The time of mortals is ending, and the reign of Chaos draws ever closer. The Dark Gods are at last united in a singular purpose, loosing their madness across the world as never before. In the Empire of Sigmar, Karl Franz's gaze is focused on the incursion of the savage northmen, but it is not the only threat. As the Chaos moon Morrslieb waxes full, shrill voices echo through tunnels gnawed far beneath the Empire's cities, and a Skaven host swarms towards the surface. It emerges first in the city of Ubersreik, a screeching mass that consumes all before it. Soon Ubersreik is a charnel-town, drowning beneath the malevolent shadow of the Horned Rat.

Yet even in the darkest times, there are always champions to light the way. As Ubersreik cowers, five heroes, united by capricious fate, carry the fight to the rat-men. It remains to be seen whether they have the strength to survive, let alone work together long enough to thwart the invaders. One truth, however, is beyond all doubt: should these five fall, then Ubersreik will fall with them.

In Vermintide, the city of Ubersreik is under siege as players select from a band of five heroes with different play-styles and abilities, all equipped with unique gear and personalities. Working together cooperatively, players must use their individual attributes to survive an apocalyptic invasion from hordes of relentless, power hungry Skaven, across a range of environments stretching from the top of the Magnus Tower to the bowels of the Under Empire.

Victor is a man on a personal crusade against the ratmen, driven by reasons he keeps to himself, seeking them out wherever they rise. He is a member of the Order of the Silver Hammer, but his obsession with the Skaven has caused friction with his superiors, and effectively hindered his well-earned promotion to Witch Hunter Captain.

Unlike other Witch Hunters, Victor has no objections to working with other races. To him, the end justifies the means, and he is ultimately willing to fight alongside anyone as long as they are not outright enemies of Sigmar and the Empire.

When we started looking at which Warhammer classes we wanted to use as our heroes, a Witch Hunter felt like a natural choice. Not only are they badass in their own right, but they are constantly fighting the forces of Chaos and evil, something that the Skaven in many ways embody. On top of that, Witch Hunters are deliciously unlikeable, willing to kill any and all who stand between them and their prey.

Designing Victor came very naturally, partly because the Witch Hunters have such a distinct look about them, but also partly because his sullen personality fit perfectly with the dark and lethal look of the Order. Sharp, haggard and cold features combined with a tall thin look gave Victor the perfect uncompromising aura one would expect from a Witch Hunter.

After we were satisfied with our concept and got a thumbs up from Games Workshop, we started working on bringing him into the game. We made sure to really emphasize the lean and hollow aspects of his features, to try and bring out his more sinister nature. The fact that he ended up looking a bit like Willem Dafoe was completely coincidental.

We gave Victor leather armor like many of his Order, to ensure that he had an agile feel, and weapons to match.  He was fitted with a brace of Pistols and a Rapier as starting weapons. The Pistols were a must-have since they are such an iconic part of a Witch Hunter, while the Rapier felt like a natural melee weapon for someone who kills with precision.

Since we wanted to ensure our heroes are flexible in their Skaven killing techniques, we added other weapons to Victor’s arsenal. This will allow the Players to pick their own fighting style, responding to the needs of themselves or their team.  The Witch Hunter’s Great Sword and Repeater Pistol will allow Victor to take down multiple foes at once, while his Crossbow and One Handed Axe lets him target individual enemies and penetrate their armour with great efficiency.