-headed and 4-
armed monster. Hakflem is as clever as he is vicious and wanted to avoid being the next in a long line of similar creations.
He has destroyed any attempts to re-create more like him while he yet lives – although Clan Moulder were able to create
Shisk Fourarms and sign him to the Scramblers before Hakflem could get to him. Driven by a terrible rage, Hakflem is
forever in the shadow of Tarsh Surehands who was the original and arguably greatest of all time.
Gridiron Gazette – Skaven
less a sport and more a power struggle as the 5 major clans compete Most Unsportsmanlike
for power and influence. Conduct
Grey Seer Feerquarstus is credited for first coming up with Clan Bowl. The competition has This is a team award handed to
changed quite a bit since his early plans and had he lived longer it may have taken a different the outfit who get caught
path. Alas for poor Feequarstus, he died in the first ever game. He breathed in the fumes cheating the most! Whichever
from a warpstone ball which sent him into a frenzied charge onto the pitch and right into the team has most of their players
path of a Rat Ogre. He became one of Clan Bowls first ever victims! sent off in the season ‘wins’ this
award. This isn’t an award any
Initially, Clan Bowl was an amateur affair, although to the clans it was deadly serious. The team wants however!
teams were not the standard Skaven outfits you would find at regular NAF tournaments.
Instead, members of the various clans would compete directly on the pitch in teams closely In Skaven society cheating is to
reflecting the clans themselves. Clan Moulder teams for instance fielded multiple Rat Ogres, be encouraged, it’s only the
getting caught part which is
Clan Skyre had the best passers of all the clans and sported a huge Doomwheel, Clan Mors
shameful!
were the only clan to have Storm Vermin in their ranks while Gutter Runners played
exclusively for Clan Eshin who rostered six of them!
Most Entertainingly
Slaughtered
Eventually, Clan Bowl fell under the control of Clan
Rigens, who are responsible for all Blood Bowl
This is another team award that
matters within Skaven society. In a society rife with
aptly reflects another aspect of
division like the Skaven, the various factions
Skaven society. The weak are
resisted working together which lessened their there to be picked on (and
effectiveness overall. The advent of Clan Rigens eaten if hungry).
was to change that. They decided to only formally
recognize 20 teams and put most of their efforts This award is handed out to the
and resources into promoting them. Other teams team who suffer the most
could exist, but without proper support they would permanent injuries and deaths.
soon slip and fall by the wayside. In focusing their It comes with a cash prize to
efforts on a limited number of teams, Clan Rigens hire more replacements for
soon began to prove the plan worked with the next season!
sharp rise of the Skavenblight Scramblers, the
team who received the majority of their patronage. The Rusty Dagger
Over time, Clan Rigens developed the Liber This is given to the individual
Ludere, a Skaven playbook which it used to instruct all of the 20 elite Skaven teams. It rat who does what any
contained plays such as Sewer Surprise, Weeping Blades and the Black Arc. The contents of upstanding Skaven player
the Liber Ludere are one of the closest guarded secrets in Skaven Society should do – kick another while
they are down! It’s won by
This change of direction had a knock-on effect for Clan Bowl. As Skaven teams now had whichever player inflicts the
most casualties by fouling.
elements in from all of the great clans and the number of professional teams were limited,
clans no longer fielded their own teams. Instead, they would sponsor and support one of the
The Eshin Dagger
existing teams to compete in the Clan Bowl for them, to win glory and influence on their
behalf. The Skaven teams a NAF fan would recognize had emerged and they initially
This is handed to the Skaven
sharpened their claws and teeth on internal competition.
who commits the most fouls
without getting sent off! They
The secretive Skaven have continued to keep Clan Bowl very much to themselves. Even
are presented with a Weeping
though Skaven can now be found on Renegade or Underworld teams, none of these outfits Dagger to use the following
are permitted to compete in Clan Bowl. It remains an exclusive, pure rat only competition season.
(although due to the work of Clan Moulder, the use of the term ‘pure rat’ is a somewhat loose
one!).
Gridiron Gazette - Skaven
Education counts!
On the amateur scene, Riskit Sqeel is developing quite the reputation for his rat Financial Matters
management and motivation skills. Coaching an (under) Street Bowl team based in
Marienburg, Riskit is famed for his sartorial elegance and enigmatic smile. Utterly Kroxiade, the sports drink,
unflappable, Riskit knows how to get the best out the players. Take team thrower Rash’eek is still enmired in a deep
Ninefingers who missed 11 passes in a row. Some one-on-one coaching with Riskit, turned scandal. The company
the throwers form around, Rash’ekk Eightfingers now never misses a pass ever! behind it had hired star
Kroxigor Sokitoomi to be
Alas some coaches tend to look out for themselves more than their team. Consider Scar the face of the drink and
Whitefur, owner and coach of the Grieve Bay Packrats, as an example. During 2498, Scar boosted sales
was involved in a point shaving and betting scandal during every single game of the significantly.
season, from the first to the last. He angered the book-makers guild to such a degree that
they lynched the scandalous Skaven. As sales sky-rocketed so
did the outbreak of a
Not all coaches can leave their past behind them. Droter Retch, Head Coach of the Nurgle mysterious new disease
team, the Fungal Cowboys, was a member of Clan Moulder. As well as coaching the team, across Lustria. It then
he carried on with a little bioengineering on the side. Droter claimed to be the father / came to light that it was
creator of chaos star player Gobblar Grimlich although he never had chance to prove this. Clan Pestilence who were
At the press conference covering their reunion, Gobblar lived up to his name and, in an the owners of Kroxiade,
emotional scene, ate the tasty looking Droter whole! surely just a complete
coincidence?
