Warhammer Fest introduces new 40,000 Kill Teams, Chaos Marines and Squats

Games Workshop’s Warhammer Fest Online kicks off this week and concludes on Saturday with even more big reveals. The interstitial event — streamed live on Twitch for about an hour a day – includes all sorts of new models and products for practically every single game and franchise the British company produces. The biggest reveals, however, came for the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar marquee franchises.

The event effectively sets the tone for the next six months, an important time for the hobby games industry as it straddles the summer convention and prepares for the holiday season. Here’s a rundown of the major announcements made so far.

kill team

That Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team: Moroch The box set contains some awesome looking Traitor Soldiers. The set reflects the design of the Guardsman that is included Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress and adds a commissar (a leader unit) and an ogryn – a mutated, ogre-like melee unit. The presenters said they will act a bit like the Death Korps of Krieg included in the critically acclaimed reboot Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team: Octarius. The opposing force is a Space Marine Phobos Strike Team, an existing set of models that will be included here with a brand new upgrade sprue.

Necromunda

Prospectors – independent excavators working in the wastes of Necromunda – were introduced alongside the new one Necromunda: Ash Waste’s rulebook. On Friday, Games Workshop finally unveiled the first full set of units to fill that role, and, surprise surprise, it’s squats.

This new warband for Necromunda marks the first appearance of a full set of squats. However, the moderators were quick to note that these particular squats actually have nothing to do with Votann’s recently announced leagues Warhammer 40,000. These are an entirely separate faction and far more technologically advanced.

Also revealed will be a new sourcebook called Necromunda: Book of the Outlands, which should at least describe new units for the Orlocks, Ash Waste Nomads and the Ironhead Squats. According to the moderators, it will also contain rules for many generic vehicles that will be available to all existing gangs in the game.

Warhammer 40,000

With a new one Warhammer: 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines Along the way, GW has finally removed the cover from a number of models – including a gnarly new one demon prince. These models are notable for having far more flesh than conventional units, particularly the Taken, which are now rumored to be the size of a Space Marine in Gravis armor.

That 40K The Chaos series will also feature a number of new Cultists, similar in flavor to the few units released with the exclusive Barnes & Noble board game Space Marine Adventures: Doomsday Countdown. Also, there is word that the world eater will soon have its own codex.

Image: Games workshop

The Leagues of Votann – formerly known as the Squats – also made an appearance. The new Hernkyn Pioneer device is packed with detail. It absolutely looks like a cross between Horus Heresy era technology and something the T’au might deploy in the 41st millennium.

Warhammer: Age of Sigmar

fans of Warhammer: Age of Sigmar were not left out of the celebrations. GW revealed some menacing Ogroid Theridons.

The elven sylvaneth faction hasn’t received an update for a while. The new series of all-plastic multi-piece sets, unveiled on Thursday, borrows from the fluid lines and organic textures the faction is known for.

Image: Games workshop

The Skaven faction is getting a brand new rulebook titled Chaos Battletome: Skaven this will improve the rules of the faction for the first time in a long time. GW also showed off a new Skaven Deathmaster, pictured above. As with most of the reveals shown so far, no release dates or pricing information has been offered.

A new faction called the Horns of Hashut is on the way Warhammer: Age of Sigmar Warcry. The moderators added that the competitive skirmish game will soon get more battlegrounds in the Mortal Realms.

There are many more announcements to come this weekend, which are expected to focus on the upcoming Horus Heresy reboot. Warhammer Fest Online concludes on Saturday 7th May with another video. Airtime will likely be announced on twitter.