What codex best represenst "Space Skaven"?

[The Devourer]

I have to put my vote with orks. Their crazy tech and love of spray weapons fits perfectly. I think that Ork's Ld rules fit better than nids and they would be a lot easier to play since they look a lot closer than tyranids do. Playing them as tyrainds is going to require a long explanation as the weapons look very different.

[Str10_hurts]

Space Skaven would take Death Strike missiles. You know it's true.

I was going to say Nids or agree on DE. But this quote is the reason why you should go IG!

[Gondrak]

i think IG, Tyranids and Orks are all viable options. just go and play some games with every codex and then choose what you like best.

[Thanatos_elNyx]

I use the Dark Eldar Rules for my Space Skaven.

HQ:
Warlord => Archon
Deathmaster Snitch => Succubus

Troops:
Clanrats => Warriors,
Night Runners => Wyches,

Elite:
Plague Monks => Wracks,
Converted Plague Rat Ogres => Grots,
Stormvermin => Incubi,
Gutter Runners => Harlequins,
Assassins => Mandrakes,

Fast Attack
I am converting Ork Dethcoppas for Reavers,
Pack Masters(Rat Ogres, Giant Rats, Rat Swarms) for Beast Masters (Clawed Fiends, Khymerae, Razorwings)
I haven't got anything for Hellions and Scourges yet.

Heavy Support:
I use converted Ork Trukks for Venoms, Raiders and Ravagers,
The Vermin Lord is the Talos and the Screaming Bell is the Chronos.
For the Razorwing, I got a 1:72 scale A-10 with a Skaven pilot from a Doomwheel.
The plane has some Doomwheel bitz on it as well.

I use Warpstone tokens for Power from Pain.
Yes, I know not a perfect fit but this is 40k with Space Wolves riding Wolves and so on.

[thesheriff]

I think after some consideration, im going to go with nids;

Night Spawn - Hive Tyrant w/o Wings/Swarmlord
Nightmares - Warriors w/ boneswords(theyve all got drills and the like, so the combat element will be emphasised)
Crawlers - Termagaunts
Crwalers w/ Crazy rocket packs - Gargoyles

So thats the Mantic stuff, then;

HPA w/ crawler heads, 40k weapons implants and other more sci-fi augmentations - Tervigons
Rat swarms - Rippers
Converted Killa-kans w/ rat crew - Carnifex's (kinda inspired by thisguy)

still looking for more ideas to flesh this out, perhaps something for Zoanthropes

[Kaiserdean]

I've always thought of Tau as Space Skaven.

They are both high-tech and low-tech cultures.
They have caste systems.
They have big guns and "tricksy" things that give them advantages.
They have sneaky units that rely on stealth.

[Phaeron Setek]

I would have to say Orks, because:

1) Leadership tied to squad size
2) Large mobs
3) Crazy rules surrounding the bigger weapons/vehicles/creations that make using them just as risky to the owning player
4) Killa cans having pilots fused inside (just Skaven rat ogres being stitched-together abominations)
5) Clanky/poorly made tek that barely functions if used by other races.
6) Crazy psyker abilities

Just my opinion...

[Egaeus]

I think it really depends on how the OP wants to play them...as many posters have suggested a variety of army lists can be said to "make sense" depending on unit selections.

It made me think that a disappointing thing is that GW doesn't have any kind of customizing rules for army lists (yeah, I can hear all the powergamers drooling over this suggestion )...that is, if we say Orks are appropriate themewise but statwise they aren't quite what one would want, you could just say "well they're Orks with lesser stats, which should of course cost less points but how much less is actually balanced?" Of course people do make their own home-brew codexes, but it does depend heavily on your venue how these will be received.

When I first saw the thread I thought 'Nids, when I saw the pictures and read the blurb about them I thought Orks...but there really isn't any mechanism beyond a home-brew to make something "in between".

[BooTMGSG]

I'd say guard.
1.) They veiw all other speices as inferior, or at least worthy of anhilation.
2.) They go for huge numbers.
3.) High ups have a callous disregard for the life of the humble grunt. It is takes 100,000 to take a hill, thats what we will do, there's billions more on the way.