- Simplified the statline
- Reduced formations & excised the 2nd movement phase
- Revamped magic, introducing a card-based system
- Removed the formula for determining point values of units & creating characters
- Dropped the assumption of a GM & refocused on tournament play
- Introduced individual army books & "Special Characters"
It's this last point that is most significant to this blog, as in 1993 Warhammer Armies: Skaven was published.
UPDATE: Andy Chamber has confirmed that it is the Skaven short story in the back of the army book that was Bill King's contribution. "I wrote the rest of the book including the special characters and the Doom of Kavzar story with the aid of Bill and Jes' most excellent mentoring and a very, very over-active imagination." Which is quite an amazing outpouring of creativity.
Warhammer Armies: Skaven provides rules for the new Skaven war machines; the aforementioned Screaming Bell and the Doomwheel, known affectionately among fans as "The Hamster Wheel of Doom", both of which received new models.
Also premièring in Warhammer Armies: Skaven (though previewed in White Dwarf before its release) are the Skaven "Special Characters" that would henceforth become a major part of Warhammer's cannon. Throt the Unclean is the only one of the named classic Skaven to remain. Joining him are the chief Warlock of Clan Skryre Ikkit Claw, Plaguelord Skrolk of clan Pestilens, Clan Mors' Warlord Queek Head-Taker, the infamous Grey Seer Thanquol and his ever-present Rat Ogre companion Boneripper (in the first of his many Duncan Idaho-ish iterations), and, my personal favourite, Clan Eshin's master assassin Deathmaster Snikch.