USD ($)
EUR (€)
From the depths of the galactic core (probably why they’ve taken so long to arrive), come the Leagues of Votann! Older players might recognise them as Squats, but don’t call them that to their faces. These are the honourable Leagues of Votann and they have come to wage war…or at least make a tidy profit. They bring with them advanced weaponry and formidable armour, many of which the Adeptus Mechnicus would pay dearly to get their hands on, not that the Votann are sharing. The alliance of the Kin and IronKin make them a force to be reckoned with, and somewhat heretical if the wrong people found out.
Built Like A…Well, Dwarf
The box contains a good variety of Votann to get you started. The Votann’s stocky build lends itself to being easy to build, and I didn’t have much trouble with any of the models in this box. Ûthar The Destined leads the charge as the leader of the force. He’s a gorgeous model and can be built in a variety of ways, even as a normal Kâhl.
Then we have 5 Cthonian Beserkers. There are a few weapons options for these, but honestly if you’re not building the Mole Grenade Launcher, what are you doing? It shoots grenades through the ground! I had a little trouble with the shoulders on some of these models, but honestly I think I was just not paying attention to the instructions. Just double check their shoulders are in the right position.
The box includes 3 Hernkyn Pioneers (not Hearthkyn, I triple checked). They are fantastic hover bike models. Lots of rounded corners and storage packs. It makes them look like they are built to last and can survive anything. Everything fit together really well so they were a dream to build.
Finally we have the meat of the box, the 10 Hearthkyn Warriors. These are your standard troops, but ignore them at your peril. They are really nice models with a wide variety of weapon options. I couldn’t resist building the railgun model, even if it’s a bit of a niche use case (then again, vehicles are getting tougher in 10th, maybe it will be needed).
What Is A Dwarf To Wear?
I haven’t got too far in painting my Votann yet, mostly just undercoated, but I have confirmed my paint scheme and painted one up. You can see this one above. I decided on a grey sort of functional jumpsuit-like base coat, highlighted some of the armour with a bright orange, and then threw in some vivid blue to make some of the gear pop. Then it was just a bit of a wash on the armour to ‘dirty’ it a bit, and on to the base. I’m quite happy with how the base turned out actually, I wanted a sort of ‘walking on the moon’ look so I used Astrogranite Debris then dry brushed Grey Seer over the top.
Demons Run, When A Good Dwarf Goes To War*
So we’ve built them up, but how do they actually fare on the battlefield? Well one thing they all share is Void Armour. This is a fantastic piece of kit which means units firing at Votann units cannot re-roll wound or damage rolls, which can make a huge difference. Not only that but it also reduces the AP of attacks on Votann units by 1 (to a minimum of 1). Not too shabby.
That said, I don't want to go too deep on the stats of each unit with 10th edition so close at hand. It wouldn't be very useful. So I'll just give you an overall impression of what they are and what they're good at.
Uthar The Destined
This guy is your powerhouse and is made of pure stubborn. Kahls are similar but this guy just takes it up another level. He is hard to kill, you'd have to focus him down, and has some really nasty weapon options for close combat. If you can keep him from getting shot off the table too soon, he'll take many enemies down with him.
Cthonian Beserkers
I hope these guys keep their Feel No Pain in the next edition. They are easy to get shot down if you aren't careful, but if you can get them into combat they will pummel/slice their way through anything you throw at them. Combine that with the legendary mole grenade launcher, and you've got yourself an awesome unit.
Hernkyn Pioneers
These are the speedsters of the group, but they are also pretty tough. You'll be able to whizz them around the board without worrying too much about them instantly disappearing. They have a solid chance of hitting and a lot of shots to pump out at the enemy. Especially if you take the rotary cannon (and if you're not, why?! It's a gatling gun!). Even in groups of 3 these guys will be something for your opponent to worry about.
Hearthkyn Warriors
These guys are the core of your army, and you'll likely want more of them before long. They have decent staying power, control objectives and a truly impressive array of heavy weapon options. I couldn't resist the rail gun (seriously, a portable rail gun), but all the options have their uses. Between 2 squads of this unit you can take all of the options and cover your bases.
Final Thoughts
Overall this is a really great start to any Votann army. It gives you some key core units and some harder hitting ones. From here you can expand in different ways depending on your personal preferences. The fact that all but the bikes are usable as a Boarding Patrol is just a bonus. If you decide to go the route of these vertically challenged armoured warriors, this is the place to start.
*Doctor Who reference, shhh