There are also assistant coaches or personal coaches who stand out and are worthy of a
mention. One such is Kato, the assistant / coach to the now deceased Red Claw Rurrk of Sokitoomi realizing how
the Skavenblight Scramblers. It was Kato’s job to ensure that Red Claw, for such an old rat, he had been used,
was in the best physical shape he could be and to do anything to help the Blitzer succeed refused to carry out the
on the pitch. Carrying out these duties, he killed rivals on the team and cooked them for rest of the contract. He
Red Claw to eat, thus ensuring he got to play with a full belly! What more could you ask was subsequently sued
for? Going above and beyond, Kato then had the Blitzer raised from the dead so he could by Clan Pestilence who
keep playing as a zombie. That’s dedication rare in any Skaven! won in court; financially
ruining the Kroxigor.
Gridiron Gazette - Skaven
Storm Vermin
Name Team Status
Bisk Skavenblight Scramblers Dead – Killed by Kato
Bone Crusher Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Glart Smashrip ** Freebooter ** Alive
Glart Smashrip Jnr ** Freebooter ** Dead – Eaten by Glart Smashrip
Grist Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Hide-Sneak Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Naqat Queer Pestilens Plaguebringers Retired
Rattagat Bruxt Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Rutch Snaketail Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Skrankor Crookback Cretins Alive
Threetch Three-Eye Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Varmit Evileye Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Vruhrt Shadowgrip Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Throwers
Name Team Status
Breet Braingulper Skavenblight Scramblers Retired
Furrut Ringtail Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Rasjn’eek Nine (Eight) Fingers Unknown Alive
Skritter ** Freebooter ** Alive
Snatchit Quikk Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Thork Crookback Cretins Alive
Gutter Runners
Name Team Status
Fornt Quickfoot Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Hakfelm Skuttlespike ** Freebooter ** Alive
Hrut Hornspike Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Kulvik Crookback Cretins Alive
Kweethul Rotten Rats Alive
Niknik Yellowtail Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Qhuart Brittlefang Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Pipsqueak Unknown Alive
Silkpaw Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Gridiron Gazette - Skaven
Linemen
Name Team Status
Bite-Bite Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Fezglitch ** Freebooter ** Alive – plays as a fanatic
“Hideous” Hakk Frottlespit Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Kikkit Crookback Cretins Alive
Kreet Finglefoot Warpfire Wanderers Alive
Krekrul the Snatcher Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Krunt Blackfoot Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Kweequik the Kontorted Skavenblight Scramblers Dead – Accidently kicked to death
Likkish Skavenblight Scramblers Dead – Killed and eaten
Morb Weazle Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Rasta Tailspike Skavenblight Scramblers Retired
Rosvin Ratz Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Rut Skutterclank Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Seether Sorethroat Skavenblight Scramblers Dead – died of old age at 16!
Shisk Four-Arms Slavenblight Scramblers Alive
Skat Skavenblight Scramblers Dead – Killed and eaten
Skrag the Unclean Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Skreet ** Freebooter ** Alive
Vermin Valdech Warpfire Wanderers Retired
Vermink Stink Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Rat Ogres
Name Team Status
Buboe Festerspit ** Freebooter ** Alive
Headsplitter ** Freebooter ** Alive
Kreek “The Verminator” Rustgiuger ** Freebooter ** Alive
Manwrecker Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Nulk Crookback Cretins Alive
Skruck Headsquelcher Skavenblight Scramblers Alive
Skrut Manpeeler Doomtown Rats Alive
Gridiron Gazette - Skaven
Other Races
The below are players from other races who through some strange twist of fate, ended up playing for a Skaven team.
Staff
The below are Skaven who have worked on any team.
Officials
Name Position Status
“Blindeye” Scuttlespit Referee Alive
Two Heads Vermin Referee Alive
Gridiron Gazette - Skaven
Skaven Teams
Burrow Scrapers Hell Pit Wildrats Skaven Scab-eaters
Crookback Cretins Ikkit's Backscratchers Skavenblight Scramblers
Crookback Plague Pestilens Plaguebringers Snick-tail Scuttlers
Doomfire Warphunters Pestilent Pioneers Warpfire Wanderers
Doomtown Rats Pustulent Priests Warp-Lightning Bolts
Fester Spike Hurricanes Ratz of Nirn Warpstone Wanderers
Grieve Bay Packrats Rotten Rats Wyrdstone Wanderers
Hell Pit Heroes
Looking ahead . . . .
In issue 7 of the Gridiron Gazette everybody better watch their backs. We’ll be taking
a fleeting glance at the Dark Elfs and hoping we see nothing incriminating or do
anything which draws their attention . . . please don’t hurt us.
Final Fact!
Some players adopt family names while others try forge their own path, taking a name that befits some of their great (or underhand)
deeds. The case of Breeet Braingulper is definitely in the lattr category. The Scamblers Thrower earned the name from how he treats
referees who make a call he disagrees with . . . . !!