Warhammer Fest introduces new 40K Kill Team, Chaos Marines, squats, and more

Games Workshop’s Warhammer Fest Online has been running all this week, and concludes with even more big reveals on Saturday. The interstitial event — streamed live on Twitch for about an hour each day — includes all manner of new models and products for virtually every single game and franchise that the British company produces. The biggest reveals, however, arrived for marquee franchises Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar.

The event effectively sets the tone for the next six months, an important period for the hobby games industry that spans the summer convention circuit and sets up for the holiday season. Here’s a rundown of the most important announcements made so far.

Kill Team

The Warhammer 40,000 Kill Team: Moroch boxed set includes some fantastic-looking traitor soldiers. The set echoes the design of the Guardsman included in Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress and adds a Commissar (a leader unit) and an Ogryn — a mutated, ogrelike close combat unit. Presenters said they’ll handle 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 an all-new upgrade sprue.

Necromunda

Prospectors — independent excavators working in the wastes of Necromunda — were introduced in passing with the new Necromunda: Ash Wastes Rulebook. On Friday, Games Workshop finally revealed the first full set of units to fill that role and, surprise, surprise, they’re squats.

This new warband for Necromunda marks the first appearance of a full unit of squats. However, presenters were quick to note that these particular squats are not actually related to the recently announced Leagues of Votann for Warhammer 40,000. Those are a wholly separate faction and far more technologically advanced.

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

Warhammer 40,000

With a new Warhammer: 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines on the way, GW has finally taken the cover off a bunch of models — including a gnarly new Daemon Prince. These models are notable in that they’ve got a lot more flesh on them than traditional units, especially the Possessed, which are now said to be the size of a Space Marine in Gravis Armour.

The 40K Chaos line will also include a bunch of new Cultists, similar in flavor to the handful of units released with the Barnes & Noble-exclusive board game Space Marine Adventures: Doomsday Countdown. Plus, there’s word that the World Eaters will be getting their own codex soon.

Image: Games Workshop

The Leagues of Votann — previously known as squats — also made an appearance. The new Hernkyn Pioneer unit is just packed with detail. It absolutely looks like a cross between Horus Heresy-era tech and something the T’au might field in the 41st millennium.

Warhammer: Age of Sigmar

Fans of Warhammer: Age of Sigmar have not been left out of the festivities. GW revealed some menacing Ogroid Theridons.

The elven Sylvaneth faction hasn’t received an update in a while. The new series of all-plastic multipart sets revealed on Thursday leans into the flowing lines and organic textures that faction is known for.

Image: Games Workshop

The Skaven faction is getting an all-new rulebook titled Chaos Battletome: Skaven that will upgrade the faction’s rules for the first time in a long while. GW also showed off a new Skaven Deathmaster, pictured above. As with most all of the reveals shown so far, no release date or pricing information was offered.

A new faction called Horns of Hashut is on the way for Warhammer: Age of Sigmar Warcry. Presenters also added that the competitive skirmish game will be getting more battlefields set in the Mortal Realms soon.

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