Leagues of Votann Initial 1st April 2022 reveal, new lore & articles discussion

[TheMawr]

The card says about Beserks :
"Cthonian Beserks are typically fitted with augmetic, sub-dermal shunts that can flood their systems with stimulant chemicals to help them fight their way out of dangerous situations."
I do think that sounds closer to slayers than it does to a regular troops/melee variant.

This is a link to their card, on the right https://spikeybits.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2-ykPJGln.jpg ( I only quickly could find the spikeybits one, but they are not the source.)

[mel_danes]

1 hour ago, TheVoidDragon said:

I just realized...are their melee weapons basically lightsabers? As in, they have no physical blade and it's just plasma?

Similar in style to the blades of the Elites in Halo or Shepard's in Mass Effect. So rather than a pole blade like a light saber the Kin are able to shape the plasma field into a blade form.

Something else mentioned in the lore was the ability to use tech to increase mass, impact hitting power or weight. Might those crazy pauldrons on the Hearthguard be some kind of impact field generator. Activating when the veteran shoulders into something, increasing the effect?

[TheVoidDragon]

1 hour ago, silverstu said:

Yeah could be -they mentioned that "They make substantial use of plasma fields either to augment blades or extend them" 

I'm really interested by the Bezerks - not only what they look like [are there links to slayers] but fluff wise - are they deranged/suicide troops and could this be the darker side of the Votann were they break psychologically ? Possibly they are just CC troops but I think they could add a lot of the flavour of the faction.

Ah, if they use the field to augment the blades then at least some of them must have some sort of metal core.

I hope the Beserks are basically a more serious take on cyberslayers. Heavily augmented melee-troops with grudges and the wrath of the Ancestors.

I can't really see the big bulky space suit thing fitting a melee troop that well, though?

[silverstu]

6 hours ago, TheVoidDragon said:

Ah, if they use the field to augment the blades then at least some of them must have some sort of metal core.

I hope the Beserks are basically a more serious take on cyberslayers. Heavily augmented melee-troops with grudges and the wrath of the Ancestors.

I can't really see the big bulky space suit thing fitting a melee troop that well, though?

Yeah I hope they are a good take on the old cyber slayers. I agree I don't think full armour would suit such troops - think there was a rumour engine which looked like a squat/dwarf bare arm holding a weapon an I think that might be them.

here

[TheVoidDragon]

33 minutes ago, silverstu said:

Yeah I hope they are a good take on the old cyber slayers. I agree I don't think full armour would suit such troops - think there was a rumour engine which looked like a squat/dwarf bare arm holding a weapon an I think that might be them.

here

 

 

I'm assuming you mean this one? That seems like a a possibility. The Leagues melee weapon use similar circular parts as above the grip, there looks to be a small cable, the blade is surrounded by a slightly curved raised section, and it looks like it might be painted to have a gradient on the blade.

Edited July 8, 2022 by TheVoidDragon

[twiglets]

I photoshopped out the head on the squat trike with another squat with sunglasses because the head it got presented with didn't do it for me. Came out looking almost Arnold Schwarzenegger like with the shotgun. 

 

 

Feels closer to the concept art too:

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by twiglets

[Slave to Darkness]

8 hours ago, twiglets said:

I photoshopped out the head on the squat trike with another squat with sunglasses because the head it got presented with didn't do it for me. Came out looking almost Arnold Schwarzenegger like with the shotgun. 

 

 

Feels closer to the concept art too:

 

Still dont like the ladyshaver, but the head swap makes the rider look 100% cooler. 

 

Do we know if this is a bike character? Or part of a larger biker squad?

[Mjasghar]

20 hours ago, TheVoidDragon said:

I just realized...are their melee weapons basically lightsabers? As in, they have no physical blade and it's just plasma? The Sword, Axe and Knife are all entirely glowing orange with no real indication of it being a metal blade wrapped in plasma. It could just be that they're red-hot metal but with them being "plasma" weapons i'm not sure.

