How exactly did playable Skaven work?

[Wlarius]

I know they were added to the game later, but I also know that they were not a new race you could start at the beginning but part of some later content. So I assume it had to be available for both Destro and Order. So, how exactly did they work? Just a gimmick race, like the Monster Play of LotRO?

[Telen]

Yeah pretty much monster play. Had some gimmicks like the gutterrunner showing enemies on the minimap for your realm and the rat ogre tossing people into keeps/.

[Penril]

Every once in a while you would receive an announcement like "A Skaven Incursion has begun!" and some portals would appear in BO's and at your WC. These portals took you to the Skaven Dungeon which had 3 bosses. The side who did more damage to the boss would win the PQ and get a chest which contained some gear. Purple bags dropped some awesome weapons. Gold bags contained a piece of Doomflayer gear (2nd boss) and Warpforged (last boss, Thanquol). Everyone who participated also received some currency (don't remember the name).

After leaving the dungeon, you could use this currency to play as a Skaven:

- Gutter Runner, stealth rat which had a super high jump, could sabotage enemy siege weapons, could show enemies on the map, and had a snare-net which caused damage to them if they moved.
- Rat Ogre, could throw allies on top of keep walls. Only unit (besides siege weapons) able to damage keep doors. Only healable by Packmasters.
- Pack Master: Able to heal Rat Ogre.
- Warlock Engineer: Had a really strong AoE puddle which could decimate warbands.

After 15 minutes, Skaven were available to everyone. However there was a limited number: 4 gutter runners, 4 (?) Ogres, 2 Warlock Engineers, and i don't remember how many Packmasters.

Each Skaven had only like 5-7 skills. Engineer and Gutter Runner were the most fun (Ogres too, but it sucked not being able to be healed by everyone).

I would love to see Skaven brought back to the game, even as Monster play. But available only for Destro; Order could receive Ogres. Wishful thinking: see more races added in this way, like:

- Vampires and Wood Elves (Vampires "protect" their food against Chaos, and Dryads could be fun). Maybe even use the Aqshy monster play from that SC (College of Corruption).
- Tomb Kings and Beastmen (Tomb Kings were known to ally with Dark Elves, and Beastmen with Chaos).