Now we know where the Cult of Sollex got their stc fragment

[Triszin]

14 hours ago, TheVoidDragon said:

 

 

I'm assuming you mean this one? That seems like a a possibility. The Leagues melee weapon use similar circular parts as above the grip, there looks to be a small cable, the blade is surrounded by a slightly curved raised section, and it looks like it might be painted to have a gradient on the blade.

I really hope the votann berserks aren't just unarmored votanns with melee.

 

[Dumah]

2 hours ago, Triszin said:

I really hope the votann berserks aren't just unarmored votanns with melee.

 

Funnily enough, that's exactly what I hope they will be...

[Lemondish]

5 hours ago, Slave to Darkness said:

Do we know if this is a bike character? Or part of a larger biker squad?

The unit is called a Hernkyn Pioneer per the original reveal, and based on the data cards leak I'd say it's almost guaranteed to be a regular unit rather than a character. How big that unit can be remains to be seen...

Edited July 9, 2022 by Lemondish

[TheVoidDragon]

3 hours ago, Triszin said:

I really hope the votann berserks aren't just unarmored votanns with melee.

 

I like the general idea of cyberslayers, but I can't really see them being unarmoured fitting in with the rest of the armys style.

I sort of hope that the classic Squat Gambeson shows up somewhere for the Leagues.

[twiglets]

I did two tone colours on the shoulder pads instead of one single tone like it was shown. Also on the armour.

The brown armour one works surprisingly well. Very dwarfy imo.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by twiglets

[Triszin]

Oh man.

 

Turtle power.

 

 Black gold ace

White ace

Brown gold ace

[sibomots]

I don't care. Except, I will have to get these Votann dudes now.  I'm not sure what they do.  Whatever.

I'm going to love dry brushing the tool belt.  

 

[TheVoidDragon]

Not much to it, but new article comparing the two different Exo-suits.

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2022/07/13/can-the-vartijan-exo-driller-match-the-awesome-technology-of-the-leagues-of-votann/

Ironheads don't have an ancestor core and have to make-do with more Imperial-based tech, having designed the Vartijan suit themselves with the resources they have. It's not as advanced as the Leagues suits, but it has plenty of mining sensors while the Leagues have full mobility and self-stabilizing weapons.

The Theyn banners are also not just decorative, but have some sort of technological purpose.

[silverstu]

Yes I saw that- seems like the Leagues tech allows them to have the same power in a smaller frame. Hoping they Geta walker of some sorts themselves. Its a shame the Vartijan suit is resin, would have been very tempted if it was a plastic kit. 

[mel_danes]

Another interesting concept is that those Kin separated from the Leagues can no longer use the Gene-Skein tech to produce new kin, and will be forced to use more, ahem primitive means to re-populate. And as the article suggests without access to the Votann Cores they have to make due with Imperial tech, showing that the Squats retain the advanced knowledge their forebears brought with them from the core worlds. They are keeping this knowledge alive the old fashioned way, likely crystal storage or whatever the Admec use, but also through training the youth.
I don't need another army but I quite like the lore for this one. Now I need to see Iron-kin HearthGuard, bring on the bubble heads!

Edited July 13, 2022 by mel_danes
Spelling

[Mjasghar]

If Squats can reproduce normally than why clone in the first place? 

Or is it more like the geno clads from Legion and the eggs are pre harvested and fertilised with some genetic overwriting to make sure they get what they want? That would explain the need for females. And then those squats outside the leagues have to do it the traditional way. 

[MithrilForge]

I'M Glad GW made a definite difference between the leagues of Votann and the Necromunda stunties I don't think I'll be using the Necromunda models anytime soon for my leagues stuff ( especially if it's done in Resin and also more expensive )  

We Need some New reveals ! , I hope they don't keep rehashing stuff in comparison pics... just to fill in space.

 

Mithril 

[JaM_TW]

I dont want another army (having sold all mu space marine stuff recently) but these look quite nice. Tempting... Depending on how much there are in a box and their price. 

Maybe I can bloodbowlify them... 

[silverstu]

9 hours ago, Mjasghar said:

If Squats can reproduce normally than why clone in the first place? 

Or is it more like the geno clads from Legion and the eggs are pre harvested and fertilised with some genetic overwriting to make sure they get what they want? That would explain the need for females. And then those squats outside the leagues have to do it the traditional way. 

Probably they are able to reproduce naturally as having them sterile would be a "design limitation" as it would ensure their demise without access to their tech. The ancestors probably wanted to ensure the continuation of the race as afar as possible after they were gone. The clone aspect it so they can be designed for specific roles - more efficient and effective to meet the challenges they face. Really interested to read more about the culture of the Leagues and Squats and how they all tie in. 

8 hours ago, mithrilforge said:

I'M Glad GW made a definite difference between the leagues of Votann and the Necromunda stunties I don't think I'll be using the Necromunda models anytime soon for my leagues stuff ( especially if it's done in Resin and also more expensive )  

We Need some New reveals ! , I hope they don't keep rehashing stuff in comparison pics... just to fill in space.

 

Mithril 

I'm really liking the fact that there are different types of "space dwarf" , I've been surprised how much I've enjoyed the Necromunda squats and its made me look forward to getting the Leagues even more. Hope we get some more Leagues stuff this week and they don't just leave us with that article ..

[TheVoidDragon]

9 hours ago, Mjasghar said:

If Squats can reproduce normally than why clone in the first place? 

Or is it more like the geno clads from Legion and the eggs are pre harvested and fertilised with some genetic overwriting to make sure they get what they want? That would explain the need for females. And then those squats outside the leagues have to do it the traditional way. 

It's very vague at the moment what the whole cloning thing even means. The First Ancestors were implied to not have been Kin, they (supposedly) made the CloneSkein tech that enables their controlled mutations, and the Kin have been clones all along - but they're not identical clones, have normal lives, are evidently capable of reproducing normally,  they seemingly aren't born into a role exactly (but are adapted for different things), and seem to not be so subservient to the Votann that they can't choose to leave and live without one....so maybe they're only clones as in they get modified to fit a certain template?

[Bryan Blaire]

6 hours ago, TheVoidDragon said:

It's very vague at the moment what the whole cloning thing even means.....so maybe they're only clones as in they get modified to fit a certain template?

That’s very much what it has sounded like to me/impression I’ve had from the beginning.  The “clone-skeins” don’t seem like “Clone Troopers” type things where they actually grow people out of it, somewhat more like gene-seed, tailored to roles outside just a combat caste, able to be swapped into a growing League member “in utero” (some form of) where it would replace genetic code to give a result that is modified for the job they are intended to do,  but isn’t necessarily identical to any previous Leagues member.

It could also be a gene template that they then use to insert genetic portions of biologically distinct individuals to “grow” new individuals from that have similar capabilities, but are genetically distinct (so there’s no “Pop out another 50 of Tech-savant #23” or something).

I don’t think the Kin or other League members are a block of identical beings though like the Clone Troopers were, etc.

Edited July 14, 2022 by Bryan Blaire

[TheVoidDragon]

1 hour ago, Bryan Blaire said:

 The “clone-skeins” don’t seem like “Clone Troopers” type things where they actually grow people out of it, somewhat more like gene-seed, tailored to roles outside just a combat caste, able to be swapped into a growing League member “in utero” (some form of) where it would replace genetic code to give a result that is modified for the job they are intended to do,  but isn’t necessarily identical to any previous Leagues member.

 

That's the impression I get too. If they were grown artificially to fulfill a certain role, then it would make more sense for them to those individuals to be copied/repeated, but we know that isn't the case. The article on them just said the cloneskeisn "underpin the genetic structure" of the Kin, and they have a large gene pool.

Completely unrelated to that, but does anyone think that field/patrol caps, boonie hats etc could fit on the Leagues? That was one of the things I quite liked about the old models that give them a rugged, hardy feel but I'm not too sure if they'd look out of place on the Hearthkin or not. Goggles and shades seem to fit, at